Carmel Valley ranch - me on the balcony

I could get used to this!

Carmel Valley Ranch - my favourite hotel of the trip - views of and from our balcony

We reached Carmel where we were staying at the Carmel Valley Ranch, by far the most expensive hotel we stayed in during our US trip. It was a bit like "The Prisoner", people came and drove you around in mini-vans if you wanted to go anywhere, and the accomodation was just amazing. Luxurious bathroom (I spent about 2 hours of our time there in the bath), log fire (not that we needed it), and the most tremendous balcony and view you can imagine. When I win the lottery I think I'll go and live there.

Ventana on Big Sur

There was nowhere to stop for a drink along the PCH for miles and miles. When we reached civilisation again, we turned off the road into a restaurant and hotel called Ventana which was up in the hills above the coast. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven - it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to in my life. We had coffee and deserts from the menu (it was quite an expensive restaurant) and looked down on the trees and the birds flying by.

Elephant seals

We saw a sign for an Elephant Seal viewing point just off the PCH - and there they were, seemingly hundreds of them, lying on the beach moulting and mooing. Tremendous!

Big Sur Coastline

Thursday 19th we set off driving up the coast and stayed Thursday night in Santa Barbara, a lovely relaxed sort of place with none of the brashness of Los Angeles. Beautiful weather so spent most of the afternoon around the hotel pool. I also managed to fit in a trip to the local ER as it was only a few doors from our hotel, and got some great painkillers (Vicodin) from the charming young female doctor that I saw for the princely sum of $130 - good nights sleep with no back pain should be assured! Although the downside was you're not meant to mix the pills with alcohol. Never mind, they were good pills. Jim tells me there the ones that you hear about celebrities getting addicted to - I can understand why, they certainly kill the pain and make you feel pleasantly at one with the world. Narcotics Anonymous beckons.

Friday we spent driving up to Carmel from SB, quite a long drive of about 220 miles up the famous Highway 1, Pacific Coast Highway. What a road, what scenery - it was just wow moment after wow moment.

Hollywood Hollywood - so good I managed to post my pictures twice

On Tuesday 17th July we did a road trip, north from Santa Monica along the ocean, picking up Sunset Boulevard and following it all the way to Hollywood. Saw Graumann's Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame with all the stars on the pavement and also got to see the Hollywood sign from the Hollywood and Highland Mall. Fairly tacky but enjoyable - there were lots of folks walking around dressed as movie characters - Yoda, Shrek, Batman, etc etc. Saw Shrek with his head off down an alley having a quick ciggy. Keith also bought a bargain Creative Zen MP3 player ($50 i.e. about £25 for something that would cost him c £130 in the UK) at the Virgin Megastore.

We headed off into the Hollywood Hills and the canyons via Mulholland Drive on our way back - you could be miles from anywhere up there. Los Angeles is certainly a place of contrasts. Met up with Mike for a drink again at the hotel bar Tuesday evening - he's a star!

Gardens at the Getty Centre in Los Angeles

We set off for Los Angeles from Heathrow on Friday 13th July at 11.30 am and arrived as you do at 2.30pm after an 11 hour flight. We picked up a rental car (a Pontiac something or the other, full size model so about the dimensions of a Mondeo) and set off for Santa Monica, straight onto those humongous multilane freeways much loved by our Californian friends. We found the hotel but unfortunately I managed to do my back in trying to get the parking ticket out of the machine going into the hotel parking lot. Hurt a bit but nothing too awful. We checked in and then explored Santa Monica, including a walk along the pier, a couple of beers then burgers on 3rd Street Promenade.

Back to the hotel to sleep as our bodies thought it was about 5 am - then at about midnight US time I woke up screaming in agony, the back had gone ballistic. My packing hadn't run to painkillers so Keith and Jim set off in a taxi to the back of beyond to a 24 hour pharmacy as instructed by the concierge and came back with some super Advil which was meant to take away the pain and help you sleep. Anyway, 20 minutes later I was looking st that burger again as the pills just seemed to upset my stomach and make me vomit.

Next day and the one after spent very quietly by me - lying in bed or by the hotel pool while Keith and Jim explored Santa Monica and Venice Beach on foot - although we did get out Saturday night and met up with Mike and Hannah Randle at the Kings Head English Pub in Santa Monica. Great to see them again and catch up on the last two years since Mike was last in the UK touring with Love.

By Monday I was ready to get out and about again as I was doing the driving. So we went to the Getty Centre, which is in a great position on top of a hill, and has wonderful gardens as well as a world class art collection. Back held out OK with the help of some slightly less corrosive painkillers.

