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Post by doctork on Sept 12, 2009 19:15:10 GMT -5
The photos are fabulous, boatbabe. I am always amazed at the Seattle skyline and always keep the airline window shade up when flying in or out so I can see the view. I can't understand those who are too jaded to admire the Emerald city (and Mount Rainier too) from the air or sea.
I am glad you are so careful about sailing. My dad was a career Coast Guard officier, and as an aviator, he sometimes had to do Air-Sea searches for lost boats - happened way too often to the casual and careless.
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Post by BoatBabe on Sept 22, 2009 21:17:40 GMT -5
Thanks, Doc. We are Coast Guard trained, very cautious, educated boaters. Even then, sometimes cautious people get stuck in unexpected weather/water events.
I don't believe anyone sets out to become a statistic. Though it may happen.
Thanks for enjoying the photos. I'm trying to learn how to make them smaller (not THAT small!) so that they interfere less on this board. Mike hasn't taught me how to do that yet!
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Post by doctork on Sept 23, 2009 16:48:35 GMT -5
I'd rather have pictures and scroll a little, than not have the photos!
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Post by sailor on Sept 29, 2009 17:38:51 GMT -5
Inatori trip, part one. Emi and I went to the seaside resort town of Inatori, located on the east-side of Izu peninsula, Japan. We checked in to the hotel Saturday and the dinner that night was an all you can eat buffet complete with crab legs and shrimp. After dinner I promptly laid down and passed out, I was stuffed! Next morning we awoke early and decided to go for a walk around the town to help work off the food fest from the night before and to prepare ourselves for breakfast. It was a cloudy morning but the sunrise over the ocean was enjoyable none the less.   Here we have an early morning sport fisherman on the sea wall. Across the bay we have the local train heading south.  Here is the beginning of a nice stretch of yellow brick walkway near one of the most expensive hotels in Inatori.   Let's take a closer look at the light on the lower left side of the walkway in the picture above. It's the small details that make this place special.  This is the entrance to the fancy hotel (that we can't afford to stay at.  And if I back up, the hotel looks like this:  But, wait, what's that in the lower left side of the picture? Hey, it's a bunch of old fishermen.  End of part one. |
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Post by BoatBabe on Sept 29, 2009 20:17:50 GMT -5
Beautiful, Mike! I love the fish wire sculpture in front of the light. The fishermen are such a dichotomy to the fancy hotel. Your blue-lit dawn reminds me of that one dawn photo I took. Lovely photos! Thank you.  |
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Post by sailor on Sept 30, 2009 0:35:13 GMT -5
Inatori trip, part 2 We finally make it to the end of the seawall where the cheaper accommodations can be found and we turn around to head back.  Suddenly, Emi sees a land shark and despite my warnings, she decides to get cute with it.  I tried to tell her to be careful, but it's too late! The shark's got her now!  I'd go and rescue her, but I'm too tired and need a little rest. Fortunately I've found a nice place for tourists to observe the rise and fall of the tide.  They say one can tell the culture level of a country by the condition of their public restrooms. This is one of the Inatori beach-side restrooms.   I bet you didn't expect to see that as part of the trip report. End of part two. Part three coming soon! |
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Post by BoatBabe on Sept 30, 2009 8:53:48 GMT -5
A Triptych! Hooray! Or maybe it will be a quadraphonic triptych.
[Honestly, I can't stand the suspense, Mike. Please tell me that you saved Emi.]
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Post by doctork on Sept 30, 2009 10:47:48 GMT -5
Can't wait for Part 3!
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Post by Jane on Sept 30, 2009 13:20:03 GMT -5
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Post by sailor on Sept 30, 2009 17:26:52 GMT -5
Thank you all for the kind remarks.
Jane, I'll have to watch the youtube later, I'm at work now and youtube is blocked on our network.
