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| WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WOKE UP ON A COAST TO COAST FLIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO FIND YOUR "AGING" MOTHER (ME) SITTING NEXT TO YOU (DAUGHTER)BLEEDING ALL OVER A WASHCLOTH SAYING..... "I HAD A NOSE BLEED WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING"..... ONLY MY POOR DAUGHTER WOULD FIND HERSELF IN SUCH A SITUATION TWO WEEKS AGO ON OUR LONG AWAITED BIRTHDAY TRIP TO LOS ANGELES..... LEAVE IT TO ME TO GET A GUSHER 4 HOURS IN TO THE FLIGHT AND FIND MYSELF WITH TWO MALE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WHO HALF PANICKED AND JUST KEPT TELLING ME TO "PUT YOUR HEAD BACK"...... I MUST SAY THAT'S THE WORST THING YOU CAN TELL SOMEONE WITH A NOSEBLEED... WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO JETBLUE PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNING MEDICAL ISSUES?? BUT FORGET THE NOSEBLEED LET'S TALK ABOUT JETBLUE'S "MINT" EXPERIENCE FIRST... |
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| SEE THIS MAGNIFICENT SEAT..... PLENTY OF ROOM RIGHT???... NOT EXACTLY WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU BOARD THE PLANE.... TALK ABOUT FALSE ADVERTISING.... GRANTED SOME PEOPLE LUCKY ENOUGH TO KNOW JETBLUES "SNEAKY SEATING CHART KNOW HOW TO GET THESE SEATS.... BUT NOT ME..... THEIR SEATING CHART SHOW "AISLES" BETWEEN ALL THEIR "BUSINESS" CLASS SEATS....ON THE PLANE....NO SUCH THING...ONLY CERTAIN ROWS HAVE THESE GLORIOUS SEATS....AND OF COURSE WITH MY LUCK WE DID NOT GET THEM.... SO NOT BEING ONE TO COMPLAIN....AND I SAY THAT JOKINGLY.... I WAS NOT HAPPY THE MINUTE I GOT ON BOARD.... SUE LIKES A LOT OF ROOM TO MOVE AROUND... PUT ME 5 HOURS IN A SEAT I CAN'T MOVE AROUND IN.... AND WELL.... I GOT A NOSE BLEED.... AND LET ME REPEAT.... POOR DAUGHTER....I THINK SHE HAD SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT TAKING ME AWAY THE MINUTE WE WERE TAXING DOWN THE RUNWAY AT JFK.... GOD BLESS HER... WE GOT IN TO L.A. AT 1:00 A.M. AND BY 2:00 WERE SOUND ASLEEP AT THE W HOTEL IN "WESTWOOD".... UP EARLY THE NEXT MORNING WE DROVE UP THE COAST TO OUR FIRST STOP ON OUR WHIRLWIND LONG WEEKEND... SANTA BARBARA... |
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| HEAVEN WITH PALM TREES.....THE WEATHER WAS FABULOUS..... |
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| THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT WAS DIVINE..... |
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| LOOKING A BIT LIKE A FANCY "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" WE DID EXPECT TO... AT SOME POINT.... SEE A WAX FIGURE OF JOHNNY DEPP WE WERE SURPRISED THAT ALL THE ROOMS APPEARED TO BE OUTSIDE SPREAD AMONG LOT'S OF PALMS AND FANCY FLOWERS.... I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL JOYCE MENTIONED THAT WAY BACK WHEN IT WAS BUILT IT WAS A MOTOR LODGE.... OR IN TODAYS LANGUAGE A "CHEAP MOTEL" THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE OUTDOOR ROOMS... UNHAPPY WITH THE FIRST ROOM THEY HAD US IN....SURPRISE SURPRISE.... BUT FOR WHAT DAUGHTER WAS PAYING WE WANTED SOMETHING PRETTY SPECIAL..... SO THEY HAPPILY MOVED US TO..... |
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| A LOVELY LARGE KING SIZE ROOM WITH A PERFECT FIREPLACE..... IT WAS A BIT CHILLY OUT AND THIS WAS THE PERFECT THING TO TAKE THE NIP OUT OF THE AIR AND MAKE FOR A VERY COZY ROOM.... I ALSO HAVE TO ADD THAT THE BED WAS AMAZING.... I HAVE NEVER SLEPT IN SOMETHING SO COMFORTABLE.... |
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| THEY KNEW IT WAS SOME ONE'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION! WE DIDN'T MAKE A POINT OF TELLING THEM WE SHARE THE SAME BIRTHDAY SO WE JUST SHARED THE LITTLE MUFFIN.... |
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| WE HAD A SPIFFY LITTLE CONVERTIBLE TO DRIVE UP THE COAST... YOU KNOW THE CAR THAT THE "OBNOXIOUS HERTZ GUY" SAID WE WOULD NEVER GET ALL OUR LUGGAGE IN AND TRIED TO DOWNGRADE OUR RIDE.... NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE TWO WOMEN WITH TOO MUCH LUGGAGE.... A TWO SEATER MERCEDES WILL INDEED FIT 2 PILOTS BAGS TWO CARRY ON'S AND TWO OVER SIZED PURSES..... |
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| WE SAW BEAUTIFUL SPANISH STYLE CHURCHES ALONG THE WAY..... |
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| AND A FABULOUS CAROUSEL...... |
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| AFTER THE COLD WEATHER ON THE EAST COAST IS WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE SUCH BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS AND FERNS.... THE FOUR SEASONS LANDSCAPING WAS BREATHTAKING.... |
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| WE RAN INTO THE WORLDS LARGEST ITALIAN POTTERY SHOP ON EARTH.....NO PURCHASES....THE PRICES WERE OUTRAGEOUS... |
