Hi everyone! Well, I'm back. Mom has taken some time off to take care of her mom, so now I have her home with me full time. Weehoo! Now I can go out whenever I want. Well, whenever I can get Mom to take me out.
But the real bonus for Mom and Dad is that they can travel again. They are so very excited. They already have a couple of trips planned. Of course I will be reporting to you about all of their trips, so you won't miss out on a thing. Late this fall they have a three week cruise from Barcelona to Dubai, and then in fall of 2012 they will be traveling to Peru. So, they have lots to do while they prepare for these exciting trips. I'll keep you up to date on all of the preparations!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
I Lost My Job
Well folks, I am sad to say that Mom and Dad closed their travel agency, so the bad news is that I lost my job as the official spokesdog of The Only Way to Travel. The good news is that Mom and Dad will continue to travel, and I get to keep my blog! (Insert happy dance here!)
Mom has a "real" job now, not in the travel industry, but she is going to be doing some travel writing. You can find her articles at http://www.examiner.com/x-63648-Columbus-Travel-Examiner. If they have not yet been posted, they soon will be. Mom had to find some way to coninue to be involved in travel, and she thought that writing would be a new avenue to explore.
As for me, I am adjusting to life without a job. I am just a pet now (whew, the pressure is off!) and I get to write just for fun. I recently celebrated my second birthday, so Mom says I can no longer use the excuse that I am just a puppy. I have to own up to the fact that I am now a dog. But, I still like to act like a puppy!
Even though Mom and Dad won't get to travel quite as frequently, they will still travel when they can. In fact, they are in New Mexico right now. They are in a little town called Ruidoso in the Rocky Mountains of the southerneastern part of the state. It is a quaint little town of 10,000 or so residents. This number, of course, swells with visitors. There is a lot of the usual touristy stuff, but there is also a gallery that Mom and Dad really liked, called White Mountain Pottery Gallery located at 2328 Sudderth. Unfortunately, the Gallery does not have a website, but you can e-mail the potter, Tim Wierwill at mrpottery@hotmail.com. Tim's works are beautiful, and not to be missed if you visit Ruidoso. Items include plates, cups, mugs, serving pieces, and beautiful lamps as well.
To learn more about Ruidoso, NM check out the official website at http://www.ruidoso.net/.
Mom and Dad are going to check out one of the local casino's tonight, so there will be more to report later!
Mom has a "real" job now, not in the travel industry, but she is going to be doing some travel writing. You can find her articles at http://www.examiner.com/x-63648-Columbus-Travel-Examiner. If they have not yet been posted, they soon will be. Mom had to find some way to coninue to be involved in travel, and she thought that writing would be a new avenue to explore.
As for me, I am adjusting to life without a job. I am just a pet now (whew, the pressure is off!) and I get to write just for fun. I recently celebrated my second birthday, so Mom says I can no longer use the excuse that I am just a puppy. I have to own up to the fact that I am now a dog. But, I still like to act like a puppy!
Even though Mom and Dad won't get to travel quite as frequently, they will still travel when they can. In fact, they are in New Mexico right now. They are in a little town called Ruidoso in the Rocky Mountains of the southerneastern part of the state. It is a quaint little town of 10,000 or so residents. This number, of course, swells with visitors. There is a lot of the usual touristy stuff, but there is also a gallery that Mom and Dad really liked, called White Mountain Pottery Gallery located at 2328 Sudderth. Unfortunately, the Gallery does not have a website, but you can e-mail the potter, Tim Wierwill at mrpottery@hotmail.com. Tim's works are beautiful, and not to be missed if you visit Ruidoso. Items include plates, cups, mugs, serving pieces, and beautiful lamps as well.
To learn more about Ruidoso, NM check out the official website at http://www.ruidoso.net/.
Mom and Dad are going to check out one of the local casino's tonight, so there will be more to report later!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Matilda's Human Brother Gets Married
Hoorah!!! I finally got to go on a trip with my humans! Mom said “road trip” and we all got in the car and took a long, long ride to Richmond, VA. I slept most of the way there and back, so the traveling wasn’t too bad. I don’t think the rest of the family would agree; they seemed really tired after the drive. (By the way, Mom says I am a very good traveler.)
