Not So Sunny Seaside

This is a Beach -- yeah ok  it's a bitch too-- but you cannot predict the weather here on the Pacific coast. The day before it is 30+degrees  and yesterday and today is closer to18 degrees.

How about the hoodies above--did not expect that we would see these so quickly but glad that we had them--Thanks to Pantalis for the mad Greek gifts, --no-one couldn't have guessed that we would need them so quickly.

So with the drive from Portland to Seaside comes a visit to probably the best -- and most famous restaurant  in this area , Camp 18--it used to be a Logging Camp- and they do the most incredible breakfast, so a stop was definitely in order--see below.

This is the inside-- and that ridge beam is 25 tonnes--just to put it into perspective.

The picture below is Souli with his scooter and his helpers.

This place is right in the middle of Pine  Forests as far as you can see.

There was a15 minute wait for a table  but definitely  worth the wait

A little history lesson for anyone out there is that where we are in seaside is where Mr's Lewis & Clark who were pioneering the Oregon Trail in the mid 1800's, ended up confronted by the Pacific ocean , so they designed the first roundabout where they turned around and went back the other way.

Lewis & Clark are the ones standing on the base , not the 2 standing on the left.

I still cant believe the signs that we saw along the sea  front promenade--- Tsunami Area-- WTF, no-one told me that I would need to put a plan in place of how to escape if some kind of warning alarm goes off, - the SUV is just not that fast to get the hell out of the way.

So today we will head of back to Portland for a  get together with the rest of the Family Kosmas later on, which will be great .

BTW, we  are learning that it looks like we are gonna bash the Aussies again in the Ashes--not a bad thing at all. And of course it looks like Froome--baring him falling off in the streets of Paris--will be crowned Tour de France winner---maybe if he was cut loose last year Sir Bradley would not have won.

Right I am getting off of this machine as it's a bit rude now that everyone is up.
Come on England.
:-)

Now here is a sight of my friend Souli with the most important device in the world-- a  one legged scooter that he kneels on to get around--far more mobile than crutches--you just better make damn sure that you are not in the way when he is wizzing around.

So I have to tell everyone --or actually anyone who is sad enough to have nothing better to do than follow this page-- we were made the most welcome that anyone could ever be by the most amazing family with such connections  to our extended family from Greece.

But the day began in Seattle with us going shopping in Nordstrums for some change of clothes for Ann-- she with no suitcase-- and having found some really good outfits we headed of towards \Portland.

We stopped in on an Englishman who is Anns ex brother-in -law , Vance , who has lived in the states for many years and  makes a living making  flutes and has just started to make Ukuleles'-- ok , so I cant spell and it doesn't have an alternative on the spell checker-- he lives on a place in St Helens just inside Oregon and not far from \Portland where we were going, with his partner Marby , - he has the most amazing workshops I have ever seen.

And after that we came  to Portland to the wonderful  family of the Kosmos clan --Souli and Anna and the children , Pondo and Chris and their families--who came around  late afternoon and we were then fed and  watered so much, we are stuffed.

BTW-- Ann got her suitcase back from London --when we phoned at around 5pm I don't think anyone thought that she would get that this quick, but it arrived around 8pm--amazing what they can do when they have to.

So later on we went to the Mad Greek Deli, -- this is the place that Souli built up and now Pantalis owns and runs this -- it is a sports deli /bar where they fed us again  and had far to much to drink and eat ---and conversations with the weirdest people --ok that's me talking to strangers that then latch on like a limpet.

Having just been told that I snored like a rhinoceros, all night , it is good  to know that some things never change -- well it goes with the territory  when you have had a skinfull-- I feel much better than I should--I was awake pretty early but Souli and Anna were up and about much earlier and now everyone is up and about getting ready to drive to Seaside--  its a real place and  is famous for being the end of the Oregon Trail where Lewis and Clark ended up, before they turned around and went back -- but it has the widest beach I have ever seen---and then we will be back tomorrow for a bar-b-q with Fotis, Souli's  brother and his family.

Ok ,so I better crack on , need a shower and shave and better get this done before I get an ear bending from the boss.

I can feel Camp 18 breakfast  coming on -- look it up on the internet it is a great restaurant -- its the best.
Ta Ta  Folks

definately Sleepless in Seattle

Ok--just thought I would share the fact that we got upgraded to Club World and as you can see the team are settling in for their pampering with the upper classes--champagne already starting to go down well. I must say that a 9 or 10 hour flight does go down better when you can stretch right out for sleeping and the food is better than the normal cardboard.

