April 14, 2010
Hawaiian Riptide
My entire life growing up in Southern California, I can remember my Father advising me to be cautious of the riptides and instructing me to ‘swim sideways —parallel to the shore’ if I ever got caught in one. I remember being in some strong surf several times and one time I came in looking for the family’s beach blanket exhausted from the swim and happy to be on the beach once again!
But I never really understood the term ‘riptide’ until I was at the Waipi’o Valley Overlook in Hawaii and could see one from above. The riptide shows up as the lighter colored water in the center of the beach.
A current generally goes along the shoreline, but a riptide travels from the shore out to sea. Swimmers get exhausted trying to ‘fight’ the riptide by trying to swim into the shore which is against its strong outward pull. It is generally not very wide (maybe a hundred feet) and that is the reason you should swim ‘parallel to the shore’ in order to swim out of it.
Portland Firefly was really excited to see a riptide and is grateful to Marcus for pointing it out to us!
April 12, 2010
Waipi’o Valley
On my recent trip to Hawaii, my girlfriend picked me up and took me on a tour of the Big Island.
Our first stop was one of the many beautiful beaches that mark the western coast of Hawaii.
Then it was up and across the island to the well-known overlook at Waipi’o Valley. This valley has been inhabited for centuries and with the fresh water and fertile soil, the inhabitants were self-sufficient.
There is a beautiful ever-changing beach and the entire valley is protected by cliffs that are at least 1500 feet tall and straight up!
It was here that a local offered to take our picture. Marcus is a former Southern Californian surfer who is now a writer living just a few yards from this remarkable overlook. He is very knowledgable about the valley and his command of words as he described the various geographical points led this writer to ask him if he was a writer. He acted surprised and told us about the (very technical) book that he is working on. He has had writers block for several months and has been unable to write.
We continued our conversation and he invited us to have a lemonade with his wife and mother in law at their house. We had lot of things yet to see this day and Portland Firefly was not anywhere near 100% of her desired energy level. We were perhaps a little too cautious at this invitation and politely declined. However, if I return to the Big Island and Marcus invites us to visit his family this time I will not decline the invitation. Soon after our conversation, Marcus left and disappeared to his home.
My friend said that we had released his writers block and he had hurried home to once again write! We continued on our sightseeing day adventure!
April 8, 2010
Ice Cream, Hulas and Geckos
This afternoon at my resort, there was an ice cream event which I attended. Choice of Mud Pie, Vanilla or Macadamia Nut ice cream served around the pool. M-m-m-m delicious!!!
Immediately after everyone was served their ice cream, the program began. There is a Hula School nearby and the beautiful teacher brought her students to perform for us. They performed several dances each one with a complete costume change. The costumes were authentic, yet simple and the music was again authentic and interesting.
The students performed a variety of dances, beginning with the story of how the original settlers arrived in the islands. The instructor narrated the story of the dance prior to each selection being performed so we mainlanders could appreciate the movements of the dances.
As the rhythm of the drums varied, so the movements of the dancers varied. They were in perfect synchronicity. Which came first….the rhythm of the drums or the rhythm of the hips? Or did they develop together into the mesmerizing dance we were watching? It didn’t matter to me. It was entertaining and a young Keiki (young girl) quickly stood out because of her obvious talent.
Besides being entertaining the thing that I appreciated the most is the fact that there is someone willing to teach this art form to young people and that there are youngsters who desire to learn the precise movements of these ancient dances so they do not become lost in the hustle and bustle of our fast paced lives.
You may recall that each dance tells a story. Some of the stories (dances) are centuries old and had their roots in the dances of Polynesia. But one story (dance) was a contemporary cowboy story. Yes, there are cowboys here on the Big Island. There are horses, cows, goats, pigs, donkeys and I’ve even seen some turkeys! It was the story of two cowboys sent to Wyoming in 1909 for the World Rodeo Championships because of their roping skills. As a joke, the two Hawaiians were given wild stallions to ride in the roping contest. They were able to break the stallions and one of them became the World Rodeo Champion and the other took third place!
