TTES

Gulp!

A few years ago, my friend Alison and I did a 5 kilometer walk as a benefit for the American Heart Association. It took an hour, and we had a lot of fun.

A few weeks ago, I got an invitation in the mail to participate in a benefit for the American Stroke Association, a sub-group of the AHA, by raising funds and participating in a half-marathon. I went to the informational meeting this morning, and signed up. Now I'm wondering if I'll have the courage to follow through. It's not the walking nor the distance; it's the requirement that I raise a minimum of $2,100.00!

The program I joined is called Train To End Stroke, or TTES. There are hundreds of participants, many who have participated multiple times. Each team has mentors, trainers, a nutrition counselor, and someone to help with fundraising suggestions. Team Sacramento will meet twice a week to train and learn. I won't be able to attend those group meetings because of my work schedule, but they assure me that will not be an obstacle.

The first team practice was a 1 mile walk after the kickoff session this morning - but I had to work at the library today, as I do every Saturday, so I'll have to get my practices in on different days. I'll be blogging my progress here, and on the fundraising web site.

Always Take Sides

"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." ~Elie Wiesel

This was the quote of the day in my Franklin planner for January 9, 2008.

It has always been very hard for me to take sides. I can usually see compelling arguments on both sides, and cannot choose if they appear to be equally weighted. M tells me I need to look at the issues in light of long-term viability or benefits, instead of simply weighing the arguments in the short term. Maybe he's right. I probably need practice in sticking my neck out and justifying an opinion - hopefully well-enough researched - which is my other problem. Since most research supports one or the other side, it must necessarily be biased and regarded with skepticism...

In these last few weeks before the California primaries, the Wiesel quote made me think about how California creates laws. California always seems to produce a great deal of its law via ballot referendums and initiatives. This has led to the interesting patchwork of special-interest legislation that each year entangles the already contorted state budget even more. I have always voted "no" on each measure on GP, because I believe we have hired the legislators to create the laws; else why even bother to elect them? Does that count as taking sides? Or is it simply refusing to play?

Jamaica Day 6 - The Trip Home

American Airlines delayed us again on the return trip. Because the night flight the previous evening was very late, the morning flight was also late, in order for the crew to get its 12-hour rest. As a result, the ticketing agent had to reschedule virtually everyone on the 737 because of missed connections. I was upgraded to business class from Kingston to Miami, and to first class from Dallas-Ft.Worth to Sacramento. I had some time to shop in the airport for gifts to bring back.

Miami was queueing experience! Going through passport control took a very long time. Good thing the agent gave me a 4 hour layover there! I spent over an hour in line waiting to go through the passport control checkpoint; then I navigated to the baggage claim area and picked up my suitcase, then took it to customs. I called my in-laws, who winter in Miami, but there wasn't enough time to get together, so I wandered on to the gate for the next leg of the journey. The rest of the flight was uneventful, and I was able to stick up my feet in the nice, spacious, first-class seat and snooze for a couple of hours. Marty was waiting for me in Sacramento, and brought me home.

Jamaica Day 5 - Sunday

I broke down on Sunday. It actually started Saturday afternoon, when it suddenly hit me that I didn't want to leave Jamaica. But Sunday, I broke down big-time. We all went to Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Old Harbor. Peter's sermon was humorous and well-received. I expected the hymns to make me teary, based on past experience, but I didn't expect to lose control! The parishioners were so genuinely warm and welcoming, and the special blessing conferred by the pastor on all first-time visitors to the church combined with my already emotional state, just caused tears to stream down my cheeks. It was like finding a family and having to leave them just as I was getting to know them.

We were tired from having stayed up late Saturday night, so after breakfast, we all took a siesta before returning to Fee's for the night. There was some car trouble on Peter's side, and we were to borrow Fee's vehicle to be sure I got to the airport on time. Fee had additional guests, and had ordered Chinese food to go, so we had more music Sunday night. I did manage to get my packing done, and crawled into bed around 11. We needed to wake up around 4 a.m. to get to the airport on time.

