Tag Archives: Westerly

A perfect imperfect weekend!

08 Thursday Jul 2021

Posted by in Daily Life, Finding Me

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Last week my sister and I decided to take Thursday and Friday off and make it a 5 day weekend.  It was not very smart since the last days of the month and of the semester are normally our busiest at work.

We decided to stay at the hotel at Foxwoods Casino and during the day go to Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island, just 20 minutes away.  

We were also going to spend time with my friend in Westerly, RI.  She just got engaged, and we planned to take the happy couple out for a celebration.

The plan was to go away for 3 days, and then spend Sunday and Monday with local friends.

We had fun, but things didn’t go according to plan. 

It rained, so we never enjoyed the beach, or even the pool at the hotel. 

We made zero money at the casino. Not that I ever expect to come home with money, but I expect to be able to play longer.

We never saw my friend.  They both got ill and we couldn’t get together. 

The meal at most restaurants were lackluster.   Only one meal was worth the calories.  The food at Guy Fieri’s never disappoints.  One evening we even went to have appetizers at another restaurant after having had a very mediocre dinner at Hash House.

Fun place to be. Better when I win, but fun no matter what.

Dippin’ Dots is always a highlight for me. I have this ice cream every time I am there. Just love it!

The view from our room. This is the day we arrived. The only day it didn’t rain.

When I go to to Foxwoods, I have to stop at Mohegan Sun.

Just a pleasure to be out and see people with no masks. Feels normal again.

We drove and walked around Mystic, CT and the sea shore of Rhode Island.  That is always fun!

Sunday and Monday we spent some times with friends we hadn’t seen in ages. That was a lot fun.

Plans go wrong for different reasons.  Sometimes it is just to remind us to make better plans next time 🙂 or to teach us to be more flexible and understanding.

I am leaving work earlier tomorrow to go away for the weekend again.  This time we are going to a resort in NJ to just enjoy nature and the pool.

Stay tuned for a date report. 🙂

Feeling blessed, wishing you all a blessed weekend!   

 

 

 

 

A fool and his money are soon parted?

04 Friday Dec 2020

Posted by in Daily Life

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“Fools make feasts and wise men eat them.”― Benjamin Franklin

Thank you for the title of this post Rob!(https://forfriendswithoutborders.wordpress.com/2020/12/04/the-book-of-life-holiday-edition/.  I was writing this post when he replied to one of my comments on his blog with that saying.  It fit perfectly so I borrowed it.

I have mentioned here before that I am very careful with my money and live well below my means. I have no one to fall back on and cannot collect unemployment so having savings is crucial to me.

It affords me the peace of mind when an emergency comes up and it also allows me to be able to help my family. That is the one thing I am the proudest of: the ability to provide my parents a financial worry-free retirement.

Still there are instances where I feel like a fool. Either because I was taken for a fool or because of spending that may be considered foolish.

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”― Epictetus

Donations:
I helped people that later were on luxurious vacations and flaunting expensive purchases. I helped people that didn’t even say thank you. Not that I am doing it for the glory but it feels good when is appreciated and the money goes where it is intended.

More and more I am learning to let go, to help and not look back. Once the money leaves my hand, it is on them and not on me. I am happy to say that to each person that didn’t thank me or that misuses the money there are at least 3 more that are grateful and uses it wisely.

I will not stop helping no matter what. I will take the chance every time.

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people that they don’t like.”― Will Rogers

Casino:
I am blaming Coronavirus for going to the Casino more often. After being locked in for so long, taking weekend trips to the casino feels like a mini vacation. They give me free rooms, which I more than pay for with the money I leave there, but still is a free room.

File that under entertainment. It is fun. I only take money I can afford to lose. I get to see my friend that lives nearby in Westerly, Rhode Island and I get to spend time in Mystic, CT.

I just try not to think about how many massages I could be getting with all the money I leave there ☹

“A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned” ― Benjamin Franklin

Now I am stepping in an area where I can really be made to feel like a fool:

The Stock Market:
After working in the financial services industry for 25 years and having people assume that stocks is the kind of brokerage my company does, I am finally dipping my toes in the stock market pool.

I have always dismissed it as something I didn’t know enough to play in it, as a playground for the big boys only.

About a month ago a good friend mentioned that I should put some money into a specific cryptocurrency. I opened a Coinbase account and did that. I invested very little. This week that crypto has more than doubled its value.

Excited over that potential windfall and kicking myself for not having invested more, this week I opened a Robinhood account. and invested in stocks in different areas. Seeing the fluctuation and the ups and downs is both scary and enticing.

“Alvin smiled back, and kissed her. “People talk about fools counting chickens before they hatch. That’s nothing. We name them.” ― Orson Scott Card

I remember several years ago listening to one of our brokers when he was buying bitcoin for around $50.00. At that time it was such an unknown thing. I wasn’t even curious about it. This week it increased to over $19,000.00 each. Do the math 😦

I can see that the potential for making money here is huge, but also to lose. Being an adventurous Aries I have to watch myself.

I feel like I arrived late to the party and now I need to make up for it. My very wise friend was quick to note: “Prosperity is always waiting for us”. God bless him for making me realize there is no hurry. The right time is always now.

At this point I feel I am cautiously taking a risk 🙂 That just sounded like the talk of a fool 🙂

I am curious to know your experience. Do you dabble in the stock market? What are your thoughts?