Portland Firefly completely appreciates the talent and dedication that is needed to bring such an extensive hour-long program to island visitors. To me, a vacation should include the cultural as well as the natural beauty of the places we visit. For it is in understanding the culture of another country that we begin to have a better understanding of the person and in the end we realize that we have more in common than we have differences.
Oh, the gecko? As I was sitting in the lobby writing this post, a little lime green gecko kept scurrying across the floor into the stone wall and out again. I guess I chose to sit in his favorite place and he kept checking me out!!!
April 7, 2010
VOG
Portland Firefly went to the Big Island of Hawaii a while ago for a little vacation. But she had to leave a day early because of the poor air quality caused by the Vog and because of the high velocity of the Trade Winds.
Hawaii Lava Field by PDXFirefly
I believe that Vog stands for Volcanic Organic Gases. Vog is a form of air pollution that results when sulphur dioxide and other gases and particles emitted by an erupting volcano react with oxygen and moisture in the presence of sunlight. It hangs in the air much the same way fog or smog does. It is a clear gas that can present unique symptoms. It is unique to the Big Island because that is where the active volcanos are located.
Natural Lava Cave by PDXFirefly
I believe that my body felt the effects of the VOG much more readily than the average person due to my Chemotherapy. I was dizzy, had a funny taste in my mouth and I became tired very easily. Afternoon naps were a must every day and the last few days, it was so windy that it just was not any fun to go outside. Portland Firefly felt bad just about the entire time she was on Hawaii, but that didn’t prevent her from having a lot of fun!!!!
Portland Firefly felt much better once she was back on the mainland, actually, the airplane air was even preferable to the Vog! Give me my Portland rain and clean crisp air!!!!!
For more information go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vog
April 6, 2010
Packing Hints
Recently, Portland Firefly made the trek across the ocean to the beautiful state of Hawaii. It was a long trip to make and I actually did quite well. I found that people were very kind and helpful as I made my way from the Pacific Northwest to sunny California and then to beautiful Hawaii.
I am discovering that the more I travel, the more I am refining my packing procedures. On a recent weekend flight I was able to travel with just one carry-on suitcase ~ and my purse was packed inside of it!!! For this trip ~~~ which required a more extensive wardrobe ~~~ I was able to get everything into two suitcases which I could manage myself. I always make sure that my medicines and one change of clothes goes with me on the plane just in case of a ‘luggage delay’!
Packing Cubes by PDXFirefly
One item that I discovered prior to my trip to Spain last fall are ‘packing cubes’. They are little flexible mesh containers that have a zippered opening. The ones that I have, have a little bit of structure to them so they hold their shape. I love them because I can roll up all of my scarves and pack them into one cube and I know where to go to look for a scarf! I usually put underwear in another one. In the larger ones, I like to pack my rolled up tops so it is easy to choose which top I want to wear.
When packing cubes aren’t quite appropriate, I use ziplock plastic baggies to contain smaller items. It is easy to see what is inside and easy to move out-of-the-way if it isn’t what you want. Put like items into those baggies for convenience. I keep my travel scissors inside one little baggie and it just lives in my ‘checked suitcase’ even when home; that way I always have them when I need them and they never get confiscated by Airport TSA Security.
I will sometimes use a large ‘spacebag’ to pack large items. These are the plastic bags with a special zipper that you ‘roll up to force all the air out’ after you place your clothes inside. It is amazing how much air we pack! When you take the air out of your clothes (in a spacebag) your clothes take up a lot less room. I always travel with these bags and I tend to use them more on the flight back home when I need more room in my suitcase because of the souvenirs I have purchased!
I also use large ziplock baggies to help organize my suitcase. They work great for family vacations because you can pack a complete childs outfit inside one. Then you just grab a plastic baggie and that is what your child wears that day! Have a special plastic bag ready for dirty laundry.
I hope this gives you some helpful hints on packing. Enjoy your vacation!
