One More Day till the Road Trip and the Next Adventure Starts....

I hope my picture of the Statue of Liberty turn out as good as this one (not taken by me).....

Hey everyone. One more day to go before the trip. I am getting nervous. Thinking that there will be a "hitch" so to speak. Everything seems to be working out just perfectly. And with my life, things tend to sway from one end of the "pendlelum" to the other. I just hope the sway is on the positive side of that damm clock.

The last time me and Robyn (my friend who is moving out to NY and with who I am driving out to Saratoga Springs) checked the interstate weather forecast for the trip...it looked like we would be heading through some snow flurries and a bit of snow on the ground around buffalo NY. She hates snow...sounds like one of my other friends (Hi Doris)....I told Robyn I would drive any snowy roads. I love snow. I just hope it doesnt delay our journy. I have to catch an Amtrak in Saratoga Springs (reserved and paid for) at 1230pm on saturday which will take me into the Big City. And as you will see from the email from my friend Jasmine(who used to work at the hotel I work at and now lives in Conn. with my other friend Jason) below....the trip from NYC to Conn. on saturday evening she has pretty much figured out for me.

There are still a few things I have to get done on this, my day off before the trip starts. That is what thursday will be for.
It didnt help my nerves any that, after getting home from work tonight, I realised I locked my keys in my truck as I shut the door!!
Thank god my neighbor was still up.
I called Ford Motor Assistance and they said they would send out a truck to "unlock me".
In the meantime, I was contemplating how to get into my apt without my keys. (I didnt really feel like eating my Wendy's and waiting at his place for the truck) so I asked him if he had a hammer and a screwdriver so I could "jimmy" the door open somehow.
So I walked up the stairs and for some weird reason I decided to pull on the door handle of my back door. The door flew open! Holy shit! Too weird. I know my cat is smart....but that takes the cake.
I guess the Gods are lookin out for me yet again. Hope they continue to do so through my entire trip.

Oh and just today....my Amtrak magazine explaining all the Trains I will be riding on....came in the mail! I didnt expect it so soon. I only ordered it when I booked my train tickets last week. Oh so cool.

More updates to follow. Time for a little sleep. Its close to 4AM.

Johnny "Quest"
__________________________________________________________________________
----- Original Message from Jasmine -----
From: Jasmine Hanson
To: john
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 3:25 PM
Subject: RE: Hello
Hello,

I told Jasen before I left work on Monday and he said cool. It will be pretty easy for you to catch a cab from Penn Station and just tell them to take you to Grand Central Station. I am sorry that I don't know where Penn is plus it isn't always the best idea to drive into New York it takes forever to get in and forever to get out. Over 4th of July weekend we went to a Yankees game and had driven there. Let me tell you that was an utter nightmare. There was so much traffic that it took us close to 2 hours to get there and about 3 1/2 to get home. And there were people just everywhere driving like mad men.

Anyway, when you get to Grand Central there is a central qiosk for information in case you have questions but you can buy tickets there also or at one of the automated booths. The train is called the Metro North railroad. You will want to take one that stops at Stratford, CT. (it is usually the trains that will say New Haven). You can look it up online at metro north railroad. The Stratford, CT stop is the closets to Shelton and that is where I can pick up. You can call me when you get on the train and I will meet you there and take you to the hotel to check in. Then I figured I can show you our apartment and you can see our kitty then we can go back to the hotel and have dinner with Jasen. How does that sound? Then if you want I can take you to the train station again Sunday morning. You can check all schedules for the Metro North Railroad online. That's what I do, and then I buy my tickets at the station.

I told my mom yesterday but she didn't mention anything she wanted to send I will be calling her later to ask and she can drop it off to you at work.

I will be leaving work about 5:30 or so east coast time so it will be about 4:30 your time. You can call if you have questions or anything. Looking forward to seeing you and I am very excited to, to see a familar face from the outside world.

