tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1989997526759499552024-02-21T04:54:58.862-08:00Ye Olde Man's BlogRambling musings from an old guy who's been around the block once or twice. Writing mostly for family and friends.kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-62167187981154726502011-09-11T08:56:00.000-07:002011-09-11T08:56:53.540-07:00Speed Boat Racing in Tangent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the invitation of my friend "Speedy", I went to my first ever Sprint Boat race yesterday (Sep 10, 2011). It was loud, exciting, hot, and quite a bit of fun! If you want to get a quick sense of what this is like, <a href="http://youtu.be/0IhDwMPDB2M">watch this YouTube video</a>. This video was shot on a different day but is representative of the event. <br />
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The story goes that Sprint boat racing got it's start in New Zealand in 1970 with Marathon river racing. Then in the early 1980's, Brian Scott and some of his buddies came up with the idea of racing boats in a manner similar to automotile rally racing where a navigator and a driver work together around a set track. Ultimately the sport migrated to Australia where the idea of building permanent tracks instead of using rivers or temporary channels developed. Channels about 3 feet deep and 12 feet wide were dug and filled with water. Each race has a set track rotation for that day's racing and the navigator is responsible for directing the pilot around the course. <br />
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The engines in the boats range from 500 horsepower to well over 1,000 horsepower in the Superboat class. There are three classes, Superboat, Group A-400 and Super Modified. These boats approach straight-line speeds of up to 80-plus miles per hour and with their incredible turning capabilities can pull 3-7 g's in the tightest corners. The ability of these boats to make 90 degree turns was amazing to me! You can read more about <a href="http://www.ussbaracing.com/WhatIs/index.html">the history of the sport here</a>.<br />
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The track here in Tangent is called "Field of Dreams". It sits in the middle of a grass seed field right next to the I-5 freeway. I'd estimate that the total size of the track is roughly the size of 50 yards by 100 yards. There is a chain-link fence all around the track and the spectators site behind the fence not more than 20-40 feet from the channels, just out of reach of the plumes of water that the boats create when making these tight turns. There were 3-4 "wipe-outs" during the day, with one boat actually going part-way through the fence into the stands. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but it was pretty exciting to watch! The safety features on the boat work well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn 1</td></tr>
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I was sitting on the long run at the top of this picture (1,2,3), close to the number 1 turn. The first few times you see those boats coming down the channel straight at you and then at the last moment hooking left is quite a rush! The boats finished the course in just over 58 seconds to as long as 71 seconds. The noise from the boats is defeaning and next time I would recommend taking earplugs. <br />
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<a href="http://ustre.am/:1a7cu">This is a video clip taken near the place I was sitting</a>. It will give you a little idea of my perspective. The announcer's stand was about 50 feet to my right.<br />
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There were three boats for sale at this event. Two of them were racing and one of them crashed twice. The asking price for that boat was $10,000 but I think you might have been able to get a better deal yesterday! They were asking $30,000 for the boat pictured here. I have no idea what the total coast of all the gear and fuel and racing costs are, but compared to some other sports, this one seems almost affordable. Or not. There was a 67 year old driver out there but I don't think I could handle the beating these drivers/navigators take out there. I don't know what the prize money was but I can't imagine it's all that great. Still, it looks like a whole lot of fun!<br />
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Here are some pictures I took with my cell phone. Not that great really.<br />
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<tr><td align="center" style="background: url("https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif") no-repeat left; height: 194px;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/104971764862131172443/20110910Sprintboat?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPWfxOib0eefVw&feat=embedwebsite"><img height="160" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3dGqiZB0sdg/TmzYbX1NeJE/AAAAAAAABjg/XbUinS8CxRc/s160-c/20110910Sprintboat.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0px 0px 4px;" width="160" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/104971764862131172443/20110910Sprintboat?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPWfxOib0eefVw&feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">2011-09-10 sprintboat</a></td></tr>
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<br /><a href="http://www.defordphoto.com/USSBA2011/FOD_0723/">Here's a link to much better pictures of boats</a>.kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-6475520872950597142011-05-11T18:25:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:21:39.966-07:00Visiting Houilles, FranceIn my last blog post, I had originally intended to talk about the trip out to the house we lived in while living in France way back when but I got side tracked by my interest in the SS United States. On with the rest of the story!<br />
Upon our arrival in France way back in 1963-ish, my parents found a house to rent in a quaint little commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region just north of Pairs called Houilles. I had a few vague memories of living there so it was with a bit of uncertainty that we hoped aboard the RER line A train heading for our final destination, the Houilles – Carrières-sur-Seine station. I'd guess it only took us 30-40 minutes at the most to get there. I shot this video along the way. It will give you a little glimpse of the suburbs of Paris going north. <br />
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Our house was on 15 Avenue Carnot. Having previously studied a map of our little hamlet, I knew that the house was only a few blocks away from the train station so we started walking in that direction. Houilles is a pretty little place. Curved roads, nice homes, clean streets, parks, all in all a very nice neighborhood. We walked through the Charles de Gaul garden where a monument to the soldiers of World War 1 and several other markers to other soldiers in other wars stand. Coming out of the park we passed the Town Hall and the mayor's office which sits right across the street from a very nice covered farmers market. We were lucky enough to have come on a market day so we spent a considerable amount of time just going up and down the isles. It was great fun to see the big variety of items for sale! <br />
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The back end of the marketplace happens to be right on Avenue Carnot. It took me a moment to realize that this was the street we wanted but right away I recognized the wall, gate, and home behind the wall as the one we used to live in. In my mind, it hasn't changed much at all in the last 48 years. We didn't try to go into the yard or ring the bell but I did stick my camera over the wall and try to take some pictures. <br />
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My other objective was to try to find the old public school I went to when we lived there. I didn't have an address or any good reference points to go by. All I had were some of the existing schools that showed up on Goggle maps. We walked around for a while trying to find one specific school that I thought might be it but alas, no good. Everybody was getting a little tired and hot so we stopped into the Catholic church there in town for a short reprise then wandered across the street to a watering hole and cooled off with some liquid refreshment. Apparently we interrupted the proprietor's lunch break because they weren't particularly happy to serve us. How were we supposed to know that their lunch hour was at 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon? <br />
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After getting our tanks filled again we headed back for the train station and the ride back to the hotel. It was a nice side trip and in some ways a very pleasant break from the hustle and bustle of Paris. As you view the pictures, sit back, relax, and enjoy a warm sunny afternoon with us as we stroll through the streets of Houilles. <br />
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Resources<br />
The official web site for Houilles is <a href="http://www.ville-houilles.fr/">http://www.ville-houilles.fr/</a> <br />
Wikipedia can inform you of a little bit more about Houilles at: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houilles">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houilles</a>kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-83886073288462584572011-05-04T18:27:00.000-07:002011-05-06T18:26:50.512-07:00The SS United StatesWhen I was approximately 8 years old, my parents packed up all us kids and we headed off for France where they begin 15 months of language study. I can remember getting on the train in Grand Junction, Colorado and riding it all the way to New York City. Once there, we all boarded the SS United States for a cross Atlantic trip to France. I can remember bits and pieces of the voyage, most specifically getting very ill when we passed through the edge of a hurricane. The ship was pitching in every which direction with dishes and silverware sliding around the dining room tables and making the ride generally miserable for a few hours. <br />
