Summer Fun!

Here’s a picture of my new used motorhome and camp near the Kenai River outside Kenai, AK.  This is where I hang my hat between fishing/motorcycle trips.  It’s a comfy little home.  I bought this the end of May and Robin and I spent a few nights in it early June and then she came back in Mid July for a wedding and flew right into Kenai so we could stay here and fish for red’s together.

And here she is, look at that smile!

Robin Cleaning her Red Salmon!

2012 Electra Glide Classic Trip!

First Ride from the store!

I fly to ND on 7/27/11 to pickup my new Harley and ride with Kevin to Sturgis.

Enchanted Highway

Kevin & I ride to the Enchanted Highway first and view the Metal Art along the 36 mile route.  Pretty cool.  Then on to Sturgis where Carol, Candace and Kyle met us for a couple of nights looking over the area and riding.  It’s great fun to be riding the highway’s with my Brother!  We had a great time and then off we go to Red Lodge, MT.  Spent a quiet night there and then on to Great Falls, MT where we met Jerome & Diane and  Scott & Teresa (Jerome’s sister).  Scott & Teresa offered to house us over night and the next day all of us left on Harley’s to Coeur’dAlene, Idaho where we spent the night with my great friend’s “John & Connie Colwell”!  We had a great meal and a great friendship after a wonderful day of riding.

The next day we left for Merlin’s house in Lakeside, MT where we stayed at his beautiful Lake house and met a large part of his family.  They so graciously put us up for the night and fed all of us too.  We had a wonderful time and I even fit in a boat ride with Merlin.  It was great to finally meet Merlin & his family and get to spend a little time with them.

So on to Glacier Nat. Park where we rode through the park on the Sea to Sky Highway.  It was very much under construction so the ride was slow with so much traffic and dust but the scenery was great.  After getting through the park we decide to ride back to Great Falls.  We got there late in the day again.  Then it’s on home.  We ride to Glendive one day and the last day a big day from there to Grand Forks about 550 miles.  Total trip turned out to be 3,100 miles and I put 3,400 miles on the bike in two weeks.  Whew!

Harley Adventure PSP to ANC SOLO Ride

OK, for starters, I only rode 1,700 miles from Palm Springs, CA to Bellingham, WA and then Whittier to Girdwood, AK by myself.  I did get on the AK State Ferry in Bellingham and rode the ferry from there to Whittier via, Ketchikan, Juneau and Yakutat.

There were several pluses on this trip.  First and foremost…. I got to be the leader. I led the ride, I picked the stops and stayed in the hotels I wanted and stayed everywhere as long as I wanted and did exactly what I wanted.  Dah, I was alone!!  SOLO!  Perfect.

I left PSP and rode to Bishop, CA where I spent the night.  Nice little town where I had spent at least one night before on a previous motorcycle trip.  The next day I met Robin and her friends in Bridgeport, CA where they were meeting to remember good friends who had been killed in an avalanche.  I spent the evening with Robin and enjoyed the gathering of friends and then left the next day on the rest of the voyage.

Leaving Bridgeport I headed to Susansville north of Reno and then straight West to Eureka, CA  and then up the Highway 101 to Aberdeen, WA.   Then I went east to Seattle and North to Bellingham.   What a great trip it was.  At one point I rode about 2 hours and finally went 68 miles.  It was all curves from Redding, CA to Eureka, CA on the coast.  What an awesome ride.  TONS of CURVES, just what a motorcycle loves … and so does the rider.  I felt like I was skiing.  That’s probably one of the things that led me to love to ride was the feeling that I was on skis again but now it had a different kind of power behind it….

Now into Oregon.  Raining, rainy, I wore my best investment, rain gear for the next 6 days.  Only 5 because I needed it for rain and the next for warmth.  It was great.  I also found wearing the leather pants verses the leather chaps easier because I had one thing less to carry and the rain pants fit over the leather pants just fine.

You know, I’ve heard the term “What A Trip”  but now I know what that actually means… at least for me.  It was absolutely awesome.  You’ve probably all seen the movie “Wild Hogs”!  Well, I’m riding down the Highway and even though I’m alone I feel like I was one of them just not getting in trouble.  I couldn’t believe that I’m about 2 weeks away from my 61st  birthday, and I’m a woman, and I’m riding my Harley down the Highway and having the time of my life ALONE.  and loving it.  AWESOME.  God blessed me!  Ya he did.

