tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39449942716239137262024-02-18T18:12:27.255-08:00AmiAmi Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-89270861207112274652015-10-17T11:52:00.000-07:002016-08-11T00:10:16.217-07:00My Life Time-line<div class="yiv5916180041yui_3_7_2_501_1374320698718_73" id="yiv5916180041yui_3_7_2_501_1374320698718_173" style="background-color: white;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is a timeline of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1949 March 21, Born, New York City, Bronx, lived just one block from maternal grandparents in tenements. 1st memory was enjoying repeatedly climbing up onto crib rail and jumping from crib rail to parents' bed next to crib.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1952 moved to Queens NYC garden apartment</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1955 moved to Kettering OH garden apartment (dad said he escaped NY)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1957 moved to Xenia OH $10,000 new tikitaki 4-bedroom tract house with cardboard walls on postage-stamp lot. Met Dick, childhood friend that became lifelong best friend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1960 moved to Framingham MA, nicer new tract house on large wooded lot. Had dream that started my lifelong fuzzy fetish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1963 moved back to Xenia OH, same house as before, because mom refused to move to California where dad had a job offer. Summer 1st trip out West to camp at Philmont Scout Ranch New Mexico. 9th grade Met Jayne, 1st 'girlfriend', but we proudly preferred to call ourselves "buddies", because we were too intellectual for romantic mushy stuff. Jayne became 2nd lifelong childhood friend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1964 moved to Beavercreek OH, nicer custom house on half acre wooded lot, originally built by architect for himself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1967 Wright State University still living at home, joined Unitarian-Universalist fellowship, met Nancy, 3rd lifelong friend. Dick went to WSU with me, Jayne went to college in Boston. Met 1st real girlfriend, including 1st kiss, during Fall semester, but she broke up with me New Years Eve, because I also wanted to date her best friend who was also one of my best friends that Freshman year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1968 Summer visited Jayne in Boston. Fall semester met, fell in love with and proposed to 2nd college girlfriend, but her parents made her br</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ak up with me because I'm not Christian.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1970 Shared apartment for summer with my best highschool-years neighborhood friend who was homophobic and knew about me being bisexual but shared apartment as long as he never saw or heard about any gay activities. I had a boyfriend in bed with me for the first time in that apartment on a weekend my roommate was out of town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1970 Fall semester WSU finally opened its first dorm and I moved in. Gained 30 pounds just because dorm food was so much better than mom's. Friends said I looked pregnant. (I still have never given birth and lost that belly)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1971 Winter/Spring semester Did not have the money to continue to pay dorm fees so moved back home. but actually spent most nights in the dorm's women's wing, in a woman-friend's room, sleeping on the floor, platonic friends, no sex, graduated still a virgin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1971 Summer after graduation rented apartment in Dayton with boyfriend, (I thought this would be happily ever after) but he never moved in, just paid his half of rent and stayed home with parents, scared of disappointing them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1971 Fall met and married first wife Marty, apartment in Dayton, my parents divorced the week before my wedding (used their rings for my wedding), the family house was sold, dad married his secretary to raise my new baby half-brother, and mom moved to an apartment and she fell into deep depression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span">1972 February </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">moved to </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span">Lima OH, to take an awful job that 1st wife </span>badgered<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span"> me into taking. </span>1st wife, who did not drink when I met and married her, went back to drinking heavily and became a mean drunk.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1972 July 1st wife left me, with her girlfriend, for San Francisco. She was lesbian and I was her one unsuccessful attempt at going straight. I met my 1st live-in girlfriend a week after breakup and moved her in, and my mom moved in with us to get over her depression.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1973 April quit job and moved back to Dayton with girlfriend, mom got her own apartment again because depression over. June found first career job in air pollution control, 1st wife mailed me Living Love Handbook to Higher Consciousness, which has been the basis of my philosophy for the rest of my life, and that finally gave me a reason for having endured that terrible first marriage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span">1974 brok</span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">e </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">up with 1st girlfriend and finally officially divorced 1st wife.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span">1975 met 2nd girlfriend at New Years Eve party, the only woman I ever managed to convince to leave the jerk she was with and start dating me instead. She </span>and her 8-year-old son moved into apartment next door to mine, then I moved in with them, then we got a house together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span">1976 2nd girlfriend left me in March for a cowboy type, but left her son with me so I could keep</span> <span style="background-color: transparent;">him</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span>through the rest of the school year in the progressive private school that I paid for him to go to that he enjoyed so much and blossomed academically at. Then in August I met future 2nd wife Mary. Mary was conservative and was looking for a conservative man, but found me intriguing. We decided to share companionship with each other while we continued </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">look for and date other people more compatible with ourselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1977 continued staying nights with Mary while we both continued dating others. By end of year we ran out of others to date and only had each other left. She had grown more liberal and more compatible.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1978 after the Great Blizzard of '78, future 2nd wife Mary said, "I'm moving to where it doesn't snow. I'd like you to move there with me, but with or without you, I'm moving to where it doesn't snow!" April 22 married 2nd wife Mary and in May moved to Albuquerque to escape OH.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1979 laid off job in Albuquerque and moved to Santa Fe to work for state.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10075" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1981 moved to Denver to get 50-100% more for similar work. rented house east of Denver, joined Living Love support group.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1982 bought house north of Denver. met 4th lifelong friend Sunny when she attended Living Love group that I hosted.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1984 fell in love with Sunny while attending Living Love group she hosted.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1985 January moved to San Diego. February attended first bisexual forum meeting and met and fell in love with Cindy at 1st party, formed 1st triad with 2nd wife and Cindy.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1987 Cindy died in April, 2nd wife Mary was then in and out of hospital for the rest of the year, couldn't manage to make other close friends in San Diego; correspondence and phone with Sunny back in Denver sustained me for the next 3 years.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10073" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1990 Parisianne and Jeanne moved to San Diego, we met at biforum on September 9, we all 4 fe</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ll in love, and they formed a quad with 2nd wife and me.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1991 Parisianne and Jeanne moved to Illinois in July and Sunny got married in June (I attended wedding), with all 3 of my closest friends gone, I fell into 1st depression</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10093" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1992 February, a story Parisianne wrote for me and sent to me that was particularly affirming of my most unusual idiosyncrasies ended 1st depression. I started begging Parisianne and Jeanne to move back to San Diego. After sticking with me through the depression, 2nd wife Mary left me in spring, because she could not stand how hyper I had gotten after the depression lifted. December Parisianne and Jeanne finally moved back to San Diego at my request and bought a 6-bedroom house with me as my 2nd triad. Met Andrea at December party and became platonic best friends.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1993 found and attended California Living Love support groups.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10095">1994 attended Human Awareness Institute (HAI) workshops on Love, Intimacy and Sexuality, </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">did Landmark Forum, </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">and a friend Tina introduced me to learning Compassionate Communication, quit attending UU church. </span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10071" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1995 Met and fell in love with Marty (the 2nd) at HAI meeting in July, broke up in September because Marty wanted monogamy, starting 2nd depression because I thought Marty might have been my last chance for true love</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1996 January, Tina badgered me into getting up out of my depression bed to attend New Years Eve party, where I met folks who cofounded Rumi's Field, a weekend intentional community for practicing and living Compassionate Communication, which immediately ended 2nd depression.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1996 February met and fell in love with Mark at party at Andrea's house.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10070"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10069" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">March Mark met Andrea at next party, we formed 3rd triad, but did not move in together, though I wanted to.</span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10067"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10066" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">1996 October Mark moved back to Utah, and without Mark's catalyzing energizing presence, Andrea went back to just platonic friend. Then I began dating future 3rd wife Sandy.</span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10064"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10063" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">1997 I took the nickname Ami Amema, because I wanted a name that was not gender-identified, since I do not identify with gender. Valentine's Day, I began supporting Andrea's younger daughter Laurie and her kids (as a step-father). October 2nd wife Mary died after enjoying the best 5 years of her life with her lesbian partner (also named Sandy).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">1998 </span></span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">weekend intentional community fizzled. June future 3rd wife </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Sandy and I bought condo together in Santee.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">2000 September 15, Sandy and I married</span></span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">, after agreeing that she would become more supportive of my polyamory as she continued to work on herself with my support, but instead </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">she </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">became more jealous as years went on.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">2004 October Jeanne died and Parisianne fell into deep 8-year isolating depression. December Sandy and I split up because I could not stand her jealousy, and I bought 1st mobile home, 3-bedrooms.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10021"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10020" style="line-height: 21px;">2005 March met and fell in love with Kathy, the perfect bi-poly affectionate non-jealous partner I had always dreamed of, she dated me that year but did not move in. Summer Laurie and kids moved in with me. Late September Kathy broke up, preferring other men. November </span></span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">I bought 2nd larger 5-bedroom mobile home for me (hoping to entice Kathy back), leaving Laurie and kids in 1st mobile home. December </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Kathy moved in to 2nd mobile home with me, but just as platonic housemate, </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10047" style="line-height: 21px;">December 31 Mark died with me at his hospital bedside in Utah</span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10171" style="line-height: 21px;">for his last week</span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10170"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10169" style="line-height: 21px;">2006 started with 3rd depression due to losses of Kathy and Mark, </span></span></span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">Kathy then met Jeff who lives on his sail boat.</span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10056" style="line-height: 21px;">June</span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10172" style="line-height: 21px;"> my mother died. By September, 9 months of depression lack of appetite finally brought my weight back down into 170s for the first time in decades. </span></span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">September joined </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">2nd </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">intentional community group and 3rd depression ended. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10126" style="line-height: 21px;">2007 </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">weight started going up again rapidly gained 100 pounds. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Sunny's son Daryl (whom I had always wanted to raise with her) at age 25 visited as 2nd housemate for 6 months, spring 2nd </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10123" style="line-height: 21px;">intentional community group fizzled, October </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10045" style="line-height: 21px;">Bill moved in as 3rd housemate, we </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10167" style="line-height: 21px;">joined 3rd </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10124" style="line-height: 21px;">intentional community group.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10122" style="line-height: 21px;">2008 January Kathy left to sail across Pacific with Jeff in his 44-foot sail-</span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">boat, enjoying lengthy visits at all the beautiful islands along the way, emailing back pictures. Spring 3rd </span><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445034595180_10040" style="line-height: 21px;">intentional community group fizzled, weight stayed up over 270, so I felt debilitated and fell into 4th depression. December went to doctor, got Constant Positive Airway Pressure breathing machine to treat sleep apnea.</span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">2009 and 2010 weight gradually came down to 200. Greater involvement in Compassionate Communication, including co-teaching classes about it with Joe, ended 4th depression.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">2011 Joe introduced me to Amrita, just because "you are the 2 weirdest people I've ever met, so I just thought that you should probably get to know each other", and she moved in. July 2011 financial hardships hit. November 2011 moved Laurie and kids to Humboldt County to get rid of first mobile home to save money. Tried unsuccessfully to also sell 2nd mobile home.</span><br />
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<span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">2012 failure to sell mobile home and continuing financial stresses lead to 5th depression. Father died.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv5916180041Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">2013 the 5th depression lifted and in April Amrita and I visited New England. I stayed a week in Boston with my lifelong friend James, who</span><span style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">had been Jayne </span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 21px;">until</span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">transitioning </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">ten years earlier. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21px;">June 27, 2013, Tina introduced me to Mary (I jokingly call her Queen Mary the 2nd) now my 4th wife, not intending to introduce us, because she thought we would not have anything in common, but she just wanted me to join a conversation she was having with Mary, to corroborate a point Tina was trying to make. June 30 Amrita moved out. July Mary moved in, but Mary found she hated the mobile home in Santee almost as much as she had hated the 'sober-</span><span style="line-height: 21px;">living'</span><span style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">shared</span><span style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">apartment I had moved her out of. October 16 we were married. Halloween we moved to a 2-bedroom condo in the Linda Vista neighborhood where she had lived most of her life and she desperately wanted to get back to (actually the same complex where she had a condo years ago). We thought the condo would be plenty for us, but it wasn't, we never felt like we comfortably fit into it (because I had so much stuff from my 5-bedroom home).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">2014 October we moved 4 blocks down the street to the 4-bedroom ranch house where we currently live. Right after moving, we went on an anniversary trip to the central coast including Ventura, Carpenteria, Santa Barbara, Ojai, and Solvang. December a young couple we call "the kids" moved in with us. We get along great!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">2015 Valentine's Day I married the kids! For those who have not gotten the riddle, I officiated at their wedding. Sept-Oct We took our 2nd anniversary trip to Denver, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Salt Lake, Bryce and Zion canyons, Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">2016 February-March traveled to 2 days in Fort Lauderdale and a week in Orlando Florida and cruised to a week in Freeport on the Grand Bahama Island.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 21px;">2016 June-July toured Europe, 2 days in London England, 6 days in France, 4 days in Spain, 5 days in Italy, 3 days in Austria, 2 days in Switzerland, 2 days in Germany, and 2 days in Holland.</span></div>
Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-54939184501970996122015-10-15T01:52:00.000-07:002016-08-17T22:13:02.476-07:00TRAVELS <div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_31806" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
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border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_095331.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1CKVYxtrYgCjx20u3URl-ZQI5N7OaP9z3ibYZajTmEFVbjUA39C_tpTidzmR7KmMzFFQo4d3H2DLzMJOCGcj2_FWTZBpoAF_B2C9VS_WRelM_0BcykiKfZay1eqq5q7oPxWE0ot3" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_095310.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YwlLEa01C7W9KqlgU9a9tjrugwZJAyQI0BoE_6MRgjNhuZOUqti8DY_Q0mt2RBENeB4sesVFJdkJb74u8xXkp3LdH0jsAlrf8e8RahUPMcxw77HH4oqmyWXkmd7Vl5hXy3wRYGMM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_095239.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/5KQXA7gUelJZa2Zwac5RJPcPh9H7B2cxFQt9XxE9QYioUXfk9Xxn6tG55JlPu6axppaDjzLWKeDil2_oG2N_O16ONw2yVFT_jHfelkbfDYREc0p5xvHgIZAYWyAS-tKOmuX2Mryd" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_094114.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/PZJdH7Y0vH7QkbJ3TkglUv0SxfZ33867OhH6GmzQSFDMbN_1L9Kz5fSTnRaJNTvuqJlwmGZlTv3zWutBuXvDlscrTDAsF8xvg3e0xukqWa118Q_R_JeIGxflXRJu41hSrU2W7wD1" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_094100.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DFBtqD-CcU5xdcKlxIj2wCrsChdIAUKY7Y6jN0uDav3Odjs9cK9FFcxcHrSr8tzDuCWKQ7GIU9sSd9ccX31TZAb9-tjwQpOw4m7fBLVZv_mCumTolyEp3JHNFfB7Wq0r3Bd4j0Mb" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_105443.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ArH6dxSsW_sDcM_sgC1dWg7pKHUq_KZ_1sOP9SSdQ_yM2hVKUV0KgIAuI1LdOU3cD83nD3hvIuV679fWTFJTr7QHz1X2LUIs10us0RWtpOA0AvenJVaTj6FerHKIeI_zoskIkUfw" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_111135.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2pH3BEvcgDS5tY6QOzxH1ZWeGXwqNHQ8eb_SAl-K8Tv8RYIia7y2b3jYYr0WNa9FBTbH63_CXcPcOg-RU8tqBVsaT9cAoUMP_LlvzThggDupbRKJpjMGgbPawJKCnlkSd6ao5X_f" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_112225.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/uiom6C5C2LDeLGXqry5zQFTxlYvaRwa02afdmfE9RlW-SWIHWCNdHa2yShby9kevp71QPN-fR1ijh63YBKcV6dYVK7S6IFjXr14WQHm50yWj8tnanMgpM73IHtMIC1CzyfQrQq6g" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_113406.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lNbVrTLdqc3F0mtOzDCMsVtbPWU7eBTzAbL455UJz7CCUUBmwJ1-mETlh1ZsHmEjdlwkvEcZGjxy6uUpuY_OCpZwhZ1vkWDIkVlFMDFuzyO0lW2ov4a-gbUasOA8vjDuivIVkl_0" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, in Trafalgar Square, the tour guide just told me “See those trees a couple of blocks down from the other side of the Square? Just beyond those trees is a train station where you can buy a transit pass. However, because the Circle line of the Tube is not running today, instead take a 15 bus from the bus stop in front of the station to the Tower of London. Then, at the Tower, ask somebody how to get back to the hotel.” At that point I was terrified that I was lost in central London, but I managed to find my way to the train station. At the bus stop, a transit employee came up and said that the buses would not be running for the next 2 hours because of the parade. When I asked how I could get to the Tower of London and back to my hotel in Kensington, he said that the District line of the Tube is still running, and goes to the Tower and Kensington. To get the District line, go down that hill over there to the Embankment station at the bottom of the hill. Because the Embankment station is next to the Thames river, before going into the station we viewed the river. The long and broad views across and along the Thames gave me relief from the claustrophobicly narrow jumbled streets of London. There was a dock there for a cruise on the Thames that could take us to the Tower, that I wish I had taken instead of the Tube. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_121307.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/9AAyZU7W9qn8wGQh_wUYqZ6yIJ_fuptYE8F7Bb1CK3D4L03qMBAVqPQg6h_TLI3u34jGaAazdzFl1JA2B7zUsqcrlf8AvplsSGaKsjPzSKAGfZVupeF-YBP6U1zZjKmTSvYxnmy3" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_121326.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/nkFYURrQZFCq_ooXkhVER0bKRvCN8w6GK7O8uAoFBKyDsNsgzfRKi4CpLIWSk6KKOa8N1GKwiYpevfz5qRnYOLUYPCy2zS2mHaqYr6WlueRr8KtMSeTz3uUrqEqsaQTbRc3x3RQW" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_144020.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VDH98LJc1mNhe5U1zcwaWrthvZ7CtcGgZ_OPSs9qX12JGDPPBgWvpXW8FfQykihqGSaNB-BJtV1BHNcgZ20KRyAwl56i2RHOjnd-gzrSCoZSWvv_xy5w4Sxy1YQ1nWLvlxOIKfy4" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the Tower, the tour guide, a “Beefeater” guard, made his stories of the historical events at the Tower as gory and bloody as he could, which I found disturbing. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_135659.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KWmVgMFjKmo1Tt-puNUQ1NkW6Ijt7FMtEUPtID-0lgkrEwd4O2nU5Uo89UJ23nq-ry_iuUcP8HzbrChsE-q09qTujk3QqEx7yAvPhhsmZJMHA7Cl9I77mvPujI8d0tnOIdtsPXX4" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_125425.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/IRZUu4Gv3Ho-fX-X3UecAQigAF3OCkhwCXc-BV84yUdhiorKdYEkhpWuW1bU7jFOkRjmclszlyD_HXFwR-bpQ_M2WRt0UYOaHiusHp7KxOHABXWlb73VZHEnSEqLKqLXV_oeSBB9" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_143632.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pEqFGr-2RmakiRGY5tfTj3iwhCXV7-IYe4_4tZuClAlV98sAvhgIp15XVYVBvZpnDz5BxId2hTacNKtU9oks1kPhUeIvK_Cd2uHO7WCJFxNk9yvOawMEkjS9dvA7FXB4QjXUYQk5" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I enjoyed the Crown Jewels exhibit better. Afterward I was told that the Gloucester Road Tube station was close to my hotel in Kensington. When I checked the map to see how to walk from the Gloucester Road station to my hotel, I discovered that the streets do not connect well between that station and the hotel, but I found a fairly direct route to the hotel from the next station, at Earl Court. So we finally got back to the hotel, despite having gotten wrong information from everyone I had asked.</span></div>