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On a whim, I entered <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22ss+united+states%22&aq=f">USS United States</a> into YouTube and discovered a significant number of videos related to this ship. When it was built in the early 1950's she was the fasted ship on the seas. Apparently there is now an effort to restore some of her previous glory. Please visit the <a href="http://www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org/ship/early-years/">SS United States Conservancy</a> for some history and updates on that effort. I've included a couple of YouTube videos that I found interesting for those of you who might wish to learn more about what the ship was like. <br />
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SS United States<br />
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This blog post started out to be about our trip out to Houilles, where my folks ended up renting a house for our time in France, but I got side-tracked by these videos on the ship. Guess I'll have to save Houilles for another day!kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-23766666287024919382011-04-30T15:40:00.000-07:002011-04-30T15:41:36.261-07:00Notre Dame<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Easter morning found us with Aunt Lorraine recovering and Karen still feeling pretty ill, at least that's what the two of them told me when it was time to get ready for the planned walking tour guided by a native Parisian. I went on the tour myself but when I got back to the hotel somewhere around 1:30 in the afternoon all that remained was a short note indicating that they had tried to call and that they were heading to Notre Dame. They hadn’t been gone too long so I decided to venture out and see if I could hook up with them. A half-hour and a couple of metro rides later I was standing in the courtyard of the mighty cathedral gazing up at the familiar towers that are distinct to Notre Dame. As might be expected, there was a long line of visitors and I hesitated for a few minutes before deciding to get in line. Surprisingly, the line moved along quite rapidly and before long I was sitting in the rear of the sanctuary letting my eyes get accustomed to the darkness and taking in the splendor of the stained-glass windows. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have mixed feelings going into Catholic cathedrals like this. I am not Catholic. In fact, in recent years, as I’ve learned more about Catholicism and observed its effect on people, I’ve grown more anti-catholic in my own beliefs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This won’t, of course, make some of my immediate and extended family happy, but to pretend otherwise dilutes my own Protestant faith. When I enter a Catholic church, my mind and soul wrestle with mixed emotions about doctrines and practices and I find it difficult to truly worship there. It almost feels like blasphemy to be there and yet I know that in other respects this is just another building and I can worship God there if I so choose. This day being Easter Sunday, I wanted to spend some time worshiping the risen Savior and offer my thanks to Him who rose from the grave to conquer death and bring mankind salvation. So I sat in the back of the sanctuary and meditated on the Easter story for a bit and came away refreshed in my soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike the scene depicted on the altar of the Cathedral of Notre Dame which shows a dead Jesus held in the arms of his mother Mary, my Jesus is raised from the grave, living and dwelling at the right hand of God, having conquered death once and for all. “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Corinthians 15:54b, 55). He is risen!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oh, I never did hook up with the ladies until we all got back to the hotel. Unfortunately, their cursed sickness was beginning its effects on me and I found myself being the one wanting to stay in bed for the next couple of days. It was unfortunate that we all had to get sick. It sure takes the spunk out of you for a while. </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E6o4DHYp-lo" width="425"></iframe>kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-12641806909763049312011-04-28T19:10:00.000-07:002011-05-01T07:46:15.297-07:00Wending Our Way Back HomeNot sure if I will be able to put to many thoughts to words before we land in Phoenix but we'll give it a shot and see what happens. So far our flight out of Paris has gone pretty well. Getting to the airport was something of an interesting ride. We found out about a van service that picks up about eight folks at a time and shuttles them to the airport for a little better fare than standard taxi rates. However, where you are on the pickup list may determine how many Madd Hatter rides you get to take through the streets of Paris. Fortunately for one who is easily prone to motion sickness we only had to pick up one other person. I honestly didn't know that you could fit an 8 passenger van in between a city bus and the curb on a street built for two horses! <br />
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Leaving in the middle of rush hour traffic didn't do too much for average travel times to the airport either. We dropped off some of our merry band at the first terminal. Of course, our terminal was somewhere else so off we went. We saw the sign for terminal 2 whiz by when all of a sudden we came to a screeching halt. Kind of figured we were going to be a while when the driver turned off the van. I overheard him ask another driver what was going on and learned that some truck driver had underestimated the height of his load and clipped the top of an underpass we needed to pass under. Fortunately, they were able to back the truck out of its untimely difficulties in short order and we were soon on our way. I believe that was the only time I ever saw any Frenchman back up! Needless to say, we made it to the airport in sufficient time to endure the screening process and make our flight!<br />
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It is my humble opinion that the US Airways terminal has the worst security setup of any "modern" country in the world. But then, what do I know. I've only been to one other international airport in recent years and it was built by the same masterminds. Aunt Lorraine had asked for some mobile assistance which actually provides her and those accompanying her expedited processing through the ordeal. In this case there was one Disneyland style queue for the normal Joes and a "special" queue for the crew and the wheelchair jockeys. Bear in mind that these lines are very narrow and getting the wheelchair to fit just by itself was a pretty good accomplishment but there must have been two dozen crew members all demanding to squeeze past us and jump the line. The bottleneck was a real mess and an opportune time to practice the deep breathing discipline I recently learned at work. Come to think of it, I did a lot of that on this trip. It helps. Sometimes. The chair jockey, who spoke reasonable English for a Frenchman, finally slugged our way through the line and we were ultimately able to escape the angry mob that by now were preparing to throw their 3.5-ounce clear plastic containers at us. Funniest part of this is that the chair jockey tripped the metal detector going through it and had quite a time getting himself through security.<br />
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With the clock ticking this whole time, there was little opportunity to recover before they announced they were going to pre-board certain travelling types. I sensed something was amiss when the chair jockey was summoned by someone in a uniform and hushed conversation and furtive glances were cast our way. At last the chair jockey came over and told Aunt Lorraine that she had been randomly selected for additional screening. Ye gads! The old lady had been found out! After going through her things and doing a body search etc. etc. etc. we finally boarded and had a very quiet and uneventful flight to Philadelphia. Managed to watch almost three movies on the way over. In English too!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-uUayxX1emODw_v5K-B1aWaI_RuJtu_fS1Qh01bFNHsVgrF0lhuGPVFwoXRh2Zpb_0kh5ZubWmB5NjdHrEXu42j-kqa3Pz7KWzSaQ7lQCVDxudmyPgPBx-kEsZVYVuGQq0FL2JtBVwpP/s1600/100_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-uUayxX1emODw_v5K-B1aWaI_RuJtu_fS1Qh01bFNHsVgrF0lhuGPVFwoXRh2Zpb_0kh5ZubWmB5NjdHrEXu42j-kqa3Pz7KWzSaQ7lQCVDxudmyPgPBx-kEsZVYVuGQq0FL2JtBVwpP/s200/100_0035.JPG" width="200" /></a>We're getting ready to land in Phoenix so I have to quit. Not much more to tell except for the disagreeable wheelchair joker we got this time. He had such a thick Indian style accent I couldn't really understand a word he said (hello? did we take a detour? is this France?) and kept wagging his finger at me and telling me to go here, do this, do that, all the time wagging that nasty finger and snarling at me and just generally being unlikeable. I was about ready to break that finger off and shove it up his nose. But, we made the flight and are about to make it to our final leg back home. Really looking forward to seeing the families again. Catch ya later.</div><br />
P.S. Aunt Lorraine is safely on her way to San Diego and we're waiting for our flight to leave later this evening.kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-4529618897589077312011-04-27T12:58:00.000-07:002011-04-30T11:57:09.306-07:00Au Revoir Paris, Welcome HomeLast night in Paris. The alarm is set for an earlier-than-normal rising to begin the long journey home. Not that I'm truly complaining all that much really, based on the way my ancestors made this long journey. Still, at least they could get up and stretch their legs now and then. Watching full length movies until my eyes bleed should dull the pain somewhat.<br />
