Any Trips On Your Schedule?

[Trailblazer]

That actually sounds like a lot of fun.

You're talking me into it. I have a few good friends I met on forums... They live in the Midwest, and I would like to meet them in person.

 

[ChristineM]

I never go anywhere alone, not even to the grocery store. We are locked at the hip even though we do not always get along that well.

But you are right about the cats and my husband would be happy to stay home and take care of the cats. He could not care less what I do or where I go as long as I don't bother him.... Heck, once many years ago an old boyfriend of mine asked me to go camping and my husband did not even care if I went alone with him..

Lol, my hubby is sort of similar. He once sent me to look after a friend after his GF died, hit him really hard so i became surrogate wife for a few weeks while i dragged him back to the real world. I look at it that it takes real trust to do that.

 

[Trailblazer]

Don't i know it, the value of our house has dropped like a stone but i don't really care, where else could we find a 5 bedroom stone built house thats older than some countries and with the most fantastic 360 degree forest views that we can afford?

God I'm jealous.

We have so much money that we could afford any house I wanted, but my husband is such a wet blanket.
I dream of Australia and New Zealand but their property values have not dropped as much as in some countries in Europe... I would like Europe or South America except for the language barrier.

 

[Quagmire]

I'm actually supposed to be on a plane headed from Chicago to Santa Barbara, California right this very minute.

Yesterday morning I read a headline saying that Santa Barbara county has the highest rate of covid-19 infection in California, which if I'm not mistaken has the highest rate of infection of any state at the moment.

So I decided not to get on the plane. Looks like I'll be in Chicago for another couple weeks, maybe a month.

 

[Trailblazer]

Lol, my hubby is sort of similar. He once sent me to look after a friend after his GF died, hit him really hard so i became surrogate wife for a few weeks while i dragged him back to the real world. I look at it that it takes real trust to do that.

I guess it does take trust. This ex-boyfriend of mine also asked me to go hot-tubbing with him, and I knew what he had on his mind. That was never going to happen, and the worst part is that he had been married to the same woman for about 25 years when he asked me. I kind of lost respect for him after that. And to top it off, he was the son of a Methodist minister, shame, shame.

 

[ChristineM]

Be quiet, You.
My first really great boss (tavern owner) was from France. God, he liked his wine. He had enthusiasm for life.

There is a lot of it about. The wine merchant at our sunday market usually has a crowd of between 20 and 30 merrily supping frenchies outside his stall.

 

[Trailblazer]

I'm actually supposed to be on a plane headed from Chicago to Santa Barbara, California right this very minute.

Yesterday morning I read a headline saying that Santa Barbara county has the highest rate of covid-19 infection in California, which if I'm not mistaken has the highest rate of infection of any state at the moment.

So I decided not to get on the plane. Looks like I'll be in Chicago for another couple weeks, maybe a month.

I was born in Santa Barbara but we moved when I was a baby but then I returned there from upstate NY after I graduated from high school and attended SBCC for two years. What a beautiful city and climate, although I have no idea what it is like now.

 

[Trailblazer]

but there is nothing wrong with planning with cautious optimism.

I guess not, if you are a planner. I have never been a planner, I just go as the spirit moves me.

 

[ChristineM]

God I'm jealous.

We have so much money that we could afford any house I wanted, but my husband is such a wet blanket.
I dream of Australia and New Zealand but their property values have not dropped as much as in some countries in Europe... I would like Europe or South America except for the language barrier.

Language is not really a barrier, many Europeans speak English, and if you just learn a couple of hundred common words its easy to get buy with those who don't speak English while you pick up more difficult word's. And of course Google translate can pull you out of any situation...

 

[Revoltingest]

I plan a busy summer of several engine shows, with pick-up & delivery of machinery.

Edit....
I travel in Mr Van, sleep in Mr Van, & eat in Mr Van (or outdoors).
Avoiding human contact has become even more attractive.

 

[Vinayaka]

There is a lot of it about. The wine merchant at our sunday market usually has a crowd of between 20 and 30 merrily supping frenchies outside his stall.

Mauritius stores in tourist areas did well too. A curious lot, the French. They'd wear hats, stick cigarettes in the hats, and go out in the calm ocean (Mauritius is surrounded by a coral reef.) A group would stand around, up to their necks in salt water, chit-chat, laugh, and smoke. I'm surprised, now that I think of it, they didn't take wine out there as well. So relaxed!

 

[ChristineM]

I plan a busy summer of several engine shows, with pick-up & delivery of machinery.

Sounds exciting

 

[ChristineM]

Mauritius stores in tourist areas did well too. A curious lot, the French. They'd wear hats, stick cigarettes in the hats, and go out in the calm ocean (Mauritius is surrounded by a coral reef.) A group would stand around, up to their necks in salt water, chit-chat, laugh, and smoke. I'm surprised, now that I think of it, they didn't take wine out there as well. So relaxed!

Wot!!! No wine???

 

[Vinayaka]

Wot!!! No wine???

And the bread ... there would be a line-up at the store before it opened ... just for the one baguette.

 

[Trailblazer]

Language is not really a barrier, many Europeans speak English, and if you just learn a couple of hundred common words its easy to get buy with those who don't speak English while you pick up more difficult word's. And of course Google translate can pull you out of any situation...

I suppose that is true, but I would have to be motivated to travel, as with anything else.

Right now I am just hunkered down and being thankful because for the first time in many, many years that we do not have any cats that are very sick or dying. We lost five of our older cats in 2020 so we have only two older cats now who are about 15. I was worried we were going to lose one of them because she was not looking good, so we took her to the vet a couple of weeks ago for complete blood and urine tests and came to find out that she is only in the first stage of kidney disease, so knock on wood, she could live a long time with proper care, which she is getting from my dear husband. One of our other cats lived almost five years after his first diagnosis with the same CREA. I am not hoping for that but I just could not bear to lose another cat right away. 2020 was the year from hell, and not because of Covid-19.

 

[Revoltingest]

Sounds exciting

Ya, you betcha!

 

[ChristineM]

And the bread ... there would be a line-up at the store before it opened ... just for the one baguette.

I see that,we have a boulangerie next door

 

[Vinayaka]

I see that,we have a boulangerie next door

When I was in Mauritius in 1984, the local boulangeries did delivery, like the old milkmen. People all had a standing order, and would pay at the end of the week. They also have an unusual French-Indian cuisine which has stuff like hot curry sandwiches. The spices are more French than Indian, so the curries taste rather different than in India.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I guess not, if you are a planner. I have never been a planner, I just go as the spirit moves me.

How does one go where the spirit moves them on a schedule?

 

[Trailblazer]

Since we are talking about travel plans, I really should go over and see what's going on at my vacation house which is about three hours from here. I can hardly believe I actually found the pictures for the flyer I posted over eight years ago when I was advertising that house for rent, so here are some photos.