I’m a voracious reader, but poetry is not my thing. However, my favorite poem is Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” from 1923.
When I discovered it as a child, I took it literally and loved it because it mentioned snow. As I matured, I read it deeper and more symbolically about life and death. With that in mind, I hope I have miles to go before I sleep.
I just celebrated another birthday. While not a milestone one, it’s a perfect time for reflection. And, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’m grateful for all that I’ve been blessed with in life.
I’ll never be rich, but my career fulfilled three things for me: (1) I achieved my childhood dream of becoming a television meteorologist, (2) I’ve been able to save money to help with retirement in a few years (the countdown in on), and (3) I got to travel and see the world!
People spend their extra money differently — on homes, furniture, clothing, jewelry, and cars. I love to travel.
Now that I’m a “Dog Dad”, I limit my travel to road trips so Pug Xanadu can go along. (Okay, there was the Rhine River cruise of Europe in the spring of 2024, as a tour group leader, which was work-sponsored!)
Before I got my first passport in 2013, most of my travel was domestic.
My first flight in October 1992 was to Houston, Texas, for a scandalous, hedonistic, vodka-filled Halloween weekend with my friends Steve and Dennis. (Yes, there are photos out there!)
In 1993, I visited Las Vegas and Cancun (pre-passport days) for the first time again with Dennis.
After that, all my trips were in the U.S.: Reno (Nevada), Sedona (Arizona), and a few visits to New Orleans, Palm Springs (California), Branson (Missouri), and many trips to Las Vegas.
From the fall of 2012 through the spring of 2017, I honestly don’t when I worked because I was always going somewhere!
Here are just the domestic (and North American) trips: Las Vegas (October 2012); Caribbean Cruise (December 2012); Las Vegas (January 2013); Kansas City (February 2013); Cancun (August 2013); Nashville (December 2013); Las Vegas (May 2014); Branson (August 2014); Chicago (October 2014); Caribbean Cruise (December 2014); New York City (January 2015); Las Vegas (May 2015); Cancun (June 2015); San Francisco (September 2015); Anchorage (AK) (October 2015), Saint Paul (MN) (October 2015 for a night to see Madonna again); Chicago (December 2015); Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (December 2015); New York City (March 2016); Las Vegas (July 2016); Southeast Tour — Charleston (SC), Savannah and Atlanta (GA) (September 2016); Cleveland (OH) (September 2016); Detroit (MI) and Windsor (Canada)(October 2016); Caribbean Cruise (December 2016); Jacksonville (FL) (Janaury 2017); and Las Vegas (March 2017)!
But, in the fall of 2013, the travel stakes went up — international, baby — when I got my first passport to celebrate my ex’s 50th birthday on a gorgeous Danube River fall cruise.
Let me tell you, I made good use of that passport over the next ten years.
I visited Canada’s capital, Ottawa, in September 2014.
But, my big trip was to celebrate my 50th birthday.
Originally, I was going to spend my birthday week in October 2014 in Tel Aviv, Israel. However, once I learned the connecting flight was in Paris, France, I thought, “Why not spend a few nights in the “City of Lights” and then head on to Tel Aviv for four nights?” And, that’s what I did!
My ex made that birthday very special — a dinner cruise on the Seine River, a visit to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and a show at the historic Moulin Rouge sitting right at the stage sipping champagne as I turned 50!
And, then it was on to Tel Aviv with a beautiful view of the bustling city and the Mediterranean Sea out my hotel window.
This incredible dessert is waffles, chocolate syrup, bananas, diced fruit and whipped topping with coconut, pistachio, caramel, and vanilla ice cream!
The morning Israeli breakfasts at our hotel, Prima City Hotel, was very tasty.
However, my favorite meal was at בני-הדייג, which translates to Benny The Fisherman, right on the Sea.
That was just the fresh salads and “starters” they brought out. Fifteen of them, including fish and the bread basket!
Extensive domestic travel continued and I didn’t let up with the international trips either!
In 2016, I visited China…
I traveled to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark in 2017…
and, once single, I went off on solo trips to Morocco for my birthday in 2018…
Bangkok, Thailand in 2019…
Greece in 2021… (this is birthday 57 in Athens)
and Costa Rica in the spring of 2022…
Some of my favorite meals there…
Then, it was off to Turkey in the fall of 2022 for the last trip on my passport…
and, the food!
Also, I saw a cute little Turkish pug.
At this time, I already knew that Miss Xanadu, my pug was coming in early 2023. She just ended up being a little black pug instead of fawn!
Again, I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to travel. I’m happy that I didn’t end up like George Bailey. His dream was to see the world and he never left Bedford Falls!
Thank you for coming along for this travelogue.
Looking back, I honestly feel like I traveled more than I worked (unlike this summer when I worked most of June and July)! One day I still want to see Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos on one trip and India on another.
Also, I’d love to go back to Morocco…
and Copenhagen, Denmark.
Again, I’m so thankful I’ve been blessed with the ability to travel and see the world.
It’s that time of the year again — twinkling lights, being serenaded by Mariah Carey, the aroma of baking cookies, a roaring fireplace, and snowflakes floating down while sipping champagne!
I live in such a fantasy world or I’ve been watching too many television Christmas movies! Or, maybe I’ve had too much spiked Egg Nog!
I hope this holiday season finds you happy and well!
Life for us is very much the same as last year. That’s a good thing, except for still being single. But, if that’s the worst life deals me, I can live with that!
It’s been another fun year with Miss Xanadu! (Yes, we have matching onesies!)
She turns two a few days before the New Year.
She’s so adorable, but she’s definitely naughty.
The pug knows right from wrong, but intentionally chooses wrong to see what I’ll do! She’s definitely still a puppy, but she’s showing some signs of maturing.
And, so am I!
