It’s Like Open Mic Only Different
Here’s how it works.
It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME
The rules are simple — be nice.
There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.
Where do you want to go for winter vacation?
This is the view from a porch in Jamaica. There’s lots of places to go though. Would you rather go skiing?
We might also talk about
- Places we’ve been
- Places we want to go
- How to get away from technology – or not
- Best places to take the family
- Best times to travel
- How to travel
- Vacations in our imaginations
including THE EVER POPULAR,
Basil the code-writing donkey.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?
I have to say that the best place / type of vacation I ever had was “bareback” sailing (and no, it doesn’t have anything to do with being naked!) in the British Virgin Islands. These islands are more “unspoiled” than the US Virgin Islands, and sailing was great! “Bareback” sailing means that the vacationers actually crew their own boats… It was a great experience.
Ahhh! That is so blissful. I’m from Trinidad, so anywhere hot for winter would be great.
I’ve never been to Australia, but I want to go there when it’s winter here one day.
Also, if I must be cold, I want to be somewhere covered in snow.
In Spirit,
Nneka
By the way, I’m a newcomer… Nice to “meet” everyone!
Hi Monique! Welcome!
Hi Nneka!
No snow thanks, I’m with you on the hot weather! A beach and cold drinks and no worries.
Monique welcome! This is a neat place.
Hi Liz, thanks again for hosting this shindig π
Monique,
Since you’re new, you should know . . . Nneka, you might not know either, there are always free beverages and snacks of your favorite variety in the sidebar. Feel free to help yourself or I can get you some.
I have to say Liz — what a great idea! I love the concept of a place to “meet” other bloggers and have a wonderful, rambling “conversation”.
Second favourite vacation spot — Quebec City. The food is divine and the area is beautiful. If you get out that way, there is a restaurant called L’Atre, where you can get real authentic traditional French Canadian cuisine, served in an old country farmhouse. It’s the only place that made “sugar pie” as good as my Aunt Lucille’s.
“Sugar pie,” sounds like a pet name for a lover. What’s in it?
Hey Liz,
Hey all,
7 comments in 7 minutes.
That’s about average for a cold winter’s night. π
Nneka,
RE #6 — You’re welcome, always welcome around here. Thanks for coming. .
Hola. Everyone… “Norm”
Sugar pie is decadent stuff: basically think of a pecan tart, without the pecans… Very similar. You serve it with heavy cream. You’ve got enough calories in one serving to keep you alive through the worst winter weather!
Joe arrives at comment 10. That’s not average. That’s worrisome. Are you feeling okay Joe?
Meet Monique. π
Hiya! Mike!
Oops! Gotta go deal with my (almost) 1 year old daughter… Back in a few…
San Francisco – it’s cold if you come from a warm climate, warm if you come from snow country – LOL
Hello to all!
Heavy cream! Monique, Monique did you just say heavy cream. Ahh man, take me with you to Quebec City.
Hi everyone, I’m an Auzzie by birth and I’d highly recommend Australia in the winter — especially Queensland. There are marvelous places to explore, the weather is great, the beaches fab [as they’s say there] and the people are fun loving. I loved Cairns and going out to the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkeling is just amazing there. Cape Tribulation is fascinating where the Rainforest meets the Reef. You’d love it, Nneka!
Hi. Looks like a small start tonight. Good… so I get a decent spot to hang. Will be here for a bit I hope (until kids fall asleep).
Okay. Husband got her…
Hi, Mike. Hi, Joe.
The guests are arriving…!
Hi Monique. So what brings you here?
Hi Marti!
Did you get the link I sent you?
Liz,
I’m Ok, I just upgraded to 2.1 on 4 blogs and one of them had a problem.
Haven’t fixed it yet, but rigged the problem to go away until I have time.
π
Can’t beat the cream and coffee in Ireland, Liz. Love it even if it is a mite chilly in winter.
Hi Robyn!
I second your description of Australia in the Winter. Can’t go wrong in OZ is my opinion!
Hey, everybody!
Nneka, if you want to see Australia, you should visit with Des–
http://bluebeyond.com.au
Anyone who wants to dive and learn underwater photography in Australia, he’s the guy. Sounds like a good winter vacation to me.
… I just updated my site to a new look and feel… and have now converted over to 100% feeds… will have a big site start syndicating my feed starting soon (yipee!).
I would love to see Australia….
How long does it take Joe to rig a problem blog? 10 comments. π
Hi Robin! I’ve been “down under”. Loved it. Saw a bit of Sydney and spoke at a conference in Perth, so saw a bit of both sides of the country — but nothing of the middle.
