Day 1 and 2 of the Road trip (relived)

Left Ocean Spray Hotel, Miami Beach with a car so jammed packed you could never believe it; that is why I took the photo.
Believe it or not with all of the wonderful B&B's, fancy hotels along my path, I feel most comfortable at a "Choice hotel" like a Sleep Inn..
Why? comfortable, car outside the door, swimming pool outside the door, easier than porters or carrying luggage up the winding charming staircases of a B&B, and suppose I do not like the host and rules he might have?
STOP 1:
St. Augustine, the oldest town in U. S. is ever so charming with its winding streets, museums, restaurants, walk ways, discovering sights I never saw before. No place is ever the same the 2nd time round or for that matter ever! Book Signing a smash at a book store so old that it matched the oldest city. I sat out on the lawn and people strolled by to listen to the story of the Jewish Lady, The Black Man and the Road trip. Such fun talking to people and hearing their stories too.
Everybody has a story..

Here are a few lines from my memoir while visiting St. Augustine

"As we sat side by side in the restaurant that first night, I suddenly burst out into uncontrollable laughter. It might have been anxiety; I felt shy. Maybe I wanted to say I love you, or I am thrilled to be here with you but it was easier to laugh and cover up my uncomfortable feeling of closeness."

STOP 2:
On to Savannah early the next morning to my first Barnes and Noble with a sell out of books! What fun is this! Savannah gorgeous with its river walks and Georgian mansions! Great food and cordial people.
Here are a few lines from my memoir while visiting Savannah.

After dinner at a riverside cafe, we sat at a park bench along the river. It had stopped raining and we enjoyed the peace and beauty in each others arms. We kissed as he held me tight. We needed the closeness knowing that we were getting farther away from home."
The next morning we rode down Martin Luther King Boulevard into the raunchiest part of town, and I wondered why they always chose to put the name M.L.K. in the most run down parts of town.

NEXT STOP CHARLESTON!

HItting the Road

I AM HITTING THE ROAD THIS FRIDAY JUNE 26th ON A TEN CITY BOOK SIGNING TOUR.

The yellow mustang is in the shop getting ready for the big adventure; still hot and sexy! And yup, so am I.

The path of the road trip will be taken, the same one taken four years ago, re-living the cities/states visited, this time with a book in hand.

Who would have believed as Xavier and I "passioned" each day, that a sizzling memoir was in the making?

Talks will be at B&N, Borders and other local stores and radio..I hope to keep you posted with passages from the book from each city, then and now.

Here is the first exert from "The Jewish Lady, The Black Man and the Road Trip." Page 75

'The best thing in life for me is freedom but that beautiful late June morning, I was leaving it all behind. I excitedly picked up Xavier in my hot yellow mustang convertible, the incredible car my son Eric had given me. I could hardly wait to get to Xavier's building. The top was down and as he came through the door, I saw that his bright yellow sneakers and bag matched the car. He was ever so cool with his long grey dreadlocks, wearing jean shorts and a t-shirt that said "Needs Supervision." His legs were a womans dream, shapley with not a mark on them. I was dressed in nothing more than roll up jeans and a hospital shoes as my toe injury still had not healed. The t-shirt I chose to wear that morning read "C I A." He said "come up to my apartment. I want to show you my new piece of art and say goodbye to my cats before we leave.'


Have a wonderful summer and................PLEASE STAY TUNED!

Carol Sue

My book signing tour begins next week

Four years ago the black man and the Jewish Lady (Xavier and Carol Sue) left on their road trip north.
For those of you who have read my book you know that the trip took place from Miami to Montreal. It was me, Carol Sue, who picked up Xavier in my hot yellow mustang convertible that lovely June morning in 05 . We giggled and laughed about what was ahead. We were putting ourselves in a 5x5 space for a five week trip. We had made a pack that if we did not get along he would be dropped off at the next airport. It was an exciting morning for both of us; His tee shirt read "needs supervision" mine read "CIA. " Funny enough it was not planned.
To fast forward, next week I am going on a book tour re-living all of the cities/ states that we visited. I will be speaking at B&N, Borders and other local stores. It was unbeknown to me back then that a book would come out of our trip.
I hope to blog about the trip noting the differences from then to now.
I hope you will check in and see how it goes.
Carol Sue Gershman

What a trip! "VAT A TRIP"

Friends, who live in Switzerland, treated themselves to tickets FOR THE WEEKEND to the Sacred Musical Festival in Morocco.

The trouble was there was no direct flight to Morocco from Zurich that was reasonably priced. They found a flight from Basil, Sw. to London with one trick; they had to get up at 4:00 a. m. and drive an hour plus to catch it. Not so bad.

