2009 February | Hole In The Donut Cultural Travel

Monthly Archives: February 2009

Yesterday’s Lunar Eclipse

Published February 10, 2009 | By Barbara Weibel

I didn’t see the lunar eclipse yesterday. It occurred around 8 am. and the sky would have been way to bright (I say “would have been” because at 8 a.m I was still sound asleep, having worked on various writing projects until 3 a.m.). But I didn’t need to see it. I could feel it, and that was quite enough.

Yesterday was just plain Ugh! My energy was so low I could barely function. Everything seemed a giant struggle. Every time the phone rang I wanted to throw it at the wall, because I just knew it would be another problem. I couldn’t write. Heck, I couldn’t even think. They say that the energy of a lunar eclipse is about leaving the past behind and looking forward, but I just felt stuck.

This came on the heels of a month of compete indecision over where to take my life next. I know Lonely Planet is seeking an editor for their Laos guidebook. Should I go off to Laos and Malaysia for a couple of months? To Scandinavia to try and see the Northern Lights? Some time prior to June 15th I need to return to North Carolina to complete my annual real estate continuing education requirement. My father wants me to come back to Illinois for a couple of weeks this summer. I’m thinking about going to a Yoga retreat somewhere, although I don’t know where. Yet with so many options, I was incapable of figuring out what to do.

This morning, even though I’d been up until nearly 4 a.m again, I virtually Continue reading →

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Posted in Inspirational |

Tagged energy, fulfillment, joy, lunar eclipse, Spirituality, Travel, Travel writing, True To Myself, Universe |

10 Comments

I’ve Joined The Blogging Boomers Carnival

Published February 9, 2009 | By Barbara Weibel

Starting this week, I’ve joined the Blogging Boomers Carnival. I suspect this may need a little explaining. A blog carnival is a group of bloggers who share a common interest and band together to promote one another. In this case, the 14 of us are all baby boomers. Some of us write about midlife crises, others about family, still others about career transitions for boomers. The posts are sometimes touching, sometimes informative, and will often make you laugh out loud with their self-deprecating humor.

Each week, a different blogger hosts the carnival. The host writes an article containing brief summaries of posts that have recently appeared on member blogs, providing links back to the full stories.

Clear as mud?

Well, go check it out and it will make more sense. This week’s host is Ann at Contemporary Retirement. She has compiled a list of posts for your perusal. It’s a great way to find new and interesting reads.

You might also like:

Blogging BoomerCarnival #113 At Baby Boomer Entrepreneur

Those Fabulous Boomers Are At It Again

Blogging Boomers Carnival #127 At Midlife Crisis Queen

My Turn To Host the Blogging Boomers Carnival

My Turn to Bring You the Blogging Boomers Carnival #159

Posted in Carnivals |

Tagged Baby Boomers, blogging boomers carnival, midlife crisis, woman |

4 Comments

Benjamin Button And My Curious Life

Published February 8, 2009 | By Barbara Weibel

I saw “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” this evening.

I laughed. I wept. My heart ached. Joy welled up from deep within my soul. This is a movie everyone should see. I can sum up its message with one quote from Benjamin (Brad Pitt):

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

I found myself measuring my life against those profound words: Continue reading →

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Posted in Inspirational |

Tagged Benjamin Button, fulfillment, living in the moment, Movies, philosophy, Spirituality |

10 Comments

Hitchhiking Around The World

Published February 7, 2009 | By Barbara Weibel

Author’s update: As of March 11, 2011, the Hitchhikers.org site seems to be down, but the Hitchhikers.org Facebook Page lists some alternate resources for hitchhiking. I have not checked into any of them personally and am not even sure that the Facebook Page is in any way related to the original organization I wrote about, but their links may be worth checking out.

There are dozens of ways to get free or budget accommodations when you travel. At CouchSurfing.com you can find someone almost anywhere in the world who will allow you to sleep on their couch for free. HouseCarers.com lists home owners who provide free accommodations to travelers who will act as caretakers for their property while they are out of town. Still other agencies arrange for free or reduced accommodations in return for volunteer work.

But I have never heard of a way to get free transportation. Until now. I recently learned about Hitchhikers.org, a website that provides travelers with a way to search for rides from Los Angeles to Costa Rica, from Dar es Salaam to Madrid, or just from Amsterdam to Paris. Drivers who are looking for some company (or sometimes a modest fee) submit their rides to the site and hitchhikers search for routes that match their travel plans. They connect through the website and then handle their own arrangements from that point. There is no fee for posting or searching for rides, nor for contacting posters, and the website is available in more than 10 languages. Continue reading →

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Posted in Travel tips |

Tagged budget, couch surfing, free accommodations, hitchhiking, house caretaking, house sitting, Humor, Travel |

13 Comments

Hysterical New Rule For Obese Canadian Airline Passengers

Published February 6, 2009 | By Barbara Weibel

On January 10, 2008, the Canadian Transportation Agency passed the “one-person-one-fare” policy that prohibits Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, and WestJet from charging more than one fare for “persons with disabilities who require additional seating for themselves, including those determined to be functionally disabled by obesity for purposes of air travel.”

The airlines were given one year to comply but the problem was how to implement the policy. Although the CTA stated that the decision “does not apply to persons who are obese but not disabled as a result of their obesity,” the potential for abuse was obvious. Earlier this month, Air Canada and WestJet announced they will require disabled or obese passengers seeking a second seat to fill out a five page form and send it in for review well before their flight date. The form requires doctors to – get this – measure the patient’s behind. They’ve even provided an illustration and instructions to facilitate the process: Continue reading →

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New Countries Approved For Visa-Free Travel to The U.S.; Additional Security Measures Implemented

Raising The Miracle On The Hudson From The Bottom Of The River

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Your Next Perfect Trip Could Be Waiting At Ruba.com

Travel Insights 100 Make Travel Predictions for 2010, Choose Dumbest Travel Moments of 2009

Posted in Travel industry news |

Tagged Air Canada, Canadian Transportation Agency, CTA, disablities, Humor, obese, obesity, one passenger one fare, Travel, West Jet |

24 Comments

Thar She Blows! Will Alaska’s Mount Redoubt Soon Erupt?

Published February 5, 2009 | By Barbara Weibel

Scientists and vulcanologists seem to be in agreement that the eruption of Alaska’s Mount Redoubt is imminent. The question is not if there will be an eruption but when it will happen and how strong it will be. Redoubt has a long history of documented eruptions. The most recent occurred in 1989-90 and was characterized by large explosions that produced ash clouds reaching altitudes of 40,000 feet that disrupted air traffic operations in and out of Anchorage.

Possible scenarios for this new event range from no eruption at all to a complete collapse of the mountain flank, but according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the most likely scenario is an eruption similar to the 1989-90 event that could persist for weeks or months. The AVO warns that the hazards associated with this type of eruption could include ash clouds reaching 40,000 feet or higher; ash fall; mudflows that could travel east down the Drift River, possibly reaching the Cook Inlet; and pyroclastic flows (fast-moving clouds of hot ash and gas) that could travel swiftly down the mountain flanks, affecting areas within about nine miles of the volcano.

Judge for yourself. First, take a look at the photos of the 1989-90 eruption:

Geologist uses a theodolite to measure the dimensions of the lava dome at Redoubt Volcano. From the same installation, scientists also utilized a laser-ranging device to measure distances to reflectors. Repeated measurements of these distances allow for detection of ground deformation that may be related to volcanic activity. Photograph by R.G. McGimsey, June 04, 1990.

Continue reading →