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| I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPING IN MY LIFE.... AND WE MISSED ALL THE MUDSLIDES AND FIRES....WHICH LUCKILY HAPPENED THE WEEK EARLIER! |
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| VERY HAPPY WITH MY NEW LEICA CAMERA THE BOSS GOT ME FOR CHRISTMAS.....USING IT'S 400MM LENS I CAUGHT THIS SURFER ON TOP OF A WAVE.... |
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| AND THIS BEAUTIFUL SUNSET..... |
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| MORNING TWO WE FOUND OURSELVES WITH ROOM SERVICE....BECAUSE NOTHING IS BETTER THEN ROOM SERVICE!! |
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| FRESH SQUEEZED JUICE AND CROISSANTS OUT ON THE PATIO... WHAT COULD BE A NICER WAY TO START THE MORNING! |
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| TWO LADIES IN OUR FANCY ROBES.... AND DID I MENTION WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR TWO FABULOUS SWEDISH MASSAGES... WHY DID I HAVE TO MARRY AN ITALIAN INSTEAD OF A SWEDE....?? |
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| FIRST STOP OF THE DAY ON SATURDAY WAS THE HEAVENLY "SAN YSIDRO RANCH" http://www.lhw.com/hotel/San-Ysidro-Ranch-Santa-Barbara-CA JUST SOUTH OF SANTA BARBARA IT WAS OUR OTHER CHOICE FOR ACCOMMODATIONS BUT WE DECIDED ON LUNCHING UP IN THE MOUNTAINS AND SLEEPING BY THE SHORE.... SO GLAD WE DIDN'T MISS OUT ON VISITING THIS AMAZING PROPERTY.... NAMED THE #1 RESORT IN THE WORLD BY TRAVEL AND LEISURE MAGAZINE AND FORBES TRAVEL... THIS WAS THE HONEYMOON SPOT FOR JACK AND JACKIE KENNEDY...... AND HERE WE ARE JUST TWO "JERSEY GIRLS" LUNCHING WHERE FAMOUS STARS OF THE 30'S AND 40'S HAVE MARRIED.... NAMELY VIVIEN LEIGH AND LAURENCE OLIVIER....... |
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| THE STONE HOUSE RESTAURANT ON THE GROUNDS OF THE HOTEL... WE HAD A NOON RESERVATION FOR LUNCH.... WE OPTED TO SIT OUTSIDE ON THE PATIO AND SOME SORT OF EVENT WAS HAPPENING BENEATH US AND TO ADD TO THE AMBIENCE OF THE DINING AREA WE WERE SERENADED BY FRENCH ACCORDION MUSIC... WE FELT LIKE WE WERE BACK IN PARIS... TO QUOTE INA GARTEN "WHAT COULD BE BETTER!!" |
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| I TRIED TO SWEET TALK MY WAY WITH OUR WAITER INTO LETTING ME SWIPE THE MENU BUT HE WASN'T BUYING WHAT I WAS SELLING.... I WISH THEY SOLD THEM IN THEIR GIFT SHOP... IT WAS SO PRETTY .... |
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| I GOT THE SWISS BURGER WITH SAUTÉED ONIONS AND A WONDERFUL SIDE SALAD WITH MY ALL TIME FAVORITES BEETS AND PEARS... IT WAS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKED! |
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| DAUGHTER GOT A TUNA MELT ON RYE WITH PARMESAN FRIES AND SAID IT WAS VERY GOOD.... |
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| WE SHARED A FABULOUS LEMON TART..... THE RANCH PROPERTY AT ONE TIME WAS A CITRUS GROVE... AND THERE WERE LEMON TREES EVERYWHERE.... I WAS TEMPTED TO PLUCK A FEW BUT THOUGHT BETTER OF IT.... I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP MY BAD REPUTATION FROM SPREADING FROM THE EAST COAST TO THE WEST COAST :) |
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| HERE'S MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER STANDING IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MANY MANY LEMON TREES.... WE ASKED IF AFTER LUNCH WE COULD WALK THE PROPERTY AND THE FOLKS HAPPILY SAID YES..... THERE ARE 41 INDIVIDUAL COTTAGES YOU CAN RENT.... EACH ONE CUTER THEN THE NEXT.... I GUESS FOR A RESORT THAT'S #1 IN THE WORLD I SHOULD CALL THEM SOMETHING A LITTLE BETTER THEN "CUTE" !! |
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| EVERYWHERE YOU WALKED WAS EYE CANDY...... |
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| PICTURE PERFECT!! |
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| BEAUTIFUL POOL AREA..... |
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| WE WERE ALSO VERY TEMPTED TO SNIP AND CLIP SOME OF THIS BEAUTIFULLY SMELLING LAVENDER..... |
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| BIGGEST LEMONS I HAVE EVER SEEN..... |
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| I'LL STAND BY MY FIRST COMMENT..... THESE ARE "CUTE" COTTAGES..... WITH THEIR BLACKBIRDS ON DUTY...... |
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| INSIDE THE MAIN LOBBY OF THE RESORT..... HOW COZY DOES THIS LOOK..... |
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| THE OUTSIDE OF THE MAIN LOBBY..... AND BACK IN ATLANTA I'M LUCKY IF I CAN KEEP THE SEA GRASS ALIVE!! |
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| LOOK WHAT I RAN ACROSS.....ESPECIALLY FOR THE BOSS.... HOW FITTING....THIS IS A FERRARI "CALIFORNIA" PARKED AT ONE OF THE COTTAGES.... LUCKY THEM! |
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| AND THEN IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE FOR L.A. WATCH FOR!! PART 2.....LOS ANGELES.....AND SUE'S CHIMPS.... UP NEXT!! |