My Personality

Neuroticism	29
Extraversion	77
Openness To Experience	10
Agreeableness	50
Conscientiousness	72

You are sociable, outgoing, energetic, and lively. You prefer to be around people much of the time. You are generally calm and composed, reacting moderately well to situations that most people would describe as stressful. As a practical person you like to think in plain and simple terms. Others describe you as down-to-earth, practical, and conservative. You have some concern with others' needs, and are generally pleasant, sympathetic, and cooperative. You set clear goals and pursue them with determination. People regard you as reliable and hard-working.

Test Yourself Compare Yourself View Full Report Our range of Ugg Boots

Santa Monica Boulevard - we love it!

I love LA! (copyright Randy Newman)

Hate New York City
It's cold and it's damp
And all the people dressed like monkeys
Let's leave Chicago to the Eskimos
That town's a little (bit) too rugged
For you and me, you bad girl
Rollin' down the Imperial Highway
With a big nasty redhead at my side
Santa Ana wind blowin' hot from the north
And we was born to ride

Roll down the window, put down the top
Crank up the Beach Boys, baby
Don't let the music stop
We're gonna ride it till we just can't ride it no more
From the South Bay to the Valley
From the West Side to the East Side
Everybody's very happy
'Cause the sun is shining all the time
Looks like another perfect day
I love L.A. (We love it)
I love L.A. (We love it)

Look at that mountainLook at those trees
Look at that bum over there, man He's down on his knees
Look at these women There ain't nothin' like em nowhere
Century Boulevard (We love it)
Victory Boulevard (We love it)
Santa Monica Boulevard (We love it)
Sixth Street (We love it, we love it)
I love L.A.(We Love It)
I Love L.A.(We Love It)
I Love L.A.(We Love It)


13th July we're off to California i.e. we being me, Keith and Jim. Starting off in Santa Monica for six nights, driving up the coast with stops at Santa Barbara and Carmel, four nights in San Francisco, then flying to Las Vegas for two nights (inc helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon) before flying back o the UK.

We love it!

Its been a while

I've done some nice stuff since my last post. We had a great holiday in Ithaca - a small island off the Greek island of Cephalonia. Lovely swimming, very relaxed place, nice albeit simple hotel. Great company as well - we went with our friends Steve and Wendy. I've put a couple of photos on Tina's pics.

Also Keith and I went to see the Pet Shop Boys in concert last week - very entertaining show. I've always been a big fan but this was the first time I've seen them live - I've been singing their songs all week.

Work good has been as well, I seem to have turned into Yoda - for guidance the young folks come to me.

Now Keith..... Keith if anything has been far too cheery for my liking - sorry if that sounds somewhat bah-humbuggish. Perhaps its manic depression and he's in the manic phase. Much better than him being depressed, but sometimes when I'm dragging myself off to work its a bit much. Probably he'll revert to his old miserable self in a while, and that won't suit me either.

Hey ho.

May the fourth be with you

Yes I know I'm two days late but I have been thinking about posting since Friday.

Finally got to meet Mike Troubled Diva this week, he kindly invited me to be his "plus one" at the Maria McKee gig at the Rescue Rooms after I posted some comments on his site. A lovely chap, and the strange thing about the blogosphere is that you really feel you know people pretty well before you actually met them in the flesh.

I also realised that I don't particularly worry about going places on my own, I was in the Rescue Rooms bar for a while before Mike showed up as I got there really early and wasn't in the least uncomfortable. I think I have a hang up, which a lot of women have, about going by yourself to pubs, bars etc which was instilled at an early age. Fear of being set upon by men with dishonourable intentions perhap. Well at my age I reckon thats unlikely to happen, and also the Rescue Rooms is a place where a woman of a certain age like myself is not out of place at all. I think I'm going to go for it more often from now on - I've missed out on going to see a few artists I was keen to see because of lack of someone to go with me. Keith is not at all keen although he lets himself be dragged reluctantly to the odd one if its someone he's heard of - he's a big Bob Dylan fan but after a dire NEC show he decided he didn't want to go and see him any more. Our friend Steve has accompanied me a number of times, but his tastes are more left field than mine - Durrutti Column, Pere Ubu, The Fall etc - all good in their way and interesting to see (except the Fall who didn't turn up until some ridiculous hour when Keith had decided he already wanted to go home). Its a real shame I don't live nearer to Lizzy, but the 180 mile trip to Newcastle is a tad far to go on a week night for a gig.

