Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Sammelsurium or simply "Stuff" volume 7

Canadians have far more in common with Europeans than Americans do. The Canadians are super dog friendly - today Nera was more than welcome at the Cowpucino in Prince Rupert while Joe & I had a latte this morning.

As of today I have embraced the fact that we have zero privacy & zero personal space as long as we are traveling in the Earth Roamer. The unsolicited helpful hints & unrequested advice is enough to kill both of us.

Not to offend anyone, but Canadian RV parks are so much better than the average US RV park. They are cleaner, the employees are more engaged etc.

While in Port Hardy, Joe and I killed some time at coffee shop. There were two older men sitting out in front while we were there. It was so cute to hear them discussing books, movies, travel plans etc. It was only when they started commenting on the nice looking women walking past that I felt uncomfortable. Here I was in my new look - un-ironed, travel clothing etc. - I was now officially invisible. Awful.

While in Sayward, BC Joe & I went grocery shopping. There we met a man that has been going to Fasnacht in Lucerne for the past 30 years!!!! And he isn't Swiss. Somewhere along the way he met a man who is the Zunftmeister there and visits with him each year. He couldn't stop raving about how great Switzerland is. We truly live in a global village.

Joe (& I have to admit me) & his / our technicolor dream coats

Life traveling in an RV is not easy. It is truly a learning experience - what do I need, what kind of clothes should I be wearing etc. As you can imagine, our wardrobes are ever evolving. I now have a red all weather jacket, a pink water resistant jacket, a black wind breaker jacket, a fuscia wind blocking fleece jacket and I'm sure this isn't the end. Joe has a black wind blocking jacket, a brown "dry as a bone jacket", a cheap grey windbreaker from Victoria BC, a green fleece vest AND a light tan golf jacket. Still we do not have all bases covered! Add to this the fact that normal clothes can't be cared for as required so we are constantly buying new pieces of easy care travel clothes. Pretty soon we will only be wearing safari pants and no iron clothes.......

German Engineering

During my ongoing struggle to determine just exactly how one conducts themselves at an RV site, I have gone to the showers fully clothed (not really an option) or in my pajamas covered by a fleece jacket (also a little weird). However, during our stay at the Crystal Cove in Tofino, British Columbia, I reached enlightenment. I met some fellow RV guests from Germany & they simply went to the showers in their bathrobes wearing shower shoes. Eureka! This is the way to do it. Joe & I went to the local Walmart pronto & now are the proud owners of bathrobes. Vielen Dank to our fellow travelers!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Funny things observed along the way

I saw a woman wearing a t-shirt that said "Me. Just like you, only better". I have to admit I found this funny and have to give her credit for having the guts to wear it.

In Castle Rock,Washington I went into a gas station mini-mart where I was waited on by an extremely uninterested woman. There on the counter was a tip jar with a sign that said "Tip me a dollar and I'll pretend to care about what you have to say". What?!?! Where do you get the guts to put that out at your workplace? There was also money in the jar........ I probably should have paid the dollar.

Lastly, we went into a restaurant in Pacific Beach, Washington. There they had a sign that said "Parents, watch your own kids. We don't want them running around". I bet there is a more diplomatic way to get the intended message across.

Shuckers Seattle, unlike Schmuckers, doesn't have to be good

When we arrived in Seattle last Thursday Joe & I were looking forward to a nice evening. Just across the street from our hotel was the Shuckers restaurant in the Fairmont Hotel. After getting Nera settled in our hotel room, we went over to have dinner. After being seated our waiter brought over the menus. After what seemed like an eternity, our waiter came over & took Joe's appetizer order and then walked away leaving the menus on the table. When he didn't come back to take my order, I called him over. He seemed surprised that I also wanted to order something. Then, when we wanted to order wine, he launched into his own personal story. He said he doesn't drink much and tended only to drink when his wife was away. And boy does he drink when she away - during he duration of this story which he seemed to find hilariously funny he kept loudly laughing. Bizarre. After we had selected a bottle of wine, our waiter went on to say it wasn't a wine that "he would have selected". My first thought was "Who asked you?" We went on to order our meals and he suggested that I have my filet butterflied. I said okay & the orders were placed. Well imagine my surprise when our waiter brought my filet to me - not butterflied - and said "I guess the kitchen forgot to butterfly your steak". Really, no crap Sherlock. I decided not to complain - that is until the maitre d stopped by. He asked if everything was okay & I said not quite. I told him about the filet not being served butterflied even though this was what the waiter had suggested. Imagine my surprise when he indicated I could have sent it back. So I then told him that I don't work for the restaurant and that it was up to the waiter to make sure that my order was filled as requested - especially when he had made a specific suggestion. Bitching, complaining earned me the big hairy eyeball from all staff involved. My response you ask? Tough crap. In the end they silently comped my meal - zero style people.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Not trying to be a downer

