Trips Planned for 2013!

 My husband and I are avid travelers.  We usually try to take at least 5 or 6 trips a year and we manage to swing this by traveling over holidays so that we don't eat up as much paid time off.  We also do lots of mini-weekend trips.  This does mean that we are usually gone for the major holidays (Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, New Years, etc...)  but we have such wonderful memories that we still talk about to this day rather than your usual "Yea, we went to his mom's house and ate some turkey, blah, blah...."  Instead, we get to say things like "Hey, remember that Thanksgiving Day two years ago in Barcelona when we went to the Boqueria market and bought Iberian ham, cheeses, olives and a bottle of Rioja and we spent the day having a picnic lunch in the Parc Guell overlooking the Mediterranean?  That was so great."

Picture from Belize Trip - Last New Years Eve

Anyone that knows me also knows that I am the trip planner. I take care of everything from the hotel, transportation, what to do, where to eat, etc....  Sometimes I wish Steve would step up and do some of the work but at the end of the day, I like doing the research and learning about new places so I don't mind.  Steve usually has one task and that is arranging for the rental car when we need one.  He does that well so I let the rest slide.  Besides, men never really think about the small details that matter.  He would look at TripAdvisor and probably go with the first place he saw whereas I would look to find another hotel with a smaller price tag but a rooftop terrace and a shorter walk to the major sites or subway.  His only comment would be "They all look clean, so who cares?"  Well,  I care and there is so much more than "just being clean" that goes into a great trip.  So, without further ado, here are the trips I have planned and booked for 2013.  The only one that I am still up in the air about is New Years Eve next year but I have some ideas....

1.     New Years Eve - 2013; St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Have never been to St. Croix before as it's further out than all the other U.S. Virgin Islands.  We have previously visited St. Thomas and St. John but thought we would give undeveloped St. Croix a shot.  Leaving after Xmas for 7 days on a beachfront rental house with some friends.

St. Croix - USVI

2.     April; Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

This is a repeat trip for us.We have been staying on JVD this same week every year for 8 years now.  Our little piece of paradise is The Sandcastle Hotel on White Bay Beach.  Just 6 small cottages, nothing fancy, on  the best beach I have ever visited.  It's our Caribbean home away from home.

Can there be a better beach anywhere?

3.     May Weekend Trip - New Orleans

We love New Orleans and try to visit every year if we can.  Living in Dallas, it's easy to leave work on a Friday afternoon, hop on Southwest for a quick 1 hour flight and find ourselves in the French Quarter by 7:00pm.  We'll be visiting the Big Easy during our wedding anniversary (11 years) and are planning an extravagant dinner at Commander's Palace.  Love it there but I can't stay for more than 3 or 4 days or I would be as big as a house.

N'awlins

4.     July - Spain (Madrid, Pamplona & San Sebastien)

We visited Spain in 2011(Madrid and Barcelona) and really fell in love with the country.  Especially the food.  OMG, the food.  Seriously, I loved the food more than my meals in Paris and I have been lucky enough to eat well in Paris.  Spanish food is amazingly fresh, simple and absolutely delicious. Nothing fussy, no heavy sauces...just plain good food.  Doing a tapas crawl (or hitting the tiles, as they say) is such a great experience.  We are going with two sets of friends this July and will be starting off with 3 days in Madrid, which is a fabulous city (sorry for all the superlatives but I adore Madrid)

Madrid

We then take the train to Pamplona where will be renting a balcony to see The Running of the Bulls (aka, the San Fermin Festival).

I will not be doing this but I will be watching from above

We then take a short train ride to the seaside town of San Sebastien, which is one of the foodie capitals of Spain before heading back to Madrid for one last night before flying home.  Can't wait for this trip!!

4.     Thanksgiving 2013 - St. Lucia

It's back to the Caribbean for us during Thanksgiving 2013.  We'll be spending that week at a small boutique hotel (Stonefield Estate) looking at the majestic Pitons on St. Lucia.  We have never been to St. Lucia so we plan to do lots of sightseeing and will do the guided hike up to the top of Gros Piton (my husband's idea but I am game).

