My latest trip

My favorite part of the trip...visiting with my aunt and uncle in Santa Maria. I spent one night there and am so glad I did. :-)

Pictures from Vista Point

This bird and I were very friendly.

Cambrian Squirrel

Natasha Richardson (1963-2009)

In lieu of repeating an already well-written article, please see below for Adam's tribute to a truly gifted woman. May she rest in peace.

http://everythingyoualwayswantedtoknow.blogspot.com/2009/03/in-memory-natasha-richardson-1963-2009.html

It's Snowing!!!

Swiss Alps

On the road again...

Doesn't it seem like I just returned from a trip? Three weeks ago I flew home from Europe, and Monday I embark on a three day road trip to Central California. I'm beginning to have that 'living out of a suitcase' feeling! Okay, okay, it's only three days!!! Anyway, I'm going on a another business trip and plan to interview four people who were stationed at MCAS El Toro. Although I threw everything together a bit last minute, I am excited because I'm going to spend Monday night with my aunt and uncle. I've also never been to Cambria, and though I'm going by myself, hopefully I can find something fun to do while I'm there. My itinerary is as follows:

Monday: Drive to Santa Barbara

Interview at 11:00

Drive to Santa Maria and stay the night

Tuesday: Interview x2 in Arroyo Grande

Drive to Cambria for the night

Wednesday: Interview in Cambria

Drive home (& pray for good traffic!! I get to drive through LA during rush hour...again)

"To those who say people wouldn't look..."

Fifty-one years ago, veteran reporter Edward R. Murrow gave his infamous speech on the current state of television at the Radio and Television News Directors Association meeting. I admit I have read the text several times and each time am reminded just how appropriate Murrow's words are for today. I recently stumbled across the speech yet again and felt compelled to highlight excerpts. I suppose this American's dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs will come across loud and clear. And to quote Murrow, "This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference." The question I ask myself is: what can I do to change this?

And if you ever find yourself bored with nothing to do I highly recommend reading the text in its entirety. :-) http://www.rtnda.org/pages/media_items/edward-r.-murrow-speech998.php

Our history will be what we make it. And if there are any historians about fifty or a hundred years from now, and there should be preserved the kinescopes for one week of all three networks, they will there find recorded in black and white, or color, evidence of decadence, escapism and insulation from the realities of the world in which we live. I invite your attention to the television schedules of all networks between the hours of 8 and 11 p.m., Eastern Time. Here you will find only fleeting and spasmodic reference to the fact that this nation is in mortal danger. There are, it is true, occasional informative programs presented in that intellectual ghetto on Sunday afternoons. But during the daily peak viewing periods, television in the main insulates us from the realities of the world in which we live. If this state of affairs continues, we may alter an advertising slogan to read: LOOK NOW, PAY LATER.

I am entirely persuaded that the American public is more reasonable, restrained and more mature than most of our industry's program planners believe. [What, you mean we don't have to program news to a 4th grade level?!! No!]

I began by saying that our history will be what we make it. If we go on as we are, then history will take its revenge, and retribution will not limp in catching up with us. We are to a large extent an imitative society. If one or two or three corporations would undertake to devote just a small traction of their advertising appropriation along the lines that I have suggested, the procedure would grow by contagion; the economic burden would be bearable, and there might ensue a most exciting adventure--exposure to ideas and the bringing of reality into the homes of the nation.

To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost.

This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful. Stonewall Jackson, who knew something about the use of weapons, is reported to have said, "When war comes, you must draw the sword and throw away the scabbard." The trouble with television is that it is rusting in the scabbard during a battle for survival.

Proverb

The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;
The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.

Souza Quote

Venezia!

I took this video toward the end of our gondola ride coming into the Grand Canal. Obviously, we were at the mercy of the water, so please excuse the constand bobbing up and down. I do hope no one gets sea sick watching it! Also, my apologize for including close ups of family members heads (namely my parents!), but gondola's aren't known for their spacious interiors! Regardless of it's imperfections, this is on my of favorite videos because it brings back fond memories of my favorite stop: Venezia!

Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

- William Shakespeare

English Poet and Playwright

Trip

Clearly, it is going to take me longer than I thought to post about my trip. Too bad good intentions do not equal actually accomplishing something. So, until I get back to sharing some of my adventures, see below for a link to my Picasa web album. I took over 1100 pictures and narrowed them down to 87. No small feat, let me assure you!

http://picasaweb.google.com/kira.gentry/EuropeanDreamFeb09?authkey=Gv1sRgCPaOsJ2C2_bbRw#

Sparkling Lights: Eiffel Tower at night

Christina, this one is for you since you haven't seen the Eiffel Tower at night. Now, I am a novice at videos and can't figure out how to adjust the orientation. If you tilt your head to the left you should be able to see it just fine!

