tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65190593904999695292023-11-15T09:58:20.415-08:00Places I've Beensienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-29878630075822718442012-03-22T16:54:00.000-07:002012-03-22T16:57:06.354-07:00PAYING ONLINEThanks for the guest post by Esteban Vinson<br /><br />I have started to pay most of my bills on-line using my <a href="http://www.clear-internet.com">clear wireless santa clara internet connection</a>. Last month, after the price of stamps went up again, I decided that I was going to bite the bullet and start paying things on-line. I used to be totally against paying all of my bills on-line. I preferred the old fashioned way of writing a check and mailing it in. Then, you didn’t have to worry about confirmation numbers and such. Some of the places that I have been paying bills to for years have done away with paper bills and you have to check your account status on-line, just another reason for me to switch. I am still getting used to it and I run into a problem because each site I have a different user name and password for. I have started to write down all of my user names and passwords and keep them on a sheet of paper. Hopefully next month I will not have to change the user names and passwords to everything that I own!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-8041199485061044002012-03-17T19:58:00.000-07:002012-03-23T06:18:16.240-07:00Little RockA quick stop at Little Rock, Arkansas, brought some interesting surprises, on St. Patrick's Day! <br /><br />We toured the State Capitol, which was located at a quiet part of town. The building was majestic and beautiful. We had a need to use the restrooms, and they were decorated like the bathrooms in a house. Instead of rushing out of them, as we usually did at public restrooms, I felt like curling up with a book on the homely bench in the powder room! The front doors to the Capitol Building was made of bronze, but shimmered like gold in the distance. My kids spent some time playing with their reflections in the doors, and trying the door knobs, which wouldn't open, of course!<br /><br />The statues on the Capitol grounds were of historical significance. It was interesting to read about their origins, and marvel at the courage of, and initiative taken by ordinary people which helped build what United States is today. The other side of town was home to restaurants/pubs, the junction bridge, and parks. It was St. Patricks's Day, and every where, we could see people downing glasses of green beer. There were a few guys dressed in kilts too, some merrily drunk, some remaining sober to in order to impress the pretty ladies dressed in all shades of green hanging on to their arms. There were block parties going on, just green upon green, everywhere we turned. <br /><br />For just a dollar for adults, we got to ride the trolley, which went over the Arkansas River. We could see paddle boats, and a submarine docked at the river. It was pretty interesting! We also walked across the river on one of the bridges. It was a long bridge, too long for the little legs of our little one, who was already exhausted by the long drive. Anyway, it was an interesting, short tour.sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-74954344499208161922012-03-10T21:57:00.000-08:002012-03-22T17:57:40.032-07:00BransonBranson was one of the places struck by the tornado just before our Spring Break. Since we had already reserved our lodgings, we decided to go ahead with our trip.<br /><br />It was a long drive, but we made it, without the kids doing too much whining. On the way to our condominium, we could see parts where the tornado had hit. Sometimes buildings lay in ruins in between whole ones, completely missed by the tornado. It was sad to see motels being torn apart, exposing rooms with curtains fluttering in the wind! Shops, restaurants, and museums were damaged, and boarded up.<br /><br />However, Branson was still a beautiful place. Fortunately, there were enough entertainment places left untouched by the powerful tornado to entertain the Spring Break crowd. On days when we didn't have plans for any paid entertainment, we took the trolley, which didn't cost a penny, and toured the old shops in Branson. The trolley also made a stop at Branson Landing, which was home to "new" shops, restaurants, hotels, and a musical fountain. We spent some time browsing the shops, ate some delicious ice-cream, and just sat and watched the fountain, and activity on the river.sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-55473319537809235322012-02-09T11:56:00.000-08:002012-02-10T09:21:41.617-08:00Dinner SurpriseWritten by my friend Betty Walls<br /><br />One of my family’s very favorite meals in the world is chicken curry. I, on the other hand, despise the stuff and it despises me. I swore ten years ago I would never eat it again after breaking out into cold sweats and spending copious amounts of time hugging the porcelain throne. Maybe it is the Indian spice all together that hates my guts…literally. I know for sure I am not willing