Discover Di by the Sea and take a Virtual Adventure with me ~Hi I'm Di by the Sea. I hope you'll enjoy virtually travelling with me. I am always off and running, zipping off to fabulous places, fast and frantic at times. Zoom Zoom.This is what I love to do. New Adventures are happening now. Love & Light.www.dibythesea.com
PLEASE JOIN MY BLOG by "liking" me on the right. :) Subscribe to my YOU TUBE CHANNEL: Di by the SeaFollow me on Twitter: Di by the SeaFriend me on Facebook: Di by the Sea *Most everything in PINK is hyperlinked to external websites for references.
 Oh the places you'll go ~ Dr. Seuss  Diane Wacker dibythesea.com Di by the Sea Blog started 5.27.2011
(Post blogging 15 years of adventures ~ previous travels are for foundational purposes and info may no longer be relevant)
My cousin Christine was visiting from Oklahoma and both her and my sister Cathie had made plans to go to ride the Big Orange Balloon at the OC Great Park. I was invited and decided this would be a great opportunity to take the grandbaby. The Great Park Balloon ride is closed Monday thru Wednesday, being Thursday morning we were sure it wouldn't be crowded. Located just off the 5 freeway. Free parking. The parking lot was a breeze to get a spot, not a whole lot of cars and just a few school buses. We entered into the visitors center, there you sign a release waiver and we were given a buzzing disc, 20 minute wait. They gave us all hand stamps for unlimited FREE rides on the carousel so off we went. After one ride around the merry-go-round we walked over to explore the kids play area, faux rocks, cave, slides for the little kids, then our disc vibrated it was time to ride the balloon. Back to the visitors center, we were given our boarding passes and headed to the balloon boarding area. Not what I had expected, a donut shaped metal basket/platform, with just 1 cable tethering us to the ground. It usually holds 25-30 people, on our trip we were at about half. 400 feet in the air we went, the weather was grey, but better than too sunny I suppose. We could see down below, all of the goings on in the Great Park and out across the Irvine Valley. With plans for future growth, (a birdie told me there were plans for a possible water park of sorts) the view should get more interesting as time goes on. A bit of swaying upon lift off and landing was the only thrill it held, other than than it was quite passive. There are no age limited or height requirements as long as you are good with heights, it's a pretty easy ride. The great park also has a farm area, showcasing sustainability, with windmills, worms, chickens, boxed farming. We headed over to the worm bed first, then over to the chicken pen, they gave us kale to feed to the chickens. A guide was there to show and tell about the world of chickens, eggs and such. We also learned of the parks ability to survive in an emergency. All in all it was a very mello day. Not crowded at all. Nice volunteers. I will be going back with Grandpa in tow and preferably a sunnier day. It's all FREE ! According to their website they host movie on the lawn nights and farmer's market days as well as other events, while we were there they were setting up for an OC moms event. On their website learn about the Solar Decathalon they are hosting in 2013.
In the summer I attended a DLX : Destination Luxury Event at the Avalon in Beverly Hills... little did I know there was more at work than appeared.
If you don't blink you can see me at 1:10 - 1:25 and now I am on the IMDb roster ! Imagine that ! ... my role : "Socialite" - LOVE IT!
 SEVEN DEGREES891 Laguna Canyon Road Laguna Beach CA 92651 Multipurpose Event facility / Art Gallery
Liquescent The Movie and Exhibition
Public Premiere
(Exhibition continues through May 29th, view by appointment only) We were invited on facebook by Bob Celecia. (the Director of the informercial that was shot in our salon for Romi makeup a few weeks ago) "Come to 7 Degrees on Thursday night- 6pm on..my artist friend and I made an underwater film with REAL mermaids and we are screening it Thursday night..Meet the artists, have a glass of wine and mingle". ... REAL MERMAIDS ?!!! I'm in ! Next to the Sawdust Festival, located in the Laguna Canyon, Seven degrees is an ultra cool and artsy architectural building. We entered into the gallery, hanging on the walls were mermaid-ish women... (I immediately recognized the kelp from our pacific ocean, around Catalina Isd to be exact marking where the underwater photos were taken) There were women underwater in a swimming pool (very familiar to me, those of you that follow me know that I have taken self-portraits in my own pool, very similar to these) Walking around a table to sign in I learned that this was a series of work. 3 books a bit worn lay about for perusing... Guests were mingling, viewing the artwork and enjoying food and drink. Across the room walls were washed with screen images of water. and flat screens projected images of the outtakes of the movie to be show. A man at a podium announced that the movie screening would begin shortly. This would be the artist/film maker, Roark Gourley. We decided to enjoy a beer and some of the warm meal being offered, I took photos, we signed the guest book awaited the start of the movie. The Movie showed - vinettes : Ocean Dance, Constellation of Coco, Dance of the Seraphim (I quickly questioned the misspelling or play on words...) This movie was funded by a Grant. and was made for a CAUSE ! - The Liquescent Project is an ongoing program to bring thoughtful awareness to the beauty of our precious waters. We believe that the pure aesthetics of films like this one, will help to promote, preserve and defend our oceans for generations to come.Your contributions to the making of future films is greatly needed. (see website) Liquescent piecesA side note : We were amist the first day of the Annual Laguna ART WALK - I had to share my photos in this post, totally inspired to get back INTO the Pool !
