Sacramento Area Helpline/Travel Forum Meeting, Saturday, October 18

Sorry, I can't make it again this month. We do plan to meet with Ms. Jo in Frankfurt on the 19th. Does that count?

I hope you all have a great meeting. And you don't have to say it, it will be great since I won't be there. I know, I know. And yeah, you'll talk about me too. :-)

We'll be there -- maybe even at 10:00 ! (We keep trying ... last time was only about 10 minutes late.)

Andrea, aren't you on vacation ?!? Say 'Hi!' To Jo! Yep, we'll be talking about you.

Laura B, don't forget the sleeping bags; we DO tend to go on and on and on...

Andrea, I expect you will be discussed at the N. Idaho/E. WA get together too! I am sure you and Jim will figure prominently in both Darcy and my trip reports! Train station closures due to unattended luggage, late trains, police chases on bikes and on foot, Roma scams....what more could one want?

We do aim to make life as exciting as possible!

Pam, I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip. We head back to Paris on Friday. The last 4 weeks have flown by. I can't believe we only have 12 days left. :-(

Isn't it amazing how time flies on vacation? I can't believe I've been home 9 days now. Would you believe I'm ready to go again, right now? I could be packed in an hour, no problem!

Looking forward to visiting with Andrea next week and I promise we won't talk smack about anyone. Cross my heart.

Bet your toes were crossed, Jo ;-)

Excusez-moi, Ms Jo.

Vielen Dank Eileen. Not only are my toes crossed, but my eyes are too.

LOL!

(Uhhhh, gotta have a minimum of 10 characters...so there.)

Wish I could meet up with Ms. Jo, Andrea and Jim. It was great for Pam and me to see Andrea and Jim in Paris but it was just too short. Wish I had my own plane.

Darcy, I wish you did, too ;-) I'd be soooo nice to you...

Eileen, if you buy me a plane, I'll be nice to you!

You'd better start working on your Plan B ;-)

I'm nice to everyone (okay, almost everyone), just because I'm that kind of person. Of course if you have a private plane I would be extra nice to you. We enjoyed meeting with Darcy and Pam last month. It was hard to leave, and we got a later start than we intended. Our 3 hour drive to Bayeux turned into a 4 hour drive, due to Friday traffic. We had to check into our B&B by 7:00, and we arrived about 10 minutes late. Lucky for us our friends took the train rather than go in the car with us. They were able to get our room key.

We are looking forward to meeting up with Ms. Jo next Sunday.

Andrea, to answer your first post - "Sorry, I can't make it again this month. We do plan to meet with Ms. Jo in Frankfurt on the 19th. Does that count?" - will you be at a Panera? Then the answer is no. That meeting does not count. Have a great time anyway ;-)

Andrea, I'm sorry I won't be meeting you since you were the one who originally told me about the Sacto group. I am looking forward to attending for the first time next Saturday.
Anything special one brings to these get-togethers? I probably could spend the weekend (I'll have my sleeping bag in the car) with maps and guides and notebooks trying to absorb all knowledge. But there will be another meeting the next month. :-)>

Yep - the ones Andrea doesn't get to, I harass LOL!

No need to bring anything, but if there is a particular area of interest DO bring it up! Bring any books or maps if you're looking for particular info. You might bring a notebook or electronic gizmo to record any stray bits and helpful hints that float around our tables...

It's helpful that there's a Barnes and Noble across the parking lot ;-)

(and DO bring that sleeping bag; it was dark by the time I got home last month)

oooh! a REAL bookstore! :-)

I will be listening to all suggestions as to where to go. I have no real itinerary except I leave 2/16 and return 6/9 SFO > Frankfurt. So a trip spanning winter/spring/summer depending on exactly where I am at any given time. I am sure I will end up in B&N afterward. j2

...and I like telling people where to go...

Joel, I'm sorry I won't be meeting you this month. I hope Eileen won't scare you off from attending future meetings. She really is nicer than she sounds here. She's just mad that I'm missing two meetings because I'm in Europe and she's not. Sour grapes and all that. :-) Eileen, your time will come.

