Random TLC – Page 2 – Postcards From TLC

January 6, 2018January 27, 2018

Christmas in the Lou

St. Louis, Mo. It’s where we headed for the long Christmas weekend. Even though we only live 2 hours away and it’s my hometown, a long weekend in St. Louis is like a mini vacay. If you’ve never been there, it’s a fun and unique place to visit.

There’s the Gateway Arch to experience.

Photo cred to Lisa Oldenburg — The Arch photo by Lisa Oldenburg

Mississippi Riverfront and Arch photo by Lisa Oldenburg

This is a 630-foot monument in downtown St Louis, Mo., next to the Mississippi River, that is also recognized as the “Gateway to the West”. You can take a 4 minute tram ride to the observation area where you are able to see up to 30 miles into Missouri and Illinois on a clear day. If it’s a windy day you will feel it swaying. It’s a fun experience either way! While driving into St. Louis, when I catch a glimpse of the Arch, I know I’m home.

We spent time with friends and family on most of this trip. It was heartwarming to see everyone and to catch up on the past year. I always enjoy visiting with my parents on these trips too and it’s good that the home-cooked feeding frenzy only happens once per year. Luckily, we didn’t have time to add in any meals out at my favorite restaurants. I’m sure I wouldn’t have fit into my jeans again for a while if that were the case.

Hubby scored huge bonus points this Christmas too. He always has such a knack for the perfect gift buying, I wish I were so talented. I’ve mentioned we will be planning to spend a lot of time in our new condo at The Lake of the Ozarks this summer. In shopping for furnishings for the condo, I’ve had my eye on these glass vases.

I’ve not been able to find a link online but I’ve found the vases at Pier One. You can see something similar here. Hubby found them too and got them as a gift for me. They’ve now been re-homed at the condo.

Hubby also got me a Margaritaville Bahamas Frozen Concoction Maker. You can check out my original obsession with the Frozen Concoction Maker in my earlier post Smoky Mountain Getaway. This thing is great and puts my blender to shame! So far we’ve used it to make Strawberry Wine Slushies and Pineapple Banana Smoothies. I’d imagine, once winter ends and the weather warms up, we’ll find even more concoctions to try!

Now, the year is winding down during this week after Christmas. I feel very privileged to have a wonderful life with my wonderful husband. I am ready to move on! As we go into 2018, I’m looking forward to more fun traveling to the Lake and other locations. And I can’t wait to use the Maker some more! See you all next year!

December 14, 2017

Black Friday Shopping Jamaican Style

Where did we not shop? We hit a number of big box stores like Sam’s Club, Walmart, Menard’s, Target, Walmart, Target, Menard’s, Sam’s, you get it. We also hit other stores like Bath & Bodyworks, Perfumania, American Eagle, Old Navy, Aeropostale, Pier 1 and Clark’s.

Paul got some real bargains, especially at Clark’s. He found a pair of boots (that he knew from experience would last him at least a few years) for half price. At Target, he got to stock up on soap, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and a few other toiletries and Walmart had a good bargain on underwear and tank tops.

Beyond that, he was able to gather up some other items. Christmas gifts for his girls and a few gifts for his co-workers were mostly found at Perfumania, where he was able to find some real deals between clearance items and a half price sale. (Their deals were so good I even picked up a couple of gifts there.) This one smelled really good and would be a great stocking stuffer for a young lady:

After that, I’m not sure the bargains were so hot. Old Navy had everything 50% off, but half off didn’t include clearance items, and by the time we made our purchases there, I felt like I spent about the same amounts as usual. Pier 1 was the same, and if they would have counted the red vases in the 50% off sale, I would have walked out with them both!

What amazed me about shopping with Paul is that for everything he put into the shopping cart, he kept a mental tally of what his total should be. (Minus the tax which varied depending on where we shopped.) Not once, but twice he caught the store clerks incorrectly charging him! How many times have you just paid the total without thinking twice? I know I do it frequently, and now I wonder how often I have overpaid while shopping.

