tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7751913739297567952024-02-06T18:49:27.807-08:00Mercatorial LibrarianAround and around the world I go....Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-19639053779245733912019-05-07T15:50:00.002-07:002019-05-07T15:52:10.336-07:00Holiday decorations - Banyoles (January 2019)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtVAMZm629xMpYA97cPSDURL4MN95qEBd_JzDyuVjQ-oqy8Uc5tJknqCn08Eb0It_MBwsKHmY19XpW2JFIQQElJ0SWTaTpQ3vnidE3HT1p8GOe1kNqC9Qg8iJIuUb-AkDYOUMjnq3ln0/s1600/46830821501_cb58c6c093_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtVAMZm629xMpYA97cPSDURL4MN95qEBd_JzDyuVjQ-oqy8Uc5tJknqCn08Eb0It_MBwsKHmY19XpW2JFIQQElJ0SWTaTpQ3vnidE3HT1p8GOe1kNqC9Qg8iJIuUb-AkDYOUMjnq3ln0/s400/46830821501_cb58c6c093_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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From Flickr album: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/albums/72157688696005063" target="_blank">3 Kings - 2019</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-12004568750445796132017-07-01T12:15:00.003-07:002017-07-01T12:17:09.390-07:00Little gilda snack - Barcelona (May 2017)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYHPygJgMXFkQdtBo6e_derxax-9y5Wo6OSSmzYxGvpCgEO3VYoR32rDgf1IsAap8JolITB0YKYT4p82CNSC4D7u8Ovd-8jBySRLMsy2maamqOAl-WpvUF2yJNx-ibiDhQ3248heevfk/s1600/DSCN3646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYHPygJgMXFkQdtBo6e_derxax-9y5Wo6OSSmzYxGvpCgEO3VYoR32rDgf1IsAap8JolITB0YKYT4p82CNSC4D7u8Ovd-8jBySRLMsy2maamqOAl-WpvUF2yJNx-ibiDhQ3248heevfk/s400/DSCN3646.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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From Flickr album: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/albums/72157681640039873" target="_blank">Barcelona and Banyoles - May 2017</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-90786873605802850382016-12-23T15:23:00.003-08:002016-12-23T15:23:37.647-08:00Strasbourg at Christmas (2007)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9agCAgcuILbpAsrwUrwh2ElS1gO9e1eZvPM9vfIqfijyowpjJplLXAXPoH-dWChZvE9w1PtYln6Ij9TfVhmYMTbYq-lYvNocy2a40X_YtkTy-T6dxeX0KaoC4VDStZ8_SHfFHe3GmXw/s1600/2138798008_1988c0f6b2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9agCAgcuILbpAsrwUrwh2ElS1gO9e1eZvPM9vfIqfijyowpjJplLXAXPoH-dWChZvE9w1PtYln6Ij9TfVhmYMTbYq-lYvNocy2a40X_YtkTy-T6dxeX0KaoC4VDStZ8_SHfFHe3GmXw/s1600/2138798008_1988c0f6b2.jpg" /></a></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i>Mmmm... all the vin chaud.</i></h4>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-49849499065180673652016-10-02T14:44:00.001-07:002016-10-02T14:46:23.480-07:00Yum! Ramen - Vancouver BC (September 2011)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxbxouYLoIlhMBHQSuQOs1UwbgV-FD35lPux_HjV-yEcPjxapJsRBlLY_xvsf1zTsZEiLs6_aV83c9cPoW4Ram9mN4yZhBQr2zHBLVKT3gqpiL4UO-j-Ce-dU2ptadUNW-TvWzvgnbgI/s1600/6187196682_f8049aeefd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxbxouYLoIlhMBHQSuQOs1UwbgV-FD35lPux_HjV-yEcPjxapJsRBlLY_xvsf1zTsZEiLs6_aV83c9cPoW4Ram9mN4yZhBQr2zHBLVKT3gqpiL4UO-j-Ce-dU2ptadUNW-TvWzvgnbgI/s1600/6187196682_f8049aeefd.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6187196682/in/album-72157627637074259/" target="new">Flickr Album: Vancouver BC</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-79921333659275963122016-06-15T15:56:00.002-07:002016-06-15T15:57:50.391-07:00Inside the Grand Bazaar - Istanbul (November 2002)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6u6WIB6cX6PhOTQI00i4GQBM2q-Jjz97zYlq3DX_15OgKWDLPeQLdiJKVcxRwCEXd8FTopdwD5B1RE_BRMaGC6PJGL756Ol1Ou5B5zhEhMVA9EdaYm8ych8wFaZfTTiIoFJRxXu3sBE8/s1600/018_18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6u6WIB6cX6PhOTQI00i4GQBM2q-Jjz97zYlq3DX_15OgKWDLPeQLdiJKVcxRwCEXd8FTopdwD5B1RE_BRMaGC6PJGL756Ol1Ou5B5zhEhMVA9EdaYm8ych8wFaZfTTiIoFJRxXu3sBE8/s400/018_18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-17811173816066439872016-03-29T10:50:00.001-07:002016-04-07T20:46:31.688-07:00Florence in Winter (2005)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Nck1xMWuXc_tnlQn0vpGQTVbgoBDG7X9iieTha1tWeBYN5wPcteSsCDqik-8oBZn6QGKHYfZZ7rwGxCWPbBf4fOL-5BbASz3iHgn9r5ZIcRbUNVnCSwe-LxlxWZvT7sGPByCliHuMrs/s1600/2+%252821%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Nck1xMWuXc_tnlQn0vpGQTVbgoBDG7X9iieTha1tWeBYN5wPcteSsCDqik-8oBZn6QGKHYfZZ7rwGxCWPbBf4fOL-5BbASz3iHgn9r5ZIcRbUNVnCSwe-LxlxWZvT7sGPByCliHuMrs/s400/2+%252821%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-75968977629799553872016-01-29T12:16:00.001-08:002016-01-29T12:17:16.157-08:00China as the sun sets (2010)With a Horner Exchange meeting