Aruba Trip Part Three

There I was sitting in the pool at the pool bar.........in the shade. Alot of folks got toasted.......not only by the sun, but from the various assorted drinks from the pool bar. Miami Vice........Rum Runners, Green Iguanas, Long Island Ice Teas, Captain Morgan, ...........and Beer! You drank as much as you wanted and as often as you wanted it.......it was all included in the price of the trip.
Unwilling to get toasted by the sun, I wore a t-shirt for the most part. On this day, it was the Todd Rundgren shirt. Amazingly, some people actually knew who he is.

You would sit at the bar with your body in the water........and watch the sights around you.

When you look back, you could watch people as they played around in the waterfall. Sometimes that got rather interesting.

And you could also watch assorted passersby who would stop to order a drink. Some of them would even seem to strike a pose.

The bartenders were great. The one on the left looked like a cross between Foxnews' Juan Williams and the late Richard Pryor.

This was pool paradise...............

........and this was beach paradise!

It was as relaxing as it could get........notice how calm the water is.

Speaking of relaxing..................it was an excellent place to watch people relax.......hehehe.

I love looking at boats on the beach...............this was the only small portion of the sands that had any debris washed up.


Calm, calm, water...........hardly ever a wave. This is Palm Beach, Aruba.

It is a great beach to stroll along.

You can soak up the sun while you soak up the sights.

Some of the sights even went to the beach bar to get toasted on a few drinks. You did know that they have eye candy on the beach, didn't you?

The beach bar kept pretty busy.........and how convenient is this?

I spent some of my time on the beach under a palapa...........so did some of the sights.....hehehe.


I miss this beach already............

Stay tuned folks..........more to come!

Yet Another Step Towards Our Demise

The President's Limo as it appears today.

As everyone knows by now, Obama was elected last night to be the 44th President of the United States. Sure, I voted for McCain........and if you have been reading this blog, you also know why I voted for him. Looking back, that Obama has won is not much of a surprise. There are many factors in this bloodless coup. If you think about it, recent history shows that the two party system has changed. Starting with Reagan, presidential terms seem to have gone from 4 years to 8 years. 8 years of Reagan, 4 years of Bush, 8 years of Clinton, 8 years of W., and now it will most likely be 8 years of Obama. Remember when the Republicans put up Bob Dole to run against Clinton so that Clinton could extend his term? Likewise, the Republicans have put up McCain to the wolves. Think of it as a bizarre fair trade agreement. McCain never had a chance against Obama, but he made it interesting by choosing Palin as a running mate. Still, look at how she was treated in the press............it is disgusting.

Ultimately, what the American voters did last night was elect a man who nobody really knows...........nobody has seen his birth certificate, he is unexperienced, has no major accomplishments as a Senator, and proposes to take us all a huge step towards socialism. It has been said that we get the kind of government we deserve............maybe we have had it too good and never realized it. Maybe it takes something such as this to wake us all up. Maybe this IS destiny. Maybe the "Change" that Obama will bring......won't be what people think it will be. Obama tickled alot of ears. I can understand that black Americans are proud that they once and for all, have a President of color, albeit he is half caucasian. But Obama is truly not elected on his abilities other than his ability to sound and look good. It is these two abilities that further the fact that the Presidency is a figurehead and nothing more.

I hope that I am wrong about everything and that Obama ends up being a decent and good president, but I will not be counting on that. Surely as you could on Bush to not tax us to death, none of us figured he would be the big spender that he turned out to be. I expect that Obama will show to be the very left wing democrat that he is and spend alot of money as well.........except with Obama every kind of tax will be increased and new taxes will be created. Let's not forget that "spread the wealth" routine of his. It looks like people such as myself will be funding the largest welfare program in history. Let's hope this lasts for only four years.

Meanwhile, here is what else we might could expect by January 14th.........

The President Obama limo!

Oh well.........good luck everybody!..........those islands in the Caribbean are looking better and better...........but I think those islands will be getting very crowded soon.

By the way..........at the polling place that I vote, there has never been a line in the last 20 years and there was no line yesterday. Perhaps that tells the story.