It was no big deal when he called out the clerk at Bath & Body Works. She quickly realized what had happened and corrected the mistake. However, Old Navy was not nearly as accommodating. That clerk insisted her computer was accurate, but when Paul requested she re-ring his items, he was right, she had over-charged him by quite a bit! Makes you wonder how often that happens, Black Friday or not. Be careful in your shopping.

December 9, 2017July 12, 2018

Jamaica Comes To Thanksgiving Dinner

Our Jamaican friend has come to visit us for Thanksgiving. He flew into St. Louis via Baltimore/Washington. After delays leaving MoBay and delays in Baltimore, we finally got to pick Paul up at the airport at 2:40 am the weekend before Thanksgiving. No problem man! Just another 2 hour drive home after that, just in time to get to bed at 5 am.

After a quick sleep, we got back on the road to head to the Lake of the Ozarks to show Paul that part of our state. It was actually a pretty mild weekend for November, so we were able to spend time outdoors on the deck. We also took Paul to his first of many visits to Menards (a chain store of home improvement products) and bought new flooring for the condo. After finishing a little bit of work, our friends Francis and Marissa came to visit for a bit and have some wine. We chatted, sipped, and had fun hearing about their new boat they would have down at the lake this summer. When they hit the road to head back home, we went into town and had a tasty dinner at Tucker’s Shuckers. If you’re ever in the historic Bagnell Dam area, check them out. They have all kinds of food, but are known for their incredible oysters.

We returned to Columbia, put in a few days at work, and prepped for Thanksgiving dinner. For those who know me, this is one my favorite holidays of the year and I LOVE turkey dinner. We were having Francis, Marissa, and another friend Marsha over for dinner. We started prepping the menu for traditional roast turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, salad, rolls, cranberry sauce and pies (pumpkin and chocolate) for six. Paul was so generous to make Jamaican Rice and Peas to add a Jamaican spin to our dinner. It was so delish, and dinner wasn’t complete until Paul shared the recipe. (He also left us some extra coconut milk powder, so I can make it myself later.) And if Marissa reads this and let’s me know she did, I’ll even share the powder with her!

Shortly after dinner, it was time for some Black Friday shopping with Paul. I’ll have to post later about that as Paul’s still here and in the event any of his friends or family back home that he bought for are reading this, I don’t want to spoil any surprises. This was a Thanksgiving to be grateful for good friends who are like family.

November 30, 2017

Where Should You Travel?

I frequently get asked the question of where should I go for my next vacation? That’s never an easy answer for me. Do you think you want to go where I’m going next? (I’m shooting for Barbados, but could end up anywhere.) Unless you do, you may want to take some things into consideration. Here’s how I decide.*How much time do I have to devote to my next trip? If I have a week or more, I’ll venture further from home and keep in mind that I’ll need to budget for more. If I only have a few days, I’ll stay closer to home and seek out non-stop flights so I don’t waste an entire day getting there.*What is my budget? If I have a lot to spend on vacay, I’ll upgrade to a nicer resort (there’s definitely a difference between a Sandals and others). If I have a limited budget, I’ll stick to a less inclusive or seek out a non-inclusive resort, villa, or studio to stay in.*Regardless of anything else, I will search for what’s on sale. In the past, this has landed me in a completely different country than I originally intended, but I can’t pass up saving money when it’s able to be saved. I like to use Apple Vacations, Expedia, Momondo, Southwest Airlines, FunJet, Cheap Caribbean, Room Scanner to help me price trips.*What activities do I want to participate in? Do I want an active, sightseeing trip? Do I want to do volunteer work while I’m there? Do I just want to veg by the pool and sip fruity cocktails? Activities will come into play when deciding on the where.*Do I want to go somewhere warm or cold? Or is the location more important than climate? If there’s a particular place I have on my list to visit, climate won’t really matter to me. But, if my goal is a restful, relaxing trip, you’ll find me by the pool or scuba diving in a warm, most likely Caribbean locale.