this afternoon, I have China on my mind. Below, from an afternoon of sight-seeing, near the end of the trip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0QNxS6CKp3s5Etz1hCkWjAs82g6YRo9ZG1Lh4-u2kybkuWpSuCvo6piBCp3ZHYkBpicOy3uUZjvo3HwbewD5UYRV_NAejVkXjZy8nPGnk90KGzaYXefgXOLhd7uiIm0R8jQl3mIeLMY/s1600/chinashadow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq0QNxS6CKp3s5Etz1hCkWjAs82g6YRo9ZG1Lh4-u2kybkuWpSuCvo6piBCp3ZHYkBpicOy3uUZjvo3HwbewD5UYRV_NAejVkXjZy8nPGnk90KGzaYXefgXOLhd7uiIm0R8jQl3mIeLMY/s320/chinashadow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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View the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/albums/72157625461874442" target="_blank">Album on Flickr</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-70876470706969773262015-10-23T12:09:00.001-07:002015-10-23T12:12:03.693-07:00Correfoc - Banyoles, Spain (August 2015)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Welcome to the Mouth of Hell</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfHTgYDzoWX-XQKSPQR1HFEJ-b7LyEPynKFMrkYBBcgoXgcLb9rifvyyL8NaqNy4s13QwlBO74ElU76JdV-EK_qxKIlXHtwUEbVjavN59DHHN1xDv-Aq1sWW0ZR9cYPH5hpb_lETPFJ4/s1600/20834999031_89e00d6086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfHTgYDzoWX-XQKSPQR1HFEJ-b7LyEPynKFMrkYBBcgoXgcLb9rifvyyL8NaqNy4s13QwlBO74ElU76JdV-EK_qxKIlXHtwUEbVjavN59DHHN1xDv-Aq1sWW0ZR9cYPH5hpb_lETPFJ4/s320/20834999031_89e00d6086.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/20834999031/">View in Flickr album</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-85516874348509360242015-06-20T16:23:00.001-07:002015-06-20T16:24:18.588-07:00Omaha's Old Market (May 2015)<table align="center" width="482" border="0">
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/16993391194" title="Omaha by Brandon Barnett, on Flickr"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5448/16993391194_8ec6aa45d1_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Omaha"></a>
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<td width="50%">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/17428064768" title="Omaha by Brandon Barnett, on Flickr"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8782/17428064768_558968bd26_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Omaha"></a>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-67086149843405342472015-04-26T17:24:00.002-07:002015-05-01T11:39:27.297-07:00Christmas pageant - Fontcoberta, Spain (2011)<p align="center"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6613362261" title="Live Nativity - Fontcoberta by Brandon Barnett, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6613362261_33af0535a7.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Live Nativity - Fontcoberta"></a></p>
<p>The town of Fontcoberta, near Banyoles in Spain, hosts a live Nativity pageant. The audience walks through the old town to see different vignettes.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-64828955866806486982015-03-23T18:53:00.003-07:002015-03-23T18:54:01.175-07:00Black Rock City (2003)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEdiXd9PFvAHpHK9v6bKyperCLhgGNM2OVcVfgZJH67IIpMbgxeeFD5HCHZbGsOkIQmjPbhylM_h1gAW4FTEtunEgxNBinyr4HlUiQvSqcQOHWfs4QDkZ-wsn-nHkeUmrjfqGE041zqY/s1600/068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEdiXd9PFvAHpHK9v6bKyperCLhgGNM2OVcVfgZJH67IIpMbgxeeFD5HCHZbGsOkIQmjPbhylM_h1gAW4FTEtunEgxNBinyr4HlUiQvSqcQOHWfs4QDkZ-wsn-nHkeUmrjfqGE041zqY/s1600/068.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-26239434012773542122015-02-08T17:43:00.002-08:002015-02-08T17:43:48.893-08:00Wuyishan, China (October 2010)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/5094583713" title="Wuyishan UNESCO - Museum by Brandon Barnett, on Flickr"><img alt="Wuyishan UNESCO - Museum" height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4153/5094583713_33527d0cf0.jpg" width="500" /></a>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-72782037274861336392014-12-01T14:52:00.002-08:002014-12-01T14:56:04.636-08:00Mexico (2007)<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/508857631" title="Untitled by Brandon Barnett, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/213/508857631_67974c888e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Today in Portland the daytime high is 32 degrees F. But I can think of the warm ocean in Mexico.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-56471498374191731482014-10-02T15:15:00.001-07:002014-10-02T15:15:38.881-07:00La Route des Vins d'Alsace (2007)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/2139006932" title="La Route des Vins d'Alsace by Brandon Barnett, on Flickr"><img alt="La Route des Vins d'Alsace" height="375" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2060/2139006932_4e1ba7bf0b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
