Author: tmeerkat@yahoo.com

Staycation

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Today was the first day of my week off. I didn’t take a week off because I wanted to travel the world or visit distant friends–I do want to, but I took the week off because it is a “use it or lose it” week. Yes, I have maxed out my vacation, so I take another lock-down week off. This isn’t the first “use it or lose it” week I’ve taken during lock-down. Company policy changed, and we lost about 100 hours of accrual vacation time. Since I was maxed out anyway, I have taken about 2 months off work while being locked at home. The difference this week is that I am fully vaccinated, and so I feel more comfortable going out and doing things.

We got a late start today, so we had to do things closer in. We decided to head to Bellevue mall, since we hadn’t been there in quite some time. Most of the stores are still there. It was a little empty for a weekend, but that could have been because the weather was so nice. We wandered around the mall for a while, and then went out to the park behind it, which has a nice walk around the outskirts.

However, we were both getting hungry, so we decided to drive to North Bend and get some sushi at Trappers. Ah, to taste the those amazing rolls. We were a bit disappointed that the all-you-can-eat doesn’t start up again until Monday–off by two days–but it was still great to eat at one of my favorite places. Unfortunately, I am suffering from a sushi coma as I write.

After dinner, we drove to Snoqualmie Falls, since we were in the neighborhood. Like the mall, it was not as crowded as it usually would have been on a warm Saturday afternoon, but there were plenty enough people for me. I remember when I might be the only person in the park. Rather than describe the grandeur of the falls, I will rely on the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. So here are a couple thousand.

Moving forward… and backwards

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A long time a go, in a neighborhood far, far away–well, actually it was specifically this neighborhood, but it really was a long time ago–I purchased the Simonshire URL. I had big plans when I bought it. I was going to post a bunch of content on the house, and show home improvement projects as they were done. I had big, ambitious plans. But I am a small person, and big plans overwhelm me, so I let the site sit.

As time passed, I purchased a drone, and started making videos–one of which highlighted Simonshire. Whenever people asked about the hobbit-hole that I live in, I would tell them to do a search on YouTube for Simonshire. I would also mention that I had purchased the website, but hadn’t done anything with it yet. After one of these conversations, for whatever reason, I decided to bring Simonshire live. I didn’t do much–I just threw the video I told everyone to watch onto the front page and auto-imported blogs from the various blogging sites I’ve used over the years. None of these sites had many blogs and the ones that actually had interesting content I either couldn’t find or they didn’t import correctly. However, my goal was to post the video, and I had accomplished that. Nobody was really going to visit the site, anyway.

And then the word started to spread. Not far and wide, but people I hadn’t told about the site started to pop in to see our little hobbit-hole. Some even read my previous blog posts (which, like this one, really had no content). I started to feel a bit self-conscious about what the place looked like. People were coming over, and not only had I not washed the dishes, I hadn’t even put out the furniture.

So today, I am slowly starting to build the site. I’ve imported posts from other blogging sites that were not able to be auto-imported. I know that I have another site blog site that I haven’t found that has quite a few posts from international travel that I have done. I’ll attempt to find those entries as well, and put them here. Moving forward, you may start to see more posts going in, dated both before and after this post. The earlier ones will have more interesting content, since they include travel, whereas now we cannot even leave the house. However, I was once a smart and creative lad, and maybe I can come up with some kind of content that might be worth looking at for those people who really know me and are interested in what I am doing. Hmm, nope. I’ll be the only one reading this.

Bodies and Fremont Street

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The Palazzo fountain.

We got a late start today, but my toe was feeling better. We left in search of food, and were hit a wall of heat as we left the hotel. This became a thing for us; we would travel outside until we could stand it no longer, and then head into the air conditioning until we had either cooled down enough, or were people-cicles and needed to warm up. It’s Vegas, baby: you are either on a hot streak or a cold streak.

A little ornate lighting.

We went to the mall in search of food and tickets for entertainment. We wound up eating at a burger joint that was recommended to us by a

Just a small little outdoor pond and waterfall.
Colin at the Mirage.

random couple on the street. It was pretty good, especially after we convinced them to bring us some extra-hot sauce for our fries. After our brunch and a coffee, we got tickets for the Body show, where we viewed multiple preserved dissections of the human body. We opted for the more scientific show–there were two in town–and I am afraid that I held Sarah and Colin up because I read at about 1/4 their speed.

After the body exhibit, we took an Uber–my first–to Fremont Street, and decided to grab a bite to eat at the Heart Attack Grill. They have signs outside warning you that their food is not good for you, and you should try to eat meals

These are not the Legos you are looking for.

at home since it is healthier. They specifically say that their food will kill you. They proudly advertise that they serve the highest calorie burger in the world–the octuple bypass burger, with 8 beef

Art and beauty.

patties. I only had a single bypass. As you enter the restaurant, you are given a hospital gown to wear as you dine. You are served by nurses. If you don’t finish your meal, you will get a spanking. They do not hold back, either. It was quite fun to watch grown men yelp and cry as they collected their whacks.

