~Memorable Road Trip Part 6: "By Land,By Air,By Sea" ~

On the occasion of my 37th birthday in 1986_ I gifted myself with an EPIC Birthday Celebration_ two weeks of fun!
                  ~ By Land, Air & Sea ~

I am reminded of_“One, if by land, and two, if by sea” phrase coined by American poet, Henry W. Longfellow in his poem," Paul Revere’s Ride. I need to add_and three, if by air...

             Sit back, relax...here we go!

The fun began with Friends and Family gathering for a Cake/Ice Cream Birthday Social_ afterwards Dinner at the newly opened(1986) "Cacharel Restaurant" (French dining) in Arlington,Texas.

By Land...

And Dining...

http://cacharel.net/index.html 

By Air....

...landed at LAX,spent some time with my University of St. Thomas (Houston,Texas) friend Phyllis. We lunched at an eatery on Marina del Rey & spent time visiting.

She drove me to the San Pedro District (beneath the Vincent Thomas Bridge)_where  The Port of Los Angeles has the Cruise Ship Terminal . What a fun day with a College Buddy! Here's my first site of the loading platform....I was in a WOW-STATE of MIND!

By Sea.....

This was a "Cunard Princess Jazz Cruise".The "FIRST" night Dining is very special. I was very lucky to get invited to the Captain's Table for that occasion. I'm thinking it was because I was traveling alone_or maybe I even flirted. He was SUPER handsome. Here's an article I found years later about him.

Presenting_"Captain John Burton-Hall" :

So...I entered the Dining room alone..

...and this is what happened next....Dining with the Captain!

                              Do I look happy or what?

Here's where the fun begins...A-G-A-I-N!

Billy Eckstine and Freddie Hubbard_there was a group of us that hung-out with Billy Eckstine after his late night show to raid the Kitchen for ice cream. Seems that was his favorite treat after his show....he called me his "adopted daughter".

           Bobby Hutcherson on Vibraphone(Xylophone)

                             The Great Carmen McRae

                                The Dallas Jazz Orchestra

              The Saxophone player w/ Dallas Jazz Orchestra

                                  The Ramsey Lewis Trio

Photo Opt_with Ramsey Lewis.Stopped by his table one day during lunch,met his wife....did I say thrilled?

Having cocktails with none other than the "Nicholas Brothers" and a BBC TV Producer(to my left)_that's me in Red "over-doing" the say cheese thingie! There were many other Jazz greats on board. 

A couple hours stop-over in San Francisco....

Leaving San Francisco...but, I would return time after time after time for Sales meetings _so much so_ I don't ever need to visit again...lol

Yummy Crew Captain to my right...all from Jamaica Mon! I was in Love! I left my Heart in San Francisco kinda love....

        These were the people I was seated with for Dining!

Met this couple from Carmel,California_they were delightful_they invited me to an evening of cocktails & conversation with them & friends_in their SUITE. Awesome view and Accommodations! 

                       ~NEXT STOP~
THE 1986 WORLD'S FAIR....
EXPO 86,VANCOUVER,B.C. MAY 2-OCT 13,1986!!!!

Coming into Port....

This was exciting to see _The Monorail_ BUT,I didn't ride it!

Spent a lot of time here_at The Senegal Pavilion

But visited as much as I could_so much to see & my vacation time was running out.

Can't remember what Pavilion this was in _but I was intrigued by the small detail(even Helicopters/Airplanes flying in to this city)_all in miniature scale.

Knowing  what I know now about the EXPO 86_I missed a lot!

Like the fact that Prince Charles & Princess Diana opened the ceremony on Friday ,May 2,1986. I arrived a couple days later...:-(

AND-CONCERTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Harry Belafonte,Billy Ocean,Miles Davis,Annie Lennox-Eurythmics,Julio Iglesias,"LIBERACE",Johnny Cash,Smokey Robinson,George Benson,John Denver,Peter,Paul & Mary,The Temptations,Kool & The Gang,Roy Orbison,"FATS DOMINO"

Comedians: Bill Cosby,Bob Hope,Red Skeleton,George Burns,Danny Kaye

Dance: Mikhail Baryshnikov,The Royal Ballet,Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company.
 
