An "Ugly Win"

Wow, check out this WILD celebration after squeaking by San Diego State. You'll be pleased to know that I didn't break anything at the house whilst watching this exemplary exhibition of football prowess. I sure hope things get a lot better by next Saturday or it will be one long day at the house that Rockne built. Heading off to Chicago on business Wednesday-Friday and then to South Bend for the weekend and the scUM game. Mom got Camie back t0 Rexburg for the start of her Junior year at BYU-Idaho and will be visiting Kristie the week after I get back.

Ole Rocky Top

We had a fun time going to Tennessee this past weekend for the races at Bristol and to visit Grandma & Grandpa Porter. After arriving in ATL we headed straight to Frontera where we met Josh & Sterling for dinner. Later that evening it was off to Waffle House before retiring. Grandma & Grandpa met us Friday afternoon at Wal-Mart where we dropped off JoAnn and did our shopping for the races. The races were a blast and mom had fun visiting everyone and quilt shopping in old town Murfeesboro.

Next week mom goes with Camie up to Rexburg dropping her off at BYU-Idaho to start her junior year (how fast it's going)!

I'm in Chicago in business the week of September 8 and plan on going to South Bend for the ND-Michigan football game that weekend.

JoAnn is back on the road the following week heading to Birmingham for Kristie & Chris's sealing and to see the grandkids.

Busy, busy, busy...love you all!

-Dad

Think Fast....It's Steely Dan

So much to say, where to start. I've been a fan of Steely Dan since the 70's and they are one of the few bands that I've never been able to see in concert. Mom & I caught their show last night at Honda Center and I will remember it for a number of positive reasons (complete horn section, backing vocalists, best live drumming I've seen in years and finally seeing them LIVE); I will also remember it for a number of less than positive reasons (large number of instrumentals and not touching ANYTHING off of the "Can't Buy a Thrill" album). I think I can speak for Jo as well in that as we get older our tolerance for those folks who should know better in terms of their actions isn't very great...(we saw a lot of "older folks" acting like idiots)! Anyway, I guess I can now cross Steely Dan off my "bucket list" and for those of you who enjoy the finer details here is the set-list.

Orchestra intro:
Everyone's Gone to the Movies
Fez (instrumental)

Royal Scam

I Got the News

Show Biz Kids

Bodhisattva

Two Against Nature

Hey Nineteen

Godwhacker

Home at Last
New Frontier

Gaucho

Babylon Sisters

Parker's Band

Josie

Aja

Love is Like an Itching in My Heart (Supremes cover + band intro)

Peg

My Old School

Encore:

Don't Take me Alive

Kid Charlemagne

Orchestra outro:

Last Tango In Paris (instrumental)

Chapter 12: Dover to LA (July 25):

Those British have perfected the art of queuing. One line to print boarding passes, another to check luggage, another to check for liquids, another to check passports, another to X-ray carry-on luggage and yet another one to scan footwear. Then you wait in one huge common area until about 45 minutes before your flight when your gate is assigned and a massive throng makes out at once for it like the wildebeest migration across the Serengeti. Then as you queue to board they pick out “random” passengers for additional screening (of course your mom was selected). Anyway, we made it and 25 hours since we awoke in Dover, England 4360 Edenwild Lane is a welcome ending place for our journey after 15 days, 5000 miles in the air and 2000 nautical miles by sea. Photos are of our dining room servers and JoAnn’s soon to be popular “Pigeon Toe Tap” dance which will be featured on this years “Dancing with the Stars”!

Musical vibe for the Chapter: CSN: “Just a Song Before I Go”
Smashing Pumpkins: “Farewell and Goodnight”
Towel Fun: Our own Bed!!!

Chapter 11: Amsterdam (July 24):

We entered Amsterdam through a lock system before docking in downtown across from the main train station. The city reminds me of Venice as it is a series of canals instead of streets in the older part of town. For the most part people get around on bicycles and use the ferries and water taxis.

Mom & I had the opted for a tour of the Anne Frank House in lieu of walking the Red Light District or visiting the Coffee Shops (lol). Pictures weren’t allowed inside the house itself but they had a statue of Anne outside. Inside the house the original diary is on display as well as the preserved secret rooms where the family lived in seclusion until being discovered and deported to concentration camps. Amsterdam had a Van Gogh Museum but we were only in port for about six hours and couldn’t fit it in, maybe next time. This is another place we’d like to visit with more time to see it all. The tour bus dropped us off downtown and a three block walk through the Red Light District was about enough for mom. I got some good photos of “Coffee” Shops for the Blog though!

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Peter Gabriel: “Secret World”
Towel Fun: None to be had, the room stewards were paid out their tips this morning so I guess no incentive for them?

Chapter 10: Fun Days at Sea (July 22-23):

After four straight port days the back to back “Fun Days at Sea” were a welcome respite. We did spa treatments both days, a massage with private hot tub the first day and a Lime & Ginger exfoliation with full body massage the second day.

We did Supper Club again on Tuesday as we had that booked from the beginning of the cruise and we ate the same thing as the previous evening (it was that good)!

