Of Rain glorious RAIN!!! ~~~~~

Hello My Darklings,

  I woke up early to a very rainy morning too.  but my head was foggy, and I had a slight headache, sinuses acting up.  Took forever to go away,  I didn’t want to get out of bed my head hurt so bad, but I forced myself, because I felt staying in bed would be worse, so took some Tynoldo (on an empty stomach, never do that again) and sought to get coffee, maybe I was having a caffeine withdrawal, I didn’t know, but I opened the door to the back porch deck and breathed in the wet air and began to feel better in my head although my stomach was begging for something warm, which I had with the coffee.

I listened to the rain and watched it as it came down, just listening to it, there was no other sound except the plink, plink of rain on things, a xylophone of sound, and how fast the tempo told me how fast and hard the rain came down.  I saw droplets on the thin branches of the plum tree  in my garden like crystal ornaments, and then the breeze moved the branches like a shaggy tree beast but no sounds until I heard a mournful robin issue a short song, perhaps trying to find its friends.  No freeway sound, no street sounds, no dogs barking, nothing, until a passenger jet flew overhead to land at one of the airports and then it was quiet again. 

Finally with the coffee and Tynoldo my headache and growling stomach quieted, and I breathed in the air again to wake up, took me long enough to do it.  As I watched the rain coming down I decided that today we would Not go to the grocery store nor would the dogs  get a walkie, much too wet, and the dogs do not like getting wet even with their rain coats on unless we insist they have their walk but it's very heavy rain so down go the doggie pads on the back porch for them.   I was glad I got the pot roast and milk yesterday between storm fronts, but either Monday or Tuesday we’ll get the rest.

Hmmm it may have to be Monday if the rain tapers off as we have a Doctor’s appointment on Tuesday in Concord for Doyle and I have one on Wednesday in Oakland to check my back --- Maybe Wednesday, we won’t be tired from a long drive during commute time.  Oh well, just have to see what the weather dictates, as long as it doesn’t rain on our medical appointment days.

Now the rain has stopped for a bit, so I've taken a check on my underground water cisterns that I use to water the garden during dry spells and they are full, not over flowing but nearly full one more good storm will do it, and I still have another to open up if more rain is promised.

I had a chance to talk to my brother this afternoon and he says that there are no leaks from the roof but he thinks a gutter or maybe all the gutters will have to be replaced, he was able to determine that a faulty gutter caused some leakage in the master bedroom, but once we're past the rains, he'll have the roof and gutter's replaced and the ceiling painted with a oil type based paint that will cover the stain.  No basement flooding and the garage does have a bit of a roof leak that will be attended too as well but at least livable for now.

I became restless last week and did a mid-week daytime road trip, it had been ages since I've gone to Half-Moon Bay so I traveled over and took note of the different nurseries and artist studios on Hywy 92, and discovered that Half-Moon Bay has sort of grown up a bit, feeling like a jaunt I turned south on Hywy 1 and decided to go to the little hamlet of Pescadero, there is a bakery there that makes the most wonderful sourdough French bread, and I felt the need for it. 

Although the sky was grey indicating the coming storm, I felt refreshed looking at the green grass and the mustard yellow of the fields,  the low coastal hills and fields on one side and the ocean on the other,  I stopped at several beaches just enjoying watching the waves rolling, frothing and crashing down.  The roar of the ocean was strangely soothing to me, almost hypnotic, it was only me and a immature gull as a companion, but mostly looking for possible handouts which I didn't have.

I was even joined by some red-winged black birds hopeful that I had something to toss to them, sorry darklings, not even a drop of crumbs.

And even my stomach began to growl and I remembered there was a deli in the bakery and possibly a small café open, and I continued on down until I saw the sign announcing Pescadero, est. 1858.

Going past  a few houses, a small farm with sheep and goats, a place that builds barns I came to Stagecoach Rd, that intersected the road, on one side a post office, a church a house or two, and on the left the one block long town, consisting of a bank, a bakery, a grocery, a tavern, houses, a craft store or two, an auto towing service and I knew there was a B & B beyond, but that was not my destination, the bakery was.

Choices of bread, honey, wine and tomato sauces greeted me and I needed to make my selections carefully, honey, tomato and marinara sauces and wine would keep but fresh bread never and making my purchases I happily stowed them into the trunk of my car, I walked over to the grocery store that I knew had a café in it and it was open so I had clam chowder and bread with tea for my lunch and found it filling.

I knew it was not the season for their small Farmer's Market nor for their crafts festival, but I walked the one and a half block length of the town just to enjoy it's quirkiness, and its peacefulness, and was surprised that there was a 2nd church at this other end of the road, I knew if I took Stagecoach Road it would take me to San Gregorio but I decided not to chance it alone, maybe sometime with Doyle.

Maybe stay at the B & B as well, I knew I had to bring my camera next time just to photograph this place before in time it too becomes part of Lost Americana, but I think with the efforts of the 600 plus folks in this community they will do their part to keep it just the way it is and preserve it as well.

I knew that with the frequent fog it would take on a sort of Dean Koontz, Steven King quality to it, but now it felt like a bit of forgotten England pre-world war 2.   It's moments like this that I wish I was a painter or a writer or a photographer, somehow being able to capture it how it felt part of now and part of "then".

But looking at my watch I knew I had to get back before the commute traffic made driving a frustrating task.  So drive back the way I came I found myself at the lower half of Hayward and taking back roads found myself home jiggery, jig picked up the 4 legged dynamic duo from my elderly neighbor and gave her a loaf of bread, honey and marinara sauce which she was happy to have as she was planning to make spaghetti for her visiting nephew that evening.

And I decided to do that as well since I had fresh ground round that I bought the day before.  Sis was grateful that I made dinner that evening as she had several difficult clients, Doyle said he was going to be late, so I held up starting it as Sis relaxed her toes and drank a glass of red wine, I decided to spoil her with Vampire Wine, I had picked up two bottles at the bakery Deli and since it was not going to be a problem cooking dinner we relaxed and then I started cooking while Sis made the salad.

I told her about my little road trip and she said she'd like to go with me next time, yes it is a far distance for bread but for clearing one's head, it's worth it.

And now I'm relaxing as laundry is being done but I hear in the distance siren and the blare of the horn of a fire engine, I hope it's not too serious for whom the siren screams.

Later Darklings

 

 

 

 

 

Of Sleeping outside~~~~

Well Darklings,

I never did tell you about our sleeping outside.

As I said before the heat was so horrible and it made our bedrooms so uncomfortable that we ate dinner and watched T.V. outside on the screened porch, but even my sister said that her house was too uncomfortable to sleep in even with all the fans on. 

Doyle as practical as ever brought up the sleeping cots that I have just in case we have an overflow, (mostly my Brother's gang of 3 boys), so Sis and I slept on the cots and Doyle and Brian slept on air mattresses out on the back porch, we did have access to the bathroom off of the Kitchen, night lights are always a blessing.

Weiner and Bella decided to sleep with the men folk, I called Bella a little traitor but she just looked at me with a practical look like "If you think I'm going to sleep on that tiny thing and fall off, think again, lady." 

And without further adieu snuggled onto the blankets on the mattress,  and I have to say we all slept very soundly and with a certain amount of comfort.

We woke the next morning to the smell of coffee and bacon Doyle taking upon himself to cook breakfast, it felt like we were camping in a way.  And with that Sis and I reminisced about camping with our parents, and the time we were traveling and had a hard time finding a motel that had a vacancy sign.

We finally found one but it was still in the midst of renovations, but we were so tired and the gas station across the street had closed for the night, after all  it was nearly 9 p.m. and Dad said we were down to an 1/8 of a tank of gas,  I don't even remember where we were going to for the vacation, Oregon I think to visit distant relatives, but Dad had the camping gear but we couldn't even find a camp ground. 

So Mom said "Motel" and we started looking.   It was an old motel, with individual cabins, the owner was apologetic about everything but he did have a cabin with kitchen that had two double beds, so Dad and Mom had one bed, Sis and I had the other and my brothers slept on this couch that folded out into a bed.