Joel: With Eileen as the leadler of this group, the rules have changed. In order to attend said meeting you must deposit a bottle of limoncello into her nifty uber cool day pack before proceeding forward. That's what turns her hospitality button on.
(Maybe she'll teach us both how to do umlauts.)

Ümläüt ;-)

äëïöüÿ

Ohhhh my - my hospitality button?!? LOL!

Limoncello? hmmm, what time does Total Wine open on Saturdays? Or maybe I will bring one back directly from it's source next year... anything is possible.

Buona fortuna! There's a BevMo across the street, and it opens at 9:00 on Saturdays ;-)

I propose you flip the sack right-side out (to hide the logo) and put the bottle back inside. That way, we can plunk it right down in the middle of the table at Panera; I'm sure that will be fine...

grazie.

happy face :-)

Sorry....we won't make it this month. We will be in Santa Rosa, no not drinking wine, taking classes with our service dog. Time for our daughter to be re-certified. Well, ok, we may stop for a bit of wine tasting on our way home :-)

Sorry to say I won't be there, it's my birthday... ; )

'Susan and Monte' Susan - wait, your daughter is your service dog?!? That's not cool... ;-) I hope the four of you have a good time drinking wine.

Early Happy Birthday, Sausalito Susan!!! You really don't want to spend Your Big Day with us? ;-) There'll be limoncello...

Sooo tempting Eileen!

Next month's meeting is ON my birthday. I, of course, will definitely be there...'cause I'm sure there'll be LOTS of gifts for me LOL!

Maybe one gift? Maybe a free birthday coffee from Panera?

I'm planning to be there in Nov and I'll definitely buy you a Burthday coffee Eileen!

...and I'll buy you one!

@Joel: You won't even need to look for the RS books on the table to find us because....it's Oktoberfest......and you will find Eileen wearing Lederhosen and a felt Bavarian cap...greeting you with a (Texas accent) "Guten Morgen!"
(where are those umlauts when I need them?)

Wrong! Eileen will be wearing her dirndel and carrying coffee mugs as if they were giant bier mugs. She gets a lot of practice doing that at home.

I'm having withdrawals missing 2 meetings in a row. I don't think that has ever happened before. We leave in the morning for Germany (au revoir France :( ), and I doubt my aunt has wifi.

"Wrong! Eileen will be wearing her dirndel and carrying coffee mugs as if they were giant bier mugs. She gets a lot of practice doing that at home." (Italics mine)

Don't judge me ;-) So what if we've been lifting a few maß? We didn't lug home 746 lbs of steins from Europe to just sit there and look pretty.

And Kat - will I be wearing only lederhosen, a hat, and a smile? Now THAT'S a picture. And what's wrong with my goot'n morg'n? We don't need no stinking umlauts!

So......can anyone else make it? I'm assuming The Usual Suspects: Larry, Kevin, David...

Hello,
I've only attended the Sac travel group once but am considering attending this Saturday. Am planning a trip to Croatia and Slovenia with a side-trip to Mostar. Are any attending who have been to these countries? Looking for advice but probably won't make the long trip from Folsom unless there will be attendees who's "brains I can pick."

THanks,
Kaye
Folsom

Weird, Kaye, weird - I had just looked up your PM address to send you a message! Cue theme music to 'The Twilight Zone' LOL!

I don't know of anyone who will be there this Sat that has been to those locations...but perhaps someone will surprise us. We shall wait and see...

@Eileen: I hate to be diacritical, but...... last week you showed off your umlauts, this week you show off your eszetts. Flaunt them both. They look lovely with Lederhosen.

Too bad we won't be making it to the Sacramento meeting this month because Doug has been to Croatia and Slovenia on the RS Adriatic tour. At this point we're hoping to be there at the March meeting.
I also know the secrets to accents and ßs--uh, that's the plural of eszett!

