Snacks - a poem

Two men.

One stout one not.

Sitting across from me

Seiza-style by the low table.

My western knees would

Not bend their thataway.

Steaming bowls

of champon

Chase away the winter devils.

I wonder at their capacity to hold such great portions.

Our tongues were

Born the same year.

And this day

There are many bowls full.

Growing up

I ate my fill of warm toast and jelly

Every day after school, while

One boy staved off

His hunger by rubbing a button

Under his nose.

The other by

Burning a strand of hair to sniff.

Now we are

All three old.

It is may years

Since the hunger of after-war.

Stone hibachis on the tea-room floor

Shiver, and

Our bowls are full of

Toast, buttons & hair.

Vintage Rides and Car Buffs

His eyes polished the chrome detailing. Shiny layers of custom paint shone in the late afternoon sun. ‘69 Chevy Super Sport. 23,711 miles. Mint. “My daddy had one of these. It drove like a boat, an’ he loved it,” he reminisced in a soft Kentucky drawl.

I scanned the hotel parking. Antique cars—some in trailers, others parked on the asphalt next to newer cars were filling the lot. Late into the warm summer night owners and admirers were holding a security vigil waiting for the dawn when they would roll their entries over to the big show a few miles up the road.

This is the NSRA Street Rod Nationals held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. This year is the 41^st annual event held August 5 through 8, 2010. Open to vehicles 30 years and older it showcases cars from all over the US and Canada, and a few from the UK--all built in the years ranging from the 1920’s up to the 1980’s.

Billed as the largest street rod event in the world, more than 11,000 cars participate in the event which attracts over 100,000 visitors who come to see the cars and vendors as well as other enthusiasts.

Did you know that some of the cars have graphic designs worth up to $150,000?

Everything from the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s to the old classics and vintage autos are on display. And if you’re looking for an original vintage auto part, you just might find it at the giant swap meet.

There’s even a “Women’s World,” arts and crafts area for “car widows.” It’s a great family event with live music and special activities for all.

Tickets are $14 for adults (13 and older), $5 for children (6-12). Kids under 5 free. Discounts are available for military and seniors 60+. Visit their website at www.nsra-usa.com

Tabasco Treasure

A salty, piquant aroma of pepper sauce tickles your nose as soon as you walk into the visitors center. Sign up for the next tour beside a giant size replica bottle of Tabasco sauce.

This is Tabasco country, and you’re on Avery Island in southern Louisiana a 2-1/2 hour drive west of New Orleans.

Here you can tour the pepper sauce factory to learn and see how it’s made. At the reception area meet the guide – a spicy Cajun gal who talks about the McIlhenny family who started the operation in 1868. Today, product is shipped to 40 countries worldwide. Did you know that most of the pepper plants grown on the island only produce seeds? These seeds are so valuable; they are stored in bank vaults until ready for export to Central and South America where they are grown into plants. The peppers are returned to the island where they are ground and mixed with Avery Island salt and put into barrels to ferment for 3 years.

You can buy the sauce and mementos in the old-fashion Tabasco Country store, the last stop of the tour. Hungry for pepper-flavored ice cream? How about a dollop of spicy jelly? You can taste a variety of Tabasco spiked foods at the store’s sample bar.

If it’s not raining, enjoy bird watching or stroll the 200-acre Jungle Gardens to see the bamboo, azaleas and camellias. There’s plenty of wildlife to see, from the Snowy Egret to alligators, nutria and armadillo that share the swamps and marshland.

For a $1 bridge toll you can visit the 2600-acre Avery Island that sits on a salt mound that is deeper than Mt. Everest is high. Tour hours of the pepper sauce factory are Monday – Sunday 9 to 4. It’s closed on major holidays. Admission is free. Phone: 1-800-634-9599. Visit their website at www.TABASCO.com

Pinkie

Suddenly, there she stands - the glorious and exuberant “Pinkie.” And the longer I remain at the foot of her portrait, the lighter my heart becomes as I soak in the joy of the moment.

Here is the little girl on the verge of womanhood. Her lustrous shell-colored satin bonnet trails matching ribbons that fly in the wind. She is at once casual and elegant. Childlike and mature, as any 11 year-old might appear to be.

Even if you’ve seen a print of this oil you might not have caught the soft delicate shades the artist brushed into the original oil. Photos and color plates often show the clouds as menacing and dark – they’re not. Some prints show them tinged with red and orange – they are not that either. Instead, the fragile blue and frothy white clouds dance and shimmer in lively strokes that caress the canvass.