Okay, enough of this stuff.........I have a perfectly good vacation to write about........stay tuned!

Aruba Trip Part Two

There I was...........standing on Palm Beach in Aruba at sunset.......glorious feast for the eyes.......not me.......the sunset.

After we had arrived at the Occidental Grand and got ourselves checked in and situated, we immediately headed to the beach, it was late afternoon. After a while we hopped over to the pool for some drinks and then back to the beach for the sunset. This made for a great first day. Everything was looking good, we were a bit tired from the flight, but everyone was eager to get this party started.
If for no other reason, this alone is worth the trip.

I couldn't absorb enough of this stuff......this is God's artwork........ever changing.........and every moment as glorious as the previous moment.

Imagine seeing this every evening. I could live with that.

Okay........so back to the rest of the story........

The beach. I have been to quite a few lately and this one, Palm Beach in Aruba, is one of the best. Fantastic sand, clean, well kept, and water as warm as bath tub water. I was told that because of a recent tropical depression that went on to become Hurricane Oscar, the water was cloudy along the shoreline. That didn't bother me none. They say that ordinarily you could see your feet when you look down into the water......it is usually very clear. No rocks or tons of broken shells to tread on here. And the water was very calm with the only hint of wave action coming from an occasional passing small boat.

This is a public beach and you can walk along it as far as you care to. Our group gathered together on the beach and soaked up the sun. By the way........the sun here is hotter than a microwaved dinner and you can easily get toasted, roasted, and char-broiled in a short period of time. Sunscreen is necessary here. If not for the cooling tradewinds, instead of mid-80 degree temperatures it could easily be 100 degrees here. In fact, there were times when the breeze stopped and you could immediately feel yourself cook....not to mention the humidity. I was told that Aruba only gets about ten inches of rain per year...........that is not very much rain..........but there always seemed to be scattered clouds where at least one or two clouds would dump a small shower down on us........just enough to cool us off on the beach.

There was much to look at on the beach...........if you happen to be a guy of any age, you would be looking at this kind of stuff............

And regardless if you are a guy or a girl, you couldn't help but see this.........

Okay, enough of that for now..........back to the pool.

The pool was fantastic.........while the ocean was warm. the pool was even warmer. This was great......about four to five foot deep, waterfalls, hot tubs, beds, and a pool bar.............what's not to like about this?
Everybody appeared to be enjoying themselves.

And everybody had a drink or two.....or three........what the heck........who was counting? We all had our BubbaKegs. The resort is all-inclusive and you could drink and eat as much as you cared to.

My drink of choice was Balashi.......the Aruban beer.

I am not much of a drinker, but I can safely say that I had my share of Balashi.

The pool bar was great............you could just wade on up in the pool and get your drink. You never have to get out of the pool unless nature calls.

You could sit at the bar on these huge rocks.

You could also get out of the pool and go lay on one of the beds located throughout the pool area.

See the rocks on the right?..................well.........up in those were the hot tubs, located at the center of the pool.

I stood right there and looked around......this is what I had to look at standing near the bar.

I already miss that pool..........it may have been the best one so far.

There is one of those beds I mentioned previously. Don't you wish you were there?

Okay, that's enough for today...........I have to go vote. I will write more about the Aruba trip in the next day or two.

Stay tuned!

Aruba Trip Part One

There I was........sitting at Gate D22 at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall Sheila Dixon Rawlings Blake O'Malley Mikulski Obama International Airport in Baltimore......waiting to board our plane. We would be flying off via USAirways to the island of Aruba......but we would have to change planes in Charlotte. I got my Ravens cap on and ready to go.

I wasn't alone on this trip.....of course Supernurse was with me.......along with about 45 others as part of the Chesapeake Medical Staffing group. We were the first batch to head off to Aruba.......four days later the rest of the group would join us. All in all, there were a total of 89 assorted nursing professionals with spouses and friends on this trip. It is always a pleasure to travel with this group of people.

So we boarded the plane, changed planes in Charlotte, and we were off to Aruba.....it's a fairly long flight. We all get situated on the plane and all in all, everything was good.......except for two very odd things.