There had been heavy rain an hour before and we found ants in the door way, the owner gave us a can of Bug Spray, again saying that with the work being done and the rain a lot of things were not up to par,  and he and his wife were kind enough to have dinner for us, it was Meat Loaf, but it was good, so good my Mom asked for the recipe, which flattered the owners wife, and they gave us coffee, sugar and milk for the next day so we could at least have coffee and milk and they said they'd cook breakfast for us.   Dad offered to pay, but they wouldn't have it, but Dad snuck $10.00 under their telephone.

The next day Mom was perking the coffee as we kids got cleaned up when all of a sudden we heard Mom yell,  and hopping out from the kitchen area was a frog!!!   Dad was laughing but got a used face cloth and captured the little thing and took it outside to release it in some bushes, the Motel Owner came running after hearing Mom scream and he and Dad laughed over the tiny frog as Dad put it under a nice damp bush.

The owner told us that there was a near by creek that had frogs and this one must have wandered in somehow.  Mom said she heard a sound under the sink and investigated only to be startled by the frog, our brothers wanted to keep it but Dad said it wasn't fair to the frog.

Afterwards we had a nice breakfast and Dad again snuck some money under the telephone, and then gassed up the car as Mom packed everything.  Thanking the owners again for their hospitality we continued on our way. 

It wasn't until about 3 years later, we were traveling again to visit our relatives in Oregon and Mom said let's stop at that Motel and stay overnight there,  well we were there but the Motel wasn't, instead we found old burnt out buildings and a sign saying that it was going to be demolished.

The gas station was there so we knew we were at the right place, so we pulled in and Dad asked if there was another place to stay remarking about the Motel across the street, the Attendant said there was and even called ahead to see if there was room and there was so Dad talked to the clerk on the phone for reservations.

Then Dad came out and asked about the Motel across the street and how we had stayed there 3 years before.

The attendant shook his head and said "it was a bad thing."   He explained that the owners were very nice people, had the place renovated and was doing good business, even paid for a billboard so people would know about it. 

The wife had a brother who wasn't,  as the attendant said "right in the head", he came to stay for a week, which was fine as it was in January a very slow time, and the owners were installing new mattresses, so the brother helped out with that.  But late one night they only had one "guest" in the cabin next to their office home, and he heard yelling and screaming, then it stopped, the guest didn't think too much about it, and went to the bathroom in his cabin, then he smelled gasoline, he became alarumed grabbed his suitcase and stuffed his change of clothes into it grabbed his keys and shoes and threw them into his car, just in case,  he was in his bathroom and was walking towards the office to complain about the gasoline smell, which he said smelled stronger outside, when suddenly the office exploded into flames.

According to the attendant, the guest jumped into his car and drove across the street to the phone booth that was there at the gas station and called the fire department.  As he was calling the fire department the other cabins exploded into flames one by one.   The attendant said he only lived a block away and heard sirens and saw the flames and came running to the gas station thinking it was on fire.

When he got there he saw the man in his bath robe and the police and fire fighters, they were hosing down the buildings and looking for the owners when between the burning cabins the "crazy brother" as he called him comes running out and was yelling that they were evil and burning in hell all was hell and poured gasoline on himself and ran into one of the cabins before anyone could stop him.

The next day the found the bodies of the owners in the office part, and that of the brother in the burnt out cabin that he ran into.  Piecing it together it seems that the brother had stabbed the husband and wife to death, and then burned the motel.   It was known that the brother was "off" always claiming that he was being followed or that his sister stole things from him, now a days it would be called paranoid schizophrenia.

The guest said that he heard a man's voice yelling that "you're poisoning me!" and "I'm not going back," and a lot of other things that he didn't hear very well.  The miracle was that the yelling woke him up and then smelling the gasoline warned him something was wrong,  it was found that one of the locks on the pumps was busted and there were about a dozen burnt gas cans found at the scene.

I remember Mom saying out loud, "they were such a nice couple," and the attendant agreed, they had helped a lot of folks.   The motel that we did stay in was nice and very modern, and had a café next door, but it wasn't the same Mom said.

I reminded Sis about those two trips and she remembered it as well the funny part about the frog and then the sad part what happened later.

Then she reminded me about the trailer that Dad borrowed from a friend that we went camping in, a real vintage piece,  but that is a story for another time.

You know Darklings, I haven't been back there for ages, after that last trip our Oregon relatives moved to Arizona, so we traveled in a different direction---as a matter of fact that was the one we had the travel trailer.  But that is for another time. 

Tonight not so hot but we'll have grilled shrimp salad for dinner tonight and again on the back porch, dinning al fresco, then "Gotham" and "Sleepy Hollow" followed by "Blacklist" as we record "Castle".

Later Darklings

Of a long weekend and plans~~~~

Well Darklings,

Doyle and I are packed and we're going to take a chance on finding a place to stay in the wine country, we have the dish and glass wear packed for that consignment shop as well to donate.

Although Doyle is still on his 2nd round of antibiotics he's feeling pretty chipper, so if we just take it slow and easy we'll be fine.

We won't stay near Napa, because I feel that many places might be booked because there are tourists that want to see disaster sights and then say "There but for the grace of God go I"   as a matter of fact we don't know where the road will take us.

Doyle doesn't have to be back until Wednesday and the same for myself, so I made sure we packed enough for a week. 

So even though we are leaving a bit late, we'll have a late lunch in the wine country and see where the road takes us.

Have a safe, happy enjoyable Labor Day Weekend My Darklings

And remember the Spirit Store will be opening soon!!!

I can hardly wait, my inner spookiness is trying to come out!

Later Darklings.

Of Trains, Spirit Stores and Transit issues~~~~

Hello Darklings,

And Hello to you Undergroundfortea,   I have to agree traveling by train is the only way to see the country comfortably and in style, and I always prefer having at least a roomette, you can have your privacy, sleep in comfort without having to deal with a snooring neighbor or rude seat mates.  And you see sooo much of the country side, it gives you a better panorama of what our country looks like.....and all in comfort, no weight baggage issues, no long lines, hardly any delays, good food  and to be able to stretch out and walk around.

There have been times when I've had to go to L.A. or back East to visit family or relations but I've always taken the train and train travel has improved.  Many years ago I went back east by Coach----Never again, although service was very good, but having a roomette (at least) made it so much more Luxurious.

I have taken commuter trains when needed and that is not bad and its relaxing.  But flying, unless it was something of great urgency, I never fly.

And when you compare the cost of traveling by train, taking a plane or Greyhound Bus, the train wins everytime.   Unless you're going to a place where there is no train connections so its Greyhound.

Why one of the things Doyle and I plan on doing is taking the train to Yosemite, now the train doesn't go into Yosemite but there is a jumping off point where you catch the Yosemite shuttle into the Valley, then in touring the Valley and other areas you take the Valley tram, one does not need a car.   All one has to do is plan things carefully.

About the Spirit Stores, well with Blockbuster closing so many of them it does leave an opportunity for Spirit to make use of those locations,  they are usually easy to get to, have parking and easily spotted for the general public, it makes perfectly good sense.   I like them because if I see something in the Store and then when Halloween is over I can order it from the web site already knowing the quality of the product.  It can be very helpful.   And I am a tactile person, I like to touch or see the actual object before I commit myself to purchasing it.

I told Coralline on the phone last night and she is soooo looking forward to going,  and we are planning another shopping spree this coming weekend.  Well its just as much for me as it is for her.

About AC Transit.....it seems that Union and that particular Board was on the ball working out their negotiations, they saw the problems BART was having and they were not that far apart on issues and both were in agreement on many things.   At least common sense was working with them.  They were not going to the media but staying at the negotiation table until a final agreement was made.     So the Buses are running----Yeaaaa!!!  says a lot of my co-workers.  It will help with some of their commuting.   But we may have to fall back onto carpooling on Monday if no 60 day cooling off period is declared.

Yesterday the Director said to us that with the planning that we've made for such a problem, that it will be kept in place (that is on file) to have on hand for the possiblity of any other future transit strikes, that way the "wheel won't have to be re-invented"  we'll have a plan on hand and just do a little tweeking as needed.