April 1, 2010
Netbook Travel
Portland Firefly has entered the gadget age…. A little bit behind the times as far as some may be concerned but just right in timing as far as Firefly is concerned.
It all started with the cancer diagnosis that I received seven –has it been seven months already??– months ago. When I went to Chemo, I noticed that Northwest Cancer Specialists offered free WiFi there to help pass the time spent in the Chemo recliners. I started to think that a laptop might be a good investment for a budding writer, but that is as far as it went.
Starting to feel a little bit better as my Chemo was winding down (or so I thought) I decided to plan a few trips. I felt it was better to take them now and so as the plans for a trip evolved so did my decision that yes I was ready for a laptop. Ah, but things just got better when I asked my own personal Tech Maven (my Daughter) what she would suggest as a laptop for me. After asking me a few pertinent questions, she suggested that I might really like one of the new smaller notebooks.
She had one that she offered to let me borrow for a while to help me make my decision. It was not needed because the more research I did regarding the new smaller netbooks, the more convinced I became that it was in fact the perfect solution to my travel computing needs.
And so I purchased a beautiful ‘pearl white’ netbook. My Tech Maven suggested that I ‘personalize’ it with some stickers so it would be less desirable to another person should I ‘forget’ it somewhere. Good Idea. So I ‘girlied’ it up with a flora decal right on the top of the netbook. No guy will claim that it’s his!!! And since I would be traveling with it, I decided that I’d better put my name on it; and so I did. Only I used my return address labels (floral again!) and put them in hidden places on the netbook. I also ‘labeled’ every single piece of cable that came with it as well as my phone and charger, camera and charger…..you get the idea!!!
This post was actually started 6 months ago and I just realized that I never published it. And so now I am 13 months after my cancer diagnosis and I have had my little netbook since November. I take it with me whenever I travel and it is now on its third trip. Sometimes I even use it at home because it is so convenient.
Currently I am traveling where my resort has free WiFi. Free WiFi. Those two words are absolute music to my ears when I travel. However, I am discovering that the wonderful Free WiFi that is provided at the Portland Airport is not readily found in other airports. Who says Portland is behind the times!!! Not!!! In fact we are the trend setters!!!! Portland was again voted one of the top airports in the country. It has always ranked very high with Flight Attendants and Pilots.
March 26, 2010
Travel
Here are some interesting travel quotes for you today.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime. ~Mark Twain
I did not fully understand the dread term “terminal illness” until I saw Heathrow for myself. ~Dennis Potter, 1978
March 18, 2010
La France and the Scarf
Portland Firefly's Childhood Scarf by PDXFirefly
On my cruise, I was mostly alone and so I had the opportunity to meet many people. I would always find someone to visit with when eating breakfast in the dining room (always a table by the window with other diners). My scarf-wrapped head was a conversation starter and ice-breaker as well. My last meal on board ~ breakfast ~ was no exception and I shared a table with seven other tired travelers.
I arrived at the table alone and since I was not feeling 100%, I ordered immediately. Slowly the table filled with my table mates. After introductions, the casual chit-chat began. The woman next to me had striking hair. It was medium length, mostly dark but with beautiful white strands framing her pretty face. As I said earlier –striking and elegant! As I commented on her striking hair, we continued our hair-related conversation mentioning the fact that scarves do sometimes come off.
It was then that she confided to me that as a child of 5 or 6 she had to wear scarves to school because she had ringworm. The required treatment was to shave the person’s head and keep it covered for many months until all the infected hairs were gone and the new hair had grown out. La France’s Mother shaved her head, tied a scarf over her head and sent her to school. One day an unkind child pulled off her scarf. She was embarrassed and ran home crying where she remembers her older brother putting his arms around her and protecting her from the unkindness of childhood meanness.
She never returned to school that year or for years later. She couldn’t; it hurt too much. And so her Mother, a teacher, homeschooled her long before home-schooling was popular. Eventually she returned to a private school three years later.