*What dates will I be traveling? Any travel around holidays, will tend to have a higher price tag. So, the trade off is usually pay more to travel when I have holiday days off, or save more on the trip, but use a vacation day to go during non-holiday times. And most trips during the summer months will tend to cost more.*Who will I be going with? If it’s just me and hubby, we can easily determine where we are going. If others are going, or this will be a group trip, we’ll need to determine if they are bringing children, what their budget is, and what activities they would be interested in. Is it a girls weekend or family trip? That adds other needs to consider.

All in all, it’s a loaded question when you ask me where you should travel to, but at least now you know why and may have some ideas of your own. Regardless of where you decide to go, the important thing is to just go!

November 25, 2017

Gorgeous Sunsets

In scrolling through pics I have saved over the years, apparently I snap a lot of sunrises and sunsets. Here are a few of my favorites:
Cozumel, Mexico Sunset

Captiva Island, Florida Sunset

Negril, Jamaica Sunset

Riviera Maya, Mexico Sunrise

Riviera Maya, Mexico Sunrise

Lake Ozark, Missouri Sunset

Rocheport, Missouri Sunset

Guanacaste, Costa Rica Sunset

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Sunrise

Negril, Jamaica Sunset

Grand Canyon, Arizona Sunset

Glacier Bay, Alaska Sunrise

Which one do you like best? Comment on your favorite, or share a pic of one you’ve seen.

August 4, 2017

I'm no Wanderer, Nomad, or Expeditioner

I don’t do never-ending trips, living out of my backpack, forgoing my home address, staying at hostels. I don’t choose to travel to obscure places, with nothing but a carry-on, working along the way to pay my way, or seek out particularly adventurous activities. You will never find me sky-diving in Singapore, or extreme hiking a volcano in Hawaii. Those are great endeavors for those younger, with fewer responsibilities, or fewer restraints who have higher aspirations in their lives. I don’t knock them for it. I admire them for it, and more power to them for doing it.

That type of travelling is not for me. Maybe a long time ago I would have done some of those things, but I guess I’m just at a point in life where I just like to go places. I like to go nice, pretty places–typically with a beach. I am a scuba diver, so I frequently will go somewhere that has good diving. (I guess I WOULD consider diving with sharks someday, but that’s because most sea creatures don’t even realize you are there.)

I really prefer a nice resort, in a nice locale, with good food, cocktails and company. I like to take trips that I consider relaxing. While I do like to get out and experience the culture and architecture, I do like to come back to my nice resort at the end of the day, have a cocktail or two, eat a nice dinner (especially if there is seafood involved), watch the sunset, and maybe catch an entertaining show.

I like to meet and mingle with the other guests at my resort, whether it’s Don and Stephanie who live a couple of hours away from us back home, or Jeff and Terri from New Jersey, or Paul and Silvia who live in another country.

The gang at dinner — Dinner with new friends

I’m not a fan of “roughing” it, which means I like air-conditioned (or heated) rooms when necessary. Sometimes, I just like to have a day to sit in my chair on the beach and read a mindless novel. Maybe I want to go up to the resort spa and get a massage. There may even be an evening where I don’t even want to go to dinner. I like a resort that will let me order room service. Sometimes, I’m happy when the resort brings local vendors in to peddle their wares. I’m not big on shopping, but this allows me to pick up the few necessary souvenirs without finding a driver to take me on a shopping trip.

I always try to take a couple of excursions when in a new locale, however, I don’t really feel zip-lining, parasailing, or horseback riding in the ocean are activities I need to do in every, single country I visit. Been there, done that. I will go out on a boat almost anywhere. It’s a good way to see some of the natural scenery. Now, if it includes a pirate show, lobster dinner, or snorkeling stops during the ride–BONUS! I like tours that include history of the area or cultural information. Sometimes, I may even join in on volunteer excursions. Or, I can just park it at the beach or pool and be perfectly content.

