"RV Freedom"

I have been spending some time updating and marketing my eBook series (http://Practice-Marketing-Simplified.com/pr-for-the-professions.html) and while exploring online I ran across a book that I thought might interest some of you who have enjoyed our blog.

It's called RV Freedom and it guides people through a 10-step process of creating a lifestyle of travel freedom on the road.

The book assumes you'll be doing this in an RV, but we have shown you don't even need that to live our lifestyle; we're doing just great in our little Eurovan "TradeMobile" and you could probably do just about all that we do with whatever vehicle you own now. What most people need is a mindset that it IS possible.

• Figure out what your dreams are.
• Keep thinking about them and reading about them.
• Don't let short-term barriers stop you.
• Take small steps if necessary but keep moving toward your goal.
• You'll be surprised at what can happen, and how soon!

I'll keep an eye out for other similar resources and post them to this blog as I find them. You might just enjoy the read and leave it at that, but so many of you have said you loved "living vicariously" with our adventures that I hope some of you will "make it real" in whatever realm makes your own heart jump. ;)

Hugs and "fannie swats" to all!
Teaser

"Home Sweet Home"...or how about "Busy as Bees Again"

Well, we're back home and in the thick of things. There have definitely been no summer doldrums in the market this August!

FireCat is in the midst of writing new software to automate and improve some of our trading processes and strategies. We are both switching brokers--since Schwab swallowed CyberTrader we have not been happy with their platform so we are trying out a smaller, more responsive firm in El Segundo called MB Trader...looks promising so far.

I have been buried in investigating and applying for a mortgage refi since my ARM begins to float in September...yes I know, me and everybody else! Anyway, I found a great rate and have been approved for a new product from ING Direct, only being offered to current customers so far. They've been fast and efficient and I'm only having to pay 5.25%. The product isn't for everyone but it's a great fit for me, so now it's only a matter of finishing the paperwork. That's a relief!

For those of you still relishing summer (it doesn't mean quite the same to us here in California where it's nice year round and just as likely to be foggy in August as sunny), enjoy the rest of the season...and I hope some of you will post some comments to our blog and let us know some of the interesting places and experiences you had on your vacation this year. Who knows, we might just built it in to our next adventure!

8/9/08 – Dad’s house

We have been visiting my dad in Eureka since Wednesday. We had a beautiful drive down through the Redwoods and stopped for a walk up my favorite trail to Fern Canyon at my favorite campground, Prairie Creek State Park. I tell everyone that if you’ve never been in a redwood forest you need to promise yourself to do it at least once in your life. It can’t be described; one has to experience it—that’s all I can say.

Since our visit here last year my dad is now equipped with high speed cable Internet so it is a great place to trade and enables us to stay a little longer than we could before. We have had a good visit with him and it is nice for me to see him and FireCat seem to enjoy each other’s company so much.

Dad is turning 80 this year too—in about a month and a half—so we are celebrating a little early during this visit. Due to some physical difficulties he is unable to travel long distances or I would have him on a cruise too! We are going to enjoy a sushi dinner tonight and do some more visiting. I have enjoyed a lot of sharing this trip of some of the old stories and memories, some from my childhood camping trips and some from his youth before I arrived on the scene. It was great to have FireCat play some old 1940s music on his guitar the other night while my dad sang along. He has always had a great voice and can still belt out “It Had to be You,” making me wish once again that I had received THAT gene! ;)

Of course one of the highlights of my visits here this time of year is that I get to go berry-picking. I was afraid when we arrived that the blackberries weren’t ripe yet because all I could see were little green berries, but I did find some patches up the road yesterday where it must be a little warmer because the blackberries were plump and perfectly ripe. FireCat and I went out today and picked a huge bucket and froze a lot of small containers so Dad can have them on his cereal and ice cream for a few months. I sure wish they could travel better so I could take a bunch home, but mostly I just enjoy the picking. It reminds me of my childhood I guess…except then my mother would make jams and pies and that is a little beyond my skills and inclinations.

We head for home tomorrow, with the required stop at the wonderful Loleta cheese factory and FireCat’s birthday dinner at Gordon Biersch in San Jose. It’s a full week once we get home Monday night, but I am looking forward to seeing my daughter and grandson and getting started on some potential business endeavors. As always, I’ll keep you posted. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

8/3/08 – Post-Vancouver

Photos above - from top to bottom, then right column:
· Teaser – morning stretch or market cheer?
· Vaughn and parents at the new house
· Vaughn

· Alana – our “Vancouver landlady"

· Dr. Carl

· Ferry ride from Whidbey Island
· Seattle waterfront

· FireCat in the flowers
· Dancing Dave



Below:
· Chinese fireworks
· Camping on Whidbey Island

Well, the Chinese fireworks were by far the best—wish we could have seen the finals on Saturday. But instead, we were enjoying a glass of wine around an outdoor campfire under the trees on Whidbey Island with our friends Dr. Carl and Chris.

We met Chris and Carl on our trip to Panama a few years ago and somehow Dr. Carl knew even then that we would become friends. The spot they have on Whidbey Island is absolutely beautiful and reminded me so much of camping as a child in Oregon and Northern California.

We have had a very rich few days visiting friends old and new on our way home from Vancouver. We met a young man named Vaughn two years ago, the first time we attended the Agora Financial Conference in Vancouver. While studying to become a doctor he is also doing some short-term trading. He and FireCat have stayed in touch and shared trading info and experiences and we look forward to seeing him each year in Vancouver.

This year on our way south we stopped at his family home in southern Canada—outside a town called Langley—to see the house his parents are building. What a gorgeous place that is, even though still in progress. Having built his own home, FireCat could really appreciate the amount of work and quality of craftsmanship. They are breeding horses and currently have seven of them—including a one-month old male foal. They are beautiful award-winning animals.

From there we proceeded to Whidbey Island to visit Chris and Carl, and then on to see my dancing buddy Dave, who lives near our home on the Central Coast but had just arrived at a house he owns near Olympia where he will be doing some improvements in between renters. We had a chance to catch up over a nice Thai dinner about his trip to Guatemala and our cross-country trip this year. It is quizzical to meet a friend 1000 miles from home because we haven’t had the chance to catch up where we live a few miles apart. Such is the world we live in I suppose.

Today we drove to Portland and had a very pleasant afternoon walking in the sun down quirky 23rd Avenue, doing some shopping and having a wonderful beer and cheddar soup at the Widmer Brewery. We are staying for a couple nights with Christian, FireCat’s technology friend from Corsica who works at Intel. They are deep into a technology discussion so I figured it was a good time to catch up on the blog.

I find traveling like this, where we have a chance to connect with friends along the way, much more rewarding than just sightseeing and traveling. Touching base to share a glimpse of people’s lives, sharing a bit of ourselves, discussing our life plans and the state of the country—I see the threads of similarity and the differences that make them all unique, I learn something from each of them, and I have a chance to reflect on myself, my views, my experiences. I think this is what life is about—so much of my meaning comes from myself and how I process my experiences, but also much of it comes from the sharing I do with others.

The daily driving is also a good time for sharing between FireCat and me. We are talking about changes we want to make in our trading, and possibly even other business ventures. This may be our last long trip for awhile so we are appreciating all of it, and yet looking forward to some “at home” adventures as we create our future in our local area. Perhaps our friends will come to visit us over the next year if we stay in one place ourselves.

