Our Greatest Adventure

The vacation started on 8/7/2010 at 1:00 pm (which is when I finally got out of work) However at 12:20 (before I managed to get out of work) I got called by the TVC Security to go take a look at our van . . . It appears that someone either hit us or just broke the passenger side vent window! Ok so that’s not really the way to start a vacation, but what ya gonna do.

Got home and ready to head for Grand Rapids. The trip was as normal as could be, except we had really good air flow in the van!

Had a really, really nice dinner with Chuck and Jeannie. Got to bed at a reasonable hour since we would be getting up at 4:00am for a 6:30 departure from Grand Rapids. Chuck and Jeannie were wide awake and took us to the airport and away we went.

We are now sitting in Houston awaiting our flight to Tokyo. So far things are going great, Brian did a lot of napping on the first flight which was only 2.5 hours, now comes the really long flight of 17 hours, should be interesting.

Ok so we made the flight to Tokyo and arrived sore and tired, what a long day! Finally found our way out of the terminal to customs, got our passports stamped, stowed the luggage and had a lot of fun trying to figure out the train system . . . finally got tickets on the train to go to Tokyo. Well didn’t get to see to much as it was getting late and we spent a whole bunch of time just trying to get out of the Tokyo Station, what a mess! Found a number of people who tried to help but their English wasn’t to good and our Japanese was just as bad, however a few people who spoke good English gave us a hand and we did find our way back to the Narita International Airport. Well as our luck would go we were in Terminal 1 and had to go to Terminal 2, it was much easier to get that bus than anything else today.

Terminal 2 also had indoor smoking areas, great news for us. We put the luggage on a cart and started checking things out . . . here is our luck again, the airport police wanted us to follow them, it just so happens that we were in the domestic end of the terminal and had to move down to the international end, which also has an indoor smoking area. Now when we just think things are all find and dandy, the police come to visit again, well not just once or twice but 3 times to check out our passports and the flight information for tomorrow. Guess we didn’t look to bad because we are still sitting here with some other folks that are going to spend the night here also. Well it’s around 11:30 and the lights just went out here so guess it’s closing time, sure glad we still get to stay. It’s going to be interesting to say the least. Woke up once to use the ladies room and the Japanese Policeman began counting heads as I returned. Guess he didn’t want anyone to leave.

Well Japan Airlines opens up at 7:00am so we can get the bags checked and hopefully get some breakfast before the flight at 9:30am. Well I lost one lighter and Brian lost a pair of glasses in Japan, if anyone finds them let us know!

International travel is so much fun . . . got all checked in for the flight to Manila and found some breakfast – believe this we ate at McDonalds! Also found some postcards to send to Jamie, Sarina and Anna, little did I know that that was going to be the easy part. Finding the stamps and actually getting them mailed only took about 45 minutes and a trip back to the 2nd and 1st floor of the airport, asking for information a couple of times. Thank goodness the ladies at the airport were patient and did a very good job at pointing out the directions. What a fun morning we had. The flight to Manila was only around 4 hours and then the Manila airport, guys we weren’t in Japan anymore! The Manila airport was quite a different place, small hot and well we will just say really different.

So we thought the Manila airport was fun, we finally found Frank and Danny who would be driving us to Legaspi City which should have been around 12 hours. So we left Manila around 2:00 pm and arrived in Legaspi City around 3:00 am to a the hotel, it’s name the Magayon Hotel. Well it isn’t Super 8, but taking a cold shower was lots of fun anyway. Brian said it would be “rugged” and in my opinion that was an understatement but what the heck it is an adventure.

We got to tour the area, some really great sites and got to meet Michael and his boss at the school. Anyway tomorrow should be interesting. Now remember this is a whole lot different that the US. We are staying in the Magayon Hotel in the beautiful downtown of Legaspi City. After being here a few days the lack of hot water isn’t so bad since we are both really hot and sweaty when we return. (Never thought I would say that!)

So now for the really big surprise, my darling husband and Michael got together and planned an awesome birthday party . . . lot’s of new friends and food I can’t even remember the name of except for the white rice! Michael’s family attended and Michaels finance, Kathleen. It was a GREAT evening and a total surprise!

The seminar went well, it appears that everyone likes what Brian has to share which is not a surprise to me. Frank on the other hand well let’s just say it’s good that he went home on Sunday. His driver Danny was a very good person and a pleasure to be with. I have learned to wander, very limited, by myself but Danny was always their to run errands or to accompany me, especially across the street, which is an art in itself.

