 Below is everything (newest at top) with "family OR holmes OR travel" in its title or subcategories. For a strict listing (matching all categories and subcats), click hereWHY ROADS GET LIKE WASHBOARDSfrom 2026 in ( education / research / travel / roads )
Pretty interesting. I had this question recently and see I was completely wrong with my assumption.From: James MorikoneDate: On Wednesday, June 17th, 2026 at 7:34 AMSubject: If you drive on gravel roads, you may have noticed washboardsWhy Roads Get Washboards - 18 minMy brother-in-law told me it was because people are driving too fast. . ... read more GOING FOR A RIDEfrom 2024 in ( culture / writing / travel / usa )
I went for one of my weekend drives. I almost said Sunday drive, but it was a Saturday. Anyway, I brought our dog Cleo with me this time. I never used to, but nowadays I take her almost everywhere because she and our newly adopted Yorkshire terrier, Lily, don't like each other. I'd been online just prior, looking at nearby houses on the mar... read more OLD POSTS, REVISITEDfrom 2024 in ( culture / writing / blog / travel )
FYI, I've been taking travel posts from this site, cleaning them up/updating them as needed, and posting them at williamarthurholmes.substack.com.... read more NOTES FROM THE ROAD TO DOUG'S HOUSE... AND MARK TWAIN'S BOYHOOD HOMEfrom 2024 in ( life / travel / usa / missouri )
Just past Jackson, Tennessee, after getting onto 412, a trucker had some fun at my expense. I had just passed him and am 99% sure I hadn't merged back in front of him too close. Drivers around here are offended easily. He then came up fast behind me and got right up to my rear-end before finally getting into the left lane to pass me. He then ma... read more A BRIEF HISTORY OF MY HOME TOWN, FOLSOM, CALIFORNIAfrom 2024 in ( life / travel / usa / california )
Prompted and edited by Bill. On a whim, I asked Bing Copilot (AI) to write a blog post about Folsom. Here's the result...If you want to know more about the history of Folsom, California, you might enjoy this. Folsom is a city in Sacramento County that has a rich and diverse heritage, dating back to the Native American tribes, the Gold Rush era,... read more STILLHOUSE HOLLOW FALLSfrom 2023 in ( life / travel / usa / southeast )
I stopped here a couple weeks ago, on a whim, on one of my regular Sunday drives. There's a little sign, easy to miss, as you drive by on the highway between Columbia and whatever the next decent-sized town west of there is. Recalling names has always been one of my weaknesses. Introduce yourself to me and I'll almost immediately forget ... read more GREETINGS FROM SAINT SOMETHING, MISSOURIfrom 2023 in ( life / travel / usa / missouri )
I was in no rush to leave and didn't hit the road until 9:30 on my drive from middle Tennessee to Saint Robert, Missouri. I could never remember that name, calling it Saint Something in my head. Even now, I wanted to type Saint Thomas. How many saints are there, anyway? The drive was blissfully uneventful, with the highlight being Sheryl Crow&#... read more REDDING IN APRILfrom 2023 in ( life / travel / usa / california )
Friday, April 7, 2023 Elizabeth and I were on our seemingly annual trip to California. This time, it was a gift for her 18th birthday. Years ago, I thought we might be flying to Astrakhan, Russia, for this birthday, but things are a little dicey there now. Besides, you need a sponsor to be granted a visa. About a year ago, knowing the current situa... read more OUR CARSfrom 2022 in ( life / travel / transportation / auto )
Those who read my last story know I drive a Ford Escape. I love it but need to trade it in soon. The transmission shudders a bit at certain speeds, certain RPMs. I need to sell it before the transmission fails. It's got about 125K, 75K of which I put on it after I bought it used. I'm thinking of replacing it with the slightly larger Ford Ed... read more HOBO TRAVELER REGARDING USAfrom 2022 in ( life / travel / advice )
Andy Graham has traveled nonstop for 25 years and evaluates the USA vs other places. Fascinating: Watch on YouTube... read more ROADS LAST TWICE AS LONG WHEN MADE WITH RECYCLED TIRE RUBBERfrom 2022 in ( life / travel / roads / recycling )
I like this! Reduce, reuse, recycle, as they say.Engineers at the RMIT University in Australia have found that using rubber from new and used tires actually works like sunscreen for roads, halving the rate of sun damage with...... read more 7-FOOT ROBOT AT DALLAS LOVE FIELD AIRPORT WATCHES FOR UNMASKED TRAVELERS, WILL NOTIFY LAW ENFORCEMENT OF POTENTIAL CRIMESfrom 2022 in ( life / travel / usa / tyranny )
Remind me never to use that airport. 'A 7-foot robot at Dallas Love Field Airport is watching for unmasked passengers and will notify law enforcement of potential crimes. What could possibly go wrong? The robot, dubbed SCOT, was installed last month to determine if they are capable of efficiently supplementing current... ... read more THINKING OF LEAVING THE USA, EVEN TEMPORARILY?from 2022 in ( life / health / covid / travel )
If you, being a sensible person, refuse to get the covid shot but have been dreaming of visiting a foreign country that does NOT require said shot, you WILL be required to get one upon your return. Yep. And you thought this was a free country. Sorry, no such luck.: U.S. State Department FAQ.Starting on December 6, before boarding a flight to the U... read more BNA TO SMF (2022)from 2022 in ( life / travel / usa / california )
