George came down one night while I was dog sitting. It was a gorgeous day out so we decided to walk to Clifton and check out a brewery we hadn’t been to previously. Love that there continues to be places new to discover.








George came down one night while I was dog sitting. It was a gorgeous day out so we decided to walk to Clifton and check out a brewery we hadn’t been to previously. Love that there continues to be places new to discover.








It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged. I’ve been in a strange place physically which is then frustrating me mentally. I keep using my California illness as the culprit that I’m still recovering from.
My thoughts are unclear and jumpy. I feel accomplished if I get one small thing completed like getting my car renewal stickers, buying a birthday card or mailing my taxes. God forbid I try to do more than one extra thing a day it will overwhelm me.
I feel slow at multi tasking and tired to no end. Can sleep 12 hours easily. I keep wondering if it’s hormones- age-or covid leftover brain. Regardless, it sucks. I’m uninspired. Uninspiring, sober and personally useless. Although I am managing to still work my full time remote job, when I am awake.
Tried journaling, only to get worn out by my own demons. Trying to stay off social media because it somehow makes me feel less meaningful. I used to get hope and momentum from watching nature and comedic videos. Now somehow it makes me feel inadequate watching others with energy and cleverness.
I’ve tried walking in the mornings with my friend Kathy. I tried walking on the weekends with Linda and Beth.
Just can’t get my mojo back. Yet.
My coworker Don helped me find a balance board similar to my childhood days. I get on it every day and it’s helping me to concentrate and get my brain and muscles working together again. I’m hoping over time this will also help me to stay agile.
I feel like my diagnosis of covid in February aged me 5 years in just one month. I used to feel so alive and ageless and now I feel stagnant and heavy. Depressing right? Personally everything is going great, so the mood defies logic. My kids are launching, growing and becoming the fantastic adult humans I knew they could be. My boyfriend remains completely kind, loving and supportive. (and sexy😉).
Just wanted to vent. I try not to. Wanted to explain because I myself am confused. But also wanted to finish and attempt to blog again- to bring my light back. So I’ll try to complete my road trip back from Cali with George, for memory’s sake.

——-After a late arrival in Albuquerque, we wanted to try to reach our next destination with daylight hours left to actually enjoy the city, whichever place that may end up being. We set our destination to Oklahoma City but later extended it to Tulsa.
I set our Google maps to a brewery named Nothing’s Left. Clever name. It seemed to be located beside some other breweries which could be a fun break from the road. But we still needed a place to sleep. This is always my concern when travelling with George. He likes hotels. I don’t. But can’t argue that my choices in Airbnb places at times can also be questioned.




The bartender is a gal who moved to Tulsa recently. She explained that she and her partner took advantage of a city incentive to get remote workers to move there. If you qualify, they pay you $10,000 over the course of a year as appreciation. I took it as an attempt to reverse some of the sterotypes or mindset of the locals and get some fresh perspectives in the city.
She told us about a Sheraton Hotel in the Arts District so we called to reserve the last remaining room. (again…) Before heading that way we went just up the street to find a Cidery and another two breweries which were equally cool.








The hotel was difficult to enter. It was on the second floor but you needed a code or key to unlock. The phones to call up weren’t working. Luckily someone was leaving and we grabbed the door to get in. The one room down the hall smelled like smoke. I was not going to be able to sleep there. We told the front desk who claimed it did not smell like smoke (okay…..?) and then plugged in some chemical odor cleaner which then replaced the smoke with a chemical aroma.
The next morning George was kind enough to leave me be for an hour so I could jump into work to get started prior to the bumby ride home. I find it really hard working in the car. Plus I still wasn’t feeling the best so my tempermant was off.

“Tulsa worked because Dylan liked the idea of the museum being in the heartland, as he told friend and historian Douglas Brinkley. He also responded to the Native American presence in the region. May 11, 2022″
Seems Tulsa is looking to change. Aren’t we all.

Our last full day together, Zoe and I decided to grab brunch and go to a wine tasting. While she was still sleeping in, I googled food places nearby. Once she got up and rolling we headed out.



The Urgent Care that I went to previously was right around the corner, so I decided to stop in again to get a refill on my cough suppressant prescription. My cough subsided but sometimes out of the blue would come back strong. Usually at 2 am.
As long as I paid another 50$ co pay and saw another doctor, they were able to fill it. Ya gotta love how the US medical system is all about the bottom dollar and not the actual patient care.
While I was getting my blood pressure taken to ensure I wouldn’t die with another week’s worth of syrup, Zoe wandered to some great shops across the street. Met a woman who started at Abercrombie and now custom makes her own unique jeans. Totally worth the price for their design and custom fit. I’m sure Zoe will make her way back but at the time, neither of us could justify it.
We were told by the boutique owners that there was a flea market going on just down the street. They actually thought we were there for that. We had no idea. So we walked down the street a couple blocks only to be super inspired by the California creativity. Truly unlike any items I’d seen elsewhere.

