Puerto Vallarta

Day 5 – Puerto Vallarta
Love, love Puerto Vallarta. The dock area is clean and pretty. We were in port with another Princess ship, The Star Princess.

Caught a cab into downtown, then walked the Malecon (beach boardwalk) south til near the end. Set up for the day at the El Dorado beach restaurant, a place we found last time we were there. It’s right near the water activities so there’s a lot going on all day, including a ton of vendors.

Pat kept calling them over and having the show their wares (again). Only bought a crocodile magnet.

Puerto Vallarta is chock full of cute shops and restaurants, a beautiful cathedral, lovely walk along the beach and some quaint older hotels along the beach that seem intriguing.

We headed back to the ship fairly early (around 3). Hung out by the pool, then on our balcony until dinner. The sunsets and sunrises from the balcony are beautiful and peaceful. Can’t imagine having an inside cabin. We notice many people sitting on the promenade deck in the morning, they probably have no view from their rooms.

So far, we’ve eaten every dinner in the dining room and all lunches and breakfasts in the buffet, except room service in Mazatlan before golf.

Cruise - Cabo & Mazatlan

Day 3 – Cabo San Lucas
We sailed into Cabo early on Tuesday and anchored in the bay. The view from our balcony was great, Lover’s Beach and Lands End. A tender from the ship took us into the marina and dropped us off exactly opposite of where we hoped to spend the day on Medano Beach.

It was a bit of a walk past vendors and bars, through the shopping mall and down the beach to a great little beachfront café equipped with palapas and padded double lounge/beds and bean bags. Didn’t take us long to get settled with some cool drinks.

It was fun watching locals try to sell their wares; hats, tshirts, jewelry, whistles, dresses and henna tattoos. We each got a tattoo (washes off in 2 weeks) and Pat got a wide brimmed hat to shade his fair skin.

Instead of walking back t the tenders, we made use of a water taxi. Much more pleasant trip. The afternoon was spent on deck napping to the sounds of Caribbean music.

We tried to attend the evening entertainment, and illusionist, but left after a few minutes. It wasn’t great. A 70’s music name that tune contest in the Schooner Lounge was fun. Then off to dinner.

I must say, the food on this cruise is just ok. So far there have been no stand out meals. The soft serve frozen yogurt by the pool is fantastic though.

Day 4 – Mazatlan
I sit in our cabin after a round of golf at Estella Del Mar here in Mazatlan. It was a nice resort course along the ocean. Pat played really well, eagled a hole with a shot out of the sand. My game wasn’t great, but we had fun.

It’s been over 25 years since we were last in Mazatlan and lots has changed. We’re thinking we probably wouldn’t select it as our next vacation spot.

Cruise 2009

Cruise Day 1
After spending a fun weekend with Jill and Nathan, Nathan drove us to Long Beach to board the Mariner of the Seas. Before saying goodbye, we had a wonderful brunch of Spinach Strudel, Blueberry Crepes and Goulash at a cute Hungarian bakery near the dock.

Checking in was painless and we were on board within 15 minutes of arriving. That left us several hours to acquaint ourselves with the ship before sailing. Our cabin is on deck 8 Aft. We have a very large balcony on the back of the ship. The cabins are the usual size. Because of the aft location of the cabin, we’ll get plenty of walking during our vacation.

The 4th deck has a walkway all the way around the ship and my best guess puts it at close to ½ mile per lap. Near the front one has to climb to the 5th deck to get to the front. Great view from there.

My bag didn’t arrive in the stateroom in a reasonable amount of time, although Pat got his and our golf club arrived. So, I checked with Guest Relations and mine was being kept for a security breach. Yes, I unknowingly took contraband on board. A travel iron, which was confiscated prior to my being allowed to have my bags. How embarrassing.

During our tour of the vessel, we found several places we think we’ll hang out. The Royal Promenade is an ingenious addition to a cruise ship. It seems like a village street with shops, bars, coffee shop, bakery, ice cream parlor, and more. Fun place to sit and watch people. There’s also a nice lounge on the 14th deck with comfy chairs and a view of the pool.