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border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_102602.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Em5m2WhSeWzFmmV7rLv8RL5kSunaldwvcFwt-Q1dT_NM3Psa0r7mUbYfJxPvn9htEQUED5wHo71dyRYTZfInQ2iVbpy5cbed3AxExkieAdznOWZWGL_QakhrSWy6EIhpYEa7pKpM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_102953.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WjlOJTo9fkdbQuayFaF2DwtfYDNrk__5-wFS3Fke08x8WL5sbuerISuIcCwAvuNItgBJrH_-p1lb8cVi384d5VW2jaIs4HXPQpf-cgfab3neprX78JakhGKrQDohZ16MZR7bHsL5" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_103504.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LSlPeTSvGpRGe3FpaPs8Tj0G73B0_FPqx3b-JE4OO1kmQ1YttJAQf8Rx2yQGjeA4jq264krbqaKtbfDQQlyhcmCe_W86LZzkVN24LkZVYjpvfQZiYH13sjyGXDuo2kQopKBA6bCn" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_104447.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3OXwnMPxlgsgqOyzRUEwmm1qkU0kHi_tWk2zEaPzYr8OnCQFLZzGCd0Fow9d8fF47lvcyUVcuVYk2bYM1PjMQB8inn6QwjtyEK892U6DHnvZfNB5kLgUslMEYhx-zhJQQfqRCmN5" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_104500.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/5LCiLTf16duu3jye_Q3buXzS-xQw7WJTczNFl4EzlmgcFZh7hTyIYviYIEoK8PAvT0njavY3RvnkM7fBVdRpsVk-I33zDn_KDH8LEul6Yao7VjVsqHUAlDICO-vAUAzGIaFVtkFr" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_105249.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ne8Bq1PTQXYIv9VPWssWnXRgmBUqRLjfwtAHrfuiiFEar_FXg8R2UKyF6AgyO8998WB17CGyh1dFYkW7ZHizo9xvI0MTADljk4pLdUFBy_Tqyq28HQwNnFoK2IIDDcYrrwzeOl8g" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_105642.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Bnw2O6dakY7ORob_QcHskmU4-AoHgvW94JI1EwWeN33Mj8bYDTLnUlI5SHxudQMOvr2ssrJLmW9lUvfBCqKBcpvEco0pBMSOb-WWXDaUAHHh58t8MPig1OFZP7abAbPISPR3MwHY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_105708.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_WJe4YDCmVcvzU_gdUuhDq-nx4U3LaLalenpSI9_TkiwUM3bSEH7LT6ycMt8wCX97kSmObJvirfuOQFb8zt6aj2jvcSGo-IXHSPrnmv0vTGIGjdjBp0XsM6MEwM3-86k2XjPZUaE" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_110004.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/F3k4FFSgdodY-6ayciwMhFqARhNYwtOodq95OFpMTtwRK6gtUFf3j4uDs8AR3j1IRg80VCiuVEKFYg0sARq_D20DD0B5WsgRiYXaeiSNownufHVP7IueX2MfvKxSVqlPoK_mmi29" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160625_154109.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0kPKngAMRr6dMvH4-i5uqz5Ud9KA458tJZwzZwCDetzdSPjo0NIaDY6bmCS8Pjj7zzXkPSw_QeRNLcVXGIWzLsU6W9C1vCiU12Ml3Ube0rZrU63PO1U_Jr0zscKC3fyVVX86z3_o" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); 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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6/26 We had to wake up at 4am! to have our packed bags outside our room by 4:30 to be ready for the bus to pick us up at 5:30, and because the hotel restaurant was not open that early, at 5am they gave us woefully inadequate box breakfasts to eat in the lobby. After a brief stop at the Trafalgar London Welcome Center, the bus took us out of London to the port of Dover, where we saw the White Cliffs (made of chalk), and the bus boarded a large ferry to cross the Channel to Calais France. We got a decent breakfast on the ferry. From Calais, we went into Paris and took a scenic cruise on the Seine river. We did not take the opportunity to go to a Cabaret show because it would cost $150 per person.</span></div>
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border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160626_203940.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/O966NQn86J-713y4az-pBsdToEpsLSP4DcZ6ngHXNudILEPS9IsHfz0S2mmNbjty6DyWag1fUKOpB2_twbctcvMNVXrX0yG61EK8IWgheF2Ebdzdux7wzIMSe3AycrZm7oBdeBeJ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160626_203432.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sA65In8plGghnORqUtsdIrW5uo22nhrEJi1K_wbzQ1gUXoQYRzjszZl3j1xL2s7d3TItbnmW5iQJKCpQi13-7rTF-Ng-utEqcysx9_BeC7N2A6ypMmnTDiD4KeEvHbJSx0Gpinoo" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160626_203038.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/r8sXS34IYQ4gqBorVUxbw9HGw0xHCmu8OyEz2EY_ooqDd4cOKNCuaRakcnUhB_xgLekOMDJJvpaAztG7XhCRRbn6XJWmaeuY89V0Vhx0_SsYS9J41EnR3f0AJO-1gJ-IZ9wFTv-E" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160626_200502.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/uNRNbVaH_MJiwb3OqiyhYBUeEfWc8chf4hMSjC2fTG8ABHPhAksaqhuMKVzcmqaKX06SG-FPAN1-LqKl6C6_exobOBp7_BwoaHtm-zYNahG8DvUuXezdTCCVTi__LH9sDgLa7uhZ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); 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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6/27 Saw </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the sights of Paris including the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame cathedral, and we were told we were incredibly lucky to be able to get tickets to go up the Eiffel Tower. Later we were given free time to stroll the Champs Élysées and dine at a quaint sidewalk cafe. However, France won its Eurocup soccer game that day, so instead of a peaceful quiet sidewalk cafe experience, we heard constant horn blowing by every car jamming the street to celebrate the victory!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160627_102151.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/xE4_dbzNjoOZIRac-qaAfNUUOZZ2bdFTSPywa45A3vCJ71BmN5pFr27mNLeSMmNYD8TPLO1RJS1QYlbArd_L4zkVekXw1QNry6SucMYbq4ApsB91R6t4JyJ8BC949A4aTw2efDGf" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160627_102137.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/j7NC6Ma_Jsm-Lz0x4fJ7Kq_gPC6GAuSUgONXGnN5NCdnKrCFkWAyiI5pWtuFEAqM4hy59diEIDeWCYT5V248Wt3dXWLztGMkQdeD7cpOCiYk1lePwu72EIqhTnSBPt4g9ly0upK1" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160627_101836.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/nEEde9itCuBw6WTUMfPXs3nvvU8lSxOGHWqG73pdA6cVLlJndJN5786-Iy71i3LECa75JcrRTf78Z33CHdAA9_L0lqD_aXNKRT8ZWQprkpArsmNxgQc6ohrf67MgRLQ2JXqtYOAl" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160627_101823.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7hTexUMuKaTXblAtFYaR9gWPkaR3G0ibO1ZJRHi9POK9nDTcqHyDQqYHc3f7YgEgU2-KVMglkIC0yjxIgrLAb0JmNRdUmniDUW0bsoYJlx7VqQb4Od_gB2yY7v6Z4nmo_f4fRug1" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160627_095244.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fYNB2v-J9XZkuk0I9FVV7cGzb3I1MfRB4GtGKPB9GY_5UrS6MxNgW88FxSC1gEWnrO0VY4DHSau99uVsNtr0yVM5XoP6pJPrjotMlyxRx8XGI1tfWeQGsShJbmZSD1lSIgclz8xd" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160627_094927.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/aJdpMh1yKcXFunv4PNHSYhy3Pmgt7gENVw2Qxcl2QjK6ThR3CFlOVnKuwZnrULNCwKoUpXgvs2AfWeN4e5V6YHvlJ8HIn-gKh06yQ2bCU9QsyhnebX3EeIpH1zGlcTKQ8A6Znz1u" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6/28 Travelled south from Paris to the Loire Valley where the french nobility built châteaus to escape the congestion of Paris and viewed the Château de Amboise where Joan of Arc passed through before her battle with the English. Also saw the villa the french king built for Leonardo de Vinci when he hired him away from italy. The garden of the villa has full-size replicas of Leonardo’s inventions, including his helicopter which was never built in his time because the technology to make it actually work did not exist yet. Traveling further south, arrived later in Bordeaux. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160628_122544.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/01EY_95tLSWfPWC2Ug2CTgoqjer8vtcnLw2wFER_MMhjnmZeRaSrswbkYFLhOzjXNMUBJ0hgwMeqO_Xeub_akl6xXSng5m1wHFqKlv7ongE0MKpM4Qs87jEn5-aEKnYGWONClDq-" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160628_111842.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/fOdoUmI03Qz12kxsGP7k6sAlUGuaettBCuQtyn8TGAAFLCkqmUTrGSu9PPFFuIYXwDF_8uLsshZmBdjOqAs_sG282JtFT3_Dutu0r6DwJ5Do3xzHPIH_1hTmQ0ha1AOvJXAfl8pj" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160628_111837.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BmdyZyLIu38uhfZXeUkF4ZWe_-PzLYDlVVudAe9y30BFDcnBrzbdxKsU6Cf09PWb8DolDYUkFYUsWeV8OxjyQfyYMIHNIcCp8lkPFYIRXFs5_pLHbOAs02px4HZO084_YVlp_TbP" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6/29 Headed further south to the charming seaside resort of Biaritz on the wild Atlantic coast near the Spanish border for lunch. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160629_111925.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Bd5Agotgdq3Kf_NNdg42MY9QGmXst3Z87tg4kzeirN7hbqXJzds-tHOiAq4DctO3BSd3b7rf6AJ57pfFYj2KibB8-7nh8Ft2-NcEeRt4hZqip5jzdiPigKzozVAkIIUPekkDq4rQ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160629_122603.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/s_cUzMk0A-iundlS96yEfz-51WZwn3ucDZkufjavg1ujojrDhyWztC_ry7ZMdPnUxNJz8IE0j2h41Xz4o2vR5smayA_Hs2j1lYm_jm5ArXiJ00NxZHvvxuRZgMjHnVUWguuOhg8s" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In afternoon we headied inland to the small pilgrim town Lourdes, which gets so many pilgrims that it is the second most visited place in France next to Paris. In the 1800s, a peasant girl saw a vision of Our Lady of Lourdes in a grotto. When the vision told her to dig in the ground in the grotto she discovered a spring with Healing Waters. Pilgrims come from all over the world to bathe in and drink the Healing Waters from that spring. More recently, a row of spigots were installed to make it more convenient for pilgrims to get the healing spring water and we tasted some. A cathedral was built at the top of the cliff above the grotto but over time the number of pilgrims was so great that a second larger Cathedral was built underground that can hold tens of thousands. There is also a separate building for confessionals. Mary decided she wanted to go to confession, so I sat on a bench outside while she went in. After more than half an hour of waiting, it began to rain lightly, and I was becoming frantic, wondering if Mary had gotten lost in the building and could not find her way back out to me. Luckily the lady at the door could understand english and I explained my concerns and she invited me to go in with her to find Mary. For me it was another miracle of Lourdes that when we went in, Mary was coming down the hallway towards us. I was so frazzled from waiting so long for Mary and worrying that the rain would come down harder so we went straight back to the hotel, and forgot to look into the cathedrals that we were told were impressive and worth seeing. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160629_164751.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/jhAMgajBTubz7i3lYSrqvwLEyVV6cNR0N_MDRgZoTofJikF9kX5jVVVO4nUN3MB85DWgIubwnbdO9YvGpfIW37mEeFklNZbMatH-a_Sa6liz3OsdBTi5jzA1jbR0ZX5Ss5OrsDQ_" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160629_164540.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/JCFsIr249Znob7aH4PxLCK0ijmR7EMDz1V9ZlM_8CtnyALSVBVIaEgdjHsZa-GLA4BMimj876WWswxIKbrfbUoQ5y8NW1PVD8OJzuEWZtt5P6vCWZQymMVN_utYzvCJuQ_ncAivM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160629_163530.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sNQiU_BKWLfzNeKfSV9M1LNb4OWZ8PJwzh2yF2JnDctxBfeSiRWuIKj3_D8fiCufNuYlIFpFtVbl0pn1ia8q08qD1qWnzL6v5Ltwo0Zk3UmZC7AhCjFWO2Dnmq6damDHlw2UdR41" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160629_163524.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/V8Z6JtO4kll8QoFIKlwLQaAcEr_TLN90fR8yZYPaDCEohu-zJyDtqldXF4KWgmpd4p0QFsMXqdl-sSanKYwXMOw3rSqMgSB88NQT4EVTlKbVzlJnhASzBfNSz8hHUsy4WTj-ZKqn" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6/30 Headed back to the coast near Biaritz and then headed south again and crossed the border into Spain and passed by the city of Burgos en route towards Spain’s cosmopolitan capital and largest city of Madrid, which was built in the 1800s out in the king’s hunting forest so he could escape the congestion of the older capital Toledo. Madrid, in the center of Spain, was hot! Over 100°F!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/1 Saw Puerta del Sol and Plaza de España in Madrid. Then took an excursion a little south to the historical capital Toledo, which is much older and more architecturally interesting. Toledo has been an ideal city site for hundreds or even thousands of years, because it is surrounded and protected on all sides except a narrow strip on the north by a deep river gorge. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_094745.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YFDcE3l9WBL8rsoybFQJnWoSCtvDKbvyOswiuKPyL8lsEDQTW_gStcIPOmgpnGmZqlV8xPwZa_mPgl1gUsiqkVUbxaw06vknBpb1oLX9RIuMa3yYQmphhgZAjxIcKjGWycGQdYkr" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_094809.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WGk5txrXB7RyROo6SA-LuNy6krW9d6VlZminvH7sLenSZ4J3uAcfnDc78GWqZoVK6FMWO8AJ1y35XT6MxN1iring5UIXEc30AACoUyYVmChae163XPdxi7wMGxJ9cUFXpNwypAWS" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_115254.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Bth-z4YefZALWaHR5vjidDMUW6VXvTjYmpi9WnICzS4Lr-ypL5XF8WCo0j3Adh3srVQo7dSRV04sqy68HNbE-E2cEnRrZhCB4FkUZuSo75CcRCiK4jS9KEYBhh803wrItmtoLX2V" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_115404.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iMpuvczCzUqQBljKQ4A_fQrrihc7m80St4wxU6p0NCSgSgqtb5q00Ao37bDDYNcqSSQVrV1k43_VQB_7bvE1AyNZxa-A6jOPzEFASXVBYZAsH4eoibsI6r10opaCbNw8vkGVVLE1" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_115658.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jYYKF3bClJBIdMxe1n_aZOq6ie8MZ_BXRImW0NSJ5O5IZ0z8wgqpdDKOjYffdfDKHRnYrtnJFFo1Fa3KFZ-4KvV3AJIA9TI0tGelaM9EK2GkXOiAZMDEXSVwVMME7YnPCL_rySGa" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_115717.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WvvXON-EZPEttfRoxcdYH7SJkTjLgUqFklUstzdLqv4ZeNU-ZD6GaQpnQAOyWF-p42-QEJmV2lMt1m3Gt6PIanySlSkfQ9n7UqfhhywOMGqVYPjL-w_4rRkRMt-0LJJclfbb6wU0" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_115731.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sRP7qgGWDmtOr_4iysIAoaRRHWy9WI0x2FjXQ4N5Xh9dcvQbOVhz5WllyI9CnjAGpURq3PUEm7MhbPGoNDlWHC0HifvwVwl7vCM1pPiqIUze1gmqao2G7z8GzOltpVb1-paeAE3K" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_115741.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/LnxHP6D9wN7Cjp2Ux1oYwMnmojgC2FxtcWkhEQPtJBLpbXoVeq2MGNsYvLc8i1mFge1JwO__ImECzX05BNiRuirDL3BjODgKFXpWJ_EMcVFYVE5cN0qf2gdUJTXARG5NvSIknjIK" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_134656.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WYYQvyloqPb5V6v9bc0TED8scsWEl19hg-yO1SiSLEcwGNsPC-Ij84AXSGDYDBYLLsIP5bBhkWPvqXdc19uK8o0yBQ7BqBiWZuuRU_pn32aopblyDbZk9QFiDd0NaDWYOaFr8lZP" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_134718.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ripOR0aJFYmWm5XmGj08PAFnT40Vsz7US9LtG2xsGrxu8EZbtRiTybPtWjR_ZPxmxfMr7gZ6oO_pSZBGxc3ZqBpgl8675aRWA5aY6vzWjFqYQlsK_2DrxSsVuL_Mw7i0AVqtVYMH" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160701_133846.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/s6rLJTV404i4FCzqpWG08AxezA_KXVy2nDXCHBIeqBXEhL9bGBXuUuRoPkx9YXvvExJcAK7kAkUVoleDJKSE9VDzd2P4qKsfhu6c6LXpKg384-NBFi4_AwP7sIpUc_8F0eFUe5b7" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/2 Travelled east through the hills of Aragon and Catalonia to the bustling city of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast near the French border, where we saw the Ramblas and the Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) cathedral, which is still under construction (they hope to finish it in 2026, 100 years after the death of the architect Gaudi) and has an unbelievable mix of architectural styles from different centuries. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160702_174843.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ySbRrrdNJRgk2XdsiCbj6J8eQGVDJXbn4_HWfrU2Yw1tBTgge_XZgMw249onKCXyQjlf4r9TGqkiLjxy7eMapGfqOwirxxjBrCBkKni3kK7AJdpBWrDALm40d3t6NVXgs433T8Jq" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160702_174712.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DKRH-REca0f83lxzCPJk4hHgwpX4P4_RB9iuxWkk9mmGs4r42guYhh7nMc3nuQTypk4aSM4Aa8n-RjzthvK8KlRiJ0RtZPTTJd0zzf9Z0t4wAmukktcSF7V0WyqkXbvoddpNguXN" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/3 A short way inland from Barcelona, saw Montserrat (serrated mountain) with spectacular views. Visited the monastery perched halfway up the mountain with.the cathedral with the Black Madonna. After dining in Barcelona at a restaurant decorated to be reminiscent of the Alhambra, we saw a spectacular Flamenco show.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160703_105444.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/9TP8KwcpQyVuHzNk0zM1-a7kCQGYL_-azbW-dBT7NL0yx7V4QhRl8JbMTOpRhJGgbrlu7IZqRnZjujlDbi4bxeTTXwavTdhxD9RH7y8VZNQjCHDHrqFaNwBZTKDxM199Jt4AddGn" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160703_105435.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HcENp4mSB92j4WotP7o9OuXkKyVisFtuzYl-0rHOlbWaOR0zmt8N4cYrZBbTT9XQI6JnqH9yVwFS3uylbIJ1PmnGORLvgSj3hs8dpcHdj6bSQT0g0ZekeGWFPW4gQ39R42I_gKoY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160703_105424.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/bnlxBZPPkpmLVjSdJvdt5I8nHr8IqIqOlRcG3Z0ycKfj7KA3qugCZfBoVy3ZGoqeQjvNCs8hWH1CZBdLXmeeeO8cNOgZ9CaIV90g_Py1dGFRD6bF606nRx8cR_SKsHn_XN9fXo1j" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160703_105413.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/XJ5dIb3wfOzD8VDs08cIscH9Jc0_c30yVcv1T4ptJzrgiHc8whjsQAGTSAzz_4DnyyYex_hdbCQwhUQZtTmoLorjc0fMfYBodfkS_ZeEQylVFJsGGLvV2gxqii6w3luUoxn4FJ-6" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160703_105130.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MFflN29Zx0-R4s2BiiT65qYHOj9M0jznJRKYBC0qiJWg-wBCEcU15_Tsw9clspBPy2jYuxeCRNcOxgL5q-PXbs3oEGeXoK-Bno9JJk64WEdl_Qa6xfRWxIzW4NDhnixYaxmkgtk7" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160703_094136.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8NasUpI57QzDj4QmikwopQpDsNMkYxT_ksEeqiSBX3NVvLFArkiEuvfTehjvKAgophPohYPxqyylqa3SfYvkfs_lodpb9MeGj9BFHj7eLg3LatEzWie0N9fki8ahw13zofJce_If" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160703_094248.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uTWbPVKVfqhdNNY3-sIwSiyr1jfA1YIho87aYoTwAmmgr2IhzI1_Uiu55r3F4L2hzPSZmM5arUJwytqQ7pIzBMZ-zIgDisx3AVzviTdaraqVUQkUOVqm8nEA65U5UZqLOMiwP6iG" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/4 Crossed over the foothills of the Pyrenees back into France and continued along the Blue Coast of the Mediterranean through Provence to Cannes, which is famous for the film festival. While most of the beaches along the Blue Coast are pebbles, Cannes imports sand. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/5 Inland from Cannes, in the Esteral Heights, saw the quaint walled hilltown of St. Paul de Vence, with narrow winding streets, elegant fountains, and vine-covered ramparts. Then continued along the Blue Coast to Nice. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_121841.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/p8oiMIVCgpTqmC_6fB7jAdNF6upx0hwYg2m4_Lmbk-ciPfbc-6MUfOVv-R4Mqo91Y4nUK9bQXEmk2IqrDW2qRcI9JJcrKKOHmvHGqxX6rhKg4KpGbGwXGhSnDGTZfBVBZMMuDKNd" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_102453.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4nSZBzFtXJogpPnSB6UCjyPhOkD25UaDf254hOoVZUj6RUm4H1oWAFsNqI2nzVqv294l-1lb17JjJ7XjySHMRCXDCUUWfaTc-RWLn-ubunoo4nV0BZU0r89j3S2yVWug0PsdoYcX" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_102239.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/g6SmjE_1fHgJ7SXjUISnYX3yOzLOIIc0PJlpE7aflDjgmvDeE-EVV-SD_pjw5fIjV4EuPgOrvg4U2Zerb9Vrjkmtz11OxtGroI8qnxZ-6usDHlDkjiaFz5CRroSAw6e2386Dr84A" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_102033.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pUo8KIQdRy3MLipjCXwbHsd5FBLacTvWxzWIbOkXfan2t2R13MPYjmaM-x34Te9xo1N6iDA4vZROuhCld8gi8m0Ir3XrCUoHtJOKLNz4FyrZBoowYLRevDez0gX6OxNKtJyR8ajo" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_101438.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3a1SxF5soDdPcXNiYc7Doz2z3lLUTg9iPAF0-f5vs56wh6JSEJFh8x1vgnFGhznKFULe4iRwNxzhFHlPq0GMtxvB3k9aCwRIArd10lXXaS1LCY2o0ZGHvEBtgxdOqV4Q5Uq-N6k0" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_101155.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/k0k93eG2AknytjVuJGx_1Av9loFlZWC-fRYgPz0ilUMQUSO7DNlklyxt8goNJSaIiFR4BYPT0rTTsPBo1gsEyPseYBTUNZVcopQ4qPukdNAcXkxxe0_ZQ-8o2r6cXZ0migdxupD8" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_100449.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/GIhTcedUs0mv8ioYB3L3RTOnQhHIN6sEUCAxVZtA2WRKx1GwljAwbjX839K8Ms896PSld3Rv6JFboU-d9rEJ5GfT0FNyQ9aaBLAM34OsHQSfmWXPZrmWeKLNptFndGbzovJDgJE_" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_100359.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FbcYwDxgERiuaa6Gdc7Z6gJhAvTSfAu5GvjfGGGbNrpf4M7iXvrVbFNDxpJ5owPRCnl8uAcF-jmeHIUmHsWkVH6N-OydYFtAWYQJ3AUKNyeTLQqJMrrAFO0V9-SnQLzyjkLhjb5d" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_100353.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HNPoxRUjzKOKwTRolH4kH72kEKnaYWr3xlCLuh7jySJQE6OA-7i9AWbCQxZgvWg53W_aO96G2LXqISoD_vKgKF4gUCpMWlJYAgzHYnd2pgGZ6qrYJdmfyzR_C4sGkuI8zwO1Qqvd" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_095733.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/w-Lwe8J4fIdEP6MiEJk5yOmkCFizaxeccoB62DZS-9sxQ_f9M2FrX0RSRVX_IjBEgU5XGC1dpWwRkua1zPY85Pt0g20q1OCA8b3KYGdMpsf1HZzIrbTu3FlMXlvJ2ApR9OzbRPLX" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_095523.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/F58WSobOpeJllGLs53jArDfxboJzTnFB-8cRvs4hIUtylX_U9j-UxR9exjMTUOMtbNJkpR9miMfblf1xDPtOJmSmE2ngtkcKBhjDtB2MRkno_nPVezp4XEK3Z52wFhvvCoOOBNIn" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160705_095251.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Ri9rW60QJxk0rwthcCkbOBwO49fzX9HiuDQyHYzcrO9980gYHLWL5blgpUOHz42Bhinn2aWu-9bqk28boHNeXmv97-PRB8CFtaU4zbQytZRMEerJNb1daJ5e47_s7YTKZ07PH72X" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/6 Continuing along the Blue Coast, visited the Principality of Monaco and saw the Royal palace. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160706_101504.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Sk6Y8YY-xs3CvfugkBDsSWWET_UvA5UERoq02Ui9O_hRMq6VGcuyQSCByoDZNvQGyGuLFDBLXZyq-uMKvT5pe5Yyc6FepUUee5ooSbsUYakpS-9jqw0zNH-az7dKngaizALGA9cu" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160706_101518.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8vP5dGg12qvdi_M1FM6qJG58tH2DN-Xf4nHtKr559CV1xnNe9o9x6nfuYoyAfByw1DqxKzcFnoLNefbp9_JQx_3_F61NHk2XclwLwPkTjNKPL0keNbOnF11yxzb190rK6ZXsmbR-" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160706_094809.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CK9F7umtUSJHMOAFduN_yWTAK0DeLdy_fsawZb9zzDtfbcnK4yuL5HhGo_T3kymOgbD-fK_TO5xdGoyYAO-tT77lwn2s58yYlgJWmpM4gFKP0JjVCuJtZEguA1E0mC4rZITVlK-y" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After crossing into Italy, continued along the Italian Riviera through Genoa to Pisa and saw the Leaning Tower before heading inland to our hotel in Monticatini. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160706_164207.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/78rbfWL8_bphahV5ruRzJouADPc7_6pS-Tvp_6GSII8Q8_GJurS2fX4t6PPRatezW1aGyGA9If5i6JvVYw1Y9vN0AmfkRFAzvbwy-z8k2CWtpugUxCYA6GDg1khyye83OzMeGaGn" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160706_164638.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/fcxhyvMIfoK8nNUzvZ7ljg2qpi0hi4ZBbv4xbBtfuCX5HjUmlcnwDqQxFS0AvhfUjUh_W0EwE0_j4-2rtXHtopJg8j86MGbNZltMB7yQFOLBu5vx9beHperxLlVhxZrq8V1ENc8x" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160706_165145.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/eNYwAULA7akkdVmUymk-YceGLlbwRfkPkUT7nBAk3imHbHyJMy1SrBVBN9n5HfIs3U_Xp91sltiTsXjv59zXU6ALWPKlDXT1f46vp40BhdTtKR-_v-e1IBQKZ2OESdo9-IrkKrN1" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/7 In the morning headed a little further inland to Florence (Firenze in Italian) where we toured a museum with a number of unfinished statues by Michelangelo in various levels of completion, as well as the original statue of David which was moved in there to protect it from the elements. A perfect copy was placed out in the plaza where the original had stood for centuries. Also saw the Duomo cathedral and Signoria Square. </span></div>
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border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_085850.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sHbn5UALDN7U8atQdyWeBjn9qTiKRRu1Yc__CfDVrl0BqQgHOADXCIRG-RAJnGxwHBQRwKT0zZGabxU5Rg6-FMMO4TR50LRNGpiewIVcG8nEqF2OIQkytb1VXwRje_X2LEZJEG2P" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_085945.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/9buX_aJWso3VSgv7UwpWbgO24cCg_nUitlrcGJ2Z-u4lQorLu0RWEnrT1jgBmgKTAjiB28i4wdWjCRNlk33MwPobVrENdiDTjp2YdRljoFQU6Yx_3CC61zxdgeKBAlV7FjUNNafM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_090043.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/7AlFv9CFn_8hSUxluB8w8mVPoBY3Zr-Qc87Kcpqea_gt5hTa9Yec_7y_wtBOGUPpsdOZSs7Hlb1RNzaiqfgRv0NDVdTUqB0F9rXb0DEVPAMB-DmaJuWO2OMGBINNYCY5ueQAg1YJ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_090559.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/fZuVFzYAnKNX-b5haJ_HPadKC74nzMPR0FpXlQHlAoWMNF9N44QiW9YA-BNv5ACnBsrHAgBMh6kNFl38HM8GeJakXJCByTMPA9FUKoUtqdKO5U38x3ZwewkaqClFiYDnNxOm30s_" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_090624.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/4h-OATTRdsbgfRw6fk72Eh9sFxISO0mIyfECt-8tL5kpYZabhTZqzRxrJI5yUIVSTxe8tRBh4NXe5vlfqh-0aCVlOpF71FaNY4HWnGjADB3cN0GBUlm4GMBQjmcV3OSu_eCr2EDR" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_090454.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SUS7eO7DIFyD7F4NXhtz5MfRXu5evB2uUzw5-6i1zU0ktVlHFDqMf-iLOsGI5zlx2prXPjoUKWzWiFcaJnpczqHgUvj3xB29jurc_fPQgDu9lrPA31P91pR2DINaubw-lGPvyvKy" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_094447.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/MGkCW2Ay5HgVfnrFH5V8t8YB7nj4-7Vmsej4HeYMBe1vqzlzdmo6V1WdA25m4_2MBW1Y2poOG6IzMI2lcjMyBiEcEpolLLgH1FAXN94wZrnHVjI1BWJ2UMzJ0JVle1pNu2fKztq9" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_094747.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Y4QOV07RDf_j7xsEQa0Scn6O9xiIHpZp9s2K1xWJZqWEwcjIHP5p_7vFYbuiFxylAqPrSVMZ9sfoIdvQu8sUKHwemKDl0_H13Esv_NDCLt0V5n6If7nIqzzDPYF5VFByxrvU2Ois" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_094835.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/WcpM8pvOZbdQ4P17BQy3Ryx1nAwfsACITnK6dS0v9uH5aDmAQCUm51geX9rjp9APo6iD1bJPDZYufRCPzpE2iPQLedQy79nnCW2lYkz6ukXvlc_cDKomYME8meMgPCj8OmbnHDBO" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_094838.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/l-3Mg3giffjxcZbGYmhc8mmxRt0BU0HDCWKKKvMvjMZhYyJTSfIbpfbBZcaqrbXBAp-TjvcnHbO0tV4yd7k4fw-qCnZMKEALrYyh1nN0bQP0ZEw57pUNFKQds2goCKZpGTHaAREZ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_094846.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/M7NFWu6TQwg1Tj2hejk0vJae_ud0mtquiwaKJ2KZMvEK3bCKdamLrIz60HFY9Y0-n6dhiN5pGV1cbchqx5NMyPteVRoD-39gMgH_3S87ZYUYoBu_S9qb5FxRNFujQKYamE6i_adO" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_094851.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zUYRfo3i13gfCxCQVHR3mHB2gX1yhHaizq_8kmpcUCiM3gYeDqH1hqWZ9mPznJKkHY53OYV6PEQB-7crrquyTzmCBbD687-i1JKcxVE0SkRFOs1_Go0Fj81Et70721WZdhuBCp4N" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_094857.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/spIEfJbmxdN1V0toIsvHFgwP_lPmDwaTiFtqyArGHnqIJHLPaveeq3kBojLwi0Kil-LZ3LecANUXaFBfABrTP9ybub4ZP1bJzVoyUDPRZEVCBECQEu98qeAb-mBvReeeS3vM3IAQ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_095020.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/CcJfi2R4zgN2rKLomOpW4LjfoEf_vgdh0liOfGoLzMTBo-EBtFK2PzcSI0imMzItq-MSVq7whnKfW3RfuW2uuv1kxATlcAGVTXXwGB81DuPfASsYGaaDHYotu7wsKq7lYLRj8U0t" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160707_095402.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZVLcktGCgzl-jR1E8SBxXDUwTxDUdwcse9d3IyllRAQ0TDYPknWEu_nQKGVARDuRGkZcwhbPMo5KFc4zETttRbgdvcGgkcEQdjkYskOWVaTS2xetauBo516ohaR3z63XbYQRUTRa" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the afternoon, headed south to Rome.where we toured piazzas and fountains and the Pantheon, the best preserved Roman temple. However, the most famous Trevi Fountain (Three Coins in the Fountain) was closed for cleaning.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/8 In the morning, toured the Vatican including St. Peter's Basilica and saw Michelangelo's Pietá, the Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapel, and saw the Swiss Guards that guard the Vatican entrances in the colorful uniforms. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_083519.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/cWnv9_VJjWTw8ozuM9augMGSrHycwW8OpbgMw9sgKEBuHMe38_DsUErkbEFPsyq8I72jr03GhksAVH-8B98ZvHip3HXnI2Hl7WQfguzxoqSytXkR0ypiNB_OVVsMIHpXsKO16FvA" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_080311.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/wCXE61-beaHiWLJoMG005TwFO0U-OJM7IUcluDHwC1O8Ob6E2lknwzBtS-oreHFPs4yom3vu2IWJhHv5x6CPdC-3g5f65YC0yt0ekVGgHFqEABWHNMcJN2VrejL07Z5mkV6Xj7iL" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_083741.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/UOETnS4qf7CwZNu8QZNTEQKUfWud4t2RyaMeUvixP1hQK8s-2mZmnYYeuqwh8y1mnFFpunKILimFCKcE_r_Qj1K9nvgrF3i6Et6cHdvSStC7wv99Bhq4vcFgGxSOXEqWWvEj7QOO" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_084002.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/P-FgQ-Q6VBAxzOswjHl1qAh0tyL8w8yXuCEFm3YAbKsI_v4cmmgzBezMDdwKLRKLcpF8wNms50kSEX3WoM8A-VDdGA8CmY-VngW9QE-pMGwm2IuLHijeDfOy0IRxbSmNROoIvJib" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_092717.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/hLFWMkRoEHKan0bR8U9uFDh-xWNRox0Gh6CQVZepUvJkS1164x7Os0Nz_EzMAKZjIYhSRROgLnVAiLxxE54-irxd_DYCHy7LPFDML5DeUApTdO84Xos2-vRuSqgvQopr8rGUYf7G" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_092939.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/UnRJIdQ-ylXIIl-fpw79ZjSRRl9ZnyaNo8Up6ZsZ9pHW1oLYrrPXm5IiLfxPXKaqknsmqILSfe0ADXE8F7upwepwHD4rMpKgPV7xgeFTVHCPa9b6nOUYgrfET9hpuvy522E2MjAY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_094454.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/U6DzyqXZ9CmWY5odi8t1sGHTUNKWwWiqIv7VKLnDJZfZvTJKVaf4HzqX4Z00_9YhoxtV87vR6eTM2BL9k-GVWmPRedls3-ROjfemxRV960lXIt8VWbRB4ECGjy1afW1kflOinzSy" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_094516.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KaUKGc3ddS2m9TO8X47InYjuAaW-llTgbnMuV99tQM69RF8B7np-fmF8S6fqIaRFqAoCEhc_L9VGWZHLK8igEkctaRnQ41OrxFSEmAhaIZ1bRbdq021obqaY1pz2QwcZM4h9qot_" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_095042.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/S-t5dQf_1gi9KhJeV4uW3W44krv_Whh0w7Cr1oMk1P8Ldy-QxzJ8CJzBy9r7QxIXLrUASdchz7wg-0IjjVikoaq4BvM1CsfnnWJ4yG2XfHn1IMXvRNSK0lbr9gJoN1LMarZaPEic" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_095115.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/k3xcI6Rjlc92PR22vOv82Ldir39aXBwINRSyZRFwj6Lcn-vKg5Sg90RszplnCY_zi8nbPqGI2J_hU2yO5pgeHv6KyYz90NIe54dB2RrJmu3JnxyR2xczPCys8CXZ6rfTNcBKtJWd" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_095305.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cFdn1FiU3b7Ht4WlVpI9UweeVIy_-Rm7aJCVqgOdKc_qPnXP0mp_VTGdrJb7-zHXJelGteTacW09Q7vTRIcbjlsM4zZNGbVbCMjjDeS93gn0WnJjLcvC0_CCj0xrtSIbeEoCHCCA" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_095839.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hiLEleC5zLZEQ-wSJ3UWvwBt96C6h46-_r3t9lZ08loHab-PAWbagrViVsJna4Vz2uIK3UmwkJPm2-pYzf4zSaD5sRffpe4LpgE0VM10FySySmsYj50sdmaeoNl0KUVGeb3mxWFG" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_100412.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xA6gceD-HoUhAigwvtHVNoDMH3P27WyCntIMX3vXvM38eLPY0cALjRTKL9YvSkNQZaPd_q5t5omVbM5dNZoLWfqsKWvssPU0h37A_WgYJFqgc4uuBgNsNdzfKCIXRsPW71FDEHJ-" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_100423.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/kaxqSNpWbi8f8qxLq1RL-cDMFh6pqMvn63gxJVpnaDf_5FKx8Vn2jPpqshsBGRea1CO7bM7xPFAXpsMjhQvZxIX-KobllTV9Nt6xnt-Gr3lDB2xIYK4Hh9V4OaFk59ulELt0KYdG" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_100549.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ec9BlYJo1a66UNUnNevUJ5T9dMNTcU11m7floP_TAgEL4uUHavjXqw7DRxmRFJX97hpXUS5fyCUaZ5Sb1Ur4WMjuWeXLWFvzh4JnkyPV1Sn5NKP3Ykq18F_WJIb_NYtirvXpgpL-" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_100558.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Ak0lRqeaIr1RGAQZLm6XDBYUTqOMar88TW4VNml5F4OkDx1XateUR2ooIGsQsf7rW192XbfI0fImvn4Df8_w00jlOD9yY3rVWvV46rd8TITHNUDkIHpPbtBcv78xBfS92Us1z1Hj" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_102517.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8SGV_BhddyJ0e_7UiENGo-m9bKEeOlccOCIuPy8AYmhUxSMNZAikaFHdOlmVsudDh8a2ME72OwNZXjUsQlXQ89H2pJR03ufhxVmA2gQZ31VEdOoWRvbnA0IdpWcL2QNVvVhOGwiC" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_103810.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/guGGJDIor8EWvQCkfG9HOXIHXIs1uGPszlxKiHy8x7yVLJTKS-mrcW4QzztH93sL4k8DKdIJzMaPwei_nGPeLvqtgp5sGKp-g-YJNiR4aLYTpW0dbVmhCsyc5CN__K9s7FRrb8GY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the afternoon, saw the Forum, Circus Maximus, and toured the Colosseum. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_122302.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PtxTzEV7Ft0Mi3tMjWcG4BxpMw9HQr_TyrK53Blziq1VSJFlq0pR3dnmHbG0Gdx5GOpGEn7RoTLBDyZmkBdbQghu3m-rOY1F8K0c8rDfStB3vCXGzJqsu9M6B9O82w6eHVABu6G0" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_131341.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/39E_lpdWb_pewYaTUeh4g52-KhnObupP9wFUTf5saYiZiKxXbQseFD0Yi62-s8AOMmKleUAWRqra4FhaRuYuZ_oKnkWQKhTO4BOC_1VFd4jAPXMdDcZLhGVZ7iZrlp2kZt_ZAiLa" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_131333.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/l-PC1pkM3VUXqTa7aERyCG-shQzsqbCWt1BLiCgRygQWNA2XF1302JbxTq6UPuq0jUS2lcvjAoy7kjEf0UtGHWg3jws8Y70qh-LhTCS8-plOMRKdaWiS09FJYIyoT5_16L-NnLS1" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_124709.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dLL8oqJBN6_DQW0ryX9Cb9gnIgShoJRRgYudQX_q1VR6DvYixsQMMzlbHMyy4jST13lc5wbIj2jpwroNwjuj6qiV-YSneConda4j9713L37WwNBN5qtxAWTnpA9maOLD0QYuJU62" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_124702.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/q1Ww0nPhwaqBb0y-kExuAP0s6eFTOUPy4gcXhUXeLU_OKo376FIStEbhJ_oFZjUNl3VjIJs7cNwE9bZ-4Hy82-ZinElBI25BGCYxz06JsmEyYP6ck8Rq8LY7B2-chcLfiMc4ZiMs" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_124647.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Wa38OQ5Wd6FgTgd4W2t89noJPz8EGBuBP7GRFHo1bBMFZ5quahzuSk1NrpyySMoQEoxczbIF4BQ9ZcBjeypnCvjygSablyGKX3TU9v11CSbcjs4uXBphdludeXz0TqHRE-sQh0-9" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_124051.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/nm90JNzK7x2qEY3j4DYR95BtzTwi9wy-YOoNfHBAE3Z7m5RyRohIHXFtvfZLHz3Zzl75G52wM-cYqTZSR9l5DGKfqPw9sZRYQZQefbGFwxCLGRq4_Tl7kPAh8dqHTXw3D-aRxQEE" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_140648.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ilgxc7N2mrKSjEFrbSBfKcTW_fTjM63HxcHgJhyWIwqvFzssKg1ayKKRlGxq4HzWJWGdrcx2NjkLQ0KFdQBtHsXaHYrq9802pmvuDqnw8_ss-RrQ3Kx1BwQlw37A0uKAmAyGltcD" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then we finally saw the Trevi Fountain which had just reopened. When we got to it, it was still dry, and so we took pictures of it without water and started to return to the bus, but when we were about halfway back to the bus, someone came running up shouting that they had just turned on the water, so we all turned around and went back and took pictures of it with water.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_181750.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/5FHQlXqyunr49xuWcUagR6Njp2kfs8AFAg6Wr1tcVXmhjBwxk761OAwqIV__VQ8_z9w7UEv177bve56ahjue5Sf4D8FJXEQ6dmVvPneuizgLO6jnT5PC06jjri7EJHnPAMTa3Xu-" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_181752.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/uFAstJ47zY_vetl6EzHUWg7_RoQykMNswHxaw_vmENT-GtcXB_YmQg0qaiwBjE9B5Tp5GjbCLM_KL4QO11RnwHlRIdWv8Z0e08fe-EZIiGBexwqKaU5oUdWGFR9EOCusVLTg5EKg" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_181814.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/XxI4AhfLfBf1faTA4cuu5H3A9dTueEA3Y0DRqKkcBLThCnBe4M7Hrpi5EWaNpZsnemhtN0vUsJmozOfDQFgmBaeO_Ibfr4ISYjaOpPZwnNrAtwnvJPbkMgUusaXdiRRtaea15-Dc" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_182029.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GB59m6PcW9VdXwKBlcPwgjNsq0wFJ3Rm1ROM_Igai0pOrfQuN_Ei3sOnXk7uBOwjG6sb4aLq3vyWt7rJ1dJ4CMpkn8TgUiHh50ip2ysVtwymBDHyERqpzt45M_7WE7_5ttBZBksw" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_182032.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/T1EGpoSvU89HKGkd16POANZhTzLtOeLmnjeEXJGcWllAa1G84QX5o53CugJx-FPDIUfV25csMwPhFkkkXNpdzHl7m1uqitf750W6sKoszTundAFcXdfSqyQ0Y2ysFrAyKgSGsrJV" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_181849.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TEI4tkQybCsKO7jGiwxnLxq0Xac9pftoI0AbLId7XLM2ioQ5rk-Z65itEZAQz-EWSV14PL1moKWaAQJPM09wDL_bHoaTpD8Yc1UCs3i-B52TiC_V3ggCiMuCBROmOf13WlW3VdIq" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span>
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<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had an Italian dinner with wandering musicians by the table. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_212121.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/38LjFRKOuxh6hgZu7gOtnsPuGa6wy6d1JBk1BMCjSkjKM2v_zEG7tB1R9IqIPLy1EzrAKSLlZDR-N3b9b2ir7564hCSYXRslG_5jjyD58fAia6yjH5bccFJNLQmEYSsqSZkEPPTT" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160708_212129.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VFT6Od4IDHe5BSga39qJtzHzTbQyJbAu3XtNBZWb9LqnTWem-QZSS6Et2MYL638qtMu4exMc1eAyfRMje29-6sFIv0Wy66mmrfMfEBtb5XFBn_IaoKBYqhHFE_CllI-dufJJlzXr" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span>
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<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/9 Travelled northeast across the Apennine Mountains and the Veneto plain to Venice. Toured the canals on 3 different boats, a water taxi on the Grand Canal, a gondola on the smaller canals, and a large tour-boat on the Canale della Giudecca. When we arrived at our hotel that evening, I discovered that I had left my voltage converter in Rome, so I could not use my sleep-breathing machine for the rest of the trip. Then when I tried to clean my shaver, I lost one of the 3 rotary blades down the drain.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160709_170500.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RhuXKjnrmc5pnVUmF5gefmZ0IIJ-AWK-87FjaJ6_qxjH5QSfBFnbIcc24jmnOmEe7hJdqmoPkYdeJXYkBm2p1rz60AmN0v8mFMSzOB-qFnSkQEZbCVGiFaLJC_Kg4ewItiUKvDv" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160709_170506.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/BwtOxnLWzzr3Gu9f1ZTWObvIKXpigm2yn6uPzCwAMeqYMUwSTvcKY22XLOxV5s4zsRQM5E_tynYitOCA0va-hB2osd8ByMHEk3S8kcB1yJ41oTGauuhIzy6hhm2LHup2xoY9ClW2" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160709_170659.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Rpcv3cwhdyFuwAQ6188UEiBLWwIYOSaXriioe4wY7ofHZqK5WR3eKrYzRBEXX3BSXKmZW-DjiC33UJQRau_CVpnxnpiZexu7M49DVAMjQMCIQF5kkJCogJFjBP0L6RHsj9d1NURY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160709_170822.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/nCwVSwhBhLpGcF5dLYfElKdQ_SLVhH0XWhY3l6q-RLLjpwm0RuMpETjjTgwLxlTRVPYp8D6MroEWwjp7Mcfd3PWIwriTgVusmMToDpwKJ9BY4A2_9h5nHdaFiSGdyl-_5EZYRPt2" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160709_171915.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zsfZtpGSEP9ogeUCQYJrgQaUYMzwenKD_b7erBOJyJLu4-A2Tx8XYabFwSHRrleJH_AurRbJ9Jz6dcJDCmnh2XC7LRFPuYPUAy3m7DwU4MgbnEIzgUQrgme7DLvAUkATq3gRBT0F" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160709_172528.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XKltUMlVDrimPx06aT2-wjmenN1bkDoo0D8HJRqR6EiNzD9Fvkeq62Mibt4Y1SpqfHlKQ5SeGHWB041kqUQOf2E2gjtchgWMQE1EM6BF0WoRayJmCqY9RP7wBom7U3tnGp-s5bck" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/10 Enjoyed a demonstration of glassblowing on Giudecca Island and walked St. Mark's Square seeing St. Mark’s cathedral and the palace of the Doge, and to the most elaborate and famous bridge across the Grand Canal, Ponte di Rialto. Many of the store windows on the shop-lined streets had masks for Venice’s Carnivale.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_110109.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/9_Wi84T0UXu2fH80eWjJOE8b46ArmehZGRfWEM_9jTkN2Ot0MDIMSF1pF_PpEpWwjkgBrQRb3yvw5Dz3GKLzwwv1_-15xyl_2vk4ZNlFpu4hyznWEIqOOzhSmWj9umz0Dv3Nf8cP" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_113242.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qjaaUenllnfjI89-SKf0DUswgqjdA9n_jP0uIMeYyAtxvzoYTN3ThhQMvS9tCKFpbpxTpGCewSiyY84ClsywAIhzXSGI0GvT35lIZqybWPBuKtSf5PGGXO_LlnO7IHoPmgzvTPzk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_113723.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/S-vSuh6_wt9fKtTLxOaAW0tvfeGBispQY_dvJ8HxG3BGSQuNyeTyLbOobEZkdSMvncya_lecpZE4Zje-2-owtYKuWrEkJlL5G19M7ONNoOcHvNFe-iclbImlPuEzdS47w9lUyww3" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_113732.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Xc0fw3tmVMdAcchTYe9LSlIrQ06DeXSzimUYKF1ONKpsyETYPVANIwlXrtQBXcy97RfAydcYEYI0TqHx7O5jYEK3-O_Q4mrsAX0mk2bUKVLt6bXGlmY40buqJz-RpOnfL91s4aLS" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_125918.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rvZl463HFIoukVPdA6i2OQZ2adXa4FacpkIi6NhYASuZCj80oJBjIgMckUH7BJsFqbfUwLvSYslVL90U06JglX4BextwGFSFjj2QIqphUlLfmJAJrXMZx0FKfs9-s9BxZYul-R5I" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_125931.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GHAHKwFBPky5HZW7BwGH0ZG3d43JAcRz5nyDO9M5S-cVEyEq7P3DxIAR9nHASaWYtRLZyKWOJbFOMsAgp2Z_D-G4ojUw2uBdCtEDrhSYbug8RVd0zehHlomx3-LQ62NzqFFIaYxV" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_130738.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3N5h28SXYbehdsOpY3RJFo_-kCctaSmtuH5hzjSVB2ZBTJlbVOJx49hcFc6PWrso1NGCkkccYrLtuysU7mJD2p7fmQnq0ZOPjebPZEAYvI9xMKQWg7c8DZWkHc5S0nSG8_JawwnX" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_130748.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/teMwsoZtPIYCgEp636FBxhhWY_Lj2Ahl7ye-pTBbq8QUHLVKpIsOfaqRHwXRUCcfbjYGdWsbrl8j5_LLajMkgoDKOVkc7lpIeMl0P_q5FZm-NO33VOd4kFYr-NsLDPaAK7SMwFHR" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_130814.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/P6ugsb_CXjL-aXhrYEjDOf9sglNjkhba5B2XUiKmkQYTr8Chl6b6WJ0FGVJ7K9G9kV9VUuLhhzSXMzdKkmYRputpSzn21dznaGTrSgFtsuHCwi_HdaH7GZ-GvfxOdUPPSFCqKQ3I" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_131339.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/1wrg0Dilc4N7w1T09V619ZFFPH-mrFyipVmNI5RN4a-2U9Aiuka4ODPu3nSEtcxvTTQfOAXjLfEq8AW4GRJuBBdQIfZZIi3tNhe1tfY03LjzvMTNmg-5c_7TW-FAlLzGi2ppigGw" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_131424.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/HOCdznqbDz_t5cTzjQ-3c6HW9LV8q57sWnUN14Jloe4bMSzl1d_rF9Vm-qW4TYLLTxh-9Wuv8oHan3ojUrITEKoOY6eemuhiQ76kAfUMLcgqQ19JBNmDmohfndsFWHewlSSZfPYM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_131636.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sxg2p3m2plHrzMEVnEz9Bu9hgwYMUbRSUIr2o4Z6rVb2WddUurAfV5PzTORNSfMdCqFeoTtDX7Hpz_fIxJOeuESj8Q7NRGRkY4p8SxzDGuMk4sqlqj_CRzldcIvNSqTXf_aCgCb7" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_131628.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/xbXaqDTB549m7fcHpHfc8v6crwI7c093mI1m4fYtnvQomA56JtziZ0rFyfncuukgeSdWGC-Ed1vvgKyBuYKqGybtoPcL9YHpE2qfAq6kLL8UHgr2OMXBaQ0UOJGpmRU5ppprqDkh" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_133224.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/zFMpBiY7FWXlE13WfK55_OEmLaXETUKYYT5jyQJaxO_OoVgFzDNihtOptFzuoRuIedvcCIfr61ycAQMDcnlGSIOpUzvzZh0GpznSM1VI8q8jzaJy_Va1mFp-NUTbYRTL4nQr-b_P" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_133219.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bva-lEE69u_pGOlI3Vth9_OMOKmwGSL38jLQcVQyuri-nxyJYj307XCu3QX3Igv1ExAa6CII3Mx8BXmfoDeKDkW3pyOTaz-0FYVVBVhwb0t_9iksXE3Ubp5iR66ZhbyASdMdwAIN" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_133315.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3BAuF_U-Wd9yeOrkbwEB8DdpnOfS51e_5xlj7b60Ocu1Nfv_d-77onuxA41kSmOBbhbAuBIo2iJMRfVrBfSuS1DyHs3Q9gj22qRJV-1dpVYQsxAGJtlJfX1pnKMu9TYlwIRaSkeL" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_134108.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/yanQG4n1O04Ctedm6TmutKydZlRnFx9uSM9b1surp3CilD7mwUBYZXGgNbNTIE-Po4u2njcpqspeBh5hzn2h-iVILIciJ8EwOxRi13YPGvYOD8bixDlLDfWn35PMwJp7BRZI4gf0" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_134002.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/NEDvpQJY9SLbnVmW0wMePZuiJr5AmX-NB3gl19r0qpArv4bkZ2l9kdDONoglFnrRihd_nxMq0yNjSO7vwIkltg7S1xE555whyPvcEHzAPW8eREiTrxYUMt28zYgYNmEbUUBgSaFe" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160710_134401.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_7ow-tI3Wqcvd3NTq35AaQshegXRerUndKpOP--_VfEOmNTkHMp-MjuaoPKdsztn7GcPFd1RVjKbFk-vU9RldSoY1GUlDEiF1-qf5EtuClM--bMe7AwKGqb-Ye7SuJlely36nZ_Q" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the afternoon, cruised to the quaint fishermen’s island of Burano, famous for its multicolored houses, for dinner. On the cruise discovered that amazingly, Venice also has leaning towers!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/11 Travelled northward through spectacular scenery as we crossed the Alps into Austria to the imperial capital city of Vienna. Dinner was at what I consider to be the best restaurant on the trip, Marchfelderhof, outside the city in the “marching fields” where the imperial army practiced marching. They even rolled out a red carpet into the street for us to enter on. It’s elaborately decorated with the walls and ceiling covered with a wide variety of items including musical instruments. I unfortunately wasted this once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunity to enjoy Viennese cuisine by just ordering barbequed ribs, instead of what the person next to me ordered, “Pot au Feu, tender boiled beef served in beef broth with vegetables, apple horseradish, chive sauce, and grated fried potatoes with ham and cream kohlrabi.” </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/12 Saw the sights of Vienna including the Opera House, the Hofburg winter palace complex, Parliament and Imperial Boulevards, and toured the elaborately decorated Schönbrunn summer Palace and its vast formal gardens. After dinner in a ballroom, we went upstairs to a concert hall for a chamber orchestra concert of Viennese classical music including some of the most famous waltzes of Johann Strauss with a couple of dancers and operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a couple of singers.</span></div>
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border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_080849.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/M9lFmbvU03mVJK0Zb9SSYIrQzJfqOsfERaobevJHxNXqtACLT1B86jpIxq_lnPlSCQgk1tW9ZFTAOD8nq0Sv0ZBGRMKiDCUA7S1O6b3pU5-jMo_meHxYYNQbm9hkRAfLOq-AMSUE" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_080904.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/teDp0Guu3JSxEVl9CGjT8bf-t7mKIVjrRC7OY0zIxUfK2BHUIBBgPcncUJ1xOy5ARNU8MkKptPqSkZDwRNPVv1JwnDjYSCCRT3nCj0hu13X6ijSzRjVfDlQpmchgHtkLFr5WP4ns" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); 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border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_104549.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JLUR-MoawB8jM4jdM_hnjTZMRbouZJKMpHMhOsK_BVfk3yDmUMJM-4E0fI1C-HbPOcv7TcmXarLzP4MO3kQpyI7H4a7o7rZAtUN0f0HCkVSH4YiLiLr5OXmFVxK8sG7e3q5HeV2P" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_104757.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AqtpoNt3POt5oJRyeAjFprtrwE6Tuoq8NpyZtuKucExPkCNSqz97m6FqwLKQHU58iFogViOrjCaFL-CL2MKA_W4ujW17mc2R7ttA8EKh-rUGYMCVKXDb8bTOJAPmL_Gv-ocKhnaV" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); 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border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_105750.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/s2RayyUQDZPTrPAQcG4zmluwBBtomWPXRi0pbNitKTcExjHCy4nJGsQa-M612asu0Mc65lJL85o140_73c4MppwawWiCeQkJKYKvrPNu13aKqTNibaEW4294XpJs_fASyZs9ue0b" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_105957.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/g3xPj0DJ0M6mYaera-h70cNPsPMTaCJCYDypD4vty0a1lXJmnqv4Wl1wEuWCMA1TYOd77yVNRfdGvo-nIc-1IEeR3K8TBiePsCnL7IYoLB-HKI1fQCXn3E2QdBSu2z_1EHeUTKyi" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_110018.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zEKZCohk5UCASk17aTIGO1qvd73AeKReFzE2_PQD5PxVTNLJHJu_MC17CG-fQukn_mYJOa-V_uZlgvOaU4W2J2l_r4FnyfdO49Vm3WnA63f3hg9kD_RVXRcTr4t1GvPUvzMmM1Zy" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_110029.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6NlDqMJFFPgdk-Q9oVt9BQZvLmjHC27y0fY1qdpCY4WMrdIbe0J2oZ5fBCnSELW_ZFHLwXu9EF4AByzvLATFn2wV0Ncgac-943Rv5_znqJO460nBXopXFKlVIWihQyWwRQ4QTaS_" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_110032.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ys1SWTRce5wDL07kKJyZv6q2YzePW2Qod2Yj-LBV3EptuUDP0qgeokqQeqPf5XetxVknW_y_WpycRa71KWQXFe5sdSsolxGSR6XS8QbFNqycSlN1_nTAEySAj6re7eLmsA4y34E" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_110705.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/o_CbtGAvBii9NphV5COWaIPGBgswqmPzGX7AmJ1MU5G5sUZ1ZaZX6WX2-XGKlzWm4VrrB0ly6ghkPeNf044hMZVwiLzvAhx8NsnRC2IezW4oZQzf1s_MwR5g17M4gzhHDuxJDhmm" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_112126.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mtOWvmCJZ0-xcee49lou6zf3MSv_7vJxKBhTbLeZKCkkqXfPMj8JDLZI5H9R0aDBDi3W-o0UQwEn1duV1MA9vPV7AEEz35zdRBp0tCaFFdm_z-hwhKfnmbzM_XW20cCeFOLmebfd" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_112135.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/PROSELCVepMJlR7cc5h_ZJyDB2eUSGmvUUixDtCTqLB0qHmNlP_5BsdJWMkqyBTHGCSaPYF7AjNEerl-tbC8u4_l9Qzj1G9wYClPE-n5fwOFnYi3iUPGovsDNoFILBNcXxUm-ova" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160712_112245.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7U1Eqk47oh2ADm-R3Zdy-UU9vxiKXW4a7zqPvkG-7hYjg13AqRQ8FidF08RRwrgdiINOQ2U4idBC5UzF8EF-xgE48d7OHmITfg9aVd7_rk1aoDTZiE3MRqoxcJTH9z1kCmuq7ALA" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/13 Travelled west across Austria. In Salzburg we saw Mozart's birthplace as well as locations from the Sound of Music. In Innsbruck viewed the Golden Roof and Hofburg. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160713_114349.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/wmgSwVoXqazcqn4h01ZXtcic4lQZivLF9p9mqAGk74vThk2MfiilaVORmD9kyq8yLJKFk_1m1Xe7ilWRhcExD2p4i6mQm10IVCJSN4vR_QdWi-w2D0TzGssJywkr5Szlh9rLblhJ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160713_115021.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gJuuvuXUMb3w_SWkgrFX8OOJEx4UOza8HydBrlji5MxxgrDK_IUJACn7Cy5Ohmu5td5s6ajdpESpYQ3bNWOPW-NSIxY8HbBEyl8vC4wg9rv8eyL68EL7Xa_eFaKwFcY15Ub_no7Y" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160713_121819.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/cGcSZTtI-Ji56ySU4EHMJf5NVhEEYWgQ6U0vshw398mnj6bVPnaa-0nMILJ07yR6nYyBk_l1sartg5CsGHBDclFij1Cp4CudG9Vk_qiOVJ4fDFOMbKtOe9BUo3MXBPflHZJkGX1X" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/14 Continuing westward, we crossed out of Austria and visited Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. Then crossed into Switzerland and traversed mountain passes to picturesque Lucerne in the Alps, where we took the steepest cograilway in the world up Mount Pilatus to the ski lodge at 7000 feet where it was SNOWING! Snowing in July is VERY RARE there. Some of the people in our tour group had never been in snow before! Unfortunately, because of the clouds, we did not get to see any of the spectacular Alps views that we went up there for. We descended on the other side of the mountain in a large cable gondola that holds 50 people down to the 5000 foot level where we had to transfer to smaller 4-person gondolas to continue to the bottom. Then we cruised on Lake Lucerne. Although the sky cleared to partly cloudy making the cruise pleasant, we still could not see the Alps.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160714_170749.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Kjx86Fqe75w7j95OvE9tmgG_2nZKq7evggHVPlQEGtV_1ByaO9ONXveqZ3f9rHNl1jdpZDFEbogBq32Zz6DEYkPAQ6Ah12Pb07oaAk3mKB2OHubOXBEG12GqNljMqdSwvUxDZd_J" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160714_170604.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/egjMuaelpGpQZBTvZB070dk9VN8kBSJuDtD_chhfxJ3csH6zp1t3wpgRaoBtENPY3hA9E-VbytOy-kFBLMzt58TkwhXtJ3JJWWYbO7uXNyAXnO756U39qbBAnW-4O53dUp3_0yhx" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160714_170543.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tH2v5vG3IJp0EvqM5-LMomyYXrLUMb2ffgSav3xsTvsHC5WUra6KnxvWWla-YiezMBvAapZsidN0TW70UJCk_zeDIWPXtHXUJ9khY4w-bN32WJ1Lw9qhR3Q4G0kSdvTEbjsXqspw" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160714_170409.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/uhNVxgCnPQQJa_3GRyTzy1w4kY3IJJafZrH1vuTO_2G_FjSEWCC8mI6cVv1JXYTD85qQCJ0M7Jwl525vvoSNe3ar3QU-9HOR7u2nY83jeHvuT-ZNef3TKKI_vRkuirc1EuMx9B_A" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/15 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our orientation tour of Lucerne included the poignant Lion Monument and the 14th century wooden Chapel Bridge, after which we had 5 hours of free time in Lucerne before the bus would take us back to the hotel in the suburb of Sarnen, so we instead took the train back to Sarnen and walked to the hotel from the train station. Dinner at the Stadtkeller started with cheese fondue and included a lively Swiss folklore show with audience participation that included Swiss folk music, yodeling (they got me to go up on the stage and yodel!), flag-throwing, alpine horns that are 10 feet long, a musical saw, chimes made from wine-bottles, as well as more traditional instruments including dulcimer and accordion. The most fun evening of the trip!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160715_090614.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/epKxRVhHpfEbFYGAaTa3iA274Fx-vbK8px3ygeLaWodkVBItYzz6iG1Q-QE4slPtyUexG9hl3_UrK1qSFIPV0gu4l8KaH4xK6wijg_VFLIH9gbb2JQ463GQnsLUlBGoOpMJsW8Bb" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160715_095130.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/r3thQ0EzR5qY_qbyOcoNl1kEKAhrbXAASn1JNSC5EwPOwicTQgD5aVHevGQW7HBY_AzYQyIE1wNDMpYe3FyJR8Lt002G-uHQGW4jlPa9WLcuAQaOhBJ8gAsOevE6DdGcNI0npF1y" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160715_095136.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/QZF8p5nRIB9if17bSzdjCNV29LxrkpUmWEswbxGcl4XofCbiezXNv1_NRrQ-3zZymRFn3iw61dXXlJ90ox2fDFm7a5_KjKoICri3nDPLei_uNMEcMEpRjNFPzKGXqOVgcgpU3Rzx" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160715_095153.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5HnvktQp4kOl0o2p8jqtvo8q_E41UQ94jXuiVoQ0TZOjY3AXNo_PDW1FDMOi2owmSDD60ueBqaUinfU5i0g_8b-RNik6ky374F3UxzT4UDlLIVDCyJ3VT6svr2Wtax96hEVo73aI" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160715_095752.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FVEdipceTuz3Ound_4-nC8OmC-tYBjoyA0wA6OJMvv2YlAUPB31jesdL8kt9xqdX_qzgj93rbrp_lU_cwTnUgSzY58_yAaAfmT-wM8K8SyzxmUBpfo8dPuyfZwjGLvbPgMvj9EmZ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/16 Headed north down the Rhine river valley into Germany and visited Heidelberg and saw the impressive Renaissance Castle overlooking the town. Our hotel was in small town of Heppenheim.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160716_170638.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Ak2aqihZggT0hZlzvDKAokROMMGiPQnE8Db7oximI9tFiywJ6NBxnvSoSHgp3TYj_MJ40shmYZ3mk8_g8gUr15V3GNxaIS4eOhTmBjGggcrSCCI1qUU4NaYMeXPOEUDHrDELTiIz" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160716_170425.