Gimme A Break

Where in the world is my dream destination? Are you kiddin’ me? That’s a really good question but frankly I have so many dreams about so many destinations, it’s going to take me a minute to decide.

If I had to choose one, I’d have to say Italy. And there’s good reason for this. I LOVE Italian food. That’s it, plain and simple. Serve me a pasta anytime and I’m a happy woman!

All I want to do is to take up one of those villa rentals in Tuscany for like a whole month and just visit the vineyards, walk about the herb gardens and savor the fine wines and cuisine.

See, I don’t ask for much . I mean, going to local Italian restaurants is not the same. You need the smells, the sights, the natural surroundings to complete the mental picture.

And of course, to lounge in the luxury of a Italian villa would be a dream. Add on the rustic sights and sounds and food adventures and that’s heaven right there.

Are you dreaming what I’m dreaming? Well, there’s one place to go before you hit Italy big time. Go check out LuxuryRetreats.com to really get a feel for where you (yep, your turn now!) would like to go.

• homestyle Italian living
• liming in St Lucia
• Food for Facebook
• ah, the Sea of Cortez
• festive food prices

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Woot, here we at another long weekend. The sales are on at all the shopping malls in town so it’s either I get out there and grab a piece of the action, or I’m going to kick myself later .

This being the 31st of the month also means that Baskin-Robbins is offering a 31% off all their flavors. Yes, this is the day we’ve been looking forward to.

The kids have been reminding me endlessly and now they’re jumping on my back to get offline and to BR. Seems the ice-cream can’t wait!

• ice cream time
• lines, lines, lines
• go away, flu bug!
• re-reading old books
• sunny days

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I’m a big fan of island holidays but Saint Lucia? Now that’s exotic! Located in the Atlantic Ocean, it’s a very popular holiday destination because of its pristine beaches and range of watersports.

From what I hear, there’s activities suitable for everyone in the family, and those who’ve been there have only good things to say about the laid-back tropical lifestyle of Saint Lucia.

What makes a vacation special for me is the local cuisine. Everywhere I go, I’m most eager for the food adventures.

Liming is unique to Saint Lucia and it certainly sounds very interesting. It’s a Creole cooking method that uses special spices and garnishes on local seafood. Mmm, sounds really yummy even to imagine it.

• island paradise
• rustic heaven
• a floral tea
• ah, the Sea of Cortez
• a buffet feast like no other

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I was at the movies with the kids and we were running late. In my hurry to get in line at the popcorn stand, I knocked over one of those metal posts leading to the concesssions counter.

Even as I was bending to pick it up, I felt someone push past me. It was a young college-aged woman who took advantage of the situation to get ahead of me in the line. She turned back to give me a smug look.

At that moment, I could’ve sworn I’d have given her a good ticking-off for her complete lack of consideration and courtesy. Don’t you have any manners, child?

• careless parents
• logistics brainwave
• noddy on the road
• drivin’ me up the wall!
• does he look like your dad?

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Imagine this. You’re buying a home but you have to make a formal offer upfront to gain access to information about the property. This is what my uncle had to do when he was looking to buy a home in the UK.

Now comes Home Information Packs, or HIPS, which puts all the relevant information about the property for the buyer in one place. Isn’t this handy!

It gives you information like the evidence of ownership, sales statement which details the conditions of sale, energy performance certificates which rate a home on its energy efficiency, guarantees and warranties for new homes, searches and other legal documents.

My uncle says this information will give him the confidence to pursue the home he likes. So I’d say this is definitely a good thing for home buyers.

• city living has its attractions
• need an energy boost
• how much is that doggie in the window?
• Mr Sun goes to work
• the necklace

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Yum, me and the kids had a sumptuous dinner of black pepper lamb chops last night. The aroma, as it was grilling in my oven, filled the house and sent hunger pangs through us all .

We just couldn’t wait to dig in. By the time I finished laying the table, I’d forgotten to snap a photo to post here (duh :(  ). So you’ll just have to take my word for it that it was the yummiest thing ever, what with the potatoes, carrots and beans!