A field frosted with frozen fog</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-46453884602570789862014-08-01T20:00:00.002-07:002014-08-01T20:00:56.228-07:00Cemetary - Sitka, Alaska (2005)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/519333706" title="Untitled by Brandon Barnett, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="333" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/208/519333706_ec2d478b2c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-8295206601486093722014-07-03T17:47:00.004-07:002014-07-03T17:48:17.477-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/2982771933" title="Untitled by Brandon Barnett, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3170/2982771933_c740a88ed9_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On a hot summer day I like to remember the snow. Rila Monastery, Bulgaria. November 2006.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-76979988055504936822014-02-28T15:17:00.001-08:002017-04-19T12:44:57.919-07:00More than meats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-es9Qq-Lp5DBKp5Sii7aNEwIoKM4wMsJxg2NRAZZn33dbSR_09CokCn5swV56WYJ9Jd8AR7WcM5EQx0cSbbYbE9MsNtF3Rfgkk_ArnhYCQWc9g8BCnfMfeSn1T1Ezk6_LpbJ-37LQFg/s1600/9114858439_112e10d2dc_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-es9Qq-Lp5DBKp5Sii7aNEwIoKM4wMsJxg2NRAZZn33dbSR_09CokCn5swV56WYJ9Jd8AR7WcM5EQx0cSbbYbE9MsNtF3Rfgkk_ArnhYCQWc9g8BCnfMfeSn1T1Ezk6_LpbJ-37LQFg/s1600/9114858439_112e10d2dc_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>supplies for impromptu bbq</i></div>
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At the end of <a href="http://mercatorial.blogspot.com/2012/07/meat-sweats-christmas-in-catalonia-pt-2.html">Meats Sweats</a>'s description of protein-heavy holiday foods, I noted:<br />
<blockquote>
A visit to my life around Christmas would leave you thinking I subsisted entirely on cookies, booze, and spiced liquid eggs. My upcoming June trip to Spain will give me a chance to get another perspective.</blockquote>
Well, yes, there are veggies and variety in Catalonia! Burgers, cupcakes, and pizza too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyE5KxWSj5zu9KpObrRTgCDVqoK8YHGkIEanpGNuCmMNRoDXFNDigAth4jeJVC5wmUHQxbk4KGc7ckATSYXpZEFKLYSpNJxmOSa6c4SQWG2l_haQJdkg8ODACZJje_RWJOnJgFbnaMrng/s1600/9115672019_b9d2484a25_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyE5KxWSj5zu9KpObrRTgCDVqoK8YHGkIEanpGNuCmMNRoDXFNDigAth4jeJVC5wmUHQxbk4KGc7ckATSYXpZEFKLYSpNJxmOSa6c4SQWG2l_haQJdkg8ODACZJje_RWJOnJgFbnaMrng/s1600/9115672019_b9d2484a25_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>cupcake craze hits Barcelona.... </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QlO3b-JrvSrCZmNMkl-M9-DTAhQtXkvUILI_TKrzH6bBK4hs68U5b1xEHGxYhbfL6LT913bhD-dEcg_1L50GVidSJPHbhMTwZ-gAv_1jiuPZKBp1-X_vcQHbveIto5w5d_JOPo3k29U/s1600/9115762345_8af373a979_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QlO3b-JrvSrCZmNMkl-M9-DTAhQtXkvUILI_TKrzH6bBK4hs68U5b1xEHGxYhbfL6LT913bhD-dEcg_1L50GVidSJPHbhMTwZ-gAv_1jiuPZKBp1-X_vcQHbveIto5w5d_JOPo3k29U/s1600/9115762345_8af373a979_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>...and the burger fad too</i></div>
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Between the rich food of the wedding (the reason for our visit) and the near-constant dining out, we still ate too many sweets and too many meats (and I say that as someone who follows a quasi-paleo diet). But that was entirely due to our lack of a kitchen than it was some to deviance in the culture.<br />
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Admit it, you're a little disappointed. Shouldn't there be some place where all food is meat? A kind of Willy Wonka world of salami and steaks, undulating bacon rivers, and soft lard beaches. Yum. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-30668675609354779142014-02-04T14:44:00.001-08:002014-02-04T15:20:03.673-08:00Points & Miles, or How I Get Vitamin D Every WinterWhile I'd like to be able to say I finagle my world adventures with the clever use of miles, points, deals, etc, the truth is that in the past it's mostly been absurdly stupid use of credit cards, and the unicornly rare work-related event.<br />
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That being said, I have developed a miles strategy that works for me, and is slightly different from what you read about elsewhere -- how to leverage flights and other accrual methods to get international tickets, especially in the upgraded classes.<br />