Anyway , we got to Seattle OK but were kept on the plane for extra 20 minutes as they said the customs were overloading and jammed up so we were pleasantly surprised when we got there and it seemed OK. Shouldn't be having those positive thoughts. in our section only one person checking people through but you know what, he was doing OK.

Did it again see, thinking positive thoughts, always gonna catch you out-- his fingerprint checking machine crashed. S he went to the next one ---nah, that don't work either, nor the next, so back to the first. Eventually he got it going again but no-one came to ease the congestion.

Anyway having realised that I had left the hats in the overhead locker and with Lynda not finding anyone back at the plane to see if they are there, I resigned myself to horse riding without the John Wayne look--not good playing the cowboy with no "titfer tat".

So we finally get through and down to the carousel and started to get the cases and bags--except they weren't all there---Ann's case was missing. So we find a nice lady from BA ground staff to kind of complain a bit too, and lo and behold,-- not only was she holding the 2 cowboy hats but she already knew the Ann's case had not travelled with us from London. Guess it was one of those bags that drop off the baggage trolley that some Muppet eventually finds in the road but working to their pace , when they hand it in the plane has already left.

So ok, that means some cosmetic and lingerie shopping this morning but not too much of an issue except that we can only hope that the case will reach Portland later today, or then we are definitely into a drama.

So having gone through all that , we went to the Hertz desk for the collection on the SUV. Never even heard of a Ford Edge but it's an ok looking motor. as for the charges and all the add on's they are trying on there is going to be some serious dialogue between me and a certain Lucas from dial-a -flight when we get back.

Now this is where things get embarrassing because we get to the motor which looks great and they are almost like brand new anyway, but the others call out that there is damage all round the back. I take a look and decide to go back to the desk and demand another undamaged car--got the paperwork done and went back to the gang to get to the changed car and my mate Rod shows me that actually , all those "scratches" were in fact an area where the car cleaning machine had not done it's job.

Well I wasn't going back again was I, and we found the same on the changed motor too-- ok so I am bad , but it was like the last straw you know. Anyway, got into Seattle in good time and  there were Hugh and Lisa standing outside the hotel, really great to see them again--if only they could work some magic and find that ultimate place in Greece to move back there--and they had booked dinner at a very close restaurant called--I think--Trulio's, supposed to be right up the in the ratings, and the food was very good.

Oh yes --I didn't enlarge on the sleepless in Seattle bit did I. well at around 5am this morning , I think I can hear music--I thinks its from a car outside the hotel. Then I think I can hear an alarm going off somewhere.  Eventually I get up to investigate and track down the radio to next door and the alarm to the room on the other side.

So I phone down to reception and eventually someone manages to wake someone up to deal with the problem but by then of course - I am sleepless and I am in Seattle. :-)

Saddle up cause here we go

So here it is then , the day we have been waiting for, to begin our amazing adventure. Ok so not everyones idea of an adventure but I think 12000+ miles driving around about 13 states is kind of up there.

Checked in online yesterday and looks like we might just have got an up-grade into Club world-- that will be nice :-)

The lists a parent has to write and leave for one's children are written and are being pinned up--why is it we still assume that grown up  children cannot remember to do the things that we feel that are important--- they probably are to us but don't quite have the Gravitas for them.

Got a bit of a telling off from our son Jonathan last night as he has not been mentioned on here as yet--big softy. Easy for him sitting back there in Greece at the house on Aegina while we are rushing around here this week to get everything sorted. So here you are Jonathan -- and of course the beautiful Lynsey--you are mentioned and missed, so keep following this blog. Your Mum and I hope that you both come back tanned and relaxed.

By the way Jonathan , your list---the cat rota --is in the kitchen. and also -- on a previous post I even had your photo, so that's more than some of the others.

Talking of cats, ours is decidedly cheesed off with this weather--people winge till we get the heat that we have now but not our cat , he hates it .

Made Lynda a very happy lady last night---now now, behave yourselves out there---I showed her that we can get her "Home & Away" from you tube a day or so after each episode, so that should free me up for getting the odd Chelsea game, especially when CFC get to the USA with Wayne Rooney joining the team.

Ok so I have to get on now so next time I post it should be from the USA---Yea Ha

Pre-Trip Last Full Office Workday

Here is somewhere that I wont be seeing for a good long while :-(.