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5pj2kOOPuhVu1T9AkeMgqDoU4WTI0O2HFnGvAQpY1ZSIeCAjc4IDKYp7Rje5yVgMB2RPLpGSBABCvgA1qQaX2zQQWt8jSdDUuh8X5II-PLTD6-cAFHWw5RIWvIPL1HSrauAdY0PY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160716_170646.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hKp0-PK3b8jLrjQNm8o0Tlx3tvZFi9WWUViMdSl1vrQFiqchTBKe5InaE-DKOA2N8OLz_IMa-d2aIjSRdxbGUVAfkSZxG3D6ti17t0sc2EPDKihZvyJHszwfsq_PNSasfYljeEh" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160716_171512.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Gc2e4sOgC2qSqGANuUSE5w6Mw16r9OrQgJfjD2LBtH5UX6aaG3B3fwzp3SAUrf2LAEM7Ay5M2EY2MGa16IFkUGNViRVCmWpusd3MReGdLba-AdtBjZuEa5N_kWKecreUS0LsGY1U" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160716_171518.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/6uSpEOtPuymZLFMUeORHHVFctVe5ucO-TkM97s0IEWp36CqTkSEuvt3HmkQZLMqcHXo74oYagaGcx7pH-MBJxbtXVv7bpsVeN2KtxPZU8e-gioW8SIl5hGz36qZgchLlfChgMzOO" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160716_171535.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/l6pvsvQpoF3N23fiOZBofuvSDSj5_xk6rVWd_CSZwzNjnj553jPx_0RfiJK5Ow-5d8QSTqorDzc5r91mhaM2NQ6uBfEgGFJhOrm7KECXvQuXU7YfAkkjC6NNrIqqnOOrO0p39Ttz" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_061933.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/fX3EHF6cfjmABRCeVGuj7w3VGGBPFapYemR6EeGSWbV3vC395a42jiTmQVA4T8TsMkWu-_gF3KKQQdwKvJR50jPqbjxARu0uwPeHeNBjCi6uEQ9yURQ6piFB-5K8igg2dzurCKWR" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/17 Enjoyed a leisurely cruise along the scenic Mittel Rhine River from St. Goar to Boppard seeing steep vineyards and medieval castles. Continued northward down the Rhine valley into the Netherlands, Holland, until we arrived in Amsterdam where we cruised the canals and walked in the famous red light district. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_090934.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/U0Sv6Zic9dcrWV1NV4GOi_jqLqenQzHcImJ0uR47gH2bSCvnxKr0N8MmA_VRJAz3Qvihj4apjRWTfZoqNPkbYENDKZbtONBBeAz7MhHn1DNm0ComOG5jk1IcNcSeMPYZccCZuvVS" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_092014.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dFAJjFCQcgTHLnETpHmLWRglIg0r5ob_veTr66PJfZQ_yl7iIayIdeeno48A3yz7xhdtULycYPLY2KhHFXIxXEZOM4PiaiImmzyNfel7q_16HJKsJ8JismsSRHZL18yIALlQ582b" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_092357.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0rAF-0zanF9AaWQo81CWciW0hI-T7y4vtufMH9bnm5R64dOV_vF2QbuJJs-P5xN2q-raa_tol2g5caj9gWg6erj_b5AwT3S-VlrPS88KDkvo2oYKrDq7n-d1DX8EYMNlmU2S4Kx5" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_092417.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/0X_zR-_g9WPUiROY1tMiHrycbyPnk0PDCQUrQ685SvPiggSa0BpTb7Pe9Li_DdqKr2L2IDbphYeLRf4jUguHihu5nca7VB5MW3ESss689MomIIVEFKqeQjtUhh9k8kAslxu4crIo" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_092429.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vxfAngiNFi2IW3EGya_D4WK6Pr1SsR5HOj3gafF94pAp-o-wIrbE_wZ4-syBXTioJ6Y1eEk0Ixk_9iQ_1q8XlpWaGzweKuvntOlOGjfw_j_NOOBWVt15nz0b2XEOgSIj1jdngTBX" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_092515.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8NEg3es98NDB6YuGL-6iUIV-FDOeh1MQdubIpHUNhGwZ-gP0YrcPjWbIOkgr9sPTdw1yXRfZdzsTdYCNabj7QeLfPM-K3ye5rSeabGBIqXjIXI56ler1VzeYg6ot299GOzEWOwrB" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_094018.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/q-Kfc5wQpnkQUBF394V6PjHyeJTQ5cAEgTvqjoo5xat6lnGCwiUSFxzLbg9wouaCrL6fn9gSu06aexuWT0-g3j27Rc3oK_3zvDHF4urCK7Gg73pAhoPYeLpcwdNKwDXXlj5mKSzR" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_094047.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KtZ8UsrWZQkT4QccLr8avqtFnmSy_b_HqaiS_x8vzfnAwCqOy9IZnNZjbv-5Ag5kSLmIO9HTQw95pUro5KRSToShQpn0UINJwpDYJRLTR1oPSWrelwZJHtuz45DuMgMfjYoFSb_H" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_094122.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hW-IKZHXWhYOaQjF4zfVMSpQsIBApdsrODCkk22XGLonspq8TLn-1ZwDr41AKbZ9L--XFxBoukQ2eWaazzg_pMepX27xCpATOm9Afs6If-eaF5vAD5Ef_79tdVBX4U9PVovz9YlP" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_094143.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/zd9x6yMhGk-ZAYopiMuk854Yw6ptpsYnwdCnbWp8QD7xez3PTR2fDfjR6enuQ7tFrSg0JabESrQqZ8Fw7nxabQQiH5QH9eZrT8dusJKY9nD0CKlwVmaCTUCScb6II1dqxGWrgvTf" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_094304.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hHQqNyZyK30Pna-IplOnKhqA-jah-84pIMwwlt2z1FkQQ9z1RtBLBgAnkWFDQlRTHfPs2iIaX8Wwe3T9bnLIGOe15hXwWsHomTzSaUMUfL-dhdbxTo3wX6WVUf1Ms8XqUkzwNhUt" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_094449.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/s1NYvfn56uhchRGfmdYAjdFFSl1vLWhjvWWWhqiA_XiSPNTb1_i7JfTmKRxgWt-kE1EnCI9oHpvNa1sForjUPtcqWYFpjhM-QiD7qDC77H1h_5pSe1Z4JqgZeUjmgD2iOuDLIcxY" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_094505.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/wyh_Yr_PYVq22F-4i453qikyskFTe8BqR90i4KY8k2tqoX_HS0SmA7pScZCir8K0wqJyDMyRIxJo3Jy-C3mqmlGZ4eoK3Se3hq3RvcAZ5GQ3MrL2PpmNqn6Z2ruEA2kiyaUuVG21" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_100824.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7wW2swg68DlvKjGPSsqA3peo_SajJPacgP0XHG6zbnMf1_h8t5L0gkjU2H1YBIFghN5UjtrX8xudPtLfC3HZ5GHb8khVsHXged04BhxsRDlaPet_E-g7W6trHdsw4HUUNKi0Lu0z" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160717_100839.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/FU_34v89LIB3yBPqiuVwApNq3PHrXVnKIPAVlu86sM8eqOw-h9l3nKShrLwuGCISt8_JoMAsIbVeGKV2UJoNm7Si2HpMIv0WQQUdUVHqGDWLXQLX-jsoRNY3TQPdDRXAxdz7sgtC" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/18 Saw the historic sights of Amsterdam, and visited a diamond polishing centre. At and near the small fishing village of Volendam, built on the dike, saw a windmill (only about 200 left from the original thousands) and visited a farm where we learned about the art of cheesemaking and got to taste their variety of cheeses, and saw a demonstration of a clog (wooden shoe) being carved by hand out of a block of wood by one of the few remaining hand carvers of clogs. That evening was the farewell dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160718_102444.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/3eTXQ4mq7Tr5wyrkHrlngcphi85plflLzH_AUmILZaU6rmmg-j5YyjDEdK0i-X2-j--qot0gkdRazvuH-v54nej1INb8h5D3glSPIZAXo0z8fQaG2VezxkZwkyIykmpSYAHs-R8j" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160718_102910.jpg" height="351" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/si3i6BnoIsgGFAq3m3fwSLiDBhGFL-LtbkhCyBwwDx6pzgXAZHLNY7l2KoguEotR-NYoLSwzyCkgbsxGyYm8hJqG6JeqROxwi6WHksGUByhwh2H4bl938Ke1Xkt4goAA1BstZcz-" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160718_103118.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0_WSp-VDtAR3heWf3ssKk_nEVAr5jBgGdRD8MuJiUw_S1A8pOSdOgd8P_gkUjdEI4sA4DcgTyDGx_hGGEwgwMuBWOT4_FZgQ6tWynHCT6j9_ZOeW5TSWJ-ZIW-VNsGX8R59Mwvms" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160718_104816.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8vQIaJIu3cPNJNqYnY770WcnVU0A3FJbdstsD2Umkd3ZlwqS1hNHwFNgYkH0JwJQkkAk9TD_FbfrCc8f83I2ihROrm3CyzfYc_OmBmX9kTQ7vr7sierSbRzitwSLd_czgyuyCMLi" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160718_104832.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/7ZN4Sp49oMfpZXel_fL7Bu-REdtqa97IfT4HaF_O-awhMsHx5bkDrKUYdkUkx4muV8SX5YWhysaNRrhiZm5dd3Z2t99gNV-H6cuGAgRPgvbKXeynEn3o-9IhIx1KGm-J8oTg38UO" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160718_111916.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/w_d17Gj1mRrKLTryCkRLNdJSvTvms--dyoo7ss3ZhCc1OCwE_bsAeIJd8uh-uJsCEqD4m7hAKiYhW1Ngp7TrP-AJDiszT-aNETbWFVx5AIW3n_wmVEtCqaslU1bj67Cs39OJ4Oo5" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img alt="20160718_154951.jpg" height="1109" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/sNYysB-Mxjs0c57kVbagVEjyLzBidr8uthsqyy-TS0wWLES6kc_fSJ17LMWtYYKHxEuD_-PiUbCMygVs-KKEidfXXX9tWFEyybRqLaFv04MJ2yT0oEayQR3qMCdvmwfTq96RV2jJ" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="624" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7/19 Returned to San Diego via Detroit.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br /><b>TRAVELS FEBRUARY-MARCH 2016 FLORIDA AND THE BAHAMAS</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">We took a discounted all-inclusive package drive/cruise/resort vacation and unfortunately found out why it was so discounted.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">2/16-17 We flew to Fort Lauderdale, picked up the included rental car and spent 2 days at an inland hotel that was NOT a resort on the beach which I had expected. Upon arrival, we were told that we were required to attend a timeshare presentation the next day rather than having it free to go sight-seeing. The presentation dragged on for 4 hours! though we had been told it would be less than 2 hours.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">2/18-19 Drove to Palm Beach where we boarded the Grand Celebration cruise ship and cruised overnight to Grand Bahama Island. We enjoyed the Vegas-style show on the cruise, which included dancers in scanty outfits adorned with ostrich feathers, a singer, a comedian, a multiple hoop spinner, a silk tether high-flying acrobat, and a magician.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">2/19-24 Spent a week in Freeport on Grand Bahama Island at the Grand Lucayan beach resort. Toured Freeport and the botanical gardens. Took a glass-bottom boat cruise to see the fish on the coral reef, including feeding sharks. We liked one of the 3 restaurants at the resort, a classy asian fusion cuisine. The bahamian cuisine restaurant was too small for the number of clients and had incredibly long waits and a very limited menu. The buffet was pretty good but sometimes had long lines to wait in.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">2/25-26 Cruised overnight back to Palm Beach, then drove north along the Atlantic coast to a tour of Kennedy Space Center, then inland westward to Orlando. Upon arrival at our hotel, we were told that we were required to attend ANOTHER </span></span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">timeshare presentation! This time we made sure we got out in 2 hours. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">2/27-7/3 Went to 5 different theme parks at Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Disney Studios, Animal Kingdom where we enjoyed a safari, and Disney Springs shopping village, and also went to see Kissimmee Old Town.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">7/4 Flew back to San Diego.</span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_34964" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><b>TRAVELS 2015 ROCKY MOUNTAINS & CANYONS</b></span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">To celebrate our second anniversary, Mary and I took a fabulous tour of the Rocky Mountains and beautiful canyons of the South West.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_31827" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Monday 9/14 flight was great but had trouble finding the right door to exit Denver airport terminal to be picked up. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Tuesday 9/15 went to rocky Mountain national park. Ended evening in hot tub. Glorious day! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Wednesday 9/16 walked downtown Fort Collins.</span></div>
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<span id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_31974" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Thursday 9/17 walked large regional park in Fort Collins and along Horsetooth reservoir. Then driven to Denver (Lakewood suburb).</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_31806" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32027" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Friday 9/18 went SW on Route 285 into the mountains to Kenosha Pass to see the aspens turning gold. Extra beautiful because we caught them when they were still half green and half gold, interspersed among the pines. Over-looked South Park, beautiful view of broad valley with high mountains in distance.Visited Red Rocks park and amphitheater. </span></div>
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<span id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32040" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Saturday 9/19, had yummy Lebanese meal in Denver suburb. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32105" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Sunday 9/20 enjoyed the Denver museum of nature and science. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_31806" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32132" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Monday 9/21 enjoyed an adventurous drive into the mountains taking back roads that went through 30 years ago, but are now dead ends. Had to backtrack and find alternate routes, but the rock formations on the cliffs were spectacularly beautiful! </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_31806" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32237" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Tuesday 9/22 Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the summit for spectacular 360° views! Saw marmots, deer, and mountain sheep. Walked Manitou Springs and took a small side trip to New Orleans for gumbo and a seafood sampler that included seahorse, yum! While listening to Cajun music at a veranda table! </span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32251" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">The magic of cuisine theme decor at a historic Manitou Springs establishment. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_31806" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32330" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Wednesday 9/23 was Anything Can Happen Day, like on the Micky Mouse Club in the '50s, while leaving Denver to go to the Garden of the Gods, we got rear-ended. We are all fine, including the car (at first glance, but it is getting checked out), (the front of the other car that hit us is all smashed in), but spent the rest of the day finding and seeing a doctor to confirm that we were fine. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32366" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Thursday 9/24 was just a quiet day to recuperate, only highlight was a great Mexican dinner. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32378" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Friday 9/25 walked downtown Denver, also rode the free shuttle when tired from walking, enjoyed Union station, dined at Bubba Gump's. Met our tour director Friday 9/25 evening. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32543" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Early Saturday morning 9/26 we leave on the tour bus for South Dakota. </span><span id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32578" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Saturday 9/26 was many hours of bus riding through prairies of Colorado and Wyoming before getting to the incredibly beautiful rock formations in the wooded Black Hills of South Dakota. Saw the Capitol building in Cheyenne Wyoming (only outside because Saturday). Previewed Crazy Horse and Rushmore drive-bys. Dined at Ruby's brothel in Keystone. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_31806" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32591" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Sunday 9/27 enjoyed visits to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Tatanka (bison in Lakota), where they explained how the nomadic Lakota plains people relied on the bison. </span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32933" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Sunday 9/27 saw Dall sheep, ewe and lamb, right next to the trail at Rushmore. </span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32935" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Had a hilarious humorous guided tour of Deadwood. Dined at D</span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32698" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">iamond Lil's restaurant is in </span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32724" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Kevin Costner's Midnight Star </span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32738" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">casino</span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32940" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"> in Deadwood.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32776" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Monday 9/28 Long bus ride across Wyoming. Saw Devil's Tower in distance. Stopped for pie, yum! Dined in hotel established by Buffalo Bill Cody in Cody Wyoming.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32854" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Tuesday 9/29 beautiful drive past mountains with soaring rock formations and deep gorges to Yellowstone, saw Lake Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs, bison, deer, elk.</span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33067" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Dined 9/29 at Chinatown restaurant full of chinese tourists. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32971" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Wednesday 9/30 full day in Yellowstone and then come back to this same hotel. </span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33013" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Wednesday 9/30 saw black bear near road, elk and bison right next to trail, had to delay walk considerably once to wait for bison to move away so as not to walk too dangerously close to bison. Saw Old Faithful erupt twice! Saw many other geysers, 3 others erupting that sometimes don't even erupt in a day! Mudpots blooping and Grand Prismatic, the biggest most colorful hot spring. 9/30 had 2 very delicious unique items </span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33099" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">to eat</span><span class="yiv6189266137" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"> </span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33098" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">that I had never had anything like before, portobello mushroom slabs stacked/stuffed with seasoned quinoa and lettuce wraps filled with a scrumptiously seasoned chicken and mushrooms mixture at the Branch restaurant in West Yellowstone Montana.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33184" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Thursday 10/1 Grand Tetons, lunch at the park lodge, dinner at a wagon train chuckwagon bbq and wild west show in Jackson Hole Wyoming. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33201" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Friday 10/2 Snake river float trip today was canceled due to rain. Just walked around Jackson Hole. Tomorrow 10/3 off to Salt Lake.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33278" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Saturday 10/3 walked around Temple Square in Salt Lake City and quickly looked inside the hall with the giant pipe organ where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings, and dined at the home of Brigham Young. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33298" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Sunday 10/4 saw spectacularly beautiful multicolored rock formations called hoodoos at Bryce Canyon. Dined and enjoyed another western cowboy show including rope tricks, whip cracking, and singing at Ebenezer's Barn and Grill. </span><span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33353" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Flower gardens in Temple Square were as beautiful as the elaborate and impressive architecture.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33444" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Monday 10/5 morning saw soaring cliffs at Zion, and walked to see a waterfall. Then late afternoon cruised on Lake Powell and saw more cliffs that are 95 feet higher because the lake is 95 feet low due to the drought. Dined on trout at a steakhouse.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33525" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Tuesday 10/6 rain and clouds prevented seeing grand canyon. Dined at lodge. No internet, so log delayed. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33565" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Wednesday 10/7 morning walked to canyon rim from lodge and got a good view of canyon. Spectacular! Got lost a bit on way to rim so got a longer walk and 2 shuttle bus rides, seeing more of lodge village, including the original main lodge (we stayed at a secondary one); took correct short trail back to lodge from rim.Noon on way to Vegas, stopped at old Route 66 wayside town. Evening in Vegas saw Menopause the Musical, hilarious! Got free ticket offers for 4 other shows! Dined at Harrah's buffet, at hotel where we stay just tonight to end the tour. Tomorrow move to the Artisan, where we got a better deal for the next 4 nights.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33657" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Thursday 10/8 sat through 4 hours of time share sales pitch (they said it would be less than 2) to get free tickets to Ka Cirque du Soleil show Sunday night and a free buffet that we had that night. Then saw Divas female impersonators show. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33701" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Friday 10/9 toured Hoover Dam, impressive! Lunch cruise on Lake Meade on stern wheeled paddle wheeler, fun! Evening walked the strip. Rode 550' ferris wheel at sunset. Mirage volcano and Caesar's Palace moving statues we were there at the wrong time to see them happen, but we did see Bellagio dancing fountains, fabulous! Dined on yummy rare-grilled Ahi caesar salad.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33791" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Saturday 10/10 managed to sleep some last night even with the party noisy music all night and morning til noon. Tonight Mary has ear plugs. Walked the strip again. Lunch antipasti at Venetian, where they have gondola rides on canals. Dined Vietnamese at the Rio, then saw Penn and Teller, Great show!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_33895" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Sunday 10/11 walked Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Dined Italian at Excalibur huge portions gave take-home bag to a hungry homeless man on the street, New York New York, then saw Ka in MGM Grand. Then took bus to Fremont Street. 2 blocks covered with a canopy and made into a pedestrian-only mall. In the Golden Nugget, saw largest gold nugget in the world, and pool with a shark tank in the middle and a water slide clear plastic tube that goes through the shark tank. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_32773" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span class="yiv6189266137" id="yiv6189266137yui_3_16_0_1_1444290894844_34021" style="color: #262626; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Monday 10/12 lunched at Circus Circus and saw acrobatic roller skaters. Walked Paris and Sahara and back to see moving statues at Caesar's Palace actually move! Performing The Fall of Atlantis. Missed pirates show at Treasure Island and the eruption of the volcano at Mirage because not able to be there at the right time. Also didn't pay to see white tigers at Mirage. Snacked on guacamole at the airport and then flew home.</span></div>
Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-17708536849202379582015-10-14T12:58:00.001-07:002015-10-14T12:58:25.609-07:00TRAVELS 2008 NEW ZEALAND VIA FIJI<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">9/25 As some of you know, Andrea (my long term friend and traveling companion) and I are traveling to New Zealand via Fiji. Here is our first email from New Zealand. Fiji was fine but not fabulous. Its third worldyness reminds us of Tijuana We do not see any need to go back. We took a boat tour of several of the islands in the morning and went on a cultural tour in the afternoon. Both were great but that was enough of that. We like New Zealand much better. Its pretty much like being in California but much more lush. We wandered around downtown Auckland on our first afternoon here. We toured glow worm caves yesterday and now are in an area like yellowstone that is the inside of a giant volcano's caldera. Geysers, mudpots, hot waterfalls, etc like Yellowstone. I also enjoyed the Maori cultural presentation including dancing and traditional greeting and native foods feast (their version of a luau). We also saw a presentation on sheep including sheering and then visited a nature/conservation park. Tomorrow we head south to the capitol city Wellington at the south tip of the north island. After a day there we take a ferry across to the south island where the most spectacular scenery is supposed to be. From the north tip of the south island we will take a train to Christ Church. I may write again from Wellington if there is anything more to say by then.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">9/27 Hi again, Yesterday I spent the whole day at the New Zealand national museum. It presents New Zealand's natural history, cultural history, and art. My favorites were the exhibitions on continental drift, and hence where New Zealand's mountains, many volcanos and earthquakes come from. New Zealand straddles the fault connecting the Austrailan plate and the Pacific plate. I also enjoyed the outdoor garden displaying New Zealand's native plants. There is also an intersting exhibit on how the coming of humans and the invasive species we brought, have altered the ecology of New Zealand, including showing realistic lifesize models of some of the extinct native species. It was also fascinating to see two video presentations of two similar but slightly different versions of the Maori creation myth, one as told by north islanders and the other as told by south islanders. This morning we take the ferry from here in Wellington at the southern tip of the north island across to Picton at the northern tip of the south island and then this afternoon the train down the northeastern coast of the south island to Christchurch on the east coast. I'll hopefully write again from Christchurch. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">9/29 Today I took a short sidetrip to Antarctica, well actually just to the Antarctica Center at the Christchurch airport. That is where all Antarctic expeditions are launched. The museum includes a room where we get to experience an antarctic storm with temp -16 and winds up to 50 knots bringing the windchill down to something like 50 below. I also watched penguins being fed. Later in the afternoon, I enjoyed the very large and elaborate botanical gardens in the main city park downtown. Finally I just strolled downtown in the evening. Early tomorrow morning we leave for Queenstown via Mount Cook, the tallest peak in NZ. I presume we go to the bottom of it, not the top. I'll write again from Queenstown. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">9/30 Today I flew in a small plane around Mount Cook the highest peak in New Zealand and other neighboring alps and their glaciers and glacier lakes. The views were absolutely breathtaking!!! After I got back on the ground though, I saw that the mountains are even more impressive when I am looking up at them than when I am looking down at them. I also watched a 3D large-screen movie about mount cook national park at the visitors center. Tonight we are in the tourist resort town of Queenstown. I ate venison for the first time in my life. It was delicious! We saw deer farms on the way here, so I decided to find a restaurant that serves it. When I was wandering around the little touristy downtown tonight, on the pedestrian mall street, I saw a restaurant with a chalkboard sign outside listing their specialties that said "locally grown venision" so that's where I ate. Fantastic! Tomorrow we cruise on milford sound to see the fiords. I'll write again after that.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">10/1 Today we saw some of the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand. We cruised among the fiords surrounding Milford Sound on the southwest coast of the south island. The fiord walls are thousands of feet high and were laced with many waterfalls. We were lucky that today had been a partly rainy day. Most of the waterfalls only are active on rainy days. Only a few of them are permanent. Those permanent ones are larger volume and more spectacular though. We were able to enjoy the cruise under partly cloudy skies, but got to see all the extra little waterfalls! Also, when we crossed the southern end of the southern alps on the way to the sound, we got to enjoy a light snow flurry! It was light enough that it did not affect the bus trip at all. We even got to go walk out in the snow flurry at a brief rest stop. Almost all the mountains around here are snowcapped and breathtakingly beautiful with steep jagged peaks. Because almost all the flat land in this region is glacial valleys, the mountain slopes come down precipitously steep right to the edge of the valley floor. That makes the landscape incredibly dramatic. </span><br />
