Relaxing, Reading, Rays (sun rays, that is, not sting rays)

So, Where in the World was I? Cancun, Mexico (pictures are posted). A quick trip to Cancun is always a welcomed change. I needed a little sun to recharge the batteries before heading to Denmark. Part of me is a little worried about not getting my much-needed daily dose of Vitamin D while in DK. The weather was a perfect 85 degrees and sunny with a few lofty clouds rolling by every once in a while, and a nice breeze, too!

I've been to Cancun about 6 or 7 times, so I didn't do any of the typical tourist things like Chichen Itza (which is my favorite Maya ruin), Tulum, Xel-ha, Xcaret, Cozumel, etc. It was just a quick get away that included morning walks, reading, lounging, practicing my Spanish and also doing a French lesson each day. Before we head to Paris, I have to be able to speak a little French. So, the goal has been set!

I read quite a few books while on vacation, three of them are worthy of the blog. I also made my hour long trek on a ruta (local bus) to Sam's club and Wal-mart. I usually don't seek out these stores, but cheap Tequila and Rum and my favorite box of Bubbaloo were on the souvenier list.

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks was great! I've never read any of his books before, but I now have a list of some of his other works to read. The storyline centers around Travis Parker, who has everything; a great job, great friends, a house on the water, and has traveled the world. Enter Gabby Holland, his new neighbor. After a weekend of boating the journey begins. The question that persists is how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?

I also read two books by Mary Higgins Clark, a mystery-type novelist. A Stranger is Watching and The Cradle will Fall.

The author's synopis of A Stranger is Watching: Ronald Thompson knows he never killed Nina Peterson...yet in two days the state of Connecticut will take his life, having found him guilty via due process of law. But Thompson's death will not stop the pain and anger of Nina's husband, Steve.

The author's synopsis of The Cradle will Fall: A minor road accident landed county prosecutor Katie DeMaio in Westlake Hospital. That night, from her window, she thought she saw a man load a woman's body into the trunk of a car...or was it just a sleeping pill-induced nightmare?

After a quick trip to Cancun, I was in Chicago for about 24 hours, then back on a plane for Denmark. My tan is starting to fade, so I may just have to figure out how the solarium (tanning bed) works in the house!

Hej from Danmark

Greetings from Denmark, or Danmark as it is locally written.

No, my previous Where in the World am I, is not Danmark. I'll post the answer and pictures soon.

My flight to Copenhagen was great. I checked in at O'Hare and asked if there were any upgrades available. Low and behold, I got upgraded to Biz class for free. The seats recline almost 180 degrees, so sleeping was actually pretty comfortable. I was completely content with Economy Extra, but hey, Biz class is always an added bonus! I'm always a little amused when I fly into our little town. For those of you that plan to visit, I won't spoil the fun.

We are just about settled in and I have several 'lists'. I'm sure that doesn't surprise you! We'll see how much I can accomplish today. Chuck peddled off to work this morning and was settled in within 15 minutes. I wonder if he hooked up with the bike-pool group or not.

For my local government friends....the sanitation workers walk into my garage and pick up my garbage on Monday mornings. Talk about Service.....that's what the extra tax dollars get you!

Time for my Danish lesson.

Where in the world am I?

Here is a picture and some clues.

• Pristine landscaping, crashing waves, white sandy beaches
• A planned tourist location ‘created’ in the 1960s
• I did research for my undergraduate thesis (Romancing the Maya) here; well, I did some research and lots of tomando el sol (taking in the sun)
• I can always take a quick trip here; it’s my chicken soup, err tequila, for the soul
• Hola Paco. Donde esta Plaza Kukalcan y Mercado 28?
  

Makin' sushi

Jesse was diligently preparing sushi for dinner and managed to slice open his finger. So, he was done with the kitchen prep. As we mended Jesse's finger with the ever trusty superglue (and debated whether a not a trip to Urgent Care or the ER was necessary) Dad quickly stepped in and took orders, I mean direction, from Jesse. Check out his skills.

Am I a Doormat?

I just finished reading My Life as a Doormat: In Three Acts by Renee Gutteridge. It’s a cute fiction book, but definitely peanuts. It’s a quick read, about 4 hours total. It was suggested that I read it…hmmm, I wonder why? The main character, Leah, is signed up to attend conflict resolution classes by her boyfriend. She likes to have everything in her life in order and predictable; she likes compromise and is the first to apologize, even if it’s not her fault; she’s always there to help out and can’t say no. It’s amazing how you can read a book and find aspects of your life that are mirrored in fiction or maybe subconsciously it’s just a deep ‘wanting’ to place your life in fiction.

