Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Royal Caribbean One Day Sale

I've never been to a Royal Caribbean One Day Sale.

This Thursday, Oct. 2, is my chance! Royal Caribbean is offering reduced deposit and up to $200 in on-board credit for cruises departing Jan. 1-Dec. 25, 2009. There are also some really special deals on remaining cruises for 2008.

Start preparing for a cruise, whether that means taking Fenphedra to look good on deck, or saving a few more pennies, or simply picking up the phone on Oct. 2 to book the savings...

That I'd like to see.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Lake Pend Oreille

I've never been to Lake Pend Oreille (say Pon-duh-ray).

Located in Idaho, this lake is one of the deepest in North America. It is deep enough that the Navy has tested submarines in it! There are the usual water activities to be done on Lake Pond Oreille. I find its history to be as fascinating. There are disputes about the origin of the name, if it came from the Kalispel Indians or early French traders. It is rumored to have its own version of the Loch Ness Monster, the Pend Oreille Paddler.

That I'd like to see.

Adventure Boot Camp for Women

I've never been to an Adventure Boot Camp for Women.

A friend of mine has just started working out here (she may be working here too!) This looks like a fun way to step up a workout, way more fun than taking alli! There are boot camps just for women and they do offer a co-ed one as well. There are also nutrition lectures, shopping guides and a boot camp blog. The workouts take place at area parks. You get four weeks of fitness instruction, nutritional coaching and motivational training provided by The Strong Woman from highly qualified, experienced trainers. Age and fitness level do not matter, everyone is welcome and will see results.

That I'd like to see.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

underwater wedding

I've never been to an underwater wedding.

My husband was watching a travel show tonight which showed an underwater wedding. It was not a scuba diving wedding, but one of those walks where you wear a helmet. The bride wore a bikini with a skirt. The groom and groomsmen actually had on suits underwater! The wedding took place in the Indian Ocean. The water was clear and the surroundings were gorgeous. The fish were swimming around for a really great effect. The minister held up signs and the bride and groom checked off their answers. They had a hard time with the kiss because of the helmets, but I think they had a great time with their underwater ceremony.

That I'd like to see.

buying a garage door opener

I've never been to buy a garage door opener.

My husband installed a new one for us last week. Ours had gone out, before the storm I think. He said though that the plug had been burned up. We have had three other neighbors tell us that their garage door openers are not working or are working "funny" since the storm. I am wondering if something happened when all the transformers blew. At any rate, I am really happy with the smooth linear motion the door opens with now. Now I can again open my garage door with the touch of a button.

That I'd like to see.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Compgifts

I had never been to Compgifts before.

But as I like to save money, the subtitle to this blog caught my attention, The Frugal Way of Living. I was reminded of some good ideas by several articles found on this blog. I enjoyed, and need to reinstate the ritual, of menu planning . I like the ideas of getting out of debt and getting away from credit cards . I was also surprised to see that the blog author had too been affected by hurricane Ike, many hundreds of miles away from where I am. I had thought of using candles for the most part and saving our flashlight for times when needed. Luckily, power has been restored and I can once again surf looking for interesting new blogs like Compgifts. And I am always interested in ways to save money!

That I'd like to see.

Friday, September 19, 2008

hurricane evacuation

I've never been on a hurricane evacuation...this year.

After leaving for hurricane Rita, we were not too inclined to try that again. We stayed here for hurricane Ike. I know many people who did leave. It is so hard to try to decide what to take with you if you do decide to evacuate. You may come home to lots of damaged property or nothing left.

For dads, it seems the important documents might be enough to take with them. For moms like me, it's photo albums, scrap books, and necessary supplies like food, water, and our school books!

Kids are anxious about pets, toys and games. Teens will likely not leave behind any PS3 or game box, CDs, stereos and other electronic items.

I know that all this is just "stuff". If we do ever decide to evacuate again, I hope I will remember to keep that in mind....

That I'd like to see.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Galveston after the hurricane

I've never been to Galveston after the hurricane.

I know many people were trying to return to see the damage done to their homes. I am afraid that there were also some trying to go over just to see the devastation. On Tuesday, Galveston mayor had issued a "look and leave" policy that Galveston residents could come back to the island to view their property and had to leave again by 6pm. The response was enormous! It seems that more than expected tried to return. The freeway was backed up for miles as folks tried to return from as far away as San Antonio. Work crews could not get back to help with clean up and power restoration. And trying to get thousands of folks off the island by 6pm was nearly impossible. The mayor and city officials had a hard time enforcing the "look and leave". Even if they would have posted exit signs, I doubt people would have responded! It was another traffic mayhem that evening. The next day, folks were not allowed in, in an effort to keep order and continue the clean up and recovery process. Hopefully the next time they let folks come back will be an easier process.


That I'd like to see.

Bacliff

I've never been to Bacliff.

This is another small community on Galveston Bay that Ike pretty much destroyed. I know the flooding from the storm surge did a lot of damage here too. Folks around here have been going down to these small towns to help clean and hand out supplies. It is so great seeing neighbors and communities pull together like they are doing. I hope this kind of brotherly kindness can continue.

That I'd like to see.

San Leon

I've never been to San Leon.

This small community is located on Galveston Bay as it turns inland. It was hit hard this past weekend by Hurricane Ike. When we got electricity back, we were able to see images of the area hit so hard by the storm surge. It's really sad to see images of folks who have lost their homes and possessions. These are not the types of photos to be placed in picture frames except maybe in a museum. But I know that folks in that community will soon begin the process of rebuilding their seaside homes.

That I'd like to see.

Monday, September 8, 2008

National Parks Tour

I've never been to a National Parks Tour.

Today on PBS I watched a few minutes of a show that was all about several of our National Parks. It spoke about the treasure these are for each one of us and how we need to care for them and protect them. Within the space of just a few minutes, I had virtually visited Olympia National Park in Washington, Glacier National Park in Montana, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. I would love to see these and many others in real life. Maybe one day I can. If I want to see them and the others, I can order the PBS video Timeless.

That I'd like to see.

buy a bus

I've never been to buy a bus.

But my dad has. There have been several times in his work as a church minister that he has searched for a bus for sale. Funny, he was reminiscing just the other day about one trip in particular where it took three buses to get us home from church camp! Ours broke down, another one that we had borrowed broke down, and then we found a third one to get us home! Hopefully, he has better luck these days getting good buses and vans for his church trips!

That I'd like to see.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Student Ambassadors

I've never been on a Student Ambassadors trip.

My son has received an invitation yearly since he was starting sixth grade. We have never allowed him to go, although the programs look really fabulous. As there will be another meeting coming up in our area, he received another invitation. I looked at the website again today. There are trips for high schoolers to Japan, China, Australia and several countries in Europe including England, France, Belgium and Ireland. Maybe the time is right to look more seriously into letting our son be involved in world travel as a Student Ambassador.

That I'd like to see.

business trip

I've never been on a business trip.

I have been blessed to be able to stay home with my children and find work to do from home. I know that there are many moms and dads who are spending lots of time traveling these days. It is just part of their job. For them, they have many worries while leaving their family at home. One of the least of these should be business related life insurance rates. For business travelers, this should be one of the farthest things from their mind while traveling.

That I'd like to see.