Mike
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Post by sailor on Sept 30, 2009 17:28:46 GMT -5
OK, time to wrap this up. Inatori part 3! No Land Shark is a match for Emi. While I rested up she clobbered the frisky shark and caught up with me. As we depart the seaside we see an interesting side street that appears to lead to the night life center of town.  An interesting little bar. To bad it's 6:30 in the morning.  We continue to meander through the little side streets.  And, we emerge on the other side of town where the commercial fishermen work.  I love the colors of the fishing nets that are hung up to dry.  The fishing boats are high and dry (don't ask why because I don’t know).   One more boat pic…  At this point Emi tells me to put away the camera because it's time to go back to the hotel for breakfast. And so, this is the end of the photo trip report. I hope you enjoyed! Best regards, Mike |
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Post by BoatBabe on Oct 1, 2009 0:07:53 GMT -5
Great video, Jane. And you were there? How cool is that! Who was with you? |
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Post by BoatBabe on Oct 1, 2009 0:18:51 GMT -5
Mike, that was fabulous. Really. I should have know that Emi could rescue herself. Duhhhh! I agree with your earlier assessment that a culture is defined by their restrooms, and what civilized ones those were.
Great photos of the fishing boats and nets. The fishing nets here are not in those neon colors. What a colorful splay.
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Post by gailkate on Oct 2, 2009 10:14:38 GMT -5
OMG. My pics can't compete. Maybe I'll tell more than illustrate. For now, here's a pic of me and my friends outside an Ann Arbor shop with me pointing out the little "fairy door" on the side. A guy in A 2 has been decorating the town with these little doors, sometimes requiring a hole in the owner's building. You can see the whole story here. urban-fairies.com/  Here's me looking sort of stern before setting off for the reunion dinner:  We were lent a house in Midland that had been designed in the 50s by Alden Dow, a Midland architect influenced by Japanese and Frank Lloyd Wright structures. It was all sorts of levels and materials (note the rough brick of the FP behind me), and so many rooms and levels we kept having to shout to find each other. From outside, as we were packing to leave:  I have some pics of the inside but I'll have to work on them to get them big enough for you to see. It was a wonderful gift to have been lent that house (I wouldn't have gone if I'd had to add the motel costs to everything else), and I'll try to show you more of it. OK, Jane, take it away! Our 45th reunions must provide entertainment before Japan and storytelling, so I hope your pics are big enough to see.  |
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Post by sailor on Oct 2, 2009 15:09:18 GMT -5
Gail, you look absolutely beautiful too me. Simply and elegantly stunning! Mike |
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Post by gailkate on Oct 2, 2009 17:41:39 GMT -5
Aw, Mike, thanks, li'l bro. I photograph best when not being required to smile - honestly, I look grinny and sort of demented, ruining group pictures predictably. I think my stern look took hold in the teaching years - facing down smart aleck freshmen who thought I'd be a pushover.
But your pictures - absolutely gorgeous. The yellow brick road and all the artistic use of stone really knock me out. And I love Emi's sense of whimsy. You got yourself a good girl there.
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Post by doctork on Oct 5, 2009 16:17:33 GMT -5
//Gail, you look absolutely beautiful too me. Simply and elegantly stunning!//
Agreed! And to think you were worrying about how others would think you looked!
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Post by joew on Oct 16, 2009 0:43:41 GMT -5
Inatori trip, part one. Emi and I went to the seaside resort town of Inatori, located on the east-side of Izu peninsula, Japan. But, wait, what's that in the lower left side of the picture? Hey, it's a bunch of old fishermen. End of part one. Amazing! At this distance, that guy on the right looks just like my dad. The eyes may be different if you get a closer look, but the hair, shape of head, facial expression, and general shape, are the same. Maybe the belly is a bit smaller. But it was really startling. |
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Post by BoatBabe on Oct 22, 2009 8:47:51 GMT -5
That's cool, Joe! It must have really shocked you.
Any progress on Japan By JoeW?
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Post by jspnrvr on Oct 22, 2009 19:34:30 GMT -5
Doggone, gail. I just now saw your reunion photos! So sorry. Here I was carrying on about TN, away from a computer for a few days and missed out. Those fairy doors are neat. And it looks like you had a grand night out. One of these days I'll get some things posted.