I think the skip must be for the volume of rubbish that I have been disposing of.
Not sure if others feel the same but it is always going over the previous to  do lists that get me --did I clear what was  on my list---I am sure that there will be things that will need someone to step in before long to undertake--hope not much.

So I am getting into the habit with the photos now so the next thing that I need to try is the video on the camera--I think I might try that at Heathrow on Thursday morning and see if I can work it out.

How about my best buddy Rod, he so wanted to get out of driving while we are in the states that he went and broke his wrist at the weekend---better not affect his navigational skills. Joking aside how bad is that , really feel sorry for him but I suppose it will go along with the friend that we are staying with in Portland this coming weekend, who broke his ankle 4 weeks ago and is in a cast--they are going to look quite a pair.

Ok , so while I still have a good bit to complete I am going to ask that please can someone make sure that the car is ok to get home and that the motorways are reasonably clear. getting home before midnight would be good.

Doctors in the morning to get the chest checked out before we go -- well I mean as a long time ago ex smoker and someone in construction that has probably taken in more dust than you can shake a stick at, going up to around 14,000 feet above sea level is taller than most mountains, so when I an on www.rainbowtroutranch.com , riding up into the Rockies I need to know that I am gonna be able to breath. It is the most stunning place in the world--aspen forests, meadows , lakes , all kinds of animals, no people, no cars , roads , houses-- in the words of the mighty USA---Awesome.

Ok , Back to work , things to do -- people to see etc.

testing the photo importing

Here goes

so I took the photo this week, and uploaded that from the new camera and now it is here. This is Chelsea, our magnificent black cat , who like me is getting a bit old, but like the mighty Blues, is a class act. He also thinks he is human, talks all the time sits on the sofa watching TV with us .
So I shall continue to practice so anyone seeing this and thinking what a mish mash, well , tough cause this is me getting exposed to technology-- yeah, I know , never thought it would happen either. we will see-------------------------------------

Now there's a first

Following Lynda posting the message regarding the Blog site to friends and family yesterday , the honour for posting the very first comment on a blog page of ours goes to Pauline and Melvyn Kipps
in Spain , so thanks to them for that.

Right then, today has to be the mastering of how I put a picture onto the posts that I make--think I can follow it but I will test that in a little while.

Just spoke to JJ who is in Greece at the family home with the wonderful Lynsey and whenever they tell us they are going here or there , we can visualise exactly where they will be and who they are seeing--for example they are about to drive from Aegina to Moody Bay hotel, which is owned by great friends , Yiannis and Christina Papadakis---I can see them all in the little waterside tavern in the next hour.  I will try to post a picture of that on here in a while.

So today , the sun is up, Lynda has already been out to take our very tired youngest daughter to work - Hairdressers have to do some sundays for the English women--she would have been late anyway, and we are going to Rod and Anns around 12 noon and then to our wonderful Juliet and family for dinner--maybe bar-b-q --around 4pm.

Sometimes little things happen that make you think about strange coincidences---the TV in the background is on with a bloke going around france looking at organic food and plants--next we will be with a family called Kosmos and this bloke on the TV just pointed out a Kosmos Dazzler flower that is red in the beginning and pink when it starts to fade.

Ok , so I am gonna try the picture importing now so hopefully I can report later that it worked---well, of course you will all see that for yourselves,  :-).

Ok , so this is not the best success but g.ot it to  transfer in --this is Jonathan and Lynseys wedding day in Greece.

saturday--what a relief

So here we are, Saturday morning, bowl of Crunchy Nut, watching James Martin on the Saturday Kitchen live and writing a piece for here--and with 5 days left before the trip of a life time.

Firstly, how bonkers is my wife--we were out to dinner with the wonderful  Sue last night, not late but great as a catch up- and where was she at6am this morning--at the Next sale--only she. Still she got a bargain, loves a bargain my Lynda.

Anyway the sun is shining , we have the final bits and bobs to go shop for the road trip and I will try to get some rays on my body---ok , I promise not to be laying out there when folk are passing by--certainly don't want to frighten any children or little old ladies.

This weekend I think will fly by and we will still think that there is something we are forgetting along with a little trepidation--well when you are about to embark on a 3 month road trip in the USA, you have to be a little sceptical as to whether everything will go well---with my boss alongside me there better not be anything trying to make it go pear-shape.