Traffic here is, well very different than in the United States, your vehicle has to have a well working Horn . . . Jeepney’s and tricycles are the most common mode of transportation. They are different but fun!

We have met a lot of people, all the martial arts guys, Michaels family, Kathleens family, and everyone has been super great! We have had a number of dinners and lunches, seems that everyone here is always hungry . . . . but the food is great even though I don’t exactly know what it is, I have had pork, chicken and fish with lots of rice.

I have ridden in a tricycle, jeepney and a banca boat which was yesterday. This is a beautiful country and simple country. I am sitting on the veranda overlooking the Philippine Sea with the rain across the bay and the wind is picking up. It has been hot with not much rain but looks like we might get some rain today.

We moved from the Magayon Hotel in Legaspi City to Captain Mike’s Beach Resort in Sto Domingo on Sunday and this is so beautiful! We have been driven by Linden and are usually accompanied by part of the martial arts family which has also been much fun.

I finally got to the bank yesterday, Monday and that was really interesting . . . I forgot to convert my request to pesos the first time but finally got it together, only took 4 tries but we are now set with pesos and here I go SHOPPING. We are going to go to Tabaco today.

Brian was out this morning and it started raining, so I thought he’s gonna get wet ha ha ha, but not our guy, he pulled up in a tricycle with some supplies, cigarettes and stuff and hardly wet! Then I thought, oh my, I had left my wet shoes outside and now I know they will not be dry, oh well!

Had a good day in Tabaco, of course Brian bought some blades, I wonder what the airport baggage guys are going to say! We have enough to start our own little war, ha ha ha. Got some shopping done and had a great lunch recommended by Linden and the special desert Halo Halo . . . different but very good! It was an ice cream desert with ice, various fruit and topped off with cheese, mix it all together and drink away.

We are back at the resort and I’m somewhat tired today, busy day. Linden is going to come over and bring his wife and youngest child, so we invited them to dinner and swimming in the Philippine Sea and of course some training. Tomorrow Michael and Kathleen are going to come over and then Thursday the brothers are going to have a going away party and we will have to depart this beautiful place on a flight at 8:00am Friday morning for Manila, a wait to catch our flight at 10:50pm for Guam, Hawaii, Houston and Grand Rapids, boy will I have a sore butt!

As our time draws near, I know that I will be sorry to leave here and the friends that we have made, it has been a wonderful trip one that I would definitely make again.

Well we arrived in Manila around 9:00am and finally found the airport bus to Terminal 1 at around 10:30 or so. Well here we are planning on sitting around the Manila airport until our flight leaves at 10:50pm . . . Oh so much fun. We took turns watching our stuff to go outside and have a cigarette, a number of times and sleeping was difficult as people kept bumping into Brian and/or making the row of chairs move a lot. Anyway finally it’s time to check in for our flight, 7:30pm. Got all checked in, went through customs and another security check and WOW we are at our gate and ready to leave. Or so we thought . . . the flight is now delayed for 1 ½ hours or so and if you look outside you can see that the engine has been dropped from the aircraft, the one which we will be flying on! Happy thoughts! Well all turned out OK as we boarded the flight and headed for Guam, the only problem now is that we will probably miss that flight, so who knows exactly when we will get back to the US. Well come to find out that Guam was holding the flight however, we had to hurry through customs and screening again but now we are on our way to Hawaii. Well we were late getting into Hawaii and again in Houston, so we had to hurry and really didn’t get to see much of Guam or Hawaii, but at least I have another stamp in my passport. The Customs guy in Guam was really nice, I told him the trip was our honeymoon and my birthday, and this was my first passport, would he please stamp it and he smiled and did! That’s one stamp that Brian doesn’t have, ha ha ha!

Now 7 ½ hours later we are in Hawaii. Another mad dash to make the flight to Houston, well it’s dark here in Hawaii so wouldn’t have gotten to see much anyway. The airport does look nice but it’s time to head for security and our next 7 ½ hour flight to Houston. I thought it was odd that we had to pick up our checked baggage just to hand it back to them in Hawaii, but it must have something to do with reentering the US, who knows but I hadn’t expected that.

Got to Houston, no problem, only flat, sore butts! And here again is a mad rush to get through the airport to our departure gate . . . it’s an interesting airport and this time we will be on a much smaller airplane but it’s our last flight, and only 2 ½ hours to Grand Rapids, then the 2 ½ hour drive home.

