I am flattered and honored that there have been more than 14,000 visits to my blogs since I launched CancerVivor.blogspot.com in October 2007.
Since then, I also created kohnzone.blogspot.com after discovering a piece of my family I never knew existed.
Throughout, I have tried to warn anyone who would listen about the dangers of ordinary heartburn and acid reflux. Most recently, I logged into Facebook and soon was chatting with a friend from high school whose longterm domestic partner has been having acid reflux for years. She and her partner live offshore, so he hasn't been receiving the type of care we expect here. I implored her to force him to see a doctor and I hope she's read through this blog and forced him to read it too.
That's because heartburn can cause cancer, which can cause death. It's that simple.
So if you or someone you care about has longtime heartburn, reflux or the like, please, please have that person see a gastroenterologist. Soon.
Time is important because this is a dangerous cancer and you don't want it to spread. That's what could make it fatal.
Please keep reading and I'll keep writing. And I hope that helps save a few lives in the process.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
In retrospect and reflection
I talk to Amy, Tracy and Dan and I realize several things.
One, that without the obvious splitup of my parents, as depicted in the photo shot in Brooklyn in 1958 or '59, my siblings Dan, Amy, Tracy and Andy never would have been.
Two, that the aforementioned split helped shape me and make me who I am, and, to a degree, who my children are. I have no complaints.
Three, that while my father was a caring and compassionate man toward his children out West, he also failed them in some respects. Some of the failings were his fault, many were not. Among the former, he gave up when trying to win their custody after it appeared he lost. At the time, men infrequently won custody, true. Later, he focused on anger over his divorce with their mom, and that got in the way of his parenting, relegating him to being a so-called "Disney Dad." Anger betrayed the love he felt for them. In spite of this, not because of it, they turned out pretty damned good.
Four, I am not sorry that my parents split. I turned out well, as did they, and I now have a brother and two sisters. Further, I was blessed to have a wonderful mother who gave me a wonderful foundation to build my life upon. I'm not sure which is better: growing up an only child or growing up the eldest of what might have been five had they remained a couple. We'll never know. None of us, since all the key players in this drama have passed.
Oh, the questions I'd ask Mom if she were here. But at least her scarlet letter has been lifted -- and shame on those who imposed it on her.
One, that without the obvious splitup of my parents, as depicted in the photo shot in Brooklyn in 1958 or '59, my siblings Dan, Amy, Tracy and Andy never would have been.
Two, that the aforementioned split helped shape me and make me who I am, and, to a degree, who my children are. I have no complaints.
Three, that while my father was a caring and compassionate man toward his children out West, he also failed them in some respects. Some of the failings were his fault, many were not. Among the former, he gave up when trying to win their custody after it appeared he lost. At the time, men infrequently won custody, true. Later, he focused on anger over his divorce with their mom, and that got in the way of his parenting, relegating him to being a so-called "Disney Dad." Anger betrayed the love he felt for them. In spite of this, not because of it, they turned out pretty damned good.
Four, I am not sorry that my parents split. I turned out well, as did they, and I now have a brother and two sisters. Further, I was blessed to have a wonderful mother who gave me a wonderful foundation to build my life upon. I'm not sure which is better: growing up an only child or growing up the eldest of what might have been five had they remained a couple. We'll never know. None of us, since all the key players in this drama have passed.
Oh, the questions I'd ask Mom if she were here. But at least her scarlet letter has been lifted -- and shame on those who imposed it on her.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Looking back to the past few weeks
It's Saturday morning and this past week has been a whirlwind. Since arriving home we spent about a day r
ecovering from the daylong journey on Spirit Air, which does anything but lift your spirits. Then I was back at work, and Catherine prepared for her trip to Maryland to visit Melissa, EJ and the gang.
So, looking back, the two weeks spent in California were amazing. I met two sisters and a brother -- and their children and one very nice husband -- who, until a couple months ago, I'd never spoken with and didn't know existed until a short time before that.
We don't really look alike, but what w
e share is our father. Mel Kohn, we suspect, traveled to California and spent some time there with my mother before they called it quits. Mom and I moved back to New York a little over a year after I was born. But Mel remained on the West Coast, where he found work as a manager in the industry he'd been in back East -- trucking.