 Embassy Suites Cleveland Rockside 5800 Rockside Woods Boulevard, Independence, Ohio, United States 44131 TripAdvisorComplimentary parking . no pets . Internet 12.95 . Pool . Fitness Center . Pool tables in the lobby
My first trip to OHIO. First stop, Independence Ohio for a hair class taught by my husband, staying at the Embassy Suites there. (my first time at an Embassy Suites) Part of the Hilton chain of properties. Being Hilton Honors members (for over a decade now) we got the gold membership complementary internet code, and bottled water. (no upgrade since all the rooms are suites) Being an all suites hotel the room was large to be expected, but in desperate need of an upgrade ! Outdated and dull. They did have flat screens so they don't have far to go, mostly new bedding and window treatments would do them some good. We were sure to take advantage of the Managers Reception (as seen in their new commercials) light appetizers and free drinks ! Wine, beer selection and well drinks. Upon checking in on FourSquare I came across an offer for a free desert with purchase of a meal. Boy did we make out on this evenings meal. 12 drinks and 3 desserts for free ! Total dinner bill for 3 people = 44.00 ! There mac and cheese was pretty good too ! (pine nuts and chicken in a white cheese sauce) and the desserts were all worth the calories ! Vanilla bean cheese cake drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce, tarimesu and apple pie :) In the a.m. they serve up complimentary breakfast as well... (all part of their new campaign) and we're not talking bagels and crossoints. This is a full breakfast bar, cook-to-order omelets (the only hotels that do this), bacon, bread, yogurt, fruit, hot oatmeal... While enjoying mine in room, I decided to peruse their website for goodies to post on my Di by the Sea Facebook page, on their I found contests and sweepstakes to enter, a double point offer and an their app to download for my iphone. Once the work obligations are done we are set to play for a day and half in Cleveland. First and foremost, a stop at the ROLL HALL OF FAME, duh ! ... 
We switched hotels to extend our stay, over to a Sheraton, shuttled over by the Embassy Suites complimentary of course. This hotel has a much nicer vibe, modern, cool, hip, very W hotel like. We like :) Very friendly staff. Quick check in. Our room was clean, but not as modern and fresh as the lobby and community areas. This hotel is literally a rocks throw from the airport, you can walk to it, so there was noise all night long, not terrible. Picked up a cool Jeep Wrangler at Enterprise rent a car, boy have they come a long way from when we owned one in the 80's. Very Urban designed, rivets, big hefty combat type accessories. This one had 4 doors. Hard top convertible. (see photos) The Rock and Roll hall of fame, sits waterside, a very cool 4 story architectural structure. No photos aloud in the exhibits themselves on each floor, just on the entry promenade outer areas. We snuck in a few anyway of course :) 22.00 for an adult ticket/bracelet. VIP tickets (includes a tshirt) and other group rates are available. (check em on the website) Upon entry displays of old english mini cars from the U2, Zoo Tour, a giant Michael Jackson glitter glove and guitar. A Pink Floyd, the WALL display... Exhibits included the Roots of rock with photos, sheet music, memorabilia of all the greats, .... A montage video of Elvis, one of his cars... (I could have sat there all day long !) Window vinettes in timeline form showing memorabilia from guitars, clothing, concert posters and historical data. Movie theatres showing the inductees to the hall of fame thru the years... A movie of the 25 Years Anniversary concert including Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band in concert, with Billy Joel, and other artists, that was really AMAZING ! An exhibit called Video Killed the Radio Star, with cyclone of TV screens showing a montage of MTV clips, that was cool to sit and watch. They had a big specialty exhibit running in May for DEAD HEADS... -The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will unveil a special exhibit devoted to the Grateful Dead on April 12, 2012. FEATURED: Grateful Dead: The Long Strange Trip (those were located on the top floor tower levels) The coolest thing to me was the scalper fraudulent concert tickets people