Elizabeth and I returned home late Tuesday night after a few days in California, visiting family. I still despise air travel, and the mask requirement only makes it worse, but a couple of our American Airlines crew members were happy to tell us it expires next month. Using Doug and Jana's house in Sacramento as my home base -- with Elizabeth an... read more AMERICAN MAN WALKS THROUGH MOST DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD IN ROSARIOfrom 2022 in ( life / travel / americas / argentina )
In the past few decades, one city in Argentina has begun to develop a rather unsavory reputation for criminality. Rosario, which connects the north of Argentina to Buenos Aires through the Parana River, is actually a fairly beautiful city. But as with many places, there are two different sides to it. On the outskirts was a very different city, and... read more FROM HILL TO VALLEY, A LONG-WINDED POSTCARD FROM THE ROADfrom 2021 in ( life / travel / usa / southeast )
The drive from Spring Hill, Tennessee to Valley, Alabama was uneventful... until we were almost there. So close. That's a fairly generic name for a town, though, isn't it? Valley. It's like finding a good spot for a town, planting your flag, and naming it River or Forest or Hill. I know, that is how some towns around the world are name... read more GAS BUDDY FINDS STATIONS THAT HAVE GASOLINE, DIESEL OR BOTHfrom 2021 in ( life / travel / transportation / fuel )
No mention of their snack supply. Here's the link: tracker.gasbuddy.com... read more VERY FEW COUNTRIES NOT REQUIRING RIDICULOUS HEALTH PRECAUTIONSfrom 2021 in ( life / travel / covid / vaccines )
There are very few places a person can go, at the moment (April 6, 2021), without worrying about bureaucrats and their ridiculous health requirements, making you spend several days in quarantine (hopefully, at least in your hotel, not the airport luggage carousel). Of course, returning to your country will probably still require your participatio... read more EXECUTIVE ORDERS ARE NOT LAWSfrom 2021 in ( life / travel / vaccines / legal )
Legally, they apply ONLY to that executive's employees and any property under their legally-limited purview. Here's an open letter to all airlines... I thought I would educate you on the federal law you cite as justification for your mask policy.Are Executive Orders Law? The Short Answer: No, they are not in and of themselves law. The Mi... read more LOOKING TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL, PERMANENT-LIKE? HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONSfrom 2020 in ( life / travel / advice )
If you're looking to get away from it all, here is some hopefully useful information. If you're primarily English-speaking (maybe looking to move permanently), here's a list of countries (whose primary language is NOT English) ranked by English Proficiency Index for their English skills. The top 12 are...NetherlandsDenmarkFinlandSwedenN... read more AUTO-GYROSfrom 2020 in ( life / travel / transportation )
I've seen this gyrocopter taking off and landing from the John C. Tune Metro airport. Maybe he's doing sales demos or something. Pretty cool looking. autogyrousa.com/... read more FAMILY MEMBERS SURVIVE THE MIDDLE EASTfrom 2020 in ( life / travel / middle-east / planets )
My brother and his wife just returned from their 16-day trip to Dubai, Egypt and Jordan. It was a great trip and at no time did we feel unsafe (except in the crazy traffic). In Egypt, we had a tour guide and a security guard with an Uzi at all tourist areas. Jordan and Dubai are pretty safe anyway, so no security guard was needed. Today, we hear... read more USDOT TO BAN DOG BREED DISCRIMINATION ON AIRLINESfrom 2020 in ( life / travel / airlines / pets )
The regulation is set to put an end to airlines discriminating against service dogs based on their appearance or breed, particularly pit bulls. : goodnewsnetwork... read more GREAT FOREIGN TRAVEL TIPSfrom 2019 in ( life / travel / advice )
The Hobo Traveler tells it like it is: don't rent a car, some cultures dishonest, police dangerous. : youtu.be/GNBfZ6oX73wWhat Countries Give You The Most Respect, The Least?... read more COST OF LIVING COMPARISON (SACRAMENTO VS. LISBON)from 2019 in ( life / travel / economy )
Cool international cost-of-living comparison site: expatistan.com/cost-of-living. If you're thinking of moving from Sacramento, CA to Lisbon, Portugal, for example, go to: cost-of-living/comparison/sacramento/lisbon... read more VISITING OLD SACRAMENTOfrom 2018 in ( life / travel / usa / california )
Observations while walking around Old Sacramento with Elizabeth:Jul 14, 2018 2:38pmAs I sat on a bench in touristy Old Sacramento, a little boy walked by and asked Are you a statue? I had to laugh. There was a statue/wooden carving of a man on the next bench over.Jul 14, 2018 3:47pmHomeless guy to a tourist: Spare any change?Tourist: I don't ... read more HOW TO TAKE YOUR OWN PASSPORT PHOTOfrom 2018 in ( life / travel / photography )
I was having a hard time converting a digital photo down to the correct 2x2 physical size. Then I found this article: take your own passport photos. At first, I was thinking Tell me something I don't know. Then I saw the link to the State Department's own online passport photo editor (photo tool). Perfect! Well, I'm still ugly in th... read more AIRLINES MISBEHAVINGfrom 2017 in ( life / travel / airlines )
United Airlines says Thank you, American Airlines. Now everyone knows we're not the ONLY a--holes! Yes, the woman was apparently belligerent (just like United's victim), but these so-called professionals need to be a LOT more professional.... read more ALTERNATE ROUTEfrom 2016 in ( life / travel / transportation / traffic )Don't you hate it when you take an alternate route to get away from a slow driver only to have them end up in front of you later? Yeah.That's all I wanted to say. But, since you're here, look at this: ... read more GREG AND JUNE'S TRIP TO EUROPE (2013)from 2016 in ( life / travel / europe / italy )