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Post by gailkate on Oct 23, 2009 9:25:20 GMT -5
Reunions are funny things. I did have a lot of fun, but there was also an element I can't really describe. It's wonderful to have friends who go back that far, and it's wonderful that the rigid distinctions of high school sort of fade away. Still, those old hurts aren't erased. Several people said to me and my particular friends that we'd never have been in the same classes because "you were with the brains." Our school really tracked people, giving kids a self-image that they were too young to see as damaging. It's a marvel how many of them went on to quite satisfactory careers after their counsellors told them college or technical trades were beyond them. And those of us who were neither cool nor rich managed to get over it.
And we're all so obviously closer to the grave than the cradle. This time there was a list of 50 known deceased. That's probably to be expected in a class of more than 600, but still it was sad seeing those names. A boy I remember furtively looking up salacious words in 9th grade study hall. He was very small, not a brain, just an ordinary kid. I wonder how life treated him. One woman was murdered by her husband. One guy - a happy nerd - was killed trying to stop a robbery. Then, of course, there were the cruel cancers, the car crashes, ravages of alcohol and drugs after Vietnam.
Somehow we all have to deal with life's unfairness, the inevitability of aging. Reunions are a forced immersion in reality - and gratitude. Hey, folks, we're all still here. Jerry is fond of quoting Martin Luther - "Life is a battle - hurrah!"
Jerry risks getting a bop on the head sometimes.
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Post by doctork on Oct 23, 2009 13:09:03 GMT -5
Gee gk, your reunion sounds much "heavier" than mine. But of course for the NOLA school, we were all brains and everyone turned out pretty well, except for the ones that didn't. And those were mostly life's random misfortunes and tragedies.
I won't get to the NYC reunion, as the charter flight in Europe for aviation enthusiasts pretty much shot the budget; that reunion might be different. And my med school class reunion usually draws just a very small fraction of the class, which is odd, because that class is the one that has the largest percentage of grads in the vicinity.
As for the problems of aging - well I have had too many brushes with death to lament aging. I am just glad to be here, foibles and infirmities and all.
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Post by jspnrvr on Oct 24, 2009 6:14:45 GMT -5
Reunions are funny things. I did have a lot of fun, but there was also an element I can't really describe. It's wonderful to have friends who go back that far, and it's wonderful that the rigid distinctions of high school sort of fade away. Still, those old hurts aren't erased. Several people said to me and my particular friends that we'd never have been in the same classes because "you were with the brains." Our school really tracked people, giving kids a self-image that they were too young to see as damaging. It's a marvel how many of them went on to quite satisfactory careers after their counsellors told them college or technical trades were beyond them. And those of us who were neither cool nor rich managed to get over it. And we're all so obviously closer to the grave than the cradle. This time there was a list of 50 known deceased. That's probably to be expected in a class of more than 600, but still it was sad seeing those names. A boy I remember furtively looking up salacious words in 9th grade study hall. He was very small, not a brain, just an ordinary kid. I wonder how life treated him. One woman was murdered by her husband. One guy - a happy nerd - was killed trying to stop a robbery. Then, of course, there were the cruel cancers, the car crashes, ravages of alcohol and drugs after Vietnam. Somehow we all have to deal with life's unfairness, the inevitability of aging. Reunions are a forced immersion in reality - and gratitude. Hey, folks, we're all still here. Jerry is fond of quoting Martin Luther - "Life is a battle - hurrah!" Jerry risks getting a bop on the head sometimes. We were missing five out of a class of fifty-nine. Two auto, three disease. Soon to be six, most likely. One of our cheerleaders didn't make it, we found out later she'd spit up some blood on Thursday, didn't feel like coming that weekend and on Tuesday was at a hospital in Peoria; they found the spots on her lungs, pelvis and spine. The folks that ran heavy equipment for 30 years, or went in the Army, then to Caterpillar seem to be doing pretty well. One guy has retired with seven acres of grapes and a catfish pond, a couple are traveling. Don't bop Jerry too hard. Life is life, and we (I, anyway) take too much of it for granted. Reunions, gratitude. Yeah, I told the organizers we need one every other year, not every five, and I'd help. |
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Post by doctork on Oct 24, 2009 7:57:00 GMT -5
// Our school really tracked people, giving kids a self-image that they were too young to see as damaging. //
You should have seen my German high school! (Do I really have a 4th high school class? - yes, NYC, NOLA, Honolulu, Germany). It was an academic high school which students attended to age 19 to prepare for university. There were other vocational/trade high schools that last only until age 16 - 17, and the decision as to which high school a student would attend was made around age 12, or the equivalent of 6th grade. No second chances for late bloomers there! The exams required for university entrance were available only to gymnasium (academic high school) students.