I see the emotional tears of painful memories swelling up in this elegant woman as she remembers this painful childhood episode. But that is alright with Portland Firefly because she is immersed in her own painful memories. Perhaps Portland Firefly is the only other woman on the face of this earth (certainly on that cruise ship) that has shared the exact same experience as that woman.
I was amazed ~~ as a five-year old, I too had ringworm ~ in my hair ~ and I also had to wear a scarf to school for many months.
Yes, Portland Firefly also had ringworm in her hair when she was 5. And yes I remember the pain, the embarrassment, the humiliation, the confusion (were there jeers and taunting too?) when a boy in my class pulled off my scarf. Did he intend to be mean or was he just curious? Still I remember the uncertain, pained look on my teachers face . I see tears in her eyes matching my own as she sees my ugly, sparse hair and realizes what happened. I remember her moving all the other children to the other side of the bank of painting easels ~ to give me some privacy. Her clumsiness and embarrassment for me are evident as she quickly attempts to re-tie my silk scarf on my tiny sobbing head. She tries several times. It won’t stay put . I remember her asking me “Is that the way your Mommy ties it?”
This humiliated 5-year-old knows that the scarf isn’t tied correctly. Somehow I get brave and strong through my tears and courageously say ” I can do it. I know how to tie it myself.” And I tie it. But it is not as tight as my Mommy ties it every morning for an active 5-year-old. During the rest of the day, my scarf keeps slipping and I have to re-tie it many times. I do make it through the rest of the day and I return to school the next morning and every morning after that.
We both recalled how we each had acquired the ringworm ~ a highly contagious disease~ from stray cats. She was in the Midwest, I was on the West Coast. To this day, I can remember sitting on the back driveway combing the mangy kitty cat’s fur and then using the same comb to comb my bangs back out of my eyes. Not knowing the eventual consequences would probably affect me for the rest of my life.
I don’t really like cats now.
And I know how to tie scarves really well!
March 15, 2010
The Gerson Connection
On the second night at sea, the suggested dress for dinner was ‘cruise elegant’ as it was the Captain’s Dinner. I got dressed up as did the other dinners in the Dining room.
It was necessary for me to pass by several tables on the way to our assigned dinner table. On this particular evening, as I was leaving the dining room, I passed by a table that held three generations of vacationers. Grandma & Grandpa, Mom & Dad and two curly blond-haired boys ages 4 and 7. The women were all dressed up and all the males at the table (including the littlest ones) were in their suits and ties.
The little boys were so adorable and so well-behaved that I couldn’t pass by them without saying something positive. So I did. I said ” Oh my! You look so handsome and polite eating your ice cream!” as I looked directly at the littlest member at the table. Then I noticed the older boy at the opposite end of the table and I said the same thing. Then I noticed that the men were also dressed up and I acknowledged them, too! Now it was time for the women, I couldn’t leave them out. They were a very beautiful family from the youngest to the eldest and the children were very well-behaved as they enjoyed their ice cream!
From then on we always greeted each other as I would pass by their table.
Two days later while in line at what I call ‘the concierge desk’, the man behind me started talking to me. It was the Dad, whom I didn’t immediately recognize because in his baseball cap and tee-shirt he looked much different than he did in his ‘dining room clothes’.
He asked if I had a few minutes because he felt compelled to share something with me. We started talking and then we sat down in the adjacent seating area to finish our conversation while his wife and children joined him.
He started asking me about my cancer which I was happy to tell him about. He then went on to tell me that they had started ‘juicing’ and drinking green drinks many months ago. He felt that there are numerous benefits to drinking wholesome fresh squeezed juices and wanted to share that information with me.
He then went on to tell me there is a doctor who has a cancer protocol of juicing along with other things and has had some remarkable results. The doctors name is Gerson and he realized that their waiters name is also Gerson. And what are the odds of that? And I am the only person that stopped by their table. And then here he was in line behind me … Well!!! He just felt compelled to tell me about this. “It’s as though the universe is telling me something” he said to me. And he would not have felt right not telling me about The Gerson Diet.