made and the crazy psychedelic acid trippin' artwork on envelops sent by fans to get free tickets. ZZ top car from the Legs video... Joan Jetts Jaguar... The actual Michael Glitter Glove, Kiss clothing, Jimmy Hendrix, Parliment Funk Railroad... There was a 3D U2 -2 hour concert movie for an extra 3.00 which we didn't see. A blacked out hallway with glowing inductee signatures... Upon exit you go through the gift shop with everything rock and roll... t-shirts, key chains, knick-knacks, mugs and the like, CD bins (like an old Tower Records) Just like the website says, "You can spend five hours here, or two days" (and yes, a two day pass is available)! Next, we were off to cruise around Cleveland... (the streets are clean, not crowded at all) we saw bridges, lots of them, old and new. This city is an ecclectic mix of modern and old, the blend working well together. We checked out the different areas on the map like the Wharehouse District... Downtown East 4th Street (blocked off from cars, only foot traffic allowed, strands of lights strung overhead) We decided to hang here for the evening, at first it felt like a ghost town, empty restaurants and outdoor seating, we found out that most things don't open till 5:00p. Our first stop was a place called the Wonderbar for pre dinner drinks and a surprise by my husband ! So glad we stopped in there ! THE best PIEROGEES I HAVE EVER EATEN !!! and at $4.00 a pop I would sure hope so! "Purple Pierogis", cheese and potato stuffed, on a bed of caramelized onions with chipotle sour creme... [ menu] I REALLY NEED THE RECIPE ! :) ~ Compliments to the Chef ! This Slovak girl KNOWS !!! Dinner was a few doors down at Lolas Bistro, (American Cuisines, Lola is the crown jewel of Cleveland's vibrant culinary scene) Michael Symon chef/owner ... (we had such a great dinner in NYC at Mario B's Osteria) ... we knew we were in for a good meal !... upon entry, soooo fancy pancy. Over done personality by our waiter. Ipad for ordering wines and ales. The service was impecable, the wait staff is like 3 to every table or so it seems. You are not left waiting. I quickly checked out all the FourSquare tips. Sees as thought the Beef cheek pierogees were a hit... we ordered them up... (definately not as good as the ones at the bar next door !, at $7.50 per. We were underwelmed.) Can't say we were impressed at all with the food. My husbands Beef Hanger Steak: salsa verde, chiles, lola fries 27, was served cold ! (but it may have been our fault for ordering the pierogee ap after we put in our dinner order. I had the Heirloom Lettuce Salad: feta, olives, oregano vinaigrette 7 and the Smoked Berkshire Pork Chop chiles, cheesy polenta, bbq onions 28. Our waiter suggested a local beer to us, the Great Lakes D.......d Gold, not a fan. One last stop at Green House Tavern for a Hefe beer to share. :) (planning to get back for a burger for lunch the next day if we have time, FourSquare tip leavers were crazy for the --- Burger, we didn't have time !) I thought the card tray with all the chefs business cards, sitting in the bar/reception area was a great idea ! I really would like to come back to this restaurant, the menu looked so different, they had a 44.00 chefs special, and on FourSquare they really talked up the Chef's table. Then back to the hotel and up to the Club lounge (we love CLUB LOUNGES !!) for some free desert and after dinner coffee (starbucks, not my fave)... picked up some bottled water, a can of gingerale, some bar mix and for the afternoon flight home, some granola bars. Back up again the next morning for some complimentary breakfast.. then out the door to catch our flight on the complimentary shuttle provided by the hotel. I love trips like this... Side note: We missed out on the chance to ride the Lolly the Trolley, for a tour of Cleveland. There are really only a few things to do in Cleveland and this was one of them. You really don't need a day and a half to see all that there is to see in Cleveland, just a day would have sufficed. Our ride home from the airport, LAX was the Super Shuttle. We've had to use this service a few times over the years. They are reliable, but sometimes the vans are not clean. The worst part is the ride sharing, having to stop at all the different cities, can take a long, long time to get home ! But if you are in a bind, this is a safe way to get home.
