Rochester Nuts

A road trip to Rochester called this family of nuts together the day after Thanksgiving. It was very cold outside but the vehicle had a great heater. It even had controls so that the passenger and driver could choose different temperatures. I started out sitting inthe back, I was in the sun.

We had a nice stop for a break in Corning, NY. We were trying to find a Mexican restaurant but ended up at a new Chinese restaurant called Corning Class. The staff were very friendly and the food was good.

Not too much farther down the road, we stopped at a road side rest stop that had a really note worthy fence and warning about rattle snakes. Not that we thought any were out in the freezing weather but we checked the seat of the port a potty just the same.

The rest of the trip to Rochester went really smoothly. Just one more stop was needed to stretch our legs before we made it to our hotel, The Strathallan. It was an older hotel that is being taken under the Hyatt group's wing. We were glad our Chinese meal stayed with us, the food at the grill downstairs was very pricey.

It was Rochester Ballet's Nutcracker production that brought us into town. Ravenboy was hired as a guest artists along with his friends from American Ballet Theatre, two of who are Rochester natives. Ravenboy was cast in the role of Russian and had been in Rochester rehearsing all week. Two of his friend, Sara and Luis, are getting married next week. Sara's family was kind and invited Ravenboy to Thanksgiving dinner.

We had some "merde" gifts to drop off at the stage door for Ravenboy. When we asked if someone would be able to take them to his dressing room. They gasped, "Are you his family!? You are on our list!" We all took a step back and asked, "List?" It turns out we were ona VIP list and welcome to wander freely around backstage. We quickly thanked them but reassured them that we would only be in the way and wanted to grab a coffe next door. All I could imagine was us 4 walking to his dressing room as he is trying to get ready! Not hat he wouldn't have been gracious but who needs your parents and grandparents watching you apply stage make-up!?

The Nutcracker was, the nutcracker with a few additions. The added sweet of Enlgish toffee was a woman with a riding crop. RGBisMe looked at me and said, "She was SCARY!" She was.

Ravenboy's performance was as entertaning as always within the confines of some quirky choreography. I found each time the excitement mounted in the dance, somehow he would have to put on the breaks and do something oddly anticlimactic, like slap the floor. It was fine though and he pulled it off.

The highlight was having booked a room right beside Ravenboy's in the Strathallan. Back when real keys were used between rooms, we could have unlocked them and wandered freely between his suite and our room. Now using swipe type keys for the entry doors, this was not possible. Not that we didn't do it anyway. Did you know that one year Maga11 and Toolman Luke got Ravenboy lock picks for Christmas? He is very adept at many things. We spent the evening laughing and catching up with our favorite young man. Gosh I miss him so much!

The next morning, Ravenboy had to leave early to get ready for the matinee so we hit the road at the same time. We broke up the trip by enjoying a slight detoour to Wellsboro and eating at the Wellsboro Diner. It had the one thing that Toolamn Luke had actually wanted for breakfast that day, a chili dog!


This quaint diner, established in 1939, doesn't feel like it has changed all too much since the 1950s. It has a great small town feel to it, regular diner fare and the wait staff is blistering fast getting your food to you. Toolman Luke fondly rememebrs stopping there in the past. Although they were not doing it while we were there, he said the waitresses used to call out and the kitchen would be cooking it up as they yelled out the orders.

We browsed through the adjoining gift shop to extend the break. We had spent a lot of time sitting over the past couple of days and it felt good to walk around a bit. If it wasn't so chilly, we might have explored the town some too.

The weather was fine for our whole trip and we had plenty of laughs over the many miles. It's great to have good friends in family. It makes the time pass quickly.

Many Faces of Thanksgiving 2007

Young and old, near and far, somehow we all get together for Thanksgiving.

Less Than an Inch Predicted

We woke early this morning and thought we might grab a series of letterboxes close to home. Indigo Vulture's Teen Girl Squad promised a nice hike but were would have far to drive and could get home in time to start preapring for a crazy week ahead of us.

