Travel - Still On My Mind

Don't know why.... but travel is still on my mind today.  It could be because:

A)     The kids have gone back to school, and my house is eerily quiet.
B)     There are so many great travel websites on the internet, you find all kinds of places you want to go.
C)     Fall has not yet arrived, and I am tired of the persistent wind and the sweltering heat.

Any one of those reasons is more than enough of one for me to leave town.  I can be off on a trip, and before I even get home, I am thinking about where to go next and when to leave.

My sister-in-law told me about Trip Advisor, and apparently, it is the premier website for trip information and planning.  There is a wealth of information, and there are details that I have found there that don't seem to be on other travel websites.  Many times, a site with reader input is full of negatives and lots of bashing.  Not that I don't want that, but I would at least like to hear about things that travelers did like.  Whether it is hotel or day-trip information, I appreciate getting the scoop from people on the ground.

Do you have any travel information websites that you really trust and depend on?  If so, please do share!

Makes Me Want To Travel

Oh. My. Goodness.

Today, while tooling around on the Queen's website, I found something I had never seen before.  She has an area where she posts about hotel rooms in cities she has visited.  I loved it!  And since she doesn't always stay at the Holiday Inn, there are some pretty unique posts.  Her tour promoting her cookbook has enabled her to be in some wonderful cities, and it looks like her sister, Betsy, finds great places for her to stay.

 
This area of her blog came to the surface when I learned her trick about steadying herself when taking pictures indoors, or in other low-light conditions.  She uses the hip cock strategy.  You steady your whole body, almost creating a human tripod, by leaning to one side, taking weight off of both feet and putting it on one.  Your body doesn't fight with itself to keep steady, and if you cock your hip to one side and then lean on a wall or doorway, even better!  She goes on to show several pictures of herself using this technique, and they were all in hotel room bathrooms.  Most likely that is the only time she photographs her own image in mirrors.

I have tried to use her photography tutorials before, but some of them tend to be a bit technical for me.  Nevertheless, I find myself returning again and again, hoping to garner some bit of knowledge from her.  More than the photography info, I am attracted to her everyday life on the ranch bits.  Just about the time I think, "wow, I sure am tired today," I read a post from her that describes how her family has gathered and sorted cattle or wild horses, weeded the big garden that is watered by a center pivot sprinkler, and picked up or loaded 300 tons of hay -- then they came back to the house for breakfast.  Let's just say we are in different seasons of our lives, she and I.

Halfway Through August

Now that we have passed the mid-way point in the month of August, it is time to face the fact that summer is coming to a close.  So I think it is time to plan my Summer Finale. 

First, I think we should squeeze in a quick trip to the mountains.  Not sure which ones, we could go Colorado or we could go New Mexico.  One of the perks of living in the center of the universe, I mean, United States.

Next, I think we should consider getting some spa treatments...  let's really splurge and go from head to toe.  Maybe a European oxygenating facial, powdered black pearl body scrub, followed by an aromatherapy hot stone massage, and end with a simultaneous manicure/pedicure. 

After a nice local meal, we can retire to the porch to enjoy the night sky.  Since we are in the mountains, we are closer to the stars, therefore, making them look larger.  Ahh.... a perfect day.  Let's repeat this every day for about five.    :)

Okay, okay.  That dang Eat Pray Love movie is still on my brain.  All I can think about is traveling.  But I have been traveling.  I am actually ready to stay home.  But I can't quit thinking about going somewhere.  ???   What's up with that?

And no season is complete without a trip to the ocean.  So we'll have to go find an ocean or an island to visit.  It will no doubt provide just the attitude adjustment I need.  Minimum stay - 2 weeks.  Alright, we could probably manage with 10 days, but we want to be fully rested when we return to our full time jobs, school year, whatever.

Well, that is the plan for my Summer Finale.  I tried to keep it simple and do-able, but am pretty sure I won't carry it out.   :)

More About My Epic Fail

You know, when you write on a blog, it's kind of like saying something in front of a group of people.  You have to own up to it.  So last week, when I stated that I was going to read "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert, before I saw the movie, that is fully what I intended to do.  And by saying it on the blog, I thought I would make myself hurry up and get the book read before the weekend....

Okay, so that isn't what happened.  I never even picked up the book.  I certainly didn't finish the book.  And I ran, not walked, to the movie, the minute it appeared in my local theater.

And I LOVED it!  The opposite of what I thought would happen happened....  I am now DYING to read the book!  I thought it would tell me everything, but it didn't.  It left me wanting more.  I could sort of imagine what the book would embellish upon.  In fact, I think I am going to have to keep this short, because I am so ready to get started reading that book.  Gotta go!

Not For Me, But....

This portable crib caught my eye today.  The reason that is so unusual, is because I have absolutely NO NEED for such a thing, but is is just THAT COOL!   It's called the GoCrib.

