My Favorite Monday -- Vacations

Another Tiburon tradition is the "My Favorite Monday". Today's topic is favorite vacation spots.

This one is tough for me. A) I haven't had a real vacation in 4 years. B) I always want to go somewhere new/explore new places, so I don't tend to go back to places all that often....Some places I've been that I'd highly recommend include:

Sweden -- my 2nd home. It doesn't matter how long it is between visits, Stockholm always feels like home. I can while away many an afternoon wandering around the cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan (Old Town), or take a picnic to Djurgarden, or visit one of the many museums.


Norway -- the fjords are breathtaking.

Lake Tahoe -- clear blue water, sunny skies, moderate temperatures. I've been in summer, but for skiing enthusiasts, winter is supposed to also be wonderful.

Disneyland -- It's not called "The Happiest Place on Earth" for nothing.


Places that are on my "to do" list include Ireland, Italy, Australia/New Zealand, Croatia, and a zillion other places. I know someone who vowed to never again spend New Years Eve in a country she'd been in before. For 10+ years now, she's kept that vow. Oh, how I wish I could follow suit!!

Vent of the Day!

Dear Restaurant Owners/Cooks,

If an item is not listed as an ingredient, please do NOT put that item in the dish. I would have told my waiter "No onions!" in the wrap I just had at lunch *if* I had known that there would be onions in it. Since onion was not an item listed as being part of said wrap, I didn't bother. So, instead, I got to pick them out. Not fun! And quite annoying. Other than that, the wrap was quite lovely & had you either not added them in or given me notice so I could have you withhold them, I would have thoroughly enjoyed today's lunch.

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

I thank you on behalf of diners everywhere,

LN

What I'm Up to Tonight

This evening, the wonderful Peaches O'Dell and her Orchestra will be for a swing dance at Glen Echo Park, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be there!! For those of you in the DC area reading this, if you haven't seen Peaches O'Dell perform, you really owe it to yourself to be there. Peaches is sorta a modern day, female Cab Calloway of sorts. She plays the famous Big Band swing songs, but adds a whole lotta showmanship and panache to the experience. So, whether you're boogie-ing on the dance floor or taking a break and just watching, you're guaranteed to be entertained!

For those of you who are saying you can't dance, there's a beginning swing dance lesson from 8:00 - 9:00 pm, before the dance starts at 9:00 pm., so there's NO EXCUSE!! In addition to just being a lot of fun, it's also pretty inexpensive -- where else can you spend an evening with live music for only $13?!

If you've got questions, leave me a comment; otherwise, I'll see you there!

Thankful Thursday

Tiburon at Shark Bait has been doing "Thankful Thursdays" for a while, so I decided I'd play along....

Things I'm thankful for this week include:

1. A colonoscopy that's come back clean! No, not mine, thankfully, but someone close to me who has a horrible family history of cancer, including multiple relatives who have battled colon cancer, so it was important to get this test done. I'm very thankful they found nothing of interest or to worry about.
   
   
2. Spring!! -- It hasn't actually *sprung* here yet, but just about. My daffodils are blooming, and while the tulips in my front yard are still mostly just green foliage, I do have one that is budding. And I walked to a different building for a meeting this morning and there were about 2 dozen tulips there that were actually blooming. The forsythias and magnolias are popping and our famed cherry blossoms are making themselves known. The trees around the Tidal Basin are not yet at peak, but probably will be within the next week!
   
   
3. Squeaky toys -- Well, I can't say that I particularly enjoy playing with them, but one of my dogs does and it's pure joy watching her carry them around or seeing the look on her face when she makes them squeak.
   
   
4. Spring Break -- With the schools out, the traffic has been lighter than normal, which means I get to the subway station faster. I've left at the same time as usual each day, and have arrived at the office about 20 minutes earlier than normal. (It's also nice not having to deal with rowdy, and sometimes less-than-polite teenagers on the subway.)

What are you thankful for?

Welcome to The Joint Is Jumpin'

Ok, so everybody's doing it. Yep, that's right. I resisted for quite a while, but as as the saying goes, "resistance is futile"......I don't really know quite what this blog is going to be yet. I'll figure that out as I go along.

In the meantime, welcome & I hope you enjoy the ride with me.