At only 36, he had the first of three heart attacks and it was then, several years after I was in New York, that he met his future bride, Rita -- his nurse. Perhaps now aware of his mortality, he and Rita married. They purchased a house in the town of Huntington Beach, in Orange County south of Los Angeles. They had four children in rapid succession -- not unlike Catherine and myself.
Dan, named for his Uncle Daniel Kohn, is the eldest of the four. His namesake, our father's older brother, also died at a young age, not unlike their father -- my grandfather, Abe. But Dan has been getting and keeping in shape of late and has begun to run in foot races, including a half-marathon just a little
while ago. He's going through a divorce and has two children, Caleb, who was out of town during out trip out West, and Hannah, who is a gem of a daughter and, to me, niece.
Amy is the eldest daughter and the person I first was able to contact when trying to reach my new family. She's quite a woman, with a fun sense of hu
mor and a strong spirit. So strong that I don't even think Spirit Air could break hers.
She's married to Brice, an engineer with Alcoa's fastener division. He jokes that there are a lot of nuts at wo
rk, he's the nuts and bolts of the operation, and the like. 
They live in the house our father purchased in Huntington Beach, which is known as
Surf City USA, buying it from their mom several years ago. Their four children are Kenny, Abby, Missy and Grace. Each is a very distinct person with a very unique mind and spirit. We had loads of fun with all of them, even the last full day of our visit when we went to the movies.
Tracy is Mel's youngest daughter and is quite a card. Early on during our visit we kept missing one another but finally got in touch with one another. Good thing, because during our two 
visits with Tracy and her wonderful kids Elyse and Nolan we had a really good time.
Our first meeting was at The Block mall, where
we went to Dave & Busters, had a great dinner and played a ton of games. The kids won a lot of tickets and got a prize or two in exchange.
Our second time together was a trip to Magic Mountain, the Six Flags theme park north of L.A. with a bunch of amazing roller coasters. We did quite a few coasters, and I was even able 
to coax Tracy and Elyse onto the Superman coaster, which shoots you out to 100 mph then curves straight up until you reach about 325 feet before you free-fall back to the start. It was a great time and I hope the kids like their new aunt and uncle. Tracy and I are sure to build a good relationship over the years.
Sadly, I was unable to meet my youngest brother Andy because he died about 18 months earlier. Andy was a troubled soul and my regret is never getting to know -- and possibly help -- 
him out through the years. But I was able to be part of his interment at sea. Amy and Dan had planned a trip to Santa Catalina Island to scatter Andy's remains. And I
am glad they were able to schedule it during our trip out West. We traveled to the island for the afternoon and Dan rented a small powerboat -- with me at the wheel -- to head offshore for our very casual farewell to Andy. We all shed tears during the trip, perhaps Amy the most, as Dan scattered Andy's remains. As Amy said, those were just his physical remains, but his spirit remains all around us all the time. I lightened the air by pointing out that for a little bit, anyway, he was around us all the more as his ashes melded with the Pacific waters. Dan tossed in some of his and Andy's favorite baseball cards. And we all thought that perhaps Andy and his mom would bump in to one another since her remains also were interred off the Catalina coast.
Our trip to Las Vegas the previous weekend also was an important part of our visit. Amy and Brice reserved the rooms at one of the Strips nicest properties -- Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino. The room was magnificent and the ameneties wonderful -- a wave pool, a meandering lazy river pool and three swimming pools -- and the company of Amy, Brice and Dan great. It was a chance to bond and get to know one another. While we didn't hang out as much as I'd have liked in Vegas, we spent lots of time together there and on the drive there and back. Dan managed to scrape a knee even while he was sober and I introduced Amy and Brice to matzo ball soup served at the deli in the New York, New York casino, though couldn't get them to budge on the gefilte fish. Maybe next time.
We also had the opportunities to meet relatives on both sides of the family. A college graduation party in
San Diego gathered the Green family together. They're Amy's Mom's side of the family, and it was nice to meet them all. The house was in a beautiful area. It's weird that even though the city is south of L.A. and Orange County it was cooler. Toward the end of the trip we also had a chance to travel to Long Beach and visit with my cousin Trudy, her husband David, as well as cousin Jill and husbad Alan, plus their nephew, Kirk and Maddy's son Mark, now a Hollywood up-and-comer. We had a nice dinner, a tour of Trudy's condo and during the conversations Trudy offered a few insights into what she recalls of the days when my Mom and father were dating and engaged.