June and I started out at LAX after getting a ride from Aileen. Thanks, Aileen! Our flight to Rome on Alitalia was delayed by about an hour, for some reason. Before boarding, we ran into a friend on the same flight who was with another friend and her friend's husband, with whom I talked for a while. He works for a NASA contractor part time afte... read more SIGHTS AROUND THE WORLDfrom 2013 in ( life / travel )
A list of must-see sights around the world. Less obvious places, such as Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Vermont, or the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, etc. Hopefully fun, interesting, different sorts of touristy things that people might not have thought of.Sundial Bridge in Redding, CA -- JeannieWonderWorks in Gatlinburg, TN -- Jayson... read more BEST PLACES TO GO (2013)from 2013 in ( life / travel )
Nashville made the list! Here's what they say about it:The new Nashville offers two things worth traveling for: a hot, trendy new food scene and its famous, funky music scene. The haute southern cuisine is flourishing in Nashville at restaurants like The Patterson House and The Catbird Seat. Not to mention some of the tastiest and most ... read more THINGS TO DO IN NASHVILLEfrom 2011 in ( life / travel / usa / nashville )
Actually, in and around Nashville. Adventure Science Center Alpha Mom (list) Andrew Jackson's Hermitage Broadway/2nd AvenueCentennial Park Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre Cheekwood Country Music Hall of Fame Delvin Farms Discovery Center of Mufreesboro Family Days Out (list) Franklin on Foot Gentry's Farm Hatcher Family Dairy Milky Way F... read more TOUR OF NASHVILLE (2011)from 2011 in ( life / travel / usa / nashville )
Elizabeth and I played tour guide to my sister Jeannie, her daughter Tiffany, and her husband and kids. We started with a late breakfast at Cracker Barrel one exit east of the airport. My brother Don wanted to go to Shoney's -- like when our other sister, Lucy, visited last year (on day 1 of the rains which led to the May floods) -- but he was ... read more TSA MISSES LUGGAGE THAT EXPLODES AFTER FLIGHTfrom 2011 in ( life / travel / government )
'Despite a $98 million infusion for state-of-the-art baggage screening machines, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) somehow missed a suitcase filled with explosives that blasted after a three-hour domestic flight. The shameful gaffe is simply the latest of many for the beleaguered Homeland Security agency charged with protecting t... read more TSA MISSES GUNS, BOMBS IN TESTSfrom 2011 in ( life / travel / politics )'While the government agency responsible for securing the nation's transportation system harasses honest citizens with invasive, genital-groping personal searches, guns and bombs regularly get past inept Homeland Security TSA screeners. 'At major airports throughout the United States, undercover agents have slipped a shocking number o... read more PREIKESTOLEN, ONE OF NORWAY'S MOST VISITED ATTRACTIONSfrom 2010 in ( life / travel / europe )
Preikestolen is one of Rogaland county, Norway's most visited attractions, and one of the country's most spectacular photo subjects. It has been named one of the world's most spectacular viewing points by both CNN Go and Lonely Planet. It rises 604 metres above the Lysefjord.: Visit NorwayUPDATE: Here is that cliff's official webs... read more CALIFORNIA TRIP (2008)from 2008 in ( family / holmes / travel )
Tara, Elizabeth and I just returned from a trip to California. We went for my nephew Thomas's wedding (to bride Heather at Lake Tahoe), but it was also a convenient excuse to let everyone on my side of the family, especially her Grandma and Grandpa, finally meet Elizabeth. Tara's side are already well familiar with our little girl. My bro... read more TRAVEL PAGEfrom 2008 in ( life / travel / blog )
Currency converterPosted on 23 Feb 2008A Flight Attendant's reportby a flight attendantOn the morning of Tuesday, September 11, we were about 5 hours out of Frankfurt, flying over the North Atlantic. All of a sudden the curtains parted and I was told to go to the cockpit, immediately, to see the captain. As soon as I got there I noticed that th... read more STAY TUNEDfrom 2008 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I hope to get the rest of the photos and videos on here, at least in raw form, over the next few days. I think I'm getting over my post traumatic stress disorder from the trip and can now face looking at the video again. :)Regarding Comments, I had to set those to require approval before showing up on the site because spammers have discovered t... read more AIRPORT ARRIVALfrom 2008 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Some pictures as we arrived in the airport. There was a great welcoming party there! We've never had an airport welcoming party before!... read more STILL IN MOSCOWfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We're in a different hotel, the Holiday Inn -- Moscow Sokolniki, for the rest of our stay. This is the one that was originally reserved for our return from Astrakhan. It has a reliable internet connection, costs less per night than yesterday's, and provides a great FREE (not $60) breakfast. The only drawback (if that, given that the Metro s... read more RIDING THE METROfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We're going to attempt to ride the Metro subway to Red Square today. Wish us luck. The exits aren't numbered, they are listed by name ... in Cyrillic. Of course, the overhead announcements are in Russian. One helpful thing is that the announcements are in a male voice if you're going toward the center of town, and in a female voice head... read more TO THE EMBASSYfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Our last stop before the airport on the magical mystery tour is the US Embassy. They will make Elizabeth a US citizen and a registered Republican. Just kidding about that last part. I wonder if the Children's Hope people will give us that promised tour of Moscow today, finally. I don't really care if they do, quite frankly. For the sake of ... read more CAN'T LEAVE EARLY...from 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