See ya,
Jasmine
__________________________________________________________________________

PS: Paul Davis (a singer from the late 70's) and his song "Sweet Life" is exactly how I feel right now. Let the adreneline flow...ya baby!!!

Start Spreading the Word-NYC Here John Comes!

So another of my dreams is about to come true........

John in the "Big Apple"!!
I have been thinking of another "train trip" since taking my trip out west this spring. One thought was the East Coast. I have always wanted to see New York City. When I was a kid, I would watch the movies and dream about walking down Broadway and through Central Park. I came close a few years ago, when a friend of mine was going out there, and I contemplated asking him if he felt like having a "tag-a-long". But it didnt happen then.

But now, the gods seemed to have helped me figure a way to make one more dream come true.
So this friday (October 29th), I will be leaving Racine with a friend of mine who is leaving our area, to live and work in upstate New York.
We will be driving straight through to Saratoga Springs, New York. I am planning on staying there on friday evening and then on saturday noon I will be taking an Amtrak (The Ethan Allan).....
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321921&ssid=134
(click on link for an overview of this train and its route through New York State)
....from Saratoga Springs, arriving in New York City around 4PM.

From there, I will be taking an East Coast train or a cab, or maybe have some kind soul from Shelton pick me up at Penn Station.... (have to figure that one out yet) and off to Shelton Conneticut ,where the corportate headquarters are for the hotel company I work for.
I will be staying at a Courtyard that we own that two of my friends (Jasmine and Jason) who used to work with me, are at. (Shhh..they dont know I am coming!!)
In the morning on sunday, I will try to take the earliest train or cab or some kind of transprotation that is available, back into NYC so I can start my day with sightseeing and photo and video taking.

I have no idea (well actually I have lots of ideas!!) what I will do next except that I will have close to 3 days to do anything I want in what some people have called the "Coolest City" in the World.

I just booked my hotels this evening (The one in the city being a Marriott at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge-overlooking the Manhatten skyline- in Brooklyn) for Sunday and Monday. Imagine the view if I can work my charms to get a room with the above view....
Here is the hotel web site for that cool hotel and some info on my "home" during my adventure.
http://marriott.com/property/propertypage.mi?marshaCode=NYCBK

If any of my friends or family have advice on things I should do while out there....email me and let me know.

I am also booking some cool tours of Manhatten, one in particular being a walking tour of the "World Trade Center Site and the 911 Memorial for sunday morning.

There are plenty of things to do in New York. The Empire State Building has an observation deck over 100 stories above Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are in New York Harbor. If you want to check out some museums, the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim Museum are among the many of interest.

There is so much I want to see but I know I wont have time to do it all.
People watching will be the big thing. And I have my new digital camera to take as many photos as I can and I am also borrowing a video camera from a friend to take some video of the city and its sites for remembering.
.
.....But some of the musts, in addition to the 911 site, will be:
-The Brooklyn Bridge (that will be a no brainer since I will be right on top of it!!)
-A walk through Central Park and sitting on a bench to read a little
-Riding the NYC Subway system (I will have to do that to get back and fourth when in the city)
-Battery Park
-The Empire State Building
-WallStreet
-Old Trinity Church (Thomas Jefferson is buried there I heard!)
( the above which by the way are part of an all inclusive tour i could take for 45.00 if I decide to go that route)
-Broadway (and hopefully a show-The Odd Couple with "Nathan Lane and Mathew Brodrick" is playing on sunday at 5pM!-maybe I can score a cheap ticket) I am looking at the shows and there are so many!
-The Statue of Liberty
-A ride on the "Staten Island Ferry" which is free!!!
-Times Square and seeing all the signage and buildings
-Macy's and 34th Street (maybe I will see a Miracle!)
-Grand Central Terminal Station
_The New York Public Library (I just watched Day after Tommorow movie again...it was filmed on site!)
And then the "hopefully if there is time" stuff:
-Rockefeller Center
-Radio City Music Hall
-NBC studio with walking in front of the Cameras as the "Today Show" is shooting live. Look for me!!
-The "Sex and the City" tour (for all the HBO afficiandos out there including me!)
-United Nations Tour
-Museums (American Museum of Natural History, The Guggenheim Museum, Ellis Island)
-Grant's tomb (My stepmom says some of the rock was quarried in Montello which is close to where they live in wisconsin here)
.....and on the 31st (Halloween) there is a Halloween PARADE in Greenwich Village...imagine that sight!! I surly will try to see that.....
http://www.halloween-nyc.com/index.php
(click on link for an overview of this fun parade that I hope to take some pics and or video of)

