Week In Philly Coming To An End

As usual, when Pat and I get together for one of our quarterly holidays, the time goes by too fast. This particular holiday in Philadelhia will end this Sunday. Pat will catch his overnight Greyhound bus to Toronto early Sunday morning. At noon my ride will pick me up here at the guest suite where we always stay during our semi-annual visits to Philadelphia. Then this fall/winter holiday will be over, all too soon. Next time we get together will be next February in California.

My visit to Philly this year was severely curtailed because of my injured toe. Each day it's a little better but still not good enough to give me free range of walking that I've been used to all my life. That is one thing I've always had, I had the freedom to walk and walk, and walk.  Not so this time folks. Very frustrating. However, I have learned the bus route which I am taking plenty advantage of. I have a senior citizen pass which enables me to ride for free.  

I managed to go out for breakfast again this morning at a newly discovered restaurant called "Green Eggs."  Our past several visits to Philly Pat and I tended to patronize the same two restaurants.  While they were fine, Philly has so many restaurants so we decided to branch out and explore. The Green Eggs Cafe was fabulous!  Not only good food at a reasonable price, they service scrapple!  Where else can you get scrapple in a restaurant?  And it was prepared properly too, not greasy and soggy.  Which reminds me, it's time for dinner. Nearby where we're staying  is a Guatemalan restaurant which serves Guatemalan "street food."  Sounds gritty and it is but delicious.

Last night we went to another movie at a small nearby theater. That's what is nice about living in center city Philly, everything is nearby.  The movie we say last night was "Bohemian Rhapsody", the story of Freddy Mercury and the rock group Queen. Interesting movie. We liked it but I was thrown/annoyed with Freddy's overbite. Little too much emphasis on it in the move I thought. The previous even we say the "Green Book."  An excellent movie! I predict this movie will win the Academy award for not only best movie but best actor and supporting actor.  Now the question is which actor gets the nod for best actor and supporting actor.

I've rambled on enough here folks.  In spite of my injured foot/big toe, this past has been fabulous.  Always a great time when my Canadian Travel Buddy is with me. Maybe not as many photos and videos as I usually take, limited somewhat because of the necessity of me using a cane but still some interesting photographic and video memories of this great city, Philadelhia PA, my former home and workplace for many years. 

Ah, I remember the times in the past when I used to weave my way down Philly's narrow streets with ease.  Now I am stooped over with arthritis and a slower gait because of my injured foot. I am no longer that young man of the 70's and 80's during my heyday. Now I am one of those old, enfeebled persons struggling to get on and off the bus.   I have a new appreciation for those people folks because I am now one of them.

I hope I have many years left to visit this wondrous, historic and beautiful city that to now so diverse. Much more diverse than when I lived and worked here. I'm glad I've lived long enough to see our society become more inclusive. 

Pat should be walking in the door soon. We'll be spending the evening "home" watching a old film on Turner Classic Movies, the only channel on our suite TV that isn't buried in commercials.

Hope to post one more time before I leave Sunday. Have a great day and evening folks!

Memories of California Holiday 2017 Part 2

View of the Rockies from my airplane window

Today is one week since we returned from our annual California holiday. I am still luxuriating in the memories. Here are more than I am sharing with you, my intrepid and faithful blog readers.

We (Pat and I) had a smooth six plus hour flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. I always try to get a picture (or two) or the Rockies as we cross the continental United States. I've never been to the great middle of America but I have flown over it several times. I guess  you could call me the Ultimate Coastal Liberal.  I live on one coast and visit the other coast.  Only "interaction" I have with the Great Middle (Trump Country) of the United States is flying over it.

When we deplaned at LAX in Los Angeles, we caught the Hertz shuttle bus to the Hertz rental car location. Oh my, look at what we encountered there. A LONG line.  




In the past we have rented cars from Enterprise but they were just too expensive. Pat got a good deal at Hertz at about half the price. Apparently others found the same bargains.  Look at the lines.  

Pat (red hat) waiting in line at the Hertz car rental in Los Angeles

We were at Hertz for about an hour.  It really wasn't too bad. We were in California and enjoying that really great sunny California sunshine. 




We inspected our car then we were off to our Airbnb rental.  And there we encountered a problem.  Our room wasn't ready.  

I had called a few days before to confirm our reservation that I had made last year.  I was told by our hostess ("Joanie") that "everything was ready."  But when we climbed the winding stairs to our second floor shared accommodations (we had a private bedroom and bathroom but a shared living room and kitchen), we were met with an unmade bed and damp towels piled on the floor.