It's kind of like a puzzle to put together, tidbit of information by tidbit of information.
I'm sure at some point I'll have most, though not all, of the pieces filled in.
The day we flew back home, Catherine and I spent the day as tourists. We went back to Universal Hollywood, had lunch at Bubba Gump Seafood
on CityWalk, did the few rides we'd missed before, then left and touristed in Hollywood before heading to the airport for our delayed flight home. Ah Spirit Air. Gotta like em. Just remember, if ever you have an opportunity to fly on Spirit, pass it up and fly another carrier. You'll thank me later.
ecovering from the daylong journey on Spirit Air, which does anything but lift your spirits. Then I was back at work, and Catherine prepared for her trip to Maryland to visit Melissa, EJ and the gang.So, looking back, the two weeks spent in California were amazing. I met two sisters and a brother -- and their children and one very nice husband -- who, until a couple months ago, I'd never spoken with and didn't know existed until a short time before that.
We don't really look alike, but what w
e share is our father. Mel Kohn, we suspect, traveled to California and spent some time there with my mother before they called it quits. Mom and I moved back to New York a little over a year after I was born. But Mel remained on the West Coast, where he found work as a manager in the industry he'd been in back East -- trucking.At only 36, he had the first of three heart attacks and it was then, several years after I was in New York, that he met his future bride, Rita -- his nurse. Perhaps now aware of his mortality, he and Rita married. They purchased a house in the town of Huntington Beach, in Orange County south of Los Angeles. They had four children in rapid succession -- not unlike Catherine and myself.
Dan, named for his Uncle Daniel Kohn, is the eldest of the four. His namesake, our father's older brother, also died at a young age, not unlike their father -- my grandfather, Abe. But Dan has been getting and keeping in shape of late and has begun to run in foot races, including a half-marathon just a little
while ago. He's going through a divorce and has two children, Caleb, who was out of town during out trip out West, and Hannah, who is a gem of a daughter and, to me, niece.
Amy is the eldest daughter and the person I first was able to contact when trying to reach my new family. She's quite a woman, with a fun sense of hu
mor and a strong spirit. So strong that I don't even think Spirit Air could break hers.
She's married to Brice, an engineer with Alcoa's fastener division. He jokes that there are a lot of nuts at wo
rk, he's the nuts and bolts of the operation, and the like. 
They live in the house our father purchased in Huntington Beach, which is known as
Surf City USA, buying it from their mom several years ago. Their four children are Kenny, Abby, Missy and Grace. Each is a very distinct person with a very unique mind and spirit. We had loads of fun with all of them, even the last full day of our visit when we went to the movies.
Tracy is Mel's youngest daughter and is quite a card. Early on during our visit we kept missing one another but finally got in touch with one another. Good thing, because during our two 
visits with Tracy and her wonderful kids Elyse and Nolan we had a really good time.Our first meeting was at The Block mall, where
we went to Dave & Busters, had a great dinner and played a ton of games. The kids won a lot of tickets and got a prize or two in exchange.
Our second time together was a trip to Magic Mountain, the Six Flags theme park north of L.A. with a bunch of amazing roller coasters. We did quite a few coasters, and I was even able 
to coax Tracy and Elyse onto the Superman coaster, which shoots you out to 100 mph then curves straight up until you reach about 325 feet before you free-fall back to the start. It was a great time and I hope the kids like their new aunt and uncle. Tracy and I are sure to build a good relationship over the years.