Diving in the Bellagio.

There were also large scales with very visible displays scattered around the place, where you could take a before and after measurement. I gained 2

Inside the Luxor.

pounds. The food was okay, but the experience was great.

We then took a walk up and down Fremont Street, watching the light shows, the concerts and the zip-liners along the roof. I had to get a mai-tai from the Cocktails bar, where they toss the bottles around. I even managed to get a video of it this time. At around 11, we were pretty worn out–except for Colin–and decided to call it a night again.

 

Ah, the irreverence of it all.

Finish your food or get a good paddling.

Pick your least favorite presidential candidate.

What do the girls have to say?

Cocktails.

Flying to Las Vegas

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Between us, Sarah, Colin and I got a full nights sleep. My contribution to this night was 2 hours. I was up at 3 in the morning getting ready for the trip. I left home and traveled to Colin’s house where we met up with Sarah and made our way to the airport. Despite last minute reservations, we were lucky enough to move around after the doors closed and sit in two rows of seats, one behind the other. Both Sarah and I got a window–poor Colin.

We got to Vegas and made our way to the Palazzo, where we checked into our 720 square foot suite on the 32nd floor. We had a great view of Treasure Island and beyond. After getting unpacked and settled in, we made our way to Caesar’s Palace, where we ate at the Bacchanal buffet. We spent somewhere around 2 hours stuffing our faces, and then continued on down the strip, checking out hotels along the way.

Our plan was to hit Fremont Street that night, but with the lack of sleep, extreme heat, and a particular blister on my toe that I had picked up from a 20 mile walk earlier in the week, we decided to call it a day and get some sleep. I was the first to go to bed, but my toe started hurting pretty bad and I eventually had to make a trip to the drug store to get a sewing kit, some Ibuprofen, and some rubbing alcohol (it was the first alcohol purchased on the trip). Sarah was nice enough to lance me, and things started feeling better immediately. I was the last to fall asleep, though.






Hello Journal

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Well, it is about time to start keeping track of what I am doing on a daily basis again. My memory seems to be failing me, so the only thing I have to rely on is my words. Journaling will also have the added benefit of improving my writing style, getting me back to where I once was.

I am uncertain whether I should continue using The Journal, which has all of my historical entries and a great interface, but leaves me with different entries for each system I use. The advantage of journaling here is that I can access it from my desktop, my laptop and my phone. I can upload pictures to it as well. The data will be backed up regularly, so disasters will not destroy it, or so I assume.

For now, I will give this a try. I may also start working in The Journal again. The main aversion I have to that is that I will be sending my desktop in for upgrades and repairs shortly, and won’t have a way to journal during the time that it is gone.

I am not just starting to journal again. I am thinking of starting a blog for my house. I could call it The Hobbit Hole or something similar. In the blog, I can journal about what I do with it, upgrades that I make and decoration choices. Nobody will want to read it, but I think it would be fun anyway.

Our First Windless Sunny Day

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We woke up this morning to beautiful blue skies with little wind. Although it was cold enough that we had to turn the heater on, the skies were as nice as we had seen our entire trip. We had a quick breakfast at the hotel, said our goodbye’s to Sarah’s parents, and after a bit more reading, headed off to the airport to try to find her lost bag.

De-Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

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Today we fly back home. It will actually be a two day journey. I woke up around 4:30 this morning, and we are not due to be landing in San Francisco until about midnight. Don’t forget that there is a 2 hour difference. We arrived at the San Pedro airport at 11, so our total trip time will be approximately 14 hours. Tomorrow, Sarah and I will fly back to Seattle.

I’m already starting to miss the beach always in front of me, and the warm wind cooling me. I’m going to miss the wonderful food and spectacular locations, but most of all, I think I will miss the people. Everyone we have met in has been so friendly, whether they were a part of the resorts we have stayed at, or just a random person waving and saying hello on the streets of San Pedro. Oh, yes, and I think I’ll miss our creepy little giraffe as well.

We have about 10 minutes before our first flight leaves. That means that they will probably start loading in 5. I just saw it land. They are pretty efficient with these little airlines. Unfortunately, our next stop has about a 4 hour layover, and there is nothing to do in the airport. Fortunately, I have not finished all of my reading.

UPDATE

The stay in the Belize International airport was long–over four hours–but it seemed to go relatively fast. We got there as another flight was getting ready to go, so there were throngs of people and long lines that we seemed to always be at the end of. Once we got through, the line was gone. We found a place that served food, and sat, read, and waited.

Our arrival in Huston Texas was exciting because I was marked for additional screening. This was due to a throwing star that I had bought over 10 years ago in Thailand, and declared when going through customs at the time. I had been told that it was illegal to have in California, and I agreed to allow the officer dispose of it. It had been a rather friendly exchange, and I hadn’t heard anything about it since. However, this is what held me up when entering the US this time. It was a bit nerve racking, but the Immigrations agent was friendly all the way through the process, and I was eventually asked if I had a throwing star, and then let in.