First odd thing............

.........no........Robin Williams was not on this flight.......BUT.......there was this flight steward to looked and acted eerily like Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man. Same robotic movements, same smile, same walk, same blank stare. Downright scary. I wonder if this guy knows how he appears.

This was was I saw from my seat........as you can see........there he is, sitting there.

Here is a little closer look. I apologize for the lack of clarity in the picture........but surely you can see the resemblance.


Okay........now that was the first odd thing.

If you have never been in an airplane......this is what I could see as we were ascending. Looking down, everything kept getting smaller and smaller.

Up and up until we were above the clouds.............it is amazing.......and it gives you a view of things from a different perspective.

Once we level off.....we are so high up that it seems that if we went any further up we would be in space. Yes, you can see the curvature of the earth at this point.

Now the Second Odd Thing.............

It isn't odd that some people take their laptop computers with them on trips........but what was odd was what I saw on the laptop between the seats in front of me. Can you see what that is?

Have another look...................that's right......

..........it was the cockpit of a plane......much like the cockpit of the very plane that we were on......and it was on a laptop. Okay, okay......so there are games for computers and there are even flight simulators as well......no big deal.........BUT............

........that wasn't all that was on that laptop................I couldn't help but read what was on the screen.............holy smoke!..........it appears to be some serious technical questions about controlling a plane.

Indeed..........it was some sort of program from Oxford Aviation Training..........in this day and age, stuff like this gets my attention in a big way. There were two men in the seats in front of me.........both had reasonably dark skin.......I could not tell whether or not they were Arab, Aruban, or Hispanic.......and they spoke in a foreign language............and one of them came across as if he was in charge of the other. The other seemed younger and was extremely jittery in that he couldn't seem to sit still. And he kept looking over the back of his seat at me. I didn't like this at all........this kind of stuff makes for an uncomfortable flight......how does one relax seeing this stuff?

I kept an eye on these guys while Supernurse slept. I sat there thinking about various scenarios.....what if these guys were terrorists and started to do something?.......I knew I most assuredly would not be able to count on any help from Bicentennial Man, the flight steward. I pointed out the two to some of the others sitting nearby.........they would watch them too. And that one guy kept looking back at me and grinning.............and I kept staring right into his face to let him know that at least Signtopia would be in his shit if he tried anything. Who knows what he was doing on this flight?......I surely didn't.........and I wouldn't have trusted them regardless of how innocent their purpose really was. They were whipping out 100 dollar bills to pay for snacks and wine and being sarcastic with the female flight attendant. The attendant didn't seem to notice what I had.

So what to do about this situation.............I was thinking........if something was going to happen, I am on it.........then again, if it could be prevented maybe I should step up to the plate and say something to someone in charge and have them deal with it............then again, if it was all much ado about nothing, then I would be the cause of delaying this trip because surely, the pilot would want to land somewhere and the nearest place at this point was Miami........I would open a whole can of worms......................what would you do?

So what I did was nothing.........I just kept an eye on them. I opted to believe that these were just some morons that had been attending a flight school, probably in Charlotte.....who knows?....and were reviewing their tests.............then again, I couldn't help but remember about some of the facts about those terrorists that brought down two planes on 9/11. They were young too. They also had participated in some flight training at a school in the US. This was all not only odd, but very uncomfortable.

I looked out of the window......at this point we had gone far enough over open water that I could see an island................we must be getting closer to Aruba at this point...............nothing has happened so far and I thought........if they were planning any nefarious stuff for this flight it would have happened while in US territory.

So......nothing happened.........and we landed in Aruba about an hour later...........and I could finally relax.

Our group of people stood outside of the Aruba airport and prepared to board the two buses that would take us to the resort. This party was getting started.

Me and Supernurse on the bus..................go ahead.......ask me if I am tired and just a little stressed.

The infamous Aruban police................halfway into our vacation, I would discover firsthand, how inept these folks can be. It does not surprise me now that Natalee Holloway was never found and those responsible for her disappearance just danced with the authorities. More on that later.

Here we go.............

............to be continued.........