... but at least it's all over. The Embassy visit went fine. Delta said that the only way we could take the available seats on earlier flights was to pay $2800 extra FOR EACH ticket. We said no. Unless someone wants to donate that to us, then we'll call them back. :) As it is, we can't leave until Sunday as originally planned.... read more UPDATE TO THE UPDATE'S UPDATEfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )I went ahead and paid for the 24-hour internet connection from the room. It wasn't even double the cost of one hour. I also swapped out the flaky cable and that seems to have fixed the connection problem. Wrong. I had to call the techs back to fix it. The hotel sure did send up some techs quickly to check it out. Tara and Elizabeth are asleep... read more RIDING THE METRO, PART DEUXfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )All three of us went to Red Square this time. I'm glad Tara was able to see it. Elizabeth was fascinated, too, but probably won't remember a thing. We then had lunch at Sbarro in the underground mall, where Tara bought some more souvenirs. One more night, then we leave! We'll see some of you Sunday night at the airport. Some of you othe... read more JUST ANOTHER WEEK TO GO...from 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )... maybe less! That cheers me up. That's assuming everything goes as planned ... and it WILL. I believe in positive thinking (when I'm desperate, anyway, because it leads to positive actions, which lead to positive results, or at least your chances are better). I don't always practice it, but I try. It doesn't always work, but it n... read more PICTURES OF OUR LIFE IN ASTRAKHANfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Tonight is our last night in Astrakhan. So, I thought I'd post some pictures of where we've been living for the past 19 days. We've had many battles over clothing. She thinks I put too much clothes on her. In the hotel room, she wears her thermals. But, she loves her boots. So, she often walks around in her thermals with her snow boots.... read more BACK IN MOSCOW (12/18/2007)from 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We made it this far! The plane ride was terrible for several minutes when we had to fasten our seat belts, which Elizabeth did not want to do. She SCREAMED loudly for quite a while, ticking off everyone nearby. Luckily, part of it was drowned out by the sound of the jet engines revving up and taking off. After that, she pooped her pants (I think fo... read more 51-1/2 HOURSfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
That's how long before we leave Astrakhan for Moscow. Not that we're counting or anything. The bad thing about these in-country flights is that they don't use jetways, those expandable tubes that protect you from the weather as you get on and off the plane. You are out there exposed on the tarmac, which is no fun in bad weather. Once ... read more SLEEP, WHAT A CONCEPTfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I slept on the floor most of last night. It's a little after 7 a.m. here. Elizabeth refuses to sleep in her crib, even though we're told that's what she slept in at the orphanage. So, she sleeps with us in our bed. That bed is barely big enough for just me and Tara. Anyway, Elizabeth can go to sleep in the bed, but whenever she wakes up... read more NOTHING MUCH TO UPDATE ABOUTfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
She's just driving us crazy. Luckily, Tara is taking the brunt of it. I had to get out and walk around town in the freezing cold, just for the sake of getting out. I was at least useful, coming back with some groceries. Elizabeth's sweet as can be and very playful most of the time, but she turns on a dime. The main problem is just keeping h... read more BOWEL MOVEMENTfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )I like a headline that demands attention!It's official, I'm a parent. Elizabeth had her first bowel movement since we've had her, and it was on my watch! Tara was unable to put Elizabeth down for a nap while I was out walking around town looking for groceries and sundry items. Once I returned, Tara decided to take a nap herself. We had ... read more MORE PICTURES (12-09-2007)from 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )Here are some photos from today of the hotel and the closest major street to us. We didn't get very far on our walk because it was too cold.Tomorrow (Monday) will be a busy day. We file some paperwork at a couple different places and pick up Elizabeth from the orphanage!... read more THE FIRST HOURS OF PARENTHOODfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Oh my gosh! She's a handful!Well, we left the orphanage without much incident. She told the orphanage staff that she wanted to leave in the car. But, she refused to let me or Bill hold her hand or touch her other than put her snowsuit and boots on. The orphanage director walked her out and then Vika, our interpreter took her from there. She wou... read more SHE'S OURSfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We have her in the hotel now. I tried typing that sentence earlier but she shut the computer down as I was typing! I don't know how. But just a few keystrokes and it was shutting down. Now she keeps trying to run away from Tara down the hall. So far, she hasn't cried, just the occasional I don't want to do that sound that kids make. S... read more PICTURE OF US BEFORE COURTfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
