It’s funny that one of my more popular posts on my personal blog is on Living in a Van Down by the River. It wasn’t a post I expected many people other than immediate friends and family to read but I can see through my stats that a lot of eyes land on it. I’m…
I bought a house for all the wrong reasons. Mainly, it was the thing to do. I never considered myself a follower, but friends were buying houses, and I was sick of my commute to work, it seemed the bright thing to do. After all, a house is an investment has been the mantra of…
A favorite childhood book of mine was Mr. Pine’s Purple House. Although I remember quite a few childhood books fondly, this is one that I think still speaks to me today. The gist of the story was that Mr. Pine lived amongst a group of houses that all looked alike. He wanted his home to…
There will be a lot of beach photos to show for my time in Playa del Carmen. That and relaxing memories. Despite hours and hours of walking, when it’s a beach, it’s just by default relaxing! There were unfortunately a lot of rainy days and some gray weather. On the good side it didn’t rain…
Gosh, where to start?! I’ve been painfully lax in keeping the blog up-to-date this trip. Partially I guess due to the busted netbook. Thought about using a net cafe this afternoon but the couple I saw were packed so back to ye olde iPhone. The ride from Palenque to Merida was rough. You don’t really…
The days have sailed past since my last update, so it´s going to be a wee bit of a challenge to come up with the intervening bits of the trip. I wandered around Oaxaca a bit more with my camera and got some (I hope) good shots of the city colors in the late afternoon….
This appears to be my trip for technology issues if ever there was one. When we left off, I was having issues with the camera, the biggest blob of dust ever. The camera´s dust cleaner was no match for it. The last morning in Mexico City arrived and we were to have a morning walk…
Gosh, time has gotten away from me in making updates on my trip, i.e. none after being here for a couple of nights. Amazing for me, but time has been pretty solidly filled so far. I slept on and off on my flight into Mexico City on Monday. An amazing feat for me, but I’d…
This may be old news for some but after a ton of to and fro, I finally selected a destination for my annual New Years wander! And I think I’ve pretty much given up any secret on that one in the title of this post! Yes, a partial re-tread as I’ve been to Mexico twice,…
Ah, happy times. In the past month, my MacBook Pro has been with the charming folks at Apple twice. Granted in less time than I have owned my Mac, my Fujitsu laptop I had previously was dead. So, no complaints. Maybe I just got a dud, but I was in no rush after the death…
Hard to believe it’s been over a year since I put my house up for sale and left my employer of a decade in the metro Atlanta area. It’s actually more in the range of a year and a month, I’d literally lost count and thought it was this month. How time flies! I expected…
Somehow I missed this SNL sketch. To be honest, I haven’t watched Saturday Night Live in, well, I have no idea how long. But my RV searches always seemed to turn up this skit, so I figured I had to share it. Full Video Skit Here So, those of you who are connected to me…
Wow, it’s been nearly a month since my last update! The main reason for this post is that I’ve completed my photos from Dublin, but I realize for anyone who doesn’t check Facebook, you may not know I ever got back! It was a mostly uneventful return. I did manage to leave my power adapter…
Two days to catch up on before I go upstairs and try to jam everything into my bag. I really haven’t gotten more than a few postcards and magnets since the package I sent home from Ireland, but everytime I re-pack that bag it feels like it’s not going to zip shut this time. Probably…
Oh me, my feet are telling me it’s time to take a load off for a day or three, but somehow I’ll press on. There’s plenty of time to sit on those flights home Thursday. Here’s hoping, I don’t need the poop out wagon at the airport to go between gates. Had a not so…
I was up somewhat late last night jotting out my own little love letter to the city of lights as regular readers saw… Having had a not so restful night (I never rest well before flights, worried I’ll miss them), I was pretty tuckered out. I know I said I slept late a few times…
As I expected, I was first to bed last night and there was a new room-mate in addition to the Italian. Never saw him or heard him so zero details. Morning came too fast. I woke 20 minutes before my alarm and lay there trying to get that last bit of sleep to no avail….