And about that truck that caught on fire, it was an unusual situation, it does happen from time to time, its rare but not unusual.  It's just that it happened right at commute time and with a bridge they have to careful of the stablity of the pavement surface and it was also a sort of accident scene so all those things had to be looked into which caused further delays. 

But I have to say I have never seen such tempers fly like what was reported, it was pretty scary.

That is why I and many of my co-workers always have Plan B and Plan C in place,  and thank goodness for basic cell phone service to give family members the "heads-up".

But now I'll be getting my things together and hi-ho its off to work I go,  Sis is home today doing reports, but I'll be taking Belladonna to my elderly neighbor, the dear lady loves to fuss over the little darling.

Later Darklings

Jury Duty avoided---and traveling again~~~

Well Darklings I’ve escaped from an unbearable situation----JURY DUTY.

Do not mistake my relief about this as a desire to never serve on a Jury; I feel that it is everyone’s duty to endure this interruption in one’s life.

But frankly it could not have come at a worse time, and I won’t go into details.  And it make it worse it was going to be a civil case of someone being rear-ended by a car and claiming psychological pain and suffering.

How can one measure something that is so subjective?? 

I was brought up to “Hope for the Best, Expect the worst and Deal with what comes.”

If the injury is physical, which can be seen in an X-Ray or MRI then I’d feel better about it.  Soft tissue injury of course is something hard to determine, but to say that the trauma about being rear-ended has caused emotional trauma to one’s psyche----Please Darklings, give me a break!!!

I have been rear-ended at least twice, not happy about it, but with the exchange of insurance information at least satisfied.  Another time I was rear-ended and the person who hit me was not the owner, and gave false information.  But I made sure I wrote down the license plate number and tracked down the owner who had allowed his friend to drive the car.  To Small Claims court I took them to and I won.

But did I suffer emotional psychic trauma???  No, I was more mad as Hell than anything.

And I told them that---well of course I was excused, they didn’t want someone with that sort of idea in their head, which I was happy about, because the traffic on the freeway to get to the court house  and home was horrible both days and I knew was going to get worse.  Why it has to be at a court house that’s nearly 20 miles away I’ll never know, I called and asked if I could be assigned to a court house that was closer, I knew of two of them, “Sorry” they say “No change of assignments”.   How RUDE!!!

Now if this was a criminal case, it would have been more interesting, but still being forced to travel to a court house that’s 20 miles away and only being paid .34 cents per mile one way does not match the true cost of gasoline usage.  Of course if I had been picked, I would have figured out a way to get there without using my car, and see if I could “car pool” it home.

Alright My Darklings, my rant is over---but still a Criminal Case would have been far more interesting, but emotionally demanding.

But now I’m free for another year.

Halloween is only 5 days away!!!  And they are predicting Rain!!!  Pooh!!!  I hope not!

Anyway Doyle is putting our luggage and Belladonna’s things into his car (he’s driving), Belladonna is dressed in her doggie sweater and we will be leaving in a few minutes to go to the paranormal conference at Columbia State Park, no special expectations, but it should be interesting and beautiful this time of year.

And for now until Thanksgiving nothing special will be happening, I think, but you never know what might “pop-up”. 

Later Darklings

Going to a Ghost Walk~~~

Just a short post My Darklings,

Doyle and I are leaving in a few minutes with Belladonna in tow we are going to the historic Ghost Town of Columbia---they (the docents) are doing a Ghost Walk this weekend and we have made plans to attend.

Such a lovely way to help "kick off" the Halloween season.

We are hoping it won't rain this weekend but we are prepared for it---either way it will be a lovely, gothicly, drive there to the "Gold Rush Country" so many ghosts, so many old, old buildings with dark histories.

I'm already enjoying the idea.

Until a few days from now, take care my Darklings and have Gothic Fun.

Later, Darklings

How do you pack for a trip

Hello Darklings,

Doyle and I are making our arrangements for our weekend trips that are coming up and I’ve had several of you ask “how does one pack for a trip?”




The reason behind this question is that lots of time it’s a last minute washing of clothes and hurried packing for most people, fully understandable if it’s a last minute un-expected trip.



Whereas some of you have said that I seemed to not have that problem. Darklings trust me I do, but I plan for it.



One thing that helps me is that I am only packing for myself; I do not have to make sure a husband has packed his shaving kit or a toothbrush, extra socks or underwear or that the children have enough changes of clothing and all their medicines that might be needed for scratches, ear aches and other sundry aliments that children develop. For me as a single person that is not my worry, but it is a worry for all you “married” Goths, which I understand and fully sympathize with.



But Darklings, I do not have that burden of responsibility. And Doyle is a “big boy” all grown up so he’s on his own.



Another thing is that I rarely take the airplane; I prefer to drive or take the train, and because of that preference I do not have to worry about my shampoo, toothpaste or nail scissors being confiscated. And train travel is so much more relaxing and glamorous, besides I can get by without washing my hair for 3 days, but I always book a room on the train because I cannot do without washing my body.



Except for the recent accident train travel is relatively safe, not like traveling by car.



Now keeping in mind that I am packing for either train, and auto and not airplane I can tell you how I pack for my trips.



Let us say you are packing for yourself, you are either driving or taking the train or a more mundane type of travel taking the Greyhound bus (how plebian but sometimes necessary). With the Bus you should limit yourself to one large bag and a good size tote.



Since I have plenty of room in my home and I know I’m not going to be having any party plans, I set up my suitcases in my dinning room---the major suit cases are open on the table with a heavy duty bath sheet (oversize bath towel) covering the table to prevent scratches from the suitcase hardware. Smaller cases are opened and set upon the chairs.



With all of the cases open it would be easy to see what is going where. And depending on the type of travel will also limit the number of suitcases as well. Remember Bus travel is fine but you also have bag limitations.



Next take a look at where you are going, what do you plan to do, what might you be doing as well as the weather conditions.



Now I was planning on a couple of glamorous things like the Moonlight Dinner Wine Train and I wanted an evening gown for that, so that went into my vintage Samsonite suitcase which is set up with folding racks to hold it almost crease free, I knew what shoes and under garments to go with it so that went into the same bag, I pack the shoes in a cloth drawstring bag to prevent the soles from soiling anything else, I also pushed my nylons that were in baggies to prevent snagging, into the toes to keep their shape, as a matter of fact if you look at how shoes come packaged at the shoe store packing tissue into the toes are a good way to keep your shoes in shape when you have them on a rack in your closet.



I also packed another evening gown for any other event along with its attendant undergarments, the same shoes worked for both gowns.



Next I factored the number of days I would be out of town, taking into account the day I would leave and the day I would be returning, so that would tell me how many under garments (bras, panties etc) I would need, I also factored one extra set in case of an emergency. I was not planning on doing any laundry while I was on vacation, and I did not know if the places I would be staying at had laundry facilities, if you are planning to be on the road for a while and want to pack light, then knowing if a place has a laundry is very important. But I’d still pack at least 8 changes of underwear for a one week trip.



Then I looked at the weather conditions, so combining the weather conditions, the types of things I would be doing, I was able to figure out what clothing I would need to pack and types of shoes.



Going with a neutral palate mostly black with gray in the clothing, it was easy to accessorize with gold, silver and red. I had a lovely red scarf that was very versatile and my wide brim straw black hat for day use. The jewelry I wore was costume which looked simple and classic and easy to replace, never take your good expensive jewelry, keep that locked in your safety deposit box at the bank while you’re gone and if you are doing something rugged do not wear any jewelry at all.



Another neutral palate is tan and brown with cream or white in clothing.



