Very Good Points: Start Something That Matters Book Review

Very Good Points: Start Something That Matters Book Review: As a fan of Toms Shoes, I was inspired by a contest Toms ran called "Books for Bloggers." Toms selected bloggers and gave away two copies o...

Travel Values for 2012

Travel Values for 2012

I love to travel.  And, when I am not travelling, I like to read about travel, look at travel catalogs and web sites, read travelogues, magazines, and blog.  I also subscribe to several travel web sites' newsletters and this week one of them sent me a teriffic email advising me of where I can get the best values for 2012. This was not a satire.

# 1 on their list is Athens:

It is one of those major modern urban cities where cleanliness is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Athens.  And while we all agree it has its charm, it is not – let’s say - Singapore.  Just imagine another strike breaking out as more stringent austerity measures come along.  Don’t imagine, just look at what has already happened. Oopah!

Parthenon anyone?

#4 on the list is Cairo:

(They do mention it might be “more appealing” to wait until after the presidential elections in March or April and that the violence is rarely directed towards tourists…) Hmmm. 

And don't forget to pack your gas mask!!

#10 on the list is Tokyo: 

And we all know how trustworthy governments are when considering the costs of lost tourism versus honesty about anything like nuclear radiation (remember Jaws and the debate on closing the beach for the holiday weekend?)

     Welcome to Tokyo.    

Don't worry the newsletter says, Fukushima is 200 miles north of Tokyo.  (And we all know how well-behaved radiation in the air is and it so promises never to venture that far south. And certainly the air would never carry it into any crops or anything like that.)

Sayonara.

As for me, I think I'll stick to something a little less adventuresome in 2012 - how about Russia and that adorable shirtless Putin?

How's that for Moscow scenery?

The Catalogs - Part 2.

CLOTHING IN DISGUISE:

Did you know you can actually buy an outerwear jacket that converts to a pillow? And a down “sweater” that rolls up into a drawstring pouch.  And how about felted wool fedoras that really roll up?   There’s a rabbit-fur hat that comes in a canister!  And there are pickpocket proof pants with pockets that zip up and have button flaps that are stain-proof and wrinkle-proof, and theft-proof. These pants allow you to pack a bottle of water on your thigh and a camera and smartphone - each in their own pockets.  Now, if you pair it with the vest that has 14 – yes, 14 – pockets, including a handwarmer pocket, you can probably get away with no suitcase at all!  Of course, you will have to find a way to get through security in less than 24 hours as you empty all those pockets.

The Bag Lady!!

There are bags that protect against digital theft, money stashes that strap onto your calf, around your neck, under your belt, and in your bra. There are organizer bags, walkabout bags, totes, and convertible bags.  There are bags that are slash proof made with ballistic nylon and high-grade stainless-steel wire, cosmetic bags, leak-proof bags and compression bags.

THINGS

You can buy ornaments in every size and shape imaginable - period:trains, elves, reindeer, owls, monkeys, angels, Santa, round, pointy, oblong, oval, starry, snowflake, candles, mistletoe, Mickey Mouse, Elmo, pirates.  They shine, they blink, have glitter, or glow in the dark.  There are scented candles – amaryllis, poinsettia, vanilla, chocolate, linen, sea breeze, fig and orange. There are votive candles and hurricanes and pillars and tree-shaped candles and tea light candles.   Gone is wintergreen and pine – thank goodness.   There are dishtowels with peppermints, partridges, Christmas trees, reindeer, holly, and little elves.

I have given up opening the jewelry catalogs – nothing is ever as big or bright as it looks in the book when it finally arrives in the mail. 

Items come in red, garnet, fuchsia, metallic red, ombre red, tamarind, and contrasting green.  Blue is around, too, as a nod to winter and Chanukah.

One of my favorite catalogs actually sends a sample of their tea called Comfort and Joy.  Now, how cool is that?  To receive comfort and joy in the mail?  And when the comfort and joy run out, why there’s one catalog that showcases glasses for sale.  

On the page there are 12 Drinks of Christmas and the recipe for each!  I’m going to start with the Peppermint Colada. 

Drink up, my friends and then send for a tin of Comfort and Joy.   

Christmas Curmudgeon

So I do not mean to be a Holiday Season Curmudgeon………. BUT....

I can’t help it.  So here goes!  I now need a rolling duffel bag when I go to my mailbox just to get the catalogs and local ads from my mailbox to my house. 

And although I know I should throw them away without even a glance, there’s all that pressure to take just a tiny peek inside.  Isn’t there?  Look at all the trouble they went to just to get this into my hands.  So let’s start with the food catalogs.

So did you know you can get popcorn in a “Song Sampler”?    I mean, does it sing to you?   Popcorn flavors are way out there these days: cinnamon, chocolate, sea salt caramel (doesn’t everything have this flavor today?  What happened to originality?), white cheddar, kettle, S’mores (Here’s another overdone flavor.  News Flash:  I’m not a Girl Scout anymore.) There are gallon containers (up to six gallons, really) and tower boxes and samplers, baskets and foil wrapped, and gift certificates – just in case you can’t make the final decision.  There are chewy things and gooey things and crisp things.  There are Holiday Traditions to start – just order here! There are gifts for the indulgent, the decadent, the connoisseur.  The gifts are the ultimate, impressive, the tastiest, the freshest.  There are signature gifts, gifts to personalize, gifts for clients, friends and family.  You can send food from Wisconsin (cheese), New York (lox and bagels), Hawaii (Maui Wowie onions), Florida (citrus fruits), Atlantic City (salt water taffy), Seattle (fish) and more.  There’s salami and smoked salmon and brownies, and candy (hard, soft, crunchy, chewy, white, dark, milk); there’s hams and turkeys, coffee, cocoa, peppermints, and cheesecake.  You’ve got wine clubs and candy clubs and fruit clubs and – I can get the pears, but the partridge? Not.   

There’s even one item up to two pages of Chanukah stuff (especially if the item comes in blue or is wrapped with blue and doesn’t contain ham);  one catalog just refers you to their web site if you want any Chanukah things. 

So, have a happy time looking through all those catalogs where food is shaped like reindeers or Santa or bark, tasting of S’Mores or smoke or mint and contributing to the overweight problems of America while the paper forests are stripped clean to create the catalog and I break my back bringing it all into my home!