I treated mom to her 30th Anniversary present during our two days at sea as well. I got her a Tag Heuer watch with a blue mother of pearl face embedded with diamonds, figured that anybody that can put up with me for that long deserves something nice!

They did the Grand Gala Buffet during our two days at sea. The ice sculptures were excellent but the food presentations weren’t as nice as other cruises we’ve been on. I took pictures for you to enjoy though, after which we went off to bed and didn’t stick around to partake.

Nothing else to report other than it was a restful two days free from the cares of the world which unfortunately doesn’t happen often enough in our lives.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Morrissey: “Lazy Sunbathers”
Todd Rundgren: “A Dream Goes On Forever”
Towel Fun: Stingray & Frog

Chapter 9: Tallin (July 21):

We got one of our three hours back overnight which was nice! The ship docked at 8:00 and we took a walking tour of the old medieval town of Tallin, Estonia. If the city skyline and central square look familiar it’s because the city was used as a mock-up for the palace city in the Shrek movies. Jo & I took in several sites as photo stops, although none are world renowned this is a place we’d both like to see again when we have more time to enjoy it. The old town is surrounded by a brick wall and is a maze of corridors and cobblestone streets leading to a wide open city centre. Throughout its history Tallin has been under German, Finnish & Russian rule gaining it’s independence in 1991 and was a catalyst for the fall of the old Soviet Union. You’ll see photos from inside the “domed church” where families Coats of Arms are displayed. These where carved from wood, adorned with jewels and hung in the church when the last of each family was killed off by the Russians. As much as 40% of the population was deported to Siberia during Soviet rule. It’s nice to see the city thriving (as a modern city surrounds old town Tallin) while it honors its roots and history. As we walked out of town back to the ship we passed a section of handicrafts (amazing hand sewn clothing goods). We left town by the round gate called “Stout Margaret” where we saw a lady walking a long haired dachshund so of course I approached her and got a picture! We discovered a treat while walking around Tallin, cinnamon and sugar coated almonds, cooked right before your eyes. Luckily for us they had a stand set-up on the pier and we got another bag before boarding, the seal on the bag said “In Almonds We Trust”, how can you argue with that logic?

Once we got on board we went to the dining room to check out the menu and well, YUCK! We were lucky enough to get one of the last two reservations to the “Supper Club” where five course gourmet meals are served. While it does cost $30 a plate the quality of food would cost you five times that in LaLa land. Check out the pictures, awesome presentation and tastes as good as it looks. We had filet with lobster tail as main courses. The appetizers were incredible as well, jumbo shrimp cocktails topped with avocado, French onion soup, lobster bisque and beautiful salads. Desserts were as tasty as they looked as well…yum yum, anyway after two days of “dog food” in Russia it sure was nice to eat a meal of this caliber.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Counting Crows: “Perfect Blue Buildings”
Towel Fun: Rabbit

Chapter 8: St. Petersburg Day #2 (July 20):

Natasha was right about the weather, day two was rainy and low 60’s, but luckily most of our outdoor activities were yesterday. The day started out with a short bus ride to an authentic souvenir store and we watched folks buy up Faberge Eggs, Matryoska Dolls & Russian Fur Hats (yes I had to buy one too – check out the picture). Outside we saw a lady walking a dachshund wearing a raincoat so I jumped off the bus and chased her down the block to get a photo in the pouring rain (not sure what the rest of our tour group on the bus thought but us true doxie lovers know no limits of our affection)!

Back on the bus the next stop was the Peter & Paul Fortress which was the origin of St. Petersburg. It’s an island complex on the Neva River comprised of eleven structures. It was within this complex that the Romanov’s ruled and were buried as well as political prisoners housed and tortured including the son of Peter the Great who didn’t share his father’s political views. The golden spired cathedral is pictured inside and out and can be viewed from most points within the city.

After a short bus ride it was on to Palace Square where I was the only one to get off the bus in a downpour to film Rossi’s Arch with the bronze statues above it as well as The Alexander Column. It is here that military parades and important celebrations occur.
On our way to the Hermitage we stopped by the Church of the Spilled Blood for another photo opportunity. This Greek Orthodox Cathedral is one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of Russia and was the place where Alexander II was murdered. The exterior is embellished by 7,000 square meters of mosaic portraits of the saints, while the central mosaic depicts scenes from the Old Testament. The five colorful domes are covered by jeweler’s enamel. Unfortunately it was pouring the rain during our photo stop as I can only imagine how great the pictures would have been yesterday in the sunshine.

Before lunch we went to The State Museum (Hermitage) where we enjoyed some of the finest artwork assembled in a single place. I’ve got pictures of a Michelangelo’s statue “Young Boy Crouching” as well as two Leonardo da Vinci paintings. The Hermitage also houses works by Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Degas and Van Gogh. I was overwhelmed by the National Gallery in London and the Pergamon in Berlin but the Hermitage was hands down the highlight of the entire trip. If you’re interested I’d encourage you to look up the museum on the internet and check out some of the works displayed there.