So a good pair of walking shoes for street walking, sturdy comfortable tennis shoes for rough adventures (my river cruise was one of them), my bedroom slippers (low heeled mules they’re called), for evening wear but not in an evening gown, a pair of black low heeled shoes, slip on shoes for pool wear (I found a darling pair at Wal-mart) several pairs of socks for tennis shoes, and the walking shoes, several pairs of inexpensive nylons (this is hosiery not panty house, you need a good garter belt for this) for the evening gowns and skirts, knee high socks to wear under the better slacks, bras, underpants, garter belt (I never wear panty hose); nightgown and robe, 3 pairs of slacks, 1 calf length skirt, 1 jeans (in black), 1 red shawl (light wool); 5 blouses in black (wash and wear always helps, two of them long sleeve for dressier evenings), 8 t-shirts in black with long sleeves, one gray sweater casual and one black sweater slightly formal, one bathing suit and cap (so hard to find), and a terry robe to wear over the wet suit to soak up water and a towel if you are at a place that does not offer pool towels. I used the terry robe mostly when I was in the outdoor Jacuzzi. I also had a set of lounge pajamas if I felt just laying around in my bedroom reading or watching television during the early evening.



All my night things for bed and lounging as well as my regular undergarments I put into one bag, my slacks, blouses, t-shirts and jeans and the two sweaters and shawl and scarf I put into another.



The items for my evening gowns I put into the same bag as the gowns plus my skirt.



My swim suit and robe, beach towel and pool shoes I put into another, you can include a simple drawstring bag to hold your glasses, sunscreen, and a book for the pool. If you can find a drawstring bag with a waterproof inner lining that helps for when you have to leave and your swimsuit is not dry, you can pack it in that bag and keep the dampness away, then when you arrive at your next destination or home take the damp things out to air dry or toss the bag with the damp swimsuit and towel into the trunk of the car, this will keep the interior of your suitcase dry.



My other shoes I put into another bag and each pair of shoes had their own draw string cloth bags to prevent them from rubbing against each other. You can roll up socks and stuff them into the shoes to help with their shape; nylons should be put into zip lock baggies to prevent them from snagging.



My cosmetics and such I put into another bag including my hot curlers and medicines for upset stomach, scratches, cuts, eye drops etc. I have a small jewelry bag that I put into the suit case that carried my evening gowns.



I also had three purses, one for my formal evening gown, one for evening but simple in style and one for day when I was shopping, wine tasting, seeing the sights or on the road. The two dressier purses were put into cloth draw string bags to protect them from damage and were placed in the Samsonite bag with the evening gowns.



Now if where I was going was experiencing cold weather and/or rain I would include a raincoat or trench coat, as well as a very warm coat and shoes for rain and an umbrella or rain hat although the rain hat is more versatile.



Now some people would say that is far too much but I was gone for almost two weeks on my first part of the trip and then a week for the second part. On the second part I didn’t need an evening gown and I could pair things down quite a bit.



But it was so nice to use my Granny’s Samsonite and my Diane Von Furstenberg luggage. Granny’s also included a cosmetic case which I put my curling iron into. Of course while in Lodi I did not take the Samsonite, but because I had purchased so many things I did buy a Jennifer Lopez weekender bag to hold all those things in one area, as a matter of fact it is wise to buy a collapsible duffel bag like at Wal-Mart to hold your purchases and souvenirs that way nothing gets lost, or use collapsible crates but I had them filled with larger purchases.



For used laundry I had a large mesh laundry bag which held everything except the nylons, the used ones I put into a labeled baggie then into the mesh laundry bag, the evening gowns of course were put back into their suitcase for careful dry cleaning.



A number of places offer irons and ironing boards, but some places don’t. I would call or check on line to see if they offer that and laundry services as well. But if you are driving and going some place that does not have that amenity, I recommend buying a small portable ironing board that can be set on a table and a light weight iron, not those travel irons, they are next to useless.



I have to say that it is nice to be able to stay in one place and from there go forth and look at all the sights there are to see, which, if I could have done that I would have, but I had to decide on the length of time of things and my finances.



But next time I will plan to stay at one place and settle in nicely there.



Since Doyle and I are going on several weekend trips, leaving Friday and coming back Sunday I will use only one bag and that will be the Jennifer Lopez weekender.



Packing for a weekend is different, again a bag for laundry, and again looking at what will you be doing and what is being offered at where you’re staying. Since the weather will be cool I’ll be packing one pair of jeans for day and one pair of black slacks for any fancy dinning, if we do that. However Doyle has suggested that I pack a 2nd pair of Jeans for just in case.



Simple fold up slippers and flannel pajama’s and a flannel robe, after all we are staying in a rough and tumble location, my walking shoes will double for dinning out when I wear my slacks, nothing overly fancy, warm long sleeve sweater tops, and a couple of tee shirt tops, a warm jacket for the ghost walk, and a heavy sweater for day. And 4 changes of underwear, and 4 pairs of socks. A warm scarf and a “boonie hat” for day to keep the sun out of my eyes. The boonie hat folds up and packs nicely, and sunglasses for daylight, always a plus to save one’s eyesight.



This selection may change if the weather remains very warm during the day although I do know in the hills it tends to get very cool.



But for any weekend you need to plan again on the events that you will be doing and the weather, your choices maybe different or similar.



If you are packing to get as much as possible into a small bag for a plane trip then rolling your clothing neatly is the best way to conserve space, stuffing socks and/or ties, or scarves into shoes help, but putting cosmetics into baggies help prevent spillage, some people suggest packing things such as underwear and shoes into large clear baggies, that way if you have to take things out of your bag at an airport things can be clearly seen, and things are not messy and minimum delay at the security check points. Some people have also suggested that if possible buy your hair shampoo, deodorant, nail clippers and toothpaste at your destination.



No matter what you do, you have to decide what you cannot live without when you travel, for some people it is a sleep mask or neck pillow. Because my skin is sensitive I have to have a fresh bar of Dove Soap for Sensitive skin and hypoallergenic hair shampoo, the same with deodorant, and a bottle of Aveno cream for my hands and feet. And gloves for day and night, for warmth and to protect my hands, I wear cheap cotton gloves, such as those used by photographers or archivists, at night after I put on my hand cream in the evening.



Gloves my Darklings are so important, to protect one’s delicate hands, I use them for gardening, cleaning, washing dishes, that way they never become dry and chapped.



For packing for a business trip will be completely different and I’ll cover that in another post.



The website Travellerspoint at www.travellerspoint.com/packing-tips.cfm offers an excellent series of ideas on packing for any length of trip.



Doyle would love for us to stay at either the Yosemite Lodge, the Wawona or the Ahwanee when we plan to go to Yosemite, but that won’t be for a couple of years, I think the Ahwanee would be very lovely to stay in while we take in the sights of the Valley. Dinner at the Ahwanee I would have to have either my better dresses or evening gowns, it depends on how I feel and what events we’ll be seeing.



But we’ll have to see how the Hanta virus is going to unfold. And unfortunately they do not allow dogs in the rooms but they do have kennels near the stables, but I would prefer to have Belladonna stay with my sitter or a very good boarding kennel.



For the Avenue of the Giants and Trees of Mystery, I’d have to find a nice place to stay while we tour all of that, as well. Plans to be thought of, places to consider, research to do.



Later Darklings.

Vacation Diary 6A~~~a Dancing Fox and JLo

I know Darklings what a combination,

I didn't think I'd post so soon but right now I'm unwinding after a busy day, then I will freshen up and go to dinner.

I've had the most fun in my wine tour, meeting people and discovering things.  Lodi appears to be the Zinfandel capital of the world and by going to the Chamber of Commerce it's like being at a huge wine tasting, so many varieties on display.  They really push it.

The Thursday Farmer's Market occurs in the evening, when things cool down and it was a wonderful experience with food, handcrafted items, entertainment, quite the event.  But Lodi in the San Joaquin County has like Napa, Calistoga and Sonoma and parts of San Jose, the perfect conditions for wine growing, but the evenings tend to be very cool after the hot days in Fall, so having a heavy sweater does pay off.

I bought so many things that I had to buy another suitcase,  I didn't bring my Samsonite as I wasn't planning to use an evening gown, but Lodi is not very back watered either---my concierge directed me to a Kohl's Department store in town where I found a roller weekend duffel bag in the Jennifer Lopez collection in Cheetah Print---growl!  Just perfect for all you Gothic animals out there.

And perfect for me if I plan to use just a weekender,  I've been in touch with Doyle and he says he has several weekends planned for us in October so for me to be prepared to travel some more, which I'm looking forward to.