Jehovah's Witnesses Go Trick Or Treating

I just got back from an eight day trip to Aruba with Supernurse. Fantastic beach, beautiful sunsets, iguanas, spending each entire day drinking Balashi......feasting on unlimited assorted food........and gambling in the casino every night.............needless to say........I had no election, no problems, no stress, no aggravations, no nothing to pester me..........I was one happy man on one happy island. A man has gotta like this stuff.

In the next few days or so, I will be writing here about the trip to Aruba. Unfortunately, as with all vacations, those wonderful days are far too short and we must return home. We returned to Baltimore around midnight Wednesday. I cannot say that I was tired, but I can say that I was exhausted.......I guess my adrenalin decreased rapidly as we approached Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall Dixon O'Malley Obama International Airport. I went from mid-80s tropical weather to a very cold 40 degree vacation ender.........blahhhh.

So I spent Thursday "resting".......getting things in order......yakking on the phone.......and giving attention to the dogs. It is good to be home........but it is not always so good to be where home is. Home is in Baltimore and I am back to the world in which I live. The election is fast approaching and just maybe I will get to actually vote this time. Two years ago my absentee ballot was never sent to me........can you say "rigged" election? This time around, I am here and I will be at the polling booth on Tuesday.........I will be right there in line at the poll......standing in line behind the homeless, illegal aliens, non-residents, felons, deceased, illiterate, brain damaged, uneducated morons....that will also be voting. This is the Maryland political tradition and it seems that the rest of the country has followed suit...............ain't it wonderful?

Okay....okay.....I have veered off course and went political on you...........let me get back on track.........after resting on Thursday and getting stuff in order at home, I began Friday with tending to grandkids because their schools were closed. This was not a bad thing.......I love my grandkids and I did miss them while I was away. It was about 10am Friday morning when I looked outside my window and noticed a car had pulled up and parked across the street from me. Three women and a child exited the car and began to scatter and head for the homes in the neighborhood. "Oh yeah!......make my day!"..............this was gonna be fun.......well, maybe not so much fun for whichever one of these people head my way...........let's just say this was gonna be one of those moments where somebody was gonna get an educational experience. Education should be fun, right?

The woman with the small child headed towards the front of my house........and she never got to knock on the door.......I popped the door open and stepped outside before she could even get up the front steps...........this was gonna be interesting.

Here is Signtopia doing one of the things he does:

She says: "Hello"
I said: "How ya doin'?"

She says: "Fine"
I said: "Let's see, you must be one of two things.........either you are with ACORN and you want to get me to vote for Obama.....or you must be trick or treating dressed as an alleged Christian"

She smiles.
I said: "Seriously.....I know.......you are a Jehovah's Witness.......it IS Halloween"

She smiled some more.
I smiled as well.

I said: "What brings you out today?"
She begins to pull a two page tract out of her bag.
She says "We are just here to give out these......."
I said: "I don't want one of those, thank you."
She just keeps it in her hand.
She says: "Its just some information for you about some things......."
I interrupted her and said "Yeah.....but I have some information for you though and I am glad you stopped by to receive it."
She smiles.
I smile.
She smiles some more.
I say: "How old is your child?"
(the kid was standing next to her and kept looking up at me as if he had no clue why he was here)
She says: "Two"
I said: "Two?......He really should not be outside...it is very chilly and he could catch pneumonia"
She nodded and smiled.

She begins to turn around to walk away but she is on MY time now and I plan on continuing the conversation.