I also want to visit some of the more famous restaurants (being a restuarant guy myself) to see what the big deal is all about with places such as.....
-Tavern on the Green sitting in the "Crystal room" (on Central Park)
-Langans Restaurant and Bar
-Carnegie Deli
-Patsy's Restaurant (Frank Sinatra's favorite)
-Foley's on Time Square
-Charlie O's (in the Theatre district)
-and of course "The View" which is a bar atop the Marriott Marquis (which I wanted to stay at but the associate pleasure rate was 449.00 for the night!) but my friend Robyn says it is a must to have a drink there.

I am sure I will not be able to even get to all of these things this time. But whatever I end up doing, I will probably be having the time of my life doing them.

And probably one of the highlights which I just found out about will be a book signing by Anne Rice, who will be at a book store called Pomens at Grand Central Terminal on tuesday afternoon. Her newest book called "Jesus-The Christ" is one I have been interested in getting. Imagine having a signed copy by this illustrious author..how cool is that?? This will be a MUST DO for sure....you all know where I will be at 1230pm on tuesday......just before making my way to Penn Station for the trip back home...and I will have a new book to read if I get bored with the scenery.

And then on tuesday afternoon about 4pm, I will board yet another train (The Lakeshore Limited Amtrak).....
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Horizontal_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321961&ssid=133
(click on link above for more info on this train and its route from NY to Chicago)
....which will take me through the "Berkshires" of New York and along the Great Lakes for some fall scenery, which some say is one of the prettiest Amtrak routes to ride and it is an overnight train ride ,which will get me into Chicago on wed. at about 930AM.
I then want to do a little sightseeing in the other Big City that is in my back yard and then it is another train back to Wisconsin for a bit of "rest" and a day off on thurs. before returning to work to dish out "Friday Fish" once more....

So...as Frank Sinatra said: "Start spreading the word, Im leaving......" and so on.
New York, New York....here I comes!!!

I have been up all night digging into New York City and there is just so much on the web...I am exhausted just thinking of all the possibilities.....

Happy Sunday to all.

A Death in the Family.....

Mr. Dibbles
2003-2005

I am sad to report that "Mr. Dibbles" has passed away.

_________________________________________________________________________
Official Obituary Notice:

Not sure of his birthdate (but probably circa: 2003)
Not sure if he had any extended family (other than the residents of Blaine Ave)
No children that I am aware of
Wife of 2 years: Mrs. Dibbles (though they lived in seperate homes)

Dib's was a long time companion of mine and helped me through some very rough times over the course of the last few years. He had a bright spirit and a lively soul. He would always wave his fins whenever I tapped on his home and enjoyed hours of swimming and frolicking in his little "bubble bowl" he called home.
His official heritage is that of a "Beta" with wonderous red and blue colors, but he was one of my children who I cared for deeply.

Dib's leaves behind not only me, his beloved master, but a soulmate pal named Mrs. Dibbles (another Beta)and a courious cat named Scrappy Doo.

He will be surly missed. Hopefully his trip to the afterlife (Via the Racine Sewer System) will be as happy as his life was here on Blaine Avenue in Racine.

By the way, Dib's was a gift from my PM Staff at the Restaurant where I manage.
He had a good (and long) life.