Several times for lunch I went to the Dancing Fox Deli, I know Darklings, what an unusual name, but evidently its after the fable of the "Fox and the Grapes" and I remember as a child when I and the family was camping, one twilight evening my father and I went to a meadow and we saw a pair of foxes and they were hopping around like they were dancing, it was a special magical moment that I and my father shared

But getting back to the Deli I have to say that each time I have had an excellent lunch, I was told by a regular that sometimes it varies depending upon who is the cook or food preparer, but I have not been disappointed, their cranberry salad has become my weakness.

And I have found several brands of Zinfandel to add to my growing wine collection.  Doyle has also told me that my other weakness, Pumpkin Spice Latte is now being offered at Starbucks---the timing seems so perfect I think I died and went to heaven.

I know Darklings it may not seem so Gothic but wine and knowing good wine is an experience one should have, it is the "blood of the earth" as some people have referred to it and the pressing of the grapes signals the beginning of the end of the growing season, to be followed by the culling or slaughter of the herds and the preserving of the fruits, vegetables and meats for the hard dark winter that comes, it signals the dark period to come.  And for us to survive we must drink the "blood of the Earth".

Now I'm going to get into the shower and head out for dinner,  I'm going to indulge at the Wine and Roses Restaurant one last time, and then tomorrow home again.  But Doyle will spoil me a little when I get home and I'll be happy to see Belladonna, I bought her a sweater that's black with skulls and cross bones knitted into it perfect for Halloween or a Goth dog.

Later Darklings

Vacation Diary Part 4 A~~thoughts as a child and now~~~

Hello Darklings,


I’ve had several people ask me on my trip how did I transport my wines, since keeping them in a car that can get very hot can destroy the flavor of the wine and turn it into vinegar.


It’s easy really; I don’t keep it all the time in the car, only when I’m transporting it.


I’ve purchased several canvas bags that are partitioned to carry up to 4 bottles of wine, these bags I padded with extra padding used for quilting, this helps prevents the bottles from cracking. Since I was going to several wineries in one day I also had a very large cooler packed with blue ice, the blue ice I put into heavy duty freezer bags to prevent the labels on the bottles from becoming wet or damp. I’d put the bottles still in the canvas bags into the cooler as I went to the next winery.


Although not perfect I have done this before and it has prevented any spoilage.


Now most of my hotel rooms have a refrigerator, so when I return to the hotel I move the wine out of the cooler in the car and put it into the hotel room and turn the air conditioner on to keep the room cool, and then I go back to the cooler to get the blue ice and put it into the refrigerator over night.


So all perishables go with me into my hotel room and any non-perishables I keep in a collapsible crate (it looks like a milk crate) in the trunk of my car, with the exception of the perfumes and jewelry.


When I travel I travel with at least two collapsible crates and one large cooler in my car trunk, I put my luggage into the trunk as well, what doesn’t fit I put on the floor of my back seat and cover with a very dark colored blanket that matches the color of my car floor so that way it’s not easy to see.


If I am going to stay more than over night then everything is put into my hotel room, otherwise it’s just the perishables and what I’ll need for the next day.


When I go grocery shopping either at the store or farmers market I do the same thing, it’s very good for frozen or refrigerated items and the crates prevent smaller items from rolling around or becoming squeezed or damaged, especially bakery goods. It’s amazing how well things can be preserved without too much worry. Of course with cakes you have to be carefully with the type of frosting, some types will melt and side off but I can’t remember if its butter cream or another kind of frosting, I’ll have to look it up.


If I have a lot of shopping I determine what sort of day its going to be, if its the farmer’s market, then I combine it with the grocery store and everything comes home and gets put away, then I go out again to finish my shopping. This is because most farmer markets open early in the morning and close early.  There is one that is open from May through September in the evenings, and I do enjoy that one espeically if the days have been hot.


But if I’m only purchasing at the grocery store then I do my other errands first and then finish at the grocery store.

This is where planning your trips maximizes your time and fuel usage. This is something I remember from how my Mother did her shopping. But we did have an advantage one of our major grocery stores was only half a block away so we walked to it, as a matter of fact our home was only a half a block away from the business district so it was easy to walk to everything.


My father took the bus to work, if Mother wanted to go shopping at one of the major stores to get clothing for me and my siblings she’d take the bus to go “Down Town”, because that is where the major stores were like Capwells, Sears, Montgomery Wards, J.C. Penney’s, Rhodes, Goldman’s, Brunner’s, I. Magnin, Macy’s, and San Francisco’s magnificent City of Paris store. If we went to San Francisco to shop we were not going Down Town, we were going to “The City”.


How I remember how we did that. My brother thought shopping was boring, so Mother would have a neighbor baby-sit him, usually someone that my brother was friends with their child to play with, and Mother would reciprocate later on. She’d take me and my sister because we loved to shop and we were always on our best behavior, because if we misbehaved we would not be able to go next time she went Down Town or especially to “The City” so we were always good.


We dress up in our Sunday best for that type of shopping, how I remembered being so awed at the stain glass ceiling of a ship plowing through the waters at the City of Paris store, it was a rarity to go there but once in a while we did. One time we went there to get a Samsonite traveling suit case for my Grandmother and a good traveling suit, she was flying back east to visit relatives she had not seen in ages, and she wanted to look her best.


I still have my grandmother’s suitcase, as a matter of fact I used it during this trip of mine, but Grandma was buried in her good traveling suit, I remember how lovely she looked in it when she went back east, and how lovely she looked in it when we buried her wearing it. As a matter of fact, Mother went to a florist shop and bought an orchid corsage and pinned it to Grandma’s suit before the casket was closed.


One of my aunts’ remarked that ‘Grandma looked like she was going on a trip’. I felt that was a beautiful thought. When my Mother died I did the same thing and just whispered to her, “Mom, I know you are on a trip with Dad, enjoy it, I’ll met up with you eventually. Don’t worry I have the map, I’ll find you.” And some day I will.


But all those wonderful stores that were Down Town are gone, now it looks like a bunch of Ghetto stores, nothing wonderful anymore. Of course San Francisco’s Union Square has their stores, but the feeling is not quite the same. And I find Shopping Malls very distasteful, seeing people dressed with clothing that hang off the hips, showing butt cracks, muffin tops, bellies hanging over a waistband, not shaved, or with bed-head hair, flip-flops and no style. I’ve found when I walk into a better store such as Macy’s the sales staff seem a bit in awe of me, I guess wearing a hat, gloves, that have a retro feel to it is a bit startling. But I’ve noticed that the staff stand up straighter, are more helpful and generous with their time.



When I go to the grocery store I always have a bagger wheel my cart for me and help me load it into my car, and many of them know that I tip them for that service. They always refuse the tip but I always make sure they get their tip, especially now when times are tough.


I have always said that it pays to be classy and observe the niceties; you’d be amaze at what excellent service you get. You don’t have to be a millionaire, just classy---Steve Jobs’ jeans and black t-shirt? Forget it, that’s only if you’re working on your car, in the garden, cleaning the house or oven, or dumpster diving.


And now I’ve confirmed all my plans for the next leg of my vacation, poor Belladonna is not going to be happy, frankly I'm not happy leaving her behind but she’ll survive, she'll be safe with her sitter,  but I have to confess it does feel good to have her snuggle up to me, especially on these cool fall nights.

I will post, hopefully from my location in Lodi or when I return I am not sure.  The good thing is I will not be leaving until Sunday, which gives me and a friend of mine a chance to attend a vintage fashion show Friday evening,  I know I'm going to have fun with that.
Later Darklings

Vacation Diary Part 4~~~~~

Well Darklings,


I finished my last day up in the Napa wine country with a flourish, and maybe did a bit too much, but with so many things to see on the last day I did not want to miss a minute of it.