I’m coming up on my fifth year in Decatur, Illinois, and as the morning meteorologist at WAND, the NBC affiliate in Central Illinois. This summer, I extended my contract through April 2028. Where does the time go?
Good thing I love my on-air morning partners-in-crime — Deron and Sierra!
When I got Xanadu, I expected my international travel would end. I didn’t even renew my passport.
However, I was offered the chance to be a tour group leader on a Rhine River cruise across Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands in April.
My responsibility was to get my group of 40 people to Europe and back. I didn’t lose anyone and I had a great time.
It was so beautiful spending a few nights in Lucerne with the Swiss Alps as a backdrop.
Back in 2013 on my one-night visit to Switzerland, I had a cheese and wine feast for dinner in Zurich. I recreated that this spring in Lucerne.
The cruise boat, the Emerald Dawn, was the most splendid, cleanest one I’ve ever encountered.
The food was incredible and the red and white regional wines served with lunch and dinner were tasty.
Here are some of my favorite photos.
I also visited the “Ass Bar” a couple of times and it’s not what you think. LOL
Äss Bar is a play on the Swiss-German word for “essbar” — meaning“edible”.
Äss Bar goes to restaurants and bakeries collecting leftover desserts and sandwiches and sells them at highly reduced prices. This cuts back on waste!
I came out of Äss Bar with these desserts on my two visits within an hour. (Yes, they added more treats between visits!)
And, the Keukenhof botanical garden near Amsterdam was just breathtaking with more than 7 million tulips.
I bought myself a wooden bouquet of tulips that don’t need watering, just dusting!
In summation, the cruise ship was gorgeous, the food was incredible, the sights were amazing, and my group was fantastic.
Thankfully, my sister Tammy is still with us.
She struggled most of the year, but has stabilized a bit and is in the land of the living again. She applied for disability in October and my fingers are crossed she gets it!
We traveled to Clarksville, Tennessee, in June, for her to see a couple of her friends from her time there.
Also, two of my favorite cousins, Steve and Ronda, and Dennis, my dear friend from my Kentucky days, came down to visit, too.
This fall, I said goodbye to a longtime friend — my 2008 Chevy Cobalt after 104,000 miles.
Hopefully, my 2025 Chevy Trailblazer, will be with me that long, too.
In October, Miss Xanadu and I planned to drive to visit two sets of friends in South Florida in October, but Hurricane Milton had other planned.
While that trip was scrapped, we spent the weekend in Murray, Kentucky with Steve and Ronda on Kentucky Lake. Xanadu loved the golf cart ride!
Thank you again Ronda for letting us stay in your beautiful home.
Also, in October, I hit a big milestone — turning 60 with a clean bill of health. I can’t believe I can retire in five years and work part-time!
This is what I envision for retirement — a balcony with a view of citrus or avocado trees!
For 2025, I only have two thing on my wish list. I’ll fulfill the first one on April 2nd when I finally get to see Kylie Minogue in concert in Chicago.
The second one is to date again!
Don’t bore me with “it’ll happen when it’s supposed to”. I’m now 60 and I’m not “playing the field”, I’m playing “beat the clock”! LOL
Here’s to the holiday season and winter!
“May hope and faith conquer fear and hate this Christmas!”
If you follow my personal Facebook page, I posted hundreds of photos (462 to be exact) of my recent European River Cruise, my second. (I also posted several on my work Facebook page).
While the saying is “a picture is worth a thousand words”, I’m sharing some stories behind some of the photos and some stories of the photos you didn’t see (and I hope they don’t exist)! You know, what happens in EuroVegas stays in EuroVegas!
Thank you for coming along for the trip again — in words and photos.
My first European River Cruise was on the Danube River in the fall of 2013. I had an amazing time and here’s what I wrote afterwards, “The food was amazing on the “MS Sound of Music” cruise and the staff was incredible”.
In retrospect, the food was amazing and the staff was incredible.
However, I had nothing to compare it to. Now that I do, it’s like comparing the Bates Motel (that first cruise) to a five-star hotel (this Rhine River cruise on the “Emerald Dawn”)!
A “WORKING” TRIP TO EUROPE
This adventure was different for me for two reasons.
The first river cruise was my also my first time in Europe and my first major trip (other than Cancun, Mexico, in 1993, when a passport wasn’t needed).
Also, this was a “working” trip. Since work promoted the trip, I was acting as a “Tour Group Leader” of forty people — most of them from Central Illinois.
OUCH!
While being responsible for 40 people, guess who was injured first! That’s rhetorical — of course, it was me! Let’s get that out of the way, so we can focus on the beauty of the trip.
As soon as we got to O’Hare Airport in Chicago, we were told to go downstairs from the drop off to get our tickets that were ready for us. They didn’t tell us about the elevator and pointed to the escalator.
A few of the people needed help getting on the escalator safely with their luggage. After successfully getting one person on, I was helping another and I was making my way back up the three or four moving steps.
Remember, I’m walking “up” the escalator that’s going “down”. And, I stumbled forward on the next to last step to the top!
Luckily, I had jeans on and the damage wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been! (Yes, I said every variation of my favorite 4-letter “f-word” inside my head with a smile on my face!)
I got everyone downstairs and went into the bathroom and cleaned my knee and bandaged it and the trip went on and I didn’t miss a beat.
The moral of the story — DON’T walk up a moving escalator going down!
I’m a quick learner — I didn’t attempt it again in Zurich, Amsterdam, Washington D.C., or Chicago on the return!
Three weeks later, I’m almost healed although it will leave a small scar — a free trip souvenir!
READY FOR DEPARTURE
Once we boarded our 9-hour flight to Zurich, Switzerland, I counted my people and two were not in their seats.
The flight attendant told me that they hadn’t closed the doors, so they may still be boarding.
I didn’t take that chance and I walked to front of the plane and started looking at everyone to find my two people that I’d just met that morning. And, there they were. They upgraded their seats!