At dinner, we met two couples who share our table. They seem nice. Sadly, one of the couples lost all their luggage on their way from Texas. They’re hoping it catches up with them in Cabo. Dinner was good, then we wandered around a bit and headed to bed.

Day 2 – At Sea
Not much to say. Coffee & Muffin, long walk, workout, breakfast, hang on the pool deck all day and read, lunch. 3 naps & 3 ice cream cones. Formal dinner. More to come on that tomorrow.

A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved this book by the author of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime. Family in the midst of planning a wedding, father literally goes nuts, each family member has their own issue to deal with... Interesting path to resolution, plus it's funny.


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Girls' Weekend in Sunriver

Our annual girls' weekend in Sunriver was a great time. It was the usual gang with the usual craft items. Quilting, Knitting and now Card Making. Stephanie brought all the fabric for a quilt for charity and we whipped it out in a day and a half. Each of us has a preferred task: I like the planning so I do the math and organize the cutting. Stephanie & Darla cut fabric and ironed as Judy sewed, and Rhonda, with her artistic eye, layed out the blocks.

In addition to quilting, delicious food was prepared and consumed, conversations went well into the night, and a bit of shopping (fabric and yarn) was done.

As we were leaving town, Pat and Steve took over the condo for a couple days of guy time; an abundance skiing and golfing.

Embracing the Wide Sky - Daniel Hammet

Embracing the Wide Sky: A Tour Across the Horizons of the Mind by Daniel Tammet

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
Disappointing and boring book by the author of Born on a Blue Day. Don't bother.


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Ishmael - Daniel Quinn

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
My friend Tonya gave me this book for Christmas. Great choice. I really enjoyed it. A telepathic gorilla places a want ad for someone who wants to save the world. The man who answers is treated with a series of visits with the gorilla who helps him come to understand the devestation that is being wreaked on the planet. Very interesting take on a common subject.


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Here on Earth - Alice Hoffman

Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. Main character returns to her hometown for the funeral of her family's housekeeper. Drama ensues with the rekindling of a disfuntional love affair. Justice prevailed.


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Fun in the Sun

The family headed south last week to visit Jill & Nathan. We golfed Thursday at Shandin Golf Course and Friday at Indian Hills. We were all rusty, to say the least. Saturday, we drove to Newport and had a fun lunch at Mutt Lynch's, walked along the beach and went to Saddleback Church for afternoon service. Sunday was a fun, crowded day at Disneyland and California Adventure before taking the boys to the airport to head back to Portland. I got to stay an extra day and golf at PGA West. More to come...

Slightly Sinful - Mary Balogh

Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Just like all the rest of the "Slightly" books, addicting, but silly. If you like romance, these are fun and predictable.


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The Gate House - Nelson DeMille (audiobook)

The Gate House by Nelson DeMille

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved this book. It's a sequel to one of my other favorites, The Gold Coast. The premise is the relationship between an aristocratic Long Island attorney, his wife and the mafia. I love the main character's inner dialogue. His thoughts are terrifically sarcastic just before speaking. Highly recommended, but read Gold Coast first.


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Almost Spring in the NW

I saw my first tree with pink buds on it today!!! So exciting. Spring is almost here. Here are a few pictures (unfortunately didn't get one of the beautiful tree) I've taken in the last couple of weeks. As you can see, they don't look too springlike.

Slightly Tempted - Mary Balogh

Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another silly romance novel about the Bedwyn family. Strangely addicting, but predictable.


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30 Year HS Reunion

It's hard to believe that it's been 30 years since I graduated from Gladstone High School. Recently, I've been connecting with old friends as I help the reunion committee organize a fun event. I'll be posting our progress as we go along.

So far, we've started contacting classmates to give them the details. Surprisingly, after 30 years we have fairly recently information on many people. It's amazing how friendships from one's childhood make for easy reconnection. I can't wait to see everyone.

The Lazarus Project - Aleksandar Hemon

The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a book group selection. Unfortunately, I didn't care for the characters, nor the story. It is the story of a man who is shot as an anarchist in 1908 alternating with the story of the man writing the story. There are many other books to read, no reason to pick this one up. It was just ok.