There will be no visitation and no service
In Leau of Flowers or other gratuities...feel free to donate whatever monetary amount to a "pet like charity" of your choice.
__________________________________________________________________________
We will all miss him.

35,000 Plus Human Beings Wiped off the Earth in an Instant

How Aweful....

The World population is sure taking a "digger" these days.
-First the Earthquake in December of 2004 in Indonesia
-Then the Hurricanes of this Fall in the Gulf Coast
-Now the massive Earthquake on the Asian subcontinent...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PAKISTAN_QUAKE?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

---with news articles today saying upwards of 30,000 dead from this most recent "Act of God".

And "WHO"(World Health Organization) is saying there is a possibility of 100 Million deaths due to "Avian Flu" spreading from Asia to the rest of the world sometime in the next few months....

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/who-prepares-for-100-million-bird-flu-deaths/2005/09/22/1126982165488.html

All this death and destruction of historic porportions.
Mother Nature or "something more"??

What in the heck is going on??

A Sunday Drive in the Country...

When I was a kid, one of the days I most looked forward to were "Sundays". It was the day where my dad would take the family for a drive. Sometimes out to his parent's farm in Plover, other times to visit other realitives in the area and sometimes just driving and exploring the countrysides of Central Wisconsin and sometimes even further away through the state. I remember those drives as being such a nice way to end the weekends. So I decided to take a sunday drive myself yesterday and drove up to Waukesha and then just spent the day meandering along rustic roads in the country. A few photos (that I have included below... )helped me capture some of the day. What a nice sunday....

Warm thoughts for a good week to all.....

A quick back ground on a few of the 1st photos in this most recent post:
Genesee Depot (one of my favorite little towns in Wisconsin) in Waukesha county is on Hwy 83.

Genesee Depot was the home of "Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fountaine" who were the stars of Broadway back in the 1920s through the 1940s. They were America's first real "stars" and they lived in Genesee Depot, just outside of Waukesha and their home which they called "Ten Chimneys" is a magnificent estate on a quiet road in Genesee Depot. They lived in that home untill their deaths which if I remember correctly was sometime in the 1970s. I read a book about them and from that book I learned that some of broadway's and Hollywood's stars of those eras were entertained by the Lunts out there in Genesee Depot. People such as Noel Cowerd, Helen Hayes, Elisabeth Taylor, Katherin Hepburn....and more. All in my back yard.

If you google Lynn Fountaine or Alfred Lunt or even Ten Chimney's..there is tons of info on this very interesting couple.

A couple sites to check out if you want more info on this historic site and the two interesting people who called it their home for many years:

http://www.tenchimneys.org/index.php

http://www.medaloffreedom.com/AlfredLuntLynnFontanne.htm


I took a tour of their estate a few years ago after it was opened by the State of Wisconsin as a Historical site" and the estate is just as it was in that couple's heyday. Very majestic. And Genesee Depot is a very neat little village. Somewhere I wouldnt mind living....

Ten Chimneys sign outside the house...Genesee Depot in Waukesha county. 

Ten Chimneys in Genesee Depot 

Another view of Ten Chimneys from the roadside...village ofGenesee Depot 

Another view of Ten Chimneys in Genesee Depot 

Pumpkins, spiders, tractors...a ideal country scene for the fall...taken on Hwy 83 in Waukesha county 

This way to the pumpkins...taken on Hwy 83 in Waukesha county 

Pumpkins....I decided to use this photo as my wallpaper for my laptop for the fall...taken on Hwy 83 in Waukesha county 

How scary could this be for a kid?? A spider! and pumpkins and more....taken on Hwy 83 in Waukesha county 

A real live Pumpkin Patch..taken on Hwy 83 just after Genesee in Waukesha county 

Catholic Church opening it's Doors to "Gay" Priests??

I thought they had done this eons ago.....

http://sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/10/07/gay-priests1007.html
(Click on link for story)

And for those interested...a little background on the "gay issue of priests" that have played out in the media
in the recent past:
http://aztlan.net/boyle2.htm
(click on link for stories and links to other stories)

I am sure proud to be a "catholic".......somedays.