Tomorrow will be a dress rehearsal with Ann and Rod, going through everything again, checking all the stop points and hotel bookings and ensuring that we have our distances correct, that kind of thing--definitely need to look at the final week of the trip, in and around LA. This is one that we will see Lyndas second cousin , John, in Glendale but we have a few days after this, which we might go to a
Napa Valley vineyard.

Also need to go to Tony's--when you say Tony it has to be in a new York gangster accent, just a thing from Rod and me--- we have been in the restaurant about 3 times and it is on the semi-circular pier at Redondo Beach, California---really great sea food.

Dinner with daughters and family tomorrow evening before starting the final couple of days work next week

So that's it, all about the final details and final purchases---Oh , and hopeful for the English to win the first test with Australia--happy day's if they do :-)

7 sleeps to go

Ok, so the thing is that this time ( ok , USA 8.15 pm) next Thursday, we will be in Seattle----yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyes.
Sorry but the excitement levels are growing.
So last time on here I was talking about the bar-b-q last sunday---it was great--cant remember the bunch of us out there for a long time--not really surprising with the crap weather we have in the UK.
Part of the afternoon was to watch Andy Murray winning Wimbledon, now there's a thing I never believed that I would see--he was pretty damn good though wasn't he.
So a pretty mental week--
Cambridge Monday morning at 0830, then drive to chippenham in the afternoon. Office all day Tuesday in chippenham and then drive to Manchester late afternoon. BTW, I met with our Mate Patrick in the evening for dinner at the Village hotel in bury--this is a bloke who is a senior lecturer in catering --cooked for the royals has our Patrick--so always worried that he wont like the food and might just tell them. It was great and it was fantastic to discus his recent trips to Greece with him.

Wednesday I was a judge in a competition our company in Bury had been running with local schools in the Manchester area and they had set a program of these 11 to 12 year olds doing a presentation of how they would improve health and safety in the factory. I really have to say that after the 4 shortlisted teams gave their 5 person team presentation to the 3 judges and a whole bunch of folk in the audience, with power points and posters, with new ideas, with such clarity and confidence, I am now optimistic about the future of this country.

Anyway, it was drive to chippenhan yesterday afternoon, from Manchester, and after in the office today from 0630 I left after 4pm and drove back to London--pretty awesome week--Weybridge office tomorrow so not too bad.

Got my new digital camera yesterday so it will be a crash course in what it can do but blimey--take a photo and it has Wifi so that I can send my photos straight to things like Facebook--mental.

So its all coming together now for the trip--weve got to go through all the paperwork at the weekend--does anyone else always feel that they have forgotten something---maybe we will but having just discussed the all day horse riding on the 1st of august in the rocky mountains anything else is kind of nonsense really.

So thstsd it for today but will be back on over the weekend--Stay Calm and be Carefree.

the boss is back

So here is the thing --- having driven to Heathrow Airport to pick up my wife, who is just back from 2 weeks in Greece at our house there, when she get's in to the south London apartment and having embraced our youngest daughter, the pair of them proceed to go onto catch-up tv and watch some reality show called "the only way is Chelsea".

Now for the most part , anything that has the name Chelsea in is ok by me --well, like from the Mighty Blues, the Kings Road and of course our Cat called Chelsea - but what I watched was a bunch of pompous , overindulged, spoilt brats, with way too much money from Mama and Papa and with the in built ability to turn their noses up at anything that did not go to Eton.

Clearly it gets an audience but I am unsure that any of their peers would be watching this nonsense--that gives these particular morons their 15 minutes of fame of course-- and I wonder whether it isn't just the ordinary folk , working class, who like looking at what they perceive to be the real life of the rich and spoilt, but the reality really is that this minority just love to be in the limelight.

Anyway, one thing good is that my daughter has deciphered how to set up the blog so I will start to do that in the future--downloading photos from when we start the trip of the life time which starts in under two weeks--my god that is coming around so quickly. next week I am buying a digital camera, that can connect to this computer and to which I can immediately share photos of the trip---apparently I can even send an email with this new camera with the photos I take--that's bonkers.

Ah well, with all this technology , I really hope I can be proficient enough by the time we leave for the USA and if not at least enough so that I can put a few words down here to share, or at least to put then on here and if anyone has nothing better to do than to read our thoughts as we go around about 10 states and 12 to 13000 miles driving.