I was very happy to have this information passed on to me even though I had previously heard of Dr. Gerson, but I’m just not into ‘juicing’ just yet!
PS: I have started drinking ( well, trying to drink) a ‘green drink’ on a daily basis. I have to admit that I do feel energized whan I drink it, but the taste isn’t the best. Not the best and not the worst –so maybe I’ll continue with the green drink for a while anyway!
March 14, 2010
Alone on the Cruise
I mentioned that on my cruise, I planned to room with an acquaintance from high school that travels frequently. I did know that she lives alone but I did not know that she usually has her own room when she travels. I have lived with people my entire life; in college, in Flight Attendant training, in our Manhattan apartments, even sharing rooms on our layovers. And then of course while married! I enjoy the camaraderie and fun that such situations present.
She told me at the time we agreed to room together that she preferred to get up early and leave the room and just ‘do her own thing’ all day long. This did present some uncomfortable situations which we were able to resolve since we were sharing a cruise ship cabin. We would run into each other rarely on the ship, but we did eat dinner at the same table in the dining room each evening.
At dinner one evening, our waiter asked about our relationship. Her reply to him was, “We are actually two strangers.” and I had to agree with her astute assessment.
The outcome of all this is that I was essentially alone on the cruise. It was not what I had expected, but as you by now, Portland Firefly does try to make the best of every situation she is thrust into. And this cruise was to be no different.
In retrospect, this allowed me to meet many people who I probably would not have met otherwise. Added to this is the fact that I preferred to wear scarves (as they are more comfortable than a wig) and I discovered that my turbaned head was a great conversation starter! I had many memorable conversations on board ship and I met several interesting people whose stories you will be reading about here this week. I hope you enjoy them!
March 12, 2010
Cruise Departure
Last August, I received information that my high School Alumni were going on a cruise. I thought that it sounded like a good diversion from my rigorous chemotherapy schedule and it would give me something fun to look forward to, so I decided to go on the Cruise which was to be in February.
I called a classmate that I sat near the last few class reunions. I can get along with anyone and most people are flexible when rooming with others and since she has travelled a lot, I thought that she would be a good travelling companion for that reason. We decided to room together on the cruise.
Well, the Alumni part of the cruise was cancelled. I called my roommate and asked what she wanted to do. She said that she had not purchased the travel insurance (which I had purchased) and so she was locked into the cruise. She told me that if I cancelled she would be responsible for the entire cost of our cabin herself. I didn’t want her to have to bear that cost and decided it still could be fun, so I decided to go even if our school mates would not be there. Secretly I hoped that some of them would keep their reservations and show up on the cruise anyway, but none did that I could find.
In November, I told my Doctor about my intended trip and we worked my Chemotherapy schedule around this trip. I would have Chemo three weeks before the trip and then have chemo the day after my return. One has to do what one has to do!
I had fun deciding what clothes to take for the cruise. I checked the weather at our destination ports and packed accordingly. I had to fly to California where the cruise departed . I’d be spending the night before my flight at my Son’s and he took me to the airport for my early morning flight. I was met on the other end by a dear childhood friend and we spent the day together visiting before she dropped me off at the ships terminal. After boarding the ship I found my cabin and my roommate was already there. I had chosen to schlep my luggage myself ( I am learning to travel lighter these days ~ lighter being the operative word ~ not light) so I could unpack immediately which was really nice because I felt settled in for the week and had only been on board for less than an hour!
We made our way up to the buffet to have a snack before we sailed and we sat and visited for several hours. During that time, I saw a ferry boat leave for a local island. My Daughter and her Number One were on that Ferry boat and she called me as they passed by our ship! It was a beautiful day and soon the ship was ready to set sail. I hurried out onto our balcony to watch the departure and saw the harbor slip past us. It was my first time on a cruise ship in over 25 years and I wanted to enjoy everything about it.