7/27/08 – Fireworks!

Here in Vancouver every summer they have the international fireworks competition called The Festival of Lights. There are four nights of fireworks over English Bay—two Wednesdays and two Saturdays. Each night one of the three finalists gets to show their stuff, then on the fourth night are the finals. This year Canada, the U.S., and China are the finalists.

Lucky for us, the Agora Financial conference always falls during part of the competition. Last year Canada’s show was spectacular, but this year’s didn’t match it. Last night was the U.S. and it was really amazing, with a theme of “Love is a Many Splendored Thing.” There were red hearts in the sky, very romantic accompanying music, and some of the most extravagant multi-showered fireworks I’ve ever seen. I wish it were possible to capture it on film but a regular camera just couldn’t do it justice.

Wednesday we see China—theirs was definitely the best last year—but we’ll miss the finals on Saturday since we have to leave Vancouver on Thursday. It’s been a somewhat quiet weekend, but here are some photos from the community market area over on Granville Island, where I walked over for more blueberries this afternoon.

7/26/08 – Post-conference Wrap-Up

Well, it was a great conference. This is my third year and it seems to get better every year…which really means I am still learning a lot every time I come. One highlight this year was the speech by Jim Rogers—you know, the guy who founded the Quantum Fund with George Soros and wrote Investment Biker about his motorcycle ride through six continents in 1990-92? Well, he was there to talk about his more recent three-year (ending in 2002) round the world trip in a Mercedes convertible with his fiancé (whom he married during the trip), as well as his perspectives on the world and investing.

One of the things he told us is that in a major survey people were asked what their #1 dream was, and the dream that came out on top was a road-trip around the world. So now I understand a little bit better why people seem to enjoy reading my blog. FireCat and I have two countries under our belt now…perhaps we’ll make it around the world before we’re done.

After Rogers’ presentation he took questions so I told him that three years is a long time to be on the road and asked him what he most enjoyed doing in his daily activities. He said mostly it was the adventure—the unknown, the challenges each day, sometimes just staying alive. He said he likes talking to the people, the different foods, even just finding a place to stay, and that it’s a huge sensory feast.

I could identify with all of that! Then he said that at the end of the Q&A he would tell a story before he left, and he remembered to do that. His story was that after traveling all over the world (They began in Iceland and went east and after they hit North America they went to Alaska, came down through Vancouver and California to Los Angeles and then to New York), he was doing a presentation in San Jose, California that showed their little bright yellow car. Afterwards, a woman came up to him and asked, “Are you telling me you sat beside each other in that little two-seater car every day for three years?”

When Mr. Rogers said yes, she told him, “My fiancé and I drove from Connecticut to California together and we haven’t spoken to each other since….” (along with a few more graphic details of what they thought of each other after the trip). LOL, at least FireCat and I had an experience more akin to the Rogers’ trip! ;)

OK, I promised to try and identify a good stock tip for you from the conference. It can really differ based on your investing sophistication and life situation, but here are a few:

-- Several people said to short long treasury bonds. One simple way to do this—if you don’t want to buy put options on an ETF or short bonds in the futures market—is to buy RYJUX, an inverse fund on long-term government bonds.

-- Common consensus the past couple of years has been to get out of the dollar. However, a few are now expecting a bounce in the dollar before further downside. Jim Rogers said he will use that bounce to sell all remaining dollars he has. No one advises the Euro as an alternative though and one guy thinks the Euro may not survive at all when it is tested for the first time in the upcoming economic downturn.

-- There were a lot of differences regarding commodities in the short term, but everyone still seems to think they are the place to be long-term (for the next 10 years or so). One company discussed was QCC—based in Canada but traded on the AMEX—that makes real estate loans in Canada where prices have been strong because of commodities. Their price is depressed because no one wants to own lenders right now, but they have no U.S. loans, no subprime loans, have not lost money on any loan in 17 quarters and they can be bought at a discount to book value (“like trading six quarters for $2.00”). Plus, they pay about a 12% dividend. I owned some before the conference and I will be buying more.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about the fireworks competition.

7/21/08 – Vancouver...run-up to conference week

We’ve been having a nice time in Vancouver but it is HOT here. Our apartment is covered with windows all along one side—makes for nice light in the room but the solar effect is dramatic. I suppose it’s a good thing in the winter since it rains so much here, but right now I need to stand in front of the window fan to cool off if I’m not outside.

I registered for the conference this afternoon. It will be a nice mix of investment advice, financial education, networking with resource explorers, and evening festivities including cocktail parties, a big-band dance, a concert with the California Guitar Trio, and a screening of the indy film I.O.U.S.A….and all this for free because I was smart enough to sign up several years ago for a lifetime membership with this investment service called Agora Financial. It’s one of the highlights of my year.

Of course there are the more mundane aspects of life to tend to as well. I did laundry today, FireCat went to the grocery store and of course we are trading every morning. I’m stuck in a short position in a credit card company during this bounce in the financial companies. Luckily it started coming back down after American Express reported this afternoon so I guess I’m not gonna go broke after all. LOL

Yesterday I took a walk over to Granville Island where they have a community market and a lot of working artists’ studios. It was a nice day but on the way back I decided to save my feet and take the water taxi back instead of the long walk over the bridge. It dropped me off at the Aquatic Center on Sunset Beach so it was only about 4-5 blocks from home—much better! I’ve had some nice walks up around English Bay to Stanley Park as well, so at least I have been getting my exercise in. Now if I could just remember to take FireCat’s camera with me when I go I’d have some photos to show you too.

Well, it’s a busy day tomorrow, and for the rest of the week, so I’ll probably not post again until the weekend. I’ll try to identify the best stock tip of the week and let you all know. ;)

7/19/08 – Vancouver is still here, and now we’re back too

We finally arrived in Vancouver Wednesday night—VERY late. Luckily, we had keys from Alana and she was willing to go home and let us pay the rent in the morning, as we had a little adventure on the way here and were not able to meet her at 8:00pm as planned.

We had stayed in Portland the night before, after a lovely dinner and visit with a friend of FireCat’s from his technology days. Christian (who now works at Intel) and his wife are from Corsica and they have two smart, well-mannered and personable young boys so we had a delightful evening with them all…good conversation and I love hearing that French accent.

The next morning we traded at Starbucks, then hit the road. We were lucky enough to get through Seattle just before 5:00pm without hitting too much traffic and thought we were doing fine. However, south of Bellingham a bit FireCat pulled over to the side of the road. I was talking to my mother on the phone so I thought he was being polite in stopping so I could finish the conversation before we crossed the border and couldn’t use our cell phones. However, I soon realized that he was jacking up the car. Uh oh.

Sure enough, we had a flat tire on the front right of the TradeMobile. This had not happened to FireCat since he bought the van last October so he didn’t know that whoever put those tires on must have done it with some electric tool. No matter what he tried—and he’s a pretty strong lion—he couldn’t get the lug bolts off.

After he gave up I called AAA and was hearing it would be an hour before they could get someone there, when a Washington State Emergency crew pulled up and offered help. They couldn’t get the lug bolts off either but the guy had a special tool that he tried and that worked. Yeah!