to try it again to find out. It left a burning impression in my memory to this day. However with all that being said, I caught a recipe on <a href=" http://www.expertsatellite.com/direct-tv/direct-tv-pittsburgh-pennsylvania.html.">direct tv pittsburgh</a> and realized this was a super easy dish to make & my family loves it so I am going to make their jaws hit the floor tonight when I put it on the table. I may even include it in my go-to recipes for busy nights. I will be eating something else entirely, possibly from another room! Maybe I can capture it all on film and win a million bucks from their reaction.sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-78717634866320202552012-02-03T13:03:00.000-08:002012-02-09T12:19:48.248-08:00Little IndiaWe always go back to Singapore for the summer. As our kids grow bigger, they get more demanding. They're no longer just satisfied sitting around their grandparents' place, or playing at the neighborhood playgrounds.<br /><br />Last year, we made a special effort to arrange something fun, or new for them to do at least once a week. We took them to Little India one day. My 7-year-old had got to the stage where he was becoming aware of different cultures, and enjoyed seeing different places. Little India was just like a miniature India, with lots of Indian restaurants, shops lining the streets selling Indian spices, incense, saris, and a couple of Indian temples.<br /><br />We stopped at an Indian restaurant, and my 7-year-old actually decided he was brave enough to try curry! I was very proud of him! He drank a lot of water, in between "bites" (we dipped Naan - tortilla like bread - in curry), but he didn't complain. <br /><br />Later, we stopped at an open shopping area full of little shops selling Indian outfits, and other accessories. It was fun, and we grew dizzy just walking around the circular mall, dazzled by the clothes, mostly with sequins, beads, and beautiful embroidery sewn on them!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-61820548106604924262012-01-06T10:09:00.000-08:002012-01-06T10:50:20.805-08:00Railroad and Lone Star Flight MuseumsTrains and airplanes topped the list on my boys' Christmas lists. One year, we took them to "Day Out with Thomas"! They were thrilled! We didn't tell them where we were going, until we were at the place. It was priceless to see their faces when they saw Thomas huffing, and puffing into the station! Of course, their excitement doubled when they learned that we were actually going to ride on Thomas! <br /><br />My older boy had a week off for Spring Break last year. We didn't really want to take a long trip because of rising gas prices. So we went to the Railroad, and the Lone Star Flight Museums in Galveston. Parts of both museums were damaged by Hurricane Ike, but it was still fun for the boys. Anything life-size was awesome to little boys! We actually got to get onboard some of the trains. They were not moving, and mostly dirty (due to the hurricane), but we could still see what they were like, back in the days when they were still running.<br /><br />Who would have thought there was so much fun stuff to do so close to home?sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-11381412470220120772011-10-29T11:17:00.000-07:002011-10-29T11:24:06.692-07:00Buying The HouseWhen I bought this house I wasn’t thinking about things like <a href="http://www.wildbluedeals.com">high speed internet service</a> and plumbing, I was thinking about things like how pretty the moldings were and what colors I wanted to paint all the rooms. I think the realtor said something to the effect of <a href="http://www.wildbluedeals.com">"good bones"</a> and I was just sold – it was a great house and it was so cheap for what it was! Well, I’ve come to find out that the reason it was so cheap was that it needed thousands and thousands of dollars worth of work. Oops. Guess in the future I’ll have learned to look into things more before I buy. Anyway, I’ve spent the last few months trying to get everything together for the house of my dreams but it’s really just making me crazy. Everything has to be special ordered or put in after I get a permit from the city and all in all it’s just the biggest hassle ever. I don’t think I’d do it again!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Guest Post by Olga Quinnsienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-22124374626204525622011-10-21T06:45:00.000-07:002011-10-21T07:03:31.205-07:00Fishing TripBen was very excited about the weekend! We might even be more excited than his 6-year-old son Seth. He was going to introduce his son to his favorite sport - fishing! Ever since Seth was born, he had been planning this day. Father-and-son quality time - fishing together! His wife, Adela, finally gave her consent. She didn't think Seth was big enough to go fishing for the longest time! Ben was ready to take Seth on a fishing trip since he turned 3!