Getting up early and having a quick breakfast, I left to go to my first event, which was a Senior’s Yard Sale of all things, funds raised go to various senior activities at this Senior Citizen Complex and I was very glad I got there, I did a quick look around and purchased a few retro items but my best haul was this one elderly lady that was laden down with a couple of heavy bags which she finally put on her table, it turned out that she had perfumes and colognes for sale, she couldn’t wear them because it caused her to sneeze violently, she had them priced so cheaply and many still were in their original boxes, I bought most of them for twice what she was asking.



I told her I collect perfume bottles, but really how often can one get a brand new, unopened Georgio Red, Bulgari or Elizabeth Taylor’s Black Pearls for $1.00 a bottle??!! Not often. So I paid $2.00 a bottle and as my Daddy would say “Made out like a Bandit!” Now some of the more girly, girly perfumes geared towards the teens, I left but I purchased 2/3’s of her stock. She said I was paying too much but I told her that it’s going towards a good cause and she was happy.



I did another quick walk around and then went to my next stop The American Folk Art Festival at the Madonna Estate Winery, they were featuring their release of their Hallo Vine Wine, an estate bottled 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, plus a wine and chocolate tasting as well as excellent foods and artistic and antique items for sale, I had an early lunch there, enjoying the activity, sights and sounds, it was a wine fest for the eyes, ears, and taste buds; Proceeds to support a local community theatre. I bought a bottle of their estate wine, if nothing else to help support their efforts. It seems they have this every year at about this time of year.



From there I went to the “Just Be Claus” Fall Extravaganza at the American Legion Hall, again another fund raiser, and purchased some home made preserves, and some pot holders for my kitchen. It was handmade decorations and specialty foods and such for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, but there were some goodies I could not pass up.



I managed to get an early dinner at a Mom and Pop restaurant (more of a burger joint) that I came across, really a small place, and I wish I had written down the name, but I had the most delicious juicy hamburger with melting Swiss Cheese, and instead of fries they offered a refreshing Cole Slaw that made me think of some of the “burger joints” my Dad and Mom would stop at with us kids on a Saturday afternoon, I felt myself carried away to wonderful loving memories.



“Mom” told me that they get their meat fresh every day, “none that frozen stuff” she said and the same with the Slaw, they were in their late 60’s and I found myself chuckling when some other “ol’ timers” came in and I heard the words from “Mom” going to “Pop” calling out “Order Up! Burn two take them through the garden and put a rose on it!” which meant two hamburgers with lettuce, tomatoes and onions (the rose).



Another old timer came in grabbing a cup and pouring himself a “cuppa joe” then going to a booth to join the two other men. My order was “Burn one, take it through the garden forget the roses add Cowbells” which meant a hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes no onions but put Swiss cheese (Cowbells—Swiss) I felt as if I had been transported back in time, in a way I almost hated returning to reality but I knew I had to.



I finished up my excursion by going to a Jewelry Trunk show and Conn Creek Wine tasting at the Grand Hand Gallery, there were many one of a kind pieces, some a little pricey, but I found the most magnificent ring, it was worth going into debt for.



On Monday my trip home brought back the realities of the traffic and congestion that 880 has to offer, so it was a good thing that at Cordelia Junction I turned off and took a different route home, granted it can be a bear as well but nothing like dealing with going past University Avenue and Berkeley, that is total insanity. I quickly unpacked my car putting away my treasures in the cellar that I’ve had set up in the basement, and my preserves in my pantry.



Laundry was sorted and the first load ran, I called and left a message for Doyle that I was home, then I went to pick up my little Belladonna. She was soooo happy to see me. I gave my sitter some gifts for her and she told me of how things had been in the neighborhood. I made arrangements with her to baby sit when I leave again the following Sunday, Belladonna will not be happy, but on my next trip I plan to take her with me. Then home again, to face the mail and the bills. Doyle came by and said he would take me out to dinner so I’d not have to cook on my first day home and I snuck little Belladonna in her doggie carry all as well, I did not want to leave her home alone after I had been gone for so long.



Doyle made arrangements to have my car serviced and checked out, and make sure its running fine, bills paid, junk mail shredded, newspapers re-cycled. I shared with Doyle what I discovered and regretted that he could not come with me, but he has a case he needs to work on. But we’ve made plans to go back later in the year and with Belladonna.



Doyle said I looked refreshed and invigorated, I said that going on a trip is fine but one needs to be grounded in reality as well.



I know Darklings, did I do anything Goth? Not really with the exception of finding dark rich red wines, touring Castles, discovering the power of nature, and being totally hedonistic with massages and treatments from the Dr. Wilkerson Resort and Spa and at the Whitehouse Inn, it was so wonderful, that I really didn’t want to leave, so sybaritic. All I can say is that I will post their links and you can find your special “Lotus Land”.

On my next post, I’ll only be in Lodi but staying in two different locations. Doyle said I should look into the wineries in Livermore in the future. Livermore---home of the Livermore rodeo, cowboys and wine? Who knows?

I think next year I will tour North again to the Trees of Mystery and the Avenue of the Giants, become lost in the redwoods, walk along Moonstone Beach, perhaps spot Bigfoot, cut over to see the Devils Post Pile, who knows where my travels will take me.


Later Darklings

Vacation Diary Part 2~~~

Well Darklings,

Let me fill you in on what I’ve done so far.

Currently I’ve had a very wonderful indulgent stay at the White House Inn, a very upscale Bed and Breakfast with Spa, for the last 4 nights, I leave tomorrow morning for my next destination in my little trip
Previously I had a lovely stay at the Best Western In At The Vines, they are pet friendly and child friendly and not only recreational oriented but business oriented as well. I’m recommending it to several business friends of mine.

I arrived early last Thursday the previous week, so I had a chance to settle in and do some shopping in down town historic Napa. There are so many shops to choose from, but having arrived early for check in I made sure that my reservation was set, left my luggage with the concierge and decided on a lunch on the Napa River.

This led me to the Napa General Store where they offer river front dinning
I purchased things at the Napa General Store, one would think they sell old-fashioned things but it’s not like any general store I’ve come across. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as box lunches (must be ordered in advance) wine tasting as well as an assortment of décor items.

I fell in love with and purchased a pair of antique tile and wrought iron candle scones that I’m planning on putting into my greenhouse in the future. For now I’ll keep them stored and labeled.

I had the pleasure of indulging in their wine tasting a few days later. There were other shops I went to after lunch and the walk did me good, it is important to have good street walking shoes that don’t look like tennis shoes and will hold up to all kinds of street wear. I’ll switch to tennis shoes if I know I’m going to be doing something rough, but if you are into serious hiking then shoes specific for the terrain is very important.
I discovered another nice little place to stay called the River Terrace Inn right on the Napa River, and from the reviews I’ve read it seems to be a wonderful place to stay. So I’ll put that on my list as well for future trips.

For dinner that evening I did plain budget dinning at the Denny’s restaurant near the Best Western Hotel, while not an overly extravagant Hotel it was a very nice stay.

The only problem that I had that first night, was a small child that was having fun in running up and down the hall for over 10 minutes, which is fine except that it was 10:30 at night. When I stuck my head out to find out why this munchkin was running, a parent came out saw me, apologized, and said her child had ADD or ADS (attention deficient syndrome) but taking a look at him with his freckles and red hair I figured it was more like a case of serious mischievousness, although one should not judge, there are children with that problem, but I do suspect that some that have been diagnosed with that really are not and it just becomes a convenient label. If that sounds judgmental, I will not apologize; I’ve been around enough children and their parents to know the difference.

And considering it was 10:30 p.m. a time when all good 6 year olds are in bed, the mother was a bit discomforted when she saw me in my black silk nightgown and robe ala 1930’s and although I’m in my 60’s my face has not fallen in or wrinkled (good genes and good care) and I was wearing my black satin mules which gave me a little height. So after she apologized I looked at her and smiled showing my perfect teeth (also well maintained and brightened) and said (and I love this line) “I love children too, usually medium rare with a good Chianti and a side of fava beans.”

I loved seeing the mother’s face and then I said “It is time for all good little people to be in bed, but he is so cute I could just eat him up.” And still smiling I said “Goodnight” and closed the door.


Needless to say the child did not run in the hall after that evening or any other time while I stayed there. When the parents saw me the next day they pulled their child very close to them after I looked at them, nodded and smiled.