So somehow I got side tracked.  First I rode to Cousin Marilyn’s home in Seattle.  She was so gracious letting me park my Harley and my boot for a night.  But the best part was actually spending a night with my cousin Marilyn who I hadn’t spent very much time with previously.   What a pleasure it was to finally do so and get to know her.  Thanks so much Marilyn for your time.

Jan, you so very unexpected invited me to spend the night with you and am I ever glad I did.  You were one of the absolute highlights of my trip.  You have an awesome place in Seattle and I enjoyed visiting with you and the time I was able to spend with you.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart as they say.    So now, after spending two great days in Seattle, one with cousin Marilyn and one with friend Jan and Teddy, I was off.

My trip was so great.  The part I loved the most was riding up the Oregon coast, eating where I wanted, when I wanted and staying in the hotels I wanted.   I stayed 3 nights in hotels on the beach or within 50-150-500 yards of the beach on 3 different nights.  It was great.  I could hear the surf.   I had fireplaces in my room and window seats, used the jacuzzi, had a massage and did I spoil myself, oh yeah.

So I leave Seattle, spend the night in Bellingham and arrive at the ferry.  The good new is they stage us (Motorcycles) together for entrance onto the ferry.  We all have to sit and wait for boarding so, we all introduce ourselves around, find out where we are from and  start sharing stories.    Now we are about to embark on our 5 night trip to Whittier, Ak.   Good news is, we’ve already met before boarding, we meet again on ship and eat together, see movies together, depart cities, reboarded and generally just enjoy other motorcycle stories.  What an adventure but then all of us motorcyclist’s are stories waiting to happen.

When we arrive in Whittier, AK another adventure awaits us.  Now we get to ride our motorcycles through a dark 2.5 mile tunnel that has railroad tracks in it and you ride down the middle on a concrete path.  The speed limit is 25 mph and the motorcycles in front of me must have been scared or something because they were going 15 mph.  It was almost to slow to control the bike for that long of a time so it was quite challenging.  I talked to other rides ahead of me and they felt the same way.  Nerve racking.  What a trip!

AK 30 Day Kayaking

Group YAKIN

Wow!  Robin is the by far the most adventurous person in this family and she’s off and running.  She’s coming back to Alaska because she feels growing up here she didn’t see much of Alaska.  And is she ever right!!  Here she is born in the State of Alaska in 1981  with acres to roam, explore and live…

Robin met Emily who told her about this group last fall 2010 and was so intrigued that she followed up and decided to join the group.  She finds this group called Yakin and decides to go Kayaking with them for 30 day in the Prince William Sound from Valdez, AK to Whittier and the on to Seward, AK.  300 miles in 30 days.  She flies home after a month in Italy and France skiing and then quickly repacks.

Robin and I fly to Anchorage together 4/24 for the next adventure.  We meet at the airport in Seattle.  Robin shops REI, we pick up Curt at the airport, shop REI some more, load Kayaks on the car and off we go on our way to Valdez where they hook up with the group on the start of AK 30 Day Kayak Trip with Yakin.org.    Mom worried about this 30 day Kayak trip and her daughter on it so decided she better go up to Alaska and join in anyway that worked which was be a support person.

We drive to Valdez where Robin, Emily and I spend the night in a hotel and everyone is getting ready for this adventure to start.  The excitement is in the air!  After much preparation and a day early due to the excitement the group leaves on 4/30 instead of 5/1  in pouring rain and 48 degrees and their so excited they don’t even care.  Oh, boy, would I ever love to be in one of the kayaks with them but to camp and sleep outside…nah, rather have the motorhome! 

And they are off!

16 days later the plan is we will regroup in  Whittier, AK for a food resupply which I will bring assisted by the three new people that are joining the group at this midway point.  Well, I get sick and meet them but can’t stay because I’m so sick.  I give them their food  and then spend a few minutes with Robin while she pays her credit card bill with my phone and then off I go back to Alyeska to bed for 3 days sick, part of why I can’t do such an exciting trip like this.

Then on May 30 I again meet the group in Whittier as they finished.  All came back so excited with friendship ties that formed after 30 days spent with people they hadn’t met before and lasting friendships.  A successful trip with SpotAdventures leading us along and letting everyone know that all were safe and well.  What a wonderful adventure for 15 adventurers individuals that took more than a month out of their lives and jobs to make a lasting adventure in their lives happen!  You all are so very lucky!  I envy all of you.  AK 30 Day!!!!  Your Awesome!

