Commentary

January 7th, 2010

People on the Move

Long time pal, outstanding journalist, and publisher of the North County Voice, Mary Beth Francis, is recuperating after a serious illness that not only laid her low but had her in Intensive Care for about 18 days. We’re delighted she made it back from the edge and look forward to going for a walk with her either today or tomorrow. She expects to be back home this weekend (she tells me she’s getting ‘cabin fever’ at her rehab center. She says she lost 25 lbs., which most of us would envy, but that’s a pretty hard way to lose weight.

She’ll be back putting together stories, features, and ads for her on line newspaper. In the meantime, if you want to drop a get well note to her, send ‘em to me at thepaper@cox.net and we’ll forward them on to her. (I expect the inbox on her email is already loaded so it may take a bit of time for her to get back to you . . . but write anyway; I know she’ll be starved for interaction with real, live, people and not just the four walls of her rehab hospital room.

As to the New Year . . . have you made your resolutions? Made your bucket list? (Things you wanna do before kicking the bucket). Here are a few suggestions, some practical, some, maybe not:

1. Go into outer space – Space Adventures will fly you to the moon, the International Space Station and many other cosmic specks. Of course, you’ll need upwards of $20 million to do it.

2. Climb Mt. Everest – Obviously, climbing experience is required. John Nigro of Vineyard Travel tells us guided expeditions up (and down) the highest mountain on the planet can be yours for as little as $1200.

3. Fly a plane – Let’s Go Flying, a program from the nonprofit Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, lets you fly a plane. You’ll sit in the cockpit with a licensed flight instructor in the copilot seat. From there, you’ll taxi, take off, fly around a while and land. The best part? It only costs around $99 at participating flight schools.
a. This is how I got started flying. Later, I acquired my ASEL (Airplane, Single Engine, Land) private pilot’s license. Many happy and beautiful hours in the air. And no dad-blamed security lines to go through!
b. With a zip code search to find a list of participating flight schools in your area, www.letsgoflying.com makes it easy for you to check at least one thing off their life list.

4. Go on a safari – Love the local zoo? Imagine seeing those same animals in their natural habitats. If you’ve already got a country in mind, check with its tourism board for safari companies. Again, Vineyard Travel of Escondido tells us, $6700 to $15000, per person for 12-17 days.

5. Be a rock star – And not just on Guitar Hero. For about $8,000, Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp lets you spend five days with world-renowned rock stars writing songs, learning instruments and even performing in front of a live audience!

Shad Hunziker, Major Domo of OurPlanet Recycling (located in Escondido) is on a road trip back east to visit family and friends in New York and points in between. He has been filing daily reports via his Blackberry on Facebook as to where he is - on the road to Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico (looks like he’s on his way back home). We have been keeping track of him and wondering how he can possibly drive through all the blizzards, snow, ice and wind. So far . . . he’s managed well. He should be home soon. I expect he’ll be fined by his Escondido Kiwanis Club for having his name in The Paper.

Trust you are all having a happy New Year and wish for even better things to come!