When we looked outside, a steady snow was falling but not really making much of an impact accumulation wise. We checked the online weather information and although it was a good chance it would continue to snow, it was not to accumulate more than an inch. The temperature was not too bad so we decided to go for it. Above are a series of photos of our hike in "less than an inch" of snow. The hike was over 3 miles with one side track we made and a few hundred feet in elevation gain. The view would have been more spectacular without the precipitation but we had a grand time ever step along the way.

Central PA Event Poll

A group of letterboxers are trying to get a clear idea of what everyone would most like to see represented in a future event that is being planned in Central Pennsylvania. If you letterbox in Central PA or have plans to in the future, please join us and share your point of view so that we can get the best idea of what might suit everyone's preferences.




Click to join centralpalbx

Thoughtful letterboxing discussion is encouraged

Mundane to Madam

Well you all wanted to know what I do to make my income right? Well it might not be what you are thinking from the title of this blog entry. I am not any kind of prostitute but I am a Reader and Advisor and my professional name is Mdme. Teresa (say it like you would Mother Teresa.)

I was hired to read at a man's surprise birthday party in Allentown area. There were to be 30 guests and I had 2 hours to read tarot cards for all who were interested. That, with transition times between reading, does leave much time for each person. I practiced many of my shorter readings, being clear and concise when I started letting them know it would be a brief overview then stopping each reading and encouraging them to take my business card if they were interested in more.

As the weekend approached, a cold I had hatched early on in the week took a turn for the worse. The most disappointing thing about that was that Maga11 and I had planned extra visiting time with Tracdc. We made the trip without incident but I spent most of my time at her home walking around like a drugged zombie.

The day of the party dawned and I had been hacking all night. Maga11 even left to sleep on the couch in the living room graciously saying she needed to change position. I downed some more cold meds but neglected to eat first. I was all of the sudden queasy. This was the first time I was ever struck by the realization that I might not be able to do my job and I knew of no one to take my place. I looked at Maga11 and said, "I'm scared." I was. I had no idea what to do in this situation. I had already received an email from the hostess telling me that half of the guests RSVPed "no." I couldn't let her down.

I went back to bed after forcing myself to eat something. I turned on the little tv in the room and watched part of a dog show on animal planet. Tracdc and Maga11 came in to keep me company. I asked Tracdc for my tarot cards. I shuffled them dealt out a spread and asked her to read them for me. I asked her, "What should I do about my job?" She looked down at the one card and said, "Well this guy is juggling balls so it must mean that he has to many things going on," I smiled and silently nodded in agreement. She looked at the next card, The Hanged Man - inverted, "This card... I have no idea what that means!" She kind of flicked the card away and we all cracked up, it was clear Tracdc was not going to take my place that night.

Although my voice kept cracking and failing me, as the day went on I did feel somewhat better. I took a shower and we all went out to a local tack shop's Breyer Horse open house. We made it just at the end. The models were all awesome with a $90.00 one of the great Barbaro. Too pricey for us. Tracdc and I went to look upstairs at the bargains and close-outs and found that was where the kids had some activities earlier in the open house. Coloring contests and painting miniature models had been something that was offered. We looked at the left over paint and a few scattered models and promptly sat down and painted a couple for ourselves. We were halfway done when a store representative came to clean up. Tracdc said, "We know these were for the kids but today we came with our mom, so we are kids." Oh no, Mom! We had left her and plopped down to paint without telling her where we were. There was no leaving until we were done because the lady would clean up the stuff we were using. Thanks goodness Maga11 found her way upsatirs and joined us. She painted a mule!

I knew I was going to make it through the evening and we returned to Tracdc's house so that I could take a nap and get ready. I thought the two photos of me that day were a real juxtaposition. So, know you have a better idea of what I do and who I am. Which one is the real me?

Feeling like the Devil

After an exciting weekend, I was feeling like the devil. My knee hurt from who knows what, I was depressed with nothing but work to look forward to for at least a week ahead of me and to top it off I was getting a really sore throat. I had my fun all weekend but the week was a demon to be faced.