All in all it was a wonderful experience one that I would do again. The people, what can I say, they are now new friends and family and we are honored to have gotten to meet them and spend time with them, they are the most wonderful group anyone could ever ask for.

Thoughts For Today

It's been a pretty busy month or so with the 10th Anniversary of the Gathering, My sweetheart's birthday, the kids coming for a week from Arizona, and Brian's movie . . . I have to say he sure was cute . . . but he always is!  As husband's go he is the best in the world and I love him more than he will probably ever know.  Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what's going on that we can't see the forest for the trees and get a little stressed but all in all everything usually works out in the end anyway.

I'm very proud of my husband, he can do almost anything and has a heart of gold.  He understands debonese, which is a talent into itself and doesn't mind the "tink" in me.  The things that he does for me, the smiles, the soft touches and of course the teasing . . . he is a "one of a kind" and I'm proud to be his wife, companion, friend and lover.

Christmas Story (Deb)

The Christmas Story (Deb)

Once Upon A Time there was a young man Brian Donald (Buzz) Smith and a young lady Deborah Lorraine (Deb) Schultz. They lived very different lives but somehow met in the summer of 1968 at a dance in Gaylord, Michigan.

Buzz lived in Gaylord and Deb lived in Lansing except during the summer months when she and her family stayed at their cottage at Lake Arrowhead in Gaylord, Michigan. So for two summers the two spent time together.

So when Buzz found that his draft number was coming up he enlisted in the Navy rather than being drafted since this was the era of the Viet Nam War. So in November 1969 Buzz went off to boot camp. When he finished boot camp he got leave to go home and he also stopped by to see the young lady Deb in Lansing, Michigan.

Needless to say Buzz and Deb lost track of each other.

Buzz finished his Navy time and continued to live his life, not knowing where Deb had gone and Deb finished High School and continued to live her life, not knowing where Buzz was. Such a dilemma for both of them.

Here is where many, many years have passed and they have both have gone their separate ways with all the things that life brings, good and bad.

One day many, many years later, Deb got an e-mail from, none other than Brian (Buzz) Smith. He wanted to know if she remembered him! Now that was a silly question! Of course she remembered him and she was also very excited to finally connect again after so, many years.

As the story goes they stayed in contact with each other however, Buzz was in Traverse City, Michigan and Deb was in Tempe, Arizona. They had made plans to meet, but as luck would have it, that too didn’t work out for them. Well as we all know time doesn’t stand still so yet more time went by and they still hadn’t been able to reunite.

Luck wasn’t working so well so in October 2007 Deb called Buzz and asked if she could fly out for a few days . . . he said yes and the reunion was finally going to happen!

Now it was the day of the reunion, November 29, 2007, and Deb was very nervous, anxious, and full of anticipation, you see she’s a hopeless dreamer! Buzz was her first love and she had thought of him many times over the years wondering how his life had turned out.

Things went wonderfully well, it seemed like the years had just melted away and they connected again like it was yesterday. But as all good things come to an end Deb had to go back to Arizona. They were both sad to part once again, not knowing when or if they would see each other again.

Deb wasn’t going to leave things to luck and decided that it was time for her to make some changes in her life. She would relocate to Traverse City, Michigan if Buzz would agree and she could transfer with her job. Well as the story continues all good things come to those who wait, or try hard to make it happen!

On February 8, 2008 Deb moved to Traverse City, Michigan to be with Buzz and they are now living Happily Ever After to this day!

All good things come to those who wait . . . well the past 2 years have been just exceptional, we share many interests and complement each other. We never have any harsh words, just love, companionship, respect and I have to add that he has 208 romantic bones in his body, he is the most wonderful man in the world.

So as the story continues we were married Feb 8th, 2010 and plan to spend our lives here in Neverland.

Christmas Story (Brian)

Christmas Story (Brian)

This started way back in 1968, when I met a young lady at a dance. The band I was in, (Dead Silence), was playing at the TEEN CHALET teen night club. On a break I went outside to get some fresh air. In the group of people standing around out front was this long haired pixie. She came up and we started talking. I found out that she was from Lansing and her family had a cottage that they came up to each summer. She was kinda cute and had a smile that could melt your heart. We started dating during the summer and come fall, she went back to Lansing. Now you have to understand - I was in a band playing all over Michigan. I was on the road almost every weekend playing in teen clubs and bars. My social life was pretty much centered around the band. But come summer, I spent a lot of time riding out to Lake Arrowhead to spend with her and her Lake friends. I even talked a few of my buddies into coming out and splitting the cost of the gas.