We were in Slovenia this last July, but we won't be at the meeting this month. We will be there in Nov though, I'd be happy to share the details and all 500 photos and hours of video! Also....it is my birthday too, so I'll need my gift when I get back next month. Who is the buyer of the gifts? I'd like to request a seven night stay in Gimmelwald. Thanks!

Happy Birthday Susan!

Darcy - in March? Great! Surely it won't be 114F hot for your next visit. Surely...I hope to see Doug, too!

Faye, I hope to see you soon! Perhaps not this month, but maybe next. Seems like you've mentioned your travel dates on another thread, but I can't remember; maybe next spring?

'Susan and Monte' Susan - judging from her response to you, I won't bother hitting up Sausalito Susan for a trip to Europe ;-) By November's meeting, Andrea and her husband will have just celebrated their birthdays, too. Anybody else?!?

And enough about my ümläüts, ërsätz, zëïtgëïst, and Gütën Mörgëns! I'm starting to feel exposed, as I'm sitting here only in my lederhosen and hat 8^0

Oh yes, Doug will be coming too. I sure hope it's not 114ºF in March or April! Yikes!

Uh, the Moscow travel group will have to approve this plan of Darcy and Doug's. We only allow so many missed meetings and leave requests must be submitted 6 months in advance for supervisory approval. The solution would be you Sacramento folks have to send us someone to boost our numbers. March is great in Moscow as there is always the chance for a spring blizzard on the Palouse.

Wow - thanks, Pam! I think David and Kat would love to visit you...in a possible blizzard...I would come, but I've spent waaaay too much time away from home this year.

March weather in Idaho...Sounds fun ;-)

Or...just move the March Moscow meeting to Sacramento :-D

Wow! And I was about to complain about the possibility of rain on the way to Sacramento tomorrow! Now, if all of you wanted to come for a meeting just outside San Francisco where it's always 'just right' ...

Can't argue with Laura B...

(And be careful tomorrow if there's rain. Idiots drive on those roads...)

Hi all,
Sounds like I should make the November meeting (to talk Slovenia) and maybe the March one (???); I am not traveling til May 2015. I will try to bring along my travel partners too! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag to all who are celebrating.

Kaye,
folsom

Vielen Dank, Faye! We'll see you in November...

And I'll see all y'alls others tomorrow!

Fifty posts to this thread... must be a record. Good job you Eileen.

How about 51, Susan?
Sounds like we'll be there for the April 18 meeting. I was really hoping for November, then March but our sleeping arrangements in Folsom aren't available till April.
Enjoy your meeting! We'll be expecting ALL of you at our March meeting. Don't forget your snow boots. Oh and in case you're worried, lumberjack attire is always acceptable.

Oh, goody!

Leaping from tree to tree! As they float down the mighty rivers of
British Columbia! With my best girl by my side!
The Larch!
The Pine!
The Giant Redwood tree!
The Sequoia!
The Little Whopping Rule Tree!
We'd sing! Sing! Sing!

Oh, I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

CHORUS: He's a lumberjack, and he's okay,
He sleeps all night and he works all day.

I cut down trees, I eat my lunch,
I go to the lava-try.
On Wednesdays I go shoppin'
And have buttered scones for tea.

Mounties: He cuts down trees, he eats his lunch,
He goes to the lava-try.
On Wednesdays 'e goes shoppin'
And has buttered scones for tea.

CHORUS

I cut down trees, I skip and jump,
I like to press wild flowers.
I put on women's clothing,
And hang around in bars.

... and so on ....

Oh my word...laughing hysterically. Had totally forgotten this clip. At competitions they also have LumberJills....

For Sausalito Susan TODAY:

Joeux Anniversaire !!
Alles gute Geburtstag!!

We toasted you with our limoncello! (Thanks, Joel!)

Thank you!! Merci Beaucoup!! I missed seeing you all. And now I'm a whole year older...

Somewhere along the way, I went from:

'I.Can't.Wait.4.Days.Til.My.12th.Birthday.
I.Think.I.May.Die.It's.SO.Far.Away!!!'

to:

'Hey, it beats the alternative.'