Ironically we ran into one of her high school friends there who was visiting from his college in Arizona. So random!

After filling our bellies and our minds, we drove to find the winery. We didn’t make a reservation but figured it was just the two of us, so we should be able to squeeze in somewhere.



We had such a good time, we decided to google map our way to another winery which took us through the mountains.


The second winery must have relocated so instead, after a Mexican lunch, we found our way to Malibu Beach. Most of it seemed closed off to the public, but we found one access point and wandered down.








George of course wanted me to check out a meadery in town. Thank goodness it was only a 15 minute drive from my Airbnb and I was able to convince Don to join me. It was a rainy Friday, our last working day together. A happy hour taster was an excellent way to say good-bye.
As most of the best breweries and meaderies, this place was in the strangest location. Down a dead end street across from a Home Depot. You just never know.










Thank you Virlane. You know me too well. This part of the country is my favorite.
Zoe and I woke up pretty grumpy and sick from the frigid night sleep. With my sore throat, ever so annoying dry cough, and more ear aches I continued to be a mess. But pushing through with a clear head and energy to see the newness surrounding me. We decided breakfast may be a good place to start so we googled our way to the Bisbee Breakfast Club.






















Well our next stop was another 8 hours away in the desert. We decided sadly to take off and hit the road. As we were driving away, Zoe remembered that there was an art alley that was on her list of things to see here. So I had her reroute us off the highway and back to Bisbee.
Our route back took us climbing up and over a mountain with some unbelievable views. I love how detours take you to places that you were meant to see.












I asked Zoe to make the decision. I was drained. I loved Bisbee. But it really would affect her move in date. I didn’t even mind losing the 150$ at this point. She decided that we first needed to check out the Inn, which was right above the brewery, to see if there was any availability.
We walked up the hill and as we were entering the women outside asked if we were staying there. We told them we were looking for a room. So she put out her cigarette and took us inside. She had two rooms left.
This was an old miner’s boarding house. So there was a bed and sink inside the rooms and right across the hall were toilets in their own room individually, and showers in their own rooms. It was interesting.



We later found out this place was haunted. It had journals on the entryway table for guests to report their sightings. It was the best night sleep I have had in quite awhile! Ghosts were on my side.


















After Memphis, Zoe and I planned to hit the road and spend the day in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Never been to this state before and the TikToks said it was a great place to visit. I wanted to get in some hiking, it talked about a brewery in town- and that was enough for me to make a stop.































The haunting started as early as the early 1900s because this city started “selling” the holistic healing of the hot springs and people with all sorts of uncurable illness came here to be cured. Well, they weren’t. My understanding is the bodies stacked up in the still -standing Veteran’s Hospital.















Sunday Funday.
George and I decided to hit a brewery and then ended up at three. How does that happen? So fun. We both very much needed an easy day with each other’s company and it was great checking out some new locations. The way things are growing in both our cities, I don’t believe there will ever be a lull in trying out new places.










Brewery hopping is my joy. Love that I have a man to do it with that is in the business and also loves to check out new small brewery venues. Its getting tougher to find ones in our cities that we haven’t tried yet. Listermann Brewery is one neither of us have been to, so while killing time New Year’s Eve early evening, we decided to take a peak.







I have always been a part of a trio. I am one of three sisters, have twin daughters. There are usually complications when three people hang out, but with Beth and Linda this is never the case. We have a energy that radiates love and support for each other never with conflict. We are fortunate to have this friendship trio which dates back over 10 years.
We got together to celebrate Linda’s birthday and we ended up at a speakeasy in the underground historic brewery tunnels of Cincinnati. Highly recommend if you are ever in this city to check GhostBaby out. It was mystical and such an adventure for us aging folks who rarely get out past certain hours.


When we drove to find Ghostbaby, the guys dropped us off at the address but we literally could not find the entrance. (hence I suppose why its called a speakeasy) Eventually a very tall man with a top hat came out and asked where we were going. He was spooky enough to add to the atmosphere as he informed us of the history of the tunnels and some upcoming films being shot in Cincinnati.









Well of course whenever I travel, besides hiking, the other love I have is breweries. I enjoy finding local beers and trying them. So while visiting West Virginia, I made a point to check out the local spots near me.
As soon as I crossed the border, I decided to stop in their capital city of Charleston and see what their city was like. I was drawn to their capital building with its top of gold but was unable to get a photo. Roads were blocked off and security was in place to enter.





























I purchased a growler to go, to be responsible driving back. I stopped at the Stop n Go to get some water and chips to get me through the night and I saw Boonesfarm wine, proudly positioned right below the Glade. Wow brought back high school memories.