Sadly, I was unable to meet my youngest brother Andy because he died about 18 months earlier. Andy was a troubled soul and my regret is never getting to know -- and possibly help -- 
him out through the years. But I was able to be part of his interment at sea. Amy and Dan had planned a trip to Santa Catalina Island to scatter Andy's remains. And I
am glad they were able to schedule it during our trip out West. We traveled to the island for the afternoon and Dan rented a small powerboat -- with me at the wheel -- to head offshore for our very casual farewell to Andy. We all shed tears during the trip, perhaps Amy the most, as Dan scattered Andy's remains. As Amy said, those were just his physical remains, but his spirit remains all around us all the time. I lightened the air by pointing out that for a little bit, anyway, he was around us all the more as his ashes melded with the Pacific waters. Dan tossed in some of his and Andy's favorite baseball cards. And we all thought that perhaps Andy and his mom would bump in to one another since her remains also were interred off the Catalina coast.Our trip to Las Vegas the previous weekend also was an important part of our visit. Amy and Brice reserved the rooms at one of the Strips nicest properties -- Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino. The room was magnificent and the ameneties wonderful -- a wave pool, a meandering lazy river pool and three swimming pools -- and the company of Amy, Brice and Dan great. It was a chance to bond and get to know one another. While we didn't hang out as much as I'd have liked in Vegas, we spent lots of time together there and on the drive there and back. Dan managed to scrape a knee even while he was sober and I introduced Amy and Brice to matzo ball soup served at the deli in the New York, New York casino, though couldn't get them to budge on the gefilte fish. Maybe next time.
We also had the opportunities to meet relatives on both sides of the family. A college graduation party in
San Diego gathered the Green family together. They're Amy's Mom's side of the family, and it was nice to meet them all. The house was in a beautiful area. It's weird that even though the city is south of L.A. and Orange County it was cooler. Toward the end of the trip we also had a chance to travel to Long Beach and visit with my cousin Trudy, her husband David, as well as cousin Jill and husbad Alan, plus their nephew, Kirk and Maddy's son Mark, now a Hollywood up-and-comer. We had a nice dinner, a tour of Trudy's condo and during the conversations Trudy offered a few insights into what she recalls of the days when my Mom and father were dating and engaged.It's kind of like a puzzle to put together, tidbit of information by tidbit of information.
I'm sure at some point I'll have most, though not all, of the pieces filled in.
The day we flew back home, Catherine and I spent the day as tourists. We went back to Universal Hollywood, had lunch at Bubba Gump Seafood
on CityWalk, did the few rides we'd missed before, then left and touristed in Hollywood before heading to the airport for our delayed flight home. Ah Spirit Air. Gotta like em. Just remember, if ever you have an opportunity to fly on Spirit, pass it up and fly another carrier. You'll thank me later.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
It's been a busy, fun, introspective visit
It's now nearly Friday morning West Coast time and I finally can say I've met all my siblings. I met Tracy on Wednesday, when we met at The Block at Orange, a mall, and had dinner and some fun at Dave & Buster's.
Elyse and Nolan are really nice young people and it sounds like they've had a lot going on of late. I'm happy to have them for a niece and nephew.
In fact, tomorrow, Friday, they, their mom and I are going to Magic Mountain for the day. I think Catherine is going to stick around the hotel and rest after this whirlwind visit that involved several sub-trips since we arrived in California.
One such sub-trip was on Thursday, when Amy, Dan, Catherine and I traveled to Catalina island for a twofold visit. First thing we did was to rent a small motorboat and travel offshore from the island resting about 22 miles from Long Beach. There, Dan laid our brother Andy's ashes to rest in the sea not far from where their mother's remains were put to sea several years ago. A few of Andy's and Dan's choice baseball cards also were interred in the sea for Andy to enjoy.
There also are several photos of our visit below, so feel free to check them out.
Though I'd never met Andy, and never experienced the demons he encountered daily, the loss remains with me. Amy and Dan each had tears in their eyes as the ashes met the Pacific. Amy had a good point the other day when she explained that those are just ashes, but Andy's spirit will never be too far away. He's up there looking down on us to this day.
We made it back to shore in one piece -- of course, since I was at the helm -- and spend the next couple of hours meandering about Avalon, the small town on Catalina, which is a mountainous island protected from us humans except for about 10 percent of the land mass that makes up the residential and commercial areas.
We had lunch overlooking the marina and some of the sealife.
And, I believe, we all got to know one another more. Though sad in many ways, I think the time spent together made us more of a family and I'm glad we've had as much time as we have to do this.
And I'm sure my time with Tracy and her kids will be spent as well.
After all, we all have nearly five decades to catch up on.
Elyse and Nolan are really nice young people and it sounds like they've had a lot going on of late. I'm happy to have them for a niece and nephew.
In fact, tomorrow, Friday, they, their mom and I are going to Magic Mountain for the day. I think Catherine is going to stick around the hotel and rest after this whirlwind visit that involved several sub-trips since we arrived in California.
