Language & Grammar discussion

...cold winter morning. [image error]

No, no. I sent her this pic, Gabs. It's Christmas morning from my back patio a few weeks back....

Newengland wrote: "No, no. I sent her this pic, Gabs. It's Christmas morning from my back patio a few weeks back...."

You forget I stood in that backyard. It was a chilly here today , but it was very clear. On my way home from work, I stared at the snow capped mountains on one side and the beautiful Pacific Ocean on the other.

Seattle is just plain cold. I don't have the right clothes for a high of 38 degrees.

Gabi wrote: "Is that the view from your house? Gorgeous! Thanks for that - it's quite uplifting!"

Yes that's our view. A big reason why we bought this house. It refreshes me every day.

Carol wrote: "Newengland wrote: "No, no. I sent her this pic, Gabs. It's Christmas morning from my back patio a few weeks back...."

You forget I stood in that backyard. It was a chilly here today , but it was v..."

I could see the snow on the San Gabriels where I used to live. I do miss that.

It was gorgeous. I was driving so I couldn't snap a photo. The snow level was down low. Joanne , I thought you lived in So Cal.?

I will try to take a picture from my back "patio" and upload it, but by the time I figure out how to accomplish such a feat, it might be 2020.

So... Ruth. If one looks very carefully at your horizon, there appears to be an island just to the right of those palm trees. What Island is that?

I'm happily (but freezing) in Seattle for my son's swearing in ceremony Monday. Claremont, CA is my much warmer home. The water is always cold in the northwest. I usually visit in May and August, I hadn't been here in winter for years. I gripe about summer in SoCal too, no pleasing me.

If it helps any, the snow is all but gone in Southern New England, thanks to 40's temp and light rain.

The January Thaw, maybe. (As if any of these old terms work anymore....)

Stephen wrote: "So... Ruth. If one looks very carefully at your horizon, there appears to be an island just to the right of those palm trees. What Island is that?"

That's Catalina. In the summer it's often too hazy to see it, but they tow it out of storage in the winter

Joanne wrote: "I'm happily (but freezing) in Seattle for my son's swearing in ceremony Monday. Claremont, CA is my much warmer home. The water is always cold in the northwest. I usually visit in May and August, ..."

So, what is he swearing about?

Being sworn in as Supreme Court Justice for Washington State, after being the first Mexican-American to win a statewide election in WA. Am I proud ? Pretty much.

Joanne wrote: "Being sworn in as Supreme Court Justice for Washington State, after being the first Mexican-American to win a statewide election in WA. Am I proud ? Pretty much."

Wow. That is so great! I am impressed no end.

Joanne wrote: "Being sworn in as Supreme Court Justice for Washington State, after being the first Mexican-American to win a statewide election in WA. Am I proud ? Pretty much."

And I am impressed no end as well, Joanne.

And Ruth, believe it or not, my family is congregating in the San Diego area this March for my niece's wedding. Whoo-wee!

(I'll be absent like Bueller.)

Newengland wrote: "(I'll be absent like Bueller. ."

"Skipping school and singing Beatles songs from parade floats?"

Oh come to the wedding, you old grouch! Then we can finally meet. I'm only an hour north of San Diego.

Would love to, but everyone's flying, and it's too far for Amtraking, given it's primetime school time in March. We don't get a spring break in March like the colleges do.

And wha-? Old grouch? Me? I'm about the happiest-go-lucky this side of the Mississippi!

Come on NE we would love to meet you and your wife. Shoot I will even drive to San Diego and pick you up. Jet Blue flys non-stop to San Diego or Long Beach. I'll buy you dinner.

I don't fly. I've been harassed about it six ways to Sunday night by the entire family, but hey -- at least they have someone to house sit everyone's houses back East.

Take a tranquilizer sit back and go to sleep. I will chaffuer you guys so you won't even have to rent a car, but you would have to stay around Huntington Beach or Fountain Valley until wedding.

