A New State Park; “I’m Sleeping Where?”; Idle Hands in an Old Time Diner; Front Royal Images; Best Bike Trail Ever! Help, Mouth on Fire!!!

We rolled into Virginia’s Shenandoah River State Park outside Front Royal late yesterday and got The Bus set up for daughter Elisabeth’s visit. She was driving from Washington, DC, for a visit and some serious mountain biking. It’s a lovely park, only two years old, and has flat, level, concrete pads for RV’s, a real luxury. The leaves are just thinking about turning into their autumn attire, and several red headed woodpeckers are going rat-a-tat-tat in dead treetops looking for lunch. After a nice ribeye steak dinner with a quite decent Cabernet, we got ready to hit the sack. But wait! We tried opening the couch into the double bed that we thought it made into, but Nothing Worked! Was this merely a sham convertible couch? Surely Engineer Ty could figure this out... I pulled out this drawer, and Suzanne said, “What is that? Storage we didn’t know about?” “Yup.” (We have had The Bus for 18 months and didn't realize that drawer was even there!)

My Lovely Daughter Elisabeth, in a laughing voice, asked, “What else do you have that you don’t know about?” Suzanne replied, quite logically (I thought), “Well, we don’t know that, do we?” I was sweating for almost 10 minutes before finding the cleverly hidden and disguised lever that presto-change-o turned the couch into a “short-and-soon-to-be-lumpy-and-actually-not-very-comfortable” bed. (I almost had the naughty thought that she deserved a lumpy bed for making fun of her Dad, but I would never do that...)  

On Tuesday morning we went to breakfast in an old-fashioned downtown diner in Front Royal. Wynn’s had a nice menu and typical down-home breakfasts. 

I was craving real country ham, which, as every Southerner knows, you can only get south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Fortunately, we had crossed that boundary on Monday afternoon in northern Maryland. While awaiting our meals, I used my idle time to build a pyramid. My Lovely Wife, now apparently in league with My Lovely Daughter, made jest of my engineering prowess. “What is this, Pick on Ty Week?” I asked.     

While sightseeing around Front Royal, the Train Engineer’s Daughter climbed up on this old red caboose, pretending to be on a luxurious coach tour of North America... "Hey, you are..!" 

Ever wondered how those street clocks keep good time? Well, they probably don’t... here are Fred and Myron working on the town’s old analog clocks. Fred adjusts the time while Myron keeps nitwits from walking under the cherry picker... 

Instead of the two government workers, the cherry picker crane, a safety truck, a government employees union shop steward, OSHA regulations, and civil service pensions, why not hire Gepetto and his assistant from this local clockmaker’s shop, Pinoccio's? (Yes, that's how they spelled it...) It would have to be cheaper; after all, Pinoccio’s health insurance would only have to cover termites. But could you trust him? After all, we know that he had a problem with a nose that grows longer when he fibs. Well, as long as he wasn’t elected to public office, he should be okay...  

This impressive military-based school sits on a hill overlooking Front Royal. Founded in the 1890s, Randolph-Macon Academy has a solid reputation for quality education, and the buildings are gorgeous. 

Unfortunately, “The Place” that used to be a business is no longer in operation; but it had a memorable sign! (The sign reads, "There is no place like this place anywhere near this place so this must be THE PLACE".)

We went mountain biking on the black diamond-rated (“Difficult” level) Bear Bottom Trail (yes, you read that correctly), which was probably the prettiest singletrack trail that we have ridden so far. It wound up and down rolling hills through heavy hardwood and pine woods, with occasional switchbacks and rock gardens to keep you on your toes. We stopped for a breather and a photo, and only had a couple of minor falls between us. 

For lunch we sampled one of Chris and Gina Lavelle’s gifts, Bill Gray’s Hot Sauce. Suzanne almost followed the directions, but had she done so, I might be writing this blog from the local ICU. The directions said to add the contents of the jar (17 ounces of fiery cayenne hot sauce that even Mexicans raised in Tabasco province would balk at eating) to 4 ounces of ground beef... as it was, she only added 8 ounces to 16 ounces of hamburger, and it required the use of this fire extinguisher to cool down the mixture! I think Chris decided to get even for the gooey stuff I put on his shoes at the race...  

Race Day; No Bus Work; A Gourmet Brunch; A Surprise Basket; A Surprise in a Bag...; PA!