Golfing Hawaii Style & Sister Trip

Bathed in the gentle heat and wonderful humidity I had forgotten how nice Hawaii can be.  I hadn’t been there since 2002.  Sister Carol and I flew to Kona, HI on 2/10/11 and stayed on the main floor of a large hotel right on the water.  We had a great view, a not so great room, but we decided our patio was worth it.  Carol got the maid to clean a little more and the maintenance man there so she was more comfortable.  She said the rooms were nothing like VEGAS!  She wanted her suite back. 

I golfed 5 days in an Alaska/Hawaiian golf tournament.  We played Kona Country Club, Ocean and Mountain, Makalie, and two days at Big Island Country Club.  I only knew about 5 golfers when I got there so I was able to meet lots of people!  So did Carol and all the people helped make our vacation one of my best!  I was lucky enough to win 1st place in the Team Event, two long drives and my partner and I made it through the 4th hole in the horse race before we got axed.  It was all great fun.  I was even awarded the Ladies 2nd place trophy (which I didn’t deserve) and they took back a day later.  It was nice to win a lot tho…

Carol was like a little kid.  I went golfing and she went shopping.  Every day I came home and she had all her treasures/purchases laid out on the bed.  She couldn’t wait for me to get home so I could see what she bought.  She even went to the beach one day without me and can you believe she forgot her swimsuit!

We did go to Hilo, the volcano, a lovely botanical garden, the Harley Davidson store, the beach and horseback riding/walking in the Waipio Valley and the before and after parties of the golf tournament.  We also danced in the neighboring bars and partied with Colin and the golfers as much as possible, and Carol shopped in almost every store there.

Ten days just flew by and then it was time to go home again.  Next time it will have to be longer as we didn’t even get to rent motorcycles!

Yep, they took it away but I still have the

picture! 

Moving AGAIN….

Since 1995 I have moved a lot.  We moved out of our 2nd home then after 16 years in the first house.  In 1999 I moved to Longmont, Colorado to be near Robin and James. In 2001 I bought the condo in Anchorage, sold the big 3600 sf house and moved again!  Then in the Spring of 2003 I bought a condo in Palm Springs, California and in the fall of 2003 moved out of the Colorado condo which was then sold.

So I did settle for a few years but then….. 3 homes became too much and too little time was spent at each of then.  Lots of maintenance and as I get older not as much fun to do…not as much fun to clean 3 and time to DOWNSIZE!  So… hence the decision to finally put the condo with a realtor (so I wouldn’t back out) and so I did.  She sold the condo at precisely the correct time as I had just left for the winter and at a very good price.

So now I have to DOWNSIZE from 2000 SF to 1600 SF that is already furnished, my ski cabin at Girdwood, Alaska.  Oh me, oh my!  What to do, what to do!

So four days after I return from Las Vegas I again get on the plane and fly home as I have about 3 weeks to move and know I need every day of that.  A week later I fly Carol to Anchorage on mileage to help and what an UNDERSTATEMENT that is!

We made trip after trip to Alyeska with stuff going both ways, packing, unpacking as we went and wearing ourselves out each day.  My computer on order didn’t arrive so Carol brought her’s so I could put ads on Craigslist for the furniture.  We borrow my friend’s car and trailer and we both drove a vehicle and made about 2-3 trips this way.  We rented a van one day and moved even more.  My car drove back and forth so many times I could just put it on auto.

Can you believe the weather even cooperated with us!  We did this from 10/8-10/25 and we didn’t have any ICE, RAIN, or SNOW!!!!  It was very chilly though.

All the previous moves were fun, exciting, closure, and now this.  It was by far the most emotional of all.  First, the ski cabin transformed from a great ski cabin to my home.  It has taken on an entirely different appearance.  The three bedrooms became one and two rooms nicely decorated with furniture…that I couldn’t part with.  Am I really a HOARDER???  So if I have company I have a blow up queen size mattress that will still fit in either bedroom but real beds just take up to much room in such a little place.  Really bottom line, it is now a beautiful cozy home with wonderful warm fuzzy memories of years gone by where the fire was warm, hot choc. was plentiful as were laughing children.  Ah, to have it all back again….

So the final days near and it’s down to the stuff that didn’t sell.  That was the worst, giving such usable great furniture to the Salvation Army.  I actually broke down and cried when things left that Jim and I had lived with for so many years.  Another chapter slammed shut….  When will this ever end?

