Author: GOING NINETY MILES

Hola and welcome to GOING NINETY MILES. Enjoy learning about amazing places to visit, good restaurants, seeing cool photos and more awesomeness.
england · food · yum

Gimme a scone!

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Good day mate! Oh wait, that’s Australian. Cheerio old chap, wait, that’s saying goodbye. Top o the morning to you! Is that Irish?

So, back from another B-E-A-UTIFUL trip to England. The German turned another year, but he is younger than me so I really can’t make fun of age. Oh where are the days when I would play “Nobody likes you when you’re 23, what’s my age again?” by Blink182. Great band.

I have a new favorite – SCONES. Yum, double yum. I tried explaining that scones in british are biscuits in american, but biscuits in british are cookies in american. Got it? Good. Scones with butter and jam. Plus a few cups of Earl Grey tea. Heaven.

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hi there

dadadada dum dum…. My Persona!

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 I hope you caught the beat. Sing it to My Sharona, but it is dadadada dum dum MY PERSONA!

There you go. Good job.

Just hoppin’ back on to say, my persona has changed! For the better. For years now, ever since I moved to Europe whenever I have to introduce myself the comeback is always “Ahh, like Kim Basinger”. And I politely smile and nod, yes, like Kim Basinger, but not really.  And last week I took my students (that I teach English to), to a movie. And on the drive, with 5 of us squished into an Audi TT, one of them said “Kim”. I answered yes? And then my newest student, Tony, said “Like Kim Possible”.

 YES! Exactly like Kim Possible – fashionista, cheerleader, straight- (er) A student, and super secret agent. Yup, that’s me.

tue Gutes und sprich darüber

Tue Gutes und sprich darüber

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Jessica and Harper, January 2006

 Tue Gutes und sprich darüber is a popular German phrase which translates to – Do Good and Speak About It. So that is what I am going to do.

Breast cancer is something that every person will most likely deal with in their lifetime, in some way. They will know a friend, a parent, a relative or possibly themselves that will try to fight it. My mother had breast cancer and had a mastectomy. My aunt did too, both thank God, are survivors to the fight.

My beautiful, loving and AMAZING friend Jeannette is running in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Las Vegas next weekend for her friend that she lost to stage IV breast cancer. The German and I donated money to support her in the race. It felt so good to give to such a great cause. Jeannette has already reached her goal but her team is still shy of $100. If you would like to donate you can do so here.  Every little bit helps.

See Jeannette’s story of her friend below. And donate, tue Gutes un sprich darüber. Thank you, Danke, Gracias.

What am I doing?
On May 1st, 2010 I will participate in the Komen Southern Nevada Race For The Cure in honor of my dear friend Jessica Evans who lost a courageous battle against stage IV breast cancer on January 8, 2010. Jessica was the mother to a beautiful 4 year old daughter, Harper, and a wife to Matt. I want to raise money to help find a CURE so women will no longer have to suffer. Every little bit helps. Please help me reach my fundraising goal by making a tax-deductible donation today. 

Your support helps us get another step closer to a world without breast cancer.

Your breast health…
The greatest risk factors for breast cancer are being female and growing older.  Breast cancer knows no boundary, be it age, gender, socio-economic status or geographic location.  One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. That’s one in eight within your company, school and organization!

The key to survival is early detection.  Three simple steps for early detection are regular mammograms, clinical exams and breast self-exams. And, remember, breast cancer affects more than just the patient; friends and family need support too.

What does Komen do?
For more than 25 years, Komen for the Cure has played a critical role in every major advance in the fight against breast cancer transforming how the world talks about and treats this disease, and helping to turn millions of breast cancer patients into breast cancer survivors.
Over the next 25 years, an estimated 25 million women around the world will be diagnosed with breast cancer if we don’t find a cure.  Komen will not stop until we discover and deliver the cures. That’s our promise.

We Will Find the Cure!

mexico joe'S · oooooooklahoma where the wind.... · tragic · usa

April 19, 1995

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The day started out like any other.

I woke up around 9 a.m. and thought I felt the ground shake for an instant. I didn’t think too much of it and threw on a Joe’s shirt, a pair of cut- off jean shorts, grabbed my waitbag and headed out the door. I was shift leader at Mexico Joe’s in Stillwater, OK and needed to get the restaurant ready to open at 10 for the lunch shift.

When the breaking news came on the television I stood with other employees as we watched in horror the scenes of half of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building blown apart from a bomb. The ambulances, medical professionals, children and adults bleeding, crying, not understanding what had happened.

Charles Porter, a high school classmate of mine took this picture that won a Pulitzer Prize.

How could any of us understand this scene of confusion and death on our home soil, the United States of America. But not only that, it was my home state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City bombing was the deadliest act of terror against the U.S. on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. I knew many people affected from this tragedy; police officers, medical staff, families of the children and adults whose lives were lost so suddenly. It is a day no Oklahoman will ever forget, at least not in my lifetime.

The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19 children under the age of 6. Hate killed 168 innocent people.

I tried to upload the video “The Change” by Garth Brooks, for which he made a powerfully moving video honoring the heroes and victims of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. But I was unable to get it to post. If you would like to watch go here. I cannot watch it and not cry. Too many memories.

Let us come together in peace. Absolve us from hate.

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earth · just how it is sometimes · planet · weird

Volcano Freak Out

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I must say this volcano eruption that is causing all the travel chaos is thrilling! Never have most European airports been closed for this long of a time. So far Madrid is still open so I could fly to the states at any time. But maybe it will close. Actually I have been constantly clicking on the interactive map from the online New York Times, I am obsessed with a volcano and I love it.

I have read stories of people scrambling for seats on the trains, the Eurotunnel, a ticket for a ferry. A journey that was supposed to be a simple two-hour flight turned into a 20 hour trip to get home. Taxi drivers are making buckets of money driving people all over Europe.

And scientists warn that the activity of the volcano has increased with no signs of slowing. Wow. I am completely enthralled.

* Look at that kickass header…up there! That is a closeup of just a smidge of one of my recent paintings.