Lake Varese

Both of these photos were taken at Lake Varese in the Italian Lake District. I took the first one from our balcony. This was one of the most beautiful places we visited. Talk about a view!

Colosseum Video

First Stop: Roma!

Also known as: Tales of the night life on a plane or the joy of ear plugs.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, I love ear plugs. Why? To drown out the sound of the screaming child sitting directly in front of us. Now, I try to be very understanding of families traveling with small children, but this could have been avoided. This little one was definitely a Mama's boy and all they had to do was let her hold him instead of ignoring what was happening a mere 2 seats away and let him scream in the arms of the father. Even the flight crew was giving them looks and up until then, they had been very tolerant. In my humble opinion, child rearing techniques should be amended while traveling with hundreds of other people in close quarters. I think you get the picture. We landed at 8:30 Rome time after flying all night, made a speedy trip through immigration, got our luggage, and within a short time were headed for the hotel. My first impression of Rome was just okay. We were definitely in Italy and seeing the houses, flower boxes, etc was nice, but I can't say I was all that impressed. (extreme exhaustion might have played a factor in this) We enjoyed a welcome drink and intro session with our fabulous tour director at 5:00, although I honestly don't remember much of this thanks to jet lag. I hope the other people are in the same boat because I looked awful!

The next day we were up and at 'em by 8:00 (after waking up at 2:00 and staying awake for hours) and were off for Vatican City. Initially, we had to line up next to a wall and Adam asked me what it was. Little did I know it was the wall to the city. Oops! Thanks to our group status we breezed through the line and security and were soon dazzled by the wonders inside. The art work, tapestries, and sheer history of the place are enough to give anyone goosebumps. I bought a coffee table style book so I could spend more time exploring it's treasures. There's simply too much detail to take it all in. However, it almost proved to be my downfall because I got held up due to the person in front of me having issues with their credit card. It took longer to process my purchase and by the time we finished I had completely lost my group. Mind you, the museum was extremely crowded and I had no idea where they went. Not good! We used a headset system called a Whisper and as soon as I could no longer hear the guide I knew I was in trouble. She was out of sight and out of ear shot. Fortuntely, Mother stayed behind a bit up the road saving me from going in the opposite direction. Whew, crisis averted!

Next up was the Sistine Chapel. My first impression was that it was smaller than I expected, but then the realization about where I am hit me. Especially when I looked up and found myself standing directly underneath the infamous creation masterpiece. That was a real trip! St. Peter's Basilica was the first of my churches I saw and it rates in my top 3. Unless you have been there it's hard to describe the magnificence of the structure. Following this, we spent time in the old quarter and toured the Colosseum! Me in the Colosseum, who would have thought. Naturally, images of the movie Gladiator came to mind as I walked the circumference and then went down to the lower levels where the animals were kept before fighting for their lives. All in all, it was a bit staggering to be in places I have read so much about. Reading about them is one thing, but seeing them in person...wow!

There is so much to say, but I don't want to bore people by going on and on. I'll post some pictures and hopefully a video (if I can get it to work!) for your viewing pleasure.

P.S. It would have been much easier to blog while I was gone, however I decided to boycott all computers and cell phones. I must admit, it was great getting away from it all, but now I have to play catch up...

The Traveler Returns

The world traveler has returned and is now battling the most common and unwanted byproduct of traversing time zones: jet lag. Granted, this is not exactly the most fun thing to endure, but all things considered, I would say it is a worthy price to pay. I was downloading my pictures and video at 5:30 this morning and as soon as I get them organized, I'll start posting updates and photo galleries. :-)

I must be more out of it than I thought because in my haste to post I forgot half of what I was going to say. Oops! That's where the blogger 'edit post' feature comes in handy. :-) I loved traveling and seeing new parts of the world, but there is nothing like coming home. And to be honest, I was surprised at the things I looked forward to the most, such as:

• Milk! I didn't drink any while I was gone because I am rather particular about the kind of milk I drink. (as those who know me can attest) I prefer a specific brand (Alta Dena), 2%, gallon not half gallon carton, etc, etc. Even Starbucks coffee tasted funny with European milk. My first order of business once reaching American soil (after clearing customs with the rudest immigration official I have ever met) was to find the nearest Starbucks and enjoy real coffee. And then today I had a delicious glass of ice cold milk. Hmmm.
• Free bathrooms. Okay, paying to use the "washroom" is a rather ridiculous system in my humble opinion. Granted, it does help use up accrued euro coins, however, I must prefer the American way. I mean, please, should I really be paying 1.50 euro in Venice?? Come on!
• Peanut Butter. It was such a lovely thing to enjoy peanut butter on my toast this morning. I don't think I saw any while I was away. (and believe me, we hit plenty of rest stops)

Bon Voyage!

