sunrise at machu picchu

It's set!

Well, the down payment is made and i still have to let it sink in. "I'm going" It's so surreal. The training begins now. We're heading out may 21 thru the 29th. I hear it a very spiritual experience. Probably the coca leaves they give you to chew. ( for altitude sickness)and the lack of air. Let me talk to my spirit guides. Bill and i are so excited ,we can't talk about anything else. They will have oxygen tanks on hand for those that feel the need. That makes me feel better. Porters carry all our stuff, cook all the food, supply coca leaves, set up our tents and take them down. So, all we have to worry about is WALKING. Maybe see lake Titicaca, We'll explore Cuzco and markets. Somebody pinch me!! Bill and i got together thru our love of travel. 25 years ago, we knew each other 5 months when both quit our jobs and backpacked Europe for month and ahalf. We had eurail passes and we went everywhere, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Holland,we had a blast, and we didn't kill each other. We've been traveling ever since, when time and money allows. Bill and i always have just grabbed a "Let's Go" or "frommers" travel guides and Just wing it. No tour guide for us. It's all the interesting folks we meet along the way that makes the trip. We've also learned from our mistakes. Not All people are nice. But, most people are.

Ice Ice baby

Wow, bill and i worked christmas and midway thru our shift it started to rain. When we got off, the roads were pure ice! So half way home we went in the ditch. My first time in the ditch. On christmas night about midnight. What do we do now. Bills ready to make the move to the nearest farm house. WHEN.... I see car light coming our way.They stop and take us right to our door. Jasmine and her brother just came from iowa city, they had gone to a movie. Two wonderful kids. Thank-you!! Bill's off now fetching the car. Glad when this ice stuff is over.

"Time"

Well, i finally had some time to work on a new collage. I'll call it "Time" because there's not alot of it. Hopefully the new generation will be a little brighter than we were. By making this planet a better place. Consumerism is outrageous.HAVE, HAVE, HAVE, Got to have the latest gadget. Then throw it in the trash 6 months later, broken, just buy a new one. Nothing is made to last. It's so hard to find Anything that quality. A big price tag doesn't mean good quality.I don't know the answer, but maybe it's "just don't buy it."

Planning for the new year

I haven't been able to get to motivated. I have to start thinking about changes I'm going to make AFTER the new year. More exercise please. Swimming maybe or walking more. Getting a good pair of shoes for walking in this cold weather. Plan a trip for 2009. We need a adventure. We are thinking of seeing Machu Picchu in peru. That can be my incentive for walking more and the exercise. because the hike up machu picchu is 26 miles straight up to the clouds.

the grinch

this is what pretty much describes bill and me. I hate Christmas songs, We usually volunteer to work Christmas, to get out of the family thing. My Christmas decorations haven't seen the light of day for over 20 years. Not a light or decoration in sight, no god awful blow-up things outside. AND no presents. If we don't work it we plan big vacation around this time. I remember having the BEST Christmases when i was a kid. Mom was the best. She made sure they were wonderful memories for us. But, christmas is for kids. Now, it's just a big scam. It makes me sick at how much people spend on junk!!! buy handmade and antiques, recycle. i know most people don't agree but, what can i say. I'm always glad when it's over.

two new girls

Actually 1 is a new girl "Izzy" and the other I've had awhile but, she's been packed away. I'm calling her "Ruth" or "Whitey".
"Whitey" was a woman that worked with me in the early days at the hospital. She wasn't your typical sweet little old lady. She was around 65 years when she retired but, she looked 80. All the smoking and drinking really took a tole on her looks, but not her spirit. She could work circles around alot of the lumps we had working with us. She had a fitting name for most of them "Your a fig newton" or a "Prune danish". Some new boss started and Ruth's first question was "how long you gonna last, baby?". The new boss didn't last long. She'd get her hair styled every Friday and she always had a big sack of beer or booze on Friday, picking it up after getting her hair done. She was very colorful, she still is 1 of my favorite people I've met while working at central sterilizing.She kept me in stitches.The doll looks just like her.

back home

Well i survived another trip. The way out to council bluffs was great. The cops were out in force. My car will only go 70 miles an hour so i was fine and everyone else HAD to drive 70. My mom was in fabulous shape She seems to be getting younger. She rides her stationary bike an hour a day and reads, 3 newspapers a day and several books amonth. She says she loves the company but, loves to see us go, too. She has a routine that she hates to disrupt. She has a broken eardrum, (Smacked in the head by her mom), So even with hearing aids. communication is kind of limited. But, she can hear movies and the tv just fine hummmmm. We went to see "Australia". It was fantastic! The little kid in the movie was so cute and a great little actor. I guess they found him there, no acting experience. Besides seeing hugh without his shirt, the little kid was the star of the show.