Category Archives: Paul Goldberg Blog

In Rochester, Jazz Fest, Paul Goldberg Blog

Jazz Fest is!

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I am so excited for Rochester International Jazz Fest to be back after two years off for that infection that I am starting to write about it a day early. We have our Club Passes and are ready to go.

Carol and I have had the app with all the programming for a couple of days now and so far we still can’t agree on where to go Friday night for the first shows. As with most of our plans what follows is an outline of what we are thinking right now, Saturday Morning I’ll write up a review of what we actually did. 

We are planning on opening this years Jazz Fest with Giveton Galin at Max at 6:15; Tessa Souter at Glory house (formerly Lutheran Church) at 7:30; California Guitar Trio at Theater at Innovation Square (formerly Xerox Square) 8:30; The Cookers at Kilbourn Hall at 9 (that may not work) Shayna Steele at Montage Music hall at 10. Of course there will be the Jam Session at the Hyatt a block from our apartment.

We may find time for some street food after Giveton Galin. We are looking forward to meeting ‘waiting line friends from past years and hearing some music that it new to us although Tessa Souter has been here most every year I can remember. 

 

 

In Rochester, none, Paul Goldberg Blog

Old Technology

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We have a really old analog slide projector. Since Carol was developing slide shows for automated projection we have had a Kodak Ektagraphic 260 Viewer/Projector purchased August , 1981. There has been little interest in viewing slides in as long as I can remember, or since the coming of digital photography. The slide projector has sat in our storage closet since we moved into the apartment in 2012. Before that it was hidden away in a closest in our East Avenue townhouse.

A week ago, while visiting with us, Josh and Rohma asked to see our honeymoon pictures! I remembered that the back projection function wasn’t working properly. I went shopping for a replacement, there were two or three available on eBay, but no guarantee that they worked. I pulled ours out and set about finding out how to fix a 20th century, predigital device. There was no help to be found on YouTube! It is assembled with many identical Philips head screws. Which ones to take out? Josh arrived with some tools. I explained that the image was supposed to be projected to a mirror which sent it into the box where it was turned around to project on the screen. Obviously if there was one mirror there would be more mirrors inside the big box.

Initial back removal

The Back is Off and the displaced mirror is obvious

The unglued mirror

We turned it around and noted that the inner compartment where the power cord came from was an insert into a large box – 7 screws later the back was out and there were two mirrors, one was clearly out of place, the adhesive had failed after only 40 years or more. Shame on you Kodak! An application of some modern industrial strength double sided tape solved the basic problem, only shortcutting the actual process by an hour, and we had some lunch and proceeded to show 4 slide trays of 80 pictures each from our honeymoon and the aftermath. 

We followed up to the slide show by casting a video of Josh’s drone exploits at Jojoba Hills to our TV using current technology. 

In preparing to show the slides, I came across a box containing artifacts from my father’s desk. We opened the box and found glass paperweights which he collected. Here is one which I have decided to display.

It was always my favorite. We gifted a lovely round one with milliflora to Rohma and Josh. 

In Rochester, Paul Goldberg Blog

Changing Plans

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Change is good! Well at least change we choose. 

As we arrived in Rochester, we learned that the new owners of the apartment building we are in had evicted friends of ours. We were concerned that they might not renew our lease next Summer. the good news for us is that it was specific to our friends and there is no current desire by the new owners to clear out the current tenants. The decision whether to keep our perch in Rochester can be pushed off into the future.

Carol and I have been trying to figure out what to do with our travel bug since we cancelled our Sicily trip. Carol has been bugging me about travel to Iceland. I got an email from OAT that featured an extension to Iceland and forwarded it to her. That trip is not suitable but I started looking at Iceland trips.  On line there was nothing available in our preferred timeframe. Not being willing to give up I submitted to the endless on hold experience to see what might be available. Lo and behold a departure on August 6 is available. Well it was, we booked it. 

We will be flying out of New York so those of you in the region can expect the possibility of a visit either on the 5th or the 18th of August. To be determined. 

We have been very busy here as we visit with our many friends and go to meetings that we have either zoomed to or just skipped. Somehow, along about 1 PM I start getting emails and calls from Jojoba Hills and engage my role there. Carol’s complaint is that I am sitting too much. She is right, but we do get out with Rohma and Josh on the weekend and getting up and down from my chair might we called exercise. 