During our recent visit to Seattle, I was struck by the large number of what appeared to be long-term homeless on the streets - they were simply everywhere. We had had a similar experience when we were in San Francisco a year ago but still it was shocking and depressing. Every morning when I took the dog out for a walk I was confronted by four or five people sleeping on each and every block. The helplessness I felt at not being able to do much for these people was deeply depressing and overwhelming. Plus I felt awful for having a comfortable life while they had nothing. I just wish that all politicians that are currently discussing cutting Medicare, reducing government programs could walk a mile in these people's shoes. They are at the bottom and can't go any lower - how will they survive? In a similar vein,it is sad that people like Jeff Bridges have to publicize a program that provides food for poor children during the summer months when they don't particate in school lunch programs. Where does the government think these children get fed? For such a wealthy country it's sad to see certain segments of the population be abandoned.

Here in the US, it's not a dog's life

The subject of dogs is a relatively schizophrenic one in the US. I have had multiple people tell me that they prefer four-legged "children" to the two-legged ones. I want to go on record and say that I do not consider my dog to be my child. However for a country that seems to be full of people who love dogs, the freedom of these animals is extremely limited. We don't need to go down the road of why dogs aren't allowed in restaurants or on restaurant patios again. However is it necessary to ban dogs from trails in the national parks and forests? As pets are allowed into these areas in vehicles, what do the individuals in charge expect one to do with their pet when visiting such places? The policy doesn't seem logical or humane to me. The problems encountered with dogs seem to originate at the other end of the leash.

Speaking of leashes, we had a problem at an RV park recently. While we were getting set up, Nera was off her leash sitting next to the picnic table. All of the sudden the park "host", a woman about 75, came out of her RV and yelled "Get that dog on a leash". No "Excuse me your dog needs to be on a leash"' or "I just want to remind you that our policy requires your dog to be on a leash" etc. We were wrong but how about a little civility or style? Plus if you want to be a host, you might want to try a little politeness. Goes a long way.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Call it kismet, call it karma

Today Joe & I went shopping at Brooks Brothers here in Seattle. Joe found a shirt he wanted and I went up to the counter to pay. Well while waiting I heard a man ask for a particular type of dress shirt. I turned slightly & there was Marvin Hamlisch! I honestly could not believe it - although I had seen a poster announcing an event with him and the Seattle Philharmonic, what are the chances we would be in the same store at the same time? I didn't address him, although I wanted to, being that I am a big fan of his. However about six years ago I was walking past a theater in downtown Chicago and out came Marvin Hamlisch. I said (intelligently) "Oh my God, you're Mavin Hamlisch" which earned me a strange stare. What are the odds of seeing this man twice, having our paths cross twice? One really needs to ponder the deeper meaning of this. At any rate this chance encounter made my day.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Sammelsurium or simply "Stuff" volume 6

We were at a street market in Boise, Idaho on Saturday. As I've said before, Nera is a total people magnet. Well on Saturday we had the nicest experience so far. A man came up to us and asked if he could pet Nera and we said no problem. After petting and hugging her, he said he wanted to show us a picture of his mixed breed Bernese that had passed away recently. Well his dog had been a Bernese Husky mix and had been beautiful. It is really special to bond with strangers over these dogs.

Hagerman, Idaho is a nice place. We managed to find a nice bar to have a drink and the people are friendly. However the beauty services industry needs some help. I called one business that was listed in the local business newsletter. Well this woman only works three days a week and couldn't take me. Okay, fine. She recommended another business so I called and left a message. Well that was on Thursday and I STILL haven't received a call back......

I think that a rating system needs to be established for RV parks. You should know in advance if they have hairdryers in the bathrooms, what the laundry situation is etc. Also they should be rated in a star system. It's only been a month and we have already seen some scary stuff.

I want to officially go on record that I hate, really hate, laundromats. We did our laundry today and it was a trial. Machines that don't clean, dryere that don't dry -highway robbery. It is a good place though to meet people.......

Heebie Jeebies

After leaving Hagerman, Idaho we decided to go to Prairie City. The idea was that we would stay there overnight before continuing on to Boise. Well we arrived in what is a really cute town and were looking forward to having a drink and dinner there. The "looking forward" ended after we found the RV park. There were no other RVs there - in my world a bad sign - plus the lights were burning in the bathrooms but no people were around. I have to admit that I was also getting a really bad vibe, so we decided to move on. Well that turned out to be not exactly the best decision. The next town with an RV Park was John Day so we drove there. Well this RV park was in an industrial area of the city and was also empty. Add to that there were zero facilities. I don't like to be difficult but I couldn't stay here either. So in the end we ended up at the "no tell motel". Clean enough but just worn out. There was a bright spot on the horizon in this town though. We we were looking for a place to have a drink & weren't having any success, that is until we came to the Dirty Shame Saloon. Although Nera couldn't be in the bar she was allowed on the smoking terrace behind the bar. Now Nera has a two pack a day habit - just kidding. We really appreciated the staff there, totally solution oriented! Plus I had a super conversation with another patron at the bar about computers. Total feel good place so "double thumbs up"!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Getting the party started - or not!