Well, my suitcase is packed, iPod updated and fully charged, books packed, last minute items in a semi-neat pile, and I think I'm ready as I'll ever be. As of 11:30 pm U.S. time I will be landing in Rome, Italy, for the beginning of a 12 day tour of Europe. Our flight departs from John Wayne at 6:45 am and our travels will take us to Rome, Venice, Lucerne, Paris, and London. Right now I am most excited about visiting Venice and Paris. Coffee in a Parisian sidewalk cafe certainly hits the spot...then again, so does shopping at Harrods, touring St. Paul's, admiring the beauty of Venice...

I'll be sure to post pictures and a synopsis of our trip upon my return. I must admit, part of me can't quite believe I'm actually going. Hopefully, it will hit me on the plane. Bon voyage!

Hollywood Blvd.

Last Saturday I took Seth to see Phantom of the Opera. We decided to make a day of it and spent time walking along Hollywood Blvd., grabbed a bite to eat, and then saw the show. I thought it would be fun to post some of my photos of the stars.

I pretty much forced him to take this picture with me. Since it was for his birthday,
I said he didn't have a choice!

Europe

Two weeks from today I will be in Venice, Italy! Am I feeling ready? No!!! I know it's going to be the trip of a lifetime, and I don't want to miss a moment of the many adventures that await. I just hope I can pull my packing together because I can't afford to do it the night before we leave. :-) I always overpack when I throw my suitcase together last minute...

Multitasking: Art or Distraction

This article was on MSN this morning, and it set me to thinking about how I multitask in my own life. http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/bigger-picture/article.aspx?cp-documentid=16121365&GT1=32001

In today's society, women (in particular) take such pride in their ability to multitask, but at what cost? Yes, it is important to keep everything running within the family, on the job, etc, but does this actually detract from producing quality work? In my case, I think it does. I think we get so caught up in "multitasking" or juggling everything at once, that we forget how to be in the moment and immerse ourselves in the task at hand.

I first started noticing the effects of this at work. I would have several projects going on at once, which is fine, but when I tried to work on them in bits and pieces at the same time, I found I was losing focus on what I was doing. When I prioritized and worked on them one at a time (allowing for phone, e-mail, and student interruptions, of course!) things were much smoother. This also happens during phone conversations. Remember the days when phones were actually attached to a wall and any task had to be within arms reach? Obviously, those days are long gone, and now with cell phones I can do lots of things at home or out of the house while I'm "catching up" with friends. Great, right? I'm not so sure. Because my mind is not fully engaged in the conversation at hand and is focused on other things, I don't recall as much about conversations as I used to. This pattern has emerged over time, and I would like to change it. I won't stop multi-tasking completely, but I will take more pride in what I am doing. Quality is more important than quantity, and I'm not failing if I chose to not do a million things at once. Multi-tasking certainly has its place, but it's not the only way to accomplish something!

(I'll climb off my soapbox now...)

Inside my head

This song has been going through my head ALL day. Good thing I like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6b9xzS_rDo&feature=related

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

A Green Thumb

Do you see this poinsettia? It was given to me at the beginning of December, over one month ago, and IT IS STILL ALIVE!!!! For those of you who know me and know me well, you will understand my excitement. I am not exactly known as the local green thumb and have killed more plants than I have kept alive. And, this one is still alive and kicking. Please allow me to revel in my excitement of keeping a plant alive for longer than a few days. Yah!!!!

New Years Eve Party

This past December 31, my friend Christina and I hosted our first ever New Years Eve party. If our current plans are any indication, this will be the first of many! Despite being planned rather last minute, everything came together beautifully and a grand time was had by all.

Sampling of our deliticable assortment of appetizers.

(This is the chocolate fondue with dippers, which tasted wonderful if I do say so myself.)

Guests acting silly right before midnight. We watched the ball drop, toasted each other,

and went a little crazy...well, not that crazy.

Assembling the mysterious whodonit Hitchcock puzzle.
Some of the guys.

Two tired, but pleased party hosts. (and yes, I am being attacked by a blower)

Goodbye 2008

Happy New Year, everyone!!! As my friend, Christina said,

may 2009 be a year of possibility.