Sunday morning reveille came very early, at 0615, so I could have coffee and a bagel before Chris Lavelle (producer of the Messages of Hope documentary) picked me up for the Rochester Half Marathon, which was to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. We got to the starting line at 0700 on a chilly (47F, cold for me) and windy morning. The full marathon (26.2 miles) runners started at 0730; then the 1,722 other “Half” runners lined up. It was a good start, with no one tripping and falling like sometimes happens in a crowded start. Chris was off like a rabbit, and was soon out of sight. Ah, the exuberance of youth... little did he know that the Super Glue-like substance that I surreptitiously put on the bottom of his shoes would soon slow him down!

As in my last race, I tried to keep pace with and then “pull in” runners ahead of me. There was no high school girls’ track team to follow this time, but I seemed to be running mostly with women in their 30s and 40s... pretty good scenery, like running with Suzanne.  As you can see in this photo, the women were also enjoying the scenery.  

At mile 8, I caught up with Chris, and the goo on his shoes was taking its toll. I felt bad for a minute, and then remembered the phrase that “Age and cunning will always win out over youth and strength!”

I knew Suzanne would be at the finish line with the camera. As I turned the corner at Mile 13, I heard Suzanne screaming at the top of her lungs, a real feat after standing and talking all day Saturday at her S.O.A.R! Workshop (she’s quite hoarse now). I finished in 1:57:45, a pace of 8:59 per mile, #597 of 1725 overall. Just for info, the young boy in the photo jumped in to run with his mom just a few yards back; he did not run the entire 13 miles!

I was very happy, but really whooped. Suzanne snapped some photos of me looking like something the cat drug in, and asked, “Ty, how do you feel?” My initial response was, “Well, I have felt better.” She was probably wondering if she should call a stretcher bearer. In a few minutes, I was feeling much better. 

Chris finished shortly after me, looking strong in spite of those sticky shoes... 

We posed together at the edge of the “racers corral”.  

Here’s Chris posing with his medal; he looks pretty chipper, for a young guy. 

By then I was feeling half-human again, and more than a bit hungry. Chris and I got in the food line with this guy in a tutu; by the way, we were not running with strange people like that! I just grabbed a slice of pizza and a couple of snacks, because I knew that I couldn’t kill my appetite with junk when Chris’ lovely wife Gina was at home making us a huge gourmet brunch. She had given up coming to the race to spend the morning cooking; she is a Saint!  

Suzanne and I drove back to The Bus where I needed a shower (you think?). I was already starting to stiffen up, and wasn’t looking forward to all the bending required in getting our motor coach ready to travel.  This involves disconnecting and coiling the electric cord and hoses, bringing in the slide-outs, leveling feet, then driving the bus to the pump out and going through all of that necessary (and sometimes Yucky) RV business.  To my delight and surprise, Lo! My Lovely, Considerate, Loving Bride had done everything for me! All I had to do was get my shower and we were off to brunch! Yay!

We arrived at Chris and Gina’s beautiful house in a neat, established neighborhood with big trees (much nicer than many suburban developments with no trees). To our amazement, Gina had not only prepared a brunch; she had prepared A Feast! Two different quiches (yes, Real Men do eat quiche!), bacon, sausage, home fries, coffee cake, and a fresh fruit salad; it was just what Chris and I needed after a 13 miler, and Suzanne after an all-day workshop. 

But the fun didn’t stop with the fabulous gourmet meal. Gina and Chris had put together a Rochester area “goodie basket” for us to bring back to Florida (if it lasts that long).  They said it was to thank us for letting Chris tell our story and for us coming to Rochester, but it is we who should be thanking them.  Rochesterians who read this will recognize Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sauce, Bill Gray’s Hot Sauce, Mario Daniele’s Marinara Sauce, Dr. Konstantin Frank Chardonay, Casa Larga Brut Champagne, Rochester Tee Shirts, Wegman’s Apple Cider, Dundee Oktoberfest Beer, McIntosh apples, Highland Lilac Body Lotion, lilac soap, a yellow butterfly wind chime, a sign reading “Home is where you park the RV”, and even handmade doggie treats for Rudy and Gretchen. Thanks, Gina and Chris, for your thoughtfulness and generosity. 