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We finished our frenzied gluttony of world masterpieces by taking a whirlwind tour of Versailles. We took a tour bus ride out to the estate and then joined the rest of the mass of humanity as we went room to room listening to the digital recorder telling us what room we were in and what activities occurred therein. Despite the marauding hoards shoving us along we did manage to be astonished by the luxury and splendor of the place. We only saw what are called "the apartments". There was more to see but our time was short and we wanted to see the extraordinary gardens which did not disappoint. Wish we could have seen the fountains in full display but alas they were not on during our visit. <br />
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I should probably state that we means Karen and I. Aunt Lorraine wanted to go visit a different museum and wasn't interested in Versailles this time around.<br />
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We tried to find a place for lunch that would satisfy everyone but the pressures of compressed living and close proximity for sustained periods of time finally strained familial ties to the point of breaking so yours truly spent the afternoon viewing some of the French war memorabilia while Karen and Aunt Lorraine went shopping, visited another museum, and I don't what else. Now tonight we are packed and ready for some shut eye and our last goodbyes to Paris. It's been an amazing journey but frankly I'm looking forward to home sweet home. Good night and goodbye for a while.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyicuI8mb2JP8nIHhXSlgCSQQaTZtOgbaXlfOigdzu2QoBkimMX45Hyc6op_QFQeSjBuqvphRRWP0r_kHheVZQ-2rqnrEsyaYbcFnmTtug59UO8iUxgJTSvrNuDqRjTphOyylWYPWASxH/s1600/100_0762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyicuI8mb2JP8nIHhXSlgCSQQaTZtOgbaXlfOigdzu2QoBkimMX45Hyc6op_QFQeSjBuqvphRRWP0r_kHheVZQ-2rqnrEsyaYbcFnmTtug59UO8iUxgJTSvrNuDqRjTphOyylWYPWASxH/s320/100_0762.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-37500284944429815332011-04-25T22:42:00.001-07:002011-04-30T10:25:32.019-07:00Round ThreeSorry I haven't written in a few days. Seems it's been my turn to rule the porcelain throne and contemplate the meaning of life while staring at the ceiling of this fine establishment from this not so fine bed. I'm hoping to do better today but time will tell. One of the ladies that works the front desk here at the hotel suggested one of her cures for flu. It turns out to be an alcoholic beverage made from anise oil. I took some last night and feel better this morning so maybe it does work! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF24Lk69J7zyfxleTZDDVo5AtyNq1ZPfNyYBTxI_L5ZMQYVwhibyMbOvS9rGbgyKZOg-fEeukQ8nUjOnfTGrPQUU4iQRE6VPXfYvh3qg01rAuqlYUsYpL9tOYMVWISZLMv5Lf_6Q-ESLgz/s1600/100_1384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF24Lk69J7zyfxleTZDDVo5AtyNq1ZPfNyYBTxI_L5ZMQYVwhibyMbOvS9rGbgyKZOg-fEeukQ8nUjOnfTGrPQUU4iQRE6VPXfYvh3qg01rAuqlYUsYpL9tOYMVWISZLMv5Lf_6Q-ESLgz/s320/100_1384.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It's hard to believe that we only have a couple more days of our trip left when it feels like we still have much to see and do. If you ever get the opportunity to visit this fair city prepare to walk your feet off and don’t bring any of your aches and pains with you. I seem to have managed a pinched nerve in my right leg that is giving me much grief. Wish that would go away. I'm not quite sure what today’s agenda is yet. It changes moment by moment. Last I heard we were headed for the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and the Arch de Triomphe. Aunt Lorraine has her heart set on an evening boat trip before we go. There is plenty to see still! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sXaaUkCF3TEza2o0N8Ti2nVQBWOT-ehBdgml0MDjBVbLkN9jijqplqYgiEKm6tGk1ZBAvXooH9htPGZHHQpOP4uPUukw5Zr2D4UnoE3NQDFUcKywK3FY4Fz3wQBYw3FD8DzpLflbtbJK/s1600/100_1386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sXaaUkCF3TEza2o0N8Ti2nVQBWOT-ehBdgml0MDjBVbLkN9jijqplqYgiEKm6tGk1ZBAvXooH9htPGZHHQpOP4uPUukw5Zr2D4UnoE3NQDFUcKywK3FY4Fz3wQBYw3FD8DzpLflbtbJK/s320/100_1386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arch de Triomphe</td></tr>
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Last Sunday morning was our appointed time for a guided walk with a local Pariessiene through the neighborhood they live in. Karen and Aunt Lorraine we're down for the count so I went alone. I met Catherine and a gentleman by the name of Jean Claude and we spent the next couple of hours walking through I believe the 13th and 23rd Arrondisment. Paris is divided up by these different sections. I'll have to try and describe the tour layer when I can upload my pictures as it will be more interesting then. <br />
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Also on Sunday, we managed to visit Notres Dame and some of the area around there. Lots of people around that day. <br />
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Going to knock off for now. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts for healing. I hope most of this is behind us.kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-58149822824458819892011-04-23T23:33:00.000-07:002011-04-30T10:19:04.447-07:00Christ Is RisenThis will be a brief update mostly on the status of the sicko's who are still not doing all that well. We managed to take the trip out to Houilles yesterday (more on that another time) but that seems to have caused a setback for both Karen and Lorraine. We were supposed to go on our guided tour of the Ecole Militaire today but now its just me. The other two both had bad nights and are staying in bed. This morning was my first experience with el trots so pray that I'm not coming down with this thing either. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iEVOqEgZ0LSzlATd44njw8R7fJ40ID66pJxDNiEYbMgNVckAFnOU5yjxmEsn_08FIw7k4WFiFeJYsh22m789Zi2Ljf5d3MbSHzOEaLufalDGktQB4F4JV_3w7dS6AU27gHK4MXO_q9W9/s1600/100_1250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iEVOqEgZ0LSzlATd44njw8R7fJ40ID66pJxDNiEYbMgNVckAFnOU5yjxmEsn_08FIw7k4WFiFeJYsh22m789Zi2Ljf5d3MbSHzOEaLufalDGktQB4F4JV_3w7dS6AU27gHK4MXO_q9W9/s320/100_1250.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Hoping and praying everyone gets healthy again real soon. And celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior today. He is risen!kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-26450588510693621352011-04-22T11:36:00.000-07:002011-04-30T11:51:23.056-07:00Touring the Eiffel Tower - Or Not<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVrWlbysIsLHyF2fv5Mp6YVjT-m-ew9ZYIJLnHNDsGHIjL6XdUVoYj5EBXsJmqJ0Hu8otHqm33f3Ko2S0K099fwfQD2Q90dJbpnwemmXHWER6iO_qQFYVJz7ERYk6csmvgqVKzUiNAmbS/s1600/100_1022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVrWlbysIsLHyF2fv5Mp6YVjT-m-ew9ZYIJLnHNDsGHIjL6XdUVoYj5EBXsJmqJ0Hu8otHqm33f3Ko2S0K099fwfQD2Q90dJbpnwemmXHWER6iO_qQFYVJz7ERYk6csmvgqVKzUiNAmbS/s200/100_1022.JPG" width="150" /></a>This week is the beginning of the Easter weekend holiday and the number of people on the streets of Paris has grown substantially. Karen Is still feeling ill so this morning I went to try to visit the Eiffel Tower by myself. I decided to try to take the subway. My first mistake was not properly identifying where I actually entered the underworld. It took me a few minutes to get on the correct train. It only took me two stops to realize that I should be going the other way! I got off at the next stop, crossed over to the other side of the tracks and got going in the proper direction. After getting off at the correct stop, I found it to be very confusing to determine which subway to take next. I wandered around like a mole underground until I finally found the sign pointing to the proper destination. As I was waiting for the train to leave another tourist asked me if this was the train to Versailles. Do I look like a tour guide? I asked the lady I was sitting across from and she assured me that this was indeed the train to Versailles and to the tower. She was even kind enough to point out my own destination upon our arrival. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3XVfjF9UDQASdVEBYTQnf7Su-vAI2vRgLVs6yXyVk9wL6Cs2_-C3Cn835W_EDOb-3Eungl6rpcSh5J8616u8yLXNokvKlIihx4Oix_FeYOR2UU7QE3STxXuULf_kLRHizsROPttTC4qg/s1600/100_0912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3XVfjF9UDQASdVEBYTQnf7Su-vAI2vRgLVs6yXyVk9wL6Cs2_-C3Cn835W_EDOb-3Eungl6rpcSh5J8616u8yLXNokvKlIihx4Oix_FeYOR2UU7QE3STxXuULf_kLRHizsROPttTC4qg/s200/100_0912.JPG" width="200" /></a>Climbing out into the sunshine, I was temporarily blinded by the brilliance of the day. Carried along by the throng of people that exited the metro with me, we soon came to the Eiffel Tower. Boy, that thing is tall! I knew that the line for tickets would be long but I was not expecting it to be as long as it was. I believe that if you stretched the line out in a straight line, it would probably stretch for a mile or more. Not being one to endure crowds of people I decided it was not worth the amount of time it would take to buy a ticket to the top. I found a nice hard bench to sit on and watched the crowd for a while. It was amusing to watch the street vendors trying to take advantage of the tourist. I believe that most of them are illegal immigrants from North Africa and they all seem to buy their junk from the same wholesaler. Whenever a policeman would pass, they would all scatter in every direction and for a few moments people were not pestered. If someone was foolish enough to stop and look at their wares there would be 4 or 5 other peddlers surrounding them in an instant. There were 3 young, naive, attractive looking American girls who ended up buying more souvenirs then they will ever be able to give away. They even ended up having their pictures taken with him. He nearly ended up getting punched by Ye Olde Man for the inappropriate placement of his hand. But they seemed to be enjoying themselves so who am I to spoil their fun? </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoU7HQixHnVGqDL0Sa5FdxTsWdos3CcS1dC9KRAENLpGTrfH1fMwgEdFe3i457sgX1Yo9NXfcTqCIBLf32WU66eqwRNpiq7eq9aqHoaT6PANeD88LrDiGfUxjw9-6Y0fz9KjjWd7CgsquT/s1600/IMG_1781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoU7HQixHnVGqDL0Sa5FdxTsWdos3CcS1dC9KRAENLpGTrfH1fMwgEdFe3i457sgX1Yo9NXfcTqCIBLf32WU66eqwRNpiq7eq9aqHoaT6PANeD88LrDiGfUxjw9-6Y0fz9KjjWd7CgsquT/s200/IMG_1781.JPG" width="200" /></a>I decided to walk back to the hotel along the Left Bank of the Seine. It turned out to be a rather long walk, but it was a beautiful day with lots of beautiful things to see. I must look like a Frenchman now with my newly acquired old duffers felt hat because several people stopped to ask me for directions to this place or that. After an hour and a half I entered The House of the Invalid's (our hotel room) and checked on how Karen and Aunt Lorraine we're doing. Karen is still feeling pretty sick but Aunt Lorraine is doing better. </div><br />