Thoughts about a film

This may sound silly, but I am so happy after reading Adam's latest film review. No, I'm not astonished at his writing (after all, I have lived with it for a very long time!). Rather, I am feeling a sense of gratification to see him grappling with issues that have, at times, taken over my life. It all started yesterday when he and I went to see The Reader. Naturally, I wanted to see it because of the World War II plot woven throughout the story, and, happily, it did not disappoint. Once again, something has reminded me how much I truly love my thesis/research topic. It can be doggone depressing at times, and I have seriously wondered why in the world I am drawn to this. Truth be told, I have no answer, except to say, it captivates my very being. I can't say too much more since I am at risk of spoiling the movie for those who haven't seen it. Suffice it to say, the story takes a valid historical argument (Primo Levi's "gray zone") and shows ,how in the Third Reich, not everything was/is black and white. Simply brilliant.

(and, no, I'm not getting my PhD!)

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

Finally, some decent pictures of the Christmas tree!!

This is exactly what I was going for...with the exception of

the bright light. What's up with that!

Christmas Cheer

I'm wrapping Christmas presents!!!! (and taking photos of my favorite packages!)

Christmas Lights

In honor of my mother's birthday we went out looking at Christmas lights, and I thought I would share a few of the pictures I took.

This is a view of Old Town Orange. The center tree is gorgeous,

but thanks to being in a moving vehicle, the photos did not turn out.

I hope to go back before Christmas and take a still.

One neighborhood in Old Town is beautifully decorated.

Here is one example of a front yard display.

This is a side view of our neighbor's house. Please excuse the street sign. It's not easy taking a picture without looking like you're gawking at the immensity of it all.

The car was moving at this point, but you get the picture.

Christmas Cheer

Christmas has arrived at the office!!! I was talking with a co-worker last week sharing my desire of how I wanted to decorate the El Toro office for Christmas, and the next day she brought two bags of snowman themed decorations. Hurrah! Coupled with a trip to Michaels I have So today, I spent some time decorating and wanted to share some of my Christmas displays. Naturally, after I took the photos Trish brought me some more things, but I didn't have time to take pictures of them.

My so called, Christmas table. I have candy canes and

candy kisses in the basket. Yum!

I had to do something with the pencil holder!

To top it off, I finally found decent picture frames for my sunset photos. I need to frame a grand total of 5 pictures and am starting with 2. When you have to provide your own private funding for office "improvements" it takes time to scour local establishments for good deals!

Carlsbad Photo Blog

Here's a smattering of pictures from last week...

Welcome to Seaport Village sign. I hadn't been there in years.

Flight deck of the U.S.S. Midway, moored across from the village.

Decent photo of Seth and I. :-)

This picture was taked around 1:00, and the ocean really is out there.

The majority of the week looked like this.

Point of view shot: crabs-eye view!

Seth really liked how this turned out. It was chilly by the water.

The next two pictures were taken from the jacuzzi. I haven't photo shopped them at all.

Las Vegas has arrived...next door??

For the most part we have very nice neighbors. We aren't exactly 'close' but wave at each other, pick up mail when we're on vacation, you know, that kind of thing. But then there are the neighbors next door. Somehow they missed the concept of the standard, accepted definition of neighborly. To me that means being friendly, helpful, and most of all, respectful of your fellow man. I mean, if you have a party, isn't it polite to move it in side, around 10:00-10:30 so as to not subject the houses surrounding yours with undue loud noise? If the city ordinance says parties should cease at 10:00, doesn't that mean something? But no, we endure at least one wild party a year complete with live (and VERY loud band) a year. (where they attempt and fail miserably at recreating Led Zepplin's Star Spangled Banner, I might add) In the summer they have multiple get-togethers on the weekend, which in and of themselves wouldn't be negative, except they are usually drunk/buzzed and very rambunctious into the wee hours of the morning. You get the idea.

Which brings me to Christmas. A most joyous time of the year, and one they go waaaaay overboard on. Once again, every single inch of they roof, lawn, trees, and open space on their house is covered with lights galore, a blow up snowman, a blow up snow globe, candy cane archway, plastic trees, snowflakes, a moving train, etc, etc. And, I am not kidding! The light is so intense I think the power they use for it could generate enough electricity for a third world country! This years theme is blue since they recently had their house painted that color and they added the candy cane archway. It's so much an so overboard, the rest of the neighborhood looks pitiful in comparison. I know its fun to enjoy the Christmas spirit, but how about doing it with some taste and style. Just a thought. I'll try to take pictures so I can prove I am not making this up!!!!