Who's the Designated Driver???

Chuck and I went to Napa a few weeks ago with my brother and his friend Meg. I was still on some medication from my month long myriad of illnesses, so as the three amigos sipped, slurped, and slurred their way through the Russian River Vally, Napa, and Sonoma, I carefully snaked the hybrid through bends and curves, secretly hoping they would get car sick (just kidding on the car sick part).

The answer to the previous Where in the World are we Roamin’ is Wine Country, California. The slideshow is posted. Here are the highlights:

Saturday – A terrible snowstorm in Milwaukee grounded our plane for 3 hours; however we were in San Francisco by 2:30, so it was ok. Jesse and Meg picked us up at 3:00 and we were on our way to the Silverado Resort in Napa, with a quick pit stop at the Golden Gate Bridge to take a few photos of The Bridge and Alcatraz.

Sunday – For $20 a person, the crew tasted at 14-16 wineries. There were over 100 to choose from, so the driver set the course and we hit quite a few. My favorite was Hops Kiln, which was a cool looking building, had great fresh baked bread, and the perfect view for our afternoon lunch.

Monday – At the recommendation of my friend Jen and her relatives in Napa, we went to Sterling, Twomey and had lunch at Taylor’s Refresher in St. Helena. Mmm, sweet potato fries and spicy tomato soup. We also visited V. Sattui, Ehlers, St. Clements, Rutherford, a huge castle near Sterling, and too many more to list. Beringer will always be my favorite winery in this region. Even though I wasn’t ‘tasting’ I did purchase the chocolate merlot sauce, which was quite tasty on angel food cake with fresh berries.

Tuesday – I spent the morning at the Silverado Spa, a little early birthday present from Chuck. 3 hours of pampering was just what I needed! We headed into Napa to the Market and got some great olive oil and balsamic vinegar that I cannot wait to use once I’m in Denmark. Of all the wineries we went to (I’d guess at least 30 in 2.5 days) only one was truly rude and that was the Silverado, located off the Silverado Trail.

Wednesday – We headed to San Francisco to fly out. This time we took the Bay Bridge route and were amazed to see how many people do NOT carpool to work. If they did, they could easily zoom past the bumper to bumper parking lot of cars and even zoom through the toll without having to pay! That would be incentive enough for me…no tolls!

Temporarily Homeless

The clock is right again. Denmark observed Daylight Savings last night, so the Midwest is back to being 7 hours behind DK. Half of the CH Romenesko duo is in Denmark and I'll be leaving in a few weeks. We had a bit of a setback with moving into the house. Chuck is staying in a hotel for the next few weeks until we move in on April 12.

I'm technically homeless right now. We moved out of the Janesville condo in the midst of a snow storm. Cold, windy, and snowy....what a way to leave the COJ. I'm hanging out in Green Bay with my parents and my sister and her husband. I'm heading to the Caribbean this upcoming weekend until the big move to Denmark. With the delayed move-in date, I thought I'd take advantage of some Mexican sun, Spanish, and bubba-lu.

Where in the World are We Roamin' to Now?

Here's a little game we're going to play, kind of like where in the world is Matt Lauer....except it's...Where in the World are We Roamin'?

Below is a photo and some clues. Keep guessing and check back later for the answer.

• Miles and miles of low hanging fruit.


• Mustard flowers dots the countryside in March.


• Varieties include sweet, dessert, ice, red, white.


• Sizes include nebuchenezzer, magnum, balthazar.


• Each year, one plant produces 20-30 glasses.


• A 5 oz glass includes .5 pounds of fruit.


• When driving winding and hilly roads, have a designated driver.

Chicago - Denmark Clock is off by 1 hour until March 30

In the US Government's infinite wisdom to change Daylight Savings Time up 3 weeks (and be different from the rest of the world), my clocks on the lower right will be off a bit until the rest of the world changes. So, right now Denmark is only 6 hours ahead and not 7 hours. Denmark will revert back to the 7 hours ahead on March 30th.

Bugs and Drugs

Finally, the sick germs have left the building. It's been 3 weeks of bugs and drugs. Actually, I've been sick since Christmas and the hacking cough that never really left. 5 different sets of drugs and 8 boxes of tissues later and no more sickness!