Scottsdale-San Francisco-Seoul

      Wow what a send off.  Everything had been accounted for.  David reflected that he has done this so many times that he had it perfected.  Then Steve, his ride never showed.  It seemed like a long wait so David asked a passerby what time it was.  He panicked when he discovered it was 6:15am....fifteen minutes late.  He left his bag on the sidewalk and ran up to the 5th floor , turned his phone back on and called but only got a message service.  He locked everything up and returned to the street, took his bag to the gate and requested the gate keeper to call a taxi.  They said 20 minutes before they could get someone.  He ordered the taxi and ran out to the Street entrance to meet the ride when he spotted a taxi pull up to the light.  He hailed in, crossed the street and off they went.  He was not the one David had called but said it was the first time  he was ever hailed in Phoenix.

       David requested  United Air terminal but when arriving he realized it was a UA flight but on US Air so had to circle around to another terminal. This is not going well.  He checked his bag and got his boarding pass and ran up to security. but couldn't find his passport.  Thinking it was back at the  ticket counter, he started back when someone handed him his passport he found on the floor.  Going through the x ray he tripped the alarm, took off his Med Alert necklace and tripped it again,  Took off his belt and tripped it again...then the TSA person told him to remove his shoses and he got through.  Finally on the plane with one bag checked for Seoul.   Hope his connecting flight goes better.
        It did.  He had to take a transfer bus to a different terminal but US Air had the bus waiting and a staff directing you.  I arrived in time to get a cup of coffee to take on with me while we waited for 300 plus passengers to board this monster.  I was in a window seat looking out at the wing in seat 42K with a petite Korean lady next to me and a man in the aisle seat.  I slept a little but didn't want to ruin my Jet lag plan.  The plane departed Wednesday at 11 am from San Francisco and flew 10 hours through 6 or 7 time zones and crossed the international dateline.  I arrived at 9pm San Francisco time but was 3pm Korean time but it was Thursday not Wednesday.  I was planning on staying up then get a good nights rest and the next day I would be normal.

            I read a lot then the plane landed, immigration and customs no problem so now I needed money.  Taking both ATM cards to the machine and both were rejected....another machine and then another.  I took the Euros I purchased in Scottsdale  for my North Korea tour and cashed them for Won.  I needed to pay the hostel in cash and had to have money for food and transport.  I found the bus, paid and arrived at my destination.  I wanted to get rid of the suitcase and then find a bank.  I paid for the room and only had 20000 Won left...around $20.  I bought a coffee for 5000 Won got on the internet in my room and called Merrill Lynch and complained about my credit card not working in the ATM.  She said it wasn't a Debit card and next month none of my charges count for Frequent Flyer miles. I explained I had called before I left so this wouldn't happen and no one said my Credit/Debit card was now only a Credit card and not tied in to Merrill Lynch Brokerage only Bank of America. Now I need to call E-Trade and find out why that didn't work.  The gentleman said it should so I went out to try it again but by this time, the ATM was behind locked doors.  I went down the street to another but it was all in Korean and no English so I decided to wait until tomorrow.  Wish me luck.

          What a difference a day makes.  Got up early but the bank was closed so stopped at Dunkin Donuts and used my Credit Card to charge breakfast...coffee, a heart stopping Creme and Jelly filled donut, bottled juice and a bagel with processed cheese, ham and egg.  Needless to say, I tried to take a walk down to the subway but legs cramped and ankles pained so I returned to the room and went back to sleep.  I awoke at 11am and visited the same bank again...bingo...it was my choice of withdrawals.  Bank machines don't alway recognize brokerage houses so if you withdraw from Credit Card or Savings...Nada...but Checking accounts are recognized and I did get money.  I deposited 30000 Won...about $30 on my T-Card for travel around Seoul...then jumped on the subway and used it to go to a Cultural Center stop.  It turned out to be a Shopping Mall but had a tourist information office...so I strolled in to get directions to one of the ancient palaces that was a World Heritage site.

Park Ave Rochester New York and back to Phoenix

          We arrived to Helen's welcoming dinner.  It gave David, Chris and Helen a chance to catch up since last they saw each other.  When the wonderful meal was finished they all meandered over to the Half Pint for a beer.

           A nice breakfast was shared in the backyard in the morning before taking a stroll in the neighborhood.   David took Chris to see what a Wegmans supermarket was like.  Wegmans originated in Rochester.  David used to shop there in 1963. They bought some Peanut Butter and Cranberry Bread for the road.  That evening David took everyone to his favorite restaurant in the area for Pizza, Wine and Cheese.  It had been a relaxing visit but David was to meet his daughter in Buffalo so left the next morning.
           Jennifer was anxious to show her new house to her Dad.  It was large with lots of room and a small apartment upstairs where Lytisha, her daughter had been staying until they got in a silly row and Lytisha hasn't talked to her since. David took them out to lunch and after returning home they were to meet two of the Grandchildren and two of the Great Grandchildren. It was still early so they drove to Batavia and checked into a hotel for the night they returned in time to see Alexis and her two children Cordell and Gavin.  She was working two jobs, taking care of the children, trying to get ahead and behind on car payments. Rose, David's oldest and first Grandchild showed up with her wife Paris and their daughter.  It was a nice visit and good to see the children again.  David bid goodbye and drove to Alexis's Restaurant in Batavia for Happy Hour.  He hoped Mary Fredrick's was tending bar but her husband Fred's children and grandchildren were visiting Attica so she took off to spend time with them.