Maybe that makes me a boring person, or selfish, or whatever. I think I’m just a typical person who likes to use vacation time away to re-charge while not completely being a beach bum. I try to experience all aspects of my trip and just BE in the moment and creating memories. Feel free to comment below on how you like to vacation. I’d like to hear if there are others like me.

June 30, 2017

Independence Day at Lake of the Ozarks–Part 2

We are all set! Yes, we are headed to the Lake of the Ozarks for the 4th of July! After receiving an email from Home Away, that there was no response from the homeowner so after our 24-hour wait our reservation was being released, we were heartbroken. Resolved to cram into any hotel we could still find available, we made one more attempt at a condo, but we were no longer optimistic. Minutes after I submitted our request, I get a text from a number I didn’t recognize saying “Hi Tracey, I am following up with you regarding rental of our Land’s End condo. I am worried that my emails through VRBO may not be getting through.” Can this be true?
I asked if the condo was still available, and it was! Wendy at Atlas Enterprises (who owns the condo) said yes, we could still rent it and even let us have an additional day for 1/2 price. We can also use the pool a couple of hours before the condo will actually be ready. I don’t think Wendy truly knows how much she made our day!
Now back to packing. Things to take to a rental condo:

beach towels–not all condos provide them
groceries–since we’ll have a full kitchen, we plan to eat in more than out
a couple of coolers–one for transporting the food items that will need to be kept cold on the way there, and one for adult beverages in case we go coving
inflatable mattress in case anyone sharing a room decides they can no longer share a room
pool/lake floaties
basketball in case there’s a court
sunblock

And that’s really it. Everything else we’ll need should already be there. We’ve already gotten a round-p of friends that will be down there at the same time, so we can hopefully hang out a bit together. And, by the way, we still have 2-3 extra pillows in case anyone else wants to come along (you will not get your own room, but you WILL get your own pillow.) Happy 4th of July Everybody!

June 19, 2017

To AI or not AI? That is the question

I’m a huge fan of all-inclusive vacations, which are common if you travel to a non-US locale. Even more specifically, I love all-inclusive resorts! I know there’s a large segment of dissenters who would argue that all-inclusive vacations aren’t “authentic”. Don’t get me wrong–I have vacationed a la carte as well as the rest. But I do think the all-inclusive vacation has created a niche that simplifies vacationing and make it more relaxing. As far as “authenticity” goes, any trip can be as “authentic” as you want. It’s your own opinion that matters anyway.
Here’s what I like about the AI vacation:

You can make all of your arrangements–airfare, resort, transportation between airport and resort–in advance, usually in one place if you’re using a travel agent or booking yourself with AppleVacations, FunJet, Cheap Caribbean,etc., and for one price.
You can choose flights that accommodate your time frames.
- I like to fly non-stop when possible (I don’t want to waste vacation time on travelling), so I shop for charters and typically have to fly certain days.
- I prefer non red-eye flights since our nearest international airport is 2 hours away.
You can shop your resort.
- Do you prefer a 5 star with a view of the ocean, gourmet meals, and decked out rooms or are you just looking for a place to lay your head for a few hours at the end of the day?
- Do you have to have your usual top-shelf drink or can you make do with the local beverages?
- Do you want to vacation with children (or without, and don’t want to share the pool with any)?
You can choose your transportation between the resort and airport.
- Do you need a quiet limo ride for only your group?
- Do you have a small group who all want to share a van or mini-bus?
- Do you want a fun-filled bus ride that you share with all others going to your resort and others nearby?
Once at your resort, your AI includes:
- your room–always ask for the upgrade at check-in.
- all food, beverages, and cocktails while you are there.
- non-motorized sports like kayaking, snorkeling, tennis, gym facilities.
- daily and evening entertainment which can be anything from games, sports, aerobics/yoga classes poolside to fun-filled evening shows that may be audience participated or musical/dance shows.
If you choose a Super Inclusive, or Luxury Inclusive you may even get:
- gourmet dinners, 24-hour room service
- American beverages and top shelf cocktails
- Scuba diving, golf, jet-skis
- evening performances by local celebrities
- sunset catamaran cruises, candlelight dinners on the beach
The AI eliminates the needs for:
- carrying cash on the resort.
- trying to compute the resort’s foreign conversion rate when paying for anything.
- accruing foreign transaction fees later after charging everything on your credit card.
- tipping. Be aware, some resorts don’t allow it.
- leaving the resort while you are there.
Things that cost extra:
- you can book any extra sight-seeing trips or excursions as you wish through your resort.
- most resorts have a spa that will offer massage packages.
- tipping–if you choose to.
- gaming in the casino and souvenir shopping