From several days ago, the morning of our court appearance. Taken by the other adoptive family in town for their first trip, the Mees. We have one more visit today before we pick her up Monday. Our ten-day wait is over tomorrow, but because that's Sunday, we wait until Monday. Then we start the process of getting her passport and visa, then wai... read more LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNELfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We visited Elizabeth again today. We caught her when she was in the music room with all the other kids in her age group. She smiled wide when she saw us, but by the time she reached us, she tried to keep it cool. Like, Oh, it's you. I thought you were somebody else. Just kidding about that quote. I hope I'm kidding. :) After the crowd o... read more SHE'S WARMING UP TO USfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )We had her laughing, smiling and giggling today. I pushed her around on the three-wheeler, then flew her around the room. She even let us chase her around, and it didn't scare her when I chased her!She seemed more comfortable with Tara than she was with me today, so that's good. They can do girlie things together, you know.I forgot to m... read more IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD WEEKfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
That's all I wanted to say. :)We had a shortened visit with Elizabeth today because we had to first stop by the pharmacy and get some Ben-Gay and ibuprofen for my sore neck. Ben-Gay actually sounds (and smells) the same in Russian, it just looks funny on the box. Then when we got to the orphanage, we had to wait 20 minutes before they brought E... read more SATURDAY MORNINGfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Tara made a good guess earlier. She thinks the orphanage caretakers are telling Elizabeth that we will be taking her away soon. They think they're doing us a favor, trying to prepare her. But now, every time we come to visit and they leave the room, she freaks out because she thinks it's happening now. I would have preferred that they just ... read more THE DAY AFTERfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )Well, we're much more relaxed now that we've gotten past the court appearance. The problem now is getting Elizabeth to like us again. Today, she cried for the first time. She let me hold her, but my Russian words were not much consolation. She calmed down once our interpreter Liena returned to the room. Liena then commented that she was sor... read more MUCH BETTER VISIT TODAYfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )Elizabeth (a.k.a. Masha) was much happier today. We were told that the orphanage caretakers probably were not telling her that we would be taking her away, but who knows? She let me fly her around the room again, which made her laugh. We played piano. Yesterday, she wanted up on my lap to play piano, but she batted my hand away so that only s... read more SUCCESS!from 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
As you probably read below in Tara's post, our court appearance went very well. Ten days from now we will officially be the proud parents of Elizabeth! And now Vika tells us that we get to visit her not just a few times, but every day except Sunday. I don't know what Elizabeth has on her schedule for Sundays, but apparently she's busy. ... read more WENT FOR A WALKfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
... in the freezing cold, we were THAT bored. I'm starting to hate this place. There's just nothing to do when we're not visiting Elizabeth or going shopping, and both of those require a driver, and usually a translator. I can't wait until we're out of here, but we've got two weeks to go. I'll see if I can't download... read more AND THE JUDGE SAYSfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
She's ours!It's official! Elizabeth is ours. The court hearing went very smooth. It took about an hour and a half. There was a judge, prosecutor, a rep from the Child protective services, and the Minister of Education. They had a lot of questions about our parenting style, our finances and guardianship of her in the event of both our deaths... read more RUSSIAN BUREAUCRACYfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Oh... my... God. Do not EVER lose that document they have you fill out on the plane before you land! Stapling it to your forehead would be less painful than what Galina, Liena and I went through today. Vika was tending to the other couple, Nancy and Joel. Anyway, we just spent ALL afternoon standing and sitting in line at the Immigration department... read more IT'S SHOWTIMEfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )We leave in an hour for Court. I just got back from breakfast. Tara did not join me because she can't eat, she's so nervous. Gotta go get dressed. Wish us luck!... read more COMMENTS WELCOMEfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I set this blog so that you can now add your comments anonymously without logging in. So, comment away! I was afraid that the requirement for a login was keeping people from participating. Now you can go crazy because you're anonymous. Just watch your language! Elizabeth is reading this, too ... some day. :) Email me if you have a problem using... read more RUSSIAN ADOPTION CONSULTANTfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I've taken a job here as a Russian adoption consultant. The hours are long, and the pay is in barter, but you gotta do what you gotta do, seein' as how I can't leave the country. :)But seriously, the Children's Hope office in Brentwood, TN has an opening for such a job. The hours are still long, but I'm pretty sure they pay in U... read more BACK IN ASTRAKHANfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We made it to Astrakhan, but I've lost my immigration form that goes with the passport and visa. It's just a little sheet that they have you fill out on the airplane before you land. If I'd known it was so important, I would have stapled it into the passport instead of just sliding it in there. It's not the end of the world, but I c... read more IN THE AIR AGAINfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Sunday, November 25, 2007, 5:00pm CSTWe're in the air on our way back to Moscow. Delta Flight 46. The current in-flight movie is Evan Almighty, which we saw on one of our other flights to or from Moscow last time. You know, when you jet back and forth like we do, you forget exactly which flight it was. :) I guess it's rentable, but don... read more BEET SALADfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
The time stamp on these blog posts are in US Central Time, not Russia time. It's 6am Sunday morning here. We had lunch the other day with Nancy, Joel, Vika and Liena at a Western-themed restaurant called The Horseshoe down the street from the hotel. I ordered some sort of goulash and a salad that Vika said was a traditional Russian dish. I shou... read more MWEH YEDDUM V AEROPORT ETA OOTRAfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
You probably guessed what that means: We are going to the aiport this morning. It's probably not grammatically correct, but I ain't got no time for linguistic correctitude. :)Unlike last time when the cat kept waking me up, this time I was able to get a good night's sleep. I was up at 5:30, but I got a good seven hours. It helped that I... read more TUESDAY (11/27/2007)from 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )Time flies when you lose nine hours. We fly to Astrakhan this afternoon. This morning, we'll be having the free breakfast that the hotel offers. Then we'll exchange our dollars for rubles (before the dollar devalues even more). I could've done that yesterday, but I ... just ... didn't ... feel like it. :)They don't get a lot of ... read more BACK IN MOSCOW (11/26/2007)from 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We made it. The flight was horrible. I think I slept about 30 seconds out of the 11 hour flight. It was not a full flight, and half the people around us were able to take up two or three seats, but we weren't quick enough. The other movie on the flight was Next with Nicholas Cage and Julianne Moore. It's about a guy who can see two minutes ... read more INTERNET ACCESSfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I'm wondering about internet access now that we've tentatively planned to stay in a weekly apartment in Astrakhan instead of the hotel the entire time. We'll probably want/need that internet access for the sake of something to do. Normally, we could go sightseeing, but when it's below-freezing outside, that doesn't sound fun. An... read more SKORA MWEH TAM BOOJUMfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Translation: We'll be there soon. This time next week, actually. I really want to be able to communicate with our daughter Elizabeth when we get there. I've been playing those language MP3's (other ones here and/or here) relentlessly for the past several weeks. Sometimes those phrases will just pop into my head. Ne dyela bolna koshka... read more ROUND TWOfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )We've received our court date. We're haggling with the airlines now. One round-trip ticket for one adult costs a little over $800. One one-way ticket for our daughter's flight home with us costs $1,600!! I suggested just buying our daughter a round-trip ticket (which would be only $900) and not using the return portion of it, but Tara... read more BACK IN ATLANTAfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We're in the Atlanta airport now! Good to be on US soil, except that they keep mentioning George Bush (... as in the Houston Airport). :) It's 1:45a.m. Moscow time right now (5:45p.m. EDT), but I'm not tired. I'm anxious to catch the flight to Nashville. Customs and security here in Atlanta is sooo much smoother than Russia, thoug... read more WE'RE HOMEfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
OK, now we're home! I'll try and do a trip summary tomorrow after a good night's sleep ... in my own bed. Tara says she feels like Dorothy, There's no place like home!... read more ANOTHER GREAT VISITfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )We're feeling closer and closer to our child, especially after today. And I think we passed the test of having the psychologist there, observing. She was pretty cool, actually. She didn't stay the entire visit. I think she could see that Tara, the child and I are all getting along well. She'll be observing again tomorrow, but we'r... read more THURSDAY IN ASTRAKHANfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