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Instead, I travel internationally to rack up points to use domestically.<br />
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As my annoying English Literature professor used to say, Let's unpack this.<br />
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First, I am not in a position to build up 100's of thousands of miles in a year. I do not travel for work, I am a government employee and so do not have a business credit card or business purchases, and due to aforementioned absurd stupidness, I cannot put a ton of spending on my personal credit cards, or juggle new accounts for sign-up bonuses.<br />
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Perhaps one day. And I do very much enjoy reading those blogs -- my favorite is <a href="http://thepointsguy.com/" target="_blank">The Points Guy</a>. Even if particulars don't necessarily apply, I learn strategies and other details, like which plane models have the best seats, which hotels have lusty suites.<br />
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Second, due to family obligations I will travel internationally once every year -- sucks to be me, I know. But it's not really enough to earn an international flight very often.<br />
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I might earn a total of 10-12,000 miles on one international flight -- assuming I buy a Premium Economy ticket on a partner airline with a credit card that earns miles in the same airline family. But it can take as much as 100,000 miles to get an Economy international ticket. It could take 10 years to earn a ticket!<br />
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Let's not be sad and feel defeated. Look at it from another angle.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="284" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" nbsp="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/12310909154/player/cf73bef36e" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="320"></iframe><br /></div>
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I'm earning 12,000 miles a year! PLUS more from other sources:<br />
<ul>
<li>some personal spending on my miles card (Alaska)</li>
<li>dining rewards program</li>
<li>doing online surveys with E-Rewards and E-Miles</li>
<li>the occasional strategic online purchase (leveraging a bonus miles promotion with the extra points of a miles shopping portal)</li>
<li>using a partner hotel when needed and transferring the miles (Hilton to Alaska)</li>
<li>car rental partners (I don't own a car, so we rent a few times a year)</li>
</ul>
In an average year, I earn the miles I need for a ticket from my home town of Portland to.... Palm Springs, San Diego, and several other warm West Coast and Southwest destinations, where I can soak up the Vitamin D I don't get in Portland. Or, I might use those miles for first class upgrades on a trip to New York, New Orleans, etc.<br />
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Sure, I could buy a ticket to Palm Springs and hoard the miles towards international travel, but again, it just doesn't add up fast enough.<br />
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For my situation, I like to earn and then enjoy a reward, rinse, repeat, instead of feeling like I'm climbing a mountain I'll never see the top of. Life is short, go to Palm Springs when you're cold. And go for free!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-60561784374720672782013-10-20T18:15:00.001-07:002013-10-21T14:42:33.864-07:00Horner Exchange 2013 - Fall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0suwhJBcbPAhasVwTkugDkWhm4JC9QRfKjaFvaM_rl_XsRnniTdfGuDglrWVWmg8yxsrPniT2JyjPRp3vHdIpktnQ5h-k_qbAAerEZM8IqVL-u2NDzVzvo6GuZdGD9DH0K_wlauqDBI/s1600/IMG_0797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0suwhJBcbPAhasVwTkugDkWhm4JC9QRfKjaFvaM_rl_XsRnniTdfGuDglrWVWmg8yxsrPniT2JyjPRp3vHdIpktnQ5h-k_qbAAerEZM8IqVL-u2NDzVzvo6GuZdGD9DH0K_wlauqDBI/s320/IMG_0797.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">foto from Horner blog</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And they're off! The Oregon delegates -- Angela Lee, Lori Wamsley, Pat French -- are adventuring in Fujian, China now.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm envious but excited for them. Follow their blog at:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2013horner.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://2013horner.wordpress.com/</a> </span></span></span><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-61241983834087338582013-06-04T19:46:00.000-07:002013-10-21T14:42:47.343-07:00Horner Exchange 2013 - Spring<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/8690653169/" target="new" title="Horner Exchange 2013 by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Horner Exchange 2013" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8690653169_32e314c331_n.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<i>2013 Horner delegates</i></div>