Next stop at the next exit was to get new tires because we didn’t trust the spare and didn’t want to deal with more problems in Canada. Luckily there was a WalMart there so we got by pretty cheap. However, it took two hours before the TradeMobile was ready to go again. At least we had time for some pizza while we waited because I was famished by this time.

Finally, we were on the road again and got to the border about 9:30pm. I had my computer on my lap looking at google earth for directions while the border agent asked FireCat a lot of routine questions about whether we were carrying firearms, etc. He answered no to everything except when the agent asked him whether we had over $10,000 in cash and FireCat said, “I wish.”

After all the questions the agent told us to pull into Stall A and go inside. Hmmm, never had to do that before. So we went in and the uniformed guy behind the counter had a bunch more questions to ask us, like where are you from, where are you going, what do you do for a living, where is this conference being held, how long will you be here, etc. Then he took our passports and told us to go have a seat.

After a while he called us back, returned the passports and said we were free to go. FireCat asked why this happened and the guy said that something about the way we answered the questions in the van were questionable to the outside officer so they wanted to run a background check on us, but everything looked fine.

Well, I told FireCat that no matter how much we wished for $10,000, I think the border agents prefer yes or no answers. FireCat, however, thinks we were targeted because—besides driving a van and coming in fairly late at night—my fancy laptop with a map glowing from it made them nervous. Whatever it was, I’m sure it’s comforting for the Canadians to know that America cares just as much about letting terrorists out of the U.S. as they do about letting them in. LOL

By the time we arrived, got some Canadian money and went to bed it was 12:30am and we had to be up for trading at 6:00am the next morning…but besides all that, we had a great visit with my Dad in Eureka on the way up and a beautiful drive through the redwoods and forests of Oregon and Washington. I’m hoping to do a few hikes and berry picking on the way back…and I’ll be sure and leave my laptop in its case the next time we cross the border.

7/13/08 – On the Road Again

The TradeMobile is back in action, and what a whirlwind departure this one was! We didn’t expect to leave for another week but I noticed an apartment for rent in Yaletown, Vancouver for the last two weeks of July. Problem was, the owner wouldn’t hold it for us without a deposit and getting money to Canada would take awhile, besides the risk of sending a cashier’s check to someone I don’t know.

However, the owner turned out to be a delightful 25-year old woman who’s a cyclist and she was coming to San Jose for a 100-mile bike race on Sunday, so she said she’d let us have the apartment if we took cash to her in San Jose on Saturday. So we jammed for two days to get ready to go and here we are.

It took a bit of doing getting out of town yesterday though. After a late start, we got half an hour up the road and I realized I had forgotten my passport. So we drove back home and it wasn’t where I keep it. So we spent another hour tearing the house apart before I finally found it tucked into a small folder—what was I thinking?!

We finally arrived in San Jose at 8:00pm, dropped off the deposit and picked up the keys, and went for a nice dinner at Gordon Biersch, one of Firecat’s favorite restaurants from his software days in Silicon Valley. We drove up to San Francisco where we found a nice level street beside a city park near the Golden Gate Bridge and slept until about 9:00am in the van. After some Peet’s coffee, pickled eggs and fresh blueberries we’re on the Redwood Highway north to Eureka to visit my dad tonight.

Yeah, it feels great to be back in action! I was exhausted trying to get everything done to leave home for a month but after a good night’s sleep I’m full of energy and looking forward to another adventure. This time we will be driving and “camping” through some of my favorite forests where I grew up camping as a kid in northern California and Oregon, so there’s a lot of warm nostalgia for me in that. Plus, by the time we’re on our way back through in early August, the blackberries ought to be ripe!

Next trip: Vancouver in mid-July

Now that we're home, it seems all we do is work! So that is why I haven't posted in a while. Stay tuned beginning mid-July, when the TradeMobile leaves again for a trip to Vancouver and parts in between.

5/06/08 – Home at Last

I finished up the last week of the trip on a cruise to Mexico to celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday. My daughter and her beau came along too. FireCat elected other pleasures (such as the Getty Museum) and a little work too in southern California before driving the final leg home alone. (Hey somebody had to clear the house of spiders before I arrived!)

Above are photos of formal night on the cruise (with me behind the camera) and “The Last [Sushi] Supper” of our trip (with FireCat behind the camera) as my daughter delivered me to him after the cruise at Sumo Sushi in SLO town.

It is good to be back home for awhile, even though I am waist high in mail, tax preparations and other jobs. FireCat and I are already talking about taking some weekend excursions nearby to keep alive that feeling that we are still on the road, and the bonding that came from it. If the price of gas doesn’t go ballistic this summer, we might even be able to make our annual excursion to Vancouver into a road trip instead of flying up.

For the next couple of months though our focus will be on work (gotta recover from those trip expenses!), yard work, and some time with friends and family. After arriving home I couldn’t wait to resume my regular walks on our nearby beach and as FireCat and I were walking along, hand in hand, he spoke what both of us were thinking: “We’ve been all over the country, and I’m not sure we’ve found anything better than this.”

Don’t think for a minute though that this will be the last of our adventures. You might want to check in here again every few weeks just to see if something might be going on in between “the responsibilities.” ;)

Many thanks to all of you who have participated in our escapade through this link. We’ve appreciated your interest, your kind comments, and knowing that although we might be far from one another (or just on our way after a visit to you) that we stayed connected. I hope in some small way our adventure has prompted you to dream your dreams and to remember that all it takes to make them happen is a decision and some planning. It’s easier than you think if you think of it as possible.

4/25/08 – California Here We Come!

Sedona was beautiful. It was nice to drive through the dramatic red mountains on our way to Starbucks every morning (our resort was about four miles from town). I can see why many artists live here. We really enjoyed all the public art—see a few of our many photos at right—along with FireCat’s “new image.”

Yes, Sedona is also a new age haven. There are offices and ads everywhere. It was interesting to sit in Starbucks every morning and overhear the new age “guides” who use Starbucks as an office. It was like being a fly on the wall in a therapy visit. It seemed innocuous enough, more like a visit with a good friend than a therapy session, but it‘s a little scary that people base life decisions on things said by someone they hardly know and who have little or no real training.

I guess many people are searching for answers, whether they gravitate to religion, education, or new age “healers,” and there are many others who are only too happy to tell someone else what they should do.

I’ve reached a point in my life where I realize there’s a lot I don’t know, and that’s OK. I rarely feel a desire anymore to convince someone else they should think like I do, because how do I know I’m right? Even if I am, why should they agree with me? That needs to come from their own life experiences and analytical thinking. I enjoy sharing thoughts and opinions with others—it often catalyzes new thinking on my part—but I have little patience any more with those who seem to need me to agree with them.

This trip has been a nice opportunity to see along the way how different people “do that.” Some—like Jacquelyn and Nick—are very open to hearing and sharing differing opinions without needing to convince or change their own minds. This is one of the things I enjoy most about being with them. Others are “debate-focused,” some stay intellectually-focused on a topic without claiming an opinion, and others just don’t talk about topics where there is disagreement.

Well, today we are on our way back to California. Tomorrow FireCat drops me off in San Pedro for a cruise to Mexico to celebrate my mother’s 80th birthday. He has some plans in LA and will then return home and I’ll join him there May 4. It has been a wonderful trip and it feels a little strange not to be finishing it with him, but he is not a fan of cruises so we deal with it. Sigh…. ;)

I’m not sure of the Internet access on this ship, but I’ll post again when I’m home, at the latest.