That next evening I had the most wonderful experience on the Napa Valley Wine Train with their Moonlight Dinner special. I managed to get a seat in the Vista Dome car as one party had only 3 people, their 4th was unable to come on the trip with them. They were pleasurable companions; one even remarked that I reminded him of a movie actress from long ago, especially since I was in evening dress, I told him that I love the styles of the early to mid 20th century as it had class, which flip-flops, saggy jeans and exposed muffin waists have destroyed. And although I maybe overdressed I felt I should indulge in glamour since there is so precious little of it in this world today. He and his companions nodded and agreed.

I had suggested that we not talk politics as everything on the political front was see-sawing and it seems they were very happy with that suggestion so we talked about wine, and history, places to stay, places to see. I gained a lot of information for future trips, as well as suggestions for my current trip.
They told me about the Wine Train’s mystery tour which they’ve booked tickets to and were bringing some friends, unfortunately I could not get on that one in time.

All too soon the trip was over, and I drove back to my Hotel. I found myself restless, so still dressed in my evening gown I walked about the pool and lounge area, of course some of the staff were a bit puzzled by my appearance there, but a charming gentleman came out and asked if I would like to share a pot of coffee or tea, I said yes, he brought out two cups and a small tea pot with sugar, cream and lemons on a tray, I had no idea who he was but he was younger than me but older than the desk staff, I suspected at first he might have been a night manager, he said he wasn’t but a frequent business guest although he seemed to have some sort of pull with the staff.

We sat and relaxed drinking our tea looking at what star light there was with some noises from a guest or a passing vehicle. We talked about things, he asked what I---a woman alone was doing, and I said “Traveling, enjoying things, being me.” He said that he had seen me check in the other day, and was surprised to see that I was using vintage Samosonite Luggage, I told him of my interest in vintage things but that my work required me to be in the here and now.

We talked of film noir, vintage cars, wine, and romance. When the conversation turned towards romance I looked at him with an upraised eyebrow and asked “And this is leading to?” He looked embarrassed, admitted to me that he was smitten by me, inwardly I laughed, a younger man smitten by me? I thought at first he was ‘playing me’ but I could see that he was earnest.

I said to him “Darkling, I think you are smitten by the ideal of something long past and you wonder how can you gain it back” which was true. So I suggested some things to him suspecting that he is married, and told him that life must always be a balance of work and of love or family, if you have children then within that portion there must be a balance between being the father and being the lover.

I suggested that he and his wife look into finding a very reliable sitter especially for the upcoming months and around the holidays. “There can be fun family things, but intersperse that with romantic things, don’t allow your work to overwhelm your private life otherwise you will have no life.”

He said that he felt that some things were taking some of fun out of life and was making life for him and his wife a bit of a drudge. He said that he and his wife love vintage things but wondered how to incorporate it, with two active boys, his daughter loved old things but that wasn’t a problem with the daughter because she was in harmony with her parents; it was mostly his and his wife’s interest and dealing with the boys, I said “Start with rebuilding a vintage car, have your boys learn all about restoration. Show off the car in parades, join a vintage car society, then get involved with an Art Deco Society, tame the boys and teach them etiquette, get them away from video games and really into life.” He thought about it.

I had the pleasure of seeing his face brighten, he had an answer, and he knew what to do, He became so excited about the idea that he gave me an enthusiastic kiss, and then began to apologize for it, but we laughed and I said that I did enjoy it and was glad to have given him some creative ideas. I said my good nights to him and walked slowly back to the elevator and to my room without looking back.

I did not turn on the lights in my room, but instead sat in a chair looking out the window at the moonlight, and finding myself smiling. I can still invoke something in a man even at my age. I knew I wasn’t being played, the look on his face told me that.

Did I feel disloyal to Doyle? No, because I was meant to meet this man, to give him advice, to be, for a fleeting moment a romantic (I hope) dream and then to disappear from him forever. Kismet some would say. Fate others would say. Inevitable I say.

I did not see him for the remainder of my stay, which was all to the good. In the matter of a couple of days I had a lovely little adventure.

I’ve been at the Whitehouse Inn for a few days taking in other wineries and a few adventures and at the moment relaxing and feeling very hedonistic. As soon as I can I’ll post further what I’ve been doing once I’m settled at my next location. I hope to be able to tell you of some of the wineries I’ve been to.

Later Darklings.

Vacation Diary Part 1 A~~~~

Well Darklings,

Just a brief addendum to my mini-diary.

I'm now at the Whitehouse Inn, have been here since Monday afternoon, I hope to post more tonight.

Met a very nice young man at Inn At The Vines a few days ago before I left to come here.  And was given a few suggestions of things to see.

It's been very warm up here, which makes it great for wine growing, but I've seen other fruits of the trees here as well.  Although there has been a marine layer in the Bay Area that has tempered some of the heat.

I was told by Belladonna's sitter that the temperature in the San Francisco bay area has been mild to cool between the upper 50's to mid 60's  that is why when you come to visit San Francisco be prepared to layer on and wear warmish clothing and then peel off as you leave the bay area, for any of you who plan to visit.

Now I must go, I have a few places to visit and hope to use the wifi to blog tonight for a more in depth update.

Later Darklings

Goth Vacations~~~

Well Darklings,

Summer is half way over, and here where I live it has been cold, or very, very mild, unless one goes further inland to experience any heat.

Unfortunately I’ve not had a chance to travel being busy with work and home renovations, but I take my one day trips when and where I can.

But I’ve been asked where would an Elder/Elderly Goth go for a vacation?

I’d have to say one has to first consider your general health and physical condition—those are the two most primary concerns, the next one of course is one’s pocket book.

Secondly:  do you want to tour the United States, Europe or someplace else, other than outer or inner space?

Alright so let’s say you are in good physical condition, love to walk, then almost any walking tour that specializes in Ghosts, Hauntings, vampires, or Jack the Ripper would be good.

With that in mind you can chose a destination city and Google in what they have to offer as well as what is it that you want to tour, is it hauntings?  There are a lot of places just in the U.S. alone.  Vampires? Voodoo?  So the “what” is very important as well.

If you are of a romantic gothic turn of mind then check out this web site:

www.gothicromantic.com/ for ideas and locations, this web site covers everything from music, books to places to visit both in the U.S. and out.

Now let me give you places that I’d like to see.

I love to start with the United States and in the area that I live I would Google in walking tours that feature hauntings, and vampires in San Francisco, the city is so Noir that even a British vampire would feel at home and since Ann Rice conceived her vampire story here in San Francisco it would be very appropriate.

The Columbarium in San Francisco, as well as the City of the Dead aka Mountain View cemetery in Oakland is also very Gothic appropriate and a lot of walking, excellent for one’s health, did you know that the tragic Black Dahlia is buried in Oakland?

Nearby is the city of Colma where the dead out number the living, you can even visit Wyatt Earp’s grave.

If you want to stay in haunted places there is the Queen Anne Hotel in San Francisco and the Brookdale Lodge in the Santa Cruz mountains, the food at the Brookdale is good and where else can you dine with a brook running through the dinning room.

Seattle, Washington is a beautiful city with its space needle but it also has an underground tour, the city of Seattle that is underground, this was featured in one of the “Night Stalker” made for T.V. movies, this underground city is also reputed to be haunted as well.

One of the more unusual and religious places that I had a chance to visit is in Portland, Oregon; called “The Grotto” it’s official name is the “Sanctuary of the Sorrowful Mother”,  they offer masses during the late Spring, Summer and Fall as well as tours if you are of a more religiously romantic Goth.  It features the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross, as well as beautiful rose gardens, check out its web site by googling “The Grotto”.

There is also suppose to be what is called “The Shanghai Tunnels” underneath Portland Oregon,  these are education tours of the infamous “Portland Underground” the focuses on the shanghai trade in that city from 1850 to 1941 as well as its use for “white slavery” and prohibition.  This can also be googled.