I had walked Rudy and Gretchen just before we left Chris and Gina’s, and left a small orange “doggy bag” on the ground by the door to The Bus, thinking I would pick it up just before departing and drop it in Chris’ trash can. Unfortunately, in those busy moments of turning The Bus around, hooking up the car, and getting/giving hugs all around, I forgot completely about it... uh-oh... when I was driving down a mountain road in northern Pennsylvania, I remembered it with shock and asked Suzanne to call Chris. “Chris, you gave us this wonderful gift basket, and we left you a little present in a bag in your front yard by the street; do NOT open the bag... it goes straight to the trash can!” Sorry, Chris...

We drove south in gathering darkness to Harrisburg, PA, where My Lovely Bride was born. Arriving at our luxury campground (another Wal-Mart parking lot) at 2000 (8:00 PM) in complete darkness, we were bushed, but had the delicious leftover brunch that Gina had thoughtfully packed for us for dinner.  After a good night’s sleep, Suzanne went for a bike ride while I nursed my sore leg muscles. She looks a lot more energetic than I do right now.  You will notice the jacket.  It is time to head south! 

Last SOAR, then Nashville; Beautiful Asters; A Patriotic Horse; Ready to Race; A Token??? Duh!

Suzanne completed her last (and largest) S.O.A.R! Workshop of the 2012 Tour Saturday at Christ Church Unity in downtown Rochester. It was a great success, and we have already talked about returning next year. 

Suzanne signed a lot of books, thanks to help from Bev Garlipp, who manned the book table all day. Bev has been a treasure this entire trip, and may now get a well-deserved rest back in The Villages after organizing all of our events since May.  

The asters presented to Suzanne by Richard and Mary Ellen Kladstrup were delightful, and now occupy a place of honor on the table aboard The Bus until they can be planted at our home in The Villages. 

While Suzanne was hard at work, the puppies and I goofed off at Starbucks... okay, we also got the laundry done, but I can’t say that Rudy and Gretchen were much help. Have you ever watched two dachshunds trying to fold queen-sized sheets? It’s not a pretty picture... they were so worn out that by the end of the day, they couldn’t keep their eyes open. 

While driving through Rochester’s outer business district, I noticed this very patriotic horse in a company’s front yard... but it wasn’t just any horse. I was very touched by the actions of one small company in memorializing 9/11. The inscription on the brass plate reads, “UNDAUNTED”  “I was created by the people of The Office Equipment Company, and born - not to parade - but to memorialize those of us lost to a despicable act - and to symbolize the spirit in every American’s heart - that the world should be forever free of terrorism!  I am just a horse - but an ALL AMERICAN HORSE!  We shall remain, America and I - “UNDAUNTED”. 

Saturday was pre-Race Day for the Rochester Half-Marathon that Chris Lavelle and I are running, so I drove to the administrative HQ to pick up my race number, safety pins, timing chip, and (most important) my race tee-shirt. I meditated last night and visualized the course and my running pace to be ready for The Big Day. Suzanne will probably be posting the blog Sunday morning while I’m running, but she will be there to greet me at the finish line ... 

On the way out of Rochester, we have to be careful and look ahead to obstacles which might slow us down or interfere with the safe passage of The Bus, which has a 12’ 8” air clearance. This 11’ 10” bridge isn’t marked on our GPS or maps, but thankfully the campground lady told us about it before we headed this way. Most (but not all) obstacles have warning signs up to a mile before the obstacle, but we were caught by one last year (just after we became owned by The Bus) that only allowed us 2 inches clearance, and I had to climb up on the roof and drop a tape measure to confirm our clearance before we dared pass under the overpass. 

My last to-do item last night was to take a shower. Because we don’t have a pump out here at our campsite, we have been frugal with water consumption to avoid filling our grey water tanks, where our shower and sinks drain, so we could wait until we were departing Sunday afternoon to dump tanks. I decided that I would take a shower in the campground shower facility about a half mile walk into the woods. When I got there, I prepared to get wet, turned the faucet, and nothing came out. “Isn’t that interesting?” I asked. “But I would have PREFERRED that the shower spit out hot water instead of air...” (See, husbands DO listen to their wives ... sometimes ...) Well, imagine my embarrassment when I saw the “Put token in here” sign on the little silver box on the wall by the door. It was cleverly hidden, in plain sight, on the wall to the right of the door. I mumbled a couple of appropriate phrases (not to be repeated here, as they are Top Secret) from my Navy days, and hiked back to The Bus for some money, as I had also neglected to bring my wallet. Sigh...