March 6, 2010
Portland Saturday Market
The Portland Saturday Market opens today!!! This first weekend is Kids Corner and children will be taught how to make musical instruments out of recycled materials with a parade at 2:00pm.
2010 Market Hours
March 6 - Dec 24
SATURDAYS 10 – 5pm
SUNDAYS 11 – 4:30pm
Weekend Market
located at
SW Ankeny St + Naito Parkway
For more information go to this website: http://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com/
March 2, 2010
Too Many side-effects to Write
I know…. I promised you the first of several ‘cruise stories’ today. But the Chemo generated fatigue and peripheral neuropathy are just too overwhelming and Portland Firefly is unable to write.
I promise you that I have started a couple of stories and others have been written in my mind… so you will get some stories ~~~ just not today.
March 1, 2010
Cruisin’
Portland Firefly had the opportunity to go an a little cruise. It was not as much fun as I had hoped it to be, but with my open-mindedness it did present other very worthwhile situations which you will be able to read about here hopefully during the next few weeks.
I have so much to write about that I don’t know where to begin. I think that I’ll begin with the last event and you can read about that tomorrow!
February 14, 2010
Winter Olympics 2010 Vancouver
I hope you had the chance to see the beautiful opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics at 7:30 Friday night. I do have to say that the stadium crowd seemed to be cheering very loudly for the American team as they entered the stadium. And I love their uniforms. White pants, White sweaters, Dark blue jackets (with the Polo logo) with red accents, and very winter olympiceey looking cute knit hats with the American flag embroidered into the side of them!
If you decide to take a quick trip to Vancouver BC don’t get it mixed up with Vancouver, Washington which is just north over the border from Portland, Oregon.
The Government has a website dedicated to the necessary travel documents for these Winter Games at www.getyouhome.gov . Have fun and take your hat and mittens!!!!
Good Luck to all of our Winter Athletes!!!
January 15, 2010
San Diego Panda-monium
Yun Zi
“Son of Cloud”
Born August 5, 2009, San Diego Zoo
Weight at 12 Weeks: 12.5 pounds
Male
The San Diego Zoo has announced the debut of another Baby Panda. The zoo has set up a ‘Panda Cam’ for you to see the cute 5 month old.
The San Diego Zoo has had a love affair with giant pandas ever since two of the black-and-white bears came to visit in 1987. After years of red tape and tons of application paperwork, the Zoo and China agreed on a 12-year research loan of two giant pandas, Bai Yun and Shi Shi. A brand-new exhibit area was built for the panda guests, which has since been expanded and renovated and is now called the Giant Panda Research Station.
When Portland Firefly was on the panda cam the other day, the baby panda was hanging upside down from a tree limb…. so-o-o cute!!!!
January 7, 2010
Portland Chinese Gardens
The Lan Su Garden is located at Northwest 3rd Avenue and Everett Street. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information: www.lansugarden.org .
January 2, 2010
Computer Travelese
In October, just prior to my trip to Spain, I made a list of many topics that I wanted to write about. My plan was to write while waiting to board my flights, while on the plane and also in the Hotel in the evenings.
Well toss all of that out the window; and here are the reasons why.
First of all, I knew that PDX has free wifi at the airport and I also checked Dallas and found out that they also have free wifi, so I packed up my little computer purchased just for the trip (and the chemo room) and took it with me.
PDX was great; there is free wifi available at almost every point in our award-winning airport. But I only had a few minutes to get online before my name was called for my first class boarding seat. No problem, I thought, I’ll nap on the way to Dallas, wifi at DFW and pay to wifi on the flight over to Madrid. Little did I realize that when leaving PDX, I was leaving the best computer experience that I would have on my entire trip for the nest 10 days!
The wifi at DFW is only available at certain kiosk locations and you need to have a USB port access cable. I tried to bring every accessory that I thought I would need for my little netbook, ( headphones, charger cable, European electricity adapter plug, serial numbers, etc.) but since this was my first outing with it, I never thought to include the small USB cable that I had never used and even had no idea what it was used for. So there it was at home while I needed it at DFW!
