Forgiving Dr Mengele

I watched this movie last night. It "...tells the story of a shocking act of forgiveness by Auschwitz survivor Eva Mozes Kor and the firestorm of criticism it has provoked.....
Eva and her twin sister, Miriam, were victims of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele's cruel genetic experiments--an experience that would haunt them their entire lives." Eva is an amazing woman and the movie provides an unexpected insight into the ongoing challenges Jewish people face around how to acknowledge the truth of what happened while still needing and wanting to move their lives forward.
Nazi Germany and the Concentration camps have always held a particular interest (that word seems a bit lame given the magnitude of what happened) for me. When I was eight or nine I watched the WWII documentary that was among the first to show exactly what happened. It had some very graphic footage and it stayed with me - probably a good reason why it was on at 11pm at night! Then in the third form as part of Social Studies we studied the Nazi's. None of the other classes did and given I was, at the time, in the less than stellar academic class, it surprised me that we did. Perhaps that is what has driven my ongoing fascination with war, things military and people's experience of both!

Road trip'n day 3

This the final chapter.........landed at 10.30pm and managed to choose a good place to stay for the last night as well (whew). Oddly more expensive than the first one but more like a "motel" - first is best! Feeling like a little sweaty sow - 4am to 11pm, including walking several miles in very humid conditions, does take it's toll - had a quick shower, accepted there was nothing to eat (or more correctly nothing I was prepared to eat), guzzled a little warm water, sat back to relax. Feeling wired so watched the Food Channel (I really do like those competitions....sorry Tee for all that mocking a while back). Woke up earlish and headed for my bus. Oh yes that is when it got a little complicated. Some concert or other was happening in San Jose so my 35min walk turned into over an hour 10 while I tried to figure out how to get around the road blocks! Finally made the station and waited for the bus. You know one thing I got out of the whole trip was how very very differently people treated me when I was wearing a business suit versus my casual option. Those that would talk to anyone still do...........those that have how you look matter....didn't. I had some of the oddest interactions with men - honestly. Randomly at the airport, when wearing the suit (okay and makeup, it's a job interview to be an FA and I kinda like the whole deal).......men chatted to me! Really in the scheme of things men never do chat to me unless I invite it. Perhaps that's the real change, these days I just welcome any random stranger chatting - even the very odd - it makes for a much more interesting world and as long as I am surrounded by other people offers no real danger to my well being! Anyway that aside, lovely to be home, see flattie and Goldfish and be in my wee bed again. Oh and here's one of those random coincidences - the little silver "bean" in the previous post - one of the flatties friends who came over yesterday was working in Chicago when it was made. She had an office looking over the Park and watched them construct the framework......then just as it was to be finished "they" put covers all around it so no one would know how they got it to look the way it does! No matter the outcome I feel like I've had quite a grand adventure and made the most of the whole deal!

Road trip'n day 2

Got up at 4am after a not very good sleep - always hard to sleep when you have to get up that early. Anyway at the airport 5amish. WOW place was packed. Glad I got there when I did. Delightlfully found myself sitting in the exit aisle so had ridiculous amounts of leg room. Ened up sitting next to a United staffer (risk analyst) and had a nice time talking to her. Predicatably fell asleep for around 2hrs of the four hour flight. Spent the rest of the time reading Harry Potter. Took a taxi from the airport to town. Chicago architecture is amazing but the traffic was terrible. And I didn't know that there is this very fab waterway complete with "draw bridges". Anway went to the interview......all of half an hour......it's a screening interview so won't know for a while. Seemed fine and the interviewer was very nice. They are hiring several 100 FAs. Guess I'll just wait and see. Money is well less than fab.......still I'll just roll with it for now and see what happens. Of course such a short interview left me with several hours to fill in before flying back. Asked some guy on the street if he was from Chicago and what could I do for a couple of hours. I was wearing a business suit so am fairly confident he didn't think I was a hooker. He recommended I hop on a yellow water taxi and cruise down the river for 2 bucks....so I did. Got chatting with a woman who recommended I get off at the Maganificient Mile. It's the shopping mecca for chicago - easy to ignore the shops but the garden display was quiet fantastic. Walked down to the water works which, so the story goes, was one of the very few buildings that survived the Great Fire in 1871 - people used it as one of the few landmarks to try and find their homes. Taxi woman also mentioned the Millenium Park so having tramped the mile I walked to the park. Now that was very cool with some great artworks. The Kapoor Sculpture was particularly interesting and had dozens of kids flocking around it.

Flew out of Chicago at 8pm and got back to San Jose around 1030. Long day but I did enjoy myself!

Road trip'n day 1

Okay because my life is so deadly exciting……and I have time to kill (in a hotel in San Jose) I thought I would take everyone on my little journey to Chicago.
Started with realising I needed to book accommodation either side of the interview day (Wednesday) because I was flying out on a 6am flight and not back until 10pm same night…….no public transport. So dutifully booked on-line, checking prices and hotel reviews (bed bugs not required).
Day 1 going to San Jose from Santa Cruz. Nice start. I thought I would get the Greyhound bus but the very nice man at the counter said that if I walked across the road the Highway 17 bus left in half an hour (as opposed to an hour) and only cost 4 bucks (not a hard choice). Of course that meant I didn’t actually know exactly where the bus would stop in San Jose (only an hour away) relative to my hotel (not paying for a cab if I can walk)……………oh well, train station – can’t be that difficult.
Next delightful moment – got off the bus, checked with someone in the train station, started walking in the direction of my hotel and ta dah – it was literally 5mins away. People very very nice, check into GIANT room with jacuzzi, telly……..all three of which I don’t have at home, free wireless (well that’s pretty standard most everywhere here) and king size bed………next step wake up call 4am tomorrow…………..