Yes, Liz — heavy cream…. There’s nothing like sugar pie and heavy cream at L’Atre! The restaurant is on a small island in the St Lawrence river, just a bit outside of Quebec City. The island is full of all kinds of artists and artisans. You get taken to the restaurant from a parking lot: they pick you up with a horse-drawn carriage. It’s quite an experience…
Mike,
What do you mean 100% feeds?
Hey, Mike… I’m a fellow blogger… I write an insurance blog at http://www.insuranceguide101.com and I have been getting to know other bloggers. I stumbled across Instigator Blog and Ben told me about Liz’s blog and Open Mic Night, and well… here I am!
Yes darlin’, I did! A million thanks! So sorry for not replying, been crazy with the hospital and all.
.. sorry… I used to use feedburner only to put a link to a static page… now all my content will go right into the blog (finally got a decent CSS file to work with my larger comic strips).
Monique,
You are making me crazy with that talk of sugar pie with heavy cream. That last someone made me crazy at Open Comment Night I colored all over my flat screen with crayons.
This could be dangerous.
Gosh, that does sound delicious.
Hey somebody has to call Darren and Duncan if we’re talking about down under. π
Personally, I love to ski so give me SNOW! Not much of that on the East Coast this year, so if I wanna get my schuss fix I guess I have to head to Colorado!
Any winter vacations I’ve ever been on were snow skiing in the Rocky Mtns. Now THAT’S a vacation! My favorite time was when my extended family all rented a large condo right on the slopes at Breckenridge. We could step out the door, ski down to the lift, then at the end of the day, ski right back through, oops, TO the front door!
Monique — Cool. I will have to check it out (bookmarked for later!). Do you find it helps drive new biz for you?
Liz — you are too funny!
Hey bj!
Didn’t mean not say Hi! You ski and I’ll hang in the lodge by the fireplace and blog about it. π
A vacation I’ve always wanted to try –
Take a month off, buy an unlimited Eurail pass for the wife and me, and see where we end up!
That sounds great, Robert!
I’ve mostly skiied local PA and the New England mountains. I personally love western Maine and New Hampshire, though the Berkshires and some of the NY State resorts are fun too.
Hi Robert!
Good thing the lift didn’t go through the door. That could be inconvenient during the middle of the night. π
Mike — Mixed results so far. I think that it does help to know other bloggers and network with other bloggers. I am hoping that over time, as I link with other people’s sites and they link with mine, that traffic will result. I have started to think of it all as “Traffic Karma”: what comes around, goes around! But only time will tell.
One of the most amazing places I’ve been – Taroko Gorge in Taiwan. It’s like a small Grand Canyon right through a mountain of white marble! Really impressive.
Drooling….
(Over heavy cream, pie and blogs that work well)
LOL
Have I mentioned how much I hate WordPress? LOL
Robert…. Did something similar a few years ago… we rented a castle in Italy for a month and I went without internet access or phone or any biz for an entire month! Learned a lot in the process — like it CAN happen lol.
Robert — I’m with you! I’d love to wander Europe more. I’ve been a few times, but never had a long enough visit to just wander and see where I ended up.
Monique — Hear ya. Similar results for me but the hits are doubling each month (should break a million in February!).
Hi Liz,
I’m here! I don’t think I will be talking too much, though. I just got my new cellphone (err, smartphone) and am working on getting it all setup.
Wanna hear a telecom customer service story?
Verizon ships me the phone with Windows Mobile 2003 SE. There is a little post it note thing in the box that says:
“Please upgrade to Windows Mobile 5.” with a URL to the download link. It isn’t an extremely easy process.
Have to love how much the telecoms go out of their way to help their customers. π
Hey bj – I’ve always wanted to try New England skiing. Almost made it back when I lived in Richmond, VA.
Mike, a CASTLE? Where was it – northern Italy by chance? That’s where I’d like to see. I’ve been in the Grenoble area, but didn’t make it to the Italian side of those Alps.
Hey, Liz!
It’s funny, I don’t care for cold . . . unless there are skis on my feet. I remember my son and I forcing one ski area to keep the lift open when we were the only ones left on the mountain skiing during a blizzard. Everyone else was in the lodge. My son was around 5 at the time, skiied without poles. He was funny, used to play air guitar all the way down the mountain at Jack Frost, since they’d play rock ‘n roll from the speakers on the lift towers, shaking his butt, and boogying. I don’t know how he stayed on those skis but he was a better skier at 5 than I’ll ever be.
Robyn, thanks for the invite. All the Aussie bloggers make me so jealous around this time. Forgive my lack of geographical knowledge, but how are the “winters” there?
Robert, a trip around Europe sounds awesome.