The first thing I saw when we got there were these two HUGE dogs. Turns out they were my “nephews” Forrest and Arthur; two Labrador Retrievers. I barked “hello” from the car and when I got out, “the boys” (as their humans call them) introduced themselves, and we started to get to know one another. Meeting the cat was a whole different experience. (It was my first up close and personal meeting with a cat.) The cat was not as happy to see me; and although I don’t think you could say we became friends, she did finally accept me.
The reason for the trip was a wedding. One of my human brothers was getting married. The place where they got married was really interesting. It was at Pocahontas State Park, in a dining facility. Now, I’m sure you’re thinking “What kind of wedding was that?” Well, it was actually quite nice.
The park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. There are two dining halls in the park that were built and used by the CCC. The facility where the wedding was held was recently renovated. The building is all natural wood, and has a large kitchen with modern equipment. Someone told Dad that the renovations were somewhere in the $1 million dollar range. He didn’t know if that was just for this building or if other buildings or areas in the park were also included in the cost. If you would like to learn a more about the CCC and the state park, got to http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/cccmus.shtml .
The facility actually worked out quite well. Since the wedding was small, one side of the dining hall was set up for the wedding, while the other was set up for the reception. The bride’s stepmother is Korean, and her family made all of the food for the reception. So, Mom and Dad got to try authentic Korean food for the first time. They really liked it.
Now mind you, none of this was first hand information, I was required to stay in the car, in my travel crate during the entire wedding. So, I must say that I slept through the entire ceremony. But, I was told that it was lovely.
Mom and Dad really like my new sister-in-law. They wish her and my brother many years of happiness. I like my new sister-in-law too. The boys are not allowed on the couch, but I was, because I am so special. Mom says I shouldn’t get a big head. She says it was more like I was allowed because I am small enough that I don’t take up the entire couch!!
The first thing I saw when we got there were these two HUGE dogs. Turns out they were my “nephews” Forrest and Arthur; two Labrador Retrievers. I barked “hello” from the car and when I got out, “the boys” (as their humans call them) introduced themselves, and we started to get to know one another. Meeting the cat was a whole different experience. (It was my first up close and personal meeting with a cat.) The cat was not as happy to see me; and although I don’t think you could say we became friends, she did finally accept me.
The reason for the trip was a wedding. One of my human brothers was getting married. The place where they got married was really interesting. It was at Pocahontas State Park, in a dining facility. Now, I’m sure you’re thinking “What kind of wedding was that?” Well, it was actually quite nice.
The park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the Great Depression. There are two dining halls in the park that were built and used by the CCC. The facility where the wedding was held was recently renovated. The building is all natural wood, and has a large kitchen with modern equipment. Someone told Dad that the renovations were somewhere in the $1 million dollar range. He didn’t know if that was just for this building or if other buildings or areas in the park were also included in the cost. If you would like to learn a more about the CCC and the state park, got to http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/cccmus.shtml .
The facility actually worked out quite well. Since the wedding was small, one side of the dining hall was set up for the wedding, while the other was set up for the reception. The bride’s stepmother is Korean, and her family made all of the food for the reception. So, Mom and Dad got to try authentic Korean food for the first time. They really liked it.
Now mind you, none of this was first hand information, I was required to stay in the car, in my travel crate during the entire wedding. So, I must say that I slept through the entire ceremony. But, I was told that it was lovely.
Mom and Dad really like my new sister-in-law. They wish her and my brother many years of happiness. I like my new sister-in-law too. The boys are not allowed on the couch, but I was, because I am so special. Mom says I shouldn’t get a big head. She says it was more like I was allowed because I am small enough that I don’t take up the entire couch!!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Family Reunion
I was really bummed this past summer; Mom and Dad went to a family reunion and I didn’t get to go! They said the houses where they stayed didn’t allow pets. I stayed home with Grandma and Uncle. I still had a good time. Since he doesn’t know my routine, I can trick Uncle into taking me out whenever I want!
The family reunion was in the Gatlinburg area of Tennessee. They rented three houses and there were 29 people who came. The family all hung out together and did fun things like floating down a river on a tube, or riding go karts. They went to museums, and ate out and had lots of fun together. Mom said the nice thing about having such a big family is that there were always at least two people who wanted to do something that they could do together. Sometimes, people just wanted to play video games, others did jigsaw puzzles. And the families took turns cooking dinner so Patty Jo didn’t have to cook all of the time. (Although she loves to cook and entertain, a whole week for that many people would have just been too much!)