<br /><br />Of course, Ben planned way ahead! He was going to make sure Ben's first fishing experience would be a wonderful, and memorable one. He turned to his favorite website for all the <a href="http://www.canadapost.ca/shopper/fishing-gear/pc/49">fishing gear</a> he needed to make the fishing trip a success. Adela could not suppress a smile seeing her husband's gleeful face as he ordered cool fishing stuff on the computer. His expression was mirrored in her little boy's face, as he listened eagerly to Daddy explaining to him all the fishing gear appearing on the computer screen.<br /><br />Adela hoped her 2 favorite boys would have the best fishing experience ever during the weekend. She almost wished she was going along! However, she knew Seth would feel so grown up, and happy to be doing something fun with Daddy, without Mommy. She felt happy, and a little sad at the same time. Her little boy was growing up so fast!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-50867337062186852332011-08-23T16:33:00.000-07:002011-08-23T16:36:04.304-07:00New LifeI feel like the transition from being a full-time student in college and having a full-time job has been rather difficult. First, I can’t sleep as late as I use to and I can’t stay up as late watching thankless videos on the Internet till all hours of the night. Furthermore, I don’t get any afternoon naps and my day doesn’t end at noon. Although, I do like making a steady income and I feel like working has some great benefits that I didn’t really see when I was thinking about getting a full-time job. The major things I didn’t think about were mainly focused around amount of benefits my company has like dental and medical insurance and the two week paid vacation days. In college, I always got a lot more vacation days but I didn’t get paid while I was taking them. Plus, I’ve finally gotten out from under the watchful eye of my parents and I finally have my own place. My dad recently sent me a link to <a href="http://www.shopelectricityratestexas.com">http://shopElectricityRatesTEXAS.com/</a> that really helped me understand the importance of having fixed energy costs. Now I feel like this is one less thing I have to worry about and something I wish I would’ve known about in college.
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<br />Thanks to Roman Maysienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-60320999338577722062011-06-22T17:34:00.000-07:002011-06-22T17:50:00.883-07:00NarutoOne of the shows that first got me hooked on Japanese animation was the show Naruto. So when I realized that I could watch it here in the states on satellite TV, that I got after seeing these <a href="http://www.directstartv.com">directstartv.com</a>, I was thrilled to say the least. Catching the first few episodes that night swept me with a feeling of <a href="http://www.directstartv.com">nostalgia</a>. I'd forgotten how much I loved the characters of Uzumaki, Naruto and Uchiha, Sasuke. The show focuses on these two young ninjas as they form a brotherly rivalry through their shared experiences and one of their team's biggest missions. Naruto is the main character and basically plays the role of the hard-working underdog with a big dream. Sasuke, on the other hand, is considered a prodigy. His character has both an inferiority complex and a desire for revenge against his last remaining family member, his brother Itachi. Itachi has been banished from the village for the murder of his clan members, including his own parents. The beginning parts focus on Naruto's incredible growth as a ninja after he comes under the tutelage of Kakashi, the team's leader and an upper ranked ninja. This fosters both a growing respect and a feeling of inferiority in Sasuke as the two compete in every mission. They begin to look upon each other as brothers, but everything changes when Sasuke's brother returns for a visit.<br /><br />(Guest post from: Issac Bird)sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-31322742316290489512011-04-20T18:38:00.000-07:002011-04-25T16:38:42.874-07:00LockhartOne lazy afternoon, we turned on the TV and saw a show introducing different parts of Texas. It was called the Daytripper, and we found it very interesting. My 6-year-old son who watched the show with us, loved it, and was always begging to go the the places introduced by the host. Ever since I saw the show on Lockhart, I had been craving for some good, greasy barbecue! <br /><br />This Easter weekend, I had the chance of visiting Lockhart with my family. We drove to all the "famous" barbecue places introduced on the show, and finally chose one to satisfy our hunger. We didn't really know what we were doing, and ordered our food "ignorantly". The food tasted good, but we wished we knew what we were doing while we got in line. We passed by the jail museum, but didn't go in, much to the disappointment of our 6-year-old. He was hoping to meet the ghost who craved barbecue introduced on the show. <br /><br />Anyway, it was interesting! We may visit Lockhart again, and try one of the other 3 famous barbecue places.sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-20713991569599837132008-10-06T12:43:00.000-07:002008-10-06T13:06:34.688-07:00Hawker FairThe traffic