The World's NEXT Natural Disaster.....BIRD FLU??

Ok, so these stories (click on below links) pretty much say it all. This is pretty scary. I hope for mankind's sake that this "pandemic" comes LATER than sooner...so to give the world a little more time to prepare for this scenario. As I was reading one of the stories, one paragraph mentioned that the order in which the innoculations would be dispersed to the public leave me...a single male.....at the bottom of the "NEEDS" list to get the medication to fight this flu off.
Time to start stockpiling foodstuffs and investing in gold and and other things that will keep me safe.


Definition of pandemic:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandemic


http://news.google.com/nwshp?ll=43.389082,-88.330078&spn=27.627477,59.115234&hl=en&ncl=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/10/09/2003275031
(click on link for different news stories about the potential fallout of this flu)

and another article from a bit back in time...discussing some spefics in a shorter article on why this particular strain of flu is so devestating in its magnitude, plus an audio link to one man's experience with deadly flu:
http://birdfluhelp.com/mp3birdflu.htm
(click on link for story)

I hope "King George" does something quickly to avert this disaster that is sure to strike his "kingdom". But he probably will think that this is just a perfect way to control the "spiraling" population of the world and put things back in check.....hmmmm.

Have a good saturday......

Another Terrible Natural Disaster with Thousands Killed...This time an Earthquake

It seems that the earth just keeps killing more and more humans. 18,000 people at once....thats almost incomprehensible to understand.

This latest Earthquake affected Three different countries and it seems that the most damage was done in the mountianous regions of the three intersecting lands.

Story below:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PAKISTAN_QUAKE?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

I Thought I was goin Crazy when I heard a Tornado Siren Yesterday!!

So its just about bed time yesterday morning...must have been around 7AM....and I hear the Tornado-Storm Warning Siren as I am half asleep.
I think for a second it might have been a dream as I was having the strangest dreams about a future where human government had been replaced by robots and super computers and there was a massive storm brewing........and then I woke up and I hear the siren clear as day.

So, I call work to see if they had heard anything , and Scott the Host, says no...nothing sounding here. So I try to go back to bed after turning on the tv and not seeing any warnings on any local channels. The siren only lasted for a few minutes by the way.
And then just now I find this news article:
__________________________________________________________________________
Racine County News Briefs
From the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Oct. 6, 2005
Tornado warning system will be checked out
Radio technicians will investigate equipment-related issues after Racine County's tornado warning system erroneously sounded Thursday morning for about two minutes, officials said.
No operator switched on the sirens, which sounded at the same time that a series of tones went out over the county fire radio frequency to alert Union Grove Fire & Rescue of an unrelated situation, according to the Racine County Sheriff's Department.
In order to set off the tornado warning, one must click a series of safety switches; the system cannot accidentally be activated, Capt. James Formolo said.
__________________________________________________________________________

Well at least I am not crazy (though a few of my friends would probably disagree)....

Happy Friday

A New Look for my Blog??

I decided it was time for a change for the overall "look" of my blog.

One of my favorite colors is gray and this look seems to work for me.
But then I noticed some of the page rendering wouldnt work right so....i have decided to keep the same style as before. So back to the same old. I guess sometimes that old saying of "Dont fix it if it aint broken" rings true. Oh well.

I also decided to include a photo of my "baby". Scrappy Doo is my little cat who has been with me for almost two years...thanks to my boss and good friend Doris.

I never realised how much a pet could mean to me. She is a very important part of my life.
Dont know what I ever did without the little "brat"

Warm Regards for a happy friday....

NASA Finds our Sun's Twin....and Thus the Possibility of Life Elsewhere in our Galaxy??

