Divergent

Looking for a good book?  Did you like the Hunger Games?  If so, try reading Divergent!  It’s a pretty easy read about a dystopian society with a young female heroine.  Imagine this…the country is broken up into 5 factions, each based on a particular virtue.  You are born into one and at age sixteen, based on an aptitude test, you can choose to leave your faction forever and transfer to a new faction.  “Faction before family” so you never get to see your family or friends again.  What will young Beatrice do?  Read Divergent, the first part of a trilogy, to find out!  I’m in the middle of the second book of the trilogy right now and am still enjoying it. 

The Holiday Hangover

What is it about the end of the holidays that leaves me feeling down?  Call it a holiday hangover or the post holiday blues.  Whatever it is, it sucks.  Today is my first day back at work after eleven days off.  It was nice to have a break, but getting up early and wearing something other than lounge pants was a downer.  For some reason my pants don’t fit me like they did before the holidays either!  I’m going to start Weight Watchers, again, tomorrow.  The weather doesn’t help.  It’s been grey and cold.

 

Yesterday I took down all the Christmas decorations.  It was particularly sad to me because my cats love the Christmas tree and we just recently learned that one of them is very sick and likely won’t see another Christmas.  His meds are helping him feel better though and he sat in a pile of tissue paper and played with an ornament while I put everything away.  I was happy to see him having fun though.

 

 My cure for this is to start planning vacations to warm and exciting places!  What do you do to beat the post holiday blues?

Happy New Year!

Ah the new year.  Everyone is full of hope and resolutions.  I'm terrible with resolutions and they are always the same...lose weight, keep it off and get in shape.  I did my usual in 2012 where I lost weight early in the year in time for my spring beach vacations, then steadily gained through the rest of the year.  I will try again though this year.

My second resolution is to try to make small changes.  Today I started using the reusable bags at the grocery store.  I admit that I get annoyed at the people who use these because it takes so much longer for the cashier to bag.  Today the cashier was visibly annoyed at ME when he had to bag my 3 bags. 

What are your resolutions???

Eathquake!!!!

Channeling Cherie Currie

Taylor Momsen, aka Jenny or "Little J" on Gossip Girl, thinks she's all grown up.  She went from being a typical pretty blond girl to channeling Cherie Currie from the Runaways.  Taylor is now the lead singer for a band called The Pretty Reckless which I didn't take seriously until I saw that they played at the Montreux jazz festival this year, not that her band has anything to do with jazz though.  I've always liked girls who can rock and Taylor definitely can!  I think she's an idiot away from the stage with her attitude and thinking she's so grown up, but I checked out her music on You Tube and actually like some of it.

Note that they are both 16 or 17 in these pictures.  The Runaways crashed and burned after being together only 3 years.  Let's hope Taylor doesn't have the same fate.

Taylor Momsen



Cherie Currie



Who Says You Can't Go Home

Jon Bon Jovi got it right when he sang Who Says You Can't Go Home.  My husband and I left California seven years ago for a lower cost of living.  True, we now have a nice house, good jobs and an easy commute, but we've come to learn that those aren't the things that really matter in life.  We are thinking about quitting our jobs, selling the house we love and heading back to the Golden State.  For him, it's to be closer to his parents.  For me, it's just home and where I feel like I belong.  In California we'll have a horrible commute, a smaller more expensive house and who knows what kinds of jobs (if any) given the state of the California economy, but it's what we want. 

I don't think we are alone in this thinking either.  Right now two of my acquaintances are driving across the country with all their belongings and dogs in a truck to go back home.  One couple is going from California back to Tennessee and another couple is going from Minnesota to California.  Both just want to be home.  This just goes to show that no state is better than another, it's home that matters.

Wish I Was Here

My trip to Jamaica with my friend Jenn seems so long ago.  I badly need another vacation!

My Favorite Men

My New Business!!!

It's official...I'm a small business owner!  There's not much to it yet, but Palm Paradise Travel is all mine and it will be whatever I make it.  I'm in the process of getting everything set up and then I'll be open for business.  This isn't like all my other ideas where I just talk about them.  I'm doing my best to not overwhelm myself to the point where I do nothing.  I'm taking it one step at a time.  I have the LLC set up and a tax ID number and a few other things are in the works like the logo and web site.   It might take another month or so to get it all up and running, but very soon, I will be a travel consultant for my very own company.  I will be focusing on the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii and cruises, but will be able to book other places as well.  Oh, and I'm not quitting a my day job.  This will be an at home business on nights and weekends.  More details to come!

So...anyone want to book a vacation???

Travel Bucket List

Continuing on my posts about bucket lists...since my passion in life is travel, here are places I want to go.  I work my #$%^ off these days at work so most involve a lot of relaxation.

1. Lizard Island, Australia
2. Over water bungalow in Bora Bora
3. Champagne region of France
4. Cook Islands
5. Jalousie Plantation, St. Lucia
6. Peter Island, BVI
7. Palm Island, St. Vincent & The Grendadines
8. Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos
9. Costa Rica
10. Spend an extended period of time in Paris
11. Take a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon and then go river rafting on the Colorado river

Should I ever become fabulously wealthy and want more adventure, here are some more places.

1. Pyramids of  Giza
2. Safari in Africa
3. Machu Picchu
4. Hike the Appalachian Trail
5. Drive across the country

Here are some the more interesting things I've already done.

1. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
2. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
3. Saw an opera at the Sydney Opera House
4. Climbed the harbor bridge in Sydney
5. Hiked the Na'Pali coast in Kauai
6. Climbed Uluru (walking around it was better!)
7. Watched the sunrise and sunset over Uluru
8. Went to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
9. Went to the top of the Empire State building
10. Had a drink at the top of the World Trade Center in New York
11. Took a bus tour thru Europe
12. Mountain biked thru the Alps
13. White water rafted thru the Alps
14. Swam under a waterfall in Hawaii
15. Visited the beach bars of the BVI, including the Soggy Dollar Bar
16. Had a picnic in the French country side
17. Christmas in New York

What's on your list?  What have been some of your favorite place you have visited?