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!