Prana Help; The Purple Door; Spiritual Sushi; Eye to Eye with What? A Philosophy School

On Friday morning Suzanne asked me to help her with her polarity. This was a first for me. She was feeling a bit out of balance from the multiple events after Toronto and here in Rochester, with nary a free day to recover. She asked me to visualize being a conduit for prana. Not so long ago I thought prana was a South American man-eating fish, and now she was asking me to help channel it. I felt honored, but was concerned that I would have no positive effect on her. But I decided to give it my best, closed my eyes, and said to myself, “Well, here we go.” I visualized the column of white light that Suzanne had described, and tried to think of myself focusing the light on her. After a few minutes I felt a tingling in my hands, and honestly didn’t know what was going on. I kept silent, and about 5 minutes into it, Suzanne said that her headache and nausea has disappeared. I was stunned, and awed by the thought that I may have actually have helped her. It was a humbling experience.

In the afternoon, Suzanne had a book signing at The Purple Door, a metaphysical center and store in Henrietta, NY, while I took the CR-V to a Honda shop for an oil change. Connie at The Purple Door was delightful to work with. Suzanne enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere there and had a short Reiki treatment after the signing. Unfortunately, I had forgotten our camera at The Bus, so neither event has been immortalized, but both were successful.

We decided on sushi for dinner, and as we were driving back into Rochester, Suzanne checked the iPad for restaurants. When she gasped, I knew we were in trouble... three blocks from our destination was the Piranha Sushi Bar and Grill. I have been made fun of for confusing prana with piranha, but I knew now that this was A Sign, and that we were meant to eat there. In fact, here is Suzanne giving the namaste salutation under The Sign... 

What really took us aback when we sat down at the sushi bar were our sushi chef, Quino, and a picture of Yogananda on a shelf above him. Quino is A Big Guy with a tattooed skull, not your typical Japanese sushi chef. He has six kids, 3 boys and 3 girls, and reads to them every night. Our sushi was terrific; he did a great job, and he also caters sushi parties and gives classes. You can find him on Facebook at Sushi Chef Quino.  When Suzanne gave him and the restaurant owner, Nick, copies of Messages of Hope, Quino said that the only books he read were for his kids, but that he would read every word of this one.  

Nick told us how he had decided to open a sushi bar on a coin toss. It was heads, fly to Peru and live there for years, or tails, open a sushi bar in Rochester. The coin came up tails, and he jokes that it was a terrible choice because of all the money he had to put into remodeling the restaurant and the constant hard work. He is a spiritual guy, and the photo of Yogananada was his. 

But Nick also has a neat mascot, the piranha that Your Correspondent had to go eyeball to eyeball and tooth to tooth with, just to prove who was The Boss. The little creep tried to get my finger, but I was too fast for him. I showed him that my underbite was every bit a match for his!  

After an exciting dinner, we were off to Bob Vance’s Practical Philosophy School meeting in a very upscale neighborhood nearby. Hosts were Dave and Deb, charming native Rochesterians who graciously invited us into their home. Cedric, the founder of the School, had migrated to Rochester from South Africa via London many years ago. Twenty other members attended, and Suzanne gave her Tapping into the Grid presentation, which generated lots of interest and questions. It was a stimulating evening, but we had to leave early because of Saturday’s S.O.A.R! Workshop. 

I may have made a mistake confronting that piranha; I woke up at 0500 dreaming of swimming in a river and having my legs chewed on.... yikes!

Corinthian, Ionian or Doric??? Messages of Hope Documentary Rochester Premiere

Driving back to our Webster Park campground in Monroe County, we passed this very well-kept old farmhouse. I had to capture it “on film” because it recalled a bygone era that I am partial to. I particularly liked the Ionian columns, and wondered whether it was built by a soldier who had been in the South during the Civil War...  

Near the lakeshore in a small community called Summit Beach, this beautiful house’s reflection is captured in their pond. It isn’t that old, but it would be a lovely place to spend the summer.  

The neighborhood’s entry marker was also colorful; but what does this area look like in January?  

Thursday evening’s event was one that we had been looking forward to all summer - the Messages of Hope documentary Rochester Premiere on the big screen! The filmmaker, Chris Lavelle, lives in Rochester, and we expected a big crowd at the Little Theater. Our good friend Bob Vance had come back to Rochester from The Villages and helped us set up. 

Suzanne’s book table was well-organized by Bev Garlipp, with assistance from her friends Pam and Bev. They were a real help, allowing your correspondent to circulate and meet several interesting Rochesterians (I think that’s the correct term). 

