This is the best political debate ever. In case you are undecided, maybe this will help:
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
My Favorite Vacations
This week’s suggestion from Lisa is to write about our favorite vacations. I could write a novel on this subject. Hey, wait a minute . . . that is exactly what I plan to do some day!
1. I think my favorite vacation of all time was our sailing/biking trip to Croatia. The picture says it all. I can’t think of anything I would rather do than ride a bike through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The climate was perfect for me, the days were leisurely (well, compared to most vacations), I got the perfect amount of exercise, and every day was a different adventure.
2. My second favorite vacation also involved biking. This vacation was actually two parts and the longest vacation I ever took. The first week was all biking and we biked through Germany, Switzerland and Austria around the gorgeous Bodensee Lake. Everything about it was perfect, the scenery, the weather, the biking, the food, and the company (we went with two brand new friends and had a blast).
During the second week of this trip we stayed in a villa on the side of cliff overlooking Lago Maggiore in Cannobio, Italy. This was very unusual for us – nothing but relaxing and sightseeing. It was a nice break after all the biking and the scenery (and food) was outstanding.
3. Is it bad that I’m ranking our honeymoon third in the list? For our honeymoon we spent 3 days touring Barcelona before boarding a ship for a Mediterranean cruise. Not only did I love Barcelona, but all our ports of call were beautiful. I especially liked Tuscany and plan to go back there for sure. One of the highlights was the Tuscan feast at the farmhouse pictured above. Abundant and delicious food, complete with a donkey walking across the room. What an experience. The best part of cruising is the variety of things to do and see each day.
4. Next comes Utah and this includes Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell, all of which were spectacular. Zion will always hold a special place in our hearts. It has taken over as our number one favorite national park. The photo above is Zion Valley. This was a solid week of outdoor adventure through some of the most remarkable landscape I’ve ever seen. As much as I don’t like going back to places I’ve already been when there’s so much more world to explore, this is a definite to revisit.
5. Back to biking trips. We took a week-long bike tour of the Canadian Rockies. And this wasn’t just a bike tour. It was billed as an adventure tour. Although the weather didn’t cooperate for our hot air balloon ride, we did manage to go white water rafting, sea kayaking and sail plane soaring. Talk about a different adventure every day. The terrain was tough, the temperatures varied greatly, the wildlife was everywhere, and the sights were amazing.
6. Yosemite has to make it on my list. One year we went from Lake Tahoe (which is also worth a great mention – loved that place too) to Yosemite. We happened to luck out with the best waterfalls in decades. I guess timing is everything when you visit Yosemite and we hit the jackpot. The picture above is just one of the many waterfalls that we hiked up. Lots and lots of hiking and climbing on this trip. Loved every minute of it.
7. I had to trick Karlo into this trip. We actually flew into Las Vegas, but I couldn’t tell him that. I called this our “Southern Nevada” trip because there is no way I could get Karlo to Vegas for vacation. We did slip into the evil city for a couple of nights, but this was another outdoor adventure filled with hiking, rafting and riding ATVs. We loved it.
8. Just this past year I fell in love with Virginia. I can’t believe how quickly I fell for this place and how ‘at home’ I felt. The week was perfect and included awesome hiking and what has to be THE BEST motorcycle rides in the country. The best part about this place is how close it is to home. Can’t wait to go back.
9. And speaking of close to home and stealing our hearts, we fell so hard for Maine after our first vacation to Acadia National Park that we bought land (and a house) just to be closer to it. We still have the dream of having a second home and partially retiring to mid-coast Maine. So much beauty, so many outdoor activities, such a nice lifestyle. I heart Maine.
10. One of the most fun vacations was to Washington State several years ago. I was on a business trip and Karlo flew across the country to spend time with me. Not only that, but my friend “CA Sue” also flew up and the three of us had a ball. We took the ferry over to Victoria, BC and rented scooters all day and strolled around island. In addition to that, Karlo and I spent some time alone hiking Mt. Rainer. That is the closest you can come to Heaven while still on earth. We had the perfect day and the perfect hike. Sue and I also had some alone time and strolled through Seattle, shopping at Pikes Market and taking in the sights of the city.
Now where will we be off to next?
1. I think my favorite vacation of all time was our sailing/biking trip to Croatia. The picture says it all. I can’t think of anything I would rather do than ride a bike through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The climate was perfect for me, the days were leisurely (well, compared to most vacations), I got the perfect amount of exercise, and every day was a different adventure.
2. My second favorite vacation also involved biking. This vacation was actually two parts and the longest vacation I ever took. The first week was all biking and we biked through Germany, Switzerland and Austria around the gorgeous Bodensee Lake. Everything about it was perfect, the scenery, the weather, the biking, the food, and the company (we went with two brand new friends and had a blast).
During the second week of this trip we stayed in a villa on the side of cliff overlooking Lago Maggiore in Cannobio, Italy. This was very unusual for us – nothing but relaxing and sightseeing. It was a nice break after all the biking and the scenery (and food) was outstanding.