Next week Jazz Fest starts on Friday. I expect I will be posting plans and results daily during the event.

In Rochester, Paul Goldberg Blog

Boston and Back

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Carol just posted a blog ahead of me. She reminded me of all the things we both seem to forget when leaving the house. Travel in the motorhome is so much easier, disconnect the hoses and wires and drive on down the road. Everything is in the coach or had better be.  Of course I’ve been known to forget my wallet when leaving the coach. 

Our drive to Boston, Providence and return in the Jeep was totally uneventful. The best kind of trip. We stayed at Double Tree Suites in Boston where the Bat Mitzvah was being held. Since it was commencement time at both Harvard and MIT which are just across the Charles River, there was pandemonium in and around the hotel. Friday night, after a welcome meal at Krisitin and Ross’ several of us found our way back to the bar at the hotel where we found some excellent Single Malt Scotch. Since I was with our son and grandson, I picked up the tab. I needed help from a weightlifter for that task. I thought I was buying drinks not diesel.

Our big treat on Saturday,  aside from lots of family time, was a walk around the Boston Commons and Gardens and a ride on the Swan Boats. The Bat Mitzvah events were wonderful and our grand niece is now entering the next stage of her life, a bit delayed thanks to the pandemic. She read from Torah, we ate and we danced and too soon we were tired and found a place to sit with family and replay the weekend. 

Sunday, after breakfast, we drove to Providence to spend two nights with the Londons (Classmates from Brown if you are new to this blog) in a guest apartment in their building. Once more lots of talking time and then a visit to the Rhode Island State House to add it to our list. It is just across the street from the Londons and they had never been there.  After freshening up we drove to Matunuck Oyster Bar where three of us had oysters for starters and wonderful main courses as well. Carol found a wonderful veggie plate and we were all happy. 

We also spent time in the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Art Gallery on Sunday and were totally blown away with the variety of arts on display. The collection stretches through several building and seems to cover the entire history of art. 

We are back in Rochester and recovering from the quick trip and still finishing settling in from our time away all winter. We are looking forward to resuming our Rochester activities and Jazz Fest in 22 days – June 17. I just downloaded the app with all the acts and schedules and can begin to create a “play list” of choices. More on that once it gets underway.

 

On the Road, Paul Goldberg Blog

Last Night on the Road

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We left Jojoba Hills 21 days ago. We have been “on the run” most of those days. We had three nights in Redlands and two nights each in Albuquerque and West Memphis AR. The rest of the stops were just overnighters, but since we got in early 3 or 4 PM we had time to relax and take advantage of the areas we were in.

Six nights we were in Harvest Hosts, Elks or other dry camp no charge places. We paid $398 for 8 nights of camping for an average of $49 per night. The last stop, Harrisburg East blew that number up at 84.60 (that was with a 10% discount). Diesel Fuel put in the tank cost $1,964 so far for 457 gallons. If I top off before storing it will take that number over $2,000. The fuel included fuel from Ehrenburg AZ to Jojoba Hills SKP Resort and return, I managed to avoid buying Diesel in California. Last year for comparison I spent $4,460 for fuel to go back and forth and covered 11,100 miles consuming about 1340 gallons. 

The quick trip was necessitated by our desire to attend a Bat Mitzvah in Boston, next week and the balancing desire to stay in Jojoba Hills longer. I am delighted that as we approach our 80th birthdays in the Fall, we are still able to do this fairly easily. Limiting speed to 62 mph and drive time to 4 hours really takes a lot of the stress off.

The coach has performed as well as I could have hoped. Our only “problem” was a rough road in TN claimed a hub cap. Really a center cap on the passenger side front wheel. A replacement will be waiting for us in Rochester, thank you Tiffin (not a gift, I’m paying, but finding a part for a 10 year old coach can be interesting).

The most interesting new place we found on this trip was the Metal Museum in Memphis TN. It is on the eastern bank of the Mississippi and is currently comprised of a campus with a collection of buildings to house the exhibits, the workers and apprentices as well as a forge and a foundry.  We spent a couple of hours there and were not surprised that our friend Thomas Markussen had shown his work  there in its early days. You may find it worth exploring  https://www.metalmuseum.org/ virtually or as a stop when in Memphis where there is much more to see.