Ok , so bed now but Bar-b-q tomorrow with children with some warm temperatures to get a bit of a tan at the same time, all in readiness for the trip--well you cant go to the states in the summer looking
all pale and english, ----- cowboys were always tanned with leather skin--well I will get some of it right by the time we go.
nighty night

Been a while

Ok --so I have missed some days and for that I need to re-check that I really am going to be disciplined in posting daily.

So , having dropped Lynda off at the airport Sunday night, I was back to Heathrow at 5am on Monday morning to fly to Ireland to our Irish office. It is amazing the warmth of the welcome back after just 6 months.

They are a great crowd over there and do an amazing job.

So having got up at about 03.30 working all day , I then proceeded to be taken to dinner in the evening until around 2300 hrs---I was shattered. Also ended up paying for the bill, not quite sure how that works.

All day yesterday in the Intel plant and with a whole bunch more of very talented people. The work that had been installed in the same 6 month period is quite awesome in such complex circumstances.

Meetings and walk around's being the order of the day , I was at the airport in Dublin at 5pm for a 6pm flight that then was delayed until 6.30pm. This meant that I did not get to Heathrow until after 7.30pm which meant I had missed being able to buy my euromillions ticket which means I might have been a miwyonair Rodney.
So you think that's it and drive down to Swindon to a hotel I think I am booked in only to be told I am booked into one , about 15 miles away---eventually got in my room at 21.30.
Finally finished the crap situation by not being able to get a decent signal so we couldn't talk--she was trying to ring me and me doing the same.

Ok, so today is another day as they say and after all the reports I have written it was time to catch up with this.

Need a holiday, or at least get to be with my best mate-- (she who is in Greece right now).

Another Step forward

So i just learnt that uit is very easy just to miss a day of posting (in actual fact it is 2 days).

Sunday was brilliant with the Children and 2 of the grand kids for brunch--Lynda was dinamyte, and it was better service than Jacks Cafe--used to be one of the best restuarants in south london, in Battersea, though you would not go in there with a tie on or Jack would cut it off and pin to the wall.

When they had gone and we had cleared up , we settled down in the afternoon and watched the Quartet , with Billy Connelly, Maggie Smith , Tom Courtney and Pauline Collins-- really good feel good movie--anyone notice that there are loads of movies with the wrinklies in recently--Hotel Marigold is another.

So after a great weekend with Lynda it is in to head office yesterday--which means at least 3 nights away-- and the next steps to the Road Trip was in the purchase of an Acer V5-571 touch screen laptop, plus a load of bits to go with it.

Back there today to collect and have my trial run through -- hope the teacher is a patient person -- like all old timers, technology takes me a little longer to grasp.

The other thing i have to settle down and read up on is how to best use this blogg site-- need to get more in to dragging photo,s and stuff onto each posting ---need this sorting out before i get going on the trip, so i plan to do some practicing while Lynda is in greece.

What--- you mean i didnt mention that she is leaving me this weekend for a 2 week break in Aegina, well it is a girls week first and then a week on her own. It is true that someone needs to check up on the house and make sure that there are no problems---only real issue is that i have never had a boys 2 weeks away yet , even after having had the house there for 25 years.

Ah well--i only like being there when she is there anyway---it would never be the same without her there.

So thats it for the moment, still busy with loads to do, so better get on.
Win or lose, up the Blues

post shopping

so we are back home having been to sutton to get the holiday cards primed--we are good to go.

little shopping in Asda sorted out a great pack of Moules which are gonna be served any minutes--cant wait--love em.

We went to Macro so we could do a wine stock up. box of 6 bottles of oyster bay, saugvingion blanc and 2 for 1 cases of isla negra from chile, box of white and a box of red= 12 bottles for £48 great deal.

We watched the trooping of the colour this morning , amazing what we still manage to cling on to from our heritage and the Queen looked amazing --what a woman.

Mind you --what a women my wife--organised this american holiday just like she has done for all the previous 9 we have done and come up with some amazing stopovers for is in mystical named places--Dodge City, Tombstone, Custer, Little Bighorn---amazing.

She has also organised brunch for tomorrow with all the children around and a couple of the grandchildren -- actually late breakfast--big fry up- wonder if it is Fathers day celebrations---like i said, an amazing lady.

right thats the moules demolished--so tasty.
Now whats for tonight--well, while i am not a great lover of the shows like The Voice, i have to say that watching Leah Mcfee last week i was blown away---she defies description and superlatives are useless, so i will watch eagerly when she is on and hope it is good.

I hope evryone has a great evening