Can you believe this deal?  There are no metal bars or yucky nylon.  You aren't going to have to worry about losing a digit setting it up.  This pack-and-play is inflatable, and it can easily be squished back down into its backpack to transport it to grandma's house, or the next hotel.  Even though it is inflated, (it includes its own easy to use pump), it is unbelievably strong and durable.  It can withstand even the occasional 'big kid' who can't resist getting in!

Since you know kids put their hands and mouths on everything, you can rest assured the GoCrib is super safe.  It is PVC free, Phthalate free, and made with lead-free, non toxic materials.  Oh, and the pump is non-motorized, so you don't have to worry about where you will plug it in or batteries being dead.

Apparently, you can no longer use the baby as a reason not to visit someone.  :)

Still Thinking About "Eat Pray Love"

One of the places that the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, goes on her year-long trip, is Bali.  Even though I haven't started reading the book yet, I couldn't help but try to learn something about what one would see in Bali.....

So here is its location.  Kind of a long ways off.

Not sure what this is, but isn't it curious?  A home?  A restaurant?  A scenic lookout point?

It definitely has a different look than say, the Caribbean or maybe Hawaii.  Again, makes me very curious....

Apparently, the Australians vacation here frequently due to its close proximity.  I think I could vacation there.

This is a rice field?  I would have never guessed.  I had no idea.

I can just tell that going to this place would be like no other place I have ever been.  There are thousands of images if you want to check them out yourself.  Look here.

And I am definitely going to get started reading that book...

Wild Men

The boys of summer are having a fabulous time in SoCal.  I have gotten a few texts from them, and they seem to definitely be living life on the edge.  They stopped for a snack yesterday at the Heart Attack Cafe at the Orange County Fair.  They told me they had deep fried butter and chocolate covered bacon.  Neither sounds very appetizing to me, but I think they were just trying to get me wound up. 

I know Chase wanted to show Mike his favorite little hole in the wall eating establishment, Chronic Tacos.  No doubt, that is on their list...

Last I knew, today they were having lunch with Chase's boss, Michael, then were off to the X-Games.  Good times.

I remember when the kids were little, and they would watch the X-Games on television... then they would go outside and build ramps to skate off and ride their bikes off of...  It's amazing we didn't have more visits to the emergency room.  We were pretty lucky that way.

Oh, and they also had to send me a text to tell me that it was 75 degrees there.  I responded with a sarcastic two word phrase that isn't fit for publication, and informed them that it was 98 here at home.  And to think, only three days ago, I was saying "Aloha," and "Mahalo," as if they were part of my regular vocabulary... and watching the palm trees sway in the wind. 

Last Day in Paradise.....

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to Maui.  Always hard, it just isn't a fun thing to do.  You miss beautiful scenery, like this --

The four of us decided we could just watch the waves roll in forever.  It is a view you never get tired of seeing.  Or hearing....  waves breaking are just very calming and relaxing. 

We practically had the beach to ourselves...  okay, so that is an exaggeration, well, it was anything but crowded.  We spent so much time on the beach, just taking in the scenery, the action, and people watching.  It was beautiful, except for a couple of hours of wind, which provided all of us with plenty of exfoliation by sand blasting us with the straight line winds blowing the sand into every open orifice. 

No more scenes like this.  We thought we were so funny by using our similar credit cards to split the bill by 4. 
No more of that.  The hardest part of the trip is now.  Arriving home.  Facing piles of laundry.  Unpacking the enormous suitcases that I hauled through the airports. 

We just couldn't get enough of this!  You never get tired of watching the sun set.  Bea-u-ti-ful!  It doesn't get a whole lot better than this.  We acclimated so quickly -- maybe we should just stay.  No, we have to leave. 

It's been a rough week in paradise.  But by now we have landed, and are on our last leg home.  Gosh, it's a long way.  Not complaining!

turtle day

One day while on the trip to Maui, we went snorkeling down by Black Rock.  The waves were pretty calm, and the crowd wasn't too big, so we set out. We hadn't been in the water very long when some people started pointing and swimming to one area.  We followed along, to see what the ruckus was all about, and some kid said there was a turtle very near the place where we were.  Melissa was on a mission to see a turtle, so down we went.  Not only did we see a turtle, but it was about 4 feet in diameter and about 4 feet away from us!  Mission accomplished, Melissa came up, threw off her mask, spit out her snorkel, and yelled, #@*& $%*! -- at the top of her lungs.  Hilarious!  By far, one of the funniest things that happened that day.  Later, when I talked to Mike, he said that he had seen a turtle in our garage at home, and a water turtle leaving a pond near our house that same day.  The turtle sightings were many all over the United States.