So the house is empty, Carol gets on the plane, closing goes great, Alyeska is all unpacked, pictures hung, car put away and I flew back to Palm Springs on 11/2.   Another job done.

And how can I ever thank Carol for all her help.  Stay tuned and see…..

GONE GONE GONE

GONE GONE GONE

GONE GONE GONE

Turkey Time…

So it’s Thanksgiving and I’m blessed to have Kevin come and then Robin decides to come back from Mexico early so she’s here too.  They overlap a day so I am delighted to have company for two weeks and they are both here for Thanksgiving.

The day before Thanksgiving the piano arrives from Anchorage and is delivered, uncrated and placed in the living room.  Great to have it here.  Kevin just can’t wait to tickle the ivories!  We spend the afternoon and evening taking turns playing, playing chopsticks, etc.  Then Robin arrives and on Thanksgiving the three of us do the same.  What fun we have and how much music adds to your life.

Making Merry in the Desert.

So now it’s on to Christmas and I’m tired of traveling.  Can you believe that.  Well, I’m going to be alone for the second time in 60 years.  The first time was my 12/74, my first month in Alaska where I knew no one.  So, how not to get depressed.  Ya right.  Easier said than done when everyone around you is with family or spouse and I have no one.

So what to do.  Well I am lucky/unlucky sometimes.  This time it was pretty lucky I didn’t decide to travel as I wouldn’t have been able to.  On 12/24 I woke at 1:00 a.m. with sharp stabbing pains and another bout of diverticulitis!  Bummer.  Well, between the pain, pain pills and sleep the next 2 days go by almost in a blur.  I can’t stay awake and don’t want to move as the pain gets pretty bad so I missed this Christmas which was fine as I decided before the easiest way for me to get through this year was to pretend it never happened.  And on the positive side, just think of all the weight I didn’t gain eating all the Christmas fixin’s.  I hope never to spend another Christmas like this one!

And now it’s on to New Years and 2011.  Can’t wait.

Traditional Japanese Wedding

Mr. & Mrs. James McElroy, Jr.

9/19/10  What a beautiful wedding James & Keiko had.  It was a very interesting experience.  Robin and I arrived a few days earlier than Uncle Kevin and stayed a few days longer than him.  This was a rather small wedding with approximately 40 guests, 20 for each side of the family.  Kevin, Robin and I stayed at James’ apartment with him.  Many other’s came from the good old USA to witness this union.  It was great to see some of James’ great friends make the trip (some of whom had just been there).  Darren, Becky, Chris & Kelly, Cory and John all came from varying places.

The day before the wedding we (Kevin, Robin & I) were invited to lunch with James & Keiko to join and meet Keiko’s family.  We went to a traditional Japanese restaurant (of course) where we had to sit on the floor (no, we couldn’t put our legs down) either on our legs or straight out in front.  No much fun for me or Kevin but the rest found it pretty natural.  To make it easier, Kevin & I just drank lots of Saki.  It was a great meal but meeting the relatives was even more fun.  It was started off by a quick introduction around the table of who everyone was.  Then we took turns saying again who we were and it was translated by the young adults into either English or Japanese as neither of Keiko’s parents speak English and Kevin, Robin & I spoke no Japanese.  The meal was beautifully served and extended into several hours.

We spend the morning of the wedding getting dressed (for the women it was kimono’s) and most of the men suits or

Dressing UP!

kimono’s.  The women getting dressed quickly became a party as we were all dressed by Japanese women most of whom spoke no English or very little.  Becky, Robin, Keiko and myself were all dressed in the same room and then had our hair done.  Afterwards it was a lot of pictures and waiting until we were taken by buses to the wedding ceremony site.

The wedding was a very interesting ceremony at a Shinto Temple I believe.  Each family was seated on the sides and the couple were in the middle.  It was very difficult to see them as they were even with where we were sitting but we could hear very well and understand very little.  The good news was that before the ceremony started while the guests gathered, we were told in great detail what would be happening and what was expected of each of us during the ceremony.  Once we left this gathering room until after the ceremony we were not to take pictures but sightseers watching us proceed from the gathering room to the Temple took lots of pictures.

James & Keiko are pronounced Man & Wife and we moved on to an area where we are to watch a Japanese ceremony.  From there we proceeded to congratulate the newly weds and then moved on to a great bunch of Japanese Lanterns were hung for more pictures.  Boy these Japanese love to take pictures.  Just as a bystander, I felt like a movie star or something! 