Over the weekend, we had a great time watching jbzfarm unwrap the last of a gift that was given to them for their 15th anniversary. They took great care, had been carefully unwrapping and enjoying it bit by bit since February. Crystal is the traditional gift for one's 15th anniversary and they were careful to enjoy every facet of it without damaging it. Unveiled in all of it's glory, from many good people, it was a massive thing. They will have to share it with you sometime.

Although that took some time, we had plenty of time to enjoy some sweet food and sweeter letterboxes. The kids led us to find the 3 froggy boxes by Hopping Along in Hummelstown. We also visited a hitch hiker hostel along a neat trail in that town that was lonely for hitch hikers. After being tossed out of the Hershey Hotel and onto the fitness trail we found A Kiss for you From Hershey. Very cute stamp.

The rest of the day was spent biking with the kids on a local rail trail, hanging out at their wonderful farm, being treated to video games, you tubes videos by Rainbow Girl and then torturing Truck Jumping Boy with a video of the Nutcracker that put him to sleep. He was just getting an early start so that he could rise and make us a wonderful breakfast before the naughty adults ran out and bushwhacked around a lake.

With gimpy knee for no apparent reason, it was no wonder that coming home and getting to work was hard. I put my nose to the grindstone filling orders and preparing for a working weekend ahead of me. No fun to be had in sight, Tuesday brought an election day and the sore throat thing was in full swing. I was not cheerful in the long line of voters that stood in the cold outside of the door. I had been trying to get warm all day and this was the last thing I needed. I finally made my way inside and then to the point where I gave my name in a cracked voice. They called out my name and the what number voter I was for the the day. Immediately the woman swung her head back to look at me and apologized. The fellow sitting next to her tried looked concerned and tried to console me by showing me that if I turned my card upside down, the number would read differently. I chuckled, "No it is perfect," I was voter number 666.

Trick or Treat

We surprised some friends by playing a trick on them this past weekend. It was a real treat to get a tour of their home and farm. With the frost coming on, the Elephant Ear plants were soon to die so we had some fun with them. Afterward, we went to a great restaurant for some RHINO FRIES! Below are a bunch of great memories of the day.

As Promised

Photos from the end of the chase where RGBisMe took a job in the rodeo.

Oops!

Look what can happen over the course of a month! We had to go out to an area where we hadn't been in about a year and checked on some boxes we had hidden in the area. Some were wet inside and some were lying in the open.

I am thinking it is another good reason to drop the placer a note if anything at all is amiss. They can then see a pattern if the box is hidden in an area where, for one reason or another, it keeps popping into the open. Not sure if it's critters, the weather , gravity or poor re-hiding. Let's be aware that things can shift and do our best to keep those boxes hidden.



Re-hidden as it was intended - for now.

Leaves are Fading

Our trip to the NYC was very rainy and whomever has drawn Maga11 or Toolman Luke's names in the annual gift exchange let it be known that the green van needs new front wiper bladed. Toolman Luke was banished to the back seat for abusing the EZPass the last trip to the city. It was abut a week past peak for some of the leaves on the way through the Poconos but there were areas through the drizzle that were still quite stunning.

Ravenboy has been cast is a wonderful duet this City Center season. We went to see him perform in Leaves are Fading in the first pas de deux with Yuriko Kajiya as his partner. He looked wonderful in the entire piece with the pinnacle being his single arm press lift. How anyone can make something like that look fluid and elegant is a secret to most of us. He effortlessly pressed the young lady with his left arm and smoothly sailed her in a diagonal across the stage. One generous reviewer stated that their dance was "youthful joy personified." I couldn't have said it much better.

There was a world premiere of another ballet right after the piece Ravenboy was in but we decided to cut out early in hopes that he could get away. We were in luck and took him across the street from the stage door to a cute little Thai restaurant, Topaz, for some late supper. He looked much relieved that the duet had gone well and his nerves would allow him to finally have a meal.

We had taken a letterbox in hopes of planting. It is an RGBisMe masterpiece. It will have to wait until another time. The rain slowed our progress and dampened any enthusiasms for a quick dash uptown.