“All Systems Go” for Zurich and I was ready for them to take off and “Dim All The Lights”! Whew, “She Works Hard For the Money” counting to 38! (The last two people in the group met us in Zurich.) “Heaven Knows” I’d have the shortest “Tour Group Leader” career if I left two people in Chicago at the start of the trip!
I sat back, enjoyed two glasses of white wine and watched the documentary, “Love to Love You, Donna Summer”! (See what I did there — I used four Donna Summer song titles in that last paragraph!
SWITZERLAND
While we were only at the airport on this trip, this was my second time in Zurich.
Back in 2013, my first real international trip was to start in Budapest, Hungary.
However, I’ve been intrigued by Switzerland since I was a youngster and since it was close, I arranged a pit stop for a day and night and boy, it was worth it!
Back to 2024, my group boarded two busses for the short drive from Zurich to Lucerne, one of the oldest cities in the country, to begin our European adventure.
We arrived in the morning and couldn’t check into the hotel until afternoon, so it gave us a chance to explore Lucerne.
While I didn’t nap on the overnight flight, I wasn’t tired when we arrived. How could you be with this view across from the hotel?
Before I got to Europe, I looked to see what was near the hotel and I noticed an Aldi. Yes, Aldi as in the ones we have here in the States. Once there, I set off to explore and find it.
I’m glad I did. Unlike the Aldi stores I’ve been to, the one in Lucerne had a bakery!
I bought a Coke Zero and several baked goods and sat by Lake Lucerne eating my feast for lunch. The pretzel cost one Swiss Franc (about $1.09) and it was incredible.
I went back the next day and bought three more (two came home with me)!
Once we were all back to hotel that evening, the group had our first dinner together. The salad was pretty and the chicken was tasty, but the Crème Brulee dessert was amazing.
Actually, I had two! I don’t know if the kitchen manager thought I looked like I needed it or maybe he sensed I love desserts, but he walked by and handed me another one.
On the second day in Lucerne, our walking tour took us to the famous 14th-century Chapel Bridge where we saw the Gutsch Castle in the background.
We also visited “The Lion of Lucerne”. “The Dying Lion” attracts 1.4 million tourists each year.
CONTINUING MY SWISS TRADITION
In Zurich, back in 2013, I stopped at the most awesome grocery store, Coop and stocked up on wine, cheese, bread, and two desserts to snack on. However, it turned out to be dinner.
After stopping at a restaurant to have an authentic Swiss dinner, the Cordon Bleu I wanted was not chicken, but deer! Looking closer at the menu, it consisted mainly of deer stew, deer this, and deer that. And, if deer wasn’t your thing, there was something with boar!
A decade ago, I was just beginning to travel internationally and I wasn’t as adventurous trying new things. Today, I would have eaten one of the entrees.
But, that night, my buffet of wine, bread, cheeses, and desserts from Coop was perfect for a Zurich Saturday night.
So, since I was in Switzerland again, I decided to continue the tradition.
At Aldi, while buying more pretzels, I bought chorizo, cheese, couscous, an English cucumber, grapes, apples, bread, and wine (I brought the lemon cake home to share with Miss Xanadu).
My 2024 feast at Lake Lucerne with a view of the Alps was perfect as the sun set on a great start to “holiday”!
ÄSS BAR
When I visit foreign places, I like to walk around and explore.
Many in my group visited Mount Pilatus overlooking Lucerne. I walked around and dipped my feet into the cold waters of Lake Lucerne, went to the Farmers Market and checked out the Äss Bar!
When I posted this photo on Facebook, it got many smiley face emoji responses. Get your mind out of the gutter!
Äss Bar is a play on the Swiss-German word for “essbar” — meaning“edible”.
So, Äss Bar goes to restaurants and bakeries collecting leftover desserts and sandwiches and sells them at highly reduced prices. This cuts back on waste!
I came out of Äss Bar with these desserts on my two visits within an hour. (Yes, they added more treats between visits!)
Along with my leftover cheese, chorizo, and cucumber from the night before, my Äss Bar treats and wine made for a tasty lunch before we boarded the bus to take us to the cruise ship in Basel and to unlimited food!!!
BASEL & CRUISE
As we approached Basel and the Emerald Dawn cruise ship, we basically drove through Switzerland, France, and Germany in a short stretch of roadway.
The lobby on the very clean and gorgeous cruise ship was a spectacle. Check-in was quick and then we were off to make our way “down” the Rhine River, which was actually north!
As we passed through the first of four locks that first evening, we enjoyed the first of many delicious meals.
My first meal was seared hake fish fillet and poppy seed with sautéed vegetables and broccoli puree.
For dessert, I ordered a cheese platter to share with others at my table to go along with my lemon and nougat profiteroles, custard and chocolate sauce.
It set the bar high for my culinary adventure in the week ahead!
And, my first server on the Emerald Dawn, Ivan, was also working his first cruise.
He was very attentive and professional. Ivan is a great addition to an amazing crew. (It didn’t hurt that he was attractive and very sociable.)
Later in the cruise, when I was walking and reading on the Sun Deck, he nicknamed me “Professor”!
BREISACH, GERMANY
Breisach, Germany, and Neuf-Breisach, France, two towns divided my the Rhine River, was our first stop on the cruise.
While there was a nice scenic view of the beginning of the Black Forest from the German side, I certainly would have preferred to keep sailing on to Strasbourg, France, so that we could spend more time (or all night) in Cologne, Germany later in the cruise.
In one garden, I found a fig tree that was the opposite of mine at home.
This one, outdoors in Germany, had many figs on it and just a few leaves, while mine at home has plenty of leaves on it. However, in all the years I’ve had it, it’s only produced one fig that didn’t even mature before it fell off!
In Breisach, I did get this photo, which is one of my favorites on the trip.