4/19/08 – Sedona

I really liked Flagstaff. After playing trivia in the brew pub we found a cool European coffee shop—interesting organic foods and coffees and an unusual band that turned out to be from San Diego. They were kind of a mix between a barbershop trio and traveling minstrels but all decked out in suits and hats that made them look like Frank Sinatra.

Thursday after trading we drove down to Tempe and had dinner with my cousin Kevin, whom I haven’t seen in over five years. He also joined us Friday morning for trading and lunch and we had several hours to talk. It was wonderful to catch up and talk about the changes in both of our lives, and in both of us. His life has been very difficult the last few years, and continues to be, but he is re-creating himself and there is also a sense of possibility and excitement in that. I have always respected those few who have the courage to choose introspection, self-responsibility and change, and it was good for me too to be inspired by his example and talk with him about some of our family issues.

Last night we drove to Sedona and have a lovely place here. I slept in this morning, took a hot bath in the big jacuzzi tub, lay down on the bed to cool off and fell asleep again. We took a drive into town this afternoon and stopped for groceries. It’s nice to have a few days off to just kick back and enjoy a little before trading starts again on Monday.

It’s beautiful here. The rocks, the soil, all the interesting geological formations—they’re all red. In fact, they call it Red Rock Country. The weather isn’t too hot yet so I look forward to taking some walks and maybe experiencing the “energy vortex” for which Sedona is famous. ;)

4/16/08 – Gallup, NM

Whew, we finally made it to Flagstaff. Last night we stayed in Gallup, NM and it is the first place I just couldn’t wait to get out of. It’s not just that there was nothing there; it actually had the weirdest feel to it. It was very windy, with dust blowing everywhere. FireCat’s van started flashing warning lights about the brakes as we neared the area. My body reacted the whole time we were there with sneezing, stuffy nose, headache. I’ve never had allergies but it sure felt like I was allergic to Gallup.

The motel we checked into had these old, worn steps and just felt kind of seedy. I noticed as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep that my thoughts were negative and I felt creepy. I’ve never had this feeling before but I realized that the place itself—the air, the earth—seemed to be affecting me. We went to a wonderful little coffee shop this morning, but the frittata was way overdone and FireCat and I both lost money in the market today. This was just the strangest thing, but I was glad to gallop outta Dodge—I mean get outta Gallup—this afternoon, and it’s the only place we’ve visited so far that I think I’ll try to “dodge” in the future.

Now we’re sitting in the Beaver Creek Brewery and I’m having a glass of California cab while FireCat samples the local beers, so life feels like it’s getting back to normal. ;)

There’s a trivia game in this pub—it’s kinda cool. They ask a question with 5 multiple choice answers. It’s time based and they flash scores on the screen from all the people in the bar who are playing. FireCat is doing really well on the music questions, but not so much on the soap operas. ;)

There are also trivia cards on the bar and the two women next to me are asking each other questions from those. I guess this place is designed to try to make people smarter. A nice concept for a bar.

And…FireCat is the new lead scorer in the electronic big screen trivia game! OK, I played the game but I only came in 4th place. Fun though!

4/13/08 - Santa Fe, NM

We left winter behind today. We had another beautiful drive from Vail, back to Denver, then through the Rockies again to Taos, New Mexico, which sits just at the foot of the Rockies on the west side. It is a quaint little town; we had some good Mexican food there, turned in early and watched a movie in the van.

This afternoon we drove to Santa Fe and enjoyed walking around "old town," doing some window shopping of the beautiful pottery, artwork and colorful clothing here, and browsing the Indian street vendors' hand-made jewelry. FireCat found an engraved silver guitar pick that he couldn't resist. Although there's still a little snow on the surrounding mountains, the sun was out and it was lovely. Temperatures for tomorrow are projected in the high 70s so that is a big change for us.

We will be trading in the morning and then driving down to Albuquerque for our favorite sushi. I spoke with my cousin Kevin this evening. He lives near Phoenix and we will be able to stop and see him at the end of the week on our way to Sedona. It has been a long time so it will be good to reconnect and catch up.

Sante Fe is the first place we have returned where we have been before on this trip, so we are feeling like we are really heading home now. We both have mixed feelings. We are not sure how it will feel to be there. We have talked today about what we might be doing differently in our daily lives at home that we wouldn't do "on the road."

In many ways the routine is the same. We trade every weekday. We find time for reading, movies, talking. Sometimes we cook and sometimes we eat out. I try to find time to walk, although I miss the beach that's at home. We seek out musical entertainment, and perhaps have had more opportunity to find the kind of music FireCat appreciates. Of course, we drive more too, and we socialize with new acquaintances rather than old friends and family. However, much of what we do is similar to what we do at home--we just do it in different places.

We feel fortunate to be able to take our work with us so that we can experience different parts of the country. We hope to take that to different parts of the world. So far, we have found only a couple places we would consider returning to for partial-year living, but we are not finished looking. ;)

I have spent over two years preparing myself to live lightly on the earth, becoming a citizen of the world with easy mobility. This trip has been an initial foray to test whether the reality of the experience can measure up to the imagination of the dream. It has gone better than expected. Yet also it gives me renewed appreciation for the Central Coast of California and I look forward to going home for awhile.

But I get ahead of myself, for the current adventure is still in full swing....

4/10/08 - Avon (near Vail), Colorado

I feel like I am living in a painting. It is so beautiful everywhere we go. The images as we walk down the street look like those you see in pictures. It's amazing. Here's a little taste of what Firecat and I look like walking about Vail Village in the snow. We went for the free outdoor concert last night--it was quite a crowd and no one seemed to mind the weather. Of course, most of them are dressed for skiing. I've been very sad that I lost my gloves somewhere previously on the trip--no doubt someplace where the weather was a lot warmer. ;)

We've been having a nice time here. The resort is built to look like a city, with domed skylights for the ceiling so that you have natural light and feel like you are walking through small village streets when you leave your room. There's an indoor pool, jacuzzis, etc., with shops and cafes as part of the resort, so it really does feel like you're walking through a little town.

I like it better outside though. The weather is invigorating, the views are gorgeous, and if you keep moving you don't feel too cold. It's been beautiful to watch it snow, and to walk outdoors while it's snowing. For someone who is definitely not a morning person, I've enjoyed walking to Starbucks to trade each morning--it sure wakes me up! (See photo at right.)

FireCat finally received his new computer today and I have been working on a newsletter for my book website, so we are getting a few things accomplished, too. (If you haven't seen my site, check it out at www.PRfortheProfessions.com. It's a public relations manual for professionals--health care, legal, financial, and any other professional in private practice such as an architect or engineer--I'd love to have you pass the link along to any professionals you know!)

I also put a photo at right of the pond here in Avon. It's a short walk from town and I've been going down there to walk around the lake for exercise after trading all day. It's just beginning to thaw around the edges so there's no ice skating now, but it sure is beautiful. I've seen gorgeous geese and birds that I've never seen before. I lived in Fort Collins, CO for a couple of years in college and I feel the same now as I did then: "I could live here if they had an ocean." FireCat says that if I wait until after 2012 they might. ;)

We're leaving here Saturday morning and heading for Albuquerque to that great sushi restaurant we like. They get the prize for the best one on the trip. Then we'll arrive in Sedona a week from tomorrow (Friday) for another week at a nice resort there...but FireCat and I agree that we'll be coming back to Colorado again in the future.