 Crystal Cove El Moro State Park
Beach and CampgroundLaguna Beach, Orange County CA It's been 28 years since I last stepped foot on Moro Beach It was for a modeling shoot for a local Laguna Beach store, wearing Guess Jeans, posed on a tree in a forest of trees and sitting on cliffside rocks below the Irvine house looking out into the far ocean distance. Fast forward to yesterday and although the beach itself has not changed a whole lot, it's surroundings have. The Irvine house still sits atop the cliff, the forest of trees are gone, no more is there a motor home village (where the hair and makeup took place) The entire area has been taken over by the state and restructured, turned into a very nice Campground. It now costs 15.00 to park and enter the park/campground/beach. (Annual park passes just went up in price to 195.00 !! ouch) They tiered and terraced up levels, built state of the art bathroom facilities, bike and hiking paths, ranger station, chaparral type landscaping, it's quite lovely. You can reserve a spot in the campground on Reserve America's website, for as low as 25.00 (175.00 pr week) a night you can tent camp. The ocean views are pretty spectacular ! We arrived for a bike ride, but ended up walking the beach instead. We were here on a Tuesday about 1:00p and there were about 20 people total on the entire beach. The beach is nice, not rocky like Doho, or over crowded with surfers, clean. There is a nice bathroom facility right there to the left and to the right you can walk down to some tidepools. A perfect beach setting for families. While on my walk to the tide pools I was taking photos on my phone and decided it might be a good idea to check for a geo cache, if you are new to geo cache-ing you can read about it here. You find gc's with a phone app on your phone. I was in luck there were 3 geo cache sites nearby. I chose the closest one and just as I approached it within feet, I realized that I had to climb quite a bit of stairs up a cliff to reach it. Not gonna happen. I decided to switch gears and go after the second closest cache which was located in the parking lot where we were parked and then drive back to the original one later. I found the first one with a little persistence. It was a plastic jar and the contents were pretty sparse. We didn't have anything on us so we threw in a quarter and a biz card (whoever finds it, gets a free haircut) The second one was a bit challenging. The "hint" provided was a puzzle to be solved and the cache itself was interestingly done. (I don't want to give it away) This cache was a good one, it had a few little kid goodies in it, (see photos below) after signing our names, adding and taking an item, snapping some photos of the find we were off to find some food.
 Husky Boy BurgersLaguna Beach, Orange County, CA On the way down to El Moro we drove past a burger joint, we've passed many a time driving up and down pch, HUSKY BOY BURGERS. This time we decided it was time to try them out. We went for the namesake burger, the "Huskey Burger", a burger with pastrami on top. According to the FourSquare pop up tip, pastrami on a burger was pretty risque in the 70's and now very trending in Utah, who knew. We split the burger, it was good a little weak on the beef patty, didn't come with mustard on it so I was pleased about that. They also serve up pastrami fries and Ostrich Burgers. Menu
I will definitely be going back to El Moro Beach, will be looking into camping out there as well and will be checking out the bike trail real soon ! PLEASE JOIN MY BLOG by "liking" me on the right. :) Subscribe to my YOU TUBE CHANNEL: Di by the SeaFollow me on Twitter: Di by the SeaFriend me on Facebook: Di by the Sea
While in Baltimore in March, we took a run through of the American Visionary Museum in the inner harbor . There was one exhibit in particular that caught my undivided attention. I had to stop and sit, and really didn't want it to end. It was a video playing on a jumbo screen, a documentary about an old woman and her bottle collection. She was so funny, matter of fact, interesting... I just wanted to sit there all day and watch that video again and just listen to her. I just didn't have the time... so I GOOGLED her... and this is what I found. I thought I would share. :) VIDEO's all over YOUTUBE about her... this is the video I saw at the museum found it on www.folkstream.com (click on the link below) 
I was crushed to read that she had died in the late 80's. I would to have loved to have met her in person. :(
What an interesting life story. A story she told in the video that has stuck with me...
