Tuesday, February 16, 2010

A note for the blog from Claudine

Hello Classmates from the District of Colombia.

Well we are dug out, but be cannot move our car for fear that someone will take the parking place. Many have decided to postpone until spring this job, and so parking spaces are scarce.

Fortunately I can walk or subway to many things. Here is my entertainment report for the last few days.

The revival of "Grease". I give this a C+. Go see the movie again instead. This revival is not very good.

A Single Man. Am I the only one in town who did not realize this broken heart and romance was not about a man and a woman , but about men? I re-read the review three times after returning from the movie, and there was no hint whatsoever that this whole movie was about gay romance, heartbreak, new romance, whatever. Fine, but I would have liked to know ahead of time what I was going to see.

Fish Tank. Awful, Awful and three and one half stars in the Washington Post.

On Net Flicks: The Beguiled. Whew. I had seen it before. but decided to see it again. Some movie!

I also have been to a couple of art exhibits etc. that will not travel, so I will not bore you with them.

Let the blog know, please, what you all are doing to get through this global warming winter.

Claudine

Monday, February 15, 2010

An open invitation from Bob

I sent out invitations again to a lot of you and added you as authors who can add posts to this blog. Not too many of you have taken me up on this, but you are still very welcome to add your comments and pictures any time you wish. If it gets too complicated to sign in and add your thoughts, just send them to me at rhpflanz@gmail.com and I will add them for you. If any of you who follow the blog can't get permission to enter your comments, just drop me a line and I'll make sure that you are added to the author list. Thanks!

Vacation


Rex, I didn't get any pictures of those skinny things they call dogs down there but I did get one of our bus driver peeing on a wall ! hahahaha!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Latin America

Roy, where are the pictures of sleeping stray dogs on the sidewalks? That plus the Canal crossing were my memories from our trip in December to Central and South America.

Claudine in the snow

Dear Bob, Rex, and Terry.

Thanks (I think) for the updates on your vacations. Sorry about the rains in California, but the warm climates and greenery make me a little jealous and feeling a little sorry for myself.

Timing is everything isn't it? I have reservations to spend a week in Puerta Vallarta on the Beach the first week of March. It will probably be beautiful here in DC that week. We sometimes get some very warm days during March..

Right now we are in the middle of a very bad blizzard that began late yesterday. and are expecting 10 or so more inches of snow on top of the 24 or so that fell over the weekend. It is blowing like the devil and very very cold for this part of the country. Everything is a white blur and everything is closed. The government, which is probably a good thing, schools, grocery stores, shopping malls, museums, restaurants, fast food, coffee shops and even movie theaters. Most everything has been closed since Friday. So even if one could get out there is no place to go. And since we have had no mail deliveries since Friday, the supply of net flicks is running low.

It took us three days working and eight hours to extricate one car and we made a quick, scary trip to the grocery yesterday. What a madhouse. It was as if someone had announced a coming invasion.

They say we may beat the 1899 record.

So, thanks again for your inquiries, and thanks for the reports on your vacations. I did enjoy hearing from you about your trips as well as seeing the photos.

I have some photos of this storm but ,guess what, the photo store hasn't been opened since Friday, and I need them to do anything about photos.

So stay warm out there. And for those of you in winter climes keep a lot of good things in the freezer and a large supply of wine always on hand.

Claudine

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Roy Terry's vacation

Bob, here are some pictures of our trip to Central America in January. It was 85 degrees and very humid. Made me forget about all this cold up here. Of course it's better to have a few months of cooler weather than it is to live down there! Unbelieveable poverty! If you are not on a cruise, it can also prove to be very dangerous for Americans in those countries!

Roy






Trips and Weather



First off, Claudine, just sent a note of inquiry about your well-being and then logged on and saw your note about being buried. Reminds me of the one I rode out in '78 in Boston.

Anyhow, Beth and I decided to get away from the prospect of rain in Vegas (really!) and went to San Diego for the weekend, only to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire so to speak. The area had just recovered from torrential rain 10 days before and we got there for an encore.

It looked like it might be clearing, so we drove up to Ocean Beach to eat at Hodad's, a classic hamburger joint about a block off the beach.

Well, we arrived at the tail end of the rain to find the whole downtown commercial area sandbagged to keep the flash flooding out of the businesses. But our timing was great: there are normally long lines down the sidewalk representing a 30 minute wait, but we got right in. OMG - gastric heaven. (the photo is not one I took - the sign now says 'under 99 godzillion sold.'). The shakes are to die for.