So off they went driving through the dawn and arrived within plenty of time to catch their 7:00 a. m. flight! They parked the car, dragged their bags to check in and there it was on the screen. Flight delayed until 11:20 a. m. What chance would they have of meeting the flight in London to connect to Morocco? Almost impossible!

Well of course they wanted to scotch the trip and go home except for one thing! Everything was pre paid. So they proceeded in the 4 hour waiting time to make endless calls to get their pre-paid money back. The airline said, "not me, it is the other air line that was late," the hotel in Morocco said "sorry" and of course we know ticket master would not even think of crediting monies, oh not them! There was no chance what so ever of getting their money back. So they decided that they might as well go! Maybe they would actually make the flight, take a chance they said, why go home defeated? So they did!

Yup they missed the flight !

So..there they were in London. It would now cost them an additional $900.00 to continue on. So do you completely loose the $2000.00 already invested or do you spend another $900.00 and fulfill the Sacred Music Festival Concert dream? They could not even use the return portion of the ticket because the airline immediately bounces you if you missed the front portion . A whole new ticket from London had to be bought. "Take the money, they screamed, just take it and get me to Morocco."
Finally, they were on their way arriving at 1:00 A. M. (almost now 22 hours) for what could have been a 21/2 hr. flight from Zurich if they did not try to save money flying from Basil.

They had booked a superb room, but because of late arrival they gave away their $200.00 pre booked room. They were put in a room without any windows or air looking over a courtyard of an enclosed restaurant. They could not breathe or sleep and woke up exhausted. So a fight was in store with the management the next morning until they won their room back and yes, it was a good one. Alah!

The concert was great, but between you and I, they might have slept through it. .
The weekend past, they enjoyed the winding streets of Fez with all of the goodies, and became mesmerized with the carpets of Morocco, and ended up buying one worth thousands, but here in Morocco it only cost $350.00... You guessed it! it simply does not look the way they had imagined in their apartment. In fact it looks terrible!

The day came to go back to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Suddenly someone asked them "What time is it?" When they told them the time, the passerby said, "that is funny someone told me it was an hour later."

Yup. They forgot to go on Morocco time and the flight would be leaving and they would miss it again. They grabbed a cab and went through endless amounts of traffic and chaos, literally running through the airport and with the gate closing they.... MADE IT.
They would have a 6 hour delay in London waiting for their connection so they rented one of the Japanese little sleep a thons where one could rest between flights, good idea except they were closed into a closet the size of a bathroom with once again no windows or air.

Funny enough, anytime I rent a room, one of my questions is,"Does it have a window THAT OPENS" Sometimes I get laughed at but who cares. You would be surprised at how many rooms do not have windows or seal their windows. Me, I need air.

$3.500.00 later, Switzerland never looked so good!

The irony is that there is no help out there. Oh yes, wait till you hear this one. They had flight insurance but they would not pay because it was a weather related delay... Is this all too much?

Looks like Uncle Sam will foot the bill next IRS day. Only in America, Only in America!
Carol Sue Gershman

How sharp is she!

Here is the story....
Girl meets boy on vacation. They have a fling spending the week together. They part, leaving for different states far away from one another. He writes to her saying how much he enjoyed their time and says" Time will tell if our paths will cross. Stay in touch."

SHE IS HORRIFIED AND DISAPPOINTED! AFTER ALL SHE THOUGHT HE WAS CRAZY ABOUT HER AND NOW, STAY IN TOUCH, PATHS CROSSING...
She composes herself and writes this back:

"Do you think that a NY, fun loving, party planning, if there's a will, there's a way, kind of gal who really likes you, could possibly leave our next meeting to "Time will tell, perhaps our paths will cross, who knows when, let's stay in touch?" Well you're no fun at all.
If you want to participate, understanding that perhaps you don't, for various imagined reasons, I'll share with you over the next month or so just where and how WE WILL MEET."

So you see dear friends, this lady took the bull by the horn, dropped her ego, stopped sulking and turned the whole thing around.
Now before I tell you the outcome, how do you think HE responded?
Carol Sue Gershman

Back from the big City

Is there any place like New York City?
Went to book expo America where authors, agents, publishers, speakers meet.
Jacob Javitz Center is huge. I think at least a half mile in width and if you walk through all of the four floors back and forth, well you add it up! Oh my legs have not looked this good!
Is there any place like Miami? arrived back and immediately went into the warming sea, divine temperatures, open windows, convertibles.
I count my blessings to be part of two great ciities...Where do you live? Would you like to tell me something about your city.
How passionate are you about it? How long have you loved it or how long have you been thinking about moving?
Lets begin the conversation.
Carol Sue Gershman