Following the Heritage visit we bused to a small venue where we were served another traditional Russian lunch of borsht (beet root soup) and fish…another growling stomach heading back to the ship for sure and I took pictures of the scrumptious feast for you all to enjoy. The building we were served in was a small museum and the ceiling was adorned with several religious carvings of Christ’s life (see pictures). While we dined a folkloric performance was presented…funky instruments with a man in tight tights singing along as accompaniment.

Following lunch the day ended with a visit to Yusupov Palace where the assassination of the Monk Rasputin took place (check out the creepy wax figures). The original pieces of artwork contained within this palace were moved to the Hermitage after the revolution in the early 1900’s. After two days of non-stop activities mom & I were certainly worn out but glad we experienced all that we were privileged to see and do. According to our Travel Agent who was on board Carnival did this cruise in 2002 as a single trial and it took them this long to align tours and get permission from the Russian government to include St. Petersburg in it’s Baltic itineraries. Ours was the first of four sailings this year and hopefully will be offered in the future.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Beatles: “Back In the U.S.S.R.” (I know, how predictable)
Towel Fun: Swan

Chapter 7: St. Petersburg Day #1 (July 19):

What was expected to be the highlight of our trip certainly was (as was the physical toll – we lost another hour traveling from Helsinki and are now 11 hours off PST (Cali time). By the time we finished with St. Petersburg we had gone three consecutive evenings with less than six hours sleep but it was certainly worth it.

We docked at 7:00 a.m. and the first ordeal was to clear Russian immigration. There was not a cruise terminal per se (although we were told one was under construction) so our docking point was in the middle of a freight shipyard with crates and heavy machinery surrounding us; not very picturesque but gave you a slice of what real Russian life was all about. The entrance to our docking point was lined with run down military ships of the old Soviet Navy, some half submerged. It must have been true that the government spent all their resources on military endeavors at the expense of the common people. Some things in there culture have changed drastically since the break-up of the former Soviet Union and some things have not (like militaristic presence everywhere and a general mistrust of foreigners). After about 45 minutes of queuing we cleared immigration and boarded our tour bus for the first of two complete days of guided sightseeing. Our first stop took about an hours drive outside of St. Petersburg itself and was to Peterhof, former summer residence of the Russian tsars. The building inside was covered in brilliant paintings and tapestries as well as incredible grand rooms where receptions and gatherings were held by the old aristocracy. As impressive as the inside was the outside grounds were unbelievable, over 150 fountains and numerous private gardens adorned with statues and cascades. Some of the pictures taken from the exterior of the Grand Palace are overlooking the “Grand Cascade” which has the largest fountain ensemble in the world (you’ll be able to identify it quite easily)!

We boarded the bus and headed back into St. Petersburg itself for a traditional Russian lunch. Suffice to say we were VERY hungry when we got back to the ship! The picture from the first days lunch was of a sort of pancake adorned with sour cream and fish eggs (I tasted them, Jo did not). Lunch came with vodka which smelled like jet fuel, most folks in our group didn’t drink the vodka but gave their ration to another group who thought it would be great fun to see how much they could consume; we didn’t see them again after lunch.

We then went on an hour long canal-river cruise to take in the sights of St. Petersburg from water. The weather on the first day of the tour was fabulous, about 70 degrees with bright sun. Our guide said that St. Petersburg gets about 40 days of sunshine a year and we were lucky enough to experience one of them…as you read on our luck wouldn’t last!
You could tell this to be true as just about everywhere we went people were laying about sunbathing. Natasha (our guide) summed up the weather situation in St. Petersburg with the saying: “we have nine months of expectations and three months of disappointment”.

The canal-river tour was neat and a little boy stood over the first bridge we passed under waving wildly (the lad in the orange shirt in the pictures), we thought how odd. He then ran from bridge to bridge over the entire hour, some were pretty long distances but he made it to each one. Our entire tour covered several miles of canals through very crowded city streets and he didn’t miss a one of the bridges. After the tour he met us at the pier and everyone gave him a Euro or two, he must have made over $100 total from the entire group…enterprising and entertaining!

We ended the sightseeing portion of our day by taking in Nevsky Prospect, Russia’s most famous street for its magnificent palaces and shops. We saw many wedding parties out in the streets as it’s customary to travel around the city for photo stops in full wedding attire at the various sights. In this general area we walked to Decembrists Square where the Peter the Great equestrian statue is located.

Our tour ended about 4:00 on day one and we headed back to the ship to grab a much needed bite to eat and get changed for an evening of Russian ballet. We went to the State Opera and Ballet Theatre of St. Petersburg Conservatoire where we got to see a performance of Swan Lake complete with a full orchestra. It was very nice but the theatre itself was very warm (they don’t have and really don’t need central AC) and we were very tired so the three hour performance was a bit much. Mom & I made it back to the ship around midnight and headed to bed in preparation for day two of our sightseeing excursion which was to begin at 7:00 sharp.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: David Bowie: “Sound & Vision”
Towel Fun: Pigeon