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Our Horner Exchange delegates from China visited in April and May for an all too brief three weeks.<i> </i> Thanks to a great team of volunteers, the visitors toured several different types of libraries, attended a large professional conference, and enjoyed the best Oregon has to offer in food, fun, and festivities.<br />
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For the second half of the exchange, the Oregon delegates will visit the Fujian Province in October. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-26624687490589679222013-04-16T10:28:00.003-07:002013-04-17T17:27:30.643-07:00More captions, again<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/5123468966/" target="new" title="Gulangyu by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Gulangyu" height="240" src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1072/5123468966_661f46767f_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
<br />
A leadership speaker at a library conference once said, "Never apologize for being late. You're telling everybody in the room they are more important than you."<br />
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By the way, here are some more completed captions from my 2010 trip to China on the Horner Exchange:<br />
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Xiamen: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/sets/72157625252635557/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/sets/72157625252635557/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-22702600066678955232012-07-31T13:37:00.000-07:002013-04-10T11:53:04.158-07:00Meat Sweats - Christmas in Catalonia Pt. 2<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6613145371/" title="Christmas Eve dinner by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Christmas Eve dinner" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6613145371_5598094d0e_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>Christmas Eve dinner - 2 meat dishes, sweets, red wine</i>
</div>
<br />
Welcome to part 2 of your request for food, fotos, and fotos of food. Stop now if you're vegan. <br />
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What struck me most about the food was the amount of meat. Meat, glorious meat. Not a vegetable in sight. No complaints! All of the food was delicious, served with friendship and love, and I enjoyed every bite. But I was surprised at the lack of greenery. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6613144345/" title="Christmas Eve cooking by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Christmas Eve cooking" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6613144345_958d9489c7_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>Christmas Eve roast chicken stuffed with sausage, dried fruit, pine nuts</i><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6613159739/" title="Chritsmas Day dinner by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Chritsmas Day dinner" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6613159739_0ec66e4d3e_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><i> </i><br />
<i>Christmas Day dinner included roast chicken and blood sausage.</i></div>
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One 7-course meal consisted entirely of seafood and meat dishes. A long-promised salad turned out to be a bit of frisee perched on the
side of plate, topped with a lonely olive. I devoured them both and
reached for the flower arrangement.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6609924219/" title="La Boqueria by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="La Boqueria" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6609924219_5acbb93650_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>Jamon (ham) from La Boqueria market</i></div>
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But, then, it was the holidays. A visit to my life around Christmas would leave you thinking I subsisted entirely on cookies, booze, and spiced liquid eggs. My upcoming June trip (2013) to Spain will give me a chance to get another perspective.<br />