1969 rolled around and I found out that my draft number was up I figured that I should enlist rather than face the possibility that Uncle Sam would place me where he wanted to. This was right in the middle of the Viet Nam War. They gave me 120 days before I had to report for service so I took off for Florida. I stayed in Florida for a few months then made my way back to Michigan. This was the start of summer so we connected again and spent a little time together before I was back on the road.

I received my orders to show up for boot camp in November of 1969. Come January I was done with boot camp and was allowed 2 weeks to visit home before they were going to send me to my duty station - the USS San Jose a Naval frigate ship. So, I went home and took care of any loose ends that I had and arranged to see my summer lady on the way to my duty station. I stopped over for the afternoon (because the buses were 12 hours apart. We parted company and I went on my merry but uncertain way. I found out that the San Jose was heading to Viet Nam as a support ship. For the next 4 years I was on the line in the South Pacific and I lost track of many people, including Deb. Her pictures were plastered all over the wall of my bunk for me to dream about, but I would not see her in person. You see, while on the line off the coast of Viet Nam mail was haphazard and the hours spent keeping the machinery up and running took its toll on everyone.

I was honorably discharged from the Navy in November of 1973. I spent a little time in Oakland California before returning home to Michigan. I was in the middle of building a sports car. With the car finished, I drove home getting a chance to see the USA as I drove. I stopped off in Lansing on my way and tried to find Deb. I couldn’t find her house. so I got back on the road and headed home. 4 months later I tried again to find her. I went to her house and found that her family had left several years before. No one knew where they had gone to. I went out to Lake Arrowhead and found the cottage vacant and no one to talk to about the Schultz’s.

Life goes on and missed opportunities have a way of redirecting you. I got back into playing in a band and started trying to pick up the pieces of my life. Many of my high school friends were gone and Gaylord just wasn’t the same as it was when I left.

Years go by and I had gone thru a few relationships that went nowhere. Then, the sister of an old friend contacted me and asked me to help her find some of her brother’s old friends. He was in the hospital and dying of a muscle disease. So I went online and did a few searches. I expanded my resources by joining classmates.com. There I did more searching. I found 6 of our group and let them know that Wayne was dying. While I was searching I added Deb’s name to the mix. POOF!!! Her name came up and I e-mailed her, hoping that it was Her. She responded and we struck up some small talk here and there. Several times we tried to connect and elaborate plans were made for a reunion. But alas it never happened.

Then out of the blue she says she would come to Traverse City to visit. I watched her walk down the ramp at the airport and that same old pixie smile melted my heart. 38 years had gone by since I had last seen it in person. I drove her to a restaurant as she had not eaten (nor had I) and we struck up a small spark of what we once had. It was if we had just parted company the day before. She stayed for a few days and we went around to the old haunts and chatted a bunch- she had only changed in age - she was still my pixie. I pulled out some photo albums and took her thru some of what I had been doing all these years and then…there was a picture of my 40th birthday cake with Peter Pan on it. She smiled and commented that her nick name at work was “Tink”. I took her to the airport, thinking that this was the last I would see of her. I gave her a kiss and a hug with a tear in my eye. She turned and walked up the ramp to check in, a smile and a wave and she was gone again.

She e-mailed me a few times and let me know that the time we spent was special. It was for me too. We chatted on Yahoo messenger a few times and out of the blue she said - “There is an opening at Cherry Capital Airport do you want me to take it?” I had no idea what to say. So many things raced thru my head. I told her yes, if that is what she wanted. She replied, “Is that what you want?” I told her I could not promise her anything and that yes, I would like that very much.

She arrived here on Feb 8th, 2008 and has been my friend, lover, confidant, and resident pixie. In the 2 years that have passed we have laughed, cried, and done a number of things together. We have not had a single harsh word spoken and have not had an argument. We spend the days helping each other hugging, kissing, and staring into each others eyes. For she is my Tink and I am her Pan. So long apart , we were married Feb 8th, 2010 and plan to spend our lives here in Neverland.

Mr. and Mrs. Brian Smith

Dreams do come true!

I am DEB aka "Tinkerbell"

Good things come to those who wait and what could have happened, just did. I was married on February 8th to my long lost sweetheart. We parted company 40 years ago, found each other again 2 years ago, and now are starting fresh.