Funny things have happened every day, but they are things like, you know, maybe you had to be there.  One thing that has happened was that I have been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.  This diagnosis was made by one of my traveling partners, and she is an RN that works for the premier cardiology practice in the Permian Basin.  She told me that my EF is 21.  I don't know what that means or how much time I have, but I have decided to make the most of it.  She keeps telling me to take it easy, and so the girls have been very encouraging and helpful.  I think it would probably be best if I just stayed here permanently.  Nurse Dianne, previous to the trip, received her own diagnosis.  Apparently, it is airborne, because I caught it from her.  A good disease makes for plenty of opportunities for humor.

We did have a situation with the rental car which required me to call Roadside Assistance.  First of all, it was a disappointment from the word go.  It was dirty, inside and out, had dents and scratches all over it, took me forever to get it checked out because you have to diagram all the dents and scratches before you leave with it... but when the air conditioner quit on the opposite side of the island, and we had a hot ride home, I was fit to be tied.  The short, happy version of this story, is that they brought us a new minivan, quite a bit nicer than the first one.  The sad thing is, we only had it for a couple of days, before we had to use it to drive ourselves back to the airport.  :(

Luckily, Dianne has been in charge of moving the cone for us to save our parking place; Bonnie has been in charge of all exercise, worship, and skinny dipping sightings; and Melissa contributed beach tunes and all technical support.  Mel's allergies, that she does not have, according to OKC Allergy Clinic, were much better in the tropical climate.  She might have to stay here, too.  The doctor is still out on that one.

Some things I will see...

There is so much to see in Maui!  We are going to give it the college try, but no doubt we will fall short in some area.  But right there at the place we will stay for the week, there is one of these.....

It is brand new and very nice...  other than the fact that I wake up at 3:30 or 4:00 am for the first few days, I would say that this is out of the question.  But when you wake up, you wake up -- and they have this cool new weight room.  It is slightly inviting.  Even to a nube like me.

Frankly, I would rather sit on my hind quarters and look at the lovely view.  I can easily sit there and just watch people and listen to the waves, ALL DAY.

And after a full day that started at 3:30 or 4:00 am, I am doing good if I can make it to see this...

But, oh, it is SO worth it.

Travel Can Be Hard

There are a lot of hard things about going on a trip or vacation.  Usually, you have to work doubly hard to get things taken care of that will need to be done while you are gone.  And you have to do them in the same 24 hours that you have every single day!  No extra hours to help you get it all done!

But if you want to see the big, beautiful world, you have to make some concessions.  You might have to stay up late packing...  You might have to pack and repack in order to fit everything in your suitcase...  You might have to make arrangements for someone else to do your job for you while you are gone...  You have to gather up all the travel documents needed, make reservations and plans, -- frankly, you need a wife.  I have been saying this for years, and Bon reminded me of it today as she was checking things off of her list.

By the time you read this, she will probably be wearing one of these in her hair.  She will be planted under the umbrella, and deep into her novel. 

Mel, poor thing, traveling takes its toll on her.  Last year she got sick.  By the time we tracked down the right meds, we had lost a couple of days -- not completely -- just a bummer for her.  As you see, she can sleep anywhere, so the random flight delay will not keep her from catching a few winks.

This was one of our many trips to the drugstore -- we became very familiar with it -- and we started calling the things we bought there, souvenirs.  We had a lot of meds for motion sickness, Benadryl cream for a rash, I can't even remember what all we bought there, but we just started calling it all souvenirs, because it was cutting into our budget for other things.  I took this pic of Melis at Long's, that's our favorite drugstore, because it is super convenient to get to.  She had a basket full of souvenirs.

Just remember when you travel, as in life, that you can never be too prepared.

Intent

It is my intent, to go on vacation, and take it easy.  Call me silly, that's just what I think.

Look at this....  I think I will have some of this!  Seems like it is called The Black Pearl.  Mama's Fish House, here we come!

And then the next day, I intend to go to Roy's, and enjoy the specialty dessert, their Chocolate Souffle!  Isn't the presentation what it's all about?  Sweet.

You know how sometimes friends share a dessert, or maybe even an entree?  That is not possible with Roy's Chocolate Souffle.  You order your own.  You order it early.  You eat every bite.  Those are the rules.

One of the closest things to Heaven on earth.  Just sayin.

Distraction Trip

Remember the trip that I mentioned we would be taking Bon on as a distraction? 

Well, we have departed.  We left our homes, and we are enjoying the beach while our husbands hold down the fort.

That means, that yesterday we navigated the jungle of air travel, and have safely reached our destination.

We conquered a few of these...............

And we maneuvered through places like this...................

And because you are reading this, hopefully, we have arrived and are no worse for the wear.  We are hoping for some restful days at the beach, some good meals, -- I doubt there will be any laughing -- and maybe some fabulous new pics!  Bon's sister, Dianne, will be joining us.  She lives in Texas, but we invited her anyway. 

We will try and post when we can, but we have a lot to do.  We're thinking of you!