I said to the woman, "Now I've told you my troubles now you tell me yours....
the woman replied, after listening to you, I haven't got any " ~
"Can you imagine that?"
 Crystal Cove State ParkNewport Coast/Newport Beach, Orange County, CA *tip State Park Annual passes are going from 120.00 to 195.00 this MAY !
I have biked along these trails before a few years back, they are the most beautiful biking and walking trails in Orange County. Coastal/cliff views, viewing lookout points with signs, clean bathrooms. beautifully manicured trails among the natural chapparal. Pelicans, squirrels, seagulls, lizards... You can bring your dogs on the trails, just not on the beaches. This time we stopped to check out an area that runs just below the trail, almost hidden. A little area known as Crystal Cove. They have their own restaurant, the Beachcomber at Crystal Cove (seen in the movie "Beaches" with Bette Midler. the Bootleg bar, an artsy merchandise store, called " The Store" at Crystal Cove, a visitors center for getting info on the history and renting out cabins and beach houses (always sold out and a waiting list at least a year out) see map. We decided to rest and enjoy some lunch at the Beachcomber (1 hour wait!) so we opted for our second option of just sitting in the adjacent bar and ordering appetizers and Longboard beer, the food was amazing ! We had the Roasted French Feta served with marinated oven roasted tomatoes, olive tapenade, and rustic crostinis. Baked Bleu Tomato Soup A Beachcomber Classic! Slow roasted organic tomatoes pureed and laced with creamy bleu cheese then served with a puff pastry crown and the Tiny Ahi Tacos mini wonton “taco shells” filled with sashimi style Ahi tuna accented with a creamy sriracha chili sauce and served with a colorful Asian slaw ( MENU) Then it was time to take a stroll down the beach to the tide pools. What a beautiful day. A bit crowded for a monday, due to Spring break vacationers. We headed back and stopped in at the visitors center to ask questions about cabin rentals and ended up with a story about the history of the coastal beaches that were privately leased back in the early 30's-70's and how the state took back control turning the beaches into public access and how the Crystal Cove Alliance was formed to keep this area the way it was with just a little TLC, refurbishment, the adding of the restaurant and turning the homes into rental units for profit for the state, THANKFUL for that ! [ WEBSITE] We did some shopping in the little gift shop for a token sovenier. I bought a 2.00 sand dollar/starfish charm, what a deal! Who knew this was here all these 35 years that I've been living in the OC and this was my first visit and believe me it won't be my last. :) 
 Pelican Hill Resort22701 Pelican Hill Road South Newport Beach, CA Newport Coast, Orange County, CA Easter Brunch Amidst Pacific ocean panoramas, Easter egg hunts for the little ones, Easter Bunny visits , face painting and balloon shaping on the picturesque Rotunda Lawn, a petting zoo. In Mar Vista’s grand ballroom from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Executive Chef Jean-Pierre Dubray presents traditional brunch favorites, with California and Tuscan accents. Sound great we're in ! I an excuse to see this fabulous pool that I have heard so much about. We arrived by noon for the little tots Easter egg hung. Greeted by smiling and welcoming employees, this property is AMAZING ! The hunt was set up on the law, with ocean views. GORGEOUS ! Just before it began the Easter bunny made an appearance. Adjacent was the facepainting area and the petting zoo, complete with an alpaca, pot bellied pig, a goose, sheep, miniature cow, funny looking fluffy chickens, a tortoise and bunnies ! My grand-daughter had a great time visiting all these cute creatures. The balloon shaper made 2 custom balloons for us, a bunny eared hat and a sunflower, he made swords belts with swords, fishing poles, tiaras for other children, we didn't get a chance for face painting on our little one, we got into line a bit late and it was time for a lunch break for the artist. (all of these Easter activities were free for anyone that wanted to show up) Our brunch wasn't until 3:00p so we decided to kill some time with refreshments pre-dinner, off to the poolside grill, pool views, their pool is original and GRAND ! (Pelican Hill Coleusseum pool) (Kinda strange, they had just one bartender working the entire restaurant which included the outside terrace seating as well, he was stressed out to say the least, and we had to wait longer than we would have liked to get a drink order on our table, other than that it was a very accommodating experience). A short walk to and from the hotel/ Terrace Grill to the Mar Vista restaurant, it was enjoyable strolling around the property. We headed back to the Mar Vista Grand ballroom, we were seated at exactly 3:00p per our reservation. beef medallions, eggs benedict, asparagus gezpacho with avacado, cheeses and candied nuts, salad bar, waffles, california rolls, shrimp, desserts, fresh squeezed orange juice... we filled up fast !