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Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin (audio)

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I listened to this on audiobook and realized too late that it was abridged. Nonetheless, it was fantastic and enlightening about how Lincoln selected is cabinet and how he cleverly executed his election as President.


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The Reader - Bernard Schlink

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I could have sworn I read this book when it first came out; I was familiar with the plot and everything. But...I found it at the library sale and bought it for $.50 and realized that I didn't remember actually reading it, although I may have listened to the audio book.



It was great and I look forward to the movie. The main character's 'secrect' was pretty easy to figure out early in the book, but that didn't detract from the interesting story.


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Love Walked In - Marisa de los Santos

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was an Xmas gift from my honey and was pretty good. I gave it only 3 stars because I really liked the first 1/2, but then I couldn't wait to finish it. That's not a good sign.


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Skinny Cables Scarf

Easy, but entertaining scarf pattern. Love the yarn: Tonalita by Trendsetter.

What to do when you don't have wrapping paper

...and when you're supposed to stop at the mall to pick up Proactive. Especially when you have a memory disorder ;).

My Stroke of Insight - Jill Bolte Taylor (audiobook)

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a fascinating read. The author, a neuroanatomist suffers a massive stroke at age 37 basically shutting down the left side of her brain. How she recovers and retrains her brain is fascinating. Much of the information she shares is applicable to all. Especially, chosing the personality traits which are allowed to exhibit themselves.


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Mountain Rescue Doctor - Christopher Van Tilburg

Mountain Rescue Doctor: Wilderness Medicine in the Extremes of Nature by Christopher Van Tilburg

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
The reason I gave this 4 stars is that it's set in my backyard, Mt Hood area. The author is an ER doc in Hood River who volunteers with the Crag Rats, a search and rescue organization. Many of the locations and specific search efforts he describes are familiar to me.


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Bridge of Sighs - Richard Russo (audio)

Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I listened to this long (21 CDs) audiobook. It's about a small town in upstate NY and the interactions of two boys as they grow up and apart and their relationship with a girl. Surprising tidbits are revealed along they way about various characters in the town and the main character's family. Read it if you have the patience, it's almost 700 pages.


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How Starbucks Saved My Life - Michael Gates Gill

How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else by Michael Gates Gill

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Really great book, and even though I always call Starbucks "The Devil" I must admit that they sound like a great employer. True story of a man who was fired from his high-powered advertising job. After no success consulting, he desparately took an entry level position at Starbucks and came to realize the importance of connecting with people. Power and money aren't everything.


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Christmas Celebration

Jill and Nathan came up on the train on New Years. We celebrated Christmas and Nathan's bday since we didn't see them earlier.

Lamb - Christopher Moore

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
It took me longer to finish this book than I planned. The main character, Biff, wasn't that interesting to me and I didn't care for the way he told the story.



If you're easily offended by a take on Jesus' life that's different than you're used to, don't read this book. There were parts that made me unconfortable, but it did make me think.


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Doubt - John Shanley

Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the first drama (play) I've read since high school with its requisite Shakespeare plays. It won the Pulitzer for drama, was on Broadway for a number of years and was just made into a movie with Meryl-Streep as the lead actress (she won the critics choice award).



Only 57 pages, but packed with intesity. Can't wait to see the movie.


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The Purpose for Christmas - Rick Warren

The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Rehash of basic Christian ideas. I did enjoy the last section on finding Peace in your life.


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The Last Chinese Chef - Nicole Mones

The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very enjoyable book. Loved the description of how Chinese cuisine is all about relationships. That's what good food should be about.


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1776 - David McCullough (Audiobook)

1776 by David McCullough

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I listened to this audio book driving back and forth from Seattle and from the hospital where my mom had hip surgery (20+ miles from home).



American History is fascinating and I don't understand why our school curriculum isn't able to tell the story in a way that's interesting to children and young adults



1776 is about the American Revolution, focusing on George Washington as general. It's amazing that the undisciplined, suffering American army was able to win this war. The British troops were well fed and housed and outnumbered the Americans by a huge margin. Nonetheless, they were outwitted in the end.



I would recommend this as a compliment to the miniseries or book, John Adams.


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