So I reckon I'm going to look out for gigs I like the look of and go for it whether I've got a "plus one" or not. Seeing live music is one of the great pleasures of my life, and I had a great introduction with Lizzy in Newcastle in my teens of seeing some brilliant people live. Well, now I'm out the other side of the settling down / getting married / babies / building a glittering career (?) zone, and I reckon that a little bit of what I fancy will do me good.

I am going to see Rod Stewart in Manchester in June with Emma, my good friend who's about 20 years younger than me and really has got a glittering career - lots of noughts on the end - but somehow I don't think I'll get her down the Rescue Rooms - her Jimmy Choos would stick to the floor.

A sunny day in old Nottingham town

I've just got back from seeing a free gig by Tony Hadley and his Big Band in the (new) Old Market Square in the centre of Nottingham - very good. I was never a huge Spandau fan (I'm probably a tad on the old side) but I always thought the bloke had a good voice. He has still, very powerful and melodic - I heard that he's doing musical theatre now and probably doing it very well. Cracking band as well - 10 piece horn section, drums, double bass, bass guitar and a guy on piano doing the musical direction. They gave us a range of swing numbers - classics by Sinatra, Tony Bennett etc, Beatles "Ride my car"and a cracking"Suspicious Minds", as well as the well received Spandau Ballet numbers.

Quite a show for the price of a few hours parking. I don't actually live in the City of Nottingham but I'm glad to see that the good council tax payers of that fair city are getting something useful for their money.

Axe murderers with very small axes....

I went to a sort of mini-blogmeetette yesterday evening - I was invited by the lovely Miss Mish, who I have been involved in on-off email correspondence with for some time. She's a star, and a very funny lady. A massive Stranglers fan - and she told me that she had been texting JJ Burnel that very afternoon! Plus other stuff she may not want me to repeat here. Saltwater bar in the Cornerhouse in Nottingham was the venue. I met Argy Bargey, whose exploits in China and particularly his nasty accident I have followed with interest. Also a hairy chap answering to the moniker Hantsbear. Plus Phil, Mark, Ruthie - I didn't pick up whether or not they were bloggers. Nice folks all, an interesting bunch.

I also had a gander at the book, Shaggy Blog Stories, to which Michelle and James have contributed - looks great, so I've ordered my own copy today.

And the heading - I had been reasonably vague with Keith as to who I was meeting for a drink after work, and Michelle asked if I was going to tell him about them now that I knew that they weren't a bunch of axe murderers - I said I'd tell him that they only had very small axes.

Granada

We had a short trip to Granada last week - cheap flight from EMA courtesy of Ryanair. We stayed in a brilliant little hotel called Casa Morisca (Moorish House) which was recommended on Tripadvisor - this is actually the view from our bedroom window, pretty hard to beat anywhere in Europe I would hazard. You could sit in the bath, sipping on a glass of chilled cava, and gaze out on this lovely scene.

Loved it, as did Keith.

The Alhambra - beautiful...

We went to Granada last week.... me in an Alhambra doorway

Keith got his early retirement....

Yay!!!

Life has been pretty tough since Keith went off sick from work at Christmas time 2005. Not financially, we're reasonably secure, but Keith has felt poor since he stopped work even though he had 6 months on full pay and six months on half pay. Initially he was really ill, but lately its just been more of a general malaise and a overall feeling of low self esteem etc.

However betwen us and with the help of a lovely lady from the NUT, we've managed to chart the tortuous waters of claiming for ill health early retirement from the Teachers pension scheme. Sounds boring but its crucial stuff. And talk about semantics.....you have to have the wording in the letter from your doctor(s) just right, if they give any glimmer of hope that you'd be fit to work before age 60 then you've got no chance.

Anyway the gloom has lifted, the weight has been taken off his shoulders, and he's reinvented himself as Mr Garden Man.

Guess I've got to plod on for a few years more. Thats OK. And I'm just glad that I'm fit and well. Touch wood.

P.S. Jim is home from Uni as well at the moment which is great. We booked stuff re his graduation in July last night - academic gown hire, photos, lunch. Some folks out there are making a lot of money from proud parents.

I belong in 1968.....no surprise there then!

***You Belong in 1968***
If you scored...
1950 - 1959: You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!
1960 - 1969: You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too.
1970 - 1979: Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all!
1980 - 1989: Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day.
1990 - 1999: With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!
What Year Do You Belong In?http://www.blogthings.com/whatyeardoyoubelonginquiz/

Love Story in Gothenburg

Ryanair - spawn of the devil or saviour of the western world? Discuss.