3. Is it bad that I’m ranking our honeymoon third in the list? For our honeymoon we spent 3 days touring Barcelona before boarding a ship for a Mediterranean cruise. Not only did I love Barcelona, but all our ports of call were beautiful. I especially liked Tuscany and plan to go back there for sure. One of the highlights was the Tuscan feast at the farmhouse pictured above. Abundant and delicious food, complete with a donkey walking across the room. What an experience. The best part of cruising is the variety of things to do and see each day.
4. Next comes Utah and this includes Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell, all of which were spectacular. Zion will always hold a special place in our hearts. It has taken over as our number one favorite national park. The photo above is Zion Valley. This was a solid week of outdoor adventure through some of the most remarkable landscape I’ve ever seen. As much as I don’t like going back to places I’ve already been when there’s so much more world to explore, this is a definite to revisit.
5. Back to biking trips. We took a week-long bike tour of the Canadian Rockies. And this wasn’t just a bike tour. It was billed as an adventure tour. Although the weather didn’t cooperate for our hot air balloon ride, we did manage to go white water rafting, sea kayaking and sail plane soaring. Talk about a different adventure every day. The terrain was tough, the temperatures varied greatly, the wildlife was everywhere, and the sights were amazing.
6. Yosemite has to make it on my list. One year we went from Lake Tahoe (which is also worth a great mention – loved that place too) to Yosemite. We happened to luck out with the best waterfalls in decades. I guess timing is everything when you visit Yosemite and we hit the jackpot. The picture above is just one of the many waterfalls that we hiked up. Lots and lots of hiking and climbing on this trip. Loved every minute of it.
7. I had to trick Karlo into this trip. We actually flew into Las Vegas, but I couldn’t tell him that. I called this our “Southern Nevada” trip because there is no way I could get Karlo to Vegas for vacation. We did slip into the evil city for a couple of nights, but this was another outdoor adventure filled with hiking, rafting and riding ATVs. We loved it.
8. Just this past year I fell in love with Virginia. I can’t believe how quickly I fell for this place and how ‘at home’ I felt. The week was perfect and included awesome hiking and what has to be THE BEST motorcycle rides in the country. The best part about this place is how close it is to home. Can’t wait to go back.
9. And speaking of close to home and stealing our hearts, we fell so hard for Maine after our first vacation to Acadia National Park that we bought land (and a house) just to be closer to it. We still have the dream of having a second home and partially retiring to mid-coast Maine. So much beauty, so many outdoor activities, such a nice lifestyle. I heart Maine.
10. One of the most fun vacations was to Washington State several years ago. I was on a business trip and Karlo flew across the country to spend time with me. Not only that, but my friend “CA Sue” also flew up and the three of us had a ball. We took the ferry over to Victoria, BC and rented scooters all day and strolled around island. In addition to that, Karlo and I spent some time alone hiking Mt. Rainer. That is the closest you can come to Heaven while still on earth. We had the perfect day and the perfect hike. Sue and I also had some alone time and strolled through Seattle, shopping at Pikes Market and taking in the sights of the city.
Now where will we be off to next?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Looking Forward to the Work Week
So I can relax more. I am exhausted. I’m pretty sure that I work less at work and I’m looking forward to the break. This weekend was a blur – even with the extra hour. When are we going to get a daylight savings that gives us an extra day, or week? Now that I could really use. Aside from a couple of nice hikes and a short motorcycle ride I worked my tail off this weekend. The house is a tiny bit cleaner, but most of my time went into my side business. I’m coming up to my busiest time of year and I’m so not ready. This is called ‘scramble mode’ and I hate it. You would think after 5 years of this I would learn, but I never do. I’m starting to panic about Christmas shopping. Not a stitch is done nor do I have the slightest plan of how it’s going to get done. I need some elves and fast. Where can hire some elves?
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Women Over 40
I just realized that yesterday slipped by without a blog entry and today is about to as well. It seems I'm a little too busy and overwhelmed to think straight. I can't come up with anything amusing to say today so I'm going to share an email that Penni recently sent me. I just loved it. You may have already heard it, as Andy Rooney wrote it, but it's worth hearing twice.
60 Minutes Correspondent Andy Rooney (CBS)
As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:
A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, 'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think. If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.
Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.
Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.
Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.
Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.
Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.
For all those men who say, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!
60 Minutes Correspondent Andy Rooney (CBS)
As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:
A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, 'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think. If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.
Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.
Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.
Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.
Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk, if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.
Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.
For all those men who say, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Ta Da
Here it is . . . the one picture I took over the weekend and my big accomplishment in the kitchen. I fired up the new waffle maker and made the batter completely from scratch. OK Lisa, get up off the floor. It wasn't too bad. Karlo did the hardest part - separating the egg whites from the yolks. I'll work my way up to that some day. And working the machine was pretty easy. There are nice little lights that tell you exactly when to flip and when to remove. No batter spilled out onto the counter and no pajamas got soaked. All in all it was a successful breakfast. Now I'm hungry . . .