One such sub-trip was on Thursday, when Amy, Dan, Catherine and I traveled to Catalina island for a twofold visit. First thing we did was to rent a small motorboat and travel offshore from the island resting about 22 miles from Long Beach. There, Dan laid our brother Andy's ashes to rest in the sea not far from where their mother's remains were put to sea several years ago. A few of Andy's and Dan's choice baseball cards also were interred in the sea for Andy to enjoy.
There also are several photos of our visit below, so feel free to check them out.
Though I'd never met Andy, and never experienced the demons he encountered daily, the loss remains with me. Amy and Dan each had tears in their eyes as the ashes met the Pacific. Amy had a good point the other day when she explained that those are just ashes, but Andy's spirit will never be too far away. He's up there looking down on us to this day.
We made it back to shore in one piece -- of course, since I was at the helm -- and spend the next couple of hours meandering about Avalon, the small town on Catalina, which is a mountainous island protected from us humans except for about 10 percent of the land mass that makes up the residential and commercial areas.
We had lunch overlooking the marina and some of the sealife.
And, I believe, we all got to know one another more. Though sad in many ways, I think the time spent together made us more of a family and I'm glad we've had as much time as we have to do this.
And I'm sure my time with Tracy and her kids will be spent as well.
After all, we all have nearly five decades to catch up on.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
An Amazing Week
I haven't had Internet access until now -- except by blogging photos from the cell phone.
But other than that single snafu, this has been an amazing week. I've met some wonderful people, and I just happen to be related to them all.
My sister Amy and husband Brice are great people, and their four children -- Kenny, Abby,
Melissa and Grace -- are wonderful kids who each are independent thinkers and pretty darned smart.
We've all spent quite a bit of time together, going to places like Boomers (a family fun center), Universal Hollywood, the pier at Surf City USA -- a/k/a Huntington Beach -- and just out and about around town.
Catherine, I, Melissa and Grace drove out to Riverside the other day to meet my brother Dan and his daughter Hannah. Dan lives in the city but just far enough out that his neighbor has goats in the backyard. He has lots of room on his lot. And (shhh, don't tell anyone) he has a roller rink in front of his garage. Ask me about this later.
Dan is a great guy and I hope to get to know him better through the coming years. As with Amy, we have a lot of time to make up.
Hannah is a wonderful young lady. When we first met, she was dazed and confused due to exhaustion from a Girl Scout camping trip and then a night at her friend's house. Too pooped to pop is how my Mom used to put it. But once she woke up, she warmed up very quickly. She and Melissa -- who prefers the name Missy -- spend the night in our hotel room and they conked out there pretty fast. But no bother, as the next morning was our trip to Universal.
The weekend is booked but I hope to meet up with my sister Tracy and her two kids next week. I will call her to set up a time and report back here.
I can't begin to describe how hot it is out here. Once you drift inland from the coast even just a
couple of miles it is uncomfortable. Unless you're in the shade. Then it's bearable. Barely. At Universal Hollywood, the temps had to be in the low triple-digits. It was hot. Scorching hot. Central Florida is by no means chilly, but the heat is different. This is a "dry heat." It's very, very hot, but not in the shade. In Florida, it's just plain hot and humid.
It was so hot at Universal that the kids had to play in the Curious George water playground to
stay cool and comfy. They had a blast there. We did, too, by watching them play.
Catherine and I shift hotels from the Hilton to the Double Tree, but just for a night. Sunday night and Monday night we'll be in Vegas, and then Tuesday through our departure we'll be at the Double Tree in Anaheim.
Speaking of hotels and accommodations. Here's my ranting review of the Hilton across from the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif.:
It's pretty darned mediocre. The room's nothing to write home about. Very plain Jane, vanilla, dull, same-old-same-old. The staff is sub-satisfactory and very much less than accommodating. They charge $16 a night to park. Yes. Really. The breakfast buffet costs nearly $20 a person and wasn't that impressive to look at so we didn't choose to buy.
The pool and spa were bright spots, but the fitness center, even with its nice, shiny, new machines, lacks some major basics. The business center is well equipped, but why the heck would you use it for 60 cents a minute? What a load of crap. Oh, speaking of which, they also charge $10 a day for high-speed internet, or $6.99 an hour if you chose to connect in the lobby. (Funny thing is, that's why I didn't hook up to the Internet until now. And I hooked up by finding the hotel-guest signal from my room -- for the hotel next door. It does not charge!)