I said: "I am very familiar with Jehovah's Witnesses"
She smiles and her eyes light up.
I said: "I have two sisters who were Witnesses......one was for over 30 years....but they are both out of it now."
She says: "Oh.......you had some bad experience"
I said: "No, I always have a good experience.......I have never been a Jehovah's Witness"
She smiles.
I smile.
I say: "Let me ask you something."
She says: "Yes?"
I said: " I have conversed with Jehovah's Witnesses countless times. I have had many discussions, particularly on the internet, around the world......and I have noticed that the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses do not seem to realize a few things that they are being taught."
She looks at me curiously and smiles and says "Oh?"
I said: "Yes.......it seems that the rank and file Jehovah's Witnesses are not fully aware that they have a very peculiar view of Jesus. Aside from believing Jesus is NOT God and that Jesus is also Michael the Archangel, they don't seem to realize that they are taught that Jesus is also the fallen angel of the abyss named Abaddon."
She smiles and says "You must have had a bad experience"
I said: "No.......I know you have studied the Revelation, It's Grand Climax Is At Hand book......it is in there........and the Insight book has it as well.......and maybe one or two other of your books that you have studied."
She smiles and says "Yes"
I said: "But you never realized that the Watchtower view of Jesus is that he is the fallen angel of the abyss?"
She says: "You must have had a bad experience"
I said: "Not at all.......I do not "study" those books, but you do"
She smiles.
I said: "For your information, you can read about Abaddon in your bible......it is found in Revelation 9.
She smiles and says "Maybe you have a different translation of the bible"
I said: "No......I can use any bible"
(that line had to send a chill up her spine)
She smiled and said "We have a translation......."
I interrupted her with "I know.......but I would question the validity of that translation since they keep the translators names anonymous. It is hard to verify any qualifications of anonymous people, wouldn't you agree?"
She smiles.
I said: "One other thing I have noticed........your organization has this thing called a Memorial every year."
She smiles and says "Yes....the Memorial"
I said: "Yes......the Memorial......The Memorial is the only ritual, I have found, that is exercised.....where the symbolic flesh and blood of Christ is rejected by all. In fact, your organization very specifically encourages and advises its members to reject it."
She ain't smiling any more.
I said: " I cannot find ANY Christian organization that would teach rejection of the symbolic flesh and blood of Christ. I can only find Satanic groups that would do that. Isn't that a bit odd?"
She says: "You must have had a bad experience"
I said: " In your bible, if you look at John 6:53-56....you can see where Jesus was speaking and said that those who do not partake of his flesh and blood have "no life in them".........and he wasn't speaking to just his apostles......he was speaking to a crowd."
She smiles.
I said: "I found that to be very interesting.....you might want to research that."
She smiled again.
I said: "Oh......and another thing.........How is it that Venus and Serena Williams can do what they do and participate in patriotic stuff like carrying around the American flag at the Olympics, but YOU cannot get away with even reciting the pledge of allegiance in a school?"
She smiles and says: "I am sure they will be dealt with......Jehovah sees everything."
I said: "I am sure Jehovah DOES see everything.......even I could see them with the flag. I wouldn't think that He is asleep at the wheel, do you? I mean he would treat the Williams sisters equally as He treats you, right? He wouldn't give them different rules than He would give you, would He?
She smiles and says "No"
I said: "Do you suppose that it is because they are celebrities and have donated tons of money to the organization?"
She says: "It was nice to speak with you."
I said: "Before you go.....I have one other thing I need to ask you"
She smiles and says "Yes?"
I said: "You came here to day to my door.......was there some sort of message that you wanted to bring? Is there something you would want to tell me.....share with me.....some sort of message?"
She thinks for a moment and says "It's a message of hope for life from the bible."
She smiles.
I said: " Ahhhhh.......hope for life from the bible."
She nods.
I said: "It seems to me that it was ME that gave YOU that message and it is found in John 6:53-56 and the last time I checked...........yep......that's from the bible!"
She smiles.
I said: "Well, you have a good day now, and get that kid out of the cold air before he catches pneumonia."
She walked away.
I said: "God Bless ya!"

The woman then walks across the street and tries knocking on some more doors. Needless to say, nobody was answering their doors. All she could do was leave her pamphlet. Hopefully, her conversation with me would click..........nothing else to remove it from her mind.
After a few more doors.....she headed back to the car and, with her child, sat out of the cold air waiting for the other two women.

About fifteen minutes later, the other two women got back to the car and they drove away. I wonder if the woman with the child told of her conversation with me.

I am sure the others couldn't help but notice how much time she spent speaking with me. Maybe somebody gets the message...........then again........maybe they were disappointed that they didn't get any candy on this Halloween.

You have to wonder about people.