4/5/08 – Snow!

We arrived at the Christie Lodge near Vail tonight. It’s a great place with an indoor pool but the best thing…we looked out the window after dinner and the snow was falling (see the view from our room at right). It’s so beautiful! The snowflakes are huge but falling gently. The cars and grass are covered with snow, as well as the deciduous trees, and there’s a light outside in front of the trees that highlights the snow falling through the air and onto them. Mmmm, heaven.

Coming up I-70 through the Rockies from Denver today was awesome. Unfortunately I was driving and had to keep my eyes on the road occasionally. Still, as another spectacular view opened up around each bend, I couldn’t help feeling expansive in myself in the majestic strength of the space and yet very small at the same time.

We had a nice visit with FireCat’s ex-wife Lee on the way up here. She has a lovely home in the foothills of the Rockies near Golden, CO. FireCat hadn’t seen her in almost 30 years so I think it was a good time of re-connection and perhaps some healing. Among many other things she is a photographer and had many nice photos she had taken of FireCat during his days as a musician that she gave to us. It was a little scary for me how much some of them looked like my friend Dan.

Lee’s daughter is at university pursuing a career in horticulture so perhaps we will entice her to come visit Cal Poly some day. She is the third person we have met in the last week who has been to Ireland recently, so maybe the richest country in the world (it’s capital is always Dublin’--OK, it’s corny but it’s the way I learned to remember it in elementary school) is beckoning us for a visit.

4/5/08 – Back in the West

Yeah—I finally got to meet Randy! FireCat has known him since he lived in Kansas City in his early 20s. Randy is a guide, with training and talent passed down through several generations in his family. He did a natal chart for me when I first knew FireCat and I couldn’t believe how much it sounded like he knew me, although we had never met or spoken and FireCat had told him nothing about me except my birth time and location. I listen to that CD again about once every year or so and every time I’m amazed and think, “Gee, I wish FireCat paid attention to everything that’s in here!” ;)

Anyway, I have spoken to Randy briefly on the phone a few times but never met him, and I was really looking forward to that. It was like meeting an old friend—one of those rare individuals with whom you can delve right down to the important stuff without a lot of small talk. He reminded me a lot of my friend Harvey, who is able to find something to connect with in everyone he meets. Randy has an innate interest in other human beings and a ready and infectious laugh, despite battling a potentially fatal illness resulting from radiation exposure during his Viet Nam War service.

We are hoping Randy will be able to come out and see us in California for some R&R. He is the type of person with whom you feel you could spend oodles of "quality" time and still just scratch the surface of the depth of who he is. Yes, I'd like the chance to walk him along a few miles of my neighborhood beach! ;)

After seeing Randy in Kansas City Thursday night, we drove to Denver on Friday and enjoyed another good sushi dinner at Sonoda’s in Aurora. Today we are coffee-ing up at Starbucks and enjoying the view of the snow-covered Rockies after driving across desolate flatlands for so long. We will stop and see FireCat’s ex-wife in Golden, then drive up to Vail where we’ll be in a timeshare for the next week.

Unfortunately I hosed—almost literally—FireCat’s computer before we left St. Louis. I spilled a glass of water on it and we haven’t been able to get it back on ever since. We tried ordering a new one from there but they sent one that FireCat can’t use so we need to hole up in one place for a week again so he can send it back and wait for delivery of a new one. Vail isn’t such a bad place to have to wait though. ;)

It feels great to be back in Colorado again. I went to college here when my ex-husband was getting his PhD. It’s a progressive state, much like California in that way, and it’s beautiful with great weather. I’ve always said I could live here if they had an ocean.

3/29/08 – St. Louis, MO

We’re in St. Louis now, where FireCat grew up, staying with one of his sisters. There are four huge dogs who live here too so it is very interesting. They are all very well behaved but they all want attention—someone’s cold nose is always looking for skin to nudge. I took the youngest one on a walk with me Thursday and now he keeps waiting for us to go again.

Last night FireCat and I went to hear one of his lifetime buddies perform at one of his gigs. Stuart takes pride at having supported himself his entire life through music. He’s a fantastic guitarist and it was nice for me to meet him and hear him play after all these years listening to FireCat talk to him on the phone.

FireCat and Stuart are surrogate brothers who played music on the streets of Europe one summer to support their travels. He is an interesting fellow—quite smart and thoughtful—and I enjoyed sharing ideas with him at O’Connell’s Irish Pub after his gig. FireCat is back at his place tonight having some “guy time” and I am grateful for some time alone too to do some reading and just relax. FireCat’s sister Mary has a copy of Eckhart Tolle’s new book A New Earth so I’m glad to have a chance to read some of that after hearing The Power of Now on cassette.

On our way here from Nashville we spent one night in Paducah, KY. We thought it was going to be a little dink town but we actually liked it quite a bit. We had a really nice dinner and walked around the square—I was disappointed the local theatre company’s performance of “Tuesdays with Morrie” doesn’t start until April. I enjoyed that book a lot. The town center reminds me a lot of Old Town in Eureka, CA where I grew up. I put some photos on the right.

Paducah is a riverfront town and it was amazing to see the river. We luckily were here after all the flooding in the mid-west but the river is so high that the ramps down to it just led right into the river. A waitress told us that normally the river’s edge is a block away from where it is now. This is the first place we have been “rousted” by the local police for sleeping in the van, but they were very nice and directed us to a city parking lot nearby. I told FireCat it had to happen at least once because it makes such a much better story. ;)

Atlanta - 3/21 - 3/23

Atlanta was one of the highlights of our trip. We arrived Friday evening just in time to attend a jazz concert at the museum (see left) during the only exhibition of art from the Louvre that’s been outside Paris in years . Another section of the museum was highlighting paintings by Georgia O'Keefe, whose work I have enjoyed for a long time. FireCat finds out about the most interesting things using Google.

Saturday afternoon we visited a pub/restaurant that FireCat's friend Riggs had referred us to. It's called Six Feet Under because it's located on the site of a former cemetery. The food was great and we even met a young waiter there from Templeton near where we live, who was sporting a huge Tomahawk haircut. We asked our waiter for a recommendation on nightclubs and he said his favorite was just down the street, so we wandered down after dinner to check it out. (See photos at right.)

Whew, did we ever luck out! It turns out that once a year there's a benefit concert in memory of Frank Edwards. Frank was a great blues musician from the area who lived to be 95 years old. In his remaining years he supported and encouraged many other blues musicians. Now every year they have a concert benefitting his family and just paying him tribute. Blues bands come from all over the south just to play for half an hour each, and none of them get paid.

The music was great and it was a real treat to hear such a mix of different types of blues. The photo at top right is of Danny Dudeck, a great guitarist and one of the guys with his photo on the wall. We were sorry we couldn’t stay for the Easter concert the next afternoon and evening that was to be completely dedicated to gospel music. We did get to hear Essie Mae and her band perform Saturday night though. She seems to have been a legend “in these parts” since she was a young woman.