The next post will not be On the Road, but I will be posting.

On the Road, Paul Goldberg Blog

Moving Fast Cross Country

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We have made it halfway across the country in a week and a day. Some simple statistics: we have spent just over $1,200 on diesel, 240 gallons so far. Today the pump stopped at $417. The discount program brought that down to $398 for 76 gallons of diesel. We have spent almost nothing for campgrounds since we have been staying in winery parking lots and buying wine. I don’t count that as a cost of camping since I would have bought wine anyhow – probably not THIS wine, but wine.

As I write I am staring out the windshield through the rain at the Mississippi River. It is well worth paying for camping for this location. Saturday I am hoping to stay at a distillery that specializes in Shine. Waiting for word they have room. After that, it appears to be a KOA (horrors) before getting to Dan and Malena’s. 

Today we drove through non stop rain with lightning flashes all around us most of the day. It is not ideal driving, but each of us had only 2 hours at the wheel so it was tolerable. Tomorrow it should clear in Memphis so we can do a bit of touring. 

 

On the Road, Paul Goldberg Blog

Uneventful Travel

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Not to jinx ourselves, but since we rolled out of Redlands the travel has been relatively uninteresting to write about. Other than the long climb out of Arizona on I 40 with way too many trucks struggling with the climb which meant we lost our momentum and had to resort to low gear struggling ourselves. Even the most foolish drivers have only resulted in my resorting to some blue language, neither of us has had to hit the brakes. 

Our first night we stopped in Quartzite at the Hi Jolly STVA and then on to Pioneer RV Park in Phoenix so we could have a delightful dinner with Mary and Tom Markussen. From there we continued on to  an Elks Lodge in Holbrook AZ. It’s only redeeming virtue was the dust was flat. A quick look into the lodge lead me to not even consider returning for the supposed dinner, since all three denizens were smoking. Back on to I 40 for a two night stop at American RV in Albuquerque so we could visit with niece Erica. We went to VanGogh Immersion. It was fascinating to see so much of his work displayed with so much information and in such a satisfying manner. If I had not seen original Van Gogh works in great museums I would have been much more impressed. As fine as the presentation is the images are still flat, the impasto is flat and does not provide the depth and energy of the original. 

After lunch and some time at the Eco Garden we returned Erica to her apartment and returned ourselves to the coach to prepare for 4 solid days of driving. We stayed last night, Monday, at an Eco-Village Artist community that may be restored to activity some day. During the drive, I turned the wheel over to Carol so I could attend a Zoom Jojoba Hills Board Meeting. She drove almost 180 miles while I attended the meeting and participated and voted. Today was another road day and it brought us to Native Spirit Winery in Norman OK.  The driveway entrance was a bit narrow and we ended up disconnecting the car so Carol could maneuver the coach in between the ditch drop offs. It was nicely done and I get to try my hand at getting us out. The wine is adequate, I bought a couple of bottles to “pay for my stay”. 

Tomorrow, Wednesday we will drive to Post Winery in Altus Arkansas. Then one more road day to Tom Sawyer RV Park on the bank of the Mississippi river where we will stay 2 nights with full hookups. Laundry, long showers and a break from the road. We will travel on OK  9 for a bit to stay off the Interstate for a while. 

AS I post this I am off to solve today’s Wordle

On the Road, Paul Goldberg Blog

Expect the Unexpected

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Not the most auspicious beginning to a cross country trip. Trying to leave our site the jacks on the driver side chose not to rise like magic into their storage cylinders. After a moment of consternation I got out the WD 40 and crawled under the coach to clean the shafts so they could retract. A minute later they behaved as hoped for and retracted to Travel Mode.

As we hooked up the Jeep on the exit road I thought I had followed the ritual to perfection, apparently not, as the Jeep was not in neutral when I did the “roll test”. With Carol franticly giving me the STOP signal, I did and repeated the process two more times. The last time I had the manual open to the instructions and followed them precisely, which worked – remember to keep the brake firmly depressed throughout the process. 

As we drove up the long but shallow grade coming out of Temecula on the I 215 the engine began to overheat. I nursed it to the top of the grade and finally into The Grove, the campground that Redlands Truck and RV maintains for customers. I was coming in for routine service and had them check out the cooling system. I just learned that the two stage clutch for the engine cooling fan isn’t working. It won’t switch to fast speed. We hope the part will be available tomorrow so we can get on with the trip.