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10/3 First of all, sorry about neglecting to put the title "Queenstown tourist resort village" on the last email.</div>
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Today was the best of times and the worst of times. The worst was that our hotel is 3 kilometers out of town and has no restaurant and no courtesy shuttle and the town's shuttle service won't answer the phone and its raining and the glacier viewing spot is several kilometers the other side of town. The best of times is our "room" is a whole one bedroom apartment with cathedral ceiling and full kitchen. And we thought we had been impressed with our room in Queenstown which had been 50-100% larger than most of our other rooms. I finally did get to view the glacier, from afar, in the rain and fog! I hitched a ride with another visiter into town. They dropped me at a building called Glacier Center, thinking that would be where I would go to get to the glacier. But the lady inside said they do not go to the glacier. They just have a little museum exhibit and an indoor ice climbing wall. But she said she would help me find a ride to the glacier. She called around town to find where the driver of the shuttle might be. On her third call she found him at the internet cafe. So I walked around the block to where he was. Conveniently (for him) the internet cafe is in the same building as the shuttle office. He took me out to the glacier viewing area parking lot and showed me where the trail was that goes to the viewing spot, gave me an umbrella, and said he would be back to pick me up in one hour and then he would drop me off at my hotel. It was a 10 minute walk on a paved trail through the rain forest (temperate rain forest like on Washington coast) to a small pond that acts as a reflecting pool and the view of the glacier reflects in the pond. I wiped rain water off the bench and sat down to drink in (literally) the scene. The west coast of New Zealand gets 5 to 8 meters of rain a year. If I had arrived earlier, I could have taken a 3 hour walk that would have taken me to the foot of the glacier. Tomorrow we take the transalpine train back from Greymouth on the west coast to Christchurch on the east coast. The transpalpine is supposed to be one of the most spectacular train trips in the world. I hope the weather clears enough for us to see the mountain peaks as we ride past them. </div>
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10/4 Well, today it was rainy and foggy while we were up in the alps so we couldn't see anything, and then became partly cloudy after we got down to the flat land. Basically the spectacular transalpine journey was waisted due to weather. One thing exciting though, was when we were on the bus coming north up the west coast to get to the transalpine train, the bus driver said this was the highest he has ever seen the rivers. So even in that incredibly rainy area (7 meters a year), last night was a record heavy rain! Our hotel tonight in Christchurch (Hotel So) is super modern and flashy and our room is super tiny. I think this is a Japanese idea. Tomorrow we fly back to Aukland. We are wondering if our Bay of Islands cruise the day after tomorrow will be cancelled due to bad weather. We will see. </div>
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10/5 I had wanted to ride the Christchurch gondola this morning but I decided not to because the rain and fog would have prevented me from seeing anything. This afternoon we flew from Christchurch on the south island back to Auckland on the north island. There were clouds below us the whole flight, but a couple of snow capped mountain peaks managed to peek through the clouds and be visible to us. Otherwise, clouds is all that we saw. Tonight I walked to the Sky Tower. I got 360 degree views from the 60th floor of the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. It was a lonnnnnnggggggggg walk uphill to get back to the hotel but I survived. Tomorrow we cruise the bay of islands. I'll let you know how that goes. </div>
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10/6 Well, I'm in the Auckland airport waiting for our flight home. Our flight to Fifi has been delayed 5 hours. So instead of having a 5 hour layover in Fiji, now they will have to hold the flight from Fiji to LA to wait for us because it is scheduled to depart at the same time that we are now projected to arrive. The airline just announced that we can get refreshment vouchers to eat in this airport while our flight is delayed. This morning I had to go back to the tour office downtown and pick up my jacket that I had left there yesterday. I also had to repack this morning because one of my pieces of luggage ripped out from overpacking with furs I bought here. So I just left the ruined piece of luggage at the hotel and somehow miraculously everything fit into the luggage we had left with some very creative packing. Unless my flights are more delayed, I'll be home tomorrow night. We spend tonight on the plane.</div>
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Yesterday we took a long bus trip up to the Bay of Islands at the north end of the north island and then a cruise on the bay including going through the hole in the rock. We also toured the site where the treaty was signed in 1840 between the British and the indigenous Maori peoples. New Zealand has been incredibly beautiful, and now I am ready to come home. </div>
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Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-28711357860473457402015-10-14T12:07:00.000-07:002016-08-11T00:42:20.539-07:00TRAVELS 2004 <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;"><b>TRAVELS NOVEMBER 2004 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CALIFORNIA</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;">Sandy's best friend moved to </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;">Berkeley a few years ago, and we'll want to see him. H</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;">e is acting in a community theater play there currently, thru Nov </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;">20. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;">Sandy and I have decided to drive up there in our camper this coming Veteran's day weekend to see the play. We'll drive up on Thursday, see redwoods and maybe visit some folks too on Friday, On Saturday, we'll have breakfast or lunch with the friend who is in the play, and then see the play, a comedy called "Noises Off", Saturday night, 8pm, at Contra Costa Civic Theater in El Cerrito, 951 Pomona Ave. Sunday, we'll drive back down here.</span><br />
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Let me know if you would like to see us on Friday or Saturday or for breafast on Sunday, and/or would like to go to the play. Hope we can see you!<br />
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TRAVELS MAY 2004 BALI & THAILAND VIA SINGAPORE</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;">May 2004, I just came back from a vacation on the island of Bali in Indonesia, and Bangkok Thailand and Singapore, which is right on the equator, half-way between the other two. My first trip overseas. Because those places are so hot and humid, for the first time in years, I had to wear only T-shirts and cotton pants all day, nothing fluffy. </span></div>
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The trip was wonderful. In both Bali and Bangkok we toured many elaborate temples and saw many traditional dances and ate lots of delicious exotic foods, including many delicious fruits I had never heard of before. In Bali, we snorkeled for the first time at a reef with colorful fish, took a bird walk in rice fields and forests, fed monkeys, and petted bats and pythons and mongoose, saw woodcarving, stonecarving, batik, painting, and silver and gold smithing. In Thailand, we saw a working elephant demonstration, took boats on the river in Bangkok, and on rural canals to the floating market. I bought balinese shadow puppets, an elaborately carved wooden flute, and a rattle, and a watch to replace mine that died from the humidity causing it to develop condensation on the inside and short out. Singapore was just an all-day layover where we were able to get a tour of the sights of the island city nation, including a beautiful temple and a lovely park at the top of the highest hill.</div>
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Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-38349205635723875472015-10-14T11:08:00.000-07:002015-10-14T11:08:10.259-07:00TRAVELS 2002 SALT LAKE CITY UTAH<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">5/3 I'm at Mark's!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Andrea and I drove </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">all the way</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">up </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">here </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Salt Lake</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">in one day today. Long drive, but Utah is beautiful! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Snow-peaked mountains! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's so great to see Mark again! I'll let you know what adv</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">entures we get into. nightynight</span><br />
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<br />Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-92036981023649223822015-10-14T10:32:00.001-07:002015-10-15T07:54:15.681-07:00TRAVELS 2000 ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND CANYONS<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">SOUTHERN UTAH</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Zion Friday 8/18 </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(Sandy's birthday) and Saturday 8/19, Bryce Sunday 8/20, Capital Reef </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Monday 8/21, and Arches and Canyonlands Tuesday 8/22. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ROCKY MOUNTAINS COLORADO</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Wednesday 8/23 we go on to Colorado. We will be in Denver Thursday 8/24 </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">with Sandy's brother and Sunday 8/27 with my Denver best friend, Friday </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">8/25 at Colorado Springs and Pike's Peak, and Saturday 8/26 at Rocky </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mountain National Park and Fort Collins with another old friend. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">NEW MEXICO</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Monday 8/28 we head </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">down into New Mexico and drive past Philmont Scout Ranch where I went when </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I was a Scout at 14. Monday night we stay in a teepee at Arroyo Seco </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(wherever that is). Tuesday 8/29 we sightsee through Taos and Santa Fe </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(SandTaffy) on the way to Albuquerque (AppleCookie). Wednesday 8/30 in</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ARIZONA</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thursday 8/31 across I-40 to </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Flagstaff, seeing Meteor Crater on the way. Grand Canyon Friday 9/1, then </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sedona and Arcosante Saturday 9/2. Home again late Sunday 9/3. Then, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Labor Day we rest up from this insanity.</span>Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-8236131200912327742010-12-19T02:55:00.000-08:002015-10-17T12:04:35.939-07:00About me<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 35px; white-space: nowrap;">Meanings of Ami Amema</span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I took the nickname Ami Amema in 1997, after years of not </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Segoe UI, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">believing in taking "spiritual" names, because I wanted a name that is not gender-identified, since I do not identify with gender (as explained elsewhere in the blog). </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Here are the meanings in several languages that I have been told by people who speak those languages. I can not vouch for their correctness.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Ami</b> means:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the verb to love in Esperanto, the international peace language (this is the meaning for which I took the name)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">friend in French</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">rain or net in Japanese</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">my people in Hebrew</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to (or toward) me in Spanish</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and of course, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">in English it just means </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Am I? or Ah me!</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Amema</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> is an adjective in Esperanto, meaning having an inclination toward being loving.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Also, there was an Inca legend about "Ami, the child from the stars."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><b>About me...</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">I am intelligent, sensitive, honest and sincere. I am very idealistic: pacifist/non-violent, environmentalist, non-sexist, non-racist, non-agist, non-jealous, not into looksism. (As proof of how non-agist and non-sizist I am, the people I've dated in the last few years have ranged in age from their early 20s to their late 70s, and weighed from 100 to 400 pounds.) I like good, healthy, clean living: healthy food, no drugs, no smoking, no alcohol, ONLY SAFE sex. Although I am not athletic, I love long walks. My main interest is personal sharing and getting to know people deeply, honestly and intimately. Not into non-intimate pastimes like games, sports, TV, etc. I like movies with "heart", meaning, an uplifting message; no violence. I like comedy and humor, but no jokes that are aimed to be at anybody's expense. I like LOTS of sex, but only in the context of relationships where we know each other well and care deeply about each other. I don't pay attention to gender; I don't care if a person is male or female; I just like universally human qualities, like honesty, integrity, compassion and cuddly affectionateness. I don't believe in exclusivity, nor jealousy, just deep loving caring and complete honesty.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><br />Cuddly affectionateness is the most important thing to me. I love cuddly sexual relationships! Sexually, I love affectionately holding and cuddling and kissing and caressing each other all over head to toe until we orgasm! (as often as we can!) But before, during, and after, we continue cuddling. I also like being cuddly and affectionate everywhere, not just in bed. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I like to cuddle and be affectionate all the time everywhere, as much as we can (in ways appropriate for where we are). I am primarily looking for partners who are as interested in being frequently/constantly affectionate as I am. Not just in bed, but also sitting together holding or touching when we can, or at least holding hands across the table, and holding hands or having arms around eachother when we walk. </span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">I love to express and enhance the feeling of cuddlyness by wearing soft fluffy furry angora sweaters and furs. </span>My biggest turn-on is soft fluffy furriness. I sleep snuggling with angora sweaters and fur coats between furry blankets rather than sheets. I wear angora, mohair, or cashmere sweaters or fleece shirts with fleecy pants and fleece-lined Ugg-style boots almost all the time, everywhere.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Looking for...</span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Cuddly affectionate idealistic healthy clean living people like me. Into open honest deep personal vulnerable intimate sharing/communication. Into coming together completely as EQUALS, with NO preconceived gender or power/position-based top/bottom roles. Bisexual or at least bifriendly. Polyamorous, nonjealous, nonpossessive, nonexclusive, but still fully committed and devoted to loving and caring and compassion and being fully present and 'there' for each other as much as possible. Bipoly loving family where everyone loves everyone equally in every way, regardless of gender. Open to 2some, 3some, 4some, moresome sexual interactions among the loving partners regularly, not just as an occasional fling. Ideally also fuzzy lovers, but at least accepting and supportive and encouraging of my fuzzy fetish passions.</span></div>
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Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-66373703874035955112009-10-25T07:18:00.000-07:002009-10-25T17:32:41.422-07:00Why I ignore gender<div>I do not pay attention to gender in my personal relating nor even in my sexuality. I do not identify myself as a man, and I do not pay any attention to whether people I am relating to or attracted to are male or female. I am actually turned off by both masculinity and femininity. I only pay attention to each person's humanity, personhood, universal human qualities.</div><div><br /></div>Gender identification disempowers people by misleading them to think that they are (and naturally must be), and thus to settle for being, less than their full human potential. The masculine and feminine genders are defined by dividing the universe of potential human characteristics into two arbitrarily culturally-defined subsets, then each gender is defined by over-emphasising one subset of characteristics that is assigned to that gender and de-emphasizing, actually disowning, the other subset of characteristics that has been arbitrarily assigned to be the strengths of the other gender.<div><br /></div><div>Males are expected to be strong, goal-oriented, self-assured, dominant, unemotional, competitive. Females are expected to be weaker, less intelligent, more emotional, soft, receptive, nurturing, sensitive, submissive, self-denying. "Enlightened" modern cultures give lip-service to encouraging males and females to be more liberated, for males to embrace their "feminine side" and be more emotionally sensitive and nurturing, and for females to develop their "masculine side" and embrace their intelligence, strength, and self-esteem. However, it is just this considering these characteristics as a masculine or feminine "side" that interferes with the encouragement to embrace our full potential. Boys and girls are subjected to overwhelmingly strong and very rigid messages that are usually quite vehemently enforced to look and act like a boy if you have a penis, to look and act like a girl if you have a vagina, and to learn to grow up to be a real man or proper woman. This is how the limiting stereotypes of masculinity and femininity are passed on and firmly entrenched generation after generation. By the time more enlightened messages are later given to embrace our full potential, it is too late, because it is then being just layered on top of the rigid limiting gender images that were so strictly imposed on us as children. To call strength, intelligence, and assertiveness a woman's "masculine side" that must be developed, and to call nurturing and sensitivity a man's "feminine side" that must be embraced, externalizes and holds those attributes at arm's length rather than fully claiming, internalizing, and owning them as fully integrated innate aspects of the self. Also, society gives men and women very mixed messages, with the more enlightened facets encouraging liberation while conservatives continue to try to impose and enforce the more limiting traditional gender roles.</div><div><br /></div><div>So for me, the route to full liberation has been to be completely outside the gender paradigm (which I luckily did so early in childhood that I do not remember ever being inside it). I am not susceptible to messages about what it is to be a real man, because I do not consider myself a man and do not try to nor want to be one. I just want to be myself. I value being intelligent and sensitive and self-directed and nurturing and self-confident and considerate and assertive and caring and logical and affectionate. I feel free to choose from the full range of human characteristics and decide which I choose to embody. I choose to be cooperative rather than competitive, compassionate rather than judgmental, peaceful rather than violent. I choose to be neither dominant nor submissive, but to relate only as equals. On a less moral and more just preferential side, I choose to be just strong enough to be healthy, but not athletic. I choose to have long hair and wear soft fuzzy clothing, but not look feminine.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I look for other people to be with, to be close to and intimate with, I look for the same characteristics that I value in myself. And I ignore whether they are male or female, as well as ignoring their age, looks, height, weight, race, etc. What matters is whether we share the same values and want to do the same things. </div>Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-34072343445442652782009-10-24T08:08:00.000-07:002014-07-13T14:14:48.530-07:00Living Love Affirmations<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">The following affirmations are adapted and expanded by me from the Twelve Pathways authored by Ken Keyes Jr. in his Handbook to Higher Consciousness. About two-thirds of this is Ken's words. I added the rest to fill in the other essential concepts and tools from the Handbook and his other Living Love books that Ken had not included in his original Twelve Pathways. Thus, the affirmations below present all the essential concepts and tools of Living Love together in the same powerful affirmation format.</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">I am freeing myself from the security, sensation, and power addictions that make me try to forcefully control the people and situations in my life, and thus destroy my serenity and keep me from loving myself and others unconditionally.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I am discovering how my consciousness-dominating addictive conditioning distorts my perceptions to create my illusory versions of the changing world of people and situations around me.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I welcome the opportunity, even if painful, that my minute-to-minute experience offers me to become aware of the addictions I must reprogram to be liberated from my robot-like emotional patterns.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">When I notice myself becoming emotionally upset, I consciously focus on associating my perceived suffering exclusively with the addictive conditioning that is its only true immediate and practical cause, and don't blame anyone nor anything external nor myself as a whole being.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I focus my attention to identify the positive intentions that are always behind everything everyone says or does.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I choose to replace my addictive conditioning with preferential programming, and I choose the preferential programming that I want to replace my addictive conditioning.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I reprogram my addictions to uplevel them to preferences by repeatedly affirming loving acceptance for the people and situations that trigger my addictions, and by constantly reminding myself that I can achieve my positive intentions whether or not my demands are met.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I accelerate my reprogramming process by using consciousness focussing techniques to redirect the emotional energy generated by my addictions to serve as a psychic lubricant to help insert my chosen preferential programming deeper into my consciousness more quickly.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I always remember that I already have everything I need to enjoy my here and now, unless I am letting my consciousness be dominated by demands and expectations based on the dead past or the imagined future.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I take full responsibility, here and now, for everything I experience, since it is my own programming that creates my experience and my actions, and also influences the reactions of all around me.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I accept myself and everyone completely here and now and consciously experience everything we feel, think, say, and do, including our emotion-backed addictive demands, as a necessary part of our growth into higher consciousness.