P.S. I almost forgot about the Christmas music they play until midnight and the cute, little Santa and Mrs. Claus costumes they use. What if I wanted to go to bed before midnight!!!!

A little of this & A little of that

Why in the world am I using Thanksgiving of all days to catch up on blog entries?? Well, maybe because I actually have some free time this morning! Last week we spent a week in Carlsbad with numerous family members going back to Orange County for various reasons (Adam and I for work, Seth for class, etc). Regardless of all of the comings and goings, it was nice to have some time away from it all, even if I did have to spend a couple of days working remotely. We had a great ocean view (on the days it wasn't foggy) and some nice walks at the beach. I also went to Seaport Village for the first time in years. It looked much smaller than I remember! I'll post some pictures of our Carlsbad adventures later. The week before we left I finally finished my graduation scrapbook. It certainly took long enough! The good news is I had just the right amount of protectors and decided to end it where I did so I didn't have to go buy more. I am feeling a little scrapbooked out right now. I suppose it's time for me to get busy with my day. Photos will follow before next week!

All for the love of coffee

Yesterday I had a plan. Since it was the day before Thanksgiving, and we all had to work a full day, I thought to myself why not ring in the holiday season with my favorite holiday beverage: a peppermint mocha from Starbucks. Great idea right? To sweeten the deal, CSUF just opened a full-service Starbucks in the new business complex and provided 20 percent off coupon for trying it out. So, I arranged the details. I would save the coupon for the 26th and get myself a nice cup of joe. Everything was working out perfectly: there was no traffic on the freeway, I made it to work in plenty of time to buy the coffee and walk in at 9:00, I found a parking spot close to Mihaylo Hall, and headed in for my holiday treat...only to discover they closed the Starbucks for the entire week. My plans were dashed. Now, I know Fullerton keeps food services on a limited schedule during student breaks, but why, I ask, would they promote a new business with a coupon that expires during a week they aren't even going to be open?? Someone made a big error, and since I didn't have any more time to drive to the nearest Starbucks I headed for work without my peppermint mocha. Somehow I made it through the day. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Calling all Streisand Fans

Regardless of your political affiliation, I thought this was hilarious! (and, yes, I knew all the words, of all the songs, and knew where he messed up on the notes!!!)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeocOXQx_iU

Photo Blog: Pittsburgh through Photos

View of downtown Pittsburgh as seen across the Ohio River

This view looks amazing enlarged ~ the blog photo does not do it justice. :-/

Catholic Church as seen from our room.

The trees actually change color!

My Fellow Travelers

Dear Fellow Traveler,

I am in need of advice. Not just any advice but very specific advice about my next trip. Having recently returned from a trip to the East Coast, I am reminded of how arduous a task packing ones suitcase is. Make sure you have essentials, but don’t take anything you really don’t need. Wear your comfortable (and usually, heavy) shoes on the plan to conserve both space and weight. It is such a job! Now, as you may or may not know, on February 12, 2009 I embark on a thirteen day tour of Europe. Needless to say, I am very excited to finally see the many national landmarks that, up to now, I have only read about. However, I am a little concerned about one little aspect: packing. Per tour regulations, travelers are only allowed one (and I emphasize one) suitcase, plus your carry on and purse. This is unfortunate because I would happily pay the 2nd baggage fee just to have a little more room and have a specified place to stow souvenirs.

Do you have any packing suggestions that would benefit me? I know things like, buy travel size items, wear clothes more than once, etc, but anything else would be greatly appreciated. Traveling in February means it’s going to be cold, and sweaters certainly weigh more than tank tops. Any suggestions about what to carry on the plane so you don’t have to pack it?

Thank you in advance for your help in preparing me for my dream come true…a trip to Europe!

-Excited Traveler

On the road again...

View similar to what we see from our room.

I love these bridges!

Greetings from Pittsburgh! Yes, I boarded yet another airplane this morning and spent my day traversing the country to ole' Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I must say, that from a 'room with a view' perspective, ours looks out over the Ohio River (we think!), and the landscape is dotted with glistening water and beautiful lights. While I'm on the east coast for business, I hope to spend some time sightseeing tomorrow night. It's getting rather late on this end of the continent, so I shall provide further updates at a later time. Auf Wiedersehen.

Travelers Note: Do not, under any circumstances, fly while you have a cold. The pressure on the ear drums is excruciating, and I DO NOT say this lightly. :-( I deplaned 3 hours ago and am still waiting for an ear to pop.