St Lucia

As for New Year's 2014, I am not sure.  We usually go somewhere but New Years Eve falls on a Wednesday next year so we would pretty much have to take the entire week off to go somewhere unless we did a super short trip like Austin or San Antonio.  I haven't made up my mind yet. What I keep turning over in my mind is the fact that I have saved up just under 300,000 airline miles and my husband has over 100,000 so I am tempted to cash them in for two roundtrip business class tickets to my favorite city....

Paris?  New Year's Eve?  Romantic get away for two???  Hmmmm....maybe that's going overboard, though.

Saw it, Pinned it, Did it

I am pretty much obsessed with Pinterest right now so I finally got around to actually making something that I have previously pinned.  Behold the Jalapeno, Bacon, Pecan Cheeseball.  It was actually really easy to make and was a huge hit at the girlie holiday party I attended last week.  In fact, it was so good that I plan to make another one to bring to my parent's house on Christmas Day.

Original Pin\
http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2012/10/bacon-jalapeno-cheese-ball.html


Here is my prep for the cheese ball:

I would suggest letting the cream cheese sit out at room temperature for at least an hour to soften.  Also, I found it was just easier to mix everything using my hands in order to get the cheese ball ingredients mixed together well.  I  made a few substitutions, including replacing the parsley in the recipe with cilantro and replacing the cayenne pepper with several drops of a chipotle hot sauce for a smokier flavor.  Finally, I used good bacon (Nueske's) which I had then cut from the slab at the deli in really thin slices so it made for an extra crumbly bacon.

Finished Product!

Recipe:

Bacon-Jalapeño Cheese Ball
barely adapted from Homesick Texan

6 slices bacon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I substituted cilantro instead of parlsey)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper (I substituted about 7 or 8 drops of a chipotle hot sauce instead)
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 jalapeños (ribs and seeds removed), finely chopped and divided
crackers (for serving)

Cook the bacon in a large skillet set over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool slightly, then crumble and divide in half. 

While the bacon is cooking, preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, parsley, garlic, cumin, cayenne, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, half of the minced jalapeños, and half of the crumbled bacon until well combined. Season the mixture to taste with salt. 

On a large plate, stir the toasted pecans, remaining minced jalapeños and remaining half of the crumbled bacon together until evenly distributed. Shape the cream cheese mixture into a ball (the mixture will be sticky, I found it easiest to shape if I just barely wet my hands first). Roll the ball in the pecan mixture until coated on all sides. 

Cover the ball and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Jamaica...Meh.

Returned from 5 days in Jamaica on Sunday evening.  I give Jamaica 3 stars out of 5.  It was pretty and the locals were some of the friendliest people we have ever met in the Caribbean but I still prefer the Virgin Islands over Jamaica.

The trip started out great.  We had an early flight to Miami on Tuesday morning and given that this is one of the busiest travel weeks I didn't expect to get any upgrades as requested.   We were actually upgraded to first class on both legs of our flight so that was a nice surprise!  After a short delay, we made it to Miami and settled into the Admiral's Club for a beer and Bloody Mary during our 2 hour layover.  Always a great way to get a vacation started.

Admirals Club Beverages

Our flight to Jamaica was on time and we breezed through customs in about 15 minutes flat.  We met our driver outside customs and waited at the outdoor airport bar with our first Red Stripes while he went to pull the car around.  This is when we were first approached to buy a certain illegal substance.  We poiltely declined.  He pestered us a little more by asking us if we "like to party" and why we didn't "want to party" so I finally just told him that we were old and had no interest in "partying" and he finally got the hint.  It was pretty much like this the whole rest of the trip - everywhere you went, you would be approached to buy something green so you could "party."  I'm really not judgmental about other people using it but no thanks.  It doesn't interest either of us.  As I like to say, I graduated college over 15 years ago so I am over that holding any allure for me.

It was a looooong drive from Montego Bay to Negril along a very bumpy and windy road.  I got a little motion sickness at one point but was fine.  We ended up sharing the van with another Dallas couple going to the same resort.  They were...kind of strange.  Not very friendly or talkative at all.  Even more annoying, after we arrived at the hotel, they jumped out of the car and ran off without tipping the driver.  SO rude!!  We saw them later in the week, enjoying said "party" substance on the balcony of their room and acting like weirdos.  Nice.