3/23/08 – Palm Bay to Nashville

Do you like Firecat's new "Road Trip" beer glass? He couldn't resist taking that one with us. We’ve been on the move quite a bit lately. After leaving Palm Bay on Wednesday we drove up to Jacksonville, FL and stayed in the van next to a huge lake and city park, where we played some catch with the baseball. When we arrived we thought it was the ocean because the waves were so huge and choppy, but the next morning it was as flat as a mirror and we realized that the windy rainstorm we heard in the night must have been causing the high waves the evening before.

Thursday we proceeded to Hilton Head where we stayed at the Hilton on the beach. That is a very lovely town, beautifully manicured but almost a little too perfect. We met an interesting older gentleman at the pub that night, another Libra who reminded me of my dad. He is a retired business lawyer and he and his French wife are living in China as teachers where he is trying to give them some pointers on how to create a legal system (Are they SURE they want one like ours? LOL), so we were able to get some on-the-ground views of conditions and culture there. He confirmed that the air quality is terrible, most Chinese wear masks in the major cities, and he thinks it will be a real challenge for them to pull off the Olympics.

The markets were closed Friday so we were able to sleep in, dip our fingers in the Atlantic for the first time, and finally get a bit of a beach walk, which is one of the things I miss most about home. Then we drove to Atlanta where we stayed for a couple of nights, which was one of the highlights of our trip. I will tell you the story of Atlanta tomorrow, but we just arrived in Nashville and have to get to the Bluebird Café for Sunday Night Spotlights of emerging bands and songwriters and the Writers’ Night that follows.

Rain and snow are forecast for here tomorrow and it’s crisp right now, so I guess it’s time to put away my tank tops and get out the sweaters and gloves. I hope you all had a lovely Easter today, and in this season of rebirth that you will emerge from your winters, sweep away any dead leaves, and move on from here fresh, new, being the person you want, beginning the life of your dreams.

3/18/08 - Saturday escapades and more

We are sitting in an Applebee's drinking 2for1 margaritas in Palm Bay, FL tonight. We drove up from Ft. Lauderdale after market today so I haven't seen the beach yet (It was dark when we arrived), but there are sure a lot of college students in the inn and restaurants because of spring break. Let's hope we get some sleep tonight.

Sunday was our last day in Summerland Key and I went to the beach with Genie and her twin 8-year old boys. It was beautiful and a nice way to say goodbye and recover from the night before (more on that below). I still have never been to the Carribbean because FireCat is not a cruising kind of guy, so I will need to return on my own for that someday I suppose. But the Keys are as close as I have been and it was a wonderful experience to be there. Luckily, they invited us back and like to have company so I hope it won't be my last time there. I have one of our beautiful water photos with the egret and mangrove trees as my screensaver now and it gives me good feelings just turning on my computer.

OK, I promised to tell about our Saturday night experience...I went to my first drag show. Our host's daughter who is smart and beautiful (a university student in Miami who was also a beauty pageant queen from the Keys)...is also very social and knows most of the business owners in Key West. Sunday was her 23rd birthday so the "dancers" at the club invited her to perform with them Saturday night as a birthday present. She is the only true female who has ever been allowed on stage. She fit right in, however, and I'm sure made the straight-but-curious male tourists very happy they were there. ;)

The thing that puzzles me is--why, if these guys are gay, do they want to look at guys who are trying to look like women? I would think that guys who look like guys would be more appealing. I'll have to ask some of my friends about that.

Well, I hear it's flooding in the mid-west and freezing in my neighborhood in California so I'm glad I'm here at the moment. Hopefully, Spring will have sprung and the roads dried up by the time we leave Atlanta.

3/14/2008 - Sunset in the Keys

Tonight FireCat and I took the paddle boat out to see the sunset. We paddled down the canal that runs behind the house here, then out into the channels and bay that connect to the Carribbean. It was calm and beautiful as we watched the local egret pose for us, listened to the flying fish jump and plop in the water, and saw the stars come out. It really doesn't get much better than this!

We’ll probably head out towards St. Louis on Monday but this is a hard place to leave. We want to drive up the coast of Florida, visit Hilton Head, and spend a few days in Atlanta. Then we'll go through Nashville so FireCat can check out the music scene before landing at his sister's house in St. Louis.

I am in the middle of dealing with my corporate tax return that's due Monday, so the mundate and frustrating still exist alongside the glorious adventure. FireCat's friend here (our host) says we don't have a life because we sit in front of our computers all day. LOL

3/11/08 - New Mood

OK, done with that mood now. ;)

Here's FireCat, trading in paradise. ;) The market has been pretty intense lately, but Sunday we went into Key West and browsed the shops, watched the street performers at the daily sunset celebration, enjoyed happy hour margaritas and chicken wings at Kelly's, then returned later for the most delicious key lime pie I've ever had and met the chef. We'll likely go back later in the week.

Last night FireCat BBQed fish for the gang here and we had a chance to meet Joe's daughter DeeDee, who's home from college in Miami for spring break. She's a beauty--smart too--and according to her dad she knows everyone in Key West, so she's going to take us in later this week for some clubbing. She's majoring in history, political science and chemistry so it was interesting talking to her the last couple of days.

FireCat is finding time to play his guitar and work on some new songs and that is always a special treat. I think the feel of this place is conducive to it. We shared some of his business ideas with our hostess Jeanie tonight who understands technology and is an accomplished business woman herself. FireCat is threatening to start coding again...maybe he's getting bored with trading now that he's doing so well at it. ;)

3/8/08 – Florida Keys

I am in a place I have never been, and I have never been in any place even like this. It is beautiful. The houses sit on stilts, with garages underneath—garages for cars, but also for boats and airplanes. There is no grass in these backyards, only cement patios and swimming pools that border canals. The backyard neighbors’ houses are separated not by fences, but by these canals, like a road between houses, into which they can lower their boats and make their way into the larger waters.

The house I am in has three stories. We are staying in the guest quarters on the lower floor. The main living area is above us and there is a master bedroom suite above that. Finally, a stairway leads to a trapdoor in the ceiling that takes you to a fourth-story square captain’s watch or widow’s walk from which you can view water in every direction 360 degrees. Today the color is where they get the definition of seafoam green; it’s absolutely gorgeous.

We had rain last night, lightning and thunder…feels like my life the past few days. Today it is windy, which somehow revives my soul. Hope arrives out of my hopelessness as I look at the beauty and know, somehow I can’t explain, that it is important I exist. We are to be here for about a week—a gift perhaps as a place to heal, to retreat, to have invisibility feel good instead of painful.

Perhaps I will find some keys here in the Keys…insights into my future work, lifestyle, the desires of my heart, the person I am and want to become. Even on this long journey I have been too busy. Perhaps now I am being slowed down on purpose to experience and appreciate the beauty around me, to reflect, and to make space for awareness to arise.

3/4/08 – On the road again

We left Sarasota this afternoon after market close—whew what an up and down day in the market…I should say down and up! It was such a pleasant stay at FireCat’s sister’s house. Her home is decorated in a Zen motif, even the dogs are calm! I really enjoyed her and her husband and wish we were able to see them more often. She is a nurse who works in a Hospice care facility and she has the right heart to be the perfect person to be there. What a great way to get perspective on life and a glimpse into a person’s real essence, being with them in their last days on earth.