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Note to self: Add Magnesium Citrate to packing list. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-8667914370582277712012-07-18T14:24:00.003-07:002012-07-18T14:27:09.633-07:00So soon... Horner 2013<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/5147854643/" title="Untitled by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="240" src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1175/5147854643_17d2409479_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>
</div>
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Welcome Horner 2013 applicants! Ready to walk through the door?<br />
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You'll find this blog is no longer solely about my trip to China on the Horner Exchange of 2010. Expanded to trips past and future. If you want to see my China posts, hop down to the bottom of this page and use the tag cloud.<br />
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For my other readers, it is completely unbelievable to me that the time has already come to choose the Oregon delegation and welcome our Chinese visitors again for the Horner Exchange in 2013. A welcome duty.<br />
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Also, I think this means I'm young enough to go again. Horner 2020?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-34066591882431354592012-04-06T15:34:00.002-07:002013-04-12T10:39:48.936-07:00Molt de gust - Christmas in Catalonia, Part 1<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6613445511/" title="Sagardi - Basque tapas by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Sagardi - Basque tapas" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6613445511_6ca46428e3_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>all that remains of Basque pintxos (tapas)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
By popular demand, this crowd-inspired post will be about food and fotos and fotos of food. But first, some context.<br />
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My little brother Brett, who lives in Geneva, invited me to join him and his girlfriend for Christmas with her family in Barcelona and Banyoles -- that's in the Northeastern part of Spain, Catalonia, for those of you without an atlas handy.<br />
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I always have an atlas handy.<br />
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That'd be a great name for a detective or adventure man, no? Atlas Handy fired one shot. The waiter fell to the ground with a thunderous thud. Faint, but not dead. Atlas missed. Or, did he? A great cry arose from the great hall beyond. The generalissimo, that evil-doer? El muerto. Atlas Handy finished his scotch, bouncing coins off the waiter's flaccid belly.<br />
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Ahem.... Context. Spain. Christmas. I'll make a separate post about the peculiar holiday traditions of Catalonia, but since I was there with a family, my time was spent with them rather than hitting the tourists hi-lights.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6609865687/" title="Barcelona night-light by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Barcelona night-light" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6609865687_a98c9ab1b1_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>Shell sculptures light up the Barcelona night. Christmas Day, one traditional dish was a chicken broth with these kinds of pasta shells (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escudella" target="_blank">escudella</a>).</i> </div>
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Sure, we walked past some famous stuff, but mostly we shopped, cooked, ate, drank. Like being at home, only it was Barcelona and therefore 1000 times more awesome.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6609898685/" title="Basque Tapas by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Basque Tapas" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6609898685_114d5960d2_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>fried chicken on bread with mayo, topped with a local pepper & a bit of Basque sausage</i> </div>
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Tapas -- small plates, sometimes just a few bites -- are the most popular way to eat out. Also called pintxos (in Basque... check your atlas), most of our meals away from home were eaten in this style. Accompanied by wine and sometimes coffee, we enjoyed tapas as early as 11am and as late as 11pm. Barcelona is a famously late-night, all-night city, so even as we finished a meal at midnight, other people (younger people) were just beginning.<br />