Sorry - having issues getting the picture the right direction

Anyway, Negril was very beautiful and the sunsets there are amazing as you are on the west side of the island.  The resort, The Caves, was fine but didn't blow me away.  The views from the cliffs were great but I really prefer a beach.  I am also terrified of heights and you have to jump off said cliffs to get into the ocean and that was not my cup of tea.  My highest jump was about 10 feet and I stubbed my toe on the swim ladder on takeoff so I was pretty much done with cliff jumping after that.  Not that it mattered b/c the next two days the water was so rough that no one could swim in the ocean.

Not me and no thanks.  Too high.  This is a photo from the actual resort, though.

After 3 days in Negril, we were off to Montego Bay and the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Ritz Carlton Pool

The hotel itself was gorgeous.  Beautiful common areas, great ocean views and really friendly staff.  We were also given a fantastic ocean front suite that was huge!  We had two full bathrooms, a huge living room, two balconies, a walk-in closet and a massive bedroom with king bed.   The biggest disappointment was the beach and the pool.  Yes, the pool looks nice (see above picture) but it was the only pool for a 500 room hotel that was almost at capacity.  This is one of those places where annoying, selfish people will get up at 6am and put their towels on chairs by the pool to "save a spot" and then not show up until 10 or 11am.  I hate that and think it's rude. I won't do it myself so each morning, by the time we rolled out to the pool around 9 or 10am, every spot was taken or "saved."   Steve wanted to just move people's "saving" towels but I told him it wasn't worth having a scene with someone an hour or two later.  Some people just have no manners.  The beach was super rocky and with rough waves so you really couldn't swim in it.  Oh well.

Our first night was wonderful.  We relaxed on our balcony, walked down the beach and hung out on some chaise lounges that afternoon.  We then each got a nice hot shower (our 1st one in 3 days as The Caves had hot water and water pressure issues in our room) and took a shuttle bus to The White Witch Restaurant located on a huge hill above a golf course.  It's also where the Rose Hall Plantation House is located and that is one eerie looking place lit up at night.  It's supposedly haunted and they do ghost tours.

Rose Hall Plantation House

White Witch Restaurant View

The White Witch restaurant was amazing.  I had a great crab cake appetizer and Steve had a goat cheese terrine appetizer and we each had steaks for our entrees.  We also had a nice bottle of wine - something else we couldn't get at The Caves.  It was pricey but worth every penny and it was the best meal we had in Jamaica.

Overall, the Ritz was nice but it was a little too sanitized for us.  We almost wanted something that wasn't quite as rustic as The Caves but not as pristine as the Ritz Carlton.  It seemed that most of the resorts in Jamaica cater to either families or the all-inclusive crowd that never wants to leave their resort.    We ended up hiring a cab driver for half a day and he took us to Scotchies, a very rustic restaurant known for its traditional jerk BBQ.  Scotchies was definitely my second favorite meal - the jerk chicken was juicy and had a wonderful smoky flavor.  The jerk hot sauce which they gave is in a squeeze bottle would put hair on your chest - it was SO hot and we love spicy being from Texas.

Scotchie's  Jerk BBQ

We also spent some time in an area of Mo'Bay called The Hip Strip.  It's not much a strip and it's definitely not hip unless you consider junk store after junk store to be hip.  Margaritaville is also located there but it was closed for renovation, which was disappointing as we are Jimmy B fans and we actually kind of like his corny island schtick.  We paid (yes, paid) to go into the area's best beach called Doctor's Cave Beach.  It was a nice beach but by the time you pay admission, get an umbrella and two chairs, you have spent almost $40 before even sitting down.  Seemed like a bit of a ripoff if you ask me.

The trip home was uneventful.  We didn't get upgraded but we did have a direct flight from Montego Bay to DFW, we left on time and were through customs and on our way home by 7:00pm.

So, overall, I would go back to Jamaica and try a different area, like maybe Port Antonio or Ocho Rios.  I'm definitely not clamoring to go back and would rather return to the Virgin Islands or perhaps try some other islands instead.  I still have so many places in the Caribbean to visit -- St. Lucia, Anguilla, Antigua, Nevis, Grenada, St. Martin and St. Barts are all on my list.