was bad! It was worse than the evacuation traffic when we were fleeing from Ike! Who would have expected that? With a four-year-old and a 9-month-old baby in the car, it was not very pleasant. It took us two hours to reach Bear Creek Park. We were going to attend a gathering organized by the Malaysia-Singapore Association based in Houston. The theme of the gathering was Hawker Fair. <br /><br />Needless to say, my mouth was watering, and my tummy growling, by the time we reached the park, and the designated pavilion. The aroma of the familiar food smell of home washed my fatigue away instantly. There was already a big crowd there, busy devouring all kinds of food found in Singapore and Malaysia. We bought our coupons, and I made my way to the Nasi Lemak store, and got myself some lunch. Then my husband got some Fried Noodles (Cha Kway Teow). Since we were late, most of the stalls were already stripped of their yummy food! However, the Nasi Lemak was so tasty I did not even mind that! I was even able to get myself a bowl of Laksa after sharing the Nasi Lemak with my four-year-old. <br /><br />After settling my tummy, I started to look around. It was our first time at an activity organized by the Malaysia-Singapore Association for Malaysians and Singaporeans. I talked to one of the organizers, who was extremely helpful. He introduced us to some Singaporeans who lived near us. However, like typical Singaporeans, the majority of the fellow Singaporeans and Malaysians gathered there seemed a little unfriendly. Nobody came forward to introduce himself, or herself to us. Most of them already had friends they knew, and stuck to, throughout the gathering. I tried to strike up a conversation with some of the vendors, but got very little response. Guess not all Singaporeans living in the foreign country of U.S. were as desperate as me, to seek out another fellow Singaporean. I did get to know a couple of them at the gathering, and satisfied my craving of speaking "rojak" English!<br /><br />I did enjoy myself at the Hawker Fair, despite it falling below my expectations, in terms of friendliness. However, I am determined to attend more activities, so that my half-American kids can get in touch with their mother's roots.sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-72480105814052117972008-06-06T11:52:00.000-07:002008-06-06T15:09:55.716-07:00The World at A GlanceSharon was excited! She just got her first job, after graduating from College. She was on the phone with her best friend from College, Carmen, who also just got a job. The girls were already planning their first vacation together! They talked about travelling around the world, and for their first trip, they would like to travel far!<br /><br />Sharon was on the phone with Carmen again. Half a year had gone by, and both were still loving their jobs. It was time for them to plan for their vacation together. Sharon's brother-in-law went on business trips a lot, and told her he found one website really useful. Sharon and Carmen had selected a few places at random, just to check what was available and attractive out there. They clicked on <a href="http://www.easytobook.com/en/italy/venezia/venice-hotels/">Venice Hotels</a>, and see what the site had to offer. They liked what they saw, but they wanted to look at more places, before they decided which part of the world they wanted to see first. Next, they looked under <a href="http://www.easytobook.com/en/china/china-hotels/">China Hotels</a>, and were amazed when they realised how many places they could see, just in China alone. They spent some time looking at the other countries in Asia too, and came to a conclusion. They had to do it fast, if they wanted to see the world before they settled down. Then they looked at <a href="http://www.easytobook.com/en/new-zealand/new-zealand-hotels/">New Zealand Hotels</a>, and fell in love with the beautiful country of New Zealand.<br /><br />Their eyes were gleaming with enthusiasm as they got off the computer! What a world of discoveries was awaiting them! Life was good! Sharon and Carmen felt there were so many interesting places beckoning them, that it would take them a while to make up their minds which end of the world to start their exploring!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-13677715781067817982008-05-08T13:49:00.000-07:002008-05-08T14:28:56.763-07:00Diving AdventureFay had a successful career, great friends and family. She was 32, but still single. She did not feel the urge to settle down right away, but felt she might like to have her own family some day. She loved the sea, and took up scuba diving a couple of years ago. She still hung out with her fellow scuba diving 'classmates', whether out at sea, or on land. They had been talking about making a trip to Australia - a hot spot for scuba divers, and to spend most of the days scuba diving. <br /><br />Fay volunteered to plan the trip. She had made several trips overseas, and had used the same website to reserve hotels, and check out sightseeing-spots. She browsed under <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.com.au/brands/Sheraton/">Sheraton hotels</a>, and looked at the different locations to check if there was one close to a beach with an interesting underwater world. She had great fun looking at the pictures of the hotels provided on the site. Then she checked <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.com.au/brands/Rydges/">Rydges Hotels</a>, and marvelled at the great facilities offered by these hotels. Even though Fay would not need a conference room this time, she took note of the conference facilities, and made sure to remember to tell her boss about them. Her boss just might arrange a business meeting in Australia! Next, she looked at the hotels listed under <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.com.au/brands/Travelodge/">Travelodge</a>, and noted that they offered very cheap rates. The price was very appealing, but Fay still went on to check on another group of hotels, under <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.com.au/brands/Radisson/">Radisson Hotels</a>. Fay finally decided she could not make the choice among all the fabulous hotels for the group by herself. She printed out the options, and called a meeting with her friends, to finalise plans for the trip.<br /><br />Fay's friends were impressed with how efficient she was. They did not expect her to come up with such good options in so short a time. Fay smiled to herself as she recalled the effort she had put in - just letting her fingers do the walking - over her keyboard!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-20551191271038471892008-05-06T09:25:00.000-07:002008-05-06T10:13:43.767-07:00A French Honeymoon!Kathy was excited! She and her college sweet-heart, Kazu, were going to be married in a couple of weeks! They were going to France for their honeymoon! Kathy had never been to France, and had dreamt about spending her honeymoon there. Her dream had come true! Kazu travelled to France a number of times on business trips, and so knew the place pretty well. He would have no problems with driving Kathy around to wherever she wished to go.<br /><br />Kazu told Kathy she could choose whatever spot she wished to visit in France. He told her about a website on the Internet, where she could look up information about hotels and places of interest, and make reservations if she wanted to. Kathy decided they simply had to make a stop at Paris - the most romantic city in the world! She looked at the different hotels under <a href="http://www.hotelsenfrancais.com/France/Paris/"> Paris Hôtels [ NB special character on hôtels ô ]</a>, on the website Kazu had told her, and picked a hotel to her liking. The next place Kathy thought they should explore was Marseilles, another major city of France. She chose a tradtional hotel from the many listed under <a href="http://www.hotelsenfrancais.com/France/Marseille/">Marseilles Hôtels</a>, and then went on to look at other hot spots being recommended on the site. The name Toulouse popped up, and Kathy immediately decided she and Kazu had to make a stop there. She liked the name, and browsed the section on <a href="http://www.hotelsenfrancais.com/France/Toulouse/">Toulouse Hôtels</a>. After going through a difficult elimination process, she finally reserved a room at one of the many hotels listed there. Bordeaux was the next city at which Kathy decided she and Kazu would spend their honeymoon. There were a lot of choices for accomodations under <a href="http://www.hotelsenfrancais.com/France/Bordeaux/"> Bordeaux Hôtels</a>, and Kathy reserved a room in one of them closest to a lot of places of interest.<br /><br />Kathy sat back in her chair, and stretched herself! Ah! France, here we come - as a married couple! Kathy shut her eyes, and a smile of bliss spread across her face.sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-91255634032104431432008-05-03T20:14:00.000-07:002008-05-04T18:30:56.699-07:00Hello! Germany!Frank took German when he was in College. He did pretty good at the language. He had always wanted to visit Germany, but did not have a chance - till now! He worked in a German firm, and had opportunity to befriend some German colleagues in the company. They often talked to Frank about Germany. It made Frank want to visit Germany even more. <br /><br />One of Frank's best friends from College had a few days of leave, and invited Frank to go on a trip with him. Frank suggested Germany, and his friend immediately agreed, having taken German in College too! They planned to go on a road trip. Frank was excited and did a search on the net and found a cool website, that would enable him to reserve hotels, and plan his road trip. Berlin would be one of the places they would stop to explore. He looked under <a href=" http://www.hotelsdeutsche.com/Germany/Berlin/">Berlin Hotels</a>, and reserved a hotel for him and his friend, at a very reasonable rate. For another destination, Frank reserved a hotel under <a href="http://www.hotelsdeutsche.com/Germany/Cologne/">Köln Hotels [ NB Special Characters ]</a>. Frankfurt will be another stop on their road trip. Frank booked a hotel among the <a href="http://www.hotelsdeutsche.com/Germany/Frankfurt/">Frankfurt Hotels</a> he found on the website. Munich is another place Frank and his friend would want to stop to explore. Frank found this hotel under <a href="http://www.hotelsdeutsche.com/Germany/Munich/">Munich Hotels</a>, and without hesitation, reserved a room for him and his friend.