BTW, Carnival in Trinidad is in a couple weeks. That would be a fantastic place and fun time in the middle of winter. It would certainly break the routine.
Robert … It was in Umbria. We did a boatload of daytrips but wow. Amazing.
Hey, Mike (and anyone else who is interested): I’m actually trying to make the insurance blog not just informative but also interesting… With that in mind, I’ve posted a challenge to have folks suggest topics that they think couldn’t possibly be related to insurance (think “clean” so the word filter on the site doesn’t go crazy…) and I’ll write a post that shows a link (nothing too obtuse…) If you are interested in participating, check out the blog and drop me a comment…
bj – that’s one of the most irritating things about skiing on a family slope (smile) – here I am, doing my best skiing (barely), and then these little kids about three feet tall go zinging right between the legs! None of them have poles, but boy can they shoot down the slope!
Ah, sweet bird of youth!
Monique — Will do. Hmm… kind of like 6 whatever-they-were-called from Kevin Bacon lol?
Back to vacations… I’ve been to Switzerland a couple of times to visit relatives. What a beautiful and “manicured” looking place. When I was there, I walked down a mountain (wasn’t in good enough shape to walk up!) Would love to spend more time there, but it’s pretty darned expensive. You can ski there too…
I don’t know where everyone gets time for all these vacations.
I never even get one in the summertime, let alone the winter, ski, travel to the Bahamas or Australia vacation π
Speaking of boats, has anyone ever taken the boat trip down the Rhine river? I hear it’s a great vacation – no driving, and the scenery comes to YOU!
Joe — you have to take your vacation time! All work and no play… you know
Robert, New England skiing isn’t like the west coast, but it’s got its own charms.
http://www.sundayriver.com/conditions.html
Sunday River in Maine is one of my faves. MUCH less commercial but an awesome mountain with a very well run ski area. This isn’t one of the big resort type places, it’s a bit more down home and real New England. Definitely not the clip joint mentality here, they take good care of you without breaking the bank. Good restaurants that serve much traditional regional cuisine.
You know — my mom is on a cruise right now, and when she was describing it (lovely ports of call in the Caribbean) it didn’t sound so bad… I like the idea of the scenery coming to me!
Joe, I’m in the same boat! Yet I’ve lived all over the US and Taiwan, Venezuela, France, Holland and Aruba. My technique is to get a job there (I’m an engineer), and let someone else foot the bill for our travel and expenses. I’m thinking about Scotland now…
Maine is truly beautiful. I’ve never been in the winter, but love the coast in spring, summer or fall.
Kids out. Gotta jet… {poof}
Monique, I would love to, maybe this summer. Possibly in May (Hint Liz). π
Actually, I like to let my work take me places too… I’ve seen almost every province in Canada that way, and I’ve been in a lot of places in the US too. (I’m Toronto based.) I got to Australia through a speaking engagement. The only places I’ve paid to see myself were in Europe…
Monique – about the ONLY time you’d get us on a cruise is for the trip up the Northwest Passage in Alaska. Otherwise, I don’t think I could stand a cruise ship – too crowded.
Bj,
That ski story with your son is great one. I’m afraid, I’d still be in the lodge blogging. π
I lived in Northern Maine (Aroostook County aka The County) for three years including winter. It could be scary, but it was wonderful. Winter carnival was awesome. Ice/snow sculptures 30 to 40 feet high on the UMPI campus. And a huge bonfire to stay warm (at least on ONE side!)
Monique,
Your word challenge idea is spectacular. We should come up with some here!
Monique – you paid to see yourself? (grin)
My wife has been to Banff in the summer, says it’s fabulous. Hopefully we’ll make it there again sometime.
Gotta slip out for a bit… My baby daughter needs to get to bed and it’s mom’s job… I’m hoping to be back later!
Liz, I love you but you’re a wuss. Let’s get you on the slope . . . watch out for that mogul field!
Hi everyone… just wanted to make a quick rock star appearance and say “hello”.
I’m just wrapping up a project, so if I can get it done, I’ll come back for a couple drinks from the sidebar.
Have a good night everyone!
I hear ya, Joe. I’ve never been on a ski trip, or a cruise…never even been out of the USA. Lovely to hear about though (sighs dreamily lol)
Need an idea for a four day weekend getaway. I live in San Diego, which eliminates many suggestions. π I’m willing to drive a maximum of 3-4 hours, or fly an hour or two.
This could take place any time after March.
Any suggestions? Thanks
And Liz, the Browns appreciate your efforts more than we can thank you.
Hey, it’s the Bawld Guy on comment #80 π
Hello from Indiana – home to the Super Bowl bound Colts and a recent 4 inches of snow.
I’m not a fan of cold weather AT all! A few years back I did the cruise thing and was spoiled from that moment on.