We did hit a dry window to trek through the SD Zoo, dodged the rain inside several of the Balboa Park museums, and managed to eat well at other el primo spots recommended by Roadfood.com; I never travel without it.

Did some wine-tasting in Temecula on the way back and still got home in time for the Super Bowl.

My sympathy to those up to their shins in snow!

A note from Bob - deep in the heart of Texas

I read Claudine's note about the weather conditions in our capital and felt bad that I hadn't thought to check on her. I just assumed that she was basking in the warmth somewhere south. I'm sorry, Claudine.

Meanwhile, I'm basking in the warmth. I'm about 5 miles from the Mexican border in south Texas between Brownsville and McCallen. It was 81 degrees yesterday and we went over to enjoy the beach on South Padre Island at San Isabel. Everything is lush and green here and the citrus groves are bursting with fruit. This is the first time I've been here, but I've been missing a good bet. There are thousands of snowbirds here from all over the states and Canada who were keeping this place a secret. The people are warm and friendly and there are many activities for retirees. We have heard the weather reports from up north and feel blessed here. IO know that I will have to drive back through the winterlands soon to return to home, but it has been nice. I understand why Jeanne Boyer has a place at this latitude and why Dave Pennington escapes to Florida each winter. I just didn't realize how much difference the weather makes in your outlook.

I hope some of you will relate your winter stories to this blog and let us know what other folks are enjoying or enduring during the winter. Give us all a clue about what you do during the winter of your content.

Your friend and classmate,
Bob Pflanz

2/9/10 A note from Claudine

Greetings classmates:

I am glad the terminology changed from global warming to climate change--never mind no one knows what they are talking about.

We had 26 " Friday and Saturday. We park on the street. One has 26 " covering their cars to start, but that is nothing. The plows keep coming by (I am on a major thru street) and plowing snow up against the cars. It is a 4 to 6 hour job to get your car out. And then once dug out one does not want to move the car lest some interloper drive in and take the cleared out space. Last week somewhere in a snow like this in the mid west a fellow was shot upon pulling into the recently cleared parking place. I would like to say we were all appalled, but we all thought the interloper should have known better and perhaps got what he deserved.

So. the buses are not running, the subways are barely running, most of the streets have not seen a plow, and those that have we are still on our third day of digging out.

And, 6" to 12" more starting tomorrow!

My friends always makes fun of my very full freezers. Well, the groceries have been closed too, but I am creating some creative dishes out of whatever is still recognizable.

Our co-treasurer and friend Harla was the only one other than Sally to call and see if I were still alive. Well, I am, but I wish I were in the South as many of you are.

As for it being a small world (Sharon and others)., here is a story to add to others.

It was 1988 or 1989., Rodney was working with the weather service and on a trip to the regional office in Seattle. I was in California seeing about the upcoming Reagan Library as well as some other business in California. Somehow Rodney and I ended up meeting for dinner in Monterrey and he had brought along the head of the Seattle Administrative office for NOAA a gent named Kelly Sandy a 1961 graduate of Paseo. Kelly had also spent some time at Westport.

Great, we gathered for dinner. Kelly told me he remembered me , but not Rodney from high school--a sore point for Rodney but an upbeat point for me.

But, the best was yet to come. Somehow as part of the dinner conversation we got on the trail of the Stathopoulos brothers, and their connections to Westport and some of the other Westport connections who also intersected with Paseo, however tangentially. Names like Huppy The Pu;;y, The Dink, and Nick the Greek were being thrown around as mutual "acquaintances" or whatever.

Then, there in Monterrey California, our waiter overhearing our conversation came over and said "hey do you guys really know Nick the Greek and Huppy?"

Good grief. What a crazy moment. Almost spooky.

As for nicknames, I hate them. I am Claudine, thank you. And I call Rodney, Rodney. But, then again I call my younger brother " Jimmy" which I know makes him grit his teeth, but that is the way it has always been.

So, deal with it "Janey':.(SMILEY FACE HERE)

Your classmate

Claudine

Monday, February 1, 2010

Ed suggested that you might enjoy this short video

A short video of Kansas City back a few years (not all the way back to our days, but still interesting).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD-hQTEfSqc