After a short nap we went to see a fashion show at the Lafayette Galleria. Karen was not feeling good but went with us anyway. It was the first fashion show that I can ever remember viewing. Let's just say that the fashion industry is not something I would be good at. I guess that's just one less thing that I have to choose as a career. The walk back just about did in both the girls so we have spent this evening resting and recuperating. I hope I don't get sick and I hope that they get well fast.kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com1eiffel tower, Port de Conti, 75006 Paris, France48.8586235 2.294173799999953219.803423 -57.471451200000047 77.913824 62.059798799999953tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-30660160826969591012011-04-21T12:36:00.000-07:002011-04-30T11:50:20.257-07:00Contrasting StylesAnother day is winding down and we are all pretty bushed. Aunt Lorraine still tires easily and it's beginning to look like Karen might be getting the flu too. Started feeling punky after lunch and got worse as the day went on. After we returned to the hotel this evening she lay down and hasn't moved much since. She feels rotten and seems to have a fever going. I hope and pray that she recovers quickly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3XVfjF9UDQASdVEBYTQnf7Su-vAI2vRgLVs6yXyVk9wL6Cs2_-C3Cn835W_EDOb-3Eungl6rpcSh5J8616u8yLXNokvKlIihx4Oix_FeYOR2UU7QE3STxXuULf_kLRHizsROPttTC4qg/s1600/100_0912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3XVfjF9UDQASdVEBYTQnf7Su-vAI2vRgLVs6yXyVk9wL6Cs2_-C3Cn835W_EDOb-3Eungl6rpcSh5J8616u8yLXNokvKlIihx4Oix_FeYOR2UU7QE3STxXuULf_kLRHizsROPttTC4qg/s200/100_0912.JPG" width="200" /></a>We started our day by walking from the hotel through the courtyard of the Louvre, across the River Seine, and up to the Dorset Museum. A long line had already formed to buy tickets but thanks to our previous purchase of the six day museum pass, we were able to join a much smaller line and we're soon soaking up the artwork of Manet, Monet, and many other early contemporary Impressionists that I can't pronounce. Once again we found it amazing to be viewing the actual artwork itself and not a picture in a book. </div><br />
The museum is actually a converted railroad station that was saved from demolition in the seventies. It's an amazing building and worth saving. For lunch we were treated to a special lunch in a most magnificent room with an exuberant waiter who catered to our every need. It was a very nice gift from Aunt Lorraine for our fifth wedding anniversary. Got some pictures but will have to post them later.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtKOuENS3jQpzUukP5AygUQ0WVzfoG-K8vLMK0-Yw7VktqDTeQwRU59bI6CTnQed85kZjgLWS7kmxRLuleidsP4Gv8yRZ2SLCCksm4XSBmPAo5b7FEV1i7uTGMCWf2mADpVn-xYWXMWcy/s1600/100_0924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtKOuENS3jQpzUukP5AygUQ0WVzfoG-K8vLMK0-Yw7VktqDTeQwRU59bI6CTnQed85kZjgLWS7kmxRLuleidsP4Gv8yRZ2SLCCksm4XSBmPAo5b7FEV1i7uTGMCWf2mADpVn-xYWXMWcy/s200/100_0924.JPG" width="200" /></a>Aunt Lorraine decided to return to the hotel for the afternoon and rest so Karen and I spent some more time in the museum before walking up to the museum that houses some of the military paraphernalia related to various French wars. I found the different armaments fascinating as well as the variations in uniforms. Unfortunately Karen was feeling worse as the afternoon wore on so we finally found the taxi stand and caught a ride back to the hotel.</div><br />
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I wish I could post some pictures which would make this so much more interesting. I also wish I had a normal keyboard to type on as that would make typing so much easier and stories more interesting. A tablet is great for being compact but lacks in capabilities for trying to accomplish anything of importance. Anyway, at least you know we're alive and not so well.<br />
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Blessings on each and all.kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0Paris, France48.8566667 2.350987099999997648.813364199999995 2.2280825999999974 48.8999692 2.4738915999999977tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-87297814156752950072011-04-20T00:54:00.001-07:002011-04-30T09:54:44.538-07:00Flu: No respecter of persons or countriesGreetings from inside the American Hospital waiting room. Not among your normal tourists destination, we decided to check out the emergency services for Aunt Lorraine. She slipped off the bottom step of the hotel lobby evening (Monday) and bruised her wrists and knees pretty badly. Then this morning she started tossing her cookies so we've decided to have her checked out and make sure everything is okay. Wish I could say that service here was faster. After waiting nearly eight hours for a ten minute exam and eight x-rays, the doctor declared that she had no broken bones, no blood clots, no internal injuries and had most likely contacted some type of virus that was making her ill at, shall we say, both the north and south ends of her body. She was to get bed rest and drink plenty of fluids. <br />
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UPDATE: I didn't get this posted last night due to a poor connection. This morning she reported that she is still having a hard time keeping things down/in but is determined to carry on. My feeling is that she should rest more but you don't tell this Aunt what to do. We shall see what the day holds. <br />
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Yesterday we managed to open the little eatery across from the hotel that has become our local termination point in the evenings. The proprietor and his main counter man are extremely friendly and fun to talk to. They speak enough English to fill in the gaps in my French and I speak enough French to fill in the gaps in their English. We didn't realize that they we're open yet. We just waltzed right in like family. We ordered some quiche and then tried to figure out how to order scrambled eggs. Not knowing the French word for scrambled we tried to mime the process. Funny, but not really effective. The closest we finally got was an omelet with some very salty ham thrown in. Turned out okay but was covered with a LOT of oil! <br />
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Speaking of eating the neighborhood we're in has a lot of Japanese, Korean, and various other Oriental restaurants. The other night we I had the best sushi I believe I've ever eaten! It was served along with chicken pieces of various flavors skewered on a stick. I think one of the pieces was chicken gizzard which I haven't eaten in ages. However it was fixed it was very good. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dl4wXey7QY3Db6mviPLzn4gR2eiNgk0KEI17QVA3OSEmF1SHA8QIXuxRvD0TTsiHe64kPPeQ77719V0MKL8N1Y9zK-yOto1AQ_Q9bB1OyMLftkD9eMLlFO76Qjnw_HyBY5jEh_ZwbiE4/s1600/100_0672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Dl4wXey7QY3Db6mviPLzn4gR2eiNgk0KEI17QVA3OSEmF1SHA8QIXuxRvD0TTsiHe64kPPeQ77719V0MKL8N1Y9zK-yOto1AQ_Q9bB1OyMLftkD9eMLlFO76Qjnw_HyBY5jEh_ZwbiE4/s200/100_0672.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palais Garnier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After breakfast we booked it for the location of the gorgeous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Garnier">Palais Garnier</a>, also known as the Opéra de Paris or Opéra Garnier, but more commonly as the Paris Opéra. From 1875 until 1989, it was the primary home of the Paris Opera. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was secretly hoping we were going to see the inside but alas, we were headed for one of the largest retail store in Paris. Some of you know it as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galeries_Lafayette">Galeries Lafayette</a>. Huge place. Aunt Lorraine took us to the 9th floor where you could see all over Paris. Pretty amazing. <br />