First things first: Our little girl is warming up to Tara. She gave her a kiss yesterday, I think without even being asked. Now, for some more random thoughts:Before I forget to mention it, I need to tell you what happened Tuesday. I think it was Tuesday. My whole sense of time is pretty messed up. Anyway, it was a momentous day. Yeah, yeah, there&... read more LAST VISIT FOR A WHILEfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We'll be leaving in a few minutes for our last visit to the orphanage this trip. I'm practicing asking for my baggage back from the hotel baggage room. Baggage actually sounds like boggage. Please is pa-ZHAL-sta. Fascinating, I know. I thought about getting a parting video shot of the lobby as we sit here waiting for our ride. But then ... read more WEDNESDAY IN ASTRAKHANfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We just got back from today's first visit with the child (we're not supposed to mention her name online). We'll be going back this afternoon. In the meantime, Tara's trying to catch up on her sleep. She had woken up around 5 this morning. I was able to sleep until almost 8. The girl (hopefully soon to be known as our daughter) is ... read more GREAT VISITfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We had a great visit with our little girl this morning. There were no observers. That happens this afternoon. Vika mentioned we should think about showing more affection in front of the observers. It's more in line with how Russians treat their kids. We're fine with that. We like kids so much, we flew half way around the world to have one. ... read more SIGHTS OF ASTRAKHANfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
I'm attaching pictures we made of Astrakhan and our room. We are staying at the Hotel Azimut in Astrakhan. They are going through major renovations right now. It's kind of funny to see the interior design mix. The lobby is decorated in Art Deco while the rooms are decorated in traditional Russian decor like lace curtains, handblown glass ch... read more WE'RE IN ASTRAKHANfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
After a nerve-wracking trip to the airport and getting through the airport security we finally made it to our plane. We were told that our Rep, Galina, would be flying with us. We never saw her until we were already on the plane. She was one of the last passengers on the plane, she saw us and gestured to Bill. He figured it was Galina. Her seat was... read more CHECK-OUT TIMEfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We check out in an hour. We got a nice free breakfast this morning, then went back to that grocery store and managed to pay the right amount for the right kind of water (still, not sparkling, which is hard to find). Security guard work is apparently a large part of the workforce here, because every single business establishment we've been to ha... read more IT'S ONLY MONDAY?from 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Monday -- 1 Oct 07 -- 6:37PMzzzDRAHST-vueet-ya, DRAHST-ya, BREEV-yet ee DO-bree-dyen from Astrakhan! I just (phonetically) said Hello, hey, hi and good afternoon (even though it's now evening here) in Russian. I couldn't remember how to say evening.We visited the Ministry of Education today, the people who decide who lives and dies, I m... read more FIRST TIME IN MOSCOWfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Well, we made it to Moscow!After a long plane trip, we managed to get through passport control and customs with no problems. And all of our luggage made it!Our CHI Rep and driver were late getting to the airport and we were worried, but they did eventually show up. We got our first taste of traffic, and let me go on record to say -- I will never co... read more LINKS TO ALL HOLMES FAMILY ADOPTION POSTSfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
This Time Next Week -- I'm happy to say that this time next week, we will be in Astrakhan, Russia! We leave the States on Friday, September 28 and arrive in Moscow on the 29th. Depending upon the schedule of the flights to Astrakhan, we may have to stay in Moscow one night or we will board another plane on Saturday... Preparation for Our First... read more WE'RE IN MOSCOWfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
We'll be spending the night in Moscow, after all, and flying down to Astrakhan tomorrow afternoon. I was stressed out without an internet or even a usable power connection. But I'm obviously connected now. I had the power converters, but not the three-prong-to-two-prong adapter that I have plenty of at home. We ran into another couple from ... read more TUESDAY (10/2/2007)from 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
Just some random notes this morning. There's a real stray dog problem in Russian cities; or, at least Moscow and Astrakhan. A lot of people even apparently let their dogs run loose. They're almost all large dogs. The small ones don't survive. There's a real man purse problem, too. Many men have what amounts to a small purse that ... read more PREPARATION FOR OUR FIRST TRIP TO RUSSIAfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )Tuesday morning. Everyone's still asleep except for me, the pug Joey and the cat Sunny. In preparation for our trip, I'm trying to reacquaint myself with the digital cameras, video and still. I would've put Joey's and Sunny's pictures here, but the camera is connected to Tara's computer, which is off, and I don't feel li... read more IN THE AIRfrom 2007 in ( family / adoption / holmes / travel )