Ah, my time in Dublin is rapdily diminshing like the grains of sand between my fingers. If all goes as planned, this time tomorrow I’ll be in France! Yesterday I awoke to a gray and misty wet day. I immediately recognized it as a classic museum day! I set off after breakfast for the national…
Yesterday was bus day. There’s no other name for it. I knew it was worth it to go ahead and waste a night than adding another night in Galway and losing today getting here, but it didn’t make it nicer knowing that. I woke up and had a leisurely morning. I had walked enough of…
I’ve spent the past two nights here in Connemara at the Sleepzone Connemara overlooking the Killary Fjord. Reputedly this is the only Fjord in Ireland. Lonely Planet suggests that it’s not technically a fjord as it wasn’t glaciated. I’m not sure who to believe, but it’s a very beautiful place. It’s actually a good deal…
I think I’ve done fairly well with my couch potato plans. I haven’t exactly been laying on a couch, but I’m also having an equally hard time coming up with what exactly I have been doing. I have wandered some and seen more of the city, more residential and commercial areas, nothing special but part…
So, we’re working our way through day two of my planned couch potatoing. Oh and yes, for those who didn’t see my post on Facebook, I am off the island at last! No disrespect for Inis Mor and the Aran Islands. I am sure they are a splendid place in the summer, spring, and fall…
It’s not just the pizza island, it’s the island of no return! No ferries ran today because of a storm. The winds were “50km” per hour. You do the math my friends who live in miles as I do. I just know that it was hard to close the doors behind you here today for…
Well, yesterday, the sun was shining again! I had breakfast and watched for the morning ferry to arrive and then bounced down to the road to join a tour. Managed to get in with three others with a good guide. We saw a couple of old churches, the coast, and the main attraction, Dun Aengus,…
Wow, to say today was unproductive would not be an exaggeration. And I’m not exactly bothered. You see yesterday I hit my own mental brick wall. I’ve enjoyed my trip, but with few exceptions, I’ve been out wandering every day for two weeks. I may not have been up early, but if there was sun…
Where to begin, basically a two day catch-up here. I woke up Friday to a foggy and colder Galway. Considering I barely escaped Dublin, all I could think was my Saturday ferry to Inis Mór might be in danger, but what can you do?! I went to find the departure point for Saturday because there’s…
Maybe it’s too early to be confessing this, but I think I’m in love with Galway. I slept in a bit, but considering I was past midnight getting the last post done, cut me some slack. In my real life, I’m a night owl. Here, I’ve been anything but. So I rose and shown so…
Wow, long day! Actually long night, too! Last evening, I was simply struggling to stay awake as early as 6pm! To be fair, little doubt that my sinus infection plus sore throat were not helping matters. Still I couldn’t go to bed so early, so I emailed friends and generally commented on half of what…
Ah yes, I got back to the room at the shameful early hour of 9pm and the stealth snorer was asleep! I figured out later that he was still there by his one shirt and toiletries. Really, bags missing for days or ultra light traveler?! I quietly readied myself for bed. It was to be…
I’ve been fighting a cold since getting back to Dublin. I blame one part winter cold to one part tour crud. That and a genuine need to do laundry was why I spent the day in yesterday. This morning I woke up feeling like I had turned a little corner, less stuffy and throat less…
Wow, so much catch up to do that I’m sure the details will be woefully lacking in some parts! It was a fast if fun trek and I find myself taking a small breather today in Dublin while the laundry is going. From Derry, we made our way through ice and sleet to the city…
Ah, finally a few minutes with an actual computer instead of just scratching off a few notes on my iPhone! That and a power point (outlet) by my bed so that I can charge tonight is pure heaven! Wow, my standards for a fun time are declining! This is my third day in Ireland…
Since I’ve been in my own little world lately, I figured I should get in at least one blog update before rushing off for my 6th New Years abroad. In this order, the past five were Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party, Rome’s Piazza della Repubblica, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay (rained out, drying off in a tiny hotel room…
It’s always funny to meet people in other parts of the world who have been to cities in your own country that you’ve never seen before. I’ve often felt I was saving those for later years when I might be less able or willing to endure 8 to 12 hour flights, or maybe I just…
This probably won’t be an especially long post since on phone. The hotel has two pcs in the lobby and I’ve yet to see them free even on a fairly empty Sunday night. This is my third night here and I consider it little more than a taste but I understand why people have so…
I had hinted on my facebook fan page that I was going to self publish a book of my photos from Egypt. And after a bit of a learning curve, it’s ready to see the light of day! It’s an opportunity for those of you who don’t have enough wall space to devote to all…