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Alas, I am being called to duty and must end this. Sorry I haven't been able to find time to post some more interesting stuff. So much to see, so little time.<span style="font-size: 7.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span>kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-82546453690188871582011-04-17T11:04:00.001-07:002011-04-30T09:39:57.740-07:00The Rodin and the Centre George PompidouIt's about seven thirty in the evening Paris time. It has been a most gorgeous day and a most pleasant evening. On Sundays, things tend to slow down a tiny bit and the frantic pace of life pauses for a moment to catch its breath. I did that for a while this evening sitting at a street side cafe sipping on a rather nice red wine watching the world walk by in front of me. I think the whole world is in Paris tonight. The "girls" (Karen, Aunt Lorraine, and Chelsea, all went to mass and I haven't heard back from them.) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QTHJfblzSViah0rqBVe2ex1EVAKYUXN616tSrOrTzwae08xAA4IxGbDn_IXAvUytObth1Aq8jQ8iQpb2Gd2SAsQL5CtzUlsdGUiMTQt-HeEwqJFW3HyINkYTQXhyphenhyphenuIuXwXjZJNM8TrWt/s1600/IMG_1696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QTHJfblzSViah0rqBVe2ex1EVAKYUXN616tSrOrTzwae08xAA4IxGbDn_IXAvUytObth1Aq8jQ8iQpb2Gd2SAsQL5CtzUlsdGUiMTQt-HeEwqJFW3HyINkYTQXhyphenhyphenuIuXwXjZJNM8TrWt/s200/IMG_1696.JPG" width="150" /></a>We visited the Rodin Museum late this morning. We purchased Museum passes when we first arrived at the airport and they have already made things easier. There was a long line of people waiting to buy tickets but with the pass we avoided the line and went right in. Sweet!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>For those of you like me who failed art class, Rodin was the sculpture who created "The Thinker". The garden setting was beautiful against the blue sky. We took lots of pictures so hopefully I can figure out some way to post some. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7eX0vSSWGoZSKgSItKHFdHallrS_CNjs8m2aoFEqGvKTfWbswBJVqkEicu7CbgdL4WdY6ohEc4U6oyEI3GvuTN5fVPAzcsEoWHjQRgau9aDx5q4svpL9f98P6FViVUa4zcWEyYgwrclK/s1600/IMG_1704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7eX0vSSWGoZSKgSItKHFdHallrS_CNjs8m2aoFEqGvKTfWbswBJVqkEicu7CbgdL4WdY6ohEc4U6oyEI3GvuTN5fVPAzcsEoWHjQRgau9aDx5q4svpL9f98P6FViVUa4zcWEyYgwrclK/s200/IMG_1704.JPG" width="150" /></a>After the Riding, we had our first subway experience. Chelsea taught us how to use the metro and I think I might be able to use it now. We rode the metro to the Centre G. Pompidous which is a museum dedicated to modern art. Since I successfully failed to pay any particular attention in my art appreciation class, I couldn't really appreciate the artwork. Now, I don’t mean to insult these artists but really, some of this art looks like something my kids made when they were younger. Modern Art just doesn't really speak to me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>Towards evening, we headed back to the hotel for dinner which pretty much brings me back to where I am now. Tired, full, and ready for bread. Bon nuit!kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-58092725681867104772011-04-17T00:04:00.001-07:002011-04-30T09:21:04.559-07:00They have garbage trucks in ParisHallaluiah! I've found an app that let's me post to my blog! Perhaps now I can post a bit more frequently. <br />
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The time change has been hard to adjust to. We were tired after the flight Friday and slept for several hours in the afternoon and then went back to bed after ten. We woke up at our usual time for us which is 5:30ish for us. Is it our fault that it's 9 difference between Paris and home making it 12:30 here? Once we finally got going we did okay for the day but last night Karen woke up around 2:00 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. The clanging of garbage cans and the sound of breaking glass early this morning as the trash collectors made their way up the street didn't help. There is also a nightclub right across the street and they start heading home around 3am slightly louder than when they entered. The joys of world travel. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Lc8B6ogqH4u6AXEsr6gF7LgRf8L4Zhg5iFNvyw35kQoxjgblDLFwRkeaJWImp7RII8bdfbjzowzBfTPSg1HmJYWD6Pa4o9v_m3FcvzTFG9Gd0s8CNpMO9O5OIdefMLyKptsmGspVgmkB/s1600/100_0737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Lc8B6ogqH4u6AXEsr6gF7LgRf8L4Zhg5iFNvyw35kQoxjgblDLFwRkeaJWImp7RII8bdfbjzowzBfTPSg1HmJYWD6Pa4o9v_m3FcvzTFG9Gd0s8CNpMO9O5OIdefMLyKptsmGspVgmkB/s320/100_0737.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Well just when I get going good with this somebody insist I do something different. Description of the magnificant Louvre will have to wait. Later!<br />
<div style="clear: both; font-size: xx-small; text-align: center;">Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8</div>kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-65883784570486167902011-04-16T13:39:00.001-07:002011-04-29T19:16:30.181-07:00Blogging from a tabletGrrrrrr. I've been trying for hours to figure out how to force this dumb tablet to get in a typing mode when I'm in the proper window. It’s very quirky. But I think I'm finally making some progress. It is the second day of our time in Paris but this post will reflect some efforts to post yesterday. Perhaps tomorrow I can catch you up on recent news.<br />
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Friday: <br />
It's 4:30 in the morning and we're sitting at gate C19 waiting to board the plane in an hour. So far I've managed to leave my hat at the hotel and nearly strip searched for forgetting about the itty-bitty pocket knife in my carry-on. For only 15.00 US dollars I was able to send myself a nice welcome home present for our return. I did score on the luggage though. I wanted to check both my bags but they wanted 50.00 bucks for the privilege. As we were waiting to board they announced that the flight was full and they were looking for people to check their carry on. Score! All the way to Paris too! <br />
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Update: It's now 5:15 AM and we're sitting on the plane waiting for all the other lemmings to board. Stewardess, err flight attendant, says put this away. Later!<br />
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Update:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYPtMCZiV5IO9AGbWa5Y5-rLIRF1bJIkTf3RbGgCQDIlq58MXirPMjQnvWiPEczcPs3mNR10VAao8N4EPSMUf72H8MOacx8JGxQL61GJ6QUKXQoNE582tuLfkLBpYNabSZJR-dl5TWqh1/s1600/100_0482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYPtMCZiV5IO9AGbWa5Y5-rLIRF1bJIkTf3RbGgCQDIlq58MXirPMjQnvWiPEczcPs3mNR10VAao8N4EPSMUf72H8MOacx8JGxQL61GJ6QUKXQoNE582tuLfkLBpYNabSZJR-dl5TWqh1/s200/100_0482.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room Rates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We came up to P-Town last night and had dinner with the kids. Val fixed some yummy veggie chili and corn bread. (As I type the sun is rising over clouds and it’s quite beautiful!) Their cat played in a brown paper bag while we were eating. Pretty funny! After visiting for a while we headed off to the Holiday Inn for a short nights rest. The hotel was really very nice and the staff was great! We got the room off <a href="http://hotwire.com/"><span style="color: blue;">hotwire.com</span></a> at about half the rate listed on the bathroom door. They have a really nice facility if you're looking to host a meeting or convention. Next stop Phoenix here we hope to hook up with Aunt Lorraine.<br />
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Well fellow travelers, we are now about an hour out of Paris trying hard not to look like total zombies. My bum feels like it ought to have "inflate to fifty pounds" stamped on it! We just ate something that looked a little bit like a pastry with some mediocre warmish coffee. It helped some.<br />
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There was a beautiful sunrise this morning off our port side. Lots of orange and red hues. Very nice, but I think we have been flying too long because we've seen both sunrise and sunset way to close together. Remind me not to sign up for astronaut school.<br />
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The Philadelphia Airport has a lot of interesting artwork scattered around. In one area they had these very <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKGLeiPKSnQ">small pewter birds of all different kinds</a> hanging from the ceiling on thin fishing line. They appeared to be flying in large flocks throughout the building. You could actually identify each bird species, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they were so detailed. Tucked away in another corner of the airport was a full-sized replica of the<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB4rozB9ea8"> Liberty Bell done up with Lego’s</a> which was most amazing. When I can figure out how to post pictures I'll try to show what it looks like.<br />
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Off to bed. Still trying to adjust my body clock.kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-71118813969068140922011-04-16T13:17:00.001-07:002011-04-16T13:17:51.986-07:00TestThis is a test to see if I can blog from my email account. For some<br>reason this tablet won't open the keys window.kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-46294616536482202462011-04-12T14:39:00.000-07:002011-04-12T14:39:15.063-07:00On the Eve of DepartureWe're a little over one day from departure for Paris, France.<br />
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"Really?" I ask myself.<br />
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Must be true because all of a sudden I can't stop thinking about all the preparations I wish I'd done, all the French I wish I had learned, and all the promises broken never to wait until the last minute again. Still, I think we're probably as prepared as we ever will be so let's just go with it and see what mischief we can get ourselves into!<br />
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On our trip to Senegal last year, I made some vane promise to keep everybody posted on our trip along the way. I solemnly vow the same promise this year only I'm really going to try to post to this blog rather than use email like last time. Feel free to share this with anyone who expresses interest in following along. The more the merrier! To assist in my efforts to post more frequently, we're taking along a sweet little tablet that should get me more motivated to record our activities. <br />
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The rough draft of our trip looks something like this (subject to change at any time and for any reason):<br />
<ol><li>Leave bright and early Thursday morning from Portland International Airport, stop-over in Phoenix, then on to Philadelphia. The flight leaves Philly around 6:20 in the evening and arrives in Paris the next morning breakfast time. </li>
<li>For those of you living in Oregon, there is an 8 hour time difference between Oregon and Paris, just so you can keep track.</li>