28 Sept -- 3:55pm CDT -- We're in the air on our way to Moscow. A little bit of good news is that it's only a 10 hour flight instead of 12 as we had thought.... read more VISITING FAMILY IN GUATEMALAfrom 2005 in ( life / travel / americas / blog )
We visited redacted's family in Guatemala, hence the title of the post :) and ate like the pigs that we are. redacted had fun. I guess the highlight was going to the cemetery.... read more VISITING FAMILY IN KANSASfrom 2005 in ( life / travel / usa / kansas )
Kansas. What an incredibly boring state. Tara, her sister Sandie, niece Destiny, and I flew from Nashville to attend her youngest sister Stephanie's high school graduation in Council Grove. Tara and I figured we'd find something to do that night upon arrival in Kansas City, followed by more touring the next day before catching up with the o... read more TRIP TO VANCOUVERfrom 2005 in ( life / travel / americas / canada )
Our trip was great. Here's a very short story.We left on 8/11 from my work. My boss made me attend a meeting that day which ended at 2:30, whereupon I joined June, Brian and Andy who were in our van, waiting in the parking lot. Boy, did I need a vacation!We arrived at Jeannie's that night, stayed overnight and dropped off Cedar, who escaped... read more CHARLESTON AND SAVANNAHfrom 2000 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Charleston, SCWe drove ... and drove ... and drove -- 10 hours or so- from Nashville until finally reaching Charleston, South Carolina. Along the way, we stopped in Asheville, North Carolina at the Biltmore Estate because Tara had forgotten to get postcards when we were there a couple years ago. That's one of her things. She buys postcards from... read more CALIFORNIA, WHAT A TRIPfrom 2000 in ( life / travel / usa / california )
Before we left, I took Austin to his Grandma Joy's house. We had a good visit and he took to her immediately. I left him on Friday morning and drove back to Nashville. I was supposed to get my ear drums cut open for the plane ride because I had ear infections, but the steroids and antibiotics had put a negative pressure situation in my ears and... read more THE BREEDERS CUP AT GULFSTREAM PARKfrom 1999 in ( life / travel / usa / horse-racing )
I flew from Nashville to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for the Breeders Cup horse races at Gulfstream Park (actually Hallandale). It was fun just being there. Southwest had given me a free round-trip ticket for some reason (I don't remember why), and I was taking advantage of it. I'd never been to south Florida before. How'd I do on the races... read more ST. LOUIS TRIPfrom 1999 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Tara and I made a quick trip (if you can call a five-hour road trip quick) to St. Louis over the Labor Day weekend. We visited their historic Old Town district along the river where they were hosting the Big Muddy Blues & Roots Festival. That was just good timing on our part. We had not originally intended to see it, but since it was free we hung o... read more QUICK TRIP TO CHICAGOfrom 1999 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Tara and I left Nashville for Chicago on a Thursday morning. At the last minute I decided to let my cat Myca out. I figured he would return shortly after doing his business in the neighbor's bushes, as usual, and I could then lock him in the house for the duration of our trip. When he didn't return as expected, I put the cat door in the f... read more ATLANTA TRIPfrom 1999 in ( life / travel / usa / blog )
Tara and I just got back from a long weekend in Atlanta. It was nice to see the town. I'd passed through before but never stopped to look. The first touristy thing we did after finding our hotel -- the downtown Courtyard-by-Marriott, which was much better than the Motel 6 that I would've gotten us -- was to ride the MARTA subway down to Tur... read more PORTUGAL TO HUNGARYfrom 1998 in ( life / travel / europe / blog )
How I Spent My Summer Vacations (Portugal to Hungary) from 1992Portugal/AzoresOn Sunday, July 12th, I woke up... but while getting ready for the flight to Portugal the next morning, I never went back to sleep. In Lisboa, my 2nd cousin and her husband Antonio Melo met me at the airport. They served as chauffeurs, tour guides and translators. Teres... read more TRIP TO EUROPE (1996)from 1996 in ( life / travel / europe / blog )
Jump straight to the video, here, if you want. I was in Bratislava, Slovakia for Doug and Jana's wedding, but this doesn't include the wedding itself. That was filmed by a professional. This video is so badly done it's almost funny. There's also some footage from Budapest, Prague and Berlin. The story is below. Nashville -- June, 1... read more EUROPE VIDEO (1996)from 1996 in ( life / travel / europe / blog )
You can watch it here: vimeo.com/Europe '96I was in Bratislava, Slovakia for Doug and Jana's wedding, but this doesn't include the wedding itself. That was filmed by a professional. This video is so badly-done it's almost funny. There's also some footage on here from Budapest, Prague and Berlin!For the full article, go here.... read more EASTERN CANADAfrom 1989 in ( life / travel / canada / blog )
Roving reporter returns from East (September, 1989) -- Bill returned from his trip to eastern Canada a few weeks back. He was supposed to seek out and capture Wild Man Doug. Remember? Well, he's back. Bill, that is. When asked to report his findings, however, Bill said, What? You never said anything about finding anyone!Well, there you have... read more |
or DONATE · privacy · 
