Questionable Book Titles/Subjects 5

Here's another little group of those strangely funny book covers. This time the theme is ... "You Mean Somebody Actually Wrote About THAT?"

I'm almost tempted to buy a couple of these just to see what the authors' points of view are. I mean, c'mon!

I have one more small bunch of these weird book covers to share with you at a later date.

Is It Too Early for the Grinch?

During my recent visit to my son's home in Fremont, California, I did something I always do. I wandered around the house with my eyes wide open, looking for interesting subjects to photograph.

This rose bud stopped me dead in my tracks.

I thought I was looking at a botanical incarnation of Dr. Seuss' Grinch and stood there with my mouth open. Who can dismiss that strange face, and who could predict that a bud soon to erupt in beauty would remind me of the Grinch?

I mean, just look at it. If that doesn't remind you of the Grinch, then I don't know what will.

The Return Flight Was Better – Almost

May 23, 2014, leaving Las Vegas for home five days later:

It started off fine. I did have apprehension on the Vegas-Seattle leg when a little baby, oh, maybe a year old, sat across the skinny aisle from me on the CRJ plane that took me from Las Vegas to Seattle. I needn't have worried. She took a shining to me, smiling cutely, then sleeping through practically all the two hours we were in the air.

It was a long wait in Seattle for my flight back to Hawaii, but the wait went well – no problems.

They announced a full flight to Honolulu, but the middle seat next to me in the Economy Comfort zone was empty, much to the delight of my row mate and me. We were able to lift the seat arms, and it was like sitting on a couch.

A couple in the row across the aisle was pulled and upgraded to first class. Lucky people, and the serviceman sitting in the row had three seats all to himself. Lucky guy, well-deserved.

Good luck for all concerned. And then ... this little 3-4-year-old girl behind me started whimpering, then talking, then singing. Oh well, updated score: two good, one bad.

And then (again) as we were taxiing for takeoff, the pilot came on the PA to announce there was right-engine control-light problem (electronic engine control), so we taxied back to the gate for repairs (Wha-a-at!) and a possible 30-minute delay. Actual delay: one hour and five minutes.

The serviceman across the aisle. Poor guy.  A young talkative chef student at the Culinary Institute of America was able to make the flight after originally missing it, but because of the delay, they put her on. She took the aisle seat in his row ... No more couch for him.

Looks like I spoke too soon, huh?

Flight from Hell ... Again?

May 18, 2014, on my way to Las Vegas again for a much-desired vacation from home:

Gate 20 Waiting Area

8:10 p.m. There's this woman sitting behind me in the Delta gate waiting area who smells like she took a shower in over-ripe floral perfume. I think it's time for me to change seats.

On the Plane

8:30 p.m. And now, sitting in the seat next to me – Economy comfort area, for which I paid extra - is a very big and wide woman. Jeez.

9:05 p.m. The woman from the gate waiting area with the heavy perfume aura is standing in the aisle next to where I'm sitting. Traffic jam, she's not moving. Oh so stinky.

9:20 p.m. Only thing missing is a crying baby. Oops, spoke too soon. Crying baby one row back and to the right.

At the Gate

9:30 p.m. And then ... a half hour after we pulled away from the gate, we're back at the gate. Pressurization instrumentation failure, they said. The good news (really?) is that the maintenance crew here can fix it. Déjà vu all over again, haven't I been through this before? Yep. The last time I took Omni International Air to Las Vegas.

10:45 p.m. Announcement that a part will be replaced and the delay will be an additional hour.

Gate 20 Waiting Area

10:57 p.m. Text message from Delta Airlines, new flight time is 11:30 p.m.

10:58 p.m. Damn! I smell the perfume lady, but she's nowhere to be seen.

11:15 p.m. Announcement, the plane is fixed and they are reloading the plane.

On the Plane

11:35 p.m. Pulling away from the gate.

11:45 p.m. Wheels up. On our way at last.

Leaving Las Vegas

Goodbye to fun, sorry you weren't here.

Still in Las Vegas

Still having fun, still wish you were here.

I'm in Las Vegas

Having fun, wish you were here.

Flora in Fremont

I'm getting ready to take another few days vacation in Las Vegas next week, and am a bit lazy ... so instead of doing a lot of writing, I'm going to share with you some photographs of beautiful flowers and foliage that I took at my son's home in Fremont, California.

All of them, mind you, were taken during a walk around the house and his back deck.

Lots of beauty, that's for sure. Okay, I'll shut up and let you enjoy now.

Phone Pix 23: Buildings

One way to keep the mind sharp and working well is to look around for interesting subjects, angles and lighting, whip out your telephone and take a picture. (Isn't it amazing how we can do that nowadays?)

Buildings are always fascinating .. not only because of their shapes, but because of their lighting, meaning, and what's going on around them.

Here are some that I gathered late last year:

Old House in Makiki, Honolulu, HI, Aug. 26, 2013

Excalibur and New York, New York, Las Vegas, NV, Sept. 2, 2013

Catholic Church of Las Vegas, view from Encore Hotel
Las Vegas, NV, Sept. 4, 2013

Bodega Church, Bodega, CA Sept. 24, 2013

Potter Schoolhouse, Bodega, CA Sept. 24, 2013

Condominium, view from back of Honolulu Art School, Honolulu, HI
Nov. 8, 2013

Iwilei Industrial Area, Honolulu, HI, Dec. 30, 2013

Wyland Mural, view from Honolulu International Airport cellphone lot,
Honolulu, HI, Dec. 30, 2013

Questionable Book Titles/Subjects 4

Women aren't safe from ridiculous book themes and titles. I guess the theme must be legitimate, but sometimes I wonder what the authors were thinking anyway.

And yes, I have a few more ... later.