<li>Now, Karen's aunt has proposed that we get this trip started right off the bat with a sight-seeing tour or a trip through the Louvre and a couple of stops at fine dining. Personally, I think I'll be looking for a flat place to lay down and catch 20 winks before I'm ready to kick-start the sight-seeing! An evening bus tour or stroll down the boulevard (that's French for boulevard!) and a good nights rest would set me up for a day of museum viewing I think.</li>
<li>Days 2 through 4 include multiple museum sightings, a few particularly noteworthy dining establishments and the occasional stroll down the boulevard (did I tell you that was French for boulevard?) </li>
<li>I'm told day 5 will be attempting the Eiffel Tower. </li>
<li>Over the course of the next few days we will visit the likes of the Rodin Museum, Napoleon's tomb, Dome Des Invalides, Church of St Louis des Invalides, Notre Dame, and the Opera House.</li>
<li>Our hotel is near the Seine so I anticipate long walks along the Left Bank and the Right Bank, perhaps a river cruise at night and other romantic things like that.</li>
<li>I'm getting tired already! Other planned stops include Forum Des Halles, Georges Pompidou Center, Luxembourg Gardens, Sorbone, Pantheon, Cluney Museum, Picasso Museum, and St Dennis Bacillica. </li>
<li>On Easter Sunday "the girls" (Karen and Lorraine) want to attend mass somewhere. Then we've arranged a private guided tour with a local Parisienne who will take us on a two hour walk around her neighborhood. </li>
<li>One of those days we're planning to take a trip northeast of Paris to a suburb called Houilles where my family lived when I was young. We found a picture of the house on Google Maps and it looks just like I remember it! That should be an interesting trip. </li>
</ol>I'm sure that we'll be seeing plenty of sights and have lots of interesting tales to share along the way. Stay tuned!kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-73853452362091629972010-02-23T19:02:00.000-08:002010-02-23T19:02:57.335-08:00News you can Use?Was just checking some news articles on Senegal when I came across this one from Reuters. It's not much of a report but it made me laugh due to it's underwhelming content. The article is below with my comments in italics:<br />
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DAKAR, Feb 10 (Reuters) - South Korea will build a 250 MW coal-fired power plant and high speed train link in Senegal, the West African country’s minister of international cooperation said late on Tuesday.<br />
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<em>First of all, where's the coal going to come from? I don't know of any large coal deposits in Senegal. Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to use natural gas or even nuclear power? Does South Korea have a surplus of coal these days? Weird. </em><br />
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<em>So when most people are riding along in one of these, maybe alternative transportation makes sense. Note in particular the hubcap...</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-P4s4ZynxfaHtzZk41ez_2iFIqLqhVxXbk9GcrQnr6OYf7FJU8ROvp5Hn2eW14_WQvWUA9k93euPPsmIOsdqHBlPJ-Oe4s4tEgIKNWvKHSZYKVVE_aAlzadPxNDJLwt1TAWOZ1h-MuJh6/s1600-h/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-P4s4ZynxfaHtzZk41ez_2iFIqLqhVxXbk9GcrQnr6OYf7FJU8ROvp5Hn2eW14_WQvWUA9k93euPPsmIOsdqHBlPJ-Oe4s4tEgIKNWvKHSZYKVVE_aAlzadPxNDJLwt1TAWOZ1h-MuJh6/s320/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+360.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<em>But where is this train going to be built? From where to where? My prediction? From Dakar to Touba so people can get to this holy shrine faster. This is not Touba, but this times 10 is what the mosque there resembles:</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz_rCZD-XwF2E0A4oKnKFiivHMHi-sM1g3doZeRYFMZ64K88NfelgEDd-hpsCsj1Y6DioWlxCGWMIJ7d_cDI6QN5_-o3vR-VWm8ZrYE2rTaZM0U5gvWD2QvIHIE3oGf4nlRhkdNofnZ9j/s1600-h/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz_rCZD-XwF2E0A4oKnKFiivHMHi-sM1g3doZeRYFMZ64K88NfelgEDd-hpsCsj1Y6DioWlxCGWMIJ7d_cDI6QN5_-o3vR-VWm8ZrYE2rTaZM0U5gvWD2QvIHIE3oGf4nlRhkdNofnZ9j/s320/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+134.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>During the first week of our visit in Senegal, everyone was trying to scrape together enough money to make the pilgrimage to Touba. Mouride pilgrims from all over Senegal and beyond pour into Touba for the annual Islamic pilgrimage “Le Grand Magal de Touba.” The population swells from it's normal population of 900,000 to over four million people. Talk about traffic jams! Yikes! But hey, it was a good time to buy souvenires ("half-price today").</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>More interesting information at: </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadou_Bamba"><em>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadou_Bamba</em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>For pictures of the mosque at Touba: </em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjhaslam/344494201/"><em>http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjhaslam/344494201/</em></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Erratic power supply is a near-constant source of ire for Senegalese. Angry mobs took to the streets to protest at power cuts in the outskirts of the capital Dakar during Ramadan last September, and discontent with state-run utility Senelec is high on the domestic political agenda.<br />
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<em>This part made me laugh because it's just the most under-whelming statement ever! I lost count of how many times the power went out in Thies. The only thing you could count on was that it would go out. However, yours truly has a funny incident to regale you with. I woke up one morning in the "middle of the night" and couldn't get back to sleep. I'm laying there awake when all of a sudden the yard lights go out. You need to understand that I was sleeping out on the front porch thus making such events noticable to old "eagle-eyes". Being the contientious guy that I am, I immediately went on alert to any shadowing movements or unusual sounds. I'm thinking this is a good opportunity for someone to try and break in. Lord knows I didn't want to be caught in my jamies trying to fight off marauding hoards! </em><br />
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<em>Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night wide awake worrying about being taken advantage of. Well, maybe not all night. Seems I drifted off to la-la land at some point becuase the next thing I know, it's bright and sunny out. Dragging myself out of bed, I met the lovely hostess of our little abode and commented to her that the electricity went out at some point in the night. She replied, "yea, I turned it off when I got up". Silly me.</em><br />
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<em>Back to the news article...</em><br />
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“(South) Korea has pledged to build a power plant of 250 megawatts, which will help Senegal satisfy its need in power as well as lower the cost,” Karim Wade, who runs a wide-ranging department whose portfolio also includes infrastructure and aviation, told national television after a visit to South Korea.<br />
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The minister, who is the son of Senegal’s octogenarian President Abdoulaye Wade, did not say how much the project would cost, which company would undertake the project, when work would start, or how it would be financed.<br />
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<em>Another guffaw! Just like a politician! And the President's son no less. Wonder who's angeling to be the next president of Senegal? Hope he can keep a promise better than most politicians!</em><br />
Last September, the country won $540 million over five years in aid grants from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which earmarked road rehabilitation and infrastructure as priorities. MCC is a US government agency which allocates large-scale grants for development and poverty reduction.<br />
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<em>Wow! That's a chunk of change, considering I heard on the radio tonight that World Vision had "only" received $40,000,000 to rebuilt Haiti. How does one get a grant like this?</em><br />
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The president has come under fire from some Senegalese for spending money on showpiece projects while parts of the country go without basic infrastructure, and districts in Dakar suffer from frequent power outages and severe flooding.<br />
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North Korean workers are building a 21 million euro ($28.79 million) monument to the African family, a Soviet-style triumphalist bronze figure that looks westwards over the Atlantic.<br />
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<em>This monument was the talk of the town while we were there! I didn't get to see (my brother and Dad did), but you can learn more about it at these links:</em><br />
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<em>Nice summary of the issues: </em><a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/senegal/100113/renaissance-monument-wade"><em>http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/senegal/100113/renaissance-monument-wade</em></a><br />
<em>Wiki Info: </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Renaissance_Monument"><em>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Renaissance_Monument</em></a><br />
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Karim Wade also said South Korea will help Senegal build a high speed train system linking Diass, where a new airport is being built, and Dakar, around 40 km away.<br />
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<em>Oops! It pays to read the whole article. So know I know where the train will run. Makes sense to set up a high speed connection between Dakar and the airport for all us tourist types. And a new airport is sorely needed (refer to my earlier post)! Maybe not such a bad idea after all...</em><br />