Now we are back on the buses to the reception.  It was a great reception.  The tables were set very pretty, there was Saki on each table and the meal was served in several courses throughout the afternoon.  The couple changed clothes midway through the reception changing into more “Western Wedding Attire” from the traditional attire.  The change was dramatic to say the least.  We were entertained by Keiko’s Sister playing Flute and her Uncle singing karaoke but the best was when James played guitar and sang for his new Bride.  There were many speakers giving speeches about the couple but as I had read up on the customs at Japanese Weddings I didn’t want to not have a speech in case I was asked.  Therefore I wrote my speech ahead of time before even going to the wedding.  Well, I wasn’t asked to give one but now I wanted to… since I had already written it.  They were finally able to fit me in with a lot of persuasion and I would have loved to have had a camera on James’ face the entire time as his worried look of horror on  his face, “Was his Mom going to embarrass him?”  I got through it (mind you, I’m not used to giving speeches either) and I don’t believe James passed out nor did I.  Reception is now over and then on to the receiving line and thank you’s that were on the way out.

Leaving the hotel after we changed out of our kimono’s into our normal garb a few of us were invited onto another reception.  It was very interesting as we had to pay to go, were served a little food and drink, listened to music and watched a video of James & Keiko that they had made and we played BINGO!  Guess this is really the thing to do at these later receptions.

Beautiful Radiant Couple!

What a day, Kevin and I were both very glad to get home and Robin seemed to be ready to.  A few more days of sightseeing and home again….

Me, Kevin & Robin

Las Vegas AGAIN!

So four days after returning from Japan (I had to rest up, wash clothes & repack) I drove up to Las Vegas on Sunday for 8 nights and met Sister Carol at the airport there on Monday when she joined me.  I had been comped hotels and Cousin’s JoAnn & Charles had taught me well and so I booked two hotels for the same 2 days as I had to stay at the hotel where the tournament was that I was invited to play in.  So, I start out at Bellagio’s.  Wow, I’d never stayed there before, let alone free!  Carol gets in the next day and unfortunately I have to take her to the “NEW” ARIA hotel that had only been open a short time.  As her luck would have it, it was a beautiful room that she totally enjoyed!  After two nights there I had to check into the Venetian Hotel so I made Carol check out of her hotel a day early so we would stay closer to each other.  Oh was she bummed out until…. she saw the suite we had at the Venetian!  She was almost like a little kid!  Glad I got to share the fun with her.  We only got to stay here for two nights and then off we went for our last 3 nights at New York New York.  This was by far the worst room we had – - but then beggars can’t be choosers!

Anyway, we shopped lots of Harley Davidson stores, went to Las Vegas Bike Week without our Harley’s, drove the strip with the top down, ate at great restaurants, went to the Freemont Street Experience, played in a Slot Tournament and generally had a great time.  Amazing how 8 days flew by.

Good thing I was so generous with inviting my Sis to join me.  She surprised me by volunteering to fly to Alaska and help me move out of my condo that I had lived in about 9 years.  While I was in Japan I sealed the deal and sold the condo for a great price which I thought had fallen through before leaving for Japan.  What fortune I had in Vegas!

Meeting Keiko

Keiko, my new Daughter-in-law!

While Robin had met Keiko on her visit to Japan in October 2009, I hadn’t met her.  We were met at the airport by Keiko when we arrived in Japan.  The airport is an hour drive so I was glad we had a little time to get to know Keiko before the wedding and before all the guests arrived.

Keiko grew up in Japan, lives at home, has one younger Brother and one older Sister.  She is 32 years old.  She taught herself English by getting up at 5:30 each morning to listen to American radio stations.  Since she didn’t want to do this alone she also got her siblings up to do the same so they all learned English and then they practiced on each other.

From what little I gathered, Keiko went to a Japanese University and got her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Japanese literature and history?, degree’s that are pretty much useless to a Japanese woman in Japan.  She works in an Appliance distributorship and has for several years.

Keiko visited the United States when she was a young adult and attended a wedding in New York I believe and spent Christmas there.  She enjoyed visiting the US.

Keiko met all the US wedding guests at the airport and helped drive most of them back.  It was great to be warmly welcomed and shown the way around Japan by her.  I am delighted to introduce my intelligent, beautiful new daughter-in-law, Keiko!