Basically, you can schedule a ton of activities (free and otherwise) if you want, or you can schedule nothing and sit at the swim-up bar all day. At an AI resort, it’s your vacation, your choice to do as much or little as you’d like.

June 13, 2017

What's My Function and What are My Goals?

May 25, 2017

What's My Function and What are My Goals?

I’ve been given a new assignment in my blogging class, which is to publish my 3 goals for my blog. I’ve interspersed them into this previously published earlier post because I felt they went together and would be more interesting than just a bullet point list. I hope you don’t mind some regurgitation of previous material and have patience while I ramp things up.

I’m so excited! I just got my first follower, my first REAL follower who is NOT myself nor my husband! It means so much to me, THANKS MELANIE! It means that maybe I am getting somewhere here. Goal #1–I’d really like to increase my followers by 20% in the next 3 months. I really appreciate your readership. Just go to the menu button, enter your email address, and click follow.

Which, by the way, I have been asked, “just what exactly are you trying to accomplish?” I guess, in retrospect, I’m not really trying to “accomplish” anything substantial. Since researching, planning, traveling, exploring, and networking are such hobbies of mine, I guess I’m really just trying to share the knowledge. Knowledge of what I’ve researched, what plans I’ve put in place, what places I’ve enjoyed going, maybe where I haven’t enjoyed going, the activities I’ve had the opportunities to experience, and most of all, the people I’ve met. Goal number 2–sharing my knowledge. I’ll share where I’ve been, but if you want to see something specific, drop me a line. I’ll post something if I’ve been there, or maybe even add it to my to-go-to list.

You know how sometimes a certain song will bring a specific moment back up in your memory? I have the same thing happen with certain places and people. My first Jamaica trip to the Grand Palladium with Tracey was where I met Jeff and Terri and Sylvia and Paul. And Sean. Jeff and Terri were there on their honeymoon, Sylvia and Paul were from Canada, and Sean was a Canadian as well but much more “party animal” than we were (congrats on your recent marriage). I won’t bore you with all the details I can remember about and lessons I learned from these folks, but they will always be associated in memories of that first Jamaica trip. And it would be uncouth for me to mention their last names. I believe they know who they are and I hope share some of the same “FLAVA-FLAVE” memories. Goal #3–keep it somewhat professional–but somewhat personal as well. If I’ve dropped a name and you think it might be yours, ask! I’ll let you know.

So, I suppose if you like gleaning any of the knowledge I have to share give me a like on Facebook. Follow my blog for updates as they are published. Share it if you think others might need an interesting read. Let me know if you even think it’s an interesting read, or ask questions or suggest topics you’d like to hear from me about. I love sorting through the comments!

Finally, many thanks again to my first follower–you made my day–and the new followers who have come along recently! Also thank you to those of you who have shared your encouraging words. I sure appreciate it and I hope you enjoy the ride!

Sincerely,

Tracey Lynn Clark (TLC)