The highlight of this stop from a shopping standpoint was a bakery on the French side and an ice cream shop and a souvenir store on the German side. It was here that I bought my first of three souvenirs to bring home.
I plan on having one of the miniature liquors each day leading up to Christmas this year because the packaging gives me a holiday feel!
STRASBOURG, FRANCE
Our next stop was in Kehl, Germany and we crossed the river by bus to visit the capital of the Alsace Region of France — Strasbourg.
I definitely loved the historical city centre with all the canals!
And, this captured my attention and imagination inside one of the beautiful churches.
It was also outside a candy store there that I met one of the best looking men in Europe! He was the best kind of man — he didn’t talk!
I took a cue from him not to smile to work on my sullen, sultry look.
In Strasbourg, I made the second of my European souvenir purchases.
In Branson, Missouri, last October, my sister, Tammy, and her boyfriend bought me one of these plaques in English. Miss Xanadu was not impressed — whether in English or in French!
That night at dinner, I had one of my favorite appetizers. Asparagus is in season there and the white asparagus was incredible.
I could have eaten just asparagus that night and been in heaven. On the other plate, grilled vegetables, shaved Parmigiano and balsamic sauce.
I worked it off that night by feeling like an extra in “Mamma Mia” and dancing to almost every ABBA song Benny performed. I think the last time I danced was about ten years ago in Chicago!
LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY
As we cruised along the Rhine River, I enjoyed another fantastic breakfast.
Before the trip, I hoped that smoked salmon and capers would be served for breakfast. The “Emerald Dawn” did NOT disappoint and I had it for breakfast all seven days of the cruise.
While I had already sampled the real thing, at this breakfast I made my own version of Black Forest Cake with a chocolate swirl cake and cherries (and walnuts).
We visited Schwetzingen Palace, which featured pretty gardens and a beautiful fountain.
Once we toured the palace, I had one of my best meals (for lunch, even) — Pangasius fish Finkenwerder style with bacon, shrimp, onion, dill, potatoes and leaf spinach!
KOBLENZ, GERMANY
As we sailed through the Rhine Gorge, it was breathtaking seeing the lush green fields and vineyards on both sides passing medieval castle after castle.
We docked in the 2000-year-old town of Koblenz, where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers come together.
After the walking tour, I took a fun cable car ride over the River to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.
This fortress was part of the Prussian defense against the French in the 1800s. The American military used it a headquarters during WWII.
Then it was back to the ship for “Tea Time” before I went back out to walk around near the River.
COLOGNE, GERMANY
Don’t get me wrong — the trip was amazing and the food was unbelievable. However, my only disappointment (or the one thing I’d change) is something I mentioned earlier — skipping the first stop and spending more than just a few hours in Cologne (Köln) — the fourth largest city in Germany.
Even while walking around the Old Town of the city founded by the Romans gazing at the UNESCO World Heritage gothic cathedral, I’m sidetracked by baked goods!
We then visited the gorgeous Cologne Botanical Gardens.
The beauty was just a preview for the mind-blowing Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam, the Netherlands the next day.
While people started boarding the bus back to the ship, I noticed a Ferris Wheel and walked over to look at the Cologne Zoological Garden entrance and watched this adorable creature having salad for lunch.
Back at the ship late that afternoon, I gathered my group for a cocktail and a group photo. I had a “Ginger Spritz” (Prosecco, ginger and mint).
That evening, it was the Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner and maybe because I was a “Tour Group Leader”, I was asked to join the Captain at his table for a five-course dinner.
You probably gathered earlier that I love, love, love smoked salmon since I had a large portion at breakfast all seven days. I also had it in another form at lunch one day.
And, for the Captain’s Dinner, I had it as an appetizer.
That’s Smoked Salmon Carpaccio (salmon mousse, apple celery salad & citrus vinaigrette). It was followed by a Grilled Watermelon & Rocket Salad with a goat cheese crostini & raspberry vinaigrette.
The third course was something out of a Hannibal Lecter dinner party (sans human body parts) — lemon sorbet with sparkling wine and rose flower.
For my entrée that night, you can take the boy of Kentucky and put him in Europe, but he’ll still find white beans!
That’s seared pollock fish fillet with a bouillabaisse sauce and creamy white beans. And, for dessert, we had chocolate fondant with a berries sauce.
Once the captain departed, our stomachs were full and the wine glasses were emptied, it was time to dance it off at “Disco Night”.
While I danced again and there was no Donna Summer (yet, we heard “YMCA” by the Village People), Benny did play “Padam Padam” by Kylie Minogue for me — so European!
At last, the night was over and the glow stick was retired. The next morning would be the last full day of our European adventure.
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
Back in the summer of 2017 on my way to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, I was at the airport in Amsterdam.
But, flash forward back to 2024, this time I saw Amsterdam in all of its glory and beauty.
As we arrived at the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens (the “Garden of Europe”), it was cold and rainy.
That didn’t dampen our spirits with the stellar beauty of 7.5 million tulips smiling at us. How could you not smile back?
For six weeks in April and May, these tulips are center stage for an average of 13-thousand visitors each day!
We also heard why the gardeners at Keukenhof were “beheading” the beautiful flowering tulips. (It allows the plants’ energy to make the bulb stronger so it grows to top size.)
Here were two of my favorites: This one looks like Jack Frost visited overnight!
And, this one may not even be a tulip (?)!
And, I bought my final souvenir at the garden, a bouquet of wooden tulips!
Back on the boat at lunch, I had herring for the first time. While fishy, the cream cheese and garlic made it tasty and edible.
It must not have been that bad — I had herring again for dinner that night as an appetizer. This is marinated herring, potatoes, red onion, quail egg & vinaigrette.
But, before dinner, a group of us took a boat canal ride to see Amsterdam.
By the way, Amsterdam has more canals than Venice!
THE FLIGHT BACK TO THE U.S.