I heard about the Pirate Party that they had one night. Some of the family members dressed up like pirates. Ken Bob and Adeline took the prizes for the best costumes. Mom told me that everyone walked around saying “ARRGH” to each other all night. And then I guess Mom and Ken Bob started acting silly and laughed until they cried. Ken Bob tries to make Mom do that every time they are together, and he hasn’t failed yet!
I really love my human family. I just wish I got to go to the family reunions too. Maybe next time they’ll go to a place that is pet friendly and take me with them!
The family reunion was in the Gatlinburg area of Tennessee. They rented three houses and there were 29 people who came. The family all hung out together and did fun things like floating down a river on a tube, or riding go karts. They went to museums, and ate out and had lots of fun together. Mom said the nice thing about having such a big family is that there were always at least two people who wanted to do something that they could do together. Sometimes, people just wanted to play video games, others did jigsaw puzzles. And the families took turns cooking dinner so Patty Jo didn’t have to cook all of the time. (Although she loves to cook and entertain, a whole week for that many people would have just been too much!)
I heard about the Pirate Party that they had one night. Some of the family members dressed up like pirates. Ken Bob and Adeline took the prizes for the best costumes. Mom told me that everyone walked around saying “ARRGH” to each other all night. And then I guess Mom and Ken Bob started acting silly and laughed until they cried. Ken Bob tries to make Mom do that every time they are together, and he hasn’t failed yet!
I really love my human family. I just wish I got to go to the family reunions too. Maybe next time they’ll go to a place that is pet friendly and take me with them!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Things do change after 25 years.
Wow, where has the time gone? It has been a busy week for me. You know; wake up, eat, play, sleep, wake up, play, sleep, wake up, eat and before you know it the day is over!!! Ahh, a dog’s life is a wonderful life!
Mom and Dad celebrated their 25th anniversary in September. To mark the event they went back to the town in Greece where they met. The town is called Nea Makri, located about 23 kilometers north east of Athens. Mom said it used to be this nice quite little town, but not any more. The main road is now a divided highway, and there was actually a traffic jam on the side streets. There are many more houses. Since they built the freeway into Athens, people have moved out to the suburbs and Nea Makri has grown. They were sad to see that the hotel where Dad stayed is now closed and just a shell of a building.
They passed Mom’s old apartment on the way to the airport. Mom says, she guesses that “they” are right, you can’t go back again; things do change. Mom’s friend Randy (who is the reason that Mom and Dad met) used to say, “Greece is 2000 years of history, unhindered by progress,” she said that is not the case any longer.
I don’t think I will ever have to worry about going back somewhere. I don’t even remember any home other than the one I have now. And as you can see from the first paragraph, my life is perfect so I have no reason to go anywhere else!
Mom and Dad celebrated their 25th anniversary in September. To mark the event they went back to the town in Greece where they met. The town is called Nea Makri, located about 23 kilometers north east of Athens. Mom said it used to be this nice quite little town, but not any more. The main road is now a divided highway, and there was actually a traffic jam on the side streets. There are many more houses. Since they built the freeway into Athens, people have moved out to the suburbs and Nea Makri has grown. They were sad to see that the hotel where Dad stayed is now closed and just a shell of a building.
They passed Mom’s old apartment on the way to the airport. Mom says, she guesses that “they” are right, you can’t go back again; things do change. Mom’s friend Randy (who is the reason that Mom and Dad met) used to say, “Greece is 2000 years of history, unhindered by progress,” she said that is not the case any longer.
I don’t think I will ever have to worry about going back somewhere. I don’t even remember any home other than the one I have now. And as you can see from the first paragraph, my life is perfect so I have no reason to go anywhere else!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Summer Resorts on the Black Sea
The only body of water I have seen is the "river" that flows down the gutter along the street in front of our house when it rains. And trust me, if it is raining, I don't spend much time outside checking out the "river". I don't like to be in the rain. It reminds me too much of those nasty baths that Mom gives me. Ugh! Sometimes in the morning, when Mom or Dad is in the shower, I will go push open the curtain just enough so I can peek in. They actually look like they enjoy that water pouring down on them. Sometimes Dad teases me and tells me to come on in. I just turn and run!
