[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFwSzZQ4MVI[/youtube]
From “The Jazz Singer” Written and sung by Neil Diamond.
As many of you may know, about a year ago our daughter and her family moved to San Diego in California to live. It was a pretty dramatic (not to say TRAUMATIC) time for us after having the family living in the same suburb for the last ten years. We were able to watch our three grandsons grow up and have a part to play in their day to day lives. But Natalie had an opportunity to further her career and we never considered, even for a moment, standing in her way if the opportunity could be taken.
It’s been pretty tough for the family (on both sides of the Pacific) as we adapted to life without the closeness of contact and they adapted to life in a very different country. It was inevitable, I guess, that we would find the attraction of seeing them again too much and would attempt to go and visit them so that is what we are doing. At the end of July, we are heading to the USA for a month to visit our family and see the sights. Our #2 child, Graeme, will be coming here to look after our place while we are away, look after our two crazy cats and make sure Helena’s precious garden survives her absence.
While to most the decision to go and visit would seem to be a simple one, for us it has been rather more complex. The financial consideration was one aspect but not the most pressing one. The main issue came down to whether I could manage a 13 hour flight. Since the accident I find sitting in the one spot for extended periods of time (anything more than half an hour) extremely difficult as the hardware in my leg starts to make itself known. We have flown several times since the accident and each time, despite obtaining a seat so that I could stretch my bung leg out into the the aisle, flying has been difficult. Two and three quarter hours each way for the Norfolk Island trip was pretty painful. But we’re talking about 6 times that time to get to LAX.
And, no, before you ask (as nearly everybody does), I do not have trouble with the scanners at airports going off when I walk through. Most of them are now so sophisticated that they can distinguish between metal pieces IN the body and metal pieces being carried outside the body. The only time that I have tripped a scanner was a few years ago at Coolangatta airport and the equipment there was not as new as the stuff at Melbourne and Sydney, for example. Besides, I have been told that surgical implants are made of titanium and scanners are “trained” to ignore it.
So, despite the prospect of a long and possibly painful flight, we are off to the other side of the world to see our family. Natalie and Leith live in San Diego, a city that is regarded as one of the nicest ones on the west coast, or so I have been told. They live near the water and within easy reach of many tourist attractions, so their choice of place to live was a good one.
Since we are going, we figured that it would be stupid not to take the opportunity of seeing some of the country at the same time so we are going to stay for a month. This will give us plenty of time to enjoy the family but also see some of the countryside. Like Australia, America is big and, looking at the maps, it is obvious that considerable distances will need to be travelled to see some of the sights and visit some of the other people who we would like to see. While there I am hoping to catch up with some of my American friends from the historic bike racing scene and I’m pretty excited about that. We also plan to see the Grand Canyon and the obligatory tourist attractions.
As a child of the last century, I have always had a hankering to do some of Route 66 and we certainly plan to do that, too if we can. Whether in a car or even on a bike has not been decided yet. The most “iffy” part of the plan, but the one that I hope comes off the most, is to go to Argyle in Texas and visit Ottis Lance. As most of you know, Otter was involved in a very serious road accident last October from which he is still recovering. I know that a visit would lift his spirits (he is still wheelchair-bound) and I’d really love to do that. But, it’s 1500 miles from SD to Argyle which means flying and I have no idea how expensive that could be so that part of the plan is still a work in progress.
Life deals you some funny cards at times. I have only ever travelled out of Australia twice in my life and both times it was for three weeks to visit a missionary friend in the Philippines. Of all the places that I would want to visit if I ever DID go overseas, my standard answer has always been Europe. I have never really even considered the USA but here I am, going to the one place that was near the bottom of my “must visit” list.
Planning is in the early stages right now, but tickets have been booked and seats allocated. We have been fortunate to secure seats for both journeys that do not have seats in front of them so I am hopeful that that fact and being on the aisle as well will allow me to endure 13 hours on the aeroplane. People have said to me, “But surely you can get up an walk around?” and the answer is that, of course you can. But, if the plane is travelling through turbulence for a few hours and the captain has the seat belts sign on, then you are stuck and that part doesn’t appeal. My wife is suggesting that we get some knock-out drops from the doctor before we leave to make things easier. I’m not sure you can do that, but the idea is interesting.
On other fronts, the first MotoGp of the season has been run and won with the Ducatis showing impressive pace and allowing both their riders to get onto the podium. It seems that the off-season development has allowed them to go quickly for more than half the race, a fact that will please the Ducatisti no end. However, it was a night race and it remains to be seen if they can duplicate that consistency in the harsh light of day.
The bike is due for registration in a couple of weeks to I am scrambling around getting it ready; tyres, pink slip but most of all trying to juggle the necessary finance. All up it costs nearly a grand to get it done, a considerable sum of money (when you are retired these considerations loom larger).
It is good to see that Victoria is planning on introducing lane filtering in September. That will make three states who have done so but, as the nature of our stupid system of state-based legislation on matters is like it is, their regulations will no doubt be different to the ones already enacted in Queensland and NSW. If ever there was a case for Australia-wide standardisation of road rules, this is it. Nevertheless, I expect to see the rest of the states fall into line and introduce their own version of filtering rules very soon.
My apologies for being pretty “patchy” with blog entries of late. I promise that I will try and do better.
dunc says
bit of planning coming up phil
sure you will get the itinerary sorted out with no problems making the best of the time over there with family and the tourist thing
Phil Hall says
Indeed, however, already the trip seems to have taken on a life of its own! Good to hear from you again, mate.
dunc says
a trip like that will come around in quick time for sure
sure the itinerary will be well sorted out to get the best places seen
Phil Hall says
Started planning now and probably still won’t be ready!! Starting to really look forward to it.