Luckily, the flight to Europe and the two flights back to the U.S. were on time, even though it was a 25-hour day on the return.
On the flight back, the Mediterranean chicken dish served by United Airlines was tasty and so was the Pesto Pizza Twist snack before we landed in Washington D.C.
During the flight home, I watched the first season of Max’s “Julia”, about Chef Julia Child.
Why not? I had just gained four pounds eating French and European food and drinking many glasses of wine!
While the meals were tasty, the dessert makes it into the next topic.
MARY SUMMED IT BEST
On the evening of the Captain’s Farewell Dinner, I had a lot going on — getting my group together for a drink and a group photo and sitting at the Captain’s table.
I got dressed and I rushed out of my room and ran into Mary, a woman in my group, in the lobby by the reception desk. She alerted me I still had a Q-Tip in my ear! LOL
She said to me, “We can’t take you anywhere”!
And, that was before the flight home when I let the meal dessert — the European version of “Hershey Kisses” — melt in my seat pocket. Not knowing that, I gracefully placed the opened package in my lap.
Let’s just say, I’m glad most of the chocolate was on the front of my jeans than on the back!
Needless to say, I used my jacket to try to hide the mess and after we got through customs, I grabbed a pair of jeans out of my suitcase before re-checking my luggage!
HELLO MISS XANADU — IS DADDY FORGIVEN FOR LEAVING?
Once I knew I was getting Xanadu in early 2023, I didn’t even renew my expiring passport when I returned from Turkey in November 2022.
Although I said when I got #Pug20-something, I’d still travel and not have a problem boarding her.
That was easier said than done once the trip got closer. I was a basket case worrying how she’d handle being away from me for the first time and away from her home for 12 nights!
She handled it much better than I did and actually enjoyed herself.
Our reunion was great just nine hours after I returned home.
Now, I’ve decided if I get a chance to see Kylie Minogue in Vegas, Miss Xanadu can go visit her puppy friends again.
During the trip, a friend shared this with me and it made me smile.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN?
A few days after we returned from the amazing trip, I had a post-mortem (that sounds so ghoulish — how about “ex post facto” meeting?) with Becky from Tour Group Planners in Decatur, Illinois, that organized the trip.
She asked if I’d be a “Tour Group Leader” on another trip and without hesitation, I said, “Yes”, and then she asked where I’d like to go.
While I mentioned two trips on my “bucket list”, an extended visit to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, and a trip to India, I don’t think those would be high on other people’s dream vacation list.
So, if another opportunity arises to be a “Tour Group Leader” again, I’ll go.
Becky, if a trip to Iceland, South Africa (with a safari) or another cruise comes up (Alaska or Mediterranean), you have my number!
By the way, here is my group (all but two people) on the Tulip/Rhine River adventure.
ONE MORE REGRET IN LIFE…
Now that I experienced being a “Tour Group Leader”, I wish I had pursued a venture in the travel industry in my 20s instead of waiting tables while waiting for my television news career to start.
I would’ve seen the world in youth instead of waiting until I was 49-years-old!
However, since I got that first passport in 2013, I’ve been fortunate to use it many times. Here are a few photos of my favorite trips:
Israel (2014)
While I’ll never top my 50th birthday with a Seine River Dinner Cruise, going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and sipping champagne at the historic Moulin Rouge right at midnight, my few days in Tel Aviv on that same trip were fun.
This was my post-50th birthday dessert at Yotveta — waffles, chocolate syrup, bananas, diced fruit and whipped topping with coconut, pistachio, caramel, and vanilla ice cream!
But, one of my favorite meals ever was also in Tel Aviv at Benny the Fisherman, right on the Mediterranean.
This was the “salad” before the entrees!
Scandinavia (2017)
Morocco (2018)
Greece (2021)
Turkey (2022)
That’s Eleanor and Allison with me with Greece and a beautiful sunset behind us.
We had such a great time together in Turkey that Miss Xanadu and I are planning to visit them next summer, which will be my first visit to New England!
THANK YOU AGAIN!
Becky and Amy of “Tour Group Planners”, thank you again for organizing this incredible trip and allowing me to be a part of it!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
The first weekend of April is upon us and this will be it for a while. I appreciate you taking the time to check out my thoughts and sharing yours.
THIS WILL NOT ME THE NEXT TWO WEEKS!
Normally, I exercise and I eat healthy. But, I still enjoy my desserts and wine.
I’ll be indulging in plenty of food, desserts, and wine soon as I eat and drink my way across Europe.
You won’t hear me ask this question until I return!
FINAL EASTER THOUGHT
The Easter Bunny didn’t visit us and I didn’t go looking for half-price candy the next day. During our little Easter photo shoot, Miss Xanadu didn’t hide her desire for it to be over.
In human terms — I’d call this “RBF”! In pug terms, it’s “expressive”!
I’M IN THE DOG HOUSE
And, she wasn’t impressed with my April Fools’ Day humor on Facebook.
“MADONNA: A REBEL LIFE”
Barbra Streisand was 81-years-old when she released her autobiography in November 2023.
Who knows how long it might be before Madonna finally publishes her memoirs since she’s rather busy at 65, with her “The Celebration Tour”.
With that in mind, I accidently came across Mary Gabriel’s October 2023 biography, “Madonna: A Rebel Life”, and thought I’d give it a chance, even at 800-plus pages.
I’m so glad I did. It was so enjoyable.
While she didn’t have access to Madonna, the book was well researched and well written.
With a 40-year career and a life spanning 65 years, there was a lot to cover.
Since real life gets in the way of things, this book gave me details I had missed when I was living my life and Madonna wasn’t front and center. A MUST READ!
Here are a few things I thought were interesting:
Before her career took off, a record executive hearing her early music said she could be as big as Olivia [Newton-John]! I love Olivia, but Madonna did indeed become as big — actually, bigger than ONJ!