I’d love to take a cruise to the Virgin Islands – basking in the sun and sipping on cocoa loco’s.
Robert and Monique,
I’ve been up and down the eastern seaboard in my old job, but it was really difficult to play in Disney World from the office.
BUT, I did get to see the Space Shuttle taking off one time. I was in the office in Orlando and it launched from Canaveral.
Much better view from across the peninsula. π You could actually see it crossing into space…
I’ve been up and down both coasts – remarkable how different they are! Each with their own great stuff, too. Actually, the hardest place to live was, if you can believe it, Aruba. It’s only 6 miles wide and 20 long, so you can see the entire island in an afternoon.
But hey, I’d rather be there than some of the OTHER places I’ve been!
Hi Gayla!
Hi Jeff!
Hi Sean!
I check Akismet and the world of the blog changes.
Hello Gayla! Congrats to the Colts!
Jeff, when we lived in Frisco, we took day trips to Santa Cruz and Monterey – both are lots of fun!
Hi everyone!
I’ve never been out the U.S., and probably never will get overseas due to an irrational fear of being out of sight of land. Two places that are beautiful in the summer are Florida’s coasts and the Rockies.
When I lived in Florida I loved snorkeling in the springs and chasing the fish.
Actually Jeff,
I had a Featured Home Business yesterday that may be just what you need if you like a rustic B&B. http://workingathomeinternet.com/WP/2007/01/22/featured-home-business-fish-creek-house/
It looks like a great getaway in Montana, if that’s close enough for you. π
For any schizophrenic masochists out there, you can come to Kansas City – great BBQ, fabulous fountains and art museums – horrible weather, interstate hiways from hell
LOL
Hey, Rick! There’s a way to overcome that fear, you know. It’s called Valium. Wash it down with some champagne and you can fly without the plane . . .
Your other option is South America, via Central America. π
Sean – I’m in my office in pause mode – waiting for my IQ to power back up. π
Everyone – keep the long weekend get aways coming. Thanks
Hi Rick!
Florida and the Rockies are lovely!
Hi everyone. Anyone have any hot cocoa? It is so cold tonight.
Anyway, folks, it’s been fun, but I’m trying to avoid the whole repetitive stress thing in my wrist and promised I’d ditch off computers every night by 9 latest. So . . . Good Night!
Good night, bj,
Thanks for coming!
No injuries please!
Marti – I drove through Kansas right after a winter storm had passed through. If I’d been a cat, I’d have lost a few lives for sure! Yikes!
I lost count of the number of cars and trucks that had slid off the road! In fact (I was driving a van) several times the wind blew hard enough to cause the rear van to slid a bit now and then. By the time I got through it I was completely exhausted.
I’ll take Kansas in the SUMMER, thank you very much!
Hi Char
Bye bj
Hi Char! Hot Chocolate sounds great. Of course anything to do with Chocolate sounds great!
I’ve always said I could only love my hubby more if he was dipped in chocolate and holding the winning lottery ticket. π
I’m baaack….
Liz — I saw that you suggested that we come up with some word challenges for me for my series on my insurance blog… I’m game!
Monique – tell us more about that…
Good night, bj.
Hi Char!
I swore off driving west in the winter after a snowstorm chased me home after a Christmas visit to Rockford.
Hi Marti, Hi Gayla!
We were just at my son’s ice hockey practice and I am cold to the core. Makes me want to go somewhere sunny and warm right now. I’d love to go to the Atlantis resort. Has anyone been?
While everyone is hanging out and enjoying drinks from the sidebar, I was wondering, Do You Speak Body Language?
Okay…
The challenge I put out was for people to suggest topics that they thought “wouldn’t” or “couldn’t” be related to insurance, and I was supposed to write on that topic and how it *is* related to insurance! So far I’ve done:
breastfeeding and insurance
sleep and insurance
american idol and insurance
guns and insurance
Monique – OK, that explains your website blog. Nice looking site, by the way! I’ll have to read the “sleep” one.
Okay Monique,
The words that are bid in our family are
Euclidian Geometry and insurance
sequins and insurance
thixotropic and insurance
Kansas in the summer is tornados! LOL Of course there’s the Humidity and Mosquito Festival – that’s always fun.
Kansas City straddles the state line between Kansas and Missouri (like a sumo wrestler – lol) I live on the Missouri side, but yes that last winter storm was a doozy!
Really glad you made it out OK!
Where is that at Char?
Hi Char!
I’m ready to go to Atlanta!
Oh my, Liz… You are really going to make me sorry I ever put out this challenge!!!
LOL!
(Where’s my dictionary…?)
