GETTING TO KNOW WEYMOUTH AGAIN

It’s my ninth day in Weymouth, England.  It’s all about reacquainting with the town mostly this past week. Slowly, due to flu recovery. But I’m on the upside now, no more talk of sickness. Yesterday on my outing I had a second meal at The William Henry, and a nice young man came to my table and politely asked me if I knew Crysta Cozelos? (She’s my grand daughter, an RN at Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg, Virginia.) I said yes of course. he introduced himself (Cain) and said he recognized me from my photos. He’d spent time with her on the trip with me to Weymouth a couple years ago, and he’d gone to see her in Virginia after that. Seemed a pleasant fellow. Said he just wanted to say hello and went on.

Afterwards I walked up the lane to Wilkos to buy some some personal supplies, and encountered a middle-aged woman on the sidewalk, crying loudly, boo-hooing literally, screaming, “My bag, my bag, he knicked it, he knicked it! I don’t know! I don’t know!” A salon woman was trying to calm and help her. But she wouldn’t stop wailing and screaming, and jumping up and down. Never seen anything like it. I walked on, after two more women tried to assist. When I returned from Wilkos, the police were helping her, had called someone to come get her, she was sitting in police car, still crying. Felt so sorry for her.

Today I plan to walk down one of the town lanes that lead to the bridge over the harbor, will search for the sidewalk vegetable/fruit market I recall seeing last time I was here. Need a few things. However I can also go to Marks & Spence’s Food market that’s in the department store. Am looking for a pull-over black sweater too. Will have a salad there today, maybe.

https://www.marksandspencer.com/l/food-to-order/party-food-and-sandwiches/salads

Tomorrow, Saturday, I have an eye exam scheduled to order new glasses. Need a spare. Had to trash the existing spare with broken frame. My favorites. Oh well!

Then tomorrow night SATURDAY will be having dinner with Ali & Martin somewhere on the Harbour ... I do love Weymouth Harbour. Have written about it in my books, especially in The Christmas Diary, a novella.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Diary-Rebecca-Buckley/dp/0989120082

Okay, that’s it for now ... this coming weekend more thoughts and photos of my leisurely month in Weymouth, Dorset, England.  Love to all.

UPDATE ON 2020 TRIP SCHEDULE

I've been adding and subtracting from the previous travel schedule to meet my new requirements here and there. This is confirmed.

WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND
Jan 16 - Feb 15 👍

WEST BAY, ENGLAND
Feb 8 - 9. 👍

ABBOTSBURY, ENGLAND
Feb 15 - Mar 28

SOUTHAMPTON, UK
Mar 28 - Apr 13

ATHLONE, IRELAND
Apr 13 - May 13

EDINBURG, SCOTLAND
May 13 - Jun 12

LUXEMBOURG
Jun 12 - Jul 4

VERSAILLES, FRANCE
Jul 4 - Aug 3

LILLE, FRANCE
Aug 3 - Sep 2

WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND
Sep 2 - Sep 4

QM2, ATLANTIC CROSSING
Southampton to NYC
Sep 4 - 11

BROOKLYN NY
Sep 11 - 12

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Sep 12 - Permanent Base - YIPPEE!!!

MY ARRIVAL IN WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND

FIRST I must tell you about my two flights to London.

 Most of you know that I don't care to talk to fellow passengers on planes. It's a rule of mine ... prefer to rest and sleep, read, and watch movies on planes. Well, right off the bat, the young fellow next to me, I always sit on the aisle, began asking me questions. Where was I going, where I was from, and etc.  Questions that weren't simple for me to answer, right? No one-word answers. lol lol  Well, our conversation continued the duration of the flight from SLC to D/FW.  A delightful fella. What was interesting to me was his story.  He travels all over to accumulate new improved vegetable seeds for seed farmers in Idaho (I think I have that right, correct me, if not). He lives near Burley, Idaho, and was surprised that I had lived in Burley for four months on my disappearance/run-away trip in the '80s.  We had mutual things to talk about of Burley and area.  He and his wife honeymooned on the central Calif coast and knew about Cambria, where I lived.  He's also in real estate in Idaho, residential and commercial.  Very nice fellow.  Enjoyed talking to him. Time zoomed by.