Entering and leaving peninsular city Dakar is often a struggle of several hours on a single choked road, though work is underway to widen the highway.<br />
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<em>The one freeway in Senegal is a whole other blog post. When I get some of my nephews photos back, I'll try to post my thoughts on that project! Let's just say that the above statement is at times a gross understatement!</em><br />
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(Reporting by Diadie Ba; Editing by Daniel Magnowski and Keiron Henderson)kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-11823165615492480672010-02-23T08:36:00.000-08:002010-02-23T08:36:18.325-08:00Death Haunts Us AllWith sadness, I must report that Ngone Ciss, wife of Momar Sylla and mother of Mbaye Sylla, passed away last Monday, February 22, 2010. To the vast majority of my readers, this lady is unknown, just another name. But to many in Senegal, she was a beloved mother, wife, daughter, and friend, a strong testimony to the presence of Jesus Christ in her life. My dad was able to visit the family while we were in Senegal, but this still came as a shock to him and everyone else. Death has been a frequent visitor in my extended family this past year. May I ask that you pause a moment and pray for this family and hold them close in your heart for a time? <br />
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This is a portion of an email I received from someone in Senegal:<br />
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<blockquote>Ngone has suffered with asthma for many years, and recently was having a lot of intestinal trouble. The doctor wanted to do a endoscope but was concerned about it being too painful so had her on some medication to calm her intestines before doing it. Yesterday she was in a bit of pain, but in the afternoon felt a bit better. Mbaye had been sitting with her, but when she felt better, he went over to the CAFÉ to prepare for SAUL. He is enrolled in the classes. He got a call about 10:30 PM or so to come home because Ngone was not doing well at all. By the time he got there she had already passed away. They took her body to Clinique Barthimee where they confirmed that she was gone. They then sent her body to the morgue at St. Jean de Dieu.</blockquote><blockquote>Ngone had made it clear to Mbaye some time back that she wanted a funeral at the church and to be buried as a Christian. Momar's family is very unhappy about this but Mbaye has stated categorically to all of them that he is going to honor his mother's wishes. I am so proud of him. It is not easy and he is asking prayer to remain strong as the Muslim members are making their displeasure known.</blockquote><blockquote>The funeral will be Wednesday at the church at 3 PM with interment at the cemetery by St. Jean de Dieu.</blockquote>Psalms 23kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-37506554808534197302010-02-21T13:46:00.000-08:002010-02-21T15:40:14.702-08:00Picture Tease<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Been busy the last few days trying to get some trees pruned now that the sun is shining again. Lots to do so I thought I'd just re-post an email I sent out from Senegal for now. Enjoy!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Dear Friends and Family,</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Hz1R1tJeA_2526XEeBPt4bbdq6VhVEuCnRopoOb1kvnk1eLLtbK7TtBtIz5dRxR7iemJR7Mk4zKnv17WFLnayIjZLrYsjNQ9TZKf1_plw0x6aCbs2mgP1JdtbyeycuuMwTO3AZwfANxK/s1600-h/100_0063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Hz1R1tJeA_2526XEeBPt4bbdq6VhVEuCnRopoOb1kvnk1eLLtbK7TtBtIz5dRxR7iemJR7Mk4zKnv17WFLnayIjZLrYsjNQ9TZKf1_plw0x6aCbs2mgP1JdtbyeycuuMwTO3AZwfANxK/s200/100_0063.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Been busy and still trying to get over jet lag. Lots going on with so many people wanting to see my folks. We went out to one of the villages inland and enjoyed Yasa Poullett, a rice and chicken dish with some special seasoning, onions and green olives and vinager that makes a tasty tangy dish! We certainly haven't starved here! But the late nights and long days are taking a toll on the old body. It was pretty hot inland today and hasn't really cooled down as much this evening as one could hope for.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_x8sGjr5mujCexFsTT-bKCmg_mrXikGrfipSJBPY1ZNQsvKrxfwC7MRIZx8jVOAUgHPe-u7YRETsfKzHKkptFJpoUPHNJv6HuqrViYBuubhJ0FmKLhIItBXP5VotQUGyDkiBfns0q5YZ/s1600-h/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_x8sGjr5mujCexFsTT-bKCmg_mrXikGrfipSJBPY1ZNQsvKrxfwC7MRIZx8jVOAUgHPe-u7YRETsfKzHKkptFJpoUPHNJv6HuqrViYBuubhJ0FmKLhIItBXP5VotQUGyDkiBfns0q5YZ/s200/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+123.jpg" width="200" /></a>Going out in the country was more like I remember Senegal being as a kid. The city has gone from about 200,000 residence when I lived here to something like 750,000. What used to be bush is now filled with houses. It's definitely a "3rd World Country" but I am a bit surprised at how far the bigger cities have come. Apparently there is a lot of foreign aid reaching Senegal, a lot of it from China. Not sure what they're after but they are pouring the money into the bigger cities. We did see some villages that are still grass shacks and bramble fences today. Stopped to pick up some water at a roadside store and got mobbed by ladies trying to sell baobab fruit, peanuts, these green bean things and something they make a reddish drink out of (non-alcoholic).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4J2_WAMPhqeZmWHIen4F6Zo7ibPDiuqT7ARUDBi2-QMuXOANvoFBstYFYD33z3GwSw7N681fHgt0o48105EjwmguTJJYSybGffkNg-8aQfvwJ0-jhmZD1hKJvtCi1gW7yppcOzsH_WDw3/s1600-h/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4J2_WAMPhqeZmWHIen4F6Zo7ibPDiuqT7ARUDBi2-QMuXOANvoFBstYFYD33z3GwSw7N681fHgt0o48105EjwmguTJJYSybGffkNg-8aQfvwJ0-jhmZD1hKJvtCi1gW7yppcOzsH_WDw3/s200/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+088.jpg" width="200" /></a>We also saw several of the village churchs that have been build by the African church community which was pretty exciting for my folks. Out host today was one of the pastors and his family. They were so excited to visit with Mom and Dad. Neat to watch. We're supposed to attend church tomorrow which should be another interesting experience. The dedication of a new library and college is next Saturday. I've been told there will be a plague honoring Mom and Dad which will be placed there.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Lots to write about but I'm tired and running out of gas. Everyone is doing well for the most part. My nephew is struggling some with a new cavity that's causing him grief, and my Mom's knee gave out on her this evening for a while. Too much heat and activity. She's doing better after resting. Kinda worried about her ability to stand up to all the activities. We're all supposed to head to the beach later tomorrow for a few days of rest and relaxation. Looking forward to that too. The wild animal park is supposed to be near there. Hopefully we'll see something. I did try to slap a brahma bull on the rump for Rob's sake but he wouldn't let me get close to him! Fraidy cat, fraidy cat!</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZSNOXMvrYUEnIjQk_x2MXDYjxUSo6izsLj33jwF-i8klxN1xboII-MCwIEeM_WK2JlMzhfEZXceBV-gh1iLsJ8eZt7TkAZWFv1zkOwoZE4Rmkguj4bRmJKNmZRYEtGrTZFkGwRJZ0ICn/s1600-h/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZSNOXMvrYUEnIjQk_x2MXDYjxUSo6izsLj33jwF-i8klxN1xboII-MCwIEeM_WK2JlMzhfEZXceBV-gh1iLsJ8eZt7TkAZWFv1zkOwoZE4Rmkguj4bRmJKNmZRYEtGrTZFkGwRJZ0ICn/s200/January+2010+Trip+To+Senegal+116.jpg" width="200" /></a>Oh one more thing. The kids seem fascinated or terrified of my beard - can't quite tell which! Some want to touch it and others seem very timid about it. But I sure get the looks. Played "King of the Hill" with them last night at the big church picnic. They seemed to enjoy the old man making a fool of himself, although I did terrify one kid when I caught him. He was about 4 or 5. I think he was afraid he was going to be eaten alive. Wailed so loud his momma came to rescue him. Of course, by that time I had reassured him that I wasn't going to eat him and he had almost stopped crying. Ah, the casualty of play.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Finishing some laundary and then heading to bed. The hotel is simple but comfortable. That's another story. Hope all is well your way. Some of my mold is starting to flake off. I could almost be grumpy about the heat but after this winter, maybe not.</div><br />
Bon Nuit,<br />
Kenkwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-19898534410037424762010-02-19T18:41:00.000-08:002010-02-19T18:43:04.885-08:00The Lost Art of ReadingAm I the only one who gets tired of having big companies tell me to "Use our Web site" only to be told by some stupid automated email reply system the same old canned poop over and over again? <br />
<br />
Case In Point<br />
<br />
Long story short, our baggage was off-loaded in Dakar before we left because the plane was, and I quote, "too heavy". But that's another blog post for a future date. Due to the ineptness of the check-in clerk in Dakar, 3 out of 5 bags were incorrectly associated with the wrong ticket. When our baggage finally did arrive a few days ago, my folks had 3 bags delivered to them and I had 2 bags delivered to me. 1 of their bags actually belonged to them, 1 bag belonged to me, and 1 bag belonged to my nephew. I, on the other hand, was given 1 bag that was mine and 1 bag that belonged to my folks. At least they were now in the States.<br />
<br />
Being the good technocrate that I am, I followed Delta's specific advice and sent the following email message to the published email address. I have hidden some information for pusposes of protecting identities:<br />
<br />
Original Message Follows:<br />
<br />