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">I open myself genuinely to all people by being willing to fully communicate my deepest feelings, since hiding in any degree only keeps me stuck in my illusion of </span>separateness<span style="font-size: small;"> from other people.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I feel with loving compassion the problems of others, without getting caught up emotionally in their predicaments that are offering them messages they need for their growth.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I act freely when I am tuned-in, centered, and loving, but if possible, I avoid acting when I am emotionally upset and depriving myself of the wisdom that flows from love and expanded consciousness.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">I instantly double my </span>consciousness<span style="font-size: small;"> and loving compassion and inner wisdom by consciously perceiving everything everyone says or does as though I had said it or done it, and by consciously identifying with the positive intentions behind all our words and actions.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I am continually calming the restless scanning of my rational mind in order to tune in to the finer energies that enable me to unitively merge with all around me. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">(in other words) I am quieting the chatter of my mental interferences so as to percieve the subtler cues that I can use to guide me to make optimally wise decisions that harmoniously flow with every situation I meet.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I am constantly aware of which of the seven centers of consciousness I am using, and I feel my energy, perceptiveness, wisdom, effectiveness, love, compassion, inner peace, and happiness growing as I expand my consciousness to open all seven centers of consciousness, from security, sensation, and power, to love, cornucopia, conscious awareness, and cosmic consciousness.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I am learning to live the law of higher consciousness, to love everyone unconditionally, including myself, by consciously perceiving everyone, including myself, as an awakening being who is here to claim our birthright to the higher consciousness planes of unconditional love and oneness.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I maximize my effectiveness by loving more and demanding less. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">I maximize my happiness by loving more and demanding less.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">All ways we're living love.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">We're all one living love.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">All ways we live love.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">We are one living love.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">THE MEANING OF LIFE AND HOW TO LIVE WISELY</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Love is the meaning of life.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Love gives meaning to life.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">The meaning of life and the reason for living is to learn to love unconditionally.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Everything in life is perfect, either for our happiness or for our growth.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Whatever we enjoy is perfect for our happiness.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Whatever we do not enjoy is perfect for our growth, because it gives us the opportunity to continue working on learning to love unconditionally. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">(And even though it comes from a different source, I adapted the following and include it here, because it fits so well along with all the above.)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Regarding things that I wish were different, I </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">seek and </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">claim the strength and courage to change the things that I can change, the serenity to accept what can not be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference.</span></div>
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Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-53954570936290371302009-08-17T12:45:00.001-07:002015-09-02T06:47:22.599-07:00Polyamory <b>The first polyamory books I discovered </b><br />
The first polyamory writings I discovered were the poly relationships discovery novels of Robert Rimmer from the 60s and 70s: The Harrad Experiment (the first one I read at 18), Proposition 31, the Premar Experiments, Come Live My Life, The Rebellion of Yale Marratt, Love Explosion, etc. Also the poly social science fiction of Robert Heinlein: Stranger In A Strange Land, I Will Fear No Evil, Time Enough for Love, etc. These books did not introduce me to the idea of polyamory, because that just came naturally to me; I could never understand why everybody else was into monogamy and exclusiveness. But these books let me know that others were also thinking about and writing about what I had always thought. I did not get introduced to poly magazines/journals like Loving More until the last 30 years, by which time I was no longer as interested in reading about it so much because I was more focussed on just doing it.<br />
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<b>More On My Polyamory</b><br />
In my idea of polyamory, Love can and should last forever, and should not end just because we found someone else to love also. I have stayed lifelong friends with all my poly partners. And the new ones get to know the old ones. (The only times ever I broke up with people and did not remain friends was with each of my 3 <u>non</u>-poly <u>monogamous</u> wives, when over the years together we found out about aspects of eachother's personalities that we really did not like and so we did not stay friends.)<br />
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I am not interested in sexual variety. I just like to be as affectionate with my friends as they are willing to share with me. And for me it is only natural that loving affection could include sexuality if they want to share that with me. It is important to me that my primary partner not feel upset about such affectionateness. It is all just expressing and sharing love.<br />
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I also do not feel the need that most other people have to focus sexual affection on just one person at a time. I can enjoy sharing loving affection with 2 or 3 other people at the same time (all in bed together). It feels wonderful to have loving people on both sides.<br />
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I have been in 3 triad relationships and 1 quad. In each case, everyone loved everyone equally.<br />
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Throughout my adult life I have surrounded myself with straight friends who are liberal enough that gender orientation and polyamory are not an issue. My being surrounded by such accepting liberals made my life as a bi poly man with long hair who wears fuzzy sweaters much easier. Especially for all the years when I was the only bi I knew and the many more years when I was the only man I knew who gets turned on by wearing fuzzy sweaters.<br />
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My need for cuddling is so strong that I can't stand sleeping with empty arms, so I sleep cuddling fuzzy body pillows. I would love to be with someone who simply always wants to be in eachothers arms, always being affectionate (but decent as appropriate in public) wherever we are.<br />
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<b>Clarification About Jealousy</b></div>
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I am jealousyphobic. Jealousy terrifies me. I have to clarify what I mean by jealosy. Jealousy is not just a fear of loss. I can understand fear of loss. Usually, jealousy involves exclusiveness and possessiveness, and a righteous indignation that the loved one does not have the RIGHT to be affectionate with anyone else. However, even if someone is not possessive and does not believe they own their partner, and even if they are not righteously indignant and don't believe that there partner does not have a right to be affectionate with anyone else, still, they can feel that their partner's affection with someone else was a painful harmful act and violent blow to them, a stab in the heart. That is jealousy. Even if they have no fear of future loss. Sometimes jealous people say the offending act can not be undone, even if the partner sincerely promises never to do any such thing again.</div>
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I can not have compassion for jealousy, whether it is due to possessiveness, righteous indignation, or feeling stabbed in the heart just because I was affectionate with a friend. My last wife begged and pleaded with me to feel compassion for her raging jealousy, especially since we were participating in the Compassionate Communication movement. My inability to deal with the jealousy led to our splitting.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">I can easily have compassion for my current wife's fears of loss of attention and security. However, one of her most endearing characteristics is that, as she says, she "does not have a jealous bone in her body." </span><br />
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<b>Compersion</b><br />
Compersion is feeling joy when one's intimate partner or romantic loved one is sharing intimately with another intimate partner. Here is my favorite example to explain Compersion to traditional-thinking folks. Imagine how parents would feel on their child's wedding night (when their child has married the kind of person they always wanted them to marry), first seeing the wedding kiss, then later knowing the marriage is being consumated: they feel joyous, gratified, satisfied, proud and happy for their wed child. Now imagine applying those same joyous feelings instead to someone you are in love with (such as your spouse), who is in bed with someone else they also love. That joy is compersion.<br />
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Compersion has always been the only thing that has felt natural to me. I've never felt jealousy, and as I said above, I've never been able to really understand how almost everybody else does feel jealousy as natural.Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-46165991631471101182009-08-17T12:19:00.000-07:002015-09-01T12:05:21.821-07:00My IdealismMy idealistic belief system, my philosophy of life, my spirituality, is based on a combination of 2 related philosophical thought/practice systems: Living Love/The Science of Happiness, as presented in the Handbook to Higher Conscousness by Ken Keyes Jr., and Nonviolent/Compassionate Communication, presented in Nonviolent Communication, a Language of Compassion, by Marshall Rosenberg. I highly recommend reading both books. They clearly explain what I consider to be the highest ideals of how to live. I hope they are still available in libraries and book stores. <br />
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Now more explanation of aspects of my spirituality that would likely not be covered in those books.<br />
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<b>Ethical Atheism Based Solely on the Ethical Imperative of Personal Internal Authority</b><br />
I am an atheist <u>only</u> for purely ethical reasons. I consider the question of whether God ACTUALLY exists to be totally IRRELEVANT and just DISTRACTING from more meaningful considerations. <br />
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I highly value high self esteem and believe in self/internal authority. Belief in a higher power, a god or gods, is just putting oneself down, believing that oneself is not worthy and wise enough to determine for oneself what is best. Society is structured to inculcate everyone to subject themselves and submit to external authority. That way the masses can be controlled and made to do what the people in power want (including the ultimate counterproductive insanity of war). People like me (alas there are too few) who are ethically oriented to rely on being guided by their internal authority would never subject themselves to participating in such destructive insanity. So to maintain its power structure, society transmits and perpetuates the submissive nature in people through the family structure and what is considered normal, healthy, necessary parenting actions. Children are trained that they must do what their parents and other authority figures tell them to do. And they are told how they should think. They are not allowed to decide for themselves what is best to do, to develop an internal authority. In order to keep people under control after they are no longer small enough to easily be controlled by brute parental force, society extended the parental controlling role by creating the ultimate parental authority figure(s), invisible, omnipresent, all-knowing parental authority figure(s), God(s). I affirm the primacy and wisdom of my internal authority and refuse to degrade myself by imagining and subjecting myself to a higher power, God. By affirming my internal authority, I take on the responsibility for gathering the necessary information and input from others and discerning and deciding wisely what is the most healthy desirable course of action providing the most benefit and least detriment for all concerned.<br />
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<b>My Ethics Is Simple</b><br />
I want to highlight and elaborate here upon the key crucial ideals/concepts introduced above in my explanation of my position of Ethical Atheism.<br />
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My conception of ethics is exquisitely simple. <b>Maximize benefits to <u>all</u> concerned, and do NO harm of any kind to any and all humans, and minimize any harm to all of the rest of life.</b><br />
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I find the concepts and terms Benefit and Harm to be the terms that are most useful for rational ethics.<br />
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Society, however, in order to make people controllable, created and focuses on Good and Evil rather than Benefit and Harm. Good and Evil are defined by society strictly in terms of following the dictates of Authorities. Thus killing in war, when done at the direction of Authority, is considered good, noble, service to country; whereas killing on your own, without being ordered by Authority, is Murder, the worst form of Evil.<br />
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In my simple ethics, ALL killing or harming of humans is HARM, and therefore <u>never</u> justifiable.<br />
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The gray areas that are open to legitimate ethical discussion in my ethics would include such questions as:<br />
Is the harm of killing animals for food justified by the benefit of providing nutrition for humans. <br />
Is a fetus considered a 'human'? And if not, then is the harm of killing an unborn baby in abortion justified by the benefit to the mother?<br />
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Beyond these kinds of ethical questions, I believe my simple ethics of maximizing benefits and doing no harm of any kind at all to humans, and minimizing any and all harm to all life otherwise, is the most robust and least manipulatable/twistable/pervertable ethical formulation available.<br />
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<b>The Domination/Submission Paradigm is "The Root of All Evil"</b><br />
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First, I define "evil" as the <u>capacity</u> to do <u>harm</u>. So I am discussing here how the <b>Domination/Submission Paradigm</b> works and how it creates the capacity to do harm.<br />
Domination means one with more power forcing others to do whatever the powerful one wants. Key to this is that one can not dominate others unless the others submit themselves to domination. Thus the success and continuance of a domination power structure depends on the subjects being conditioned and trained to be submissive.<br />
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I believe people are innately good, cooperative, and wise, otherwise the species could not have survived the million years of evolution from the apes. So the capacity to do harm is not innate. It has to be inculcated into us.<br />
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So where did the <b>Domination/Submission Paradigm</b> and the capacity to do harm come from? The following is my understanding of how the <b>Domination/Submission Paradigm</b> arose and spread cancerously across the globe. I subscribe to the theory that at the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, the Sahara and the deserts of the middle east and central asia formed from lands that had been lush and fertile and an idyllic home to large populations of peaceful people during the ice age. This desertification of lush lands into barren deserts due to rapid climate change is probably what was being referred to in the biblical story of the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The massive famines and hardships brought on by the desertification created great misery and desperation among the few survivors. Many orphaned children had no adults around to help them out and guide them and give them wisdom. In their immaturity and desperation and misery they had to fumblingly come up with any new coping mechanisms they could devise to survive. Under those desperate circumstances, a system of having strong dominant leaders and the rest of the group be submissive followers was a mechanism that allowed the group to survive. Due to the extreme scarcity of resources, the group resorted to feeding itself and surviving by raiding, pillaging and conquering other groups surrounding them. That is how the first warlike groups arose and flourished and spread across the globe. All the peaceful cooperative groups of people of the world were conquered and wiped out by the marauding dominating warring tribes. Then, after the global spread of the <b>Domination/Submission Paradigm</b> was complete, it was able to justify itself by inventing the mistaken belief that warring and evil were always an innate part of human nature, whereas it was in fact just a relatively recent unfortunate invention resulting from unfortunate fumbling responses to the desperation and destitution caused by the desertification, that was able to then spread infectiously across the globe like a malignant cancer.<br />
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As I said above, for a domination power structure to work, the subjects must be conditioned and trained to be submissive. It is in fact this conditioning to be submissive that creates the capacity to do harm. People are trained to be submissive by being told that they are innately evil and need to be controlled. They are taught to not trust themselves, not respect themselves, not respect each other, just to respect Authority. People who do not trust nor respect themselves nor each other are capable of harmful acts that people who do respect themselves and each other would not be capable of. This disrespect of self is inculcated into children by what is considered normal common parenting messages. "Children are not to be respected; they must just respect their parents. They can not know what is good for them. They must be told what to do. Without being told what to do they would be little monsters." "Do what I told you. Why? Because I'm your parent and I said so!" These messages are enforced and drilled into the child's psyche by painful punishment. "Spare the rod, spoil the child." The child gets the message that "If I am being hit by the people I trust and rely on the most to take care of me and protect me, then obviously NOBODY can be trusted individually. Only the Authorities must be trusted and respected.<br />
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But the psychology of submission to Authority is a two-edged sword. It breeds not only submission, but also rebellion. So people who rebel against authority, but still have no respect for themselves nor others, are capable of doing all kinds of harm. So this is how the <b>Domination/Submission Paradigm </b>creates the capacity to do harm, and thus is the root of all evil. People who do not respect themselves and each other can either do harm on their own if they are rebellious, or the dominating power Authorities can order them to do the greatest possible harm to the most people through <b><u>war</u></b>. Since war was the mechanism by which the <b>Domination/Submission Paradigm</b> was spread throughout the globe, warring and soldiering are integral parts of the dominant cultures.<br />
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One other common feature of normal parenting is key to preparing the child's psyche for being conditioned to submit. That is having children sleep alone in their own cribs/beds. When the baby cries to express its agony over being left all alone and to beg for comforting, the parents are told to let the baby cry it out or the child will be spoiled. By being left alone all night every night, and not comforted, every baby/child starts its life by experiencing abandonment. This wound of infantile abandonment and its psychological scars makes children more vulnerable to the messages about being innately evil and not respectable.</div>
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<b>Personal Perspectives</b><br />
Turning from the idealistic spiritual ethical perspective to a more personal perspective, my growing up thinking for myself and deciding for myself and holding high self esteem (knowing that I am worthy and deserve the best) has affected my life profoundly. I have always sought to find and determine what is best (to me) and then focus on what I think is best and leave the rest alone. That is why after I decided that intimacy is the best kind of human interaction for me, I have focussed my life (outside of work) on intimacy (both intimate verbal communication and intimate cuddly touch) and have been losing interest in many other things. Similarly when I discovered and decided that soft fluffy furryness is the best texture that my skin can feel, I focussed on that being the only texture I want to feel, and cover myself all over in soft fuzzies. I recognize that in these ways I have excessively narrowed and limited myself, but I accept myself as I am.<br />
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Now, I will explain how being born Jewish profoundly affected my life. As a Jew born just 4 years after the end of world war II, my psyche was steeped in the terrors of the Holocaust. I lived with this terrible fear buried deep inside that I could be tortured and killed just for being a Jew. And even though I was not brought up practicing in the faith, my nose would always clearly identify me as a Jew to anyone. Although I have been very fortunate and I have never actually personnly experienced any antisemitism, when I was a pre-schooler, my older brother was getting beaten up every day at school by gentile bullies. So I knew the threat and danger was real. I was, though, also brought up to believe that jews were hated by gentiles out of envy, because we were so successful professionally and financially, and that our success was because we had high standards of valuing learning and scholarship. So I learned that I as a Jew was basically good (even better than others?) despite being hated for being different.<br />
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As I grew up and developed self esteem and learned to think and decide for myself, I internalized and transformed that danger of being a Jew in a creative and liberating way. First of all, as the years went by and I was not personally experiencing horrendous antisemitic acts, I began thinking that maybe the world might be safer for me than I had thought. Further, since I was already living with the danger of my nose marking me as a Jew no matter what I did, and I was growing up in a town where my family were the only Jews, so I had grown used to feeling different from most of the people around me, then why should I fear being different from everybody else in other ways too? This was the liberating part! So when I noticed that I was attracted to gentle boys and wanted to cuddle with them, but I was the only boy I knew who felt this way, and I knew that people said it was bad, then I still knew there was nothing wrong with me for feeling that way, and as long as I didn't let anybody know how I felt, I was fine. Again, when I discovered I was attracted to soft fuzzy things in a way that nobody else was, I knew I was fine. And if I am already walking around with a Jewish nose that everybody can see, why can't I also let everbody see me wearing soft fuzzy sweaters? And if I wanted to grow my hair long when everybody else is cutting theirs short, why not? So I gave myself permission to be exactly the way I want to be, even though I am different from everybody else. And I gave myself the freedom to be open about how I am, unless I have clear evidence that it would be dangerous to do so. So I knew it would be dangerous to openly express attraction and affection to boys when I was a child, but as an adult I know that the world has changed enough so I can safely walk hand in hand with a man and even kiss anywhere I want to go, and I do not want to go anywhere that it is not safe. And I know that no safety is total and absolute; a crazy person could pop up anywhere. But I feel safe enough to be myself openly. And I celebrate that!<br />
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<b>Television Selectiveness Due to Intolerance for Manipulative Mass Media Messaging</b><br />
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<span id="yiv0181832789yui_3_16_0_1_1439439657118_7718">I am not interested in any of the overwhelming majority of shows that are all part of the good vs. evil paradigm that I can not stand to see acted out over and over and over. I live in the love is everything and everything is love paradigm. The love paradigm does not make for any good drama, only great wisdom to live by. </span></div>
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The ONLY TV I watch now is just the best of the science shows, such as Cosmos, Nova, Nature, How the Universe Works, and Through the Wormhole. I don't like what I call testosterone-soaked science that has become so popular lately and has almost completely taken over, such as myth-busters, what could possibly go wrong?, and all the nature shows about the world's deadliest, strongest, weirdest, strangest, bad-assed animals fighting each other. </div>