Bulldogging by Old Beaver Field

On the second day of our Double Entendre weekend package provided by CPLE , they had us meet for a quick breakfast at Panera on Beaver Avenue. Stonefly had and enhanced level of maps and clues that he had organized himself, the tour package could learn a thing or two from him. Just when I was doubting if we were all really getting our money's worth, one of their representatives not only provided an excellent shuttle service but gave out complimentary coupons for their 2008 Boxin' Buns calendar! Sweet!

Campus was really low key that morning and allowed us easy access to many of the high traffic boxes without much problem. We learned that if we are loud and rude that a single cell phone user will move away from talking right in front of a secluded letterbox location. PA Paddler made some fast cash yelling "We Are..." at the Lion Ambassadors who are obliged to yell back "Penn State." Awesome photo opportunities everywhere from Old Main to the Lion Shrine. All stampers were tickled with the carved images even if the one carver was ungracious in receiving compliments.

The optimized route on campus allowed many, but not all, local letterboxes to be found. It took us right by the original "Old Beaver Field" location. We ogled the plaque which had a photo of many old beaver. Stonefly asked, "What's that aroma?" Must be lunch...

At Otto's! Someone ordered a really pale ale that was light but very hoppy. PA Paddler considered the Fish Tacos and RGBisMe recommended the Chicken Hawk. After the 3 shortest boozers ordered some Nittany Vineyard slushies, the real men (sorry there Hunter Jumper) sampled the brews. Apricot - Jolly Roger, many a fine beverage was tapped before abandoning one of us to seek out Reba's Rap.

It was a bittersweet moment but our tour guide reappeared with a surprise guest in tow, Birbanto. Exchanges and PTs were swapped.
We read of all of the many packages that this new CPLE offers. The Weekend Get Away package sounded great but the bonus that most attracted us to the Double Entendre weekend package was that it "guaranteed" one spontaneous event. This intriguing oxymoronic feature had us on our toes and we joked about what it might be. No one stripped naked and sang on the bar at the Millheim Hotel the night before (at least I don't remember doing it), the Nittany Lion didn't pop out to great us nor did Joe Paterno cruise by eating a Creamy Ice Cream cone. Our surprise came in the middle of exchanges near Beaver Stadium. Hunter Jumper exclaimed, there is a loose cow! It was a young, yet solid, calf that had escaped from someone who had just purchased it at the Ag Area and it was about to run into the traffic on Park Avenue. One of the tour guides encouraged us to take chase as they stayed to help Birbanto pack up his stamps. I do not yet have access to photos of this but they will be added - honestly.

PA Paddler met up with the feisty pawing animal first and it tried to charge him. He shouted and it veered away from traffic but decided to take a tour of Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center (BJC). He ran back for his vehicle as Hunter Jumper hunted down a stranger and jumped into the his car. The chase continued as we all did what we could to corral this frightened and angry animal. Stonefly closed in just as RGBisMe was finishing his short stint as "cow whisperer". The agitated bovine gave the pacifist a butt then a good toss as Stonefly watched aghast! Eventually, the calf was cornered near the BJC. Hunter Jumper called campus police for assistance and made the new owner of the cow cry when she mentioned that there would probably be a few new movies on You Tube that evening. Puddleby comforted the crying bovine buyer with a hug.









We all met back where Birbanto was waiting to say goodbye. The tour guide drove him home but returned with a small token snack to commemorate the guaranteed spontaneous event. RGBisMe is all grins as he shares Cow Tails with the group!

The day was waning but more boxes were yet to be had. The local HH Resort was visited by some of us and then some Summer Fun. Although the tour provided clear instructions, it didn't mean that we couldn't get confused as to which way to go. The men differed in opinion but it took one of us ladies to really mess things up.

In all honesty, a better boxing day was never experienced and we have the CPLE to thank. Two of The 4Rhines had to sign on for the abbreviated tour so we had to say good bye to them with the view of Nittany Mountain as a back drop. We gave our final wolf whistles to each other and made a special trip to go and pick up Cpt. Morgan on the way to DaBraLady's cabin in Poe Valley. We needed to give PA Paddler and Hunter Jumper some privacy anyway (see last photo.)