Hey, Monique, and let’s not forget:
Lawn darts and insurance
The Roaming Gnome and insurance
Sushi and insurance
… and that perennial favorite –
belly button lint and insurance
– you had to ask!
Atlantis is a resort in the Bahamas. My second choice is to visit Vancouver again.
Robert — there are two of us who write for the site, and we’ve both interspersed news related pieces with my series on challenge topics…
By the way, if you submit me a topic, I’ll link back to your blog…
Basil the code writing donkey and insurance
lol
Marti – speaking of tornadoes – I lived for a while in Sherman, Texas, which is right on the Oklahoma line above Dallas. We found out later that the film Twister had some of the actual tornado footage shot just up the road!
Oh Monique,
No worries. It would tak all year for you to do all of the ones we could come up with!
Oh no, Marti! First, I’ll have to figure out what / who / where Basil actually is… I’m not sure that I’ve quite figured out exactly how Basil works…!
All right Liz & everyone, I’m fairly new to Open Mic Nite, so I just gotta ask:
Who the heck is Basil the code-writing donkey?
Monique – you’re going to regret you said that! (mischevous grin)
Oh wow Robert! Did that scare you or make you feel like you had Hollywood mojo protecting you?
Belly button lint?!!!!!
You guys are trying to kill me…
Basil could have all sorts of insurance issues around him. π
We saw Twister the first time at a drive-in. It was made much more interesting by watching a severe thunderstorm roll in from behind the screen.
Marti – actually, that didn’t scare us. Once while living in Austin, Texas, a tornado tracked right at us, lifted off about 500 yards away, dropped back down about 500 yards past us, and kept going.
We were a mite worried
Don’t bring up Basil, I feel bad enough.
He got lost somewhere between my house in Pa and Belarus.
I know there is an ocean in between, but the governments got involved and we haven’t heard from him since. ;-(
Basil is a question for the mistress of the house. (Meaning I am not real sure myself, I just read it somewhere – lol)
Rick – that’s exactly how I saw Wolfman and Dracula the very first time! Rather appropriate, wouldn’t you say?
Monique, I can guarantee I’ll write about you if can meet my challenge!
p.s. I can come up with more if those are too easy…
Yay, I made it! And on a night with a topic close to my heart, even.
Here’s my latest winter travel obsession: parks with cabins built in the 1930s by the govt.-sponsored Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC.)
Many of the sturdy cabins that they built are still in use today and are a great way to visit parks in the winter without dealing with tent stuff.
I wrote a post on my blog about visiting Bastrop State Park, near Austin, and staying in their CCC cabins. Awesome experience.
Holy cow, Robert! That IS scary!
I am being summoned to pay attention to the State of the Union speech….sigh
May peace and joy bless all your lives!
Hi Sheila. Glad you could join us.
PS – I LOVE going to the drive in movies!
Robert, you ARE trying to scare me!
I’ll try to tackle one of your extremely creative suggestions, and I’ll link to your blog… When I have, I’ll let you know. I’ll look forward to what you have to say once you see my entry! π
Hey everyone, gotta go! Monique, let me know if you can do it…
Arrivaderchi, ciao, goodbye, etc., Liz & co.
Joe,
We’re just going to have to go to Amazon and get a new Basil for the party in May.
It was definitely appropriate, Robert!
I’m not the mistress of the house, but
Basil works with Ben Yoskovitz of the Instigator Blog and Startup Spark. You can learn about his travels at Where is Basil?
Hey Sheila!
Did Jon get in touch with you?
No, he’s been too busy π Soon I promise.
I have to go too… but if others want to get in on the challenge, I’ll check back here tomorrow and see if anyone else has come up with some (gulp) creative ideas!
Nice to have met everyone! I’ll look forward to participating again…
π
I don’t know Liz, Ben said that the guy from Belarus received the package (Basil) and was supposed to continue with the expedition. ;-()
If not, I’m sure Fawlety Towers is on PBS somewhere in the US. π It is here, anyway.
“Where do you want to go for winter vacation?”
Somewhere cold?
(wink) (wink)
Hi Liz, I’m sorry, my brain is Ta-Ta-For-Now’d after working on a Disney travel series this week.
Who’s Jon again?
Good night Robert, Monique!
Sheila, Lady Glynis likes to stop at one of the remaining Wigwam Village Motel in Kentucky when she goes to Alabama for the Ren Faire.
Hi Sheila,
Jon is the guy up in comment 137 who was stuck in Akisment when I was asking about him. I told him you are a great blogger. π
Last winter my wife and I spent 2 weeks in Tahiti, and it was hands-down the most relaxing vacation I have ever been on. There was extremely poor internet service there, so I had no choice but to “unplug”, and I’m glad I did.