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<span id="yiv0181832789yui_3_16_0_1_1439439657118_31531">The only comedy I watch is mostly thoughtful satire, like the "Daily" and "Nightly" shows and my favorite, "Last Week Tonight". I enjoy those because of how thoughtful they are. However, even those are based on the same premise that makes me hate to watch the news. I define "news" as "here is what we can tell you about so you can get upset about it today." Society's goal is to keep people always getting upset, so as to keep them susceptible to being duped into being consumers and soldiers. My favorite satire pokes more innocent humorous fun at politics, such as "The Capitol Steps" which is a satire troupe made up of congressional staffers, and "That Was the Week that Was" in the '60s. Most satire unfortunately is just saying "here is how to laugh sarcastically at the infuriatingly stupid things that our politicians do." Such satire unfortunately just fits right back into the "let's get you upset" paradigm of the news they are satirizing. I also like stand-up, and comedic song parodies like Wierd Al, and Tom Lehr (not sure of the spelling) in the '60s.</span></div>
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<b>I Don't Play Any Kinds of Games</b><br />
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I do not play any games of any kind at all. I have 2 deeply held principles that underlie and explain my lack of interest in any games. </div>
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First is my total pacifism and noncompetitiveness. As an absolute pacifist, I do not participate in nor support ANY violence. I do not believe there is ever any justification for violence nor harming anyone in any way. My noncompetitiveness grows out of my position of not seeing others as enemies and so never engaging in any adversarial activity. I see competitiveness and adversarial positions as the basis and roots of violence. The whole winner-loser adversarial paradigm on which all competitive games are based is the foundational basis of war. I live instead entirely in the win-win cooperation paradigm.</div>
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Therefore, I am not interested in any competitive activity, not sports, games, nor politics. I only like seeing the beautiful performances such as gymnastics and ice skating at the Olympics, but could not care less about the scoring and medals and who wins. The same goes for America's Got Talent and such shows, where I like seeing the beautiful creative talented performances but totally ignore and am frankly quite annoyed by all the hype about judging and eliminating and winning. </div>
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Again, this is just how I am. I don't need (and couldn't possibly expect) everyone I love to exactly share all my patterns. I share with each friend what we enjoy sharing together, and don't worry about what we don't share. The only exception to this is that I can not be close to, much less intimate with, anyone who engages in violence and harming anyone in any way. Competitive games are just a way of playing at adversarial relationships. But as long as people do not engage in actual violence, I can ignore and accept their game playing.</div>
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My second guiding principle is intimate personal authenticity. Gaming often involves taking on mythical personas. Sexual role-playing games and play sessions do the same thing. I am only interested in relating from total personal authenticity. I am interested only in knowing the <u>realest</u> you at the <u>deepest</u> possible levels, and have no interest in playing at creating false personas. That is why I have no interest in the "furry" subculture, which is into creating and identifying with furry creature personas. I'm only interested in sharing the sensual enjoyment of soft furry textures while sharing in personal authentic cuddly intimacy.</div>
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Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-39658918498455568342009-08-17T11:48:00.000-07:002019-11-06T01:01:09.393-08:00Other things about me<b>My recent marriage since 2013</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">My nonsexual marriage of convenience is totally unconventional so I expect most people would not understand it. The marriage is based entirely on UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, which I consider to be the highest form of love, and not at all on romantic love, which I do not believe in at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">I married her without expecting from her many of the things I would want and expect from an ideal spouse, simply because I knew that our lives would be so much better together than they had been before we knew each other. Years of experience together has so far proved this right, better than I imagined. </span><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">To further explain how my nonsexual marriage of convenience is a mutually beneficial rational arrangement, b</span><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">efore we met, we were both lonely and both had serious financial problems, but together, we have companionship and have gotten out of debt and are quite comfortable and secure now with our combined pensions. </span><br />
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My wife is a somewhat affectionate asexual. How do I explain what seems to be a contradiction in terms? Simple! She shares with me the same affection she used to share with her cats, when she had them, years before meeting me. So I now get what she felt for and shared with her cats. She even calls me by the same pet names she used to use for her cats.<br />
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<span id="yiv9509837856yui_3_16_0_1_1437762893660_12181">Even though we are basically happy, content and secure with each other, there are still levels of intimate interaction that remain unavailable with my</span> wife, but that I still very much want and need. My wife wishes that I could just want and be satisfied with only what she has to offer, so she could be my "everything", but she recognizes and accepts that I need more intimacy and "deep" interactions, even though she can't seem to really fully comprehend what intimacy and depth of communication actually involve.<br />
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My entering into a non-intimate marriage of convenience can also be explained by my being so alternative and so idealistic as well as having such a high libido and high needs for intimate and intellectual communication, that I have never been optimistic about my chances of finding a partner who wants to share with me everything that I want in a relationship.</div>
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<span class="" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">(My wife understandably resents some of the wording in the next paragraph. She is now changing rapidly since I wrote it and working to prove to me that my characterization of her is wrong. If at some point I agree that it is no longer accurate I will edit it accordingly.)</span><br />
<span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438328475006_13139" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Rather than being like a traditional marriage, my marriage can more accurately be </span><span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438328475006_13141" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438328475006_13143" style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">characterized</span><span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438328475006_13145" style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">/</span><span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438328475006_13147" style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">described as being more like an adoption of a special-needs child, (even though we are nearly the same age (in our 60s) and she is quite intelligent)</span><span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438328475006_13149" style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">, where I enjoy and am dedicated to caring for her life-long, but still need to look elsewhere for fulfillment of my intimacy needs (not just sex, but emotional, spiritual, and intellectual idealistic intimacy).</span><span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438328475006_13153" style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> She is nonsexual and has arrested emotional development at a pre-pubescent stage. I got together with her knowing she can not meet my intimacy and sexual needs, just because I knew we could both have much better lives together, keeping each-other company and helping each-other out throughout life, sharing companionship and innocent cuddly affection, though not the deep intimate affection that I still need to share with someone else. She (like most people) also does not share my need for sharing deep intellectual idealistic conversations, so I also have to look for the incredibly rare others who also crave those. So this is why I characterize m</span><span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438328475006_13155" style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif;"><span class="" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1438328475006_13157" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">y love for my wife as more like love for a child. The one big difference is that a parent has great hopes for seeing, and a great responsibility for helping develop, the child's growth and maturation into a successful fully mature adult. I have to accept and appreciate my wife just as she is without any expectations of her developing any further maturity, which is why I characterize the relationship as being like a special-needs adoption.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span class="" style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif;"><span class="" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">I know most people would be creeped out by my calling my marriage more like an adoption, but that is the best way I know to express the depth of devoted commitment and love I have for her. Also, calling the marriage more of an adoption emphasizes that I went into it consciously and intentionally, whereas too many people get married and have children without adequately thinking it through and being prepared for it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">However, I still have deep intimacy needs that she doesn't meet, and that I still want to get met with someone else who can honor and be friends with her while sharing deep intimacy with me. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 22px;"><b>New friends/partners need to respect her and accept her as they would any family member of mine. Especially you need to engage with her too and earn her trust and friendship so she can enjoy you being with us. </b></span><br />
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<span class="yiv5331401004" id="yiv5331401004yui_3_16_0_1_1439807556014_29594" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My marriage works as well as it does b</span><span class="yiv5331401004" id="yiv5331401004yui_3_16_0_1_1439807556014_54399" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ecause my wife accepts things about me that most people reject. My deep enjoyment of body smells, armpits, feet, and crotches are my favorite most sexy smells (perfume turns me off). My need to sleep in a bed totally covered in soft fuzzy furryness rather than sheets. M</span><span class="yiv5331401004" id="yiv5331401004yui_3_16_0_1_1439807556014_41133" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">y need to be totally covered in soft furryness headtotoe, especially including covering my face and my hands, in order to be sexually turned on, to have an erection, and to orgasm. Skin to skin touch actually turns me off. My need for several orgasms a day. Loud noises I make at night.</span></div>
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My wife is fine with my pursuing other intimate relationships. She is used to it. She knows I've been unsuccessfully seeking full-time live-in intimate partners my whole life. She knows that she and I share love in the ways we can, but that I have very strong intimacy needs that I have to pursue getting fulfilled. When my out-of-state fuzzy friend visits once a year on his annual business trip to San Diego, she is just fine with him and they get along great. </div>
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When I fell in love with the younger couple that we affectionately call "The Kids", who ultimately decided they would rather be our adult kids that we could enjoy being proud of, rather than have a sexual relationship with me, but still are very much in love, she is fine with them and welcomed them to share our home with us even before they decided they do not want me sexually. </div>
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One thing I have learned about her in the 2 years we have been together is that while she has proven that her claim of not being jealous of me sexually is true (when we married I just trusted her on that claim, which was crucial to our getting together at all, but it took testing it afterward to prove it), however, unfortunately, I have found that she is extremely jealous of our finances. This financial jealousy is a big problem for me, because one of my great joys in life is being generous. She unfortunately believes that my kind of generosity would only be ok if we were super rich and had more money than we could ever possibly spend on ourselves.</div>
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<span class="yiv4244457028"><b>"The Kids"</b></span></div>
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<span class="yiv4244457028" id="yiv4244457028yui_3_16_0_1_1439408721292_10694">We also have housemates with us in our home. We originally met on the OKCupid dating website, because of our mutual interest in creating intimate loving polyamorous extended family. When we met and talked, we found we are beautifully compatible in so many ways, and quickly grew to love each other deeply. I consider them to be the idealistic soulmates I've searched my whole life to find. Because of them, I can now say I hit the jackpot and struck gold and found my soulmates on OKCupid! And I only had to search for 50 years to find them!</span></div>
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<span class="yiv4244457028">However, we found that sexual activity would not be included in what we share with each other (their choice not mine). </span><span style="background-color: white;">I think the main reasons for the kids' decision not to be sexual with me were my hygiene and odor, and my extremely limited sexual style. They told me they would not want me to sacrifice the odors I enjoy in order to be clean enough to share sexuality with them. They also enjoy a wide variety of kinky sexual activities that I would not be interested in. Still we are the best of friends.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv4244457028">He is in his mid-40s and she is mid-20s. What we found has worked out best for us is that they are the ideal grown-up children that I always had wanted. They sometimes affectionately call me "Dad" (they call Mary "Queen Mary") and Mary and I call them "the Kids". </span></div>
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<span class="yiv4244457028">For background perspective on my history with children, my late wife "Mary the First's" 2 sons, that I raised with her from toddlers in 1976 to young men, refused to ever see or talk to me again when she and I split in 1992. So I lost that first family. Not having any contact with them all these years, though very sad and disappointing, was also probably for the best, because despite the loving progressive parenting I gave them, they grew up to become a red-neck and a born-again, who I would have alot of trouble relating to. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv4244457028">But now I have the ideal progressive free-thinking like-minded intelligent successful children I've always wanted! (Like every jewish mother's dream, I get to say "My Son the Doctor"!) </span><br />
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<span class="yiv4244457028">I married them! </span>I officiated at their wedding!<br />
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<span class="yiv4244457028">Our agreement with them is that they will stay here with us until they start having babies in a few years, at which time they will get their own place</span> (hopefully very near-by) to raise their family. Then we will get to be proud grandparents!</div>
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<b>Update on 2015 retirement </b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">I just retired from my 4 decades long career as an environmental scientist/planner. I feel incredibly fortunate that I enjoyed my job that pays me well, that it took only 40 hours a week of my time and attention, and it has given me a secure comfortable retirement pension. I retired only because my new relationship/marriage gives me better things to do with my time.</span><br />
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<b>Clutter Tolerance</b><br />
I have been accused of having packrat tendencies. Lukily, in recent years, I have been able to keep that focussed just on my huge collection of soft fuzzy things. I no longer accumulate anything else, which is good because I have never learned to enjoy throwing anything out. <br />
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To further explain my alternative attitude toward ignoring and tolerating clutter, there is a common view that a cluttered environment creates a distracted cluttered mind. My personal experience and perspective is the opposite. I see people who notice the clutter around them and then obsessively think about what to get rid of to eliminate the clutter, as polluting their own mind with unnecessary distracting thoughts . I keep my mind clear and focused and serene by simply ignoring clutter around me and staying focused on what matters to me. I think the clutter that matters and does harm is cluttering the mind with noticing and getting upset about and efforting at changing things that don't even need to be noticed.<br />
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<b>Weight</b><br />
My weight has yoyoed throughout my adult life. I am currently about 200, 70+ pounds down so far from my alltime high of 270 in 2008. I have to keep at it now through the long process to get myself back down to 170. The last time I was in the 170s was 2006. I actually don't diet. My pattern has been that I lose weight by losing my appetite when I am depressed. I usually get depressed when I have lost friendships to death or them moving away or groups dissolving. When I am feeling good because I have abundant friendships and social activities, I have a voracious appetite and enjoy sharing meals with my friends, and most of our social activities include potlucks. So then my weight balloons up rapidly. In 2008, my extreme excess weight actually caused a new depression to set in. I felt so weighed down and draggy it made me feel sick and I could not fully enjoy much of anything any more. So I lost interest in most social activities and mostly stayed home alone in bed and lost my desire to eat as long as I stayed in bed. As the weight came off, I have started feeling better and more interested in doing things again, and now I am faced with needing to stick to my determination to continue dropping the exess weight until I get down to my healthy range and then keep it there. In 2013-14, my weight has stayed fairly constant, between 200 and 235, for the first time in ages, which I have considered a small victory since I have been feeling good and enjoying life again but have managed to keep myself from gaining weight. But now I am redoubling my determination and efforts to shed the remaining pounds to get my body back to its ideal weight range.<br />
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I never learned to cook. Mostly I just don't eat at home. Before I retired, I had breakfast and lunch at work and then just didn't have a supper. That has contributed to my losing weight. On weekends I don't eat anything when I am really depressed. Now I am eating just a lunch each weekend day. Forgoing suppers is easy for me because I do not feel comfortable in bed if I have a full stomach.<br />
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<b>Sleep</b><br />
When I had an active social life my bedtimes were very eratic, ranging from before 8 if I had nothing to do to after midnight if I had an evening activity. The eratic sleep schedule combined with sleep apnea to cause me to doze frequently at work. My boss finally told me at the end of 2008 that I had to do something about it or I would be in trouble. So I went to the doctor and took a sleep apnea test and got a sleep breathing machine and mask that I now wear every night. The breathing tube mask makes me look like a cross between Darth Vader and the Borg. I was also told to keep regular sleep hours and get at least 8 hours a night. So until I retired, I routinely had been going to bed before 8 on work nights. I took the breathing mask off around 4:30, and then luxuriated semi awake in my furry bed just enjoying the luscious fluffy feelings until I got up at 5:45, to shower and dress to leave by 6:30 to be at work by 7. On weekends I don't have hours. I enjoy my furry bed so much that I just don't get up unless and until I have something in particular to do. I am often in bed until 2 or 3 pm. If invited to do something with someone in a morning, I will get up whenever I need to. The time I go back to bed on weekends just depends on whether I have an evening activity. When I was depressed, I didn't get up on the weekend at all except to go to the bathroom. Now, since retirement, every day is like a weekend.<br />
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<b>Filth: </b></div>
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<span class="yiv5331401004" id="yiv5331401004yui_3_16_0_1_1439742890544_3456">BACKGROUND: My mother was a terrible house keeper. Our home when I was a child was always cluttered and dirty, so that is what I grew up consider normal. My mother was also a terrible cook and incredibly cheap. She bought only the cheapest canned goods and TV dinners, nothing fresh. So I did not even know what good food tasted like until after I left home at 21. When I was on my own, I became dedicated (almost addicted) to eating tasty and nutritious foods. I did not, however, feel any need to live in a cleaner home than I had grown up to be used to. I have always left it to my partners to determine how clean our home is. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv5331401004" id="yiv5331401004yui_3_16_0_1_1439734380683_57713">My previous wife was a clean freak, so our home from 1998 to 2004 was clean and orderly. </span>Since my last wife and I broke up at the end of 2004, I did not have a partner that demanded a cleaner place, so when I answered that OKCupid question, I honestly answered that I live in filth. </div>
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<span class="yiv5331401004" id="yiv5331401004yui_3_16_0_1_1439734380683_70744">Mary and I have not lived in filth for the last year. We have kept this house relatively clean and orderly. However, neither of us does anything domestic. We do not cook (we eat all our meals out, mostly at salad bars) and we do not clean house, but we finally learned how to keep the place clean without having to clean. Mary had told me from the beginning that she likes to live in a clean clear uncluttered space, but then I saw that she does not actually do anything about that. When our previous home was messy the first year we were together, she complained about it constantly, but never did anything to clean it up. So we finally figured out that we would need to move into this house in a way that had everything put away from the beginning, because neither of us would tackle the job later. We have always joked that we would love to have a wife who loved to cook and clean and garden, etc.</span></div>
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<b><u>SEXUAL MATTERS </u></b><br />
(Warning: Much of the following is quite explicit, and some would be considered by some people to be "too much information". Of course some of the above that you have already read would also be similarly labeled TMI)<br />
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<b>Frequency of Sex:</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">My orgasmic appetite is extreme! I've never known of anyone else that wants more sex than I do. Once in my twenties or thirties, I orgasmed 18 times in a day, just indulging myself. Age has not diminished my sexual appetite. Within this last year, I had an 8 orgasm day, and quite a few days with six. 3 per day is a bare acceptable minimum for me. I believe, but have never had the chance to prove, that loving partners could bring me to many more orgasms than I can give myself. </span><br />
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Most people have such busy lives and prioritize other things so much more than intimate sharing, that they leave much less time available than I'm wanting for intimate cuddly connection. I'd like to find people who are not caught up in the career rat race, who mostly like to relax and enjoy being with each other. That is what I want in my retirement. Just a relaxed, loving, cuddly sexy life. Not scheduling sex, but letting it be the continuously enjoyed prioritized loving background of our lives, and then when we want or need to, we get up and do whatever we want or need to do. But when we are done with anything else, our priority and our default natural mutually preferred position would be to continuously and relaxedly enjoy each other intimately, cuddly, sexually. I don't like high-energy sex that wears me out. I like it slow and relaxed paced so I can enjoy continuously repeating it forever as long as I want to. And for me, cuddling quietly in each others arms for extended periods after orgasming, until we feel like getting turned on again, is one of the sweetest parts of sexuality. </div>
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<b>Innocence and Sexuality:</b></div>
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My impression is that for most people innocence and sexuality are mutually exclusive. Another of the totally unique things about me, is that my sexuality is based totally on innocence, which is the most attractive human trait to me. I define innocence as not being tainted by negativeness, unguardedness, lack of cynicism, complete openness to the beauty and awe of life, without focusing on the uglyness. I believe most people were brought up to see sex as the "nasty". So in order to enjoy the excitement of sexuality they thought they had to be willing to be bad, nasty. I retained my virginity until my wedding night, because I could not find anybody willing to share totally innocent, pure, wholesome, loving premarital sexuality with me. </div>
