London

It's always great when you are the absolute last person who's luggage arrives. that said, Passport control is no longer endless lines with huge wait times. Not sure when that changed but it was such a pleasant surprise after the long flight

I was able to hop on the tube and make my way into London and meet my friend who is hosting me for the next few days,

For sure I was ready to rest when we arrived at his place. 

Sadly, as we arrived, my daughter called. Her dad's sister died the night before after a long battle with cancer. Mirna Estrade de Valle has been a friend for over 30 years and was endlessly kind. Gone far too soon, Mirna was 55 years old and had two sons and my heart grieves for them. 

Sightseeing day one and my first stop was the British Library, which should not surprise anyone who knows me.

Their lattes are tiny

"Mad" King George collected an amazing assortment of the world's knowledge and the library safeguards the collection.

The library also had a display of important US documents in honor of our 250th anniversary.

There were just so many treasures...

Unfortunately, their Gutenberg bible was not on display when I was there, as it was being restored.

Which just means I will need to go back again one day...


 

Day One- Take-off

 So my cousin had this generated :

Retirement has been keeping me busy- Signing up for COBRA, donating stuff to the Vets cause it doesn't need to live here anymore, as well as all the regular home tasks like changing the furnace filter before I take off...

When I upgraded, I was given entry to the lounge, which was a great place to spend some time before my flight.

But the real bonus was the real space of business class meant I was ready to hit the ground running when I landed in London.

And I am not gonna lie- the food was really good too.

Root Canal

Met with my endodontist for the root canal evaluation, the office was lovely and quiet, the staff was quite nice and the endodontist looked like I would ask him for ID before I would sell him booze.... and miracle of miracles, he deemed it not necessary at this time.

I AM SO RELIEVED!

I am a real dental fraidy cat, and was so nervous about even going to the appointment... so this was great news.

I am going to take antibiotics with me... just in case... and I do have travel insurance- also just in case. The Faye policy is worth it for my piece of mind.

I am going to Europe on Monday. London, here I come!

The countdown has begun

 I have my bag packed. And yes that's all I am taking for the 2 months.

I have my ride to the airport all set. And my friend plans on meeting me when I land. I have my BritRail pass and my Oyster card, and my Scotland plans have been confirmed. Wales and Ireland are set. I even got my Paris details settled.

But the thing about traveling is you have to expect bumps along the way.

My first bump I have an aching front tooth. Saw my dentist today and, yup, I need a root canal. And all I keep seeing is CJ of West Wing trying to survive after hers.

The procedure is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and I fly out on Monday. 

I won't say "what could go wrong" as I know all the things...

All I know is I am getting on the plane Monday no matter what.

The Peace Corps- and disappointment

 I got a message notification yesterday and read it this evening. It was from the nurse who has been reviewing my medical forms.

My medical history means I am not eligible to serve in Peru as a Sanitation and Water Hygiene volunteer.

And I am disappointed... but not totally surprised. 

So now I need to plan for my next adventure. But first, Europe.

Retirement starts Tuesday and I can't wait.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Since the movie isn’t officially out yet, I will not say anything about the storyline to avoid spoilers.

As a Prime Member, I was able to get tickets for an early viewing and took my child, as we have watched the Marvel movies together.

Of course, because it was me, we ended up in the very first row…

And because it was me, our seats were not working, so we could not recline…

My child mocked that I printed out the ticket instead of having an app on my phone…

And none of that mattered once the movie started.

I loved it!

The characters… the story progression… the twists…

The last little bit after the credits… because of course I waited…

My thoughts… Peter looked pretty rough throughout the film, he has AGED, and looked weary (Not sure if it’s the story or because Tom Holland was worn out after filming the Odessey right before this)

Zendaya is beautiful, and nobody should make her (or her characters) cry.

Some friendships are forever!

Peace Corps

On July 15, 2026, Representative Scott Perry (R-PA) withdrew his proposed amendment to House Bill 8595. The amendment sought to eliminate the entire $410.5 million proposed for the Peace Corps in the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations bill. Zeroing out the funding would have ended the program I love.

I don’t understand why he wants to kill the Peace Corps. It’s a small budget item… one that has already been reduced, shrinking the staff and the opportunities.

As someone who served in Guatemala and hopes to serve again, I am glad I will have the opportunity.

If I can get all my medical documents approved!