FireCat and I enjoyed a wonderful barefoot walk on the beach Sunday, then some browsing in the shops at St. Armand’s Circle and delicious oysters Rockefeller hor d’oeurves on the upstairs balcony at Hemingway’s Retreat.

Yesterday I finally found time to get a pedicure…the toes were looking pretty raunchy since I hadn’t had one since I left home. Going to the beach and looking at my own bare feet was frightening! I love those massaging chairs and the pedicurist gave me a long, wonderful foot massage so I guess I am ready to head out on another adventure now. ;)

We have just a short trek today to Naples, FL, another upscale coastal town, and then we drive through the everglades on Wednesday, which I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. My hike might need to wait until we’re on our way back though since we need to pick up our host at the airport in Miami and drive her home to Key West. That’s about a three-hour drive so it will be a good chance to get acquainted with her.

But here we are now, driving along looking at beautiful bodies of water amidst lush greenery, a few raindrops falling on the windshield, watching a lovely sunset approaching and listening to an eclectic mix of music FireCat put together to satisfy us both (a nice range from opera to musicals to Bruce Cockburn, Imogen Heap, Motley Crue, Stephen Stills and a smidgeon of country, even a Christmas carol), which he somehow pipes into the sound system in the van through his computer.

And every once in a while I ask him to turn it down so I can read to him the financial news…since he’s done such a great job rigging the van with AC power and a cellular modem that gives me internet access while we drive. Today we are discussing the fall of the dollar, the importance of getting into some gold in one form or another, and the fact that this month marks the peak in ARMs that are re-setting…and guessing about the best timing for initiating my own refi before my ARM matures in September.

Yep, there’s not too much we can’t do on the road. We won’t be home for another month or two and we’re already talking about our next trip. The one thing we miss is getting to share in some of the life events of our friends and families. My brother-by-choice Doug turned 60 last week and we missed the big party, but hey—it just gives us a good excuse to celebrate again when we are home!

2/28/2008 - Sarasota, Florida

Here we are in Sarasota, FL visiting FireCat's sister and her husband. Our first night here they invited the son and grandchildren over to join us for a "Florida boil." This, I learned, is very much like the crawfish boil my new inlaws hosted when my New Orleans-based daughter got married...they just use shrimp instead of crawfish and add corn, potatoes and other veggies. It was wonderful!

FireCat and I like being able to sleep in now that we're in the eastern time zone, but it doesn't leave much time at the end of the day when the market closes at 4:00 instead of 1:00pm. We have been managing to get out and see a few sights though.

We went to the Ringling Brothers art museum the other day. It was pretty amazing. I especially liked the house, where the back porch is a marble patio that leads to steps into Sarasota Bay. I guess they could take their pick of stepping into a boat or diving directly into the water. I've always wanted a place right on the beach but never envisioned anything quite that close!

Last night we went to a wonderful piano bar/restaurant overlooking the water. The sunset we hoped for was a bit cloudy but the appetizers were to die for! We had flatbread/lavosh "things" served on cutting boards that we could pass around and share--such as baked brie and raspberry sauce with pine nuts, portabello mushrooms, and tenderloin steak with accoutrements...I had to try several because there were so many I'd never seen anywhere else before...but of course we couldn't pass up the raw ahi either. FireCat is always so generous in hosting us, and it's been a real pleasure getting to know his sister better.

I've enjoyed taking walks before market or after, and this morning I discovered Panera Bread (and almost missed market open!) Wow! I'd read about their stock but never been in one before. There are definitely some advantages to living in a city. Tomorrow night we're going to try a stroll about town, which looks lovely the times we have driven through. There's a huge used bookstore that I can't wait to explore. It's nice to be somewhat settled for a week; we'll be here until Monday or Tuesday, then off to Naples, the Everglades, and on to visit FireCat's friend in Key West. Let us know how you're doing--we love hearing from the folks back home too!

2/22/2008 - Mmmm

Mmmm, fried green tomatoes (wonderful movie but I never ate them before), seafood gumbo, fresh lime daquiris, a pound of peel-your-own shrimp right out of the bay, key lime pie and bread pudding, all mixed up with a great live country band...this must be the gulf coast of Alabama. We just had to stop, found Lulu's, and fell in love. We might have to come here again some day just so we can eat here again.

It's interesting driving along the gulf coast. The beaches are nice but narrow and quite wet right now since it's been raining hard for a few days. In some ways it looks like any other coastal town. But as you drive you begin to notice that there are a lot of run down or abandoned businesses and homes. Then you notice all the homes being built or remodeled on stilts. And then you remember that these are the towns hit broadside by hurricane Katrina--the ones you didn't see on the nightly news because of the focus on New Orleans.

It gives me some clue as to just how great the devastation was when there is still so much to do after two and a half years. I wonder about the difficulty in making a choice between rebuilding your home to withstand water (hense the stilts) vs wind (I can't imagine a house on stilts would hold up too well in high winds). The Starbucks in Biloxi where we worked this morning is still suggesting that people donate a cup of coffee for relief workers. Perhaps the news crews have gone home and hence much of the country has forgotten, but people here still live every day in the presence of Katrina.

We are in Florida tonight and our drive tomorrow will take us through the panhandle, a first for me. My daughter called from California today and I spoke with my dad in Eureka this afternoon--a little touch-base with family and home. I'm looking forward to a good long shower and a movie with FireCat tonight. Life is good.

2/21/2008 - Moving on

I know I've been remiss in my posting--having too good a time with the three grandchildren I guess. My visit was a wonderful combination of helping my daughter with the housework, playing and creating relationships with my two granddaughters (three years old and almost two), deep discussions with my daughter and son-in-law in the evenings, and of course continuing to trade until mid-afternoon. The only things I missed out on were sleep and exercise! LOL

It is difficult to leave them all and makes it even harder to live so far away that I only get to see them about once a year. I hope I can make it more frequent in the future. I feel really lucky to have a son-in-law with whom I feel so comfortable and who seems to not mind me being around. Not too many people can stand a visitor for two weeks!

Firecat and I had a couple nice days in the French Quarter and today we drove to a Nature Conservancy Swamp near Slidell. It's been raining and it's humid so it was the perfect setting...but the boardwalk was way to short to suit me--I needed a longer walk!

Then we drove to Biloxi and I got to play craps at the Beau Rivage. I didn't win this time though. Tonight we parked in a lovely park and had a picnic dinner in the van with classical guitar wafting from Firecat's music setup. The trees are making that wonderful dripping sound overhead as I write. We agreed we are having quite an enjoyable adventure and making some wonderful memories. I need to wrap this up quickly however since my battery is low. We head for Alabama tomorrow after market, then Firecat's sister's in Florida by Sunday. I'll add some photos when we get them downloaded.

2/19/2008 - Snoop

Firecat called me from Dallas last week to say he was about to buy tickets to see Snoop Dogg at the New Orleans House of Blues. Sure, I said, that will be an experience I've never had! So he picked me up at the daughter's house Monday night, I said goodbye to the grandkids, and we headed for the French Quarter for a couple nights.

We checked into the hotel for a nap (nice to see you again after two weeks, Firecat!), scoped out a trading spot for Tuesday and had dinner, then enjoyed the best bread pudding in New Orleans at Oliviers across from House of Blues, and watched until the line started moving.