So, shame on Hilton, in a big way.
But if that was a bad review, watch out Spirit Airlines. Spirit, in a word, sucks. If you have a choice between Spirit and any other airline, choose the other carrier. Yes, Spirit has leather seats. But they cover the most uncomfortable plastic and metal objects one can imagine using as airline seats. My back ached the entire flight.
Also on the entire flight, the flight attendants INTENTIONALLY turned the temperature up to a point where even I, as in I, the person who hates room temperatures too cold, was way too hot. I had to ding and ding the attendants throughout the flight because it was so uncomfortable. And it wasn't due to any mechanical problems, just that they set it up high.
But the biggest kick -- aside from the $20 fee for baggage -- was they don't have ANY entertainment, even for a fee. They claim to keep fares low (NOT!) by allowing their passengers to bring their own entertainment devices. What a bunch of B.S. That's just their way of saying we were too cheap to buy minor upgrades to our new Airbus A-319 aircraft. Even low-cost carriers JetBlue and AirTran offer more -- and more comfortable seats, to boot.
So in summary: Great family, cheap hotel, crappy airline.
But other than that single snafu, this has been an amazing week. I've met some wonderful people, and I just happen to be related to them all.
My sister Amy and husband Brice are great people, and their four children -- Kenny, Abby,
Melissa and Grace -- are wonderful kids who each are independent thinkers and pretty darned smart.We've all spent quite a bit of time together, going to places like Boomers (a family fun center), Universal Hollywood, the pier at Surf City USA -- a/k/a Huntington Beach -- and just out and about around town.
Catherine, I, Melissa and Grace drove out to Riverside the other day to meet my brother Dan and his daughter Hannah. Dan lives in the city but just far enough out that his neighbor has goats in the backyard. He has lots of room on his lot. And (shhh, don't tell anyone) he has a roller rink in front of his garage. Ask me about this later.
Dan is a great guy and I hope to get to know him better through the coming years. As with Amy, we have a lot of time to make up.
Hannah is a wonderful young lady. When we first met, she was dazed and confused due to exhaustion from a Girl Scout camping trip and then a night at her friend's house. Too pooped to pop is how my Mom used to put it. But once she woke up, she warmed up very quickly. She and Melissa -- who prefers the name Missy -- spend the night in our hotel room and they conked out there pretty fast. But no bother, as the next morning was our trip to Universal.
The weekend is booked but I hope to meet up with my sister Tracy and her two kids next week. I will call her to set up a time and report back here.
I can't begin to describe how hot it is out here. Once you drift inland from the coast even just a
couple of miles it is uncomfortable. Unless you're in the shade. Then it's bearable. Barely. At Universal Hollywood, the temps had to be in the low triple-digits. It was hot. Scorching hot. Central Florida is by no means chilly, but the heat is different. This is a "dry heat." It's very, very hot, but not in the shade. In Florida, it's just plain hot and humid.It was so hot at Universal that the kids had to play in the Curious George water playground to
stay cool and comfy. They had a blast there. We did, too, by watching them play.Catherine and I shift hotels from the Hilton to the Double Tree, but just for a night. Sunday night and Monday night we'll be in Vegas, and then Tuesday through our departure we'll be at the Double Tree in Anaheim.
Speaking of hotels and accommodations. Here's my ranting review of the Hilton across from the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif.:
It's pretty darned mediocre. The room's nothing to write home about. Very plain Jane, vanilla, dull, same-old-same-old. The staff is sub-satisfactory and very much less than accommodating. They charge $16 a night to park. Yes. Really. The breakfast buffet costs nearly $20 a person and wasn't that impressive to look at so we didn't choose to buy.
The pool and spa were bright spots, but the fitness center, even with its nice, shiny, new machines, lacks some major basics. The business center is well equipped, but why the heck would you use it for 60 cents a minute? What a load of crap. Oh, speaking of which, they also charge $10 a day for high-speed internet, or $6.99 an hour if you chose to connect in the lobby. (Funny thing is, that's why I didn't hook up to the Internet until now. And I hooked up by finding the hotel-guest signal from my room -- for the hotel next door. It does not charge!)