The theater was packed, with many of Chris’ family and friends from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as well as folks who had attended Suzanne’s Where Science and Spirituality Meet talk the night before at Christ Church Unity and those who saw the TV news coverage. After opening remarks by Suzanne and Chris, the movie was shown, and everyone loved it! A lively, 30 minute Q&A session followed the showing of the film. 

Suzanne was busy signing books after the movie. Many of the movie attendees will also be attending her S.O.A.R! Workshop on Saturday at Christ Church Unity of Rochester. 

Chris Lavelle and Suzanne were thrilled with the turnout and enthusiasm for Chris’ documentary. 

Here is your correspondent showing off his Lady in the lobby... (She asked me to add that it’s actually the other way around.  We often argue about things like this).  

Our good friend Terri Horsmann got the award for distance traveled; she was visiting from Minneapolis, “Minnesnowta”. Incidentally, Terri will be attending a workshop in western New York this weekend.

These giggly girls at the next table appeared to be having a lot of fun that night; I suspect wine might have been involved, especially after they told me that I owed them a drink for taking the picture below... 

Chris, his wife, Gina, and her family had invited us to a post-viewing party at a nearby restaurant. They are a fun-loving wacky bunch, just like us! We wished that we had more time in Rochester to get to know them better; maybe next year!

Launch Kayaks! A Challenge; Canine Meditation; Lake Effect What? Science and Spirituality

Today we had what Suzanne calls “a mellow paddle”. This name comes from a phrase adopted from a hippie paddler we met back in Puget Sound when we lived in the Seattle area. It means a quiet, not too strenuous paddling experience on a secluded, quiet, not too hairy river or creek. In today’s paddle, we looked around at several likely locations. The first was at the mouth of Irondequoit Bay, where these modest hovels overlook a small arm of the bay near the entrance to Lake Ontario. Not a bad view, eh? 

We decided not to paddle there because (a) it was too close to civilization and a marina, (b) it would have been too short of a paddle without going out into the much larger bay, and (c) the Natural Resources squad shown here was out taking water/algae/fish samples, and four humans and an outboard would make more noise than we wanted to endure. We like our solitude on the water, and this area didn’t meet our criteria. 

We wound up going to the south end of the bay in a creek (well-named “Bay Creek”) that was home to lots of birds and a few large jumping fish. No, I was not fishing, but wished I had brought a hand grenade or some sticks of dynamite to get a few steelhead for dinner. My Lovely Bride made a somewhat sarcastic comment about me wanting quiet and solitude yet wishing I had a hand grenade for fishing. I don't find any conflict here; if you can't catch fish, then why not blow them up? A man has to eat!

Suzanne got this photo of a great blue heron, one of our favorite birds, and I got the second photo of another bird, my beautiful paddling partner. 

Wednesday was an easy day PT-wise, because I have been cutting back on running after an 11 miler Monday in preparation for a half marathon this coming Sunday. Chris Lavelle, the Messages of Hope filmmaker, coerced me into running this race. I say coerced because he “invited” me to run it, and as every guy knows, “invited” means “challenged.” I know that women will not understand this affliction that males of the species have, but the competitive urge does not abate after 64 years of experience. I have heard that this competitive urge in older men is inversely proportional to common sense, but I can neither confirm nor deny that statement. Just because Chris is only 29 or 30, I can’t give him any mercy. I will probably try to trip him up or step on his heels as the race begins...

As many of you are already aware, Rudy is a psychic wiener dog. Following his Dog-Mom's lead, he also meditates regularly. We caught him in this post-meditative pose earlier in the day.

As we were driving around Webster, we saw this device on the roadside. I was baffled as to what its purpose might be. My lovely bride laughed at me, implying something potentially negative about my Southern upbringing. She said that it was used to plow "lake effect" snow. What a ridiculous assertion on her part! It could not possibly snow that much anywhere but the North Pole, who ever heard of a lake snowing, who would live where it snowed that much, and what would you plant in plowed snow? Sometimes she truly befuddles me.  

Wednesday night saw us setting up at Christ Church Unity in Rochester for Suzanne to present her Science and Spirituality talk to 55 enthusiastic attendees. Many will also be attending the Messages of Hope documentary viewing at the Little Theater in Rochester Thursday night and her S.O.A.R! Workshop on Saturday, also at Christ Church Unity. Suzanne and I will also be attending Bob Vance's Philosophy Club meeting on Friday evening, where Suzanne will give her "Tapping into the Grid" presentation. It is a very busy week!