Our flight to San Francisco had a delayed departure due to mechanical issues, and the new plane that we took had no entertainment. Thus, the flight was long and boring, with no sleep forthcoming. Although David and Anita got their luggage, something had happened to Sarah’s and it got on the wrong plane. We will need to pick it up at the airport tomorrow before completing our trip.

We spent the New Years in the airport waiting for our luggage to come on the conveyor belt, and the only real notice of it was an announcement over the intercom. Once everything was ready, we hopped on a bus, and went to a nearby hotel, where we all collapsed.

Shark Ray Alley Revisited

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I know I asked in my last post if I need say more, and the answer is yes. I cannot leave a post with no writing, so…

We had signed up for a snorkeling trip to Shark Ray Alley two days ago, and were told that we would be able to go, weather permitting. We woke up this morning disappointed that the weather didn’t seem to be permitting it. Fortunately, when we went to talk to the activities coordinator, he said that it would be going out. Unfortunately–yeah, this is one of those–when the group of us went down to get outfitted, we were told that it was rough and murky and we may want to cancel. David and Anita decided that the trip was not for them, but Sarah and I decided to tough it out.

As we waited to get onto the boat, one of the heaviest downpours of our whole trip drenched everything. We were undercover at the time, but the wind was blowing the rain on us as we huddled under the palapa on the dock. It looked like we were going to be getting wet on this snorkeling trip!

The rain stopped, and we boarded the boat. Within a minute, we were out from under the clouds and speeding along the shores on a pleasant, sunny boat ride.

At our first spot, our guide showed us large schools of fish, and lots of coral. The fan-coral is still my favorite, with its intricate designs, but there were many other types as well. I saw some larger fish that I had never seen before, as well. I was having some trouble with my mask fogging, so I actually saw more with the pictures and video that I took on the snorkel than I did while actually in the water. After about 45 minutes, we got back on the boat and headed to Shark Ray Alley.

Even as we were tying the boat up, we saw a dark shape gliding towards us just under the surface of the water. After the guides threw in a little bit of chum, the water started churning with the dozen or so sharks that came in for a free meal. That was when we were told that the pool was open, and I was the first to slide into the water. I almost landed on top of a shark.

It was fascinating being in the water with all of these large creatures that movies such as Jaws had taught us to fear. These were nurse sharks–humans were not a part of their diet. They were quite used to eating in front of people, though, so they were not shy. We were not allowed to touch the sharks, but I did get pretty close to them to get some of the pictures that I took. Even if I’m the only one saying it, some of them were pretty good.

I’m not quite sure how long we stayed there, I wasn’t really keeping track of time. I was taking hundreds of pictures and video, swimming along with six and seven foot sharks. I think I can safely say that this was my favorite part of the trip, and I have the photographic proof that will allow me to relive the experience whenever I want to.

Our last full day in Belize was finished off with another trip to Portifino for dinner. It was as good as before, but I was worn out and ready for bed by the time we got back to Captain Morgan’s Retreat.

NOTE: Video link to come…

The Ballad Of Creepy Giraffe

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In the master bedroom of our palatial suite on the shores of La Isla Bonita, we have a very nice bed with a thick duvet covering it. The bedroom, like the rest of the suite, is tastefully decorated. There are candles in hurricane lamps, wicker baskets on the floor and the stairs to the tub, a 5 foot tall painting, and a couple of tastefully framed pictures.

Next to the door leading to the lanai is a wooden painted giraffe that stands about three feet tall. Alone he is kind of cute, but nothing special. Your eyes focus on him for a moment before drifting off to something else, like the amazing view out the large windows. He is the type of thing you might find in Pier One Imports.

However, our first night as we climbed into bed, we noticed his long neck and head stretching above our covered feet. His head was turned ever so slightly so he appeared to be staring at us. Worse still, the first thing we noticed when we woke up was our little creepy giraffe staring at us. “What are you doing? Did you sleep well? Did you wear pajamas to bed?” He seemed to be questioning us, our creepy little giraffe. It made me a little uncomfortable to get out of bed.

Each day of our trip, I noticed him more as I entered the room or walked by him. Getting into or out of bed, we would always make eye contact, and I was always the one to look away first. When I woke in the middle of the night, he was there, his neck stretched, holding his ever curious head up to look at me. “Is everything alright? I notice that you are not sleeping.”

Tonight is our last night in Belize, and I am sure our bedroom giraffe knows it. He’ll be watching as I climb into bed, and there when I get up tomorrow morning. I’m sure he will observe my packing to make sure I don’t forget anything, paying extra close attention to any undergarments that I may be trying to stealthily pack. As we walk out of the room, I know he will be standing there, neck stretched, gazing over the edge of the tall bed, waiting for the next people to stay in the room.

I’m going to miss our creepy little giraffe.