Jamaica Day 4 - The Party

After lunch, Peter and I went to see Ainsley Henriques, who is a leader in the Jamaican Jewish community, and who has been working on a huge project to index and map the Jewish cemeteries. We know our Ur-Ancestor, Noel Crosswell, is buried in a Jewish cemetery, and I thought it might be neat to see if we could find his grave. Ainsley said many graves no longer have stones, and Noel's name is not in the index. He was able to give an educated guess as to where it might be. However, we ran out of time, and had to return to Fee's house for the big family get-together and dinner.

At 6 p.m., the elder family members began arriving: Mother's cousins, Joan and Farren, an in-law, Audrey, and their assorted children with spouses. By 7, everyone else began walking in. We also invited Noel Vaz and Mr. and Mrs. Wycliff Bennet, people who knew mother. Many had not ever seen the family portraits, and they became the center of the conversation for a while.

Soon the house was full, and Glenn, the Bar Man, was filling everyone's hand with some liquid cheer. Maxine prepared a repast that included crackers and a spread made from salt fish and tomatoes and onions; there was also boiled green bananas, roast chicken, rice and peas, a salad, and I'm probably missing something. Nicola brought the desserts: home-made individual pavlovas, cheesecake, and another cake.

Velia sang, accompanied on the piano by Lloyd Hall, and later Yekengale. I was so busy circulating that I only took about four photos. I am depending on the others, Peter, Velia, Fee, and Nicola, to share the ones they took. We talked, laughed, caught up all the news, ate, and sang until the wee hours, and finally, as the guests took their leave, Peter brought us to his house in May Pen, as he had to preach the sermon at Mass the following morning. Velia and I were so wired up from the party that we talked until 2 a.m.

Nest morning, Peter commented that "every living relative on the island" came to greet me. I was genuinely moved by their friendliness and kindness, and wished with all my heart I didn't have to leave so soon. My cousins, who were children and teens when we last visited, all grew up to be remarkable and interesting adults, many with spouses and children. We are expecting to stay in touch from now on. It may be a while before I can verbalize my feelings and express them in writing.

Jamaica Day 4 - Portland

Okay - here's a map, so you can see where I've been going. For those who have been to Hawaii, I gather (no research - I'm on vacation) Jamaica is about 3 times bigger than the island of Oahu; Moloka'i is 40 miles long and 10 miles wide. Jamaica is 120-some miles long and 40 miles at its widest point. It has a population of about 3.5 million, I'm told, and the city of Kingston houses 1 million.

Yesterday Peter drove me from Kingston around the eastern end of the island, through Bull Bay, Yallahs, Green Wall, White Horses, Morant Bay, Port Morant, Golden Grove, Manchioneal, Priestman's River, to Boston, where we had Jamaica's world-famous jerk for lunch. On the way, we discovered his battery was dying, and at one stop we had to ask for a passing taxi to help jump-start us - no problem, man!

Continuing, we drove through a winter storm over roads badly damaged by the last hurricane through beautiful country to the Folly, Port Antonio, St. Margaret's Bay, Hope Bay, and Orange Bay, past the Rio Grande (which is where everyone goes Rafting) and the Blue Lagoon to Buff Bay and Anotto Bay. Then we turned south and returned along the route we took the other day, through Castleton, past Temple Hall, etc. I remembered that my previous visits here had been in July and August, when it is very hot and sticky. Although it has been rainy, the rain is warm.

When we reached Kingston, we branched east and went to Peter's house in May Pen to sleep. Peter's wife, Velia, fixed us a late dinner, and we listened to music until very late. This morning, we had sausage and ackee with dumplings (biscuits), a lovely chat, and then I was returned to Fee's house in Kingston, where we are preparing a large family get-together this evening.