<br /><br />Frank hoped his German would be able to help him get by in Germany. He hoped he would be able to read all the road signs and make simple conversation when he needed to do so. His German colleagues were delighted to hear about his road trip. They gave him a few pointers, and also recommended a few must-visit places in the cities he was going to visit.sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-87787154196706280332008-04-30T14:18:00.000-07:002008-05-03T06:45:28.225-07:00Explore United Kingdom!Derek and Shannon were newlyweds. They had been inseparable since their engagement. Derek had a business of his own, and had to travel overseas a lot. Shannon missed him very much when he traveled. Now, as his wife, she travelled with him, wherever his business took him. She quite enjoyed being married to him! She wanted to take advantage of the freedom to travel with Derek, before kids came on the scene.<br /><br />She kind of became his personal travel assistant, making his travel arrangements for him, whenever the need arose. Derek had to visit some clients at a few places in England the following week. Shannon had to set up his travel plans in a hurry. She was used to doing stuff on the Internet, being a personal assistant to a Director of a firm before she quit. She went straight to this website, which offered benefits and cheap hotel rates to last-minute travellers. She booked a few hotels at the different places at which Derek's clients were stationed. She went through some <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-Kingdom/Manchester/">Cheap Manchester Hotels</a>, and chose the one she liked best, in terms of price, and hotel facilities. Then she looked up <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-Kingdom/London/">Cheap London Hotels</a>, and reserved one for Derek and herself. Birmingham and Edinburgh were two other destinations Derek had to stop at, and Shannon gladly booked hotels under <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-Kingdom/Birmingham/">Cheap Birmingham Hotels</a>, and <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-Kingdom/Edinburgh/">Cheap Edinburgh Hotels</a>, getting such unbelievably good rates, she couldn't wait to see Derek's approving face!<br /><br />She also looked up places she would like to visit while Derek was at the business meetings, and places she would like to eat at, when Derek was free to join her. In Manchester, one of the places Shannon looked forward to visiting was the Piccadilly Gardens. In London, she hoped to shop till she dropped, and also walk around the beautiful parks there. In Birmingham, she was looking forward to feel the presence of Shakespeare, and listen to some good symphony music at the Symphony Hall. In Edinburgh, Derek could indulge in his favorite past time - golf! Shannon, who had just taken up golf, could practice her golf swings with the set of new clubs Derek got her for her birthday!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-88425088110165264572008-04-21T15:41:00.000-07:002008-04-22T07:46:10.640-07:00A Vacation at The Blue InnJane had a few good friends she hung out with a lot. They were all in her Spanish class at College. They were looking forward to Summer because they had decided to take a vacation together. One of Jane's friends, May, had been to a place in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, with her family. They stayed at this charming <a href="http://www.laposadaazul.com">nicaragua beach hotel</a> called "The Blue Inn", and absolutely loved it! <br /><br />May gathered Jane and the others around her laptop one day, and showed them pictures of the wonderful <a href="http://www.laposadaazul.com">San Juan del Sur Beach Hotel</a> they were going to stay at, during their trip in the Summer. The place looked gorgeous! The would-be vacationers wished Summer would come sooner!<br /><br />Jane and her friends had fallen in love with La Posada Azul, the elegant <a href="http://www.laposadaazul.com">San Juan Del Sur hotel</a>, just by looking at the pictures. They dreamt about lazing around at the inn, soaking up the sun at the beach, surfing, swimming, and just enjoying a few days of peace and quiet at the fishing village!