Over New Years we will be spending a week on St. Croix with some friends.  It's our first time to St. Croix and our last Virgin Island to hit.  Can't wait.....

Weight Control - Why it Still Sucks

Two years ago I lost 30 lbs.  I did it the old fashioned way.  No fad diets, no Jenny Craig or NutriSystem programs, no pills and no surgery.  Not that I have anything against Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or any other number of programs that clearly work for thousands of other people.  It just wasn't for me.  The only thing I did was start working out, keep working out and cut calories.  Yes, I kept an online calorie/food log.  I joined a gym.  I worked out with a personal trainer two times a week (mostly b/c I am lazy and need structure and someone to jump my ass occasionally and hold me accountable).

What I need on my fridge sometimes

Anyway, it took me about 4 months to lose 30 lbs.  I went from a size 12 to a size 4 (okay, sometimes I am a size 6 depending on the brand).  Whenever anyone asks me how I did it, I usually let them know they won't like my answer.  They won't like it b/c it's hard.  I still think it's hard.  Mainly, I started doing cardio.  I hated cardio but the weight literally melted away when I got serious with doing cardio at least 45 minutes a day, five days a week.  When I first started running and/or using the elliptical, I could barely go .25 mile without feeling like I was going to die and my heart was going to explode out of my chest while my legs collapsed underneath me.  Now, I run an average of 20-25 miles every week and also lift weights twice a week.  I typically work out six days a week.  I still watch my calories but I no longer food log. I keep an eye on my portion sizes and avoid overly cheesy, fatty, high sugar and processed foods.  I still indulge in pizza, burgers and the like but very rarely.  My biggest vice is wine and beer but I try to limit alcohol to Saturday night only (though I don't always succeed).  No one really likes hearing what all it took but it's the truth.  Sometimes I don't like hearing it either.

Let's be honest.  This glass is so true.

I do allow myself to sometimes go hog wild but only on vacation and even then I still try to squeeze in a few workouts.  Actually, I get anxious if I go for more than 3 or 4 days without a good 4 or 5 mile run. However, earlier this year, I started slipping and getting kind of lazy about my diet and exercise.  By mid-summer, I could no longer avoid the fact that my clothes were getting tight again.  After having to buy a whole new wardrobe (you can't really take in clothes from a size 12 to a 4), I had given all my old "fat clothes" to charity as motivation to keep the weight off.  So, I knew it was time to check the scale and pay the piper.  I had gained back 10 of my 30 lbs.  Devastation.  So, I started upping my game.  Increased my running, cut calories, food logged again.  I will say that it's been a good thing and my running has vastly improved over the last 4 months. I can go longer, faster and feel stronger than ever before.

Back to my goal weight (just under 125 lbs - yippee!)

My goal was to lose the 10 lbs by the time I leave for Jamaica (tomorrow).  Happy to say that I weighed in this Saturday at the gym and was at my goal weight.  Woo-hoo!  So, it's now time to celebrate with some Red Stripe Lights and a few Rum & Diet Cokes this week while visiting Jamaica.  I figure that can't be any worse than pigging out on a Thanksgiving meal and leftovers all week.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there.

Jamaica, Mon

So close and yet so far!  In less than three weeks (okay, 2 weeks and 6 days), we will be leaving for a five day vacay in Jamaica.   We'll be spending our first three days at The Caves resort in Negril followed by another two days at the Ritz Carlton in Montego Bay.  Can't wait to see the cliff divers, the seven-mile beach and to have dinner in one of the caves while in Negril.    If all goes well, I will be drinking a Red Stripe and eating jerk chicken instead of turkey on Thanksgiving Day while listening to a little Bob Marley & The Wailers.

The Caves Resort - Negril

The Bar at The Caves Resort - how cool is this?