The room that "greeted" us at the Airbnb where we were staying

I immediately made a call to our hostess and she apologized.  She said she had a "scheduling mishap" and would get the cleaners over right away.  

The cleaners came over about an hour later and we were in our room by 10:00 PM.  A long day for sure.

Our Airbnb "roommates" were from Germany. A very nice couple. They had taken over the living room and kitchen so Pat and I retreated to our bedroom (and TV) for a well deserved rest.  

After we settled down and washed up we headed out to 8000 Sunset Boulevard and the Veggie Grill, our favorite restaurant in West Hollywood. 

Our annual holiday was beginning!

The above banner photo is Pat visiting the CB2 store at 8000 Sunset Boulevard prior to us going into the Veggie Grill. Pat had a part-time job at the CB2 store in Toronto during the Christmas holidays. He loves that store.  And he has his eye on a beautiful leather couch in that store for his new digs in Hamilton, Ontario; that he will move into this September.

Pat sitting on that leather couch he wants to buy from CB2

More to come............

Home From Canadian Holiday!

Me on way to board propeller plane back to Philadelphia

I'm back home folks!

I see my last post was my last day in Hamilton, Ontario.  Oh so much has happened since then.  

Pat and I returned to his home in Toronto.  We attended the Canadian National Exhibition, also known as "The CNE."  

The crowds, lights, sounds, rides, games of chance, food, smells, and (did I say?) CROWDS!  

Then "home" and visits to our favorite restaurants like Aroma, Udupi Palace (Indian), the Big Carrot.   This is my third trip to Toronto to visit Pat and we always have to visit these restaurants.  My trip to Toronto wouldn't be complete without these visits.  Pat did try to take me to a few new restaurants but that didn't work out.  One restaurant that he was especially anxious for me to visit was the Swiss Chalet.  That didn't work out because as soon as I discovered a two month old "baby in a basket" that was at the table across from us, I got up and left.  I told the hostess "I don't eat at restaurants with babies in a basket."  I prefer a dining without the smell of baby poop and ear piercing screams of a baby that doesn't want to be in a restaurant.  I also don't dine at restaurant where the Mother breast feeds her baby at her table which is what happened two years ago when Pat and I were dining at the Cafe Azafran restaurant in Rehoboth Beach.  Please excuse my rant but I just don't understand why parents bring their babies to restaurants.  Can't they afford a baby sitter or do they think their "miracle from God" is so precious that they want to share their baby with other patrons in a restaurant. Again, my apology for my rant.  Back to my trip.

Yesterday Pat drove me to Buffalo to catch my prop plane back to Philly.  Prop plane?  I felt like I was in the final scene from "Casablanca."  What's with the prop planes?  However I was told by one of my fellow passengers that American Airlines is phasing out the prop planes and replacing the with jets.  About time I would say.

My fellow passengers boarding the propeller plane at the Buffalo airport yesterday morning

The weather was perfect at the Buffalo airport. In fact, all week the weather was ideal.  Wow!  I sure did luck out.  By the way, the Buffalo airport is probably the best airport I've ever been in.  Clean, efficient and plenty of outlets for charging my digital devices (iPhone and Macbook Air).  Unlike LAX, which (and I can't believe this) has almost NO outlets for charging smart phones or other digital devices.  

Me waiting ann charging my iPhone at the Buffalo airport. 

I paid a little extra to get a good seat on the prop plane back to Philly.  Check out these cool videos that I took of my view right next to that propeller. Of course the thought crossed my mind what if I saw one of those propellers drop off?  This thought was especially on my mind because, while waiting to board my plane, I was talking to another airline passenger who told me that the front wheel fell off his plane departing from Chicago!  You just never know folks when your time is up.  Thankfully my fellow passengers and I arrived home safely yesterday in Philadelphia.

My ride was waiting for me at the baggage pickup point.  Our two hour ride back to southern Delaware was on traffic free roads, unlike last year when I made the mistake of returning on Labor Day.  Never again will I make that mistake.

Bill was waiting for me when my ride drove into my driveway.  I was home.  Oh, and the heat and humidity was back.  Now I know I'm really home.

Always good to get away folks but always good to get home again.  

Many, many thanks to my host in Canada, my good friend of three years Pat.  

Thank you Pat for being so patient with me and treating me to one of the best holidays I've ever had.  Your reward is waiting in Heaven.