          Chris and David were tired and ready to return to Phoenix.  They checked out of the hotel the following day, drove to Attica, had breakfast at Twilight Meadows then checked in to the Attician Motel.  It was $100!  That was outrageous in Attica but it was the only place to stay and their was the Annual Rodeo and the Legion's Lawn Fete.  People came from all around for both.
         David visited both Cemeteries.  One to pay respects to Pat Fitzgerald's Memorial to the Attican's that died in Vietnam.  The other to visit his gravestone and David's future gravestone which is part of both his Father, Bernard and his Mother's Olive grave site.
              That evening they had the famous Attica Hotel Fish Fry then visited the Lawn Fete hoping to see some old friends.  It was packed but for the first time they hired a band.  No one could converse and all were disgusted.  The reason it is such a popular event was because it was an informal reunion of people that hadn't seen each other all year or even longer.  So when Fred called me over to the table to meet his visiting family and chat with our friends, I couldn't hear anything over the din. I saw Audrey, Mom's hairdresser and friend all her life but left early to get a start on the trip home.
          I left Attica without ever visiting the street I grew up on or seeing a lot of the people I would have liked to see.  It was bitter sweet.  We stopped in Jamestown for lunch and to visit the LucyFest.  Lucille Ball was born in Jamestown and is buried there.  Every year they have a big parade and 4-5 day celebration of her life with guest comedians and  a look alike contest.  David met Desi and Lucy then headed southwest for 4 days with a stop over at Pappy's BBQ in St Louis , Mo.  He finally arrived in Phoenix and concluded his trip.

Sunny Rest ,Aunt Char and Uncle Johnny

            When we left White Tail our first destination was Richmond Virginia and the Fine Arts Museum which David highly recommends.  Richmond was the Confederate Capitol during the Civil War and a very historic city.   The plan had been to spend two or three days in Richmond touring the old homes and seeing the old capitol building.  The Museum was excellent and one of the best David had toured.   The visit only lasted the morning and after lunch they were off for Sunny Rest Naturist resort.
           The ride to the Poke Your Nose Mountains went well and was beautiful in the area coming into Sunny Rest.  It was another world class Naturist Resort and the oldest in the US...dating back to 1938.  People were friendly though the Trivia Team Me & You placed next to last at Happy Hour.
   The trip to David's cousin Helen and her husband, another David was only a few hours so they stopped in Catskill, where they kill all the Cats and mount them on the Parking meters.  They arrived at the "Farm" (no Longer) and Helen's sister Barbara, David's other cousin came over with Arjay her son to visit.  We all went to an outdoor restaurant along the Hudson river for dinner and cocktails.  It was uneventful but nice to catch up.
        They watched a movie "Swing Kids" and retired early.  The next day, David and Chris picked up his 94 year old Aunt and took her to lunch at their favorite place.  The food was tops and though Char had a stroke and was forgetting things, like where she was, it went nice.  She came to the door and waved after David dropped her back into the house.  Later she fell and couldn't get up.  Barbara, who lives next door, stopped in to check on her then called the ambulance.   No broken bones so they put her in Rehab to help her balance and strengthen her.The plan is to place her in a care facility where she can be monitored and socialize with others. We all think she may live to be 100 easily as she was always fit.

        David took the family out for dinner the next night and despite his wanting to return to where they had lunch, Helen opted for another restaurant David now forgets.  Helen likes to wander over and have a cigarette with her sister who is trying to give up.  The outdoor patios make it comfortable for doing that though the food may not be the greatest nor the cheapest.

                 It rained a bit while we were there so most of the time was spent visiting and catching up on the computer.  Jenny, Helen's granddaughter whom she spoils, is a dancer/performer that is quite talented and lives in a little apartment downstairs in the same house.  It was a nice visit but time to head North to see Uncle Johnny, David's Uncle.  That trip was horrendous.  The rain came in sheets for hours.  The Interstate was littered with cars and a semi truck too.  Traffic was down to 30 mph and you were lucky if you could see the car in front of you.  We stopped in Burlington , Vermont for lunch.  The rain did too.  We returned to the road, the rain did too.
                   We arrived around 4-5 pm but no one was home.  I don't know if I gave the wrong date but we had moved the trip up a day because we were both anxious to get home and knew the return trip would be longer than planned.  We waited at a comfortable little restaurant while enjoying...??? Happy Hour.  When we returned, they were home and welcoming. I hoped to visit Dennis my cousin , restaurateur but  his cook quit before the season was over and he was stuck cooking so we ate at Uncle Johnny's .   It was  a nice visit and the next day we visited a Farmer's Market and had breakfast at Aunt Polly's Pancake House.

  Chris and I went to the Mount Washington Hotel to sit and the veranda and look at the view.   That evening we went the Beale House  in Littleton for dinner.  It was lovely.  One of the oldest B and B's as well as the building itself, and the food was excellent.  Uncle Johnny tried to get a hold of my other cousin Danny but no reply.  I did call and talk to his son, my cousin Ron in N.Y.
           We headed for Rochester, N. Y. to stay with Helen, one of my friends I met while in Spain.