Today was our 18th wedding anniversary so we decided we would like to buy a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Simple undertaking, no? Uh, no. As we are currently in Kaysville, Utah (not known for their alcohol consumption) it took quite a bit of sleuthing on our part. I thought we had hit pay dirt at Walgreens as one aisle sign said "wine". Well people this was an error as it was generic signage from Walgreens' corporate headquarters. We also stopped at a gourmet food store but also no luck. Here the young man that I asked kept backing away from me as if I had a real problem. So after stopping and asking what seemed like at least a million people and getting nowhere, I spotted an American Legion Hall. Here I / we hit pay dirt. Following the really friendly directions we received there, Joe and I finally located the Utah State Liquor Store and purchased our champagne. Mission accomplished! Thankfully we were able to toast our anniversary and had a nice evening.

Sammelsurium or simply "Stuff" volume 5

If you have been following my blog, you will realize that I have something of an issue with the pyjama people. It's bad enough in Target or Wal-Mart but what I saw at the Hotel Monaco in Salt Lake was an all time low. As I was waiting to be seated in the hotel restaurant for breakfast, another guest came in. She was, like me,approximately 50 plus years old. What was she wearing you ask? Try a baggy sweatshirt over an equally baggy t-shirt with pajama pants and slippers. Is it really too much to ask that people dress appropriately in public?

A few days ago while we were still in Moab, Utah two Canadians from British Columbia stopped to look at the Earth Roamer and have a chat with us. At the end of the conversation one of the men asked me if I was one of "those Americans" that think they are better than everyone else from every other country. He said people in Utah don't seem that way but Americans from other parts of the US are more difficult. I have to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to say except that I don't feel as an individual that I am better than anyone else. I'm not trying to upset anyone by recounting this. For me it is simply interesting to see how we are perceived by others - rightly or wrongly.

Something else that has also been surprising for me is the number of young people with tattoos over large areas of their bodies. Although I don't personally have a tattoo, I do have friends and family members who do and for me it isn't a problem. However just as the clothing I wore when I was 20 would look less than flattering now, won't that be the case with tattoos? I have seen people with both arms completely covered, their face and neck, their hands etc. I realize that tattoos of children's names, birth longitude and latitude etc are becoming the ultimate accessory but isn't the uniqueness of this type of "statement" being lost? Sometimes it seems as if in their quest to make a statement and stand out, these people become more of the mainstream. You only have to look at all the people with the barbed wire tattoos on their ankles and forearms or the women with the "butt antler" tattoos on their lower back. Actually being tattoo-less starts to be more of a statement.

Midway, Utah - "A small town with Swiss character" or not

Yesterday we visited the town of Midway, Utah which claims to have a connection to Switzerland. While the town residents all seem to be very friendly and some do in fact have Swiss descendants, that's about where the Swissness stops. Outside of 2 Swiss flags in peoples' front yards and Swiss types of cheese in a grocery store called "The Store" (as an aside this is one of the best grocery stores I have ever been in and the meat from Meier's which is sold there is nothing short of exceptional). Midway mentions on the town website that they are a sister city to Trubschachen in the Emmental region of Switzerland. Well my suggestion for the suggestion box would be that they consult their Swiss colleagues about what being Swiss is all about and what "Swissness" is. It only gets worse when you visit the Zermatt resort which also claims to be Swiss in style. We went there to have lunch and first stopped in the gift shop. When Joe told the young salesclerk that we were actually from Switzerland she couldn't even fake any interest in this piece of information. They were selling music CDs however they were all German and Austrian. So we went into the hotel where all the employees were dressed in uniforms from Austria and Bavaria! As we were eating (also nothing really Swiss on the menu)I noticed that next to the American flag which was flying in front of the hotel there was a second flag that I didn't recognize. So curious as I am I went to the front desk and asked what flag this is. All three employees standing there said that they had no idea and that I should ask the bellman. I did this and was told that it was either from Austria or Lichtenstein. When I asked where the Swiss flag was as they are calling themselves a Swiss hotel I was told that they used to have one but it was taken down for "some reason". I hate to be picky or difficult but this is simply laziness on the part of the hotel and it honestly shows a complete lack of pride in their business. I wonder how much effort it would take to provide their employees with basic information on Switzerland, add real Swiss items to the menu, offer real Swiss products in the gift shop or at the very least fly the Swiss flag. So in the end you get the feeling that the whole Swiss theme is simply marketing backed up by zero interest in Switzerland.