A bright breeze blows the diaphanous cream-colored fabric of her gown aside to expose the pointed toe of her little black shoe. The visual pun of her extended little “pinkie” finger is amusing but the gesture is a natural part of her casual pose.

This is a portrait of Sarah Barrett Moulton by Thomas Lawrence (1794). She was a member of the prosperous Barrett family from Jamaica. Did you know she is related to the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning? Her brother Edward was the poet’s father, and Sarah would have been Elizabeth’s aunt - had she lived. Sadly, she died within the year.

“Pinkie” is often thought of in tandem with Thomas Gainsborough’s “The Blue Boy”. Yet two different artists painted them some 24 years apart. For me “Pinkie” is the crown jewel of the vast collections of rare books, immense gardens and art at The Huntington in Pasadena, California.

Vibrant Las Vegas!

Stepping out of the terminal at McCarran airport in Las Vegas, the 110-degree June heat smacks you in the face like a hot iron.

Now that I’ve run the gauntlet of one-armed bandits and electronic billboards encircling the baggage carousels, I’m ready to head to the taxi line to pick up a ride to my hotel.

At Trump Tower there’s a corner room waiting for me on the 44^th floor. In the morning I can see The Strip set against a backdrop of pearl grey mountains fringing the Mojave Desert. At night it sparkles with countless lights. Did you know that seen from space Las Vegas is the brightest city on earth?

In the suite, the main bathroom (and there are 2) is larger than my apartment in Chicago. Soaking in the Jacuzzi-style tub, I can see the city, or watch the TV embedded in the oversized mirror over the sink. It’s off-season, so I can afford a really nice room at great rates.

There’s no smoking in the whole building, and no casino here at Trump. Best of all I can get a complimentary late check out ‘til 4 pm.

I personally don’t gamble but am always real happy to lose a bundle at the dining table. And there are lots of choices all over town. Just off the lobby of Trump, DJT restaurant serves a beautiful assortment of appetizers. One or two will make a perfect size meal. That leaves me enough room for dessert.

Strolling around town, you begin to realize that nobody is actually “from” here. Yet they all manage to find their way to this dazzling down. Where else can you meet a taxi driver from Haiti, a waiter from the Philippines and a bouncer from Bulgaria all in the space of 1 hour?

Most folks say that business is picking up; people are coming back for the fun and excitement to be found here. Just outside the window, I can see the Wynn and Encore. I think I'll head on over there for lunch.

The energy of this town resonates with me. Viva Las Vegas!

Medical Tourism Explained

My new book "Travelin' Trots" was just published as an ebook on Smashwords. In it I talk about some of the pitfalls and benefits of being an accidental medical tourist. I hope you'll take time to check it out at Smashwords, for free.

"35,000 feet over the Amazon jungle Mary Anne gets slammed with a debilitating gastrointestinal bug . Seven hours later she lands in a foreign country where she doesn't speak the language. Now she has to quickly find medical help. A travel writer and nurse, she documents the process and what it really feels like to be sick on the road ..."

Here's the link http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/15074

Won't you take a moment to spread the word about my book to everyone you know.

Thanks for your support. Mary Anne

Medical Resources On The Road

Where are you going on your next trip? I'd love to hear from you. Are you planning a medical tourism adventure? If so, here's a short list of medical resources to get you started planning for the big event:

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (www.surgery.org)

American Society of Plastic Surgeons (www.plasticsurgery.org)

ASPA physician-finder (www1.plasticsurgery.org/ebusiness4/patientconsumers/findintsurgeon.aspx)

CDC (www.cdc.gov)

Deloitte. Medical Tourism: Update and Implications – 2009 Report (www.deloitte.com)

eMEDTV (www.emedtv.com)

Fodor’s (www.fodors.com)

Foreign Currency exchange (www.xe.com)

Frommers (www.frommers.com)

International ASPS member surgeons (www.isaps.org)

JCI accredited hospitals (www.jointcommissioninternational.org)

John Hopkins Hospital (www.jhintl.net)

Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com)

Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com)

MedlinePlus (www.medlineplus.gov)

Quest Diagnostics (www.questdiagnostics.com)

Travel costs calculator (www.xe.com/tec/table.shtml)

Travellerspoint Travel Community (www.travellerspoint.com)

TSA guidelines (www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/index.shtm)

Urgent Care Association of America (www.ucaoa.org/buyers/ucaoa_orgs.php)

US Department of State (www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html)

WebMD (www.webmd.com)