When I went to the Kurtzschule Berchesgaden for a month (that was like an Outward Bound school in the German Alpes), the 96 students were about half from vocational schools and half from gymnasium. At the Kurtzschule I didn't notice any difference at all between the brains and the beauty school students. Well the latter were actually much better at the discussion of Life's Important Things, as teen age girls only talk about 3 things - hair, clothes, and boys. ;D
At the NOLA reunion, I believe we counted 9 dead from our class of 101. (Did I tell you that my class rank was near the bottom at 92 out of that 101?). I checked my epidemiology textbook and figured that though the numbers were small, that death rate was still about average, and it seems consistent with what you all report. One of my classmates died from MS, which was unusual but disconcerting all the same.
I was very surprised to see another classmate present at the reunion, looking hale and hearty this year. A couple years ago we had some private correspondence for medical advice, and it did not sound to me as though she had a good prognosis. But she looked mah-velous, as we all did/do, really. Yes, gratitude, I'm just happy to be here.
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Post by joew on Oct 24, 2009 21:45:33 GMT -5
I finally figured out how to post pictures (after finally getting some that are in digital mode. So here's some stuff from Japan, which I first posted over on the daily report by mistake. This is from my first full day there, October 1. The first place I looked in at after I got my digital camera was the Kanda Shrine. They have a major festival going through the streets every two years.  Vehicular traffic is allowed inside the outer gate.  This is the inner gate.  And here's the courtyard. Enough for this post. BTW, boatbabe, these were in an album. I clicked on share, then the email tab, and copied the url given there. |
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Post by joew on Oct 24, 2009 21:48:29 GMT -5
Now for some mealtimes.  Here is dinner at my brother and sister-in-law's place on the evening of October 1. Her mother joined us. The next night the three of us went to the restaurant Sashiba, where we occupied the tiny back room.  Here's my brother.  Sister-in-law and me. This restaurant was a lot of fun. Whenever they were ready to place another order, my bro or s-i-l would call, "Sumimasen" = "Excuse me." From somewhere outside the waiter would shout, "Hai!" = "Yes!" He'd come to the room and they'd place the order. He'd step out and loudly relay it to the chef, who would respond equally loudly. (They were the only two people working in the establishment.) I'd love to go back just for the show, even if the food weren't quite as good as it was. |
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Post by doctork on Oct 25, 2009 9:48:44 GMT -5
The pictures are great joew!
Congratulations on figuring out how to do it, too. Maybe that will be an inspiration to the rest of us.
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Post by jspnrvr on Oct 25, 2009 17:00:44 GMT -5
Good job, joe. Gives me another "goose". What a dandy trip. If you and your brother have as much fun as my brother and I do, then you had a fun time, indeed.
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Post by BoatBabe on Oct 25, 2009 19:52:21 GMT -5
Great pictures, Joe! Good Job. Do I remember that you are going back in January?
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Post by joew on Oct 26, 2009 1:25:02 GMT -5
That's right, boatbabe. I may post a few more pix from the past trip, and we'll see what I get in January.
Meanwhile I still owe the group some pix from my trip in August 2008 to Québec City. Believe it or not, I just had them developed and diskified last week while my cousin was here.
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Dopey Member