Dinner in one of the private caves at the resort

Even better is that the three days in Negril are free! Here is how I swung that one - I am an avid fan of Aveda products.  I use mostly their hair products but do use a few of their skincare products as well (never tried their makeup, though).  They have a great point system which I have successfully manipulated over the past 2 years to stock up on products only during double points days or other special bonus point days.  Well, after you save up 50,000 points, you get a free three day stay at The Caves in Negril.  The Caves is all-inclusive, including alcohol, and the stay also includes a free couples massage at their spa.  Normally, a stay here would cost you around $500-$600 per night but not for me!  All I had to do was buy the air tickets and then I added an extra two days in Mo'Bay just to check out that area too.

Seven Mile Beach - Jamaica

This is my first trip to Jamaica so I'm not familiar with the island at all other than what I have read online and on tripadvisor and some travel forums.  I ended up picking Montego Bay for the last two days of the trip just because we leave from that airport and I know that the drive from Mo'Bay to Negril is already pretty long. Not being sure where to stay, I settled on the Ritz Carlton at RoseHall.  I actually got a great deal on an oceanfront room, which surprised me so I hope it's decent.  The deal almost seemed too good but I did book it early so maybe I got a better deal that way.  I figure it's a Ritz so it can't be too bad.

Ritz Carlton View - Montego Bay

Oh, I will say that a pet peeve of mine is every person that comments or tells me "it's really poor there so don't leave your resort" when I tell them I am going to Jamaica.  Having been to a lot of islands in the Caribbean and even to Kenya, I can tell you that poverty is everywhere and we have seen extreme poverty as well.  Having seen how the Masai live in Kenya is an eye-opening experience to say the least.  Not to mention seeing the Kibera slums of Nairobi.  My point being that I find that statement to be offensive and incredibly close-minded.  If the poverty of other countries bothers you that much, I'm not sure why you travel at all.  The fact that a place has a lot of poverty doesn't mean you shouldn't leave your resort or get to know any locals.  It does mean you should use common sense and keep your wits about you but I wish people would remember that just because someone lives in what we would consider a shack with a goat hunting dog tied out front (like some people we know and love in the BVI) does not make them less of a human being and does not mean that they are out to rob you.  Crime is everywhere - just don't be an idiot but don't stereotype either.

Okay.  Rant over.

At any rate, I am really looking forward to seeing the island of Jamaica and experiencing the culture, the food and the natural beauty.  I really want to get away from the resorts (which I am sure will be nice and hard to leave in their own way) to try some local, roadside or beachside food.  Some of the best food I have had in the Caribbean comes from roadside ramshackle buildings rather than the fancy resort restaurants (and I have NEVER gotten sick from any such roadside food). I've also met some of the most interesting people at those establishments, too. Nothing like some good food and a cold beer to bring people together.  I'm sure there will be touristy gimmicks and things that I don't like or that will get on my nerves in Jamaica but it's all part of the travel experience.  Ya, mon.

Jerk Chicken - here I come!!

Favorite Things Right Now

Just a couple of things that I am loving right now.  We're supposed to be getting a nice cold snap this weekend (highs in the 60's and lows in the 40's, which is "cold" by Dallas, Texas standards), so I am ready for fall.  BTW, I get no money for recommending these products and things...it's just stuff I really enjoy at the moment.

1. Seasonal Candles
I love seasonal candles and I think the "autumn" candles with smells of spices, cinnamon, pumpkin and toasty fires are the absolute best.  Bath & Body Works has a great selection of fall/winter candles right now. In the summertime, I usually have candles that smell like citrus and fresh flowers but candles that smell like food or burning wood just make you feel cozy and warm inside.  Another great scent at B&BW is Pumpkin Caramel Latte but I couldn't find a photo of it.

2. Coco Chanel "Mademoiselle" Perfume
This is hands down my favorite perfume.  I usually only have 2 or 3 perfumes that I use throughout the year and then I get another 2 or 3 different types each Christmas but the one perfume that I ask for year over year is this one.  It has a light floral scent and is the only perfume that I have had both men and women comment on several times.  It's pricey but a little goes a long way so one full size bottle will last me an entire year - just make sure you keep it stored in a cool, dark place or it will turn.

3. Pre-makeup Primers
I just started using this primer and I love it.  It makes my skin feel so smooth and it really decreases the size of my pores so my skin looks almost flawless.  It really helps the foundation go on smoothly without streaks and my face tends to get a lot less of that oily look w/o the reapplication of powder.