Thus it was that Lizzy and I arrived at a hugely busy Stansted Airport at 5am on Saturday morning, after a 2 hour drive from Nottingham - that 2.30 am alarm, dontcha just love it. It seemed like that half of Europe was on the move, doubtless inspired like us by promises of 1p flights to exotic destinations. Everything moved along smoothly and at 6.55 we were off on our way to Gothenburg.

Skies were clear so a good view out of the porthole. Lots of sea, then over Holland and Denmark with seemingly thousands of wind farms. Across the sea again to Sweden, coming down we could see all of the offshore islands, very popular with summer visitors according to the Swedish lady sitting next to us. We landed at Gothenburg City Airport, seemingly a shed in a field, but service was pretty slick, and soon we were on the airport bus to Gothenburg. Pine and birch trees, wooden houses, road signs to places with wonderful guttural sounding names.

After a short ride we were off the island of Hissingen and over the bridge into the city of Gothenburg - Europe's fourth largest port after Rotterdam, Hamburg and London as the bus driver told us. Impressive looking place. Big ships. Smart bus station. We walked around a bit and found our hotel near the station and main post office, dumped our things and found a tram which would take us to the cinema - very efficient. Past the huge Ullevi Stadium and then off the tram at the Scandinavium (ice hockey stadium I think) and into the cinema, clutching the piece of paper in Swedish which hopefully meant we had tickets booked for Love Story. We did, the guy behind the counter spoke perfect English, and we had our tickets and Film Festival membership cards.

Into the cinema and we're pleased to see its pretty full, not far off sold out. A Swedish lady introduces the film and Mike Kerry, who's due to give a Q&A session at the end - she says that Love is her favourite band.

Other folks, particularly Gill and John E, have given their views about the film on the message board after the London screening. I found it riveting, it pulled a lot of strands together for me. High spots: - Snoopy was a scream, a real off the wall character - Johnny was very articulate and and contextualised the stuff going on in the 60s in the rest of the world with what was happening with the band- Jac Holtzman's comments about Aloneagainor being the door provided by Bryan for the world to access Forever Changes - tremendous.

It was heart stopping to see the interviews with Bryan - Mike Kerry revealed in the Q&A session that the footage had come from the rushes from the documentary"Hey Hey we're not the Monkees" - really well edited into the later interview footage.

And Arthur?

Arthur was Arthur - and he was so cool.......... Walking round the Castle like he owned the place - he made a comment about how he could have bought it for $50,000 in 1967 and now it was worth $6 million or so. And I loved his advice about drinking two glasses of water for each glass of wine - oh yeah? Raised a laugh around the cinema. No sub-titles - seems like everyone in Sweden can understand colloquial US English - Swedes, I take off my (woolly) hat to you! (It was cold!)

Mike Kerry gave a Q&A session at the end, the man is obviously a great fan. Lizzy and I had a quick chat with him and Zena, long enough to exchange mobile numbers, before he was whisked off to talk to a journalist.

We had the rest of Saturday and Sunday morning in Gothenburg - we felt quite at home there, it was like England would be if things worked. Great public transport, clean streets, interesting shops, tall attractive people and lots of lovely looking kids. Fantastic fish to eat, beer not as expensive as we had been led to believe it would be. Who could wish for more.

Lizzy and I spent some time discussing why Love is so popular in the UK and in Scandinavia, places with cold winters and dark nights. My theory is this - California is a place where the sun shines all the time and most of the music that came out of there in the 60s was sunny, happy, chocolate covered marshmallow music. Love's stuff wasn't like that, it sounds like music from a place where some of the nights are dark and long, and cold winds sometimes blow, and we understand that in Northern Europe. Which may or may not be a complete load of bollocks.

We saw Mike and Zena again at the airport on the way back and had a chat. Nice people.

Anyway, the film is a great tribute to Arthur. And Gothenburg is a great town. We'll be back - such a shame Arthur won't be.

I'm back - I think...

I haven't logged into my blog for ages but decided I would this evening.I was prompted to convert to Google, which I did.......and then discovered I had 21 unmoderated comments! I was beginning to think that nobody loved me - you did, I just wasn't getting the emails!!

So to everyone whose comments I have ignored - Lizzy, Maria, Lisa Rullsenberg, Swiss Toni, Miss Mish, AMDG, Threelight, Adem, Cody Bones, Stef to name but a few - MY APOLOGIES! I guess I'm just technologically illiterate.

There were some nice comments too!!

Hey ho

I promise I'll be back soon with some proper stuff. Including details of my and Lizzy's upcoming trip to Gothenburg, Sweden's second city to se a film about Love and Arthur Lee which s being shown at the Film Festival - so watch thsi space.