Oceanographer: "JACQUES COUSTEAU"!!!!
22 million people attended Expo 86'

Oh Well...I did do some_SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!

He wouldn't talk to me_but of course NOT ,he's a Mime!

                 A Steam Clock in Downtown Vancouver,B.C.

"Last Look"...

 

Boarded my Flight home....BUT the fun wasn't
over just yet! My Sister & Brother & his wife had  planned to attend a Jazz Concert (featuring Phyllis Hyman)for my arrival back home. Here we are at "The Caravan of Dreams" downtown  Ft.Worth,Texas! 

 

My Sister "Renee"(on the right).Can you make out my shiny pin that says "VANCOUVER"?

To read my previous"Memorable Road Trips" check out these links:
#5_ http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/09/memorable-road-trippart-5vermont.html 
#4_ http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/08/memorable-road-trippart-4seacoast-of-nh.html 
#3_ http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/08/memorable-road-trippart-3-white-knuckle.html 
#2_ http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/08/memorable-road-trippart-2july-4th-cape.html 
#1_ http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/08/memorable-road-tripspart-1.html 
                                                            & Train Travel
http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/10/this-weeksermgmoments.html 
http://sagebookwhisperer.blogspot.com/2012/10/still-life-on-rails.html


WAS THAT A TRIP OR WHAT?????
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"~Lao Tzu~


Happy Travels,
The Sage Book Whisperer


 




  













 

My Life As A Cat-PARENT!!!

                            Hank "The Cow Cat" Aaron
YEP! That's my Baby...the son I never had_sitting on his favorite spot_the Old Cookstove in the Breakfast room! I've learned many things from Hank...the most important one is _"After sitting at the computer,watching a movie or anything that has to do with "the body NOT in motion"_ STRETCH! A ZEN CAT STRETCH...works! Actually, there are many things I've learned about  Highly Effective Cat Intelligence!!! Must get this book.....

Now, this book.....I literally lived by! Steven Covey's book(1989)! I even attended a Seminar in Houston at the peak of this #1 National Bestseller! To this day,from time to time _I will revisit & refresh my DNA on the importance of these 7 habits. You may remember the book_ if NOT you should rush out, get a copy & READ it & apply it to your life!

The Paradigms and Principles are as follows:

My favorite...if there could be one as they are all great_ is "Be Proactive in your life"!
It means more than merely taking initiative."It means that as human beings,we are responsible for our own lives.Our behavior is a function of our decisions,not our conditions.Highly proactive people recognize the ability to response_as in  "response-ability".They do not blame circumstances,conditions,or conditioning  for their behavior.Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice,based on values,rather than a product of their condition,based on feeling."  (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey)


Covey alludes to another great book_of which I've misplaced my copy_"Man's Search For Meaning" by Victor Frankl.

Frankl says that one day while naked and alone in a small room of a Nazi camp,he realized that his captors may control his environment,do whatever they wanted to his body_BUT_"He could decide within himself how all of this was going to effect him".Self-Awareness!

Now...let's see how Covey's 7 Habits applies to Hank "The CowCat !
1.Be Proactive:

2.Begin with the end in Mind:

3.Put First Things First:

4.Think Win/Win:

5.Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood:

6.Synergize,the whole is greater than the sum of all parts:

7.Sharpen The Saw:

FYI:Cat Info.!

And,here's Hank "The Cow Cat' at his BEST!

Hank (my house cat),the Farm Cats and my Goats bring me much JOY! They are always up to something_ and they are "HIGHLY EFFECTIVE" at getting "Humanoids" to work with them on their desires!

               This is one of my favorite Farm Cat Photo_

              Itsy says: "Move It"...It's time for Supper!

See Ya  Later,
The Sage Book Whisperer!