Also, many thought Madonna’s career would quickly fizzle and that Cyndi Lauper would be the bigger star! And, again, I love Cyndi, too.
I don’t know Guy Ritchie, Madonna’s second husband, so this is only based on what I’ve read and seen. Do I think he’s homophobic? Probably.
But, damn, I’d almost wear blinders (almost and just for a moment) when I see this photo — my favorite of him!
Joking about the divorce settlement (around $92 million) years later, Madonna said, “If I think about it for even five seconds it’s more than I can take. Did he deserve a hundred million for putting up with me? Hell, if I thought he was going to get ‘that’ much, I would have been a ‘much’ bigger bitch to him. ‘Much bigger!'”
As much as I love Madonna, seriously, no pre-nuptial when you’re worth almost a billion dollars????
YES, PLEASE!
I love traditional nachos, but these Banana Split Nachos are more up my alley.
And, while I love airline flights and margarita flights, I really love mimosa flights. But, I’m really into this new trend — ice cream flights.
This is from a Grand Rapids, Michigan, ice cream shop, Love’s. And, when I finally visit my dear friend Emily there, I’m definitely stopping in!
“ANATOMY OF A FALL”
This 2023 French film was nominated for five Oscars this year — Best Picture, Best Director (Justine Triet), Best Actress (Sandra Huller) and Best Editing. I t won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
In France, it was nominated for eleven Cesar Awards (basically, the French Oscars) and it won six, including Best Film, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor (Swann Arlaud), and Best Original Screenplay.
A woman is indicted and goes on trial for killing her husband, but he may have fallen/or jumped to his death from the upper level of their home.
I loved the movie. It was full of suspense and drama. But, it made me feel very claustrophobic if this movie truly represents how trials are held in France — so open and free and not having the defendant take the stand in front of the court.
My only complaint — the ending. I’ll leave it at that and not spoil it for you before you watch it.
GRADE: A-
“HACKS”
I watched the first season of this HBO Max series on an international flight and I just loved it.
Emmy Award winner Jean Smart was incredible as Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedy diva needing to change her act so she doesn’t lose her residency at the Palmetto Casino.
Ava (Hannah Einbinder) as her young comedy writer is amazing, too.
My other favorites are Deborah’s sexy agent Jimmy (Paul W. Downs, who is also a co-creator of the series) and his assistant Kayla (Megan Stalter).
And, I also hope that in May’s season three that Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins) and Wilson (Johnny Sibilly) get back together. Oh, spoiler alert!
GRADE: A-
I’M SO… SILLY (AND YOU THOUGHT I’D SAY “EXCITED”)!
That’s your shout out to the Pointer Sisters today!
I just watched the second season of “The Flight Attendant” and decided to read the book again and I enjoyed it just as much the second time.
And, then I decided to watch the first season of the HBO Max series again just because.
This is Xanadu while I was watching it. She thought, “that girl is f**ked up” and I said, Xanadu, “don’t say that”. She then thought, “well that girl’s got more problems than I do”.
She’s right and it has nothing to do with waking in bed with a dead hottie.
I sure didn’t look like this when I walking down the streets in Bangkok!
And, I sure didn’t have this waiting for me either.
But, then again, he didn’t end up like this either!
Trust me, it was much bloodier in the series reveal.
Oops, you know it!
NOVELTY HITS
“Physical” by Olivia Newton-John was the #1 song of 1982, the year I graduated high school. It was also the year of novelty hits.
The other day, I heard Buckner & Garcia’s “Pac-Man Fever” on the radio! It reached #9 in March 1982 and was the 42nd biggest hit of the year on the Billboard Hot 100.
At that time, too, Bob & Doug McKenzie (actors Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas from “SCTV”) reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Take Off”. I actually bought this 45! (Don’t hold it against me, I was 17!)
And, in the summer of 1982, Moon Zappa, the 14-year-old daughter of Frank Zappa, hit #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Valley Girl”. I love, love, love this one.
MY FIVE FAVORITE MADONNA SONGS
In the fall of 2015, before I saw Madonna in concert for the fourth time, I ranked my 33 favorite Madonna songs (33 because that’s how many years into her career she was at the time).
While they didn’t make the list, two more recent songs, “Living For Love” and “Crave” might be considered for an update, but not in the top 30.
Here are five favorite Madonna songs.
#5 “RAIN” (1993)
#4 “EXPRESS YOURSELF” (1989)
#3 “OPEN YOUR HEART” (1986)
#2 “LIKE A PRAYER” (1989)
#1 “BORDERLINE” (1984)
If you want to see my full list of my 33 favorite Madonna songs (as of 2015), click here (it’ll open in a new window):
While technically not “Spring Break”, this is it for “Random Friday Thoughts” for a month or so. Life-permitting, more thoughts are coming in May or June!
In the meantime, there are three blogs I’m working on that I’ll be investing a lot of time in.
The first arrives in late April, which’ll explain why there won’t be any random thoughts until then.
The other two — one in July and the other in October — will celebrate milestones in my life.
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
As each year winds down, I share a recap of my year in photos and stories. Then, in January, I look forward to the next twelve months and pontificate about what I want in life and what I want to change.
Last year, I hoped for three things. I got one of them! Yikes, that’s a success rate of only 33%! Good thing I’m a much better weather forecaster!
I’m starting 2024 quite differently than I started last year – I’m finally a “Dog Dad” to a mischievous, silly little pug — Xanadu.
This is the little dictator’s reaction when I told her Santa “knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake”!
She just celebrated her first birthday on December 29th!
We had a little party with cake and ice cream (chicken tenders and fries for the humans) and we’ll have another party in late February — the one year anniversary of the “Gotcha” date!
In the past year, the silly pug has grown from a little 4-pound sweetheart to a bossy, naughty 18-pounder with long legs that likes to steal things off the kitchen table. It seems nothing is out of reach!