Sometimes I can be so brilliant I just amaze myself. Instead of us all trooping down to Friday’s for a meal like this, which would’ve set us back 100+ bucks (at least), I bought the marinated lamb chops from the grocery store for less than 45 bucks.

If you do the Math, it’s easy to see how much we’ve saved. Quality-wise, I’d say my homemade version was just as good. Everyone had seconds, which wouldn’t have been possible at a restaurant without sending the bill skyhigh!

• changing batteries
• what’s for lunch?
• later, New York
• great weather to be out
• planning for next week’s lunch

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You know, I recently met a real estate agent through an old friend of mine. We got to talking and I was curious how he got started in real estate after his retirement.

Apparently there are courses you take at real estate school to gain the credentials and knowledge to get started. Fastclass.com is a great place to start with a comprehensive list of schools in the US that offer these courses in real estate, insurance, appraisal, mortgage, securities, home inspection and so on.

They don’t offer classes directly, rather they work with top schools to bring the courses to you. The online pre-licensing and continuing education classes and supporting materials for Fastclass schools are provided by Hondros Learning.

I understand from this guy that he enjoys his work tremendously because he gets to meet lots of people which he suits him to a T. He tells me real estate is a very lucrative business to be in, and I believe him !

• no need to quit
• crooked
• entering the paper chase
• choosing private schools
• banish that self-limiting mindset

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… when I think of the time I was on the Sydney Harbor cruise in Australia. What started out as a warm sunny day turned cool suddenly. Of course, I hadn’t thought to bring a sweater or anything.The sea breeze was pretty chilling but I tried to focus on taking photos of the mansions perched along the harbor front.

It started to get cooler as we chugged along so I went to grab a cup of hot coffee. Just as I was settling in on one of the benches to sip it, the boat started to tilt to the side. Thinking this was just a one-off, I put the cup to my lips again.

Barely had I had a sip when the boat began tilting to the other side. Pretty soon, it was quite apparent that there was something wrong. The wind was getting stronger and I could feel a light sea spray on my face.

Glancing around, I notice we were right smack at the mouth of the bay where it meets the ocean. No wonder the currents were so strong here.

Hold that thought ‘cos then I felt the warmth of my coffee on my hand. Our boat was being tossed from side to side. One minute we were riding high, the next we were plummeting down. I grabbed onto one of those metal bars, trying to still myself and my beating heart.

But the rocking wouldn’t stop. Everything and everyone went blur before me. All kinds of thoughts raced through my mind, coffee and cold notwithstanding.

I tried to block out thoughts of “we’re going down, this is it, the boat’s going to sink, we’re all going to … no no no, don’t say it, I still haven’t finished my coffee.. that’s better…” and focus on steadying myself.

I honestly couldn’t tell you how long this went on for. Once we were past the passage to the open sea, a sudden stillness descended and the boat continued its monotonous chugging as if none of this had ever happened. The wind had subsided, the sea spray had vanished and it was a sunny but somewhat chilly day again.

• caffeine withdrawal
• wild vacation (2)
• wierd weather phenomenon
• not your regular coffee
• thoughts of hibernation

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Whenever I see Caesars Palace on TV, I’m reminded of the time I was there. I love strolling down the walkway into the hotel lined with little statues of Caesar in various poses. That’s so interesting in view of how much I love reading Shakespear’s Julius Caesar.

I was completely mesmerized when I entered the Forum Shops with its artificial sky that changes to reflects the time of day. Man, I could stand there for hours just watching the colors of the ’sky’ change.

I did lots of window-shopping but at the time, there was no way I could afford the designer labels at this Shopping Wonder of the World. Maybe next time, huh!

• a world of difference
• shopping and eating
• fashion runway for pets
• window-shopping day
• an alarm clock with a personality

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I accompanied my girl friend to the mechanic’s the other day to get her car’s body work fixed after her minor accident. The thing with women and mechanics is that we just never know if the mechanic is taking us for a ride (pun intended!).

The guy promised he would source the best body shop supplies for us and that he would do such a good job that we wouldn’t notice the difference in the car’s appearance after it’s repaired. Sounds good but I guess we’ll have to see it to believe it.

• tying the knot soon?
• morning at the mechanic’s
• online pet advisor
• walking computers?
• the idle car

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