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-39074372576492058372008-04-18T14:11:00.000-07:002008-04-18T14:46:09.852-07:00Santorini - A Wedding PresentMark and Jan's son was getting married! They were very excited! This was the first wedding in the family. Mark and Jan wanted to give their son and future daughter-in-law a very special wedding gift. They thought hard and long about it, and still could not agree upon one gift. <br /><br />One day, Mark was surfing the web, and came upon a <a href="http://www.tdvacations.com/santorini-guide.html">website</a>, introducing this wonderful island in Greece. The name of the island sounded like some refreshing drink - Santorini! As he read more about this Greek island, he got more excited! He called Jan to join him. As Jan read about more Santorini, a smile stole upon her face. She turned to look at Mark, and both knew at once they had found the perfect wedding present for their son! <br /><br />Mark and Jan looked on the travel site further, and made reservations for a hotel at <a href="http://www.tdvacations.com/santorini-guide.html">Santorini</a> for the soon-to-be-married couple. <br /><br />When the engaged couple received the wedding present, they could not hide their joy! Honeymoon on a Greek island? How romantic could it get? Mark and Jan shared with them the <a href="http://www.tdvacations.com/santorini-guide.html">website</a> where they had arranged the trip, and the couple was impressed, and decided that they would look it up when they plan future trips.sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-68768657649733919102008-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:002008-02-11T10:43:34.493-08:00A Trip to The HospitalThis is my second trip to the Christus St. John Hospital when I came home with a baby! My toddler has a baby brother now!<br /><br />I did not really enjoy the delivery, but in a way, I enjoyed the stay at the hospital. Perhaps, subconsciously, I knew when I left the hospital, I would be very much on my own, to care for a toddler and a new-born! At the hosptital, I had the expert help of the attentive nurses, for my baby, and myself. I even enjoyed the food served at the hospital (probably more so because I did not have to prepare it myself). <br /><br />The staff at the hospital had really made a good impression on me though. When I had my first-born, I left the hospital in a lot of pain, but with a lot of good things to say about the nurses who attended to my needs, both day and night. This time, I left the hospital with my son's baby brother, not in as much pain, but with as much appreciation for the nurses' kind attention towards me as the last time.sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-62145645781844455222008-02-11T10:08:00.000-08:002008-02-11T10:27:15.643-08:00A Break for Harry's familyHarry was a busy business man. He travelled a lot, and did not get to spend time with his family as much as he would like. He felt guilty that his wife almost had to single-handedly take care of his two children, who were still under the age of ten. He wished he did not have to travel so much!<br /><br />He had some vacation time finally! He wanted to do something special with his wife and children. He thought taking them to another country, away from the mundane everyday life, would be a good idea. He searched on the <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.nz">net</a>, and found some really interesting destinations at which he thought he and his family would really enjoy spending some time.<br /><br />He wanted to spring a surprise on his wife and children. He did not want them to know where they were heading to, until they were at the airport. He just told them what kind of clothes they should take with them, and what the weather would be like when they got to the destination. Harry had finally decided to bring his family to New Zealand, a place where nature was still very much appreciated, and alive! He looked on the site for information about hotels. He looked at <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.nz/New-Zealand/Christchurch/">Hotels in Auckland</a>, <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.nz/New-Zealand/Auckland/">Hotels in Wellington</a>, and <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.nz/New-Zealand/Christchurch/"> Hotels in Christchurch</a>, and booked hotels at different places he thought he and his family would visit.<br /><br />Harry felt very satisfied after he had done all his planning and reservations. Being such a busy man, the site he found helped him a lot by enabling him to do everything he needed to do for the trip, without any hassle!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-67457440011015725642008-01-21T17:01:00.000-08:002008-01-21T17:25:32.653-08:00A Shopping VacationMary is a single woman - young, successful in her job, and not in any serious relationship at the moment. She enjoys shopping, watching the movies, and travelling, with her female friends. She thinks she's living the perfect life now! She doesn't feel tied down to anybody, or anything! She feels free, and happy.