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Pictures I Didn’t Take
For the past couple of weeks I’ve been trying really hard to stop myself from buying a new camera. Every now and again I get the itch for a new camera, but normally I’m able to scratch the itch and forget about it. This time it’s persisting and I can’t seem to shake it. But then I have a weekend like this past weekend and I realize that I probably don’t deserve a new camera. Here let me tell you all about the pictures that I didn’t take . . .
Friday night Karlo and I got dressed up in the closest outfits we could to looking like we were in the 50s era. It took me a long time to convince Karlo he should wear rolled up jeans, white socks, and a t-shirt instead of a little wrestling outfit. He was convinced he should dress like he did in the 50s. I should have let him do it (since it was close enough to Halloween). We went to a sock hop and danced the night away. No pictures to show for it.
On Saturday evening JoAnne and her family came over for a visit. We managed to squeak in about 30 minutes of bonfire before the weather got crazy. The kids were so cute sitting with their Daddy on a big rock with the glow of the fire in their faces. But my camera was all the way in the house . . .
Then yesterday we took a gorgeous hike with Peanut. (The scenario of us trying to get Peanut out of the house without Bentley knowing is a story all unto itself, but for another time.) We went to this same spot with friends last weekend and when I realized how awesome the high overlook was I wanted to go back this weekend to take pictures. The leaves still had enough color to make the miles and miles of distant views terrific. So we hiked up there and guess what? I forgot my camera. Sigh.
I did manage to take one silly picture this weekend, but I forgot my camera at home today. I’m really not getting off to a good start this week. I’m going to have to leave you in suspense as to what that photo is all about. Stay tuned.
Friday night Karlo and I got dressed up in the closest outfits we could to looking like we were in the 50s era. It took me a long time to convince Karlo he should wear rolled up jeans, white socks, and a t-shirt instead of a little wrestling outfit. He was convinced he should dress like he did in the 50s. I should have let him do it (since it was close enough to Halloween). We went to a sock hop and danced the night away. No pictures to show for it.
On Saturday evening JoAnne and her family came over for a visit. We managed to squeak in about 30 minutes of bonfire before the weather got crazy. The kids were so cute sitting with their Daddy on a big rock with the glow of the fire in their faces. But my camera was all the way in the house . . .
Then yesterday we took a gorgeous hike with Peanut. (The scenario of us trying to get Peanut out of the house without Bentley knowing is a story all unto itself, but for another time.) We went to this same spot with friends last weekend and when I realized how awesome the high overlook was I wanted to go back this weekend to take pictures. The leaves still had enough color to make the miles and miles of distant views terrific. So we hiked up there and guess what? I forgot my camera. Sigh.
I did manage to take one silly picture this weekend, but I forgot my camera at home today. I’m really not getting off to a good start this week. I’m going to have to leave you in suspense as to what that photo is all about. Stay tuned.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Completely Random Thoughts
Two things happened last night. One, I remembered a web site that I could share. I rarely use it anymore, but when I first discovered it I thought it was the greatest invention of all cyber time. The web site is called Pandora Radio http://pandora.com/ and it’s a free service (you have to sign-up to use it) that allows you to select your favorite artist or group and it builds a completely commercial-free radio station based on music similar to the artist that you selected. So for instance, let’s say your favorite artist is Sting. Based on that musical taste, the station manages to pick all sorts of music that you will love. And it really works. I was astonished. It’s eerie how it just ‘knows’ all your other favorite music based on one artist pick. Give it a try.
Two, I discovered another web site (sort of) that I can share. On any give day I get about six catalogs in the mail. Normally I throw just about all of them away without even looking at them, but last night one new one caught my eye. It called to me so strongly I couldn’t resist it. I think I’m in love. They should just rename the catalog from Athleta to “PaulasWear.” Every thing on every page looks like it was custom made just for me. If I designed my own line of clothing, this would be it. Bummer that I don’t think a single reader shares my affection for this type of high-tech clothing (Tina is going to laugh), but I thought I would share anyway. They have a site www.athleta.com and thankfully they also have a ‘sale’ page. The stuff is gorgeous, but expensive. Maybe Santa will mail order instead of driving to EMS.
And my story from two nights ago that Lisa is so anxious to hear all about. I decided it’s too boring to share. Maybe some other time . . .
Two, I discovered another web site (sort of) that I can share. On any give day I get about six catalogs in the mail. Normally I throw just about all of them away without even looking at them, but last night one new one caught my eye. It called to me so strongly I couldn’t resist it. I think I’m in love. They should just rename the catalog from Athleta to “PaulasWear.” Every thing on every page looks like it was custom made just for me. If I designed my own line of clothing, this would be it. Bummer that I don’t think a single reader shares my affection for this type of high-tech clothing (Tina is going to laugh), but I thought I would share anyway. They have a site www.athleta.com and thankfully they also have a ‘sale’ page. The stuff is gorgeous, but expensive. Maybe Santa will mail order instead of driving to EMS.
And my story from two nights ago that Lisa is so anxious to hear all about. I decided it’s too boring to share. Maybe some other time . . .
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