 Ritz-CarltonMonarch Beach Orange County, CA Dana Point/Laguna Niguel JUMBO EGGS ! Back home along the beautiful coast line along Pacific Coast Highway, we took an end of the day drive by to the Ritz-Carlton. I had come across an online article about some Ginormous eggs they had on property. I needed to check these out ! They were set up right in the entrance of the hotel at the end of the driveway, 3 - 8' tall eggs, just like the photos in the article showed, pretty cool !
What a beautiful Easter Sunday, spent with my family surrounded by all the beauty the OC has to offer. I can't wait to get back to that POOL ! Here's an article on the Newport Patch : other events to do at PHR.PLEASE JOIN MY BLOG by "liking" me on the right. :) Subscribe to my YOU TUBE CHANNEL: Di by the SeaFollow me on Twitter: Di by the SeaFriend me on Facebook: Di by the Sea
 8th Annual Concours d' Elegance - car show La Jolla, California
This was my first time going to this car show. My husband went last year with my oldest daughter Amaris, so I decided to join them this year, along with my grand-daughter, Shay and dog Xena ! A friend of ours, Dominic shows his mercedes in various car shows and that's how we got word of it. We were joining him today. It was a beautiful drive down south along Pacific Coast Highway. The car show is held in the Cove on a cliff overlooking the ocean, in the La Jolla village, with cute shops and restaurants all around. There are quite a lot of cars lined up along the center of streets as well as inside the guarded ticket needed areas. There are two designated areas: cars with a stage with live music (big band kind of stuff, really great !) and the VIP area (which provides complimentary food and drinks). Tickets run about 40.00 / 100.00 for VIP. The food area had tables set up with various foods by sponsors. Stocked bar, wine and beers. Pulled pork sliders, fish tacos, duck quesadillas, cowboy cookies, chocolate dipped strawberries, bruschetta with artichokes and mushroom, organic gluten free pizza, tuna on a taro chip, goat cheese on butter lettuce, shot glasses with cucumber mellon gazpatchio, raw shrimp topped with lavender, mini vodka martinis, brownies, lemon cake .... all very good ! I believe I sampled 99% of what they had. This is the 8th Annual car show in La Jolla, but the first time it's included in the Concours d'Elegance family of car shows all over, my husband attended the one in pebble beach 2 years ago and we may just attend it together this year. All kinds of cars are represented from vintage and rare to newer makes and models. British, Italian and even woodys ! They also had some motorcycles represented as well. My most favorites were the Jaguars and Maserati's ! Check their website for the judging and winners announcements. At the end of the show the cars single file out cruising up the street. See my [video] to be posted on my youtube channel soon. I took quite a few photos, but chose to only take photos of the fronts of the cars, mainly, just to give it my own touch. This might frustrate any true car lovers who want to see the entire cars, my apologies to you. You can view full photos on line and on their website. I had a really great time, it was a beautiful day, not crowded at all.  Cody's RestaurantLa Jolla, CA American
We had a late brunch just outside of the show at a little restaurant who's sign caught our eye. It read, " VOTED BEST FOOD IN THE WORLD". They allowed our puppy in, so we decided to give Cody's a try. We sat outside on the patio with a view of the remaining cars leaving the show. The food was quite good, upscaled American style. no complaints at all, I would recommend it to anyone to give them a try. Really fast service ! They even brought out a dog bowl with water when we were seated. :)
We drove around the coast a bit, the waves were amazingly huge ! Took a few stops to dig our toes in the sand too. San Diego is such a lovely place. Everyone should go sometime in their lifetime.
I went to a car show and all I got was this amazing T-Shirt ! PLEASE JOIN MY BLOG by "liking" me on the right. :) Subscribe to my YOU TUBE CHANNEL: Di by the SeaFollow me on Twitter: Di by the SeaFriend me on Facebook: Di by the Sea
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