Everybody SEGWAY, plus

Marjorie and her daughter, Karen, stayed with me and had an extra, non-planned day. We thought and thought, and Karen came up with a plan for us to segue into Segway! Talk about a load of fun! (FYI - Marjorie lives in upstate CA, and Karen lives in WA.) We had such a beautiful day, too. We drove to Oakland, to Segway of Oakland, at 212 International Blvd., and got training on these incredible machines. Then our guide took us on a three-hour tour. Above is us arriving at Lake Merritt near the end of our adventure.Always on-stage! But I'm still standing after riding this contraption for three hours. I suggest comfortable shoes (mine weren't), but otherwise, just a bit of bravado, and fierce concentration to follow-the-leader wherever he goes. Over highways and byways. We rode to Jack London Square, traveling over train tracks, and under the 880 freeway, etc., plus downtown Oakland to buy a throw-away camera. Can you imagine me leaving my camera at home? Sheesh!

Here is our cute guide. He was very careful and patient with us. People along the way smiled and cheered us on; I think that two old ladies, and one heading that way, probably looked quaint, funny, adorable, foolish? Pick your adjectives.

I didn't ask the cost; this was a gift to me from Marjorie and Karen. They and Louise and Linda had stayed with me two nights; then Marjorie and Karen stayed two nights. They looked for some kind of gift, and decided this was a good one, and boy, were they ever right. (I drank copiously from my bottle of Tonic Water with Quinine when I got home. No leg cramps! Yes!)

If interested, you can access www.segwayof oakland.com to inquire about the details.

We dined at Caspers following our adventure. This is a source of nostalgia for Karen in particular, for special reasons. Marjorie and I love Casper dogs, too, so it was fun for us all.

One last shot -- This is nostalgic for me, as Marjorie playing the piano is a familiar memory, for sure. We spent a lot of time together with her on the piano, and me singing or directing or listening. The last time we "partnered" with a piano was in Scandinavia at our hotel. Marjorie played and I sang, and others sang, and it was so much fun! Good memories. Now we have some new memories!