San Diego has the USS Midway museum and all the museums in Balboa Park.
OC has lots to see also. So play hooky and come see us.

Come on NE, I'll visit my daughter in San Diego, and meet you too.

Gabi wrote: "Jesus, NE! All these women after treating and spoiling you and all you can say is"You don't fly"?

Mind you, if you do go and your family finds out about it, you are toast, no more excuses to avoid..."

When you look at it that way ,I suppose he does.

Thank God my family isn't on Goodreads.

Hahahahaha!!!

But WE are your Goodreads family.....and flying phobias are allowed, catered for and pandered to. You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to.......but what if there is a crash.....then we'll be all you have left.......heck......you might want to go too.....

Man, I've had EVERY pitch known to man thrown at me... or so I thought until now.

The best is to fly in a gurney with an anesthesiologist. Gas 5 minutes before take-off. Wake up at touchdown. And if she goes down, it'll be the wake up of a lifetime (er, deathtime)....

It would be nice to meet another one of our fearless leaders, but it is not to be. Debbie is right, we are your goodreads family for better or for worse. So get used to our meddlesome ways. Hahaha....

I'll be over as soon as I win Lotto and US Customs lighten up.......

No! But I have heard they are VERY heavy-handed, bossy and scary....and they wear guns.

He he. Yet another example of how America is perceived abroad! Just finished watching The Untold History of the United States and I'm particularly sensitive to our image abroad (again)

http://www.gadling.com/2012/05/23/rud...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...

http://www.fodors.com/community/unite...


http://forums.redflagdeals.com/utterl...

I think if you are of a certain ethnic backgroud, you are scrutinized longer and more often.
That's why my children no longer fly. My son was pulled aside and searched as well as my daughter. Me I had no problem, because I was white. I even carried needles on board and they didn't open my bags , just ran them through x-ray. You could see the needles in the x-ray. They never asked about them either.

Non-US citizens....even white ones....seem to end up on the end of intimidating behaviour though.....two of my colleagues (white NZers) travelling 10 years apart (one pre-2001..the other 2 years ago) both had very bad experiences....enough to make them avoid the US like the plague in future. If two NZ teachers that I know met similar experiences, it shows that there is an endemic problem.

Well damn, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Customs is made up of thugs? I know there is a problem with custom officers stealing from passengers. Don't put valuables in your luggage. I can't say that I blame people for not wanting to visit.

Carol wrote: "Well damn, we are shooting ourselves in the foot..."

Well with our gun control laws what they are we're kinda just shooting ourselves. Period (Full stop)

Who would have thought it? A country that used to have a political party called the "know nothings" made up of political xenophobes. Who've traditionally been isolationist right up until the time they went on an Imperial bender, and who twice elected a chief executive who couldn't pronounce nuclear correctly but stated in speeches "you're either for us or against us" is offputting to tourists?

Fancy that!

My apologies. I may have strayed into the "too political territory.

Stephen wrote: "My apologies. I may have strayed into the "too political territory. ..."


Not at all. I like having company over here.

Ruth wrote: "I like having company over here."

You mean on the Left coast?

Yep. In both interpretations of the phrase.

Go, Left Coasters

I'm moving to Ecuador.

South coaster?

Drink coaster. Oops, wrong thread.

You can live on $1,600 or there about. That includes housing , entertainment, medical, etc. Only thing is I speak muy poco Spanish. It is only a pipe dream, but it looks good on paper.

I think if I could pick any country to live in, this might not be it. Sacrilege, I know.

Heehee!! With Stephens and Carols and Ruths and NE's......it's almost enough to get me to think about braving US Customs one day:-)

Someone has to get brave. Provincial cowards like me hang within a 6-state radius.

The can't be worse than USSR customs, who frisked every bit of your luggage-----even when you were leaving the country.

USSR customs, as I've said before, just laughed at my passport picture. Assholes.