None of this is really discouraging or even unexpected. The jacks do need to be cared for after a long pause and forgetting the rather involved procedure for getting the car into neutral didn’t surprise me. Even the failure of the cooling system was not unexpected and the likely cause is a relief since I have been imagining so many more costly and time consuming sources. 

Like living in an aging body, traveling in an aging motorhome has some unplanned failures and unpleasant surprises. 

opinion, Paul Goldberg Blog

Pesach on the Coach

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First Seder was fun and lasted longer than expected even though it was not really traditional. Instead of brisket I bought a Costco chicken to avoid the meat aromas in the coach, not to mention there was no place to cook meat since Carol had every pot, pan and implement in use making kugel and tsimus as well as the fixings for the plate. This year we had a couple from the park join us. They have had some experience since their daughter is married to a Jewish man and they have had seder with them. 

We had the “traditional” Reform Haggadah from 1974 and the Tablet Magazine Haggadah that came out a year or two ago. We are ordering more of the latter, we have had it with the almost 50 year old language and “order.” I don’t remember last year, but we had the new Haggadah and it was just the two of us so we didn’t get real focused on the book, doing it with new friends really opens the eyes. 

Table talk during and around the Seder has changed with the times. It is so different not having any children and so different in a world where the story of Exodus is being relived on our screens, in real life. It may have always been that way, but the it seems so much clearer today as the Ukrainians scramble for their lives out of cities being dismantled by artillery around them. I cannot imagine what it must be to come out of the cellar and find the world in shambles. Given Ukrainian history of Jewish mistreatment (hows that for an understatement) I at first had a hard time finding sympathy for them. But that was the Cossacks and the Russians even then. These people lead by a Jewish president are facing as horrible treatment as the Jews ever did and with the same amount of reason. Because they are the other.  Their Orthodox Church is different, their language is different and they demand to maintain their independence which only goes back to 1991. Putin wants their land for its assets and has no interest in the people who are only in his way.

Plans: We leave a week from tomorrow (Sunday) and after service in Redlands I only have two stops planned and the second is up in the air. We will spend the first night out in Quartzite unless we don’t. Watch this space for actual happenings as we roll. I do know we will be in Boston on May 19 – 21 and Providence RI May 22-23.

Jojoba Hills, Paul Goldberg Blog

Three Years Later

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Facebook just sent me a reminder of a post I put up three years ago https://goldberg-online.net/2019/03/ There is no Super Bloom this year, except in our park where we irrigate, there is little desert bloom to be seen. On the other hand the future of our community, while never in doubt, seems refreshed and growing stronger every day. 2020 was our roughest year in over a decade with 25% of our members leaving for a variety of reasons but all influenced by the pandemic in one way or another. We ended that year with over 10 vacant lots. Today we are looking at a growing waiting list and vibrant new – and younger – members filling in the empty sites and the holes in the volunteer ranks. 

I have believed my greatest strength that I could give to the park is my financial and marketing background. As I wrote three years ago I don’t have a lot of knowledge about the infrastructure in the ground beyond knowing it needs to work. I won my unopposed election to the Board and no one wanted to be Treasurer so here I am. But I am also working with committees that are rehabbing space and restructuring space utilization and catching up on infrastructure maintenance that has been left to long since I left that committee. 

I have superb people around me and great support from the staff. The Park draws in what it needs from new membership. We have a retired CPA auditor, a landscape engineer who managed slopes for California highways, a couple of civil engineers with knowledge of sewer systems and water systems. Most of these have joined within the past year! We have a large reserve fund and we are about to make use of it to refresh the 32 year old property. 

Some days I feel like am actually “working” and I don’t mind it. No one cares if I stop for a nap as long as I get my Board material to the Secretary in time to be on the agenda. – 21 hours left! and so far only one person has stopped by to get my signature for a project that will be brought to a vote on the 4th. Is it really April already? Our plan has us rolling out on April 24th. In my spare minutes I am building  a possible route through Albuquerque to Charlottesville (a whole lot of open space there) and on to Rochester to change clothes and head for Boston in the car. 

But I do get ahead of myself. At least three Board meetings before I leave and a few committee meetings too. I need to find time to play some Bridge and enjoy social time and a concert or two, we have tickets for the 23rd.