So, shame on Hilton, in a big way.
But if that was a bad review, watch out Spirit Airlines. Spirit, in a word, sucks. If you have a choice between Spirit and any other airline, choose the other carrier. Yes, Spirit has leather seats. But they cover the most uncomfortable plastic and metal objects one can imagine using as airline seats. My back ached the entire flight.
Also on the entire flight, the flight attendants INTENTIONALLY turned the temperature up to a point where even I, as in I, the person who hates room temperatures too cold, was way too hot. I had to ding and ding the attendants throughout the flight because it was so uncomfortable. And it wasn't due to any mechanical problems, just that they set it up high.
But the biggest kick -- aside from the $20 fee for baggage -- was they don't have ANY entertainment, even for a fee. They claim to keep fares low (NOT!) by allowing their passengers to bring their own entertainment devices. What a bunch of B.S. That's just their way of saying we were too cheap to buy minor upgrades to our new Airbus A-319 aircraft. Even low-cost carriers JetBlue and AirTran offer more -- and more comfortable seats, to boot.
So in summary: Great family, cheap hotel, crappy airline.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
To my biggest brother
Since Keith is currently on his day long trek out West today I wanted to let everyone know what a gift he has been to me from the time when my phone rang a couple of months ago and I looked at the caller ID and it said Keith Kohn till today, as he flies across the country and we finally "meet". We seem to already have a special bond or we just have too much time on our hands because we talk on the phone everyday. This has been a hard time in my life. Coming to terms with my father's shortcomings, chronic asthma that has had me hospitalized in the last 18 months more times than I can count and tying up all the lose ends as administrator of my little brother, Andy Kohn's estate.
He has been a true blessing in my life and for being an only child he certainly has taken the job of oldest brother better than anyone can imagine.
I am looking forward to not only the next 2 weeks but to the rest of our lives.
So biggest brother, here's to a lifetime of ups and downs, smiles and tears and whatever life throws at us. We all have each other and now I have 2 big brothers to lean on and that's a nice feeling. See you soon!! Love, your little sister, Amy
He has been a true blessing in my life and for being an only child he certainly has taken the job of oldest brother better than anyone can imagine.
I am looking forward to not only the next 2 weeks but to the rest of our lives.
So biggest brother, here's to a lifetime of ups and downs, smiles and tears and whatever life throws at us. We all have each other and now I have 2 big brothers to lean on and that's a nice feeling. See you soon!! Love, your little sister, Amy
Today Is The Big Day
It's 7:30 a.m. on the East Coast and 4:30 on the Left Coast. Catherine and I have to adjust ourselves three hours early starting today.
We travel for much of the day, first to Fort Lauderdale, then to LAX. We arrive about 11:30 p.m., which will feel like 2:30 our time.
By the time we pick up our rental and drive to the hotel in Orange County it'll feel like 4 a.m., I'm sure.
Then tomorrow I'll meet Amy, Brice and their kids. Perhaps Dan and his daughter. And hopefully within a couple of days I'll meet Tracy and her kids.
It all adds up to a very amazing two weeks ahead.
We travel for much of the day, first to Fort Lauderdale, then to LAX. We arrive about 11:30 p.m., which will feel like 2:30 our time.
By the time we pick up our rental and drive to the hotel in Orange County it'll feel like 4 a.m., I'm sure.
Then tomorrow I'll meet Amy, Brice and their kids. Perhaps Dan and his daughter. And hopefully within a couple of days I'll meet Tracy and her kids.
It all adds up to a very amazing two weeks ahead.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Whew! A Wedding In A Week
Well, it's official. Aimee is a married woman.
Two down, two to go. (Just kidding, Kim and Karen.)
It was a really nice day and a very nice service. The food after was great and the house did a good job of standing in for a wedding chapel. Catherine and Kim re-arranged the dining room to really look like a chapel, down to the trelis and seating.
Attached to this file is a video I shot of the ceremony. Enjoy.
Two down, two to go. (Just kidding, Kim and Karen.)
It was a really nice day and a very nice service. The food after was great and the house did a good job of standing in for a wedding chapel. Catherine and Kim re-arranged the dining room to really look like a chapel, down to the trelis and seating.
Attached to this file is a video I shot of the ceremony. Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)