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Some places, you sat and ordered from the menu or by pointing at a display case. Other places were more like a buffet, where you wandered around picking bites off the board and balancing a plate, a napkin, a camera, a drink, and some handsome Spanish man -- dear lord, a whole country of black-haired men, sigh.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6609897463/" title="Basque Tapas by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Basque Tapas" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6609897463_c102960906_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>smoked salmon with roe on bread, topped with "baby eels"</i> </div>
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Prices seemed quite reasonable, certainly cheaper than tapas in the U.S. One lunch for 3 people, where we ate *everything* Ron Swanson-style, killed a bottle of wine, and had coffee & desserts was about 75 euro. Sounds like a lot, but the same amount & quality at Portland's Toro Bravo would be 3x that.<br />
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At the busier buffet places, your bill was tallied by the number of toothpicks left on your plate -- each bite speared through with one. No idea how people don't cheat that system. Undercover pintxos police?<br />
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Post reaching TLDR status. I'll save the topics of meats, markets, and traditional holiday dishes for another post.<br />
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I am so hungry now.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/6609864711/" title="Not spicy by woogapdx, on Flickr"><img alt="Not spicy" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6609864711_6039420c92_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>local green peppers, not spicy, except sometimes they are</i> </div>
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All the fotos: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/sets/72157628657194221/" target="_blank">Spain - Christmas 2011</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775191373929756795.post-60847902744804801572011-11-11T15:07:00.000-08:002011-12-01T10:31:13.416-08:0035/35/15-5035/35/15-50<br />
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Nope, it's not CrossFit jargon. Or my measurements (well... if you took out the 15. Yikes! Maybe I shouldn't make fun of CrossFit.).<br />
<br />
It's a goal. <br />
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My 40th birthday passed in the fog of a sinus infection, annoying and uncomfortable yet providing a certain soothing insulation from CERTAIN BIG QUESTIONS, contemplations, regrets. But one wiggled through: There's not enough time and money for me to go everywhere while I'm still healthy enough to do so. <br />
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I have to <i>make</i> this happen.<br />
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35 unique countries in 35 years, from the age of 15 to 50. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/woogapdx/5093379506/" target="new"><img alt="Fuzhou Train Station" border="0" height="180" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5093379506_9d3c267cfb_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div><br />
Luckily, and with deep gratitude, I'm already half-way to my goal:<br />
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<ol><li>Belgium</li>
<li>Bulgaria</li>
<li>Canada</li>
<li>China</li>
<li>Denmark</li>
<li>England</li>
<li>France</li>
<li>Georgia</li>
<li>Germany</li>
<li>Ireland</li>
<li>Italy</li>
<li>Mexico</li>
<li>Netherlands</li>
<li>Nigeria</li>
<li>Russia</li>
<li>Sweden</li>
<li>Switzerland</li>
<li>Turkey</li>
<li>Vatican City </li>
</ol>What's next? 16 countries in the remaining 10 years. Somehow.<br />
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Christmas in Spain (20.) near Barcelona with my brother, within easy driving distance of Andorra (21.). And in 2012, I'm going to try hard to get to Cuba (22.).<br />
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Wish me luck!<br />
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**Update 12/1/11: After a thoughtful debate over Thanksgiving dinner, JW and Brice convinced me I can in fact count Hong Kong separately. Yay for intelligent friends with minds like lawyers. <br />
<ol></ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0