Hi cat, almost anywhere in the U.S. would fit your ticket right now. Except Florida. My son said it’s 75 in Sarasota.
Hi, Liz! Hi, All!
Can I share my African safari pics? Can I? Huh? Huh? Can I?
Oh, yeah, I just did! π
I know, I know. I’m worse than a new grandma with pics to share! π
Aw, I put a link to my African safari pics, and Akismet ate it!
oops! There it is now! π
Cat – love the winter vacation comment!
Becky,
Safari . . . . So cool!!!
Now that I’ve put three comments in a row, I should retire! π
Hi Rick,
Thailand is at the end of ‘winter’ now. We hang around 75 during this time.
It may not seem cool to those who are used to freezing, but when you are here and get acclimatised, around 75 is when you start putting sweaters on and sleeping under comforters.
You can even buy fleece lined jackets in the stores.
Cat – I could go for 75 right now. I hear Thailand is beautiful.
I’ve been fighting off lions and tigers and Akismet all night!
Liz it sounds like you are ready for a stint under the Big Top!
Evening all! My vote is someplace with mountains, snow and chairlifts.
Klondike Bar, anyone?
you’re right, I can’t imagine putting on a sweater at 75
That sounds like fun, Char.
I’ll get chair and hold it in front of me and tell Akismet to back off with the spammers!! π
The safari looks so cool, Becky!
I understand about the acclimation, Cat. When I moved back north from Florida it took a long time to get used to the weather again.
I’m a beach person
Ah, I was waiting for that Klondike bar to go with my hot chocolate. Tuesday nights are not the same with out them.
Chris,
I think you’re going to have to bring a truckload of Klondike bars to Chicago in May.
Hi Darren!
I’m with you on the beach with a good book and a cold drink.
Liz, are you getting a lot of spam comments for a handbag? The have been getting through my Akismet for a couple of days now. It catches most of them, but I am still getting a dozen or so get through. π
give me the Outer Banks of North Carolina in June. nice
Klondike Bars all around, then!
I figure they go good in the cold and great in the hot summer. An all around perfect treat!
Hi Chris! No thank you to the Klondike. My granddaughter’s birthday party was yesterday. My ice cream quota is full. π
It’s my time to say farewell. Give Aksimet what for, Liz! Thank you all for the visions of non-gray skies.
Rick, thanks for the Wigwam tip. I love funky stuff like that.
My daughter and I are taking a mega-road trip this summer, TX to Chicago and back, and we look forward to seeing some “Roadside America” stuff, including Route 66 and parts of the Chisholm, Pony Express and Santa Fe Trails.
Best part will be (maybe) getting to actually meet Liz in Chicago! Speaking of drinks at the sidebar….woo-hoo.
Sorry I don’t have much time to come around here anymore. I can’t stay too long now either.
Where do you want to go for winter vacation?
Winter vacation? I haven’t gone on any type of vacation for years!
Places we want to go
Disney world, England, China
How to get away from technology – or not
I don’t want to get away from it. I want an iphone
Best places to take the family
don’t know
Best times to travel
whenever I can
How to travel
the best way to travel would be in a TARDIS
Vacations in our imaginations
Galifrey if it wasn’t destroyed already. Or Barcelona, the planet, not the city.
what else did I miss tonight?
Hey Rick. I have trouble imagining being ice creamed out…
On the vacation thing I’m coming around to my wife’s philosophy of “live warm, vacation cold.”
Of course I’m usually more open to that approach this time of year when it isn’t so stinking hot around here!
the best way to travel is by car
of course that won’t get you to europe
Thanks for the compliment, Rick!
Sheila, you’ll be coming right through Oklahoma! π We have lots of the trails and a huge chunk of Rt 66! Don’t miss the Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Can I stray off topic and ask for some help finding some good podcasts to subscribe to?
“off topic”?? Can you ever really be off topic on Open Mic Night?
You’re right, Becky!
must stay on topic
not
Well I (finally) got an iPod and I thought a podcast or two would be just the ticket. But I didn’t much like what I saw at the iTunes store…
Hey Chris, it really depends on what you want. Technosailor.com has just started something new you might like (or not).
Ben always has good links to podcasts you might like as well.
Suffering from lack of sleep and hear my warm covers calling. Good night all – see you next week.
Good night,Char!
Joe, I put “podcast” in Ben’s search box on the Instigator Blog and got lots of not so much, which surprised me.
I’ll check out Aaron’s podcast.
Chris,
Are you looking for individual podcasts? Or places with Podcasts?
There are several decent podcast sites around where you search via subject or author.