She definitely keeps me busy. I can’t believe how much time I spend taking things out of her mouth — indoors and outdoors.
In 2024, I hope she remains fun and silly (she’s still a puppy), but I definitely want her to chill out a bit and listen more.
Who trained her? 🙂
STILL SINGLE
After being single for almost seven years, dates or dating would be nice. Xanadu would love to have someone else spoiling her!
It’s crazy because Facebook’s stalking algorithm thinks I’m in the market to buy rings!
Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse? Dates first! 🙂
SURPRISE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
When I returned from Turkey in November 2022, I knew that’d be my last international trip since I already knew I was getting Xanadu and my passport was set to expire in the spring of 2023.
And, then a work opportunity presented itself and I had to renew it.
This April, I’ll be hosting a group of 40-plus people on a Rhine River cruise that includes stops in Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
Shhhhh, don’t tell Xanadu.
This will be the first time we’ve been separated. I’m not sure who’s going to have separation anxiety the most!
This fall, I’ll be reaching a milestone birthday and I have to plan something monumental. I’m sure it won’t top my 50th birthday, which was a fairy tale!
For that one, I had a dinner cruise on the Seine River, followed by a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night to see the sprawled out city of Paris twinkling in the distance.
At midnight, as I turned 50, I was sitting right at the stage of the historic Moulin Rouge sipping champagne staring at boobies, acrobatic routines, and a woman in a water tank with snakes!
And, then it was on to Tel Aviv, Israel.
I absolutely loved waking up and feasting on the Israeli breakfasts and enjoying the Mediterranean sunrises and sunsets.
And, one of my favorite meals ever was at Benny the Fisherman right on the Mediterranean.
This was just the “starter”, their version of “salad”. All of it was so fresh. I didn’t even have to have the entrees!
I was hoping to catch Kylie Minogue’s Las Vegas residency last fall, but I wasn’t able to even snag a “standing room only” ticket!
Maybe that’ll happen in October when that monumental birthday happens!
And, I’ll treat myself to my favorite brunch and bottomless mimosas at the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan.
(Yes, I select small portions of many things and eat every bite. Also, I get my money’s worth when it says “bottomless mimosas”!)
I appreciate you taking the time today to spend with me. I wish the you the very best this year and I wish us all fun, safe, new adventures in 2024.
While I forecast weather and I’m not a fortune teller or psychic, I really believe this!
While I’m not a “Dark Lady” that Cher sings about with a crystal ball, I think 2024 will be my year.
However, I also think it’ll be filled with some really fun highs and some not-so-fun lows, too. I’m not sure why I feel that way, but again, I’m not a fortune teller or psychic!
In early November 2022, when I returned from almost two weeks in Turkey, I knew that would be my last international trip for a LONG time.
My passport was set to expire in May 2023 and I decided not to renew it and I became a “dog dad” to a silly little pug, Xanadu, in late February this year.
Well, things change! I was approached and asked to go on a work-related trip. Initially, it was going to be Hawaii. Of course, I said yes.
However, Hawaii didn’t make it past the planning stage. And, the excursion became a European trip with a cruise on the Rhine River in April 2024. So, I renewed the passport!
Although I went to Cancun, Mexico, in 1993, it was before passports were required there.
When I got my first passport in 2013, I was fortunate enough to use it often over the past decade with trips to Turkey, Greece, Morocco, Bangkok (Thailand), China, Israel, Scandinavia, and Europe, along with Mexico and Canada.
I used that passport for the first time ten years ago this month. I’m walking down memory lane and I’m taking you along with me.
After work that October 2013 morning, I was off to Chicago for my first trip to Europe. Although the trip was a Danube River cruise, I’ve always been fascinated with Switzerland.
And, since it didn’t cost anything extra for flight changes to Zurich, I made a 24-hour whirlwind visit to the global city and one of the world’s largest financial centers!
SWITZERLAND
Once I got to Zurich, it was too early to check into the hotel, so I walked around and explored the “Old Town” district.
Once showered and settled into my room, I walked for hours (about 12 miles) to Lake Zurich for a better view of the architecture, the people, the Lake, and the Swiss Alps.
On the way back to the hotel, I stopped at the most awesome grocery store, Coop. The place was packed with Zurich residents and tourists getting stocked up for a weekend night. The wine department was very popular.
I bought two bottles, a cheese platter, two loaves of bread (an olive variety and a Pane loaf), and two desserts (one was a caramel torte and the other was basically creme-filled donuts).
This Saturday evening Swiss snack ended up being dinner.
While I’m a very adventurous eater (especially now), I gave up beef more than a decade ago. (I also don’t do internal organs or deer).
As I looked at the menu at a restaurant I stopped at, the Cordon Bleu was deer and not chicken! There was also deer stew, deer this, and deer that. If deer wasn’t your thing, there was something with boar!
So, the Swiss buffet of wine, bread, cheeses, and desserts was perfect for a Zurich Saturday night. And, after being up for 39 hours from work Friday morning, to driving to Chicago, traveling across the Atlantic Ocean Friday night, and touring Zurich Saturday, sleep was nice.
The next morning, the hotel hosted a nice complimentary breakfast.
It was glorious waking up and seeing the Alps in the background and hearing chiming church bells all morning.
My observations about Zurich: If I spoke German, I would definitely live there if given the opportunity; the city is beautiful and the backdrop of the Lake and the Alps is incredible; I didn’t run into Zurich resident and international pop star Tina Turner (RIP); and finally, Zurich men are very thin.
I don’t know if it’s because they walk a lot or ride bikes (very popular here) or eat deer and moose, instead of beef, but I couldn’t believe how thin a majority of them are. Sorry America!
And, a final note, there were so many DDG (drop dead gorgeous) Europeans walking around strutting their stuff in their jeans of many colors!
That is snow on the Alps from the Zurich flight to Budapest.