4.  Good Wine and a Good Fire
I love a good roaring fire and a glass of wine.  Should be enjoying one of these come Saturday!  We're planning to grill some steaks and open a nice bottle of wine that we have been saving in our wine cooler for almost 10 years - a bottle of Opus One, which is now selling retail for almost $500 (we paid about $100 for it 10 years ago and just stuck it in the bottom of the wine cooler with a post-it note that said "Don't touch until 2012").  Can't believe we actually made it to 2012 without breaking into it.

5.  Cheese, Please.
Gotta have some cheese to go with that wine.  I love Grafton Cheddar from Vermont.  Grafton is a quaint  little town in Vermont that makes some amazing cheeses.  In the fall, I love their maple smoked cheddar.  So good that I could almost eat an entire block of this stuff and it's also great in homemade mac & cheese.

Travel Bucket List

Obviously, I love to travel.  It's one of my top life priorities and while there is no place in the world I wouldn't visit, there are some places that are higher on my "to do" list than others.  I've already got some great trips coming up, including Jamaica over Thanksgiving, another visit to Spain in July 2013 to see the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona and a week in St. Lucia next fall. Below is a list of places on my current travel bucket list.

1. Provence, France

I love France.  I have no idea why I am such a Francophile but I just am.  Probably b/c I fell in love with the idea of Paris in the 1920's from reading Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Henry Miller.  I've been lucky enough to visit Paris three times and each time Paris always manages to surprise me and I fall in love with it all over again.  A few years ago, I studied French with a private tutor on a weekly basis for over a year just to improve my French language skills.  Maintenant, je parle Francais tres bien!  Not really.  My restaurant French is excellent but don't ask me about my current views on French politics in French.  Provence is high on my list to visit - I am dying to see the little hill towns, smell the lavendar and eat cheese and drink Chateuneuf-du-pape wines at village cafes. Sigh....

2. Greek Isles

I have never been to Greece but the photos of Santorini and Mykonos have me swooning.  I love the beautiful white towns perched on cliffs overlooking some of the bluest and deepest water in the Mediterranean.  Not to mention calamari, kabobs and Greek food in general.

3. Bali

I know, I know.  So predictable after Eat, Pray, Love came out a few years ago.  I don't want to go to  meet any guru or to find my own Javier Bardem.  I just think it looks like an amazing island with stunning beauty and such an interesting culture.  Too bad the damn flight to get there is so long.

4. Marrakech, Morocco

Another country I have never been to.  In fact, I have never been anywhere in North Africa.  We were lucky enough to visit Kenya two years ago for a safari trip and that was amazing so I am dying to visit Africa again.  Other than visiting the souks and a hammam, I have no idea what one does in Marrakech.  I guess we can go out and see the Sahara desert and do a camel ride.  I think maybe I like how exotic Morocco seems with the smell of spices in the air and guys in turbans trying to entice cobras out of their baskets.

5. Transatlantic Crossing on the QM2

What the???  I know what you're thinking.  Why in the hell would I be interested in doing this?  Because I am weird, dammit.  Again, this is the idealist and the romantic in me trying to break out of my crusty veneer.  Granted, this is one trip that I probably won't do for awhile.  Like, not until I am at least 45 and even then I know we will be the youngest couple on the ship.  However, I have some reasons for liking it.  (1) You can get to London without jetlag; (2) You have an excuse to go to NYC a few days to shop for clothes you "need" for the crossing; (3) sailing out of NYC harbor into the Atlantic and passing by the Statue of Liberty would be amazing; (4) the QM2 is supposed to be the pinnacle of luxury with private room butlers and incredible food;  (5) I like the old school idea of actually getting dressed up for dinner and making dinner an event, which no one does anymore; and (6)  being in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean where no one has the ability to get a hold of you and your cell phone won't work is awesome.  I have never been on a cruise.  Ever.  Cruises don't appeal to me as I like to be on my own schedule and I hate the idea of "here's the port, you have 5 hours to cram in as much as you can and be back on our boat for the buffet dinner where everyone is still in their bathing suits" and your entertainment is the "Let's Go Latin" dance revue hour.  Barf.  Everyone says this is not a "cruise" but rather this is a "crossing."  I like that.  I know, weird.