<br /><br />Right now, she's in the process of planning her next vacation overseas with her group of friends. They have already agreed on the destination. They are now gathered in Mary's apartment, armed with brochures, and all kinds of munchies and drinks. One of Mary's friends, Angie, got on line, and is browsing this <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-Kingdom/London/website">website</a>, where she's getting great information about travelling in London. Mary and her friends have one common interest - shopping, and they plan to make this the focal point of their stay in London. Now, Mary and her friends are all gathered around Angie and the computer, and they all have fun looking for a hotel, which will provide them easy access to shopping places. They look under <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-Kingdom/London/Kensington">London Hotels</a>, <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-Kingdom/London/Kensington">Kensington Hotels</a>, <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-Kingdom/London/Knightsbridge/">Knightsbridge Hotels</a>, and <a href="http://www.cheaperthanhotels.co.uk/United-Kingdom/London/Oxford-Street/">Oxford Street Hotels</a>. There are lots of pictures that help the girls to decide where they want to stay, and how much they can afford. It's a lot of fun for the girls, just looking at the colorful pictures, and other useful information supplied by the website.<br /><br />The girls find out that they can do some interesting sight-seeing, as well as do some "serious" shopping, staying at certain hotels. They look forward to a wonderful vacation!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-80764977644968599612007-12-04T10:09:00.000-08:002007-12-04T10:23:37.779-08:00This Is The Life!Shermin was American, but he was posted to London for two years. He liked working overseas. It gave him an opportunity to experience new things and meet new people. He hoped to be posted to another country with a totally different culture, and climate the next time round.<br /><br />However, Shermin also missed his family and friends. However, he had found a cheap, and easy way to get around that. He found this website on the Internet, which provided affordable <a href="http://www.dialaflight.com/flights/usa/florida/">flights to Florida</a>, New York, Washington, and many other places in the USA. Shermin had made use of DiaAFlight to travel back to see his family, and also made use of the different holiday offers to spend time with his friends. <br /><br />All Shermin did was talk over his travel plans on the phone with a travel agent based in the UK, and he never failed to get a dream package settled. With DialAFlight to assist him with his travel plans, Shermin enjoyed the fun of working overseas, and travelling near and far without any hassle!<br /><br />This is a sponsored post.<br /><img src="http://tinyurl.com/2yz3r2" />sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-74988648957335090292007-12-01T09:48:00.000-08:002007-12-04T10:00:20.528-08:00Christmas ParadeMy toddler was very excited! The annual Christmas Parade hosted by our city was going to be held on Saturday evening! His grandparents lived close to the street where the Christmas Parade was going to happen. He got to play at his grandparents' house, and then go to the Christmas Parade! My toddler could hardly contain his joy!<br /><br />The best thing he liked about the Parade was the candy. The people in the parade threw lots of candy to the spectators last year, and my son loved that part, more so now that he was old enough to enjoy candy of all sorts. <br /><br />It wasn't as cold as last year, and we didn't have to bundle up. My son was sitting with his daddy on the side of the road. He jumped sky-high when a fire truck honked its horn! The Santa sitting in the fire-truck didn't help calm my son's nerves. He wanted his grandfather to hold him after that! My husband and I laughed cruelly because his reaction was hilarious - to us! Anyway, my son got lots of candy. It wasn't a particularly spectacular parade, but we had a nice time!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6519059390499969529.post-91645111835163003862007-11-26T10:35:00.000-08:002007-11-26T10:47:34.646-08:00Black Friday Shopping TripWent to visit some relatives during Thanksgiving. On our way home, we decided to stop at some shops to do some shopping! It was Black Friday. I never shopped on Black Friday before. Anyway, everyone in the car was agreeable to the suggestion, and so we gave it a try. <br /><br />Went to Garden Ridge, and saw tons of items with very attractive low prices. Got a few items - not as much as some shoppers did, with cartloads full of stuff, and were making our way to the check-out. Suddenly realised the check out line was about a mile long. We put our items back, and decided to leave the store empty-handed!<br /><br />The experience at the first store did not teach us to be smarter. We stopped at a few other shops. The only shops with short check-out lines didn't have any special sale going on, and prices of goods were not attractive. Stopped at another shop where we picked up a few items. When we got to the shop, the check-out lines were not long at all. Of course, when we were ready to check out, the lines suddenly snaked around the store. We put back our items, and decided to head home!<br /><br />No more Black Friday shopping for me!sienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17579269047314762950noreply@blogger.com0