Have you ever been to Hell?   There are several places in the United States that have that name such as   Hell, California; Hell, Michigan and Hell Creek, Montana notable for its Cretaceous Dinosaur fossils.  Hell, Michigan embraces its name with celebrations on Friday the 13^th and other events, so if you want to raise “Hell” this is one place to check out.

Or you can see hell at Yellowstone National Park, yes Darklings I know...It is tourist infested, but it really is hell on earth however. The smell of sulphur, the steaming heat rising from the earth, simmering pots of colored mud in a barren landscape, rumbling earth, pools of crystal blue water less than a foot across and hundreds of feet deep boiling away... Horrifying and beautiful at the same time.

You practically expect something horrible to climb from the depths and make itself right at home like the demons from the Cluthlu Mythos.  And when old Faithful geysers sends its hot plume of water up from the fiery depths it can be awe inspiring.

Did you know that California has its own petrified forest?  Yes Darklings, in Calistoga, California, famous for its mud baths, it has its own web site with all the information, but remember in 1980 when Mt St. Helens exploded forever changing its landscape and killing 57 people who were foolish enough to remain on the mountain?  

Well several million years ago Mt. St. Helena near Calistoga did the very same thing burying redwood trees which eventually turned into fossils.  As a bizarre curiosity and as a relaxing trip this is worth while including our own local old faithful geyser.  Because we sit on what is commonly known as “The Ring of Fire” volcanic mountain range, we could blow up at any minute.   Nothing like sitting on a potential “powder keg” to wet one’s appetite.

Interested in going to some devilish locations, there is the Devil’s post pile in Northern California as well as Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming feature in “Close Encounters”, to see this sticking right out of the land is a bit disquieting but one forgets that at one time the whole area was underwater when dinosaurs ruled the earth.

Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, huge, massive and bat filled.  In this cave is silence so deep you can hear your heart beat and darkness so darkly profound, in the evening like clockwork the bats leave the cave, be sure to keep your head covered.

If you are into tours of the dead and are in New York City then Dead Apple Tours is for you especially if you love to be chauffeured in a hearse.

And what about New Orleans, also made famous by Anne Rice and the Voodoo Queen herself, Marie Laveau, there are tours of both the city and it’s cemeteries, but be careful some of the cemeteries are in locations that are not very safe, so as much as one would hate it, go with a professional guide, and avoid the city during Mardi Gra, you don’t need to deal with boozy drunks and floozies.

 The Anasazi ruins in Utah Canyon Country are both scary and awe inspiring, but remember do not take anything from there except pictures and always be respectful, go with a professional guide.

Salem, Massachusetts, walking around late at night, the spot where the gallows stood or perhaps the downtown area where many spirits lie.  Again a professional guide to start and then a chance to wander a bit on your own.

Then if you are into Western Steam punk Gothic ala “Wild, Wild West” then Tombstone, Arizona is the place for you.

There are many, many more, so this is just a suggestion to at least prick your interest.

And I haven’t even gone through the gamut of places to visit in Europe, such as the Jack the Ripper walks, the Mary’s Gate walks, Stonehenge just a few in England, the Dracula tours, and many, many more, so I’ll just allow your imagination to take you there. 

Maybe I’ll even do a European vacation suggestion.

Later Darklings

A communte from Hell.....

Well Darklings,

I arrived early to work this morning, and now I have a break.

Yesterday was the communte from Hell....

a horrible fire broke out in the wee hours of the morning destroying a senior center citizens complex that was being built, no one hurt thank goodness, but the fire was so intense that it managed to damage important electrical connections for our rail transport system called BART.

So BART was out of commission, and the impact on the freeways was horrendous, if nothing else it demonstrated how important that mode of transportation really takes the impact off of the freeways.

I was thinking of taking the Bus, but a neighbor of mine said he was going to work down near the Ferry terminal on our side of the Bay and gave me a lift.

Taking the Ferry was such a pleasure although crowded with extra passengers, but still very delightful.

From the Terminal on the San Francisco side I was able to find a trolly to take me close to my BART stop and everything was what passed for normal with the exception of some of our staff being late because of the traffic congestion.

Going home I decided to take the Ferry and bus. But if nothing else I decided that it would not be bad to plan an alternate means of getting to work and home should this happen again.

I took the Ferry this morning and found it a relaxing way to get to work, such a pleasure to see the City coming closer as we plowed through the Bay waters.

And things slowly getting back to what passes for normal around here.

So Darklings for an elder Goth there are somethings that can still be a pleasure even if it is in daylight....I might look into those Ferry dinning cruises that I see being offered in the evenings....it sounds like a very romantic way to dine.

Later Darklings

Travel and Luggage for an Elder Goth

Luggage for a Goth—

I know that most Goths don’t even think about how to pack things, if it fits the backpack or duffel bag fine, seems to be the answer, although most that are into business will get the basic black suitcases. That’s fine.

But for an Elder Goth like me I have a desire just to go a little edgy and it happened at T.J. Max I saw a 4 piece Diane Von Furstenberg Mariella luggage set, 28, 25, 21 inch expandable luggage with wheels and pull up handles and the matching fashion tote, what made it edgy, the exterior was black with triangle chrome studs and the interior was a hot India orange lining. As they describe it one part classic style, one part flash appeal. The Mariella collection combines sophisticated design with hip styling and practical functionality. The studded textural trim adds shimmering points of interest to the solid twill fabric. Easy rolling in-line skate wheels and push button locking telescoping handles keep these pieces moving smoothly trip after trip.
Smooth in-line skate wheels, telescoping handle locks in place and fully recesses when not in use. Each upright expands 2 1/2” for increased packing capacity

The Interiors are fully lined and feature valet straps to keep clothes securely in
Place, Plus Multiple organizational pockets including shoe pockets, a mesh lid pocket and a removable toiletry pouch. The Large main compartment with full length inside zip pocket .10 Year Limited Warranty

28" Expandable Suitcase - Dimensions: 28" x 20.5" x 10" - 14 lbs.
25" Expandable Suitcase - Dimensions: 25" x 18" x 9" - 12 lbs.
21" Expandable Carry-on - Dimensions: 21" x 14" x 8" - 10 lbs.
17" Tote - Dimensions: 17" x 13" x 5" - 3 lbs.

Had to have it, went into debt for it, worth it, those 4 pieces cost me nearly $400. And I’m going to purchase the Diane von Furstenberg Mariella 20 inch Wheeled Carry on Duffle for another $100.

I can nest one inside the other for storage or I can use the luggage to store my off-season clothes with some cedar moth repellant, so I’m ready and when these puppies roll off the luggage carousel I can’t miss it.

The only other set is a samsonite retro set in black from 2 seasons back although I loved it in the red fuchsia combination but it was out of my price range. But keep hunting Elder Goths, keep hunting.

I’ve included the pix for these two styles.

IF YOU TRAVEL

If you fly a lot then you have to keep it to one piece of luggage but it should be something that stands out, is durable and “screams” You!!

Personally I do not like to fly, if I can get there by Limo that would be best, but such is not the case, and if I don’t feel like driving myself and a Limo is out, there is the Train.

There is nothing so romantic and so Elder/Retro/Corporate Goth-like than the train, this is where you can get out your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s suits---think Marlene Dietrich, if you can get a roomette all the better, you can darken your roomette and avoid as much sun as possible, sleep if you wish, read or listen to music or do your own writing without the worry of the person next to you peeking or the person in front or in back banging on your knees or back. And you avoid the screaming annoying kiddies.

This is a fun time to be a bit mysterious, make people think you are a Countess incognito.

The rhythm of the wheels over the tracks can be hypnotic and lull you to sleep also you Really, REALLY get to see the U.S. of A., something that you miss on the plane.

But if time is of the essence, and its part of you work to be there in the shortest amount of time, then you have no choice but to take the plane.

If money is tight and your car is not in the best of shape, your only other choice is Greyhound Bus, in that case limit yourself to only one large piece of luggage and a carry-on tote, the tote should have your medications, your laptop and at least a change of underwear and toothbrush and tooth paste. This is in case your luggage is left at the bus terminal. Again make sure your luggage stands out and can’t be missed.

Bottom line---always keeps important stuff with you at all times.