Category Archives: Travel

Ah, Paree!

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I’ve missed traveling far and wide the last few years. So I decided to plan a couple of trips a year to places I’ve never been — like a river cruise from Paris to Normandy with three great friends.

Sharon, me, Sue and Pam at the airport

Finding a pet sitter for my six cats and two dogs isn’t an easy feat, but my friend, Daina, is just that – a pet sitter. Lucky for me, she was up for the 13-day challenge, bless her brave heart.

Daina introduced me to Grand Circle Cruise Line (GCCL) and their fabulous discounts. Why pay full price when nearly half off was beckoning? We even upgraded to better seating on the plane, to and from. Never mind I don’t need extra leg room with these stubby legs, but hey, why not? We were on vacation.

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I’ll Take a Little Southern Hospitality, Please

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Southern hospitality

 When I was in Texas, everyone was so darn friendly I couldn’t believe it. Was this real? Where I visited, in The Woodlands, people still have block parties and new neighbors are welcomed with hot casseroles and freshly baked cookies. Southern hospitality, I’m told.

While jogging in Savannah, Georgia, I noticed just about every person coming my way said hello or waved. It happened so often I started to feel guilty if I ran past someone without acknowledging them in some way — eye contact or perhaps a nod.

joggers
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Gotta Be Something in the Water

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southern kindness

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed during my travels to the South, besides the abundance of fried food, is how dang friendly Southerners are. Could it be something in their water that makes  them happy? Is that why they’re always smiling? Seriously, I want to know their secret.

secret

Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying friendlies (as I call them) don’t live anywhere else. But ya gotta admit the largest concentration of friendlies seem to be in regions with twangs or drawls. Take Tennessee, for instance. Continue reading →

Getting Lost

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Remember way back before apps like Waze came along to get us where we’re going? Sadly, I do. Here’s a post from March, 2015 that makes me happy I no longer rely on Stella, my old GPS..compassI have absolutely no sense of direction. Consequently I’m always lost. That’s unless I’m armed with a device that talks to me and leads the way. In fact, I’m not even sure how I got anywhere until good old GPS came along. Now don’t get me wrong; I’m being serious.

Back in the day, before MapQuest and various technological inventions navigated for us, we relied on paper maps and verbal directions. It was hell. But getting around now is much simpler. Having a sucky sense of direction should no longer be a handicap, right? One would think. But my GPS (Stella) just happens to be directionally challenged.

Stella

Sometimes I’ll test Stella even when I know where I’m going. I’ll enter the address, hit the gas and see what transpires. Invariably, she takes the longest route. Sometimes I think she’s high or maybe in the throes of dementia. Simply put, much of the time Stella has absolutely no idea where she’s going. So that makes two of us. Continue reading →

Getting Lost

Posted on by

Remember way back before apps like Waze came along to get us where we’re going? Sadly, I do. Here’s a post from March, 2015 that makes me happy I no longer rely on Stella, my old GPS..compassI have absolutely no sense of direction. Consequently I’m always lost. That’s unless I’m armed with a device that talks to me and leads the way. In fact, I’m not even sure how I got anywhere until good old GPS came along. Now don’t get me wrong; I’m being serious.

Back in the day, before MapQuest and various technological inventions navigated for us, we relied on paper maps and verbal directions. It was hell. But getting around now is much simpler. Having a sucky sense of direction should no longer be a handicap, right? One would think. But my GPS (Stella) just happens to be directionally challenged.

Stella

Sometimes I’ll test Stella even when I know where I’m going. I’ll enter the address, hit the gas and see what transpires. Invariably, she takes the longest route. Sometimes I think she’s high or maybe in the throes of dementia. Simply put, much of the time Stella has absolutely no idea where she’s going. So that makes two of us. Continue reading →