------------------------<br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Claim Number: JFKDL[number]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Claim Number: JFKDL[number]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">To Whom It May Concern:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">I am in need of further advice on how to resolve our ongoing problem with getting all our luggage delivered to the proper places. This is a bit complicated so please bear with me.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Our luggage was off-loaded in Dakar on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010 due to some problem with the plane being overweight. Unfortunately, the Delta representative in Senegal did not properly tag all of our baggage making it extremely difficult to match up our bags with our tickets. This morning, 3 of our bags were delivered to [names] in [city], Colorado. Only 1 of the bags actually belongs to [names].</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">One of other two bags belongs to Kenneth Brayton who lives in [snipped], Oregon. The other bag belongs [nephew], who lives in [city], Colorado. All four of us were traveling as a group so the ticket agent just randomly assigned bags to tickets. The three bags that were delivered are related to reference number JFKDL[number].</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Most likely, the other 2 bags, which are related to reference number JFKDL[number], will be delivered to Kenneth Brayton in [city], Oregon in the next day or two. Of these two bags, one of them does actually belong to Kenneth Brayton, the other one belongs to [names] who live in [city]. I assume we'll have to deal with this mix-up when these two bags arrive in [city] unless you have a way of intercepting them while in route. My bag is a red and black half cloth/half plastic shell. The other back is black, all cloth. I believe these two bags have name tags on the handles which would help identify whom they belong to.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">In the meantime, we need to arrange to have 2 of the 3 bags which were delivered to [city] picked up and re-routed to their proper destinations like this:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Baggage Claim # 7006DL[number]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Pickup from: [names]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">[address]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">[city] COLORADO [zip]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Deliver to: KENNETH BRAYTON</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">[address]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">[city] OREGON [zip]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Baggage Claim # 7006DL[number]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Pickup from: [names]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">[address]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">[city] COLORADO [zip]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Deliver to: [nephew]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">[address]</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">[city], COLORADO [zip]</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Thank you for your assistance in this matter. We appreciate all that Delta is trying to do to get our bags delivered to us. Please let me know what we need to do to help this process along.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Kenneth Brayton</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Okay, all that just to set up the next part. This is the reply I got back from Delta <strong><em><span style="color: #cc0000;">3 days</span></em></strong> after I sent my original message:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: white;">Dear Mr. Brayton,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: white;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: white;">Thank you for your e-mail to Delta Air Lines. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: white;">Please accept our most sincere apology for all the inconvenience caused due to the delayed baggage and for the time it has taken to respond to your e-mail.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: white;">Our records indicate that your baggage was located and delivered to you.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: white;">If this information is incorrect and you have not received your baggage, please let us know as soon as possible via e-mail or by calling 800-325-8224.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: white;">Again, we apologize for the inconvenience this situation has caused.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #6fa8dc; color: white;">The Delta Baggage Service Center</span><br />
<br />
Is that just classic or what?! Does <em>anybody</em> read any more? Think I should try "e-mailing" them again? I think not. I called last night and was promised a return call today but so far, nothing. Whatchagonnado???kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-68153057267691511192010-02-18T19:03:00.000-08:002010-02-18T19:03:23.789-08:00Christmas In DakarWhen you land at the Dakar Yoff International Airport in Senegal (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9opold_S%C3%A9dar_Senghor_International_Airport">Wikipedia entry</a> for some interesting facts), the plane is parked on the tarmack several hundred yards from the airport building. Just like in an old movie, you walk down a set of stairs, board a bus, and ride to the main terminal. Main terminal hee-hee - there's only one. As we stepped off the bus into the terminal, we were greeted with this little surprise:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdx8RrZV12pvy6O8_ncAHrW-B90P4laD6nczB1ukZPDVGjesueM4ou2q4Hjhyphenhyphen6oFEpxfIPrDe9viVJMCHAvU7_hZqgou3oS19BgD5Dgd0bAWShVEM6okfn_H8ScMqQd2xFDD8v94rbC73/s1600-h/100_0048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ct="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifdx8RrZV12pvy6O8_ncAHrW-B90P4laD6nczB1ukZPDVGjesueM4ou2q4Hjhyphenhyphen6oFEpxfIPrDe9viVJMCHAvU7_hZqgou3oS19BgD5Dgd0bAWShVEM6okfn_H8ScMqQd2xFDD8v94rbC73/s320/100_0048.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's correct, a Christmas tree! Heck, in a land so dreary that any type of pretty thing stands out, it's pretty common to adimire something for as long as you can. I have no idea when they take down Christmas decorations. We saw a surprising number of them here and there. Surprising because, well, isn't Christmas one of those heathen Christian holidays? Why is a "good Muslim country" celebrating Christmas - the birth of Christ? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By the way, I had to ask one of the many guards if it was okay to take a picture of it. Didn't really want to spend all my time in Senegal looking at jail bars!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hey, for a pretty funny (sadly) story of another guys adventures in the Dakar airport, read this Salon article called <a href="http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2007/05/25/askthepilot233/">Ask the Pilot</a>. It's too true in so many ways, and pretty much right on, except that for me, it was great fun! Mr. Smith is just a big old party pooper...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-35326692910283524212010-02-17T18:35:00.000-08:002010-02-17T18:41:54.223-08:00We Have ArrivedDear All,<br />
<br />
It's 8:45 in the morning Senegal time. That's 8 hours ahead of those of you living in Oregon. We just finished a wonderful breakfast with our host A. S. (name hidden) here in Thies. The flight was largely uneventful but the plane was very full! Karen and I sat next to a woman who had a 2-3 year old girl sitting on her lap for the whole trip. Fortunately she slept most of the way and was very good. Delta gives you free movies and TV shows to watch on international flights. Has anyone invented a way to sleep on an airplane yet? Ugh.<br />
<br />
After checking through customs without any problem (pays to know the local language) and getting our baggage together, we were met outside the airport by S.N. (name also hidden) and another fellow (can't remember his name). They had a nice big van for us to ride in. We were headed out to Thies where we'll be staying most of our time here. I think it's about 35-40 miles inland from Dakar. <br />
<br />
The ride out to Thies was in the dark so didn't we really didn't get to see much yet. We're all bushed and headed for some shut-eye. The weather is wonderful at the moment. Probably mid-70's. Wasn't execting that! <br />
<br />
My nephew had his DS swiped out of his backpack at the airport parking lot. He wasn't feeling real good and was tired and just not alert to the mob that surrounded us wanting to help us carry our bags. Someone zipped open his backpack and grabed whatever he could. Lesson #1: keep your zippers shut and your hand on your bag. Karen made the flight from Portland with only minor challenges and is probably the most wupped of us all. Some 6 hours from Portland to New York, followed by another 8 from New York to Senegal. Whew!<br />
<br />
Will try to keep you updated as we can. Feel free to share this with whomever.<br />
<br />
Off to la-la land,<br />
Kenkwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198999752675949955.post-13345823156142271792010-02-17T18:23:00.000-08:002010-02-17T18:23:18.135-08:00Welcome!Several people have been asking me to describe my recent trip to Senegal, West Africa, so I thought I'd try to create this blog for said purpose. Some of you have already read most of what will be posted here but for the rest, well, here it is. <br />
<br />
I'm going to start by simply posting copies of some emails I sent along the journey. If the spirit moves and time allows, I may try to expand on a topic or two as we progress along. So as not to overwhelm you with my musings, I'll start sending one post every day or so. Comments are welcomed and can influence future discussions. <br />
<br />
Feel free to forward this blog link to anyone you think might be interested. <br />
<br />
Enjoy (or not) and Bon Voyage!kwbraytonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06010142716053838986noreply@blogger.com0