The doors opened at 8:30 but it was nearly 9:00 before we got into the venue--standing room only. We found a great perch on the second floor balcony overlooking the stage, and waited for the show to begin at 9:30.

So, what are two mid-fifties white folks doing at a Snoop Doggie Dogg concert, you might ask? Well, we wondered that ourselves. We agreed that we were going for the experience, the feel of the crowd, and a chance to see the venue in that particular spot. So we listened to some very bland impromtu rap from what appeared to be Snoop Dogg's stage hands, and we waited for the show.

We looked over the crowd, we immersed ourselves in the experience, we soaked up the atmosphere of the New Orleans House of Blues...but we couldn't take any photos because they don't allow any cameras. So we waited for the show to begin.

We watched at 10:45 and got excited as they whipped up the crowd time after time, telling us to cheer louder so that Snoop Dogg would think we were ready for him to come out. We stiffled yawns as the rapper said he'd be the first to know the Dogg was coming because he'd get a phone call. Finally at 11:30 we looked at one another and realized we had experienced the crowd, the venue and the "feel." We could even write in our blog about going to a Snoop Dogg concert. The only thing we hadn't done is heard the Dogg rap...and neither of us really came for that anyway.

So we left, FireCat scalped our tickets on the way out and made a little profit for the evening, and we got to sleep in time to trade the next morning. I still don't know if he ever showed up. I guess we really are a couple of fifty-something white folks.

2/12/08 - Back to the Future

I had a scare with a nasty flu bug yesterday--muscle aches, splitting headache, scratchy eyes. I feared it might be the horrible flu my other daughter and her family caught when they were here over the holidays. So I pulled out all the tricks in my "doctor" bag to see if I could stop it in its tracks--echinacea, LOTS of roasted garlic spread on sourdough bread, zinc lozenges, grape juice and a cayenne pepper pill, followed by about 12 hours of sleep. Now I'm fine. Don't ask me which ones worked but I'm thankful something did!

This made me realize a similarity with my daughter. It's been an interesting week talking with her and her husband about their plans for their future. They are a fairly conservative Christian family who plan to home school and are looking for land in the country. They are moving in a couple of months into a mobile home on a friend's land so they can save up the money to buy several acres of their own. We have been mobile home shopping while I am here.

Their plan is to live as independently as possible. My daughter has been teaching herself to sew (I never could), use home remedies (like using her breast milk as a treatment for her older children's eye conjunctivitis), and other such things. She just bought a book on how to live without electricity. I told her that in my generation the people who tried to live like she wants to live were liberal hippies, and my dad used to say, "...but you don't hear them willing to give up electricity."

So she says "I guess that's what makes us different from the liberals." Firecat says about stock prices: "The future is the past with offsets." So I guess that could be said about the generations too, eh? ;)

Speaking of Firecat, he has been keeping himself busy after the trading day with his other love, music. Don't miss the photo at right of his mini-studio set up during his week at Charles' house.

2/6/08 - New Orleans; being Granny

Well, I learned something new about Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Every other night of the year Bourbon Street parties on all night, but on Mardi Gras night the horse police ride shoulder to shoulder (rump to rump??) through Bourbon Street forcing everyone to quit partying at midnight. I figure it must have something to do with Lent starting the next day but having never been Catholic it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I am here (in Metairie, a suburb of N'awlins) visiting my oldest daughter, her husband and three children (the youngest, their first boy, having just arrived on the scene Dec. 28). Now I know for sure why God created menopause. Whew, am I ever worn out!

My son-in-law works in technology so their house is wired well and it's a great place to trade, which keeps me busy until 3:00, then there's laundry, shopping, dinner prep, dishes, and of course story-reading, diaper-changing, etc. mixed in throughout the day. At least I don't have to help breast-feed the baby. ;)

I only had two and I was young then, but that was plenty for me. This is my oldest daughter who I always thought would be the career woman because she was so studious and intellectual in high school and college, but instead she wants eight (!) children and plans to home school them all. I don't know how she handles it all so well--she stays so calm and I feel like a train wreck by the time the kids are in bed. Of course they're all adorable but I won't start with that; I am the proud Granny after all. The hardest part actually is forming relationships with them and then having to leave and not see them again for so long.

No news to report other than that. Firecat is still enjoying himself with Charles near Austin while I'm here slaving away with the toddlers. (Now you know why he didn't come with me, ha ha!)

2/3/08 - Austin, TX

We checked in Friday night at a quaint timeshare west of Austin at Lake Travis—very cute and reminiscient of my childhood in the 1950s. Firecat and I keep having these nice memories come up, triggered by the feel of the location, that we have been sharing about what life was like for us as kids. We had a nice walk around part of the lake Saturday afternoon, then went into Austin for the music scene on Sixth Street last night. It turned out to be mardi gras night in Austin and they blocked off Sixth Street.

We did sort of a progressive dinner, sampling different foods and drinks at some of the different estabishments. We had a wonderful corned beef and cabbage at B. D. Riley’s Irish Pub and after exploring the street, including giant Mexican margaritas at Iron Cactus, we returned there just in time to catch the concert by Al Haynes. Wow! Even Firecat was impressed with his chops. The only bad part for me when the music is so good is that Firecat wants to listen to it and watch the guitarist instead of dancing with me, but they sure played some great dancing blues. I’d love to see the SLO Blues Society get them some time. It was a very fun night, and we finally turned homeward about 1:15am.

You can check out Al Haynes and the bass player Appa Peters at:

http://alan-haynes.com/

http://www.geocities.com/appasbluespower/

I’m flying as I write to New Orleans—my first trip on ExpressJet and I’m impressed with them—efficient, on time, friendly (of course, it’s Texas), comfy and roomy seats, direct flights and inexpensive. Firecat will have a couple weeks break from me now. ;) He will be continuing the trading training with our friend and trading partner Charles for the rest of this week at the timeshare near Austin, returning to Charles' home near Dallas, then meandering south to explore San Antonio and Houston on his way to meet me in New Orleans. He has the camera so I’m not sure I’ll have pics to post for awhile.

I’m not sure if my daughter’s family has plans for the Super Bowl—I don’t think they have television so I’m not sure I’ll get to see it—but I hope y’all have a great time watching it…and let me know what your favorite commercials are. ;O

1/31/08 - Trading Week

Charles is with us this week and Firecat is providing training in advanced trading techniques. I think we're getting better, but Firecat is still buying dinner (whoever makes the most money each day gets to pay for dinner). ;)

This photo is the view from the tower where we have been trading every day. It overlooks a huge lake and marina from eight floors up. Tough life, eh? The only thing is that it's been really windy here and the whole tower sways. It's either very fun or very unnerving depending on your point of view--feels a bit like the time I was in a 6.8 earthquake on a high floor of the Holiday Inn in Van Nuys in 1976.

Tomorrow we leave here and head down to a resort near Austin where I'll have a chance to sample some of the famous Austin night life on Saturday before flying on Sunday to my daughter's house in New Orleans. I'm looking forward to meeting my new grandson and seeing the rest of her family too. Firecat and Charles will stay here in Texas for a couple weeks and then Firecat will drive out to pick me up in 'Nawlins and we'll head for Florida.

The trip is going great so far--a nice mix of activities, accommodations, experiences and company. I even got to the gym for a workout a couple times this week. It's late tonight now though so I'm going to "pack it in" but more later. Good night, y'all!