I want to add that I am aware of how blessed I am to have savings at this point. With so many people struggling it is not my intention to flaunt the little I have. I also feel it is okay for me to be proud for how hard I have worked and for the choices I have made.

“While money can’t buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.”― Groucho Marx

Masked or not, life is beautiful and full of wonder

15 Wednesday Jul 2020

Posted by in Daily Life

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I am reading some of Carlos Castaneda’s writing and loving it.  I hope you enjoy all his quotes.

“The aim is to balance the terror of being alive with the wonder of being alive.” -― Carlos Castaneda  

This past weekend a young friend, 23 year old, was again visiting my sister and I for the weekend.  I think I mentioned her here before.  She is from Brazil and she came to the US right at the beginning of the quarantine.  She is leaving at the end of July so she hasn’t really seen much of New York.

On Friday night I was contemplating where to take her on Saturday and Sunday.  

I called Foxwoods casino and asked if they would give me a free room for Saturday night.  They said yes.  At one point I was going to the casino many times a year.  At that time the slots were very kind to me and I to them.  They gave me a lot and I made sure to leave it all behind 🙂   I had rooms, concerts, massages, etc, everything comped.  Even though I now go only once a year, if that, Foxwoods still gives me free rooms.

“To seek freedom is the only driving force I know. Freedom to fly off into that infinity out there. Freedom to dissolve; to lift off; to be like the flame of a candle, which, in spite of being up against the light of a billion stars, remains intact, because it never pretended to be more than what it is: a mere candle.” ― Carlos Castaneda

We left at 1pm on Saturday and drove 2 hours to Foxwoods in Connecticut.  Before getting to our final destination we stopped by another casino, Mohegan Sun, which is located 15 minutes before the Foxwoods.

I wanted my friend to see how different the 2 casinos are, but I also wanted her to see Krispy Kreme donuts being made.  I haven’t had donuts in years.  I don’t like the donuts at Dunkin Donuts, so I only have it when I go to Krispy Kreme, and they are hard to find around here. I had a hot one right off of the fryer and it was divine!  After the donuts we had burgers from Bobby Flay’s burger place.  My friend is vegetarian so she had a grilled cheese.

“You have little time left, and none of it for crap. A fine state. I would say that the best of us always comes out when we are against the wall, when we feel the sword dangling overhead. Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”― Carlos Castaneda

After that we went to Foxwoods to check in.  The room was okay, nothing special.  After checking the room out we went to the casino floor and played the slots a little.  Later we had some flat breads at Stone Creek Brewery.  Also good.

The next morning we got up early and had Starbucks for breakfast.  We wanted either Einstein Bagels or Panera Bread but they were both still closed.  There weren’t very many restaurants open.

Because we wanted my friend to try Dippin’ Dots ice cream we had to wait until the ice cream store opened at 11.  We passed the time by playing some slot machines. 🙂 no money was made but it was so much fun trying.

“Think about it: what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellow men. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.” ― Carlos Castaneda

After the ice cream we went to Mystic, CT.  It is such an awesome little town on the water.  I wanted to meet a friend that lives near by for lunch at some outdoor spot with water views.  The wait time for those tables were too long at all the restaurants so we settled for just sitting outside with no view.  We had lunch at an Italian Restaurant called Anthony J’s.  We had prosecco and all was delicious.  

After that my friend Mary graciously took us around our city of Westerly, Rhode Island.  She knows all the secret spots and hidden ways that lead to the ocean.  oh, the ocean… the ocean was so amazing!  The sound, the smell, the energy, it is so re-energizing and reinvigorating. We just wanted to stay there watching.

“In a world where death is the hunter, my friend, there is no time for regrets or doubts. There is only time for decisions.” -― Carlos Castaneda

In my town we also have water, but it is the sound, calm water with no waves.  It doesn’t compare to the beauty and might of the ocean.  

We stopped by the Watch Hill neighborhood, where Taylor Swift has her summer home. Of course, taking a picture with the house on the background was a hit with my young friend.  Her house is on the picture below.

“The hardest thing in the world is for a warrior to let others be.” ― Carlos Castaneda

On the way back we stopped by Dalton’s house. He lives in Black Rock in CT.  I wrote about him here.    https://atomic-temporary-33385295.wpcomstaging.com/2013/07/22/my-crazy-friend-dalton/ He graciously made us barbecued sirloin steak and this huge salad with all kinds of stuff in it.

We got home at 10 pm exhausted but so happy for this great weekend of different views, tastes and company.

Before you scold me, I promise you that we were as safe as possible.  Masks while indoors and often outdoors.  At the slot machines we also had gloves on, and we used hand sanitizing every 5 minutes.  Still I realize that we are putting ourselves at risk every time we leave our apartment, but at this point I honestly just want to get out.  

“We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.” ― Carlos Castaneda

On another news, tonight I am taking my sister out to dinner and I invited G., who quickly jumped at the chance of meeting her.  He also made me agree to meet him for dinner again tomorrow just the 2 of us.

If he had his way we would go dinner every night.  I want slow and steady instead of crash and burn.

“Nobody knows who I am or what I do. Not even I.”― Carlos Castaneda

I am still on a wait and see mode.  I am giving him a chance but also proceeding cautiously. I am in no hurry.

“Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore you must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if you feel you should not follow, you must not stay with it under any circumstances.”― Carlos Castaneda

ps.  I will make more of an effort of taking more pictures.  Writing this post made me realize I should have more pictures and less words.  As they say, a picture is worth a 1000 words.