A star that is almost as old as ours and burns at about the same temperature and rotates at about the same speed? Sounds like something out of Science Fiction.....but that is exactly what NASA has found, using an array of different telescopes and other space related equipment.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solar_twin_040107.html
(click on link above for story from space.com)


Might there be a twin of "Terra Firma" (Earth) orbiting said star. That is the question on the minds of the scientests and astronemers at NASA and other scientific institutes.

How cool if intelligent life (that we could assertain as being intelligent) originates from this part of the galaxy that is only a short distance away from us. Surly it is close enough to investigate further. Maybe SETI should use all of their equipment in conjunction with other instruments that I am sure humanity posseses....to delve into this truly amazing discovery.

Flu-Quarrentines-Military-Bush-1918 Flu Research=Big Trouble

You heard it hear first.....

First the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) in Atlanta goofs around with a sample of the worst flu virus (The 1918 Flu) to ever infect the world in modern times....

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PANDEMIC_FLU?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

....and they say there is "little possibility" of that "strain" escaping into the wild. (What if though)....

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/UN_FIGHTING_BIRD_FLU?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-09-30-02-56-03


.....and then "King George" suggests the "Mighty Military" take control of any associated "fallout" due to said Flu or another nasty bug taking hold in the population.....

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH_AVIAN_FLU?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-10-05-12-27-21

....Ok Folks, I am now OFFICIALLY scared! This (and other things happening quietly behind the scenes) is beginning to feel so much like "someone" turning this nation into a "Totally military controlled state".
There have been warnings in the past (The Constitution-The Bill of Rights-and other historical documents) that letting the government (and military in general) get too powerful would be a dangerous thing.

Are we past that "Tipping point" already??
I feel we are.

Dont tell me I told you so.

Five People We Meet In Heaven

My good friend Penny reminded me of this book (and movie) via an email this morning.
A man died and as he woke up, he realised he was dead. He thought he may have been in heaven but wasnt sure. He started running into people. Some who he knew, some who he didnt seem to know. All of them had something to do with his life in one way or another though, either from his life experiences or as a result of his life experiences. All of them were there trying to lead him and teach him things before his time came to be at complete peace and final rest in the miraculous reign of heaven.

http://abc.go.com/movies/fivepeople.html
(click above for a sypnosis of this book and movie plus the ability to watch an online video preview)

Why do I mention this book and the ideas behind it?
As my friend Penny suggested, I think I know now who one of those people in my heaven will be......

His name is Ryan Dageneffe.
Ryan was a young man who's life breifly intersected with mine back in 2000.
To make a long story short, I was up in Green Bay and witnessed a terrible accident where Ryan was one of the young people who had been seriously hurt. I kneeled in the roadway trying to comfort him as he lay there. Unfort. Ryan passed away due to his injuries. Most of my friends and family know of this time and how what happened that evening was one of the most emotional and trying times of my life. I dont think any of Ryan's family or friends knew of me except for hearing of some bystander who was by his side that night while waiting for the paramedics to arrive.....

---I wrote about that evening in my blog a year ago as the labor day weekend was approaching.
One of Ryan's friends who I wrote about after seeing some of her online entries mentioning Ryan saw my post of last year....just a few days ago and wrote me to tell me she had just come across said post as she was thinking of Ryan.

I wrote back to her and she again replied to me and in that process, I think both of us have gained more insight and a little more closure to that aweful evening that ended the life of a very special person. My emotions have been on a virtual roller coaster ride this weekend since starting to corrospond with this young lady who I dont know from Adam, but who seems to be a totally wonderous and beautiful human being and someone who really misses a dear friend in the worst way.

I sincerely belive that Ryan is reaching down from Heaven and has somehow connected the two of us to try and help both her and me understand the wonders of the universe just a bit more clearly. At least that is my hope. My other hope is that someday I may meet her and thank her personally for helping me come to grips with that evening (which in a number of ways she already has) and I think I know now who one of the first five people will be that I meet when I get to heaven....Ryan Degeneffe.

Warm Regards for a good weekend.....