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(Secret) Christmas Vacation

(Secret) Christmas Vacation

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Perhaps you’ll remember (probably not) that after the spectacular Christmas fail of 2015, I decided to spend the next Christmas abroad. Despite having spent a large chunk of the summer in France and South Africa, I brought this idea up to my husband, Double D, some time around October. He enthusiastically agreed; we needed to do something different for the holidays this year. Like any good travel planners, Double D and I pulled out our laptops and got to work. On that bottle…

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And the award for ‘World’s Worst Blogger’ goes to…

And the award for ‘World’s Worst Blogger’ goes to…

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NOT ME! What? Really? Why?! Because the ‘World’s Worst Blogger’ wouldn’t be blogging. That person would be the worst and therefore, wouldn’t be back after a months-long hiatus. And so here I am, after only posting four times in 2016. FOUR TIMES. That’s pathetic. But a lot happened in 2016. Some of it, not so good; I lost the doggie love of my life, Winzig. Some of it, awesomely good; there’s a pitter-pat (and occasionally, rip, rip, rip) of a new…

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Dijon, c’est chouette!

Dijon, c’est chouette!

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I’m feeling overwhelmed by the lack of intelligence and grace in the world right now. How about you? Perhaps it’s fallout from the presidential election and realizing the majority of the American population has vast difficulty in the realm of analysis and research. Maybe it’s the bombardment of all things Christmas, which, let’s be honest, has been ongoing since November 1. Maybe it’s the lack of attention to this blog: poor blog. While leaving work yesterday, I was feeling particularly…

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The Only Place to Go

The Only Place to Go

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We had grand plans. I was going to fly into Boston for her birthday. We were going to have high tea at the public library. We were going to tour Back Bay, take in some history, and eat as many carbs as we could. Unfortunately, a nasty little bug ruined all of our plans but one: eat as many carbs as we could. That mission has been accomplished. Today, instead of venturing out into the world and exploring the historical and culinary sites…

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Gone with the Wine

Gone with the Wine

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“And when I woke up the next morning, I had booked four international trips! FOUR! We weren’t even that drunk!” I was in stitches. My co-worker was standing over my desk, rolling her mischievous eyes, tossing her dark shoulder-length hair over her shoulders, her smile pinching her cheeks upwards. “Seriously. One bottle of wine. That’s it. And a gin drink.” “I can drink more than that!” I declared. To be fair, my co-worker can too. But despite my bourbon talents, I have…

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Christmas at Home

Christmas at Home

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Clearly, it was a sign. As the burly man loaded our Black Hills spruce on top of the car, he winced as the needles pierced through his gloves and into his thick, calloused fingers. “Them heres angry trees,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “Dey never want to be chopped down in the first place.” I stared at the tree on the roof of the car. An angry tree. It’s blue branches shining in the 80-degree sun, drooping over the back of the window, while…

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42

42

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“The Answer to the Great Question…of Life, the Universe and Everything…” said Deep Thought. “Is…” said Deep Thought, and paused. “Forty-two,” said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm. Or it’s the price of a single glass of Elijah Craig 18 at Manny and Merle in Louisville, KY. It would have been kind of the bartender to tell us this number before he poured the drink, even if it took 7.5 million years, but he was more of a Dolt…

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Splish Splash: Takin’ a (Seaweed) Bath

Splish Splash: Takin’ a (Seaweed) Bath

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Remember that amazing picture of my mom that I submitted for Vagabond’s photo contest? Sadly, it didn’t win. The picture that did was taken from the top of a mountain…on a ridiculously beautiful day. Unfortunately for me (and my photography), we didn’t experience many sunny days while in Ireland. Occasionally we had good visibility, sure. But bright blue skies? Not so much. Wah-wah. The number of clouds we experienced on the tour certainly didn’t factor into the amount of fun we had. I took that picture of Mom on a…

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Be Good or Be Gone

Be Good or Be Gone

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The world can be a terrible place. Paris, Beirut, Kenya. Those are the ones we know about. That is what we’re reeling from today. And if you’re not horrified by what the politicians are saying, you’re probably horrified by the hate and vitriol filling your Facebook feed. It’s no wonder we’re feeling overwhelmed, depressed, unable to stymie the flow of tears. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in South Africa, where everywhere exists a stark dichotomy between the stunning beauty and the appalling horror next to…

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HELP! Vagabond: Photo Contest

HELP! Vagabond: Photo Contest

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Could you help me? Vagabond Tours is having a photo contest for the best picture taken by a customer during their 2015 tours. You know I love a good contest, but I’m not exactly a professional photographer, and I’m having problems choosing which pictures to submit. What’s the prize? The winner receives a vase from Dingle Crystal. While on our Driftwood tour in June, Mom and I got the chance to watch Sean Daly, Master Craftsman at Dingle Crystal, hand cut a few…

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