But I persevered. I discovered how to write some notes instead of accessing my blog on the internet; planning to copy the notes to my blog when I reached Spain so you would have something to read while I was gone. As you know, that didn’t happen either, because there was a period of almost two weeks where nothing was posted for you to read, because I couldn’t access my blog. Believe me, it was harder on me than it was on you!
My plan to blog on the flight from Dallas to Madrid was foiled because there is no internet service offered on International flights. That is the reason I ate, drank, and watched movies all the way to Madrid!!!
I figured that I’d catch up in the hotel which advertised free internet service in the room. Except they forgot to tell me that I needed … you guessed it… a USB cable. But… they would be happy to rent me a USB cable for 3 euros per day for my 3 day stay there! Not knowing what I might need at our time share on the Mediterranean, I decided that I might just be farther ahead to purchase a USB cable. I had seen an electronics store very near, so I went over there and purchased a 3 meter (long and very heavy) Spanish USB cable for 7.9 euros.
The internet access worked just fine in my Hotel room in Madrid, but I was unable to access my weblog for some ethereal reason. At the time share which charged an enormous amount of Euros for internet access for 24 hours (and where the noisy bar was the only place that you could access the internet) I also could not access my weblog.
Now I am starting to get caught up on some of the topics I wanted to write about. This was not going to be one of them, but I wanted to share my experience with you! Hope you enjoyed it! And be sure to take your USB cable with you when you travel! You know I will!
December 29, 2009
Hands Free Comes to Oregon
Oregon has several new laws which go into effect beginning this Friday, January 1, 2010.
The one which will impact drivers the most is the new “Hands Free” law. You can be fined $140.00 if pulled over for holding your phone while talking and driving. The same goes for texting.
House Bill 2377 prohibits all drivers from using a mobile communication device while operating a motor vehicle. A mobile communication device is defined as “a text messaging device or a wireless, two-way communication device designed to receive and transmit voice or text communication“.
“Under the new law, if you are over the age of 18, you may use a wireless device if you are using a hands free accessory that allows you to keep both hands on the wheel while you are driving. Drivers that are under the age of 18 may not use a wireless device in any case except specific situations such as an emergency or farming or agricultural operations. For other exceptions to the new law please use the link provided below to read the bill .” http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/hb2300.dir/hb2377.a.pdf
Also, you can be pulled over and fined for not having your seat-belt on in a parking lot. That goes for children. So the best thing you can do is enact a special rule for your car. State calmly and firmly, ” This car doesn’t start unless everyone has their seat belt buckled.” Then don’t say another thing, just sit there facing front with your hands on the steering wheel until each passenger buckles their seat belt. Once everyone is buckled, say enthusiastically, “Thank you! Now we can go ….. ( shopping, to the movies, out to eat) “ . You fill in the blank. You will see that it won’t take long for them to comply easily and regularly.
While you are at it, please make sure that your childs car seat is properly installed. Please pay particular attention to the booster seats. I was shocked to learn that most of them are unsafe and actually can cause more injuries according to a recent recall. In Kansas our local Fire Station personnel would check car seat installations for free. I don’t know about here in Portland. I do know that if you purchase your childs car seat from Segal’s near Teal and Murray in Beaverton, they will give you excellent service and make sure that your child is safe. http://segalsforchildren.com/
I have not ordered anything from the following website, but it contains info on hands free devices. www.handsfree.com. I understand that Best Buy is getting very low on its selection.
December 17, 2009
Ultimate Survivor Casting Call Today
Don”t forget …. Today at 4:00pm … Ultimate Survivor Casting Call at New Seasons Market in Happy Valley. Please see my prior post(12/13/09) for links to applications and information. Good Luck!!!!