Jamaica Day 3 - Temple Hall

Today Peter took me on a drive up to Temple Hall and Castleton.

Temple Hall belonged to Simon Soutar, and, in my lifetime, to his grandson, Rowley Crosswell (my mother's brother.) The property itself used to include a tobacco plantation, cattle, vegetables, chickens - a self-sustaining mini-economy. Not much of any of that is evident now, and, in fact it feels abandoned. It has since been sold a couple of times, and is now being converted to a convention center. Fee says no one has been able to live there since it went out of the family, and mentioned duppies ...

The Great House looks beautiful from the outside, but is being renovated and "repurposed" inside. We found someone on the property who allowed us to go inside, so we were able to take a few photos from the balcony. He says the grounds are currently used for weddings and other outdoor functions.

The feature I remember most is the aqueduct that runs along the edge of the lawn. On the other side of the aqueduct is the Wagwater River. We would go down and sit on the rocks at a tiny falls and let the water wash over our shoulders. The weather was changeable, and the rain begin really coming down just as we were leaving.

Then we continued on up the road to Castleton, where there is a huge botanical garden. Peter said the British used it as a testing place to see what kinds of marketable plants would grow in Jamaica. Because it was drizzling, we didn't stay long or walk far. Photos are on Flickr in the Jamaica 2008 set.

Jamaica - 40 Years Since My Last Visit

This morning went absolutely without a hitch: the "continental breakfast" included pancakes and waffles, muffins, bagels, cereal, hard-boiled eggs, and various fruits and beverages. I doubled the desk clerk's estimate of how long it would take to get to the airport, and I planned to arrive two and a half hours before flight time, instead of two hours. The line at the American Airlines checkin counters was very long, but it actually moved fairly quickly, and in 30 minutes I was checked-in and had my boarding pass in hand. Nothing left to do but sit at the gate for an hour before boarding began, and the flight left on time.

Fee met me at the airport - recognized me immediately, and I recognized her from recent photos. Big hugs! We stopped for the Jamaican equivalent of "fast food" - two beef patties and a soda - and she brought me to her house, just a few blocks from where I stayed on our last visit. Our cousin Peter stopped by later in the afternoon and took me to visit some of Mom's friends from the theatre: Noel Vaz and the two sisters, Carmen and Gloria. (I'm going to edit names in the next day or so, to be sure I get them right.) Fee is hosting a family party next Saturday, and they will come, too, for a get-together and an evening of music and entertainment.

I may have left my flash card reader at home - if so, I'll need to buy one here so I can post photos. In the meantime, I'll also take pictures with the cell phone and e-mail them to blogger. Maybe - the first one is still in my phone's "out box" after 15 minutes, and bluetooth doesn't seem to be connecting, either. May have to re-establish the connection. Ach! Technology!

Jamaica Day One: Sacramento to Kingston - Almost

I'm a victim of holiday airline delays. I only made it as far as Miami today. The morning began with a one-hour delay in Sacramento because of crew rest rules and - get this - de-icing! And then a one-hour-plus delay in Dallas-Fort Worth caused me to miss my connecting flight to Kingston. (Leo Prieto's photo used with permission.)

In DFW, mechanics were "looking at an item" on the aircraft and boarding was postponed by about 20 minutes. Then, after everyone was aboard and the doors locked, we waited another 30 minutes for the mechanic to sign off on the inspection and for a ground crew to "push us out." Then the taxiing and waiting our turn, and finally the take-off. We were about an hour late arriving in Miami, and my connecting flight had already left. American Airlines re-booked me for 10:55 a.m. tomorrow, and put me up at the Comfort Inn Suites with vouchers for three meals. I didn't think, until after I'd eaten my delicious, free hot roast chicken dinner, that I could have asked the airline to see if there was a seat on a different airline. Ah, well, live and learn.

So tomorrow morning, I'll enjoy my free breakfast, catch the shuttle back to the airport, and continue on to Kingston and my cousins!