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In early adolecence I heard other boys talk with lecherous enthusiasm about their wanting to see and wanting to touch any part of a girl's skin that they could manange. I wanted no part of that. I wanted to connect with both girls and boys in innocent cuddly affection, but nobody wanted that nor even considered it possible. As adolecence proceeded, I heard the boys always upping the ante to wanting to get to see and touch ever more private parts of girls skin. Thus I came to unfortunately associate skin touch with lecherous non-innocent sexuality. By being totally and exclusively turned on only by soft fuzzyness, the kind of thing people think of wrapping babies in, I was able to give myself a totally innocent sexuality, whether or not anyone else ever chose to join me there. I've spent the last 50 years unsuccessfully searching for precious others that would love to join me in innocent sexuality.</div>
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Please be clear that I am not in the slightest being judgmental or unaccepting of anyone else's sexual styles, as long of course as they are mutually consensual. I recognize that modern adults in the 21st century can engage in all kinds of sexual acts with a complete sense of innocence. I'm just honestly reporting what I was unfortunately conditioned to limit my sexuality to in order for it to feel innocent to me while i'm engaging in it.</div>
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<span class="yiv5331401004"><b>Fuzzy Fetish</b></span></div>
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<span class="yiv5331401004"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">There is something unexpectably unique about my sexuality. I have an extreme sexual fetish addiction to feeling engulfed loosely in soft fluffy fuzzy furryness all over my body, completely, head to toe, especially including covering my face and hands. I am unfortunately actually sexually turned off by the feeling of naked skin. I can enjoy rubbing naked skin just fine when bringing a partner to orgasm, unless they are needing me to maintain an erection in order to turn them on (such as building a woman partner toward a vaginal orgasm), but for me to attain an erection, and especially to orgasm, I must be completely covered allover with and carressed with soft fluffy fuzzy furryness. There are a just few thousand people in the whole world who have a fuzzy fetish, most of them are heterosexual men who like to be naked themselves but love to see their partners wear a fuzzy sweater or fur coat during sex. Then there is a small fraction like me that like to wear soft fuzzyness themselves, but most of those still love nakedness along with the fuzzyness. However, among those few thousand fuzzy fetishists, there are only a few other people in the world who also prefer like I do to be covered all over with soft fuzzyness during sex, but as far as I know, I am the ONLY person I have ever heard of who absolutely NEEDS to be totally engulfed in fuzzyness without exception, in order to be able to orgasm. in a world where sexuality means nakedness and the enjoyment of touching naked skin, my extreme fetish addiction has understandably limited my chances for sharing sexual activities with others. I have needed to find the rare few partners who were so lovingly accommodating that they would allow me to be totally fuzzy while being sexual with them. Otherwise, the overwhelming majority of my sexuality my whole life has been just me alone with my fuzzies. </span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv5331401004"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">If you are interested enough in reading more about my fuzzy fetish so that you would like to see my entire blog devoted just to explaining my fuzzy fetish feelings and my fuzzy fantasies, then you can go to <a href="http://furrylover1.blogspot.com/">furrylover1.blogspot.com</a>.</span></span><br />
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<b>Sexy Smells</b></div>
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Another way that I have been blessed and cursed with an idiosyncrasy that has socially isolated me, is that my favorite most sexually appealing scents are the odors that most people consider repulsive, body odors, armpits, feet, and especially crotch smells. Perfumes actually turn me off. It's a blessing because I don't have to pay for perfumes to smell what turns me on the most. But a curse because other people are so turned off by the odors that turn me on.</div>
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I can understand that other people have different tastes than I do. What I can't abide is when people think that their way is the RIGHT way, that everyone, to be decent, SHOULD shower as often as necessary to always be freshly clean, and I am disgusting for having my own unusual tastes. I could be perfectly willing to compromise and shower daily to be clean for a person if they request that, but only if they request it respectfully, not that it is what I SHOULD do to be decent or acceptable, but that they recognize and honor my right to my own tastes and honor the sacrifice I would be making for them of giving up the smells that turn me on the most as a compromise so as not to be too unpleasant for them.<br />
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<span class="yiv8934614778" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv8934614778" style="font-size: small;"><b>Watching</b></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_4708" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_4956" style="font-size: small;">People online have asked me if I like to watch and be watched. I like to be watched, not as a titillation thing though, but just so I can teach my partner what feels best to me. I can also like to be watched by people who have no intention of stimulating me, but just enjoy being present, reverently, enjoying witnessing the ecstasy being experienced by me (and </span></span><span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_23979" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">shared with </span><span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_23978" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">my partner(s) if I have one(s) participating with me). </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_2918" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">
<span class="yiv8934614778" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_8730" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_8729" style="font-size: small;">About seeing me cumming, my orgasms are not viewable, at least not the squirting, because when I orgasm, my penis needs to be buried deep inside the softness that it is cumming into, and be squeezed tight while I cum. So I can not do any visible "cum shots". All that can be seen is just my fuzzy totally fur-covered body (literally fur-covered, not meaning my human body hair, which I do not have much of) writhing ecstatically</span></span><span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_9538" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">, and my loud ecstatic orgasmic moans can be heard far and wide. One housemate has called it "the call of the wild". I've always fantasized and wanted a partner who loves to see and hear just this! As much as possible! And so wants to make sure I am always turned on and orgasming as often as possible so they can enjoy seeing and hearing it! I know these are very self-indulgent fantasies, but I can dream can't I?</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv8934614778" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>What I like</b></span></div>
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<span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_24675" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">My unrealized lifelong fantasy has been to have a partner who says, "Show me how you pleasure yourself the best, so I can learn to do it to you the way you like it most, and then I'll show you that I can learn to do it for you many times better than you can do it for yourself."</span></div>
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<span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_15620" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_15621" style="font-size: small;">I like long, slow, steady strokes from the base to the tip to the base and back and forth. "Slow and steady wins the race." Many other men like and need super rapid strokes and changes of pace that would just make me wilt.</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv8934614778" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_16477" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_16478" style="font-size: small;">I especially like and need the rest of my body to be held, cuddled, caressed, stroked with softness while my penis is being stroked. For me to orgasm, I need total full-body stimulation that I call having full-body orgasms.</span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv8934614778" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_2918">
<span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_13400" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I also love to pleasure my partner as much as they want. Before diseases, I really loved to suck deeply and swallow. I loved deeply sucking the whole shaft down to the base (because this is how I most like it to feel when being sucked), and nuzzling into the fragrant crotch hairs. (However, I could only enjoy sucking a penis that was small enough to fit comfortably in my mouth. So there were very few qualifying partners I could enjoy that with.) Now I'd mostly love to show my partner the ecstatic sensuous joy of being stroked with a fur-covered hand. With that kind of stimulation, size and diseases are irrelevant. </span></div>
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<span class="yiv8934614778" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Golden Rule vs. Platinum Rule Sexual Stimulation</b></span></div>
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<span class="yiv8934614778" id="yiv8934614778yui_3_16_0_1_1441122176531_26283" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "segoe ui" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I really enjoy the challenge of offering "golden rule" sex, which is stimulating my partner to orgasm by doing to him exactly what I like most being done to me, so he can experience the same ecstatic joy I experience. Then there is also the higher goal, of "platinum rule" sex, where I enjoy learning to give to my partner exactly what HE (or she) loves and wants to feel the most. While I can enjoy giving both golden rule and platinum rule sexual stimulation to my partner, my sexuality is limited enough that I mostly like to receive just platinum rule sex from my partner, where they learn to give me what I like to feel most. However, I do usually like to try, at least once, also receiving golden rule sexual stimulation too from my partner, him doing to me exactly what he likes most to feel, so I can experience what feels best to him. I may or may not be able to orgasm receiving golden rule sexual stimulation, but it is a great adventure of a challenge to find out, and a great togetherness experience either way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Other Sexual Fantasies (Explicit):</span></b></span><br />
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<span class="yiv5331401004" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Here are some more explicit sexual fantasies I have had. I don't ever really expect these extreme fantasies to ever actuallly be realized, especially since they involve "unsafe" sexual behaviors, but they are fun to dream.</span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="yiv5331401004"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">I have always had fantasies of sharing sexually simultaneously with a couple. It would be so incredible to be sucked on by one while I'm kissing the other, then after being sucked to hardness, penetrating deep into the wife's vagina while sucking on the husband. Then after I've cum in her, they both could enjoy taking turns sucking me back to hardness enjoying the flavor and smell of her juices on my penis. I'd also like to lick the wife's clitoris while the husband is inside her, as well as licking his shaft while he strokes in and out of her. I love that you mention enjoying extended repeated sessions all day and night. </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;" /><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">I have a fantasy of making love continuously repeatedly all the time, only pausing as necessary to eat and do other life's necessities. I even fantasize not having to stop to eat, because a loving partner takes bites of delicious nutritious foods and passes them to me in kisses, while i am in the mouth or vagina of the other. in the most extreme version of the fantasy (which I hope does not offend you to hear me tell it to you), the partners want to suck on me ALL the time, nonstop, welcoming me to even pee in their mouth when i need to, so as to never need to stop sucking me continuously to repeated orgasms. The only exception they want is to let me cum occasionally in the vagina so they can then enjoy the taste of the vaginal juices on my penis again. </span></span></span><br />
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Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-17551201114595326772009-08-17T11:11:00.000-07:002015-07-12T19:31:14.522-07:00Relaxation and SerenityAlong with being addicted to cuddly affection and soft fluffy furryness and intimacy, I am also addicted to total relaxation and serenity.<br />
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<b>Entertainment</b><br />
I have no desire for thrills, kicks, or exciting entertainment. I find that kind of stuff overwhelming. So in addition to avoiding action and horror shows, I also don't like loud, over-the-top crazy comedy and slapstick. I do not crave to be entertained, I just crave to share intimate communication and cuddling/affection.<br />
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<b>Music</b><br />
I also can't stand loud raucus music with a driving beat, hard rock,metal, rap, etc. I like music that is sweet and serene, or if it is energetic, it is uplifting, classical, jazz, folk, new age, show tunes, ballads, etc. I love slow dancing where we hold each other close affectionately, swaying to the music, and don't pay too much attention the steps. I do not do fast dancing where people don't touch at all or at most hold hands.<br />
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<b>Personal Relationships</b><br />
My addiction to serenity and relaxation also extends into my relationship style and preferences. I like mellow easygoing people without tempers/raging or high anxiety/drama. While most of my friends are intellectual and many are activists, I sometimes feel overwhelmed and want to escape when they endlessly discuss the news, politics, the state of the world, conspiracy theories, etc. I consider the societally promoted compulsive focus on paying attention to what is not wanted, focusing our attention on what we can get upset about (called the news!) to be mind pollution.<br />
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<b>Focus On What I Want</b><br />
I prefer to relaxedly focus my attention on what I enjoy, what I want, and not spend so much time paying so much attention to what I do not like and do not want. I prefer keeping a quieter focused unpolluted mind. I believe in prudently paying just enough attention to what is not wanted in order to take appropriate actions to avoid it, and no more.<br />
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<b>Relaxed Sexuality</b><br />
I bring the same sense of serenity and relaxation to my sexuality. As I said, my sexuality arises from relaxed cuddling and caressing. I have a fantasy of what I call effortless lovemaking/orgasms. We just cuddle and caress and stroke and kiss and lick each other relaxedly/joyously/stimulatingly without efforting in any way. No athletic positions that require using muscles to support our weight, holding ourselves or the other up. Just mostly letting the bed support us as we relaxedly cuddle and embrace. When either one is lying on top of the other, enjoying just relaxing and snuggling into each other, embracing and holding each other close, rather than the one on top having to strain his arms holding himself up off the other and just letting the genitals touch.<br />
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My problem with my solo/alone sexuality has been that although I gift myself with luscious cuddly soft fluffy sensations all over my body, the arm/hand that is stroking myself feels like it is efforting to maintain the stroking, and that feeling of efforting detracts from the experience. On the other hand, when I am with a cuddly lover, my arms continually glide effortlessly and tirelessly, almost automaticaly, gently and tenderly and lovingly over their entire body, eagerly sharing with them the cuddly touching that feels best to both of us.<br />
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Because I have so many health-challenged friends and because I crave to cuddle so much more of the time than other healthy people want to allocate out of their busy lives, I had created a daydream/fantasy/hope that I could find someone who has to be in bed much of the time who would want me to be in bed with them, cuddling and quietly and relaxedly making cuddly love day and night. And hopefully they would find that cuddling and loving made them feel better and healthier and enjoy their life more than just sleeping/resting alone.<br />
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I sometimes spend whole weekends quietly relaxing in bed, in silence, enjoying floating in soft fluffy furryness letting its cuddly touch stimulate me to feel orgasmic. Oh how I crave to share that relaxed cuddly bliss with a loving cuddly partner!<br />
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Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-27208912581463752882009-08-17T10:39:00.000-07:002011-09-02T03:58:15.338-07:00Explaining MyselfI have found that my orientation to life and the world and to relating is somewhat different from most people's. First of all, I am not into "vive la difference" as most people are who look for others who are different than or opposites from themselves. I rather am most attracted to and excited about the commonalities and areas of agreement I can find with someone, especially when we agree about things that we disagree with most people about. I do not actually look for an absolute identical twin, which would be unrealistic (though I must admit I do have a fantasy about that). I appreciate each individual's uniqueness as part of the richness of life. I am attracted to people who do not just conform and fit into any societally imposed mold. Including the molds expected by alternative subgroups like gays and trans (butch/femme, tops/bottoms, etc.). I like people who dare to be completely themselves however they are, without having to fit into any category.
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<br />To explain myself further, I like to say that I live mostly in my skin. What I mean by that is that I am overwhelmingly oriented to my tactual sense. I am not visual like most people. Appearance is not the primary basis of attraction for me. It's not how a person looks that attracts me, but more what they say and do. And so because I am primarily tactual, tender caring cuddly affectionate loving touching is the most important thing to me. Also, because I am quite idealistic, character traits like honesty, integrity, intelligence, nonviolence/pacifism and self-disclosing intimate communication are equally important.
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<br />I love to feel the luscious sensuous soft fluffy cuddlyness of angora and fur engulfing me and caressing my skin all over my body. The fuzzies allow my skin to feel cuddled all the time even though I have not yet found the cuddly partner(s) that I crave who equally want to always cuddle. People who want to cuddle anywhere near as much as I do seem VERY rare in this world.
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<br />My gender appearance is ambiguous. I have long hair, nipple length, that has not been cut in decades. When a store clerk or waitress sees me from behind and speaks to me, I often get referred to as mam, especially when I am wearing a fuzzy sweater, and I like that. I wear fuzzy sweaters not to look feminine (though they are technically mostly women's sweaters), but just to enjoy feeling soft and fuzzy. From the front, I am seen as a man, but many people ask if I am an indian and I like that too.
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<br />Another thing about me is that I am an intimacy addict. Open honest self-disclosing intimate communication is my favorite thing to do, next to cuddly affection, and especially both together. I am mostly bored with the nonintimate passtimes that most people fill up their time and their lives with, games, sports, TV, etc. Even most LGBT community activities, like conferences, pride parades and festivals and social activism are not intimate enough to be very interesting to me. I used to do them more than I do now. What I like in the bi and poly communities are the support groups where people share themselves honestly and deeply with each other. I have participated in those for decades. I have met almost all my partners in my life in those groups.
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<br />My only nonintimate interest is science, so the only things I watch on TV are science and nature shows.
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<br />My growing addiction to intimacy as my life went on has also shaped the evolution of my spiritual life. I was born Jewish in New York, but in a nonpracticing family, and I grew up since the first grade in Ohio in a town where we were the only jews, so I was not brought up in the faith at all. I was just brought up to think for myself and to value intelligence, and by high-school I became an agnostic/atheist. But I craved and lacked an intellectual/spiritual community. At the end of the summer between high-school and college, I found the Unitarian Universalists. What a relief, finally a community where thinking for oneself and intellectual integrity are the norm and encouraged! At that time in my life, I hardly had any concept of intimacy. Intellectual integrity was my highest value, so the UUs were a perfect fit. I remained an active UU for 30 years in every city I lived in, in 4 states. UU support groups gave me my first taste of intimate communication. As the decades went by, I found myself more involved in the support groups and less interested in the rest of the Church activities. When I arrived in San Diego in 1985, I attended the UU church's gay/straight encounter support group and mentioned that I did not know which side of the table to sit on because I consider myself both gay and straight (I didn't even know the word bisexual), and that is where I was told about the Bisexual Forum support group, which is not a part of the UU church. I immediately joined BiForum and found a level and depth of intimate sharing that I had never experienced anywhere before. People sharing sexual aspects of their lives that they had never said to anyone else before. A number of years later, I found out about poly groups and non-violent communication and other intimate groups from folks in the BiForum. By 1994, I had been so spoiled by all the intimate communication I was enjoying in these other groups, that I finally came to find the UU church to be too boringly dryly intellectual and quit attending. So now my spirituality is totally focussed on love expressed through caring and intimate communication. I have practiced a spiritual practice called Living Love since the mid 70s. I have also participated in an organization focusing on learning about expanding Love, Intimacy, and Sexuality, called the Human Awareness Institute, since 1994.
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<br />For me, sexuality and sexual turn-on are totally integrated with and grow out of cuddling. I have heard others, including former partners who considered themselves cuddly and affectionate, say cuddling is mostly for sleeping, while sex has to come from a more active primal animalistic place. Not for me. The more cuddly I feel, the more sexy I feel. I think of sex as cuddly mutual stimulation to orgasm, and hopefully multiple orgasms. I don't enjoy porn because it is not intimate and cuddly. I could never be turned on with that little human connection, often only the genitals in contact, without the cuddly affectionate loving full-body holding and carressing I crave.
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<br />My sexual appetite is very high. I measure orgasm frequency in times per day, preferably 3 or more. Other people I know, including former partners, think of sex in terms of times per week, or month or year. So I have had to learn to enjoy sex mostly alone, cuddling just with soft fluffy furryness.
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<br />I am nonjealous. And I need my partners to be nonjealous. Jealosy on the part of previous partners became the biggest problem in the relationships. I prefer the poly style where everyone involved knows and loves everyone else involved, or at least are/become friends. I like the feeling of an integrated loving extended family, rather than separate compartmentalized relationships.
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<br />Naturalness and authenticity are key attractive traits for me. I don't like role playing. I prefer direct authentic intimate sharing. Physically, I prefer naturalness rather than makeup. I prefer natural human body smells over perfumes and I prefer natural body hair more than a shaven body, including naturally hairy underarms and legs on women. I do shave my face, because the coarse wiryness of a beard and mustach would get in the way of my face enjoying feeling soft furryness to nuzzle into.Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3944994271623913726.post-54149296617547125422009-08-17T10:25:00.000-07:002015-07-12T18:33:31.128-07:00Polyamory and Intimacy NeedsPart of my desire for poly family is to be able to fill as much of my life 24/7 with intimacy. Recognizing that other people have other interests they want to devote time to as well as needs for solitude, my dream (which may well be unrealistic) is to have just enough poly partners so that there might be at least someone available enough of the time so that I can spend as much of my time as possible sharing intimacy. I want to be available to each partner as much as they want me, so I can help fulfill their intimacy and cuddly touch and sexual needs to whatever extent they want. And because I enjoy being intimate with more than 1 simultaneously, then that means that just the fact that I may already be with one partner does not mean that I am unavailable at that time to also share intimacy and cuddly touch to fill the needs of another partner. Rather, the second partner would have the opportunity to enjoy a double dose of loving attention.Ami Amemahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17753556711581081501noreply@blogger.com1