December 13, 2009
Ultimate Survivor ~21~ Open Call
Koin Local 6 newschannel is conducting a casting call for people who want to be a member of the Survior Reality TV Show. The show is filmed in remote but beautiful locations and each week one person is ‘voted off the island’. The idea is to be in the final two so that the TV audience and the ‘voted-off’ cast members can choose you to be the winner of the million dollars!!!!
If you think you have the people skills, stamina and know-how to join this cast, then you should go to the New Seasons Market in Happy Valley this Thursday, December 17th at 4:00pm. You MUST bring a completed application with you as applications WILL NOT be provided at New Seasons.
Though the eligibility states to send your application with a photo and copy of your passport or proof that you’ve applied for one, in the case of the Open Calls, you do not need to provide those items. If you bring those items to the Open Call, KOIN Local 6 will include it with your application materials, but you will not be disqualified if you don’t have them.
You can download an application here : http://www.koinlocal6.com/sites/koin/pdfs/survivor/Survivor_Application.pdf Please note that the Application is 20, yes 20 pages long. The application as well as the game is not for sissies!!!! It also looks like you need to submit a 2-3 minute video.
You can go to this web site for a little more info: http://www.koinlocal6.com/content/survivor/default.aspx
Or you can go to this website: http://www.cbs.com/community/search/sitesearch.html?hitsPerPage=10&lang=en&query=survivor
GOOD LUCK and please let Portland Firefly know how you did!!! www.PDXFirefly.com
PS: Can you make fire?
November 19, 2009
Broken Fingernail?
My recent post about green tea reminded me of something that we would do as Flight Attendants.
Appearance is an important part of being a Flight Attendant because, lets face it, we are what I like to refer to as the ‘In-Flight Entertainment’. Passengers watch everything we do and this is most evident when we are serving beverages or meals. That means that you are watching our hands; so having nicely manicured nails was part of our appearance standards.
But what do you do when you are on a flight and you catch a nail on a galley carrier and your nail starts to rip off? One enterprising Flight Attendant came up with the solution that was always readily available to every flight attendant.
She took a tea bag and tore off a small part of the bag and applied it over the torn part of her nail. If no one had any nail glue, then we would use nail polish to secure the tea bag patch to help hold our nail in place until it could grow out or we could get to the nail salon.
This is a solution that I was most thankful for on many occasions and perhaps it might come in handy for someone else out there some day!
November 18, 2009
Puerta del Sol
The Governor's Building, Madrid by PDXFirefly
Here is a picture of the bustling Puerta del Sol, a busy pedestrian square in the heart of Madrid. This picture was taken on International Red Cross day and Spain’s Princess was in the tent accepting donations from citizens who then were able to have a photo taken with her.
November 17, 2009
Zero Kilometer
Zero Kilometer, Madrid by PDXFirefly
The country of Spain is roughly shaped like a circle with its capitol of Madrid geographically positioned in the center. In the heart of the old city is the Governors Building which is situated on the Puerta del Sol, a busy square akin to New York City’s Times Square on New Years Eve. On the sidewalk in front of this building is an emblem from which all distances in Spain and the Spanish Colonies are measured and for this reason it is called Zero Kilometer.
November 13, 2009
My Favorite Spanish Meal
Sunset Dinner at El Faro by PDXFirefly
While in Spain, My girlfriend and I ate many wonderful meals. In fact , I don’t think that we had a bad meal while there. But the one that keeps showing up as my favorite is the Paella that we enjoyed at our local restaurant on the Spanish Mediterranean Costa del Sol. The restaurant sits atop a rocky point and serves local fare. We ate there three evenings and each meal was better than the previous one.
The first time we ate there, I chose my Dorado fish out of the cooler. It was so tender and flaky and cooked to perfection. The second evening we ate there we both ordered the same thing – a wonderful kabob with salad and potatoes.
Paella by Portland Firefly
But we saved the best for the last visit there. We ordered their Paella. I think that our owner/waiter made our meal himself and outdid his creation. It was incredible; there were large muscles, tiny little clams, scallops, langostinos, shrimp, and tuna all swimming in the delicious creamy saffron rice.