Anyway, this is just the tip of the iceberg for my bucket list.  Other places on that list include Bora Bora, Tokyo, Venice, Vienna & Salzburg, Rio during Carnivale, Crete, Washington D.C. (can't believe I haven't been to our nation's capital yet), Quebec City/Montreal, Argentina and Egypt.

So many places, so little time....

Look at This Dog

Fly - Best Dog in the Universe

Yes, this is hands-down, the best dog in the universe.  Her full name is Fly McDougal Fleabitis Jones Smith-Beare (she decided to hyphenate her name when I got married b/c she is an independent woman-dog).  Fly is pushing 12 years old now and we got her from the SPCA in Dallas when she was about 11 months old.  We almost didn't pick her.  She was super quiet and shy and didn't seem to have much personality.  My husband wanted a feisty dog so he picked out a terrier-looking dig named JayBird.  We completed all the paperwork were about to walk out the door with JayBird when they asked us if we had a cat.  I answered yes b/c we did at the time (said cat has since passed on to the big litter box in the sky) and we were told we couldn't have JayBird b/c he was a "cat killer."  Great.  My husband (impatient as always) wanted to just leave but I said, "No, let's go back and look at that shy, little black dog again."  The SPCA had named her Optimus but we changed it to Fly b/c she reminded me of the sweet motherly dog in the movie Babe.

We ended up taking her home and we're so glad that we did even though the first thing she did was take a dump in our apartment. Turns out she was very shy.  She wouldn't even sit in the same room with us for two weeks.  She never barked for over year. We posit that she had probably been abused as a pup.  To this day, if you put on a large hat, she will run away from you and hide behind the dining room table, shaking in fear.Most days you can't tell she's shy  because if you knock on our door, she will bark her head off at you and then wait for you to pet her and scratch her ears.

She's getting old now.  She sleeps a lot.  Her snoring is unbelievably loud, too. Moose-like is what I call it. She has a limp thanks to some hip surgery a few years ago, she's getting arthritis and her eyesight isn't quite as good as it used to be.  However, she can sniff out a piece of deli turkey meat in an instant. Love this dog.

Houston, Texas

Houston, Ya'll

Not a very exciting trip but it's always nice to get out of Dallas for a few days.  Heading to Houston tomorrow afternoon  for an all-day conference on Thursday (legal stuff -- yes, I know, BOR-ing).  Thursday night my husband flies in and we're moving to the Hotel Zaza in the museum district for 3 nights.  Not much planned - sleeping in, going for morning runs, a massage at the hotel spa, some nice dinners downtown and some sightseeing.  Will likely hit the Art Museum across the street and maybe the zoo which is down the street.  We plan to have dinner at Brennan's one night and at a more "hip" place called Underbelly on Saturday night.

Brennan's Houston - why not?

 Should be fun but not nearly as fun as next month's trip -- 5 days in Jamaica over Thanksgiving! That can't come soon enough.  Oh well, I haven't been to Houston in over 10 years.  Last time I was there we only drove through Houston on our way to Galveston for a friend's wedding and I remember it was pouring rain and miserable so we just kept going. A few days downtown in a big city, even if it is only Houston, is always right up my alley.  Of course, it's not this:

Paris. Favorite. City. EVER.

Can't have everything, though.

Wine Country Recap - Labor Day 2012

I have been remiss in posting about our Labor Day weekend trip to the Santa Ynez Valley.  I came back from the trip and was immediately swamped with work and then put myself back on a hard core diet for a solid month so I have been living under the radar for awhile.  The good news is that I am now 5lbs lighter and have lost 1.5 inches from my waist and 2 inches from my hips.  Go me!

At any rate, we had an awesome trip.  The weather was outstanding every day and every night -- highs in the upper 80's and lows in the upper 50's.  Perfect for picnics, wine tastings and driving around the wine country.  It was me and my husband and our next door neighbor, Gary, for four days of wine and food indulgence.

View of Vines and Countryside in Santa Ynez Valley

We drank a lot of wine in 4 days, let me tell you.  I think we typically hit four to five wine tastings each day and each tasting is usually 4-6 wines.  Of course, Steve and I share most of our tastings and we do pour a lot out. However, we also always buy a bottle (or two or three) of what we like best, go back to the house and then drink it on the back patio.