Cat, I was thinking our crowd might be able to point out a few individual gems. But honestly as a complete newbie to the podcast thing I’d be glad to hear about some good directories too. π
Hi everybody! Wanted to pop in for a short time.
Hi Chris,
Have you checked BlogTalkRadio? There are lots of great listens there.
Chris, you might stop by Grasshopper New Media. You’ll find several there on different topics, plus GBSBS (which may be making a comeback!) has links to ten contributors’ podcasts. At the risk of playing favorites, don’t miss Heidi Miller’s podcast.
Chris, I gave some links (currently awaiting moderation).
Hi Sandy!
How do you get to Blog Talk Radio!
Becky, I believe you’ve been released from moderation. And thank you. Personally I think favorites were meant to be played. But then who am I to say?…
I thought we were talking about vaction spots – I showed up with my Jamaica pics and sunscreen and all you guys are talking about is podcasting! π
Becky,
Could you send those links again. Akismet must have eaten them and I deleted the Akismet stuff. I’m soffy.
well let’s see some Jamiaca
Hey Becky, in fact I just found your small business blog on ProBlogger and noted that you were in Oklahoma.
We are in fact following Highway 81 up from Fort Worth, to retrace part of the Chisholm Trail, and will stop in Duncan OK to see the Chisholm Trail Heritage Ctr. A quick stop overnight in OK City, then part of Route 66 from OK City to Tulsa, then up into Osage Indian country to stay overnight at the CCC cabins in Pawhuska OK at Osage Hills State Park.
Not that I’m a cookin’-with-gas travel planner, or anything!! π
And Chris Cree — have you ever tried the York peppermint Klondike Bars? They are EVIL!!
Hi Wendy!
Share the pix!!!
Liz, Askimet let them out at comment #186. Sorry. π³
k – that will take a second because they are tacked up on my wall of fantasies…
Darrenh – LOVE your blog mission – well done!
this was fun I’ll come back again
Chris, there is a new one – Blog Talk Radio …
Then there’s …
PodcastAlley.com — The place to find Podcasts
PodcastDirectory.com | The big directory
Blog Talk Radio
David Maister: Lessons IΓΒ’Γ’Β¬ÒΒΒ’ve Learned ΓΒ’Γ’Β¬ÒΒΒ Podcast Archives
I like PodcastDirectory and David Maister …
Sheila, they are wondrous. But my favorite is still the black cherry… Mmmm…
thanks much wendy! g’night
Hi Liz,
Thanks for asking – here’s the main URL and my favorite – Mike Sansone and ConverStations.
http://blogtalkradio.com/default.aspx
http://blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=9294
There’s lots of programs – depends what you’re looking for. I’ve listened to Wayne Hurlbert.
Thanks Cat! Now I can fill up my iPod and listen away those dull hours in the car on the job.
Good Night! Wendy!
Thanks for coming!
Chris, if you want business themed podcasts, look at the reviews on SMBTrend Wire for more gems. (And, you did subscribe to my podcast, right?)
Sheila, that will be a great trip. The Cowboy Hall of Fame is absolutely awesome, in OKC. And Osage Hills State Park is a great place to stay! We’ve camped there several times. The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is nearby, too. (Buffalo!)
I know – it’s been way too long since I dropped by – but dinner this weekend has inpired me anew… π
Oh Sandy,
How was your exciting day, today?
Chris, I’ve never even seen the black cherry ones. Drat, that regional marketing stuff.
Did you know that Rick Steves does travel podcasts?
You are welcome Chris. I have a whole load of podcasts that get sucked in whenever they have more. I just need to find the time to listen to them …
Heidi,
thank you for your list. I’m always collecting for my resources and we’ve just added podcasting.
Becky, you might not believe me when I tell you this, but I promise it is true. Yours was the only one I found and got into my iTunes on my own before I asked the question. And thanks so much for the other links.
I need to run off to Sleep Land right now. But I’ll be back in the early hours to load up on listening pleasure while I bang out some posts.
Y’all are some of the most helpful folks around. Thanks so much!
Ask and ye shall receive.
Anyone been to this place in Jamaica called Atlantis? I’m just aching to go there!! Is it worth the cost of both the vacation and 5 full airfares?!
Liz,
Winter vacations – oh my gosh! I almost forgot. I’m taking off for Cambodia the day after tomorrow.
I’ve been waiting since .. forever to see Angkor Wat.
And now it’s finally happening.
But as I haven’t been there before, I cannot actually recommend it to anyone.
Chris, I am flattered! Good night!
Wendy
That’s a great photo! It’s beautiful!
It’s getting to be that time again
to say good night to all my friends
The places that we visited
imagined or inquisited
were all that we hoped they’d be
because dreaming is always free
So good night to all, sleep tight tonight
and dream of vacations with all your might.