Job interview and other stuff

So it's been an interesting week! I had the most fantastic breakthrough in writing, managing to peel off an entire chapter in a day. I've left it a few days and re.read it - I like it.
I've also been preparing for the FA job interview. I really do like the sound of the job and do get that it's not exactly an easy choice. Still I'll take the interview practice, test out the new me with a new view of the world. I've decided to let go of that "too many people and I'll die" view of the world I had. I just need new ways of getting downtime. I'm happy to let go of those little boxes I created around myself - it does open up a whole new set of possibilities. Of course flying out to the interview is a little complicated. It's a one day turn around trip and there is no shuttle service for the times I am flying, which means a night in San Jose either way. I've only ever driven through SJ and it doesn't look particularly interesting - they bill themselves as the only city in Silicon Valley.......as a consequence they seem to have turned downtown into a concret jungle - but I might be being uncharitable given I've never even walked down the main street. I'm on a 630am flight so needless to say I am staying close to the airport, although its not a very big city anyway.
Went out and had pizza and beer with a local woman I met here and we might be going hiking in the Santa Cruz hills at some stage. She has lived here for a while so is very much a local and knows alot about Santa Cruz. It's a bit like Nelson, it seems the money coming in is, in someways, changing the community and not all for the good.
I pre.ordered Harry Potter so have been reading that. I've avoided any of the publicity about it so as not to ruin the story.
Best yet I've enrolled in a motorcycle safety course. They provide the bike and the helmet so that's good. It's not until October - I don't think there are any other classes before then as it is summer break here. It does give me time to do the written test and, finally, get my California drivers licence. When you move into a state you always need to get a licence for that state (not that I have one at all) so it's about time I got my act together. Not thinking about buying a car at all.........very committed to the bike as I'd like to do the touring thing and maybe join a club of some sort. Nice to meet people with like minded interests. Brice has pointed out that the Harley's come with a ready made family - that's quite achieveable but, as I said to him, I'm worried about how often they breakdown. I have not a mechanical bone in my body and being stranded in the middle of nowhere (okay probably with access to a tow truck) doesn't hold much appeal. Not sure I am a harley girl anyway but have been looking at this. No not in white before you ask and I would get it fully kitted with windshield and saddle bags. It's very affordable and I don't look like a midget on wheels........yes my feet can sit flat on the ground. It's classed as a "starter bike" and seems to be one lots of woman get. Read a review from a woman who was 5" and she was very enthusiastic saying once she got more confident the weight isn't a problem at all..........these things are important if one isn't to be seen dropping the damn thing.......as one woman said she did - but she had forgotten to put her feet down at the lights. Apparently not as rare as you might think, for men and woman.
Weather here is fantastically hot and endlessly sunny - no summer showers here to cool the afternoon.
Anyway one way or another it's going to be a big week!

dixie chicks - goodbye earl - musci video

Okay this has been a personal favourite for along time - if you are at all shocked you should stop reading the blog!

dixie chicks not ready to make nice

More You Tube - if you don't know the story behind this video.......find out!

Home again home again.....

I’m back in sunny SC having left sunny NM – honestly temperatures around 100. I have had such a wonderful 10 days. I really do love the ranch. The ranch is looking very green, saw lots of hummingbirds (fascinating little birdies), one very large pink snake (eeeeow), prairie dogs and the unsual assortment of other beasts. Was back in my little yellow house and Renee and Kate had put flowers in a vase and food in the fridge! Peter’s 80th was sweet. Just a couple of hours at his house and I got such a lovely welcome from him. It was on the 4th of July so I spent the day with the Burn’s family. After Peter’s we went to the rodeo. I’ve never been to one before. This was a kids competition and I was shamed at how tiny some of them were on those big horses – horse riding not being my favourite thing!! Went back to the ranch for dinner with the Burn’s (Renee’s parents came too) then we headed to the shooting range to have fireworks. Great fun. Eddie and Renee’s kids (3 in total) are great and (unlike home) we actually held some of the fireworks in our hands while we set them off. Even having competitions to see who could hit the targets – very Harry Potter like.
Spent the next few days working with Renee and generally hurtling around on the four wheeler. Karen and Brice arrived home on Sunday and it was just great to see them!!!! They are both tired and working hard but full of life. Brice took me into Sante Fe on their motorcycle – very beautiful BMW touring beast. I looked at bikes and talked to B a lot about what would be good, would work for me etc etc………I think I’ve chosen one so now have to get both my car and bike licence.
…..I’ve also got a job interview………you know how life is sometimes planned, carefully put together and rolls out in stages…….well this isn’t like that! I got this idea in my head that being a flight attendant might be fun, flying around, seeing the world. Well United are doing a big recruitment drive so I completed an online questionnaire, now I’m off to Chicago for a half day interview later this month. Apparently it’s just cheaper to fly everyone to them. They don’t actually know that much about me as the questionnaire was more about ethics and values than anything else. While I still maintain I am only slightly below average height (averages smaverages) I do just sneak in at being able to reach up to 82inches. Anyway the whole things a riot, I am feeling strangely competitive about it and compelled to give it a go. Does anyone else think it hilarious that the only interview I’ve actually been invited to is in something I have no background in? This is, of course, all part of the grand adventure – if it’s meant to come together and be the thing I do it will, if not, mov’n on to something else. Oh it’s also a little like being in the Army – at the end of the six week training I could end up anywhere as you are “posted” to the airport you will be based out of!