We rented a private house for 3 days and it had a great backyard patio area so there was much wine imbibing going on in the evenings.  Shenanigans ensued.  Shenanigans = really dumb conversations about things I can't recall.  It usually ends with me telling both Steve and Gary how they should be living their lives. I become a huge know-it-all after a bottle of wine.  My voice has a tendency to climb the decibel scale as well.  Steve calls it "yelling", I call it "getting your attention."  There were some painful jogs the following morning -- my head was pounding with every step.

Steve and I wine tasting at Carhartt

At the end of the trip, we had purchased (for shipping via the wineries) 3 cases of wine and we had also purchased an additional case that we planned to ship back via UPS.  This is when disaster almost struck.  We actually had 18 loose bottles of wine to ship back home - some were ours and most were Gary's.  All the wineries had told us, just buy it and if what you don't drink by Monday, swing into UPS and have them ship back to you.  Easy enough.  Except that UPS (all UPS - we checked three locations) was closed on Monday for Labor Day.  Post Office is also closed for the federal holiday.  Damn.  Okay.  Found an open FedEx in Santa Barbara not far from the airport.  Guess what?  FedEx, for whatever reason, will not ship wine anywhere.  Shit. Damn.  Now what?  Call the airline - can we check it?  Yes, but we have to pack it and they take zero responsibility for any breakage.  So, back into the FedEx to buy a huge box, packing tape, packing peanuts, and 2 massive things of bubble wrap.  Spent the next 45 minutes in the parking lot in front of the FedEx wrapping and packing bottles like 3 pathetic winos. However, I am happy to report that the box made it to Dallas and there was not a single broken bottle.  So, go suck it FedEx.

We received our first shipment from BridlewoodWinery last week and I intend to fully enjoy my Syrah this weekend since we are supposed to have a nice cool spell in Dallas.

Anyway, I will try and post more photos of the trip but seem to be having some downloading issues on my computer.  It was a great trip (again) and I can't wait to return next year if we can squeeze it in!

Wine Country Redux

Another year, another Labor Day weekend approaches.  We planned a revisit to the Santa Ynez Valley again for a couple of days.  Staying in the same lovely rental home, planning some amazing wine country meals at the local cafe in town and, of course, lots and lots of wine tastings in one of the best pinot noir areas in California. It has been an insane few weeks at the office lately thanks to several large projects in the works - I have been working weekends, evenings and generally wanting to punch people in the face for the past 3 weeks so this trip is long overdue for me. I intend to enjoy it to the fullest.

Santa Ynez Valley (Sotheby's)

Our next door neighbor, also a wine lover, is joining us this trip so we're really looking forward to showing him around as this is our 3rd trip there.  The rustic little town of Los Olivos is just perfect for us as everything is in walking distance, there is a farmer's market on Saturday and Sunday, it has a 2-3 cute cafes and over 20 tasting rooms in a 3 block area.  Yes, over 20 tasting rooms all within walking stumbling distance so I can do some serious damage.

Farmer's Market - Los Olivos

About 10 minutes away is also the super cute (if a little fake) town of Solvang, which is actually the largest Dutch community in the United States.  It has windmills, smorgasbords, bakeries and more tasting rooms. The big thing to eat there are abelskivers, which are basically pancake balls filled with jam and covered with powdered sugar.  I actually haven't had one yet b/c they don't exactly look healthy but I may make an exception this trip.

How cute is this place?

If the town looks familiar it's because that where the movie Sideways was filmed (remember Jack and Miles?). We usually visit several of the places where the movie was filmed, including the Hitchin' Post for steak and the Los Olivos Cafe, both of which happen to have great food as well.  There are tons and tons of wineries in the general area too.  Too many to visit all of them, unfortunately.

This will be me and Steve in a few days

The weather is supposed to be perfect the whole time.  Highs in the mid 80's and lows in the low 50's.  I plan to go jogging every morning when it's about 55-60 degrees (what a treat compared to Texas where it is in the 90's and crazy humid right now) to work off all the wine and food.  Counting down.....