I vow to reclaim some of that 'YIPPEE!!!' I used to feel...starting today! Ask me in 4 weeks if I succeeded ;-)

A big Happy Birthday shout out to both of the Susan's.

I hope the meeting went well. We will be having a meeting of our own with Ms. Jo today. That is, if we make it to Frankfurt! The trains are on strike, so we've rented a car to get us there. I'm sure we will be sharing the road with everyone else forced to drive today. Ms. Jo has assured us that she doesn't mind waiting at the hotel. I'm sure she will be jet lagged, so we may need to wake her up when we arrive.

I can't believe we fly home tomorrow. The last 40 days have flown by. I'm not ready to leave yet!!!

So true Eileen. But then, you're wayyy younger than me... : )

I hear you Andrea... I'm never ready to come home. But at least you you'll be back for the next meeting! Safe travels home.

Wonderful day spent with Andrea & hubby. You guys have a gem here, so take good care of her.

"So true Eileen. But then, you're wayyy younger than me... : )"

So true, Susan LOL! (ducking and running...)

Andrea, sorry about the pizza boxes and empty wine bottles all over your house; Larry was supposed to put everything in garbage bags, but then he told David to do it, then David tried to get Kitty to do it...But the good news is the handyman and painters are all finished, and everything looks great! Just as if nothing ever happened...

Welcome home, Andrea and Jim!!!

BTW, I will want Andrea to post her plans from now on so I can avoid travel at the same time. During this vacation...that I know of...she has had an Air France strike, a clearing of the Gare du Nord related to an unattended baggage/bomb scare with a resultant stoppage in the Eurostar she was on and now a train strike in Germany. Hmmmm.....

Ms Jo, you and I were posting at the same time. So apparently Andrea and Jim got there OK?!? And you were awake...

I've completely forgotten to welcome Sandy and Joel to our group! They were really great to talk with, and we're glad they were able to come. Hopefully, we'll see much more of them. This meeting was a little unusual in that we didn't discuss anybody's upcoming trip or help with planning, etc. We just yakked on and on about past trips and travel in general. Fun!

Laura B and Ed made The Long Drive again; it's great to have them, although I didn't get to talk to them much this month :-( And Margaret was in town, so she came by. Yea!

Pam, she hasn't arrived home yet: she still has to get to the airport, have her temperature taken, get through security, leave the airport as scheduled, arrive at the correct airport, have her temperature taken, turn on electronics, take off shoes, stand on her hands, do a little dance/make a little love, collect her luggage, arrive at her home...and who knows what else! Lots of moving pieces to get gummed up :-(

I'm sure there will be some hoops to jump through...but I don't expect she'll get a Homecoming Parade like some people ;-)

Thanks Eileen. I shall return. Although I didn't bring up my travel plans until late, I was quite content just to sit and listen to everyone else gab about travel. 11/15 for the next one? I might have a better idea of destinations by that time, I should hope. Thanks to all for the informational entertainment. Boy do I have a lot of catching up to do! j2

Well, now she has made Lufthansa go on strike. Yikes! Hope she and her moving parts, oh yeah and her DH too, get home safe and sound.

We're back...!!!

Our drive to Frankfurt wasn't bad. Trying to find the location to turn in the rental car, well let's just say it was a very frustrating hour. We had a great time with Ms. Jo. We hope to see her soon at one of our meetings.

The good news, we missed the Lufthansa strike by a day. The bad news, we sat directly behind two crying infants on our 11+ hour flight. No amount of wine helped. I tried. Thanks Susan, for loaning us your personal driver. Monte was waiting there as we came out, holding a sign as all good drivers do. It was nice to not have to make that drive ourselves.

As Pam has so kindly pointed out, we had more than our share of strange things happen on this trip. But we always made it to our destination, even if we didn't always arrive on schedule.

We had a great trip. I'm looking forward to our meeting on 11/15!!

Andrea, Glad you had a great trip! We may be in Sacramento the 15th so would be great to exchange travel stories.