Berma Shave
Nite Liz
Nite All
Wendy, your photo board is amazing!
Good Night, Joe,
Sleepy swell!
Wendy, do you mean the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas? I haven’t been, but Teresa Plowright at About.com’s Travel with Kids has written some stuff about it.
Here’s a link: http://travelwithkids.about.com/cs/sunzonesresorts/a/atlantisresort.htm
Whoops, you’re right – Thanks Sheila. What a great link!! The place is not only good for kids, but there is a STARBUCKS on the grounds!! I think I’ve died and gone to heaven! π
Thanks Becky – that’s my vision board – all the things I want to do and see this lifetime!
*I still have a ways to go*
Yeah, I used to turn my nose up at all-inclusives. Then I had kids. Whoops, another preconceived notion out the door, just like the one that says you’ll start getting a decent night’s sleep when they’re about 6-8 weeks old. Tip: you’re hosed, for, like, 18 years.
Hold Everything Resorts aren’t for every vacation, but they sure work for some of them.
Sheila,
You’re planning my next trip. When am I leaving?
Liz, I agree that Sheila sounds like a great travel planner!
I’m going to call it a night.
Great to talk with you again, Liz.
And great to meet some new friends tonight!
Hey, Becky,
Thanks for coming. They’re were some lovely folks here. I wish I had more time to play and talk with you all, instead scrapping with the spammers. π
You’re the bext! π
Liz, you just name the destination, time of year and a couple of things you’re interested in, and I’m all over it like white on rice.
That reminds me of former TX governor Ann Richards (stay with me as we momentarily leap WAY off topic) who described some doofus as “One taco short of a combination plate.”
It was the “white on rice” thing that got me going.
It is obviously bedtime for Bonzo. π
Hey, I was with you all of the way . . . I remember Ann Richards.
Tell Bonzo to sleep well. π
Hi Liz,
I was on the phone… Today was very good. Fun, informative to see the hearing in person.
I was able to live blog an hour of it until my battery ran out. Then I wrote more this afternoon and posted it later. Got good comments from readers. They like hearing perspective from other than reporters.
Sandy,
It sounds like you found something else that you’ve got a passion for!
My, so many of you are quite well-traveled. My idea of a fun winter vacation would be to stay right at home.
To have a week (or more) where I could stay tucked in with all of my stuff to myself – books to read, blogs to write, quilts to cuddle under and maybe even nap, long liesurely phone chats, and no schedules to follow. That would be my dream winter vacation!
I am very social, and really need to mix ‘n mingle with people on a regular basis. But, I also relish quiet time to myself to relax, reflect and recharge as a real treat.
Francie, that’s definitely a rather appealing alternative to the Bahamas! π
Yes, another passion.
These vacations are sounding really good! I’m ready for relaxing and reading and warmth. Sun and sand sound good. So does a fireplace. I’m looking forward to summarizing this so I can read all the comments. π
Goodnight all. See you next week.
Good Night Sandy π
Hi Francie! I stay at home too!
Good Night, Sandy!
Sadly I am too much of a wimp in my old age – I’m headed off to bed – goodnight ya’ll!!
π
Wendy
Good night,Wendy!
I do a lot of vicarious vacationing, too. I think sometimes my mind’s eye has more fun than my physical being could ever experience.
Good night everyone!
I live in my own mind — Like Lyle Lovett
Good night, Francie!
In January 2001 .. we drove from Winnipeg to Hemet with our dog Maxxie in 2-1/2 days. The google map says it’s 3300km and 31 hour trip. We just went southward thru Kansas, before heading east. 3 weeks later, after our visit in L.A. and Hemet, we took a week long ride up the east coast of Oregon and then up thru Spokane and the Pan Handle .. and that was the scariest drive in my life! It was a freezing rain storm one day, and snow storm the next day, going up into the Rockies and coming into BC by Fernie.
Then – if you can imagine all my driving and speeds including freeways of California .. I got a speeding ticket 2 miles out of Regina, Saskatchewan doing 118km per hour. Those bastards. It’s like one day they wake up and say.. “We need more Donut Money” or something and just stop any car they can.
Sorry I missed this last night Liz! I was in other moments.
Thank you for a lovely evening!
Yea I had to go make a run in the car and couldn’t stick around for it. At least I can catch up this morning and see what everyone suggests.
Hi HART!!
We missed your stories and you. π
Thanks for bringing one back. You’re the best!
Marti!
You are most welcome, always!
Hi Michelle,
There’s always plenty to read — mind you, it’s a bit of a tangled conversational web. π
Am I late to the party? LOL
Day late, dollar short…