On flight from D/FW to Heathrow, I sat by another young fellow (pictured below) that did the same thing, started asking me questions. I, in turn, asked him questions. He is Roy Harley, International Director of Christian Surfers International, lives near Durban, South Africa. What an interesting fella he is. My oh my! Told me about his wife (school teacher) and children, about the year they took off to visit all the surfing communities around the world when he became director, and about the area where he's from and lives in South America, about Australia and New Zealand .... and convinced me I must go to them ... all three countries. I will in 2021.

While he slept, I tried to sleep, but my restless legs kept me moving about, a real bad case of them. But my legs didn't swell this time. WOW. Finally I grabbed an hour's sleep while we were a couple hours from London.

The ride from the airport in London to train station in Woking was uneventful as well as the train ride to Weymouth. I was a bit wilted, but still on my feet. Arrived on time 4:15 pm, Martin & Ali picked me up and delivered me to B&B. I crashed quite early and stayed in all day today. So tomorrow, Saturday, I'll venture out.

I'M IN ENGLAND FOR THREE MONTHS!

MORE LATER ....

TOMORROW IS LIFT-OFF!

Yes, the day has come. Tomorrow I will be in the air flying to the first country of four on my year-long adventure. WOW!!!  So excited! And a little nervous - which will dissipate quickly before landing in London. It’s been a full three months preparing for this gigantic quest. What started out as a desire to live in England, quickly shifted to a plan of spending three months in each of four countries. And now starting tomorrow I’ll see just how well my plans unfold.

I already imagine myself in the towns I’ll be visiting, Already did research on them, which I do on every trip. But now it’s real, I’ll experience them in person.

Tonight my sister’s Utah family and I had dinner in Lehi with my son Micheal Manos from Phoenix. It was a great surprise to see him, he’s here with his company who is building the huge Facebook Center near SLC.

Seated on the right, from back to front: Len Ross, Martha Ross, Micheal Manos.
On left, back to front: Emily Ross, Phillip Ross, Mya-Lisa Ross Ludwig, Adam Ross.
I’m snapping photo.

There are more photos to post from dinner last night, will do that another time. Am very tired tonight, and battling a cold that hit last night during snowstorm. So I’m cutting it short and going to sleep! Tomorrow is the big day!!!!  NITE ALL!!!

LAST DAY IN CALIFORNIA

What a whirlwind 10 days since leaving Cambria to spend a year abroad! In the past 10 days I’ve visited with all these friends and family, plus some others not in pictures. Pure neglect. My apologies to Lisa, Pat, Larry, who I saw but forgot to photograph. And I notice I collaged a couple photos of sister Mary and Matty twice. Oh well, they were our (martha and I) hosts here in Visalia and deserve more notice for their tolerance. Sure visited with a lot of loved ones in the last ten days, yessiree! Enjoyed every minute of it. Especially with McMullen matriarch Aunt Pauline, daddy's sister, his last living sibling ... 95 years young.

OKAY, TODAY!

In two hours I'm ON THE ROAD AGAIN. Las Vegas, Nevada, here we come!!!  Tomorrow it's Salt Lake City, Utah, then on Wednesday - FIVE DAYS more and I'm off on my year-long journey! Hip hip hooray!

FIRST DAY OF 2020

I AM IN VISALIA, CA ... first day of my 2020 journey!

We pick up sister Martha at airport today, shes coming in earlier from Utah. Was scheduled for Saturday. But we wanted her here now, so I changed the ticket. Then Sunday we three sisters will meet up with some of our McMullen relatives in Camarillo; its been years since we've done that together. Looking forward to it. Next week we'll be visited by cousin Carole (Dearmore side of family) from Paradise (northern CA). Then sista Martha and I leave for Utah on the 10th for the next leg of my year-long adventure ...

TO RECAP LAST COUPLE DAYS, I ended up having to go to Los Osos, after all, before leaving the central coast, two more plastic bags of misc. stuff to add to the storage overflow. That unit is FULL, a 20' x 10'. Didnt get on the road to go to Visalia till 4:00 pm on Monday. Was at the accountant in Morro Bay over an hour - tax returns.  After arriving in Visalia around 6:30, had a ball with sister Mary and her hubby Matty. We ended up laughing our heads off. Havent laughed that hard in years. Then last night we had a lovely New Year's Eve dinner at Vintage Press.

So all is well. I'm still adjusting to the change, the realization of leaving Cambria one last time. Doesn't feel more than just a visit with Mary and Martha. I think when I get on the plane from Utah to England, it'll hit me.

Till next time ... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!