Originally, the cruise was to start in Budapest, Hungary, but there was a mechanical problem at a dam and the cruise ship couldn’t get there, so I landed at the airport there and took a two-hour bus ride to embark on the cruise in Bratislava, Slovakia!
BRATISLAVA
Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is one of the youngest capital cities of Europe, yet its history dates back more than 2,000 years.
Once in Bratislava, a maintenance problem at a lock delayed our cruise from departing the first night.
This gave us a chance to view the city and we finally left Bratislava around 11 p.m. the next night.
Here’s a dessert on the “MS Sound of Music” cruise boat. It’s called “Somloi” (a duo of Drunken Sponge Cake in Black and White with Vanilla Pudding and Chocolate Sauce).
VIENNA
We finally set sail and I awoke to a foggy morning on the Danube River docked in Vienna, Austria.
Vienna is well-known for classical composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss.
It was here also that psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud made his name.
There was an exhibit on display in Vienna honoring his artist grandson, Lucian Freud, who died in the early-2010s.
His works are known for their “psychological penetration and for their often discomforting examination of the relationship between artist and model”. Needless to say, unflattering photos of naked men and women grace the city. Sexuality isn’t taboo there like in the United States.
Along with this advertisement for the show highlighting Lucian Freud, boobs and penis art and mannequins grace the windows in many stores. (I censored this photo with the blue star!)
And I witnessed something very cool. The Austrian Military and the Police were outside the Chancellor’s office. The U.S. Ambassador to Austria was in Vienna presenting her credentials to the country’s Federal President.
They even played “The Star-Spangled Banner”!
I’ll leave you with a couple of interesting notes about Austria:
Vienna is the capital and the largest city in Austria. Of the five million that live in the country, 1.8 million live in Vienna. (The second largest city in the country is populated by only 265,000 people.)
And, of those almost two million, 82% live in rented apartments, 11% live in townhouses/condos, and only 7% of people in Vienna own homes. Of course, those number change outside of the city.
I close out the Austrian part of my trip by honoring another of Vienna’s stars, the late singer Falco, with one of his hits, “Der Kommissar”, although he’s better known for “Rock Me Amadeus”.
DURNSTEIN AND MELK
Since the cruise started, we traveled at night. After another night of cruising the Danube, we arrived in Durnstein (wine country in lower Austria) and another short cruise took us to Melk (also in lower Austria).
It was another foggy morning as we walked through the very small village of Durnstein, which is known for its wines and apricot brandy.
After sampling free shots and chocolates, we sailed along the Wuchau Valley and it was spectacular.
We then arrived in Melk, Austria, to tour a monastery that is almost 1,000 years old and it was incredible.
It was one of the most beautiful churches in the world. (Okay, I haven’t spent a lot of time in churches except while traveling! But, it was spectacular.)
PASSAU
We then traveled to Passau, Germany.
While I’ve seen some beautiful sights in my travels in the United States, like Lake Tahoe, California, the boat cruise today out of Austria into Germany had to be one of the most breath-taking views I’ve witnessed.
In the afternoon, we docked in Passau, also known as Dreiflüssestadt, “the city on three rivers”.
We walked along the Danube, the Inn, and the Ilz rivers, visited the shopping district, and St. Steven’s Cathedral, which houses the world’s largest cathedral organ.
While very interesting, Passau was the least favorite city we visited, so far. We still have two more days in Germany with stops in Regensburg and Nuremberg.
REGENSBERG
After visiting Passau, a community that was heavily damaged by summer floods that year, we woke up to another foggy morning that promised sunshine.
However, as we toured Regensberg, the 56th largest city in Germany, the sun deceived us and it remained overcast and very cool.
But, shopping was vibrant on my walk through town.
I loved the bridge of locks where lovers have their names inscribed on locks and they put them on the bridge and throw the key into the river. Should they break up, the locks are then cut off!
NUREMBERG
When we started our Nuremberg tour Saturday afternoon, we stopped by Zeppelin Field, which had been a central part in rallies for Adolf Hitler.
Since the fall of Nazi Germany, the area has lost its flashy look from the 1940s and is rather bleak, just like the time it symbolized under Hitler!
We visited another castle that overlooked the city and the site where the Nuremberg Trials took place in 1945-1946 to prosecute prominent members of the military and political leadership of Nazi Germany.
On a happier note, I checked out the Farmer’s Market and had a drink in a small cafe.
I’ve always been intrigued by what a Campari and soda would taste like so I ordered one and it was HORRIBLE. (Campari is a bitter infusion of fruit and herbs in alcohol and water.) Yuck! It was too bitter for me. So, I had a Jever beer and it was much better (and I’m not a beer drinker)!
Then, it was time to board our boat for the Captain’s Farewell Dinner.
My meal started with the appetizer, Pan Fried Scampi with Beet Root Risotto, and ended with Baked Alaska “MS Sound of Music” style!
And, of course, plenty of local wines! Why choose one?
The next day started with a two-hour bus ride to the airport in Munich, Germany, to start my trip back to reality.
And, on this trip, I met Barbara, who was celebrating her 70th birthday and her daughter came along.
Barbara (on the left) and I still stay in touch!
IN SUMMATION
My favorite city was definitely Zurich, Switzerland, and my second favorite was Bratislava, Slovakia, and luckily I spent almost 24 hours in each of those cities.
It was interesting going on the local tours of villages and hearing the history and seeing all the castles and brightly colored buildings.
The food was amazing on the “MS Sound of Music” cruise and the staff was incredible.
With breakfast and lunch buffets daily, cake and coffee each afternoon, free-flowing wine at the amazing four and five-course dinners, along with a cheese spread after dessert each night, I only gained three pounds on the cruise!
My final thoughts are that we need to brightly paint all of our houses in the U.S. to add some color and fun.
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
What's Peeps Thinking About Now? It's Probably Random! 