Mom told me that a lot of the ports they visited on the Black Sea cruise were seaside resorts. She said that some of them still had quite a few people at them, but not a lot of people were actually in the water (after all it was mid-September). She said some of the ports were very nice and looked family friendly. She commented that Yalta was particularly nice; there were alot of people along the waterfront. Big blow up activities for children dotted the area and there were places to eat as well as benches where people could just sit and watch all of the activities.
Unfortunately, not all of the ports on their cruise were as nice as Yalta. She said that some were still nice, but in a different way. Others were not so great and she would see no reason to go back to them again. Her favorite ports were Yalta, Odessa, Sochi, Sevastapol, and Trabzon. She said Nessabar was interesting, but very small. She said Constanta has seen better days, and she would put that on not so great list.
I hear that my dog "nephews", Forrest and Arthur really like the ocean. But I understand that Labs are supposed to like the water. I will get to meet them in a few weeks and they can tell me all about their experiences with the water. But, I don't think they will be able to convince me that it is a good thing. For now, I'm happy to keep my little paws high and dry!
Mom told me that a lot of the ports they visited on the Black Sea cruise were seaside resorts. She said that some of them still had quite a few people at them, but not a lot of people were actually in the water (after all it was mid-September). She said some of the ports were very nice and looked family friendly. She commented that Yalta was particularly nice; there were alot of people along the waterfront. Big blow up activities for children dotted the area and there were places to eat as well as benches where people could just sit and watch all of the activities.
Unfortunately, not all of the ports on their cruise were as nice as Yalta. She said that some were still nice, but in a different way. Others were not so great and she would see no reason to go back to them again. Her favorite ports were Yalta, Odessa, Sochi, Sevastapol, and Trabzon. She said Nessabar was interesting, but very small. She said Constanta has seen better days, and she would put that on not so great list.
I hear that my dog "nephews", Forrest and Arthur really like the ocean. But I understand that Labs are supposed to like the water. I will get to meet them in a few weeks and they can tell me all about their experiences with the water. But, I don't think they will be able to convince me that it is a good thing. For now, I'm happy to keep my little paws high and dry!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Mom and Dad Cruise the Black Sea
I am a very curious pup. I like to go exploring, it's part of my nature. But, my parents don’t really like to let me get too far away from them which inhibits my explorations. Dad lets me off the leash once in a while, were Mom is a little less sure of me. I am not the most obedient of dogs. After all I am a terrier, and we are not known for following the will of others!
As you may have already noticed, Mom and Dad are explorers too. They really enjoy seeing new places and experiencing different cultures. Mom says it is good for them to see the world through the eyes of others.
A newer, up and coming cruise destination is the Black Sea. Located on the eastern edge of Europe, the countries surrounding the Black Sea, with the exception of Turkey, were all part of the former Soviet Union. Mom and Dad sailed the Black Sea in September. They began their cruise in Istanbul.
They were fortunate enough to be sailing on one of their favorite cruise lines; Regent Seven Seas on board the Seven Seas Navigator. Mom told me they like this line because it is very inclusive. The cost of the cruise includes not only their food, but also alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic beverages such as soda pop and bottled water. They serve nice wines with dinner which are complimentary. Tips are included in the cruise price, and starting in 2010 there are unlimited complimentary shore excursions included as well. Mom says it is nice not to have to worry about having large shipboard account to pay for at the end of the cruise; she would rather just take care of it all up front and not be “nickled and dimed” throughout the cruise.
I have to agree with Mom and Dad, not having to pay for food is a wonderful thing! I get all of the kibble and water I want at no charge; what a deal! Wait a minute; I take that back. I forgot about Mom cutting back on my food to help me trim down a bit. Well, I still get all of the water I want!
As you may have already noticed, Mom and Dad are explorers too. They really enjoy seeing new places and experiencing different cultures. Mom says it is good for them to see the world through the eyes of others.
A newer, up and coming cruise destination is the Black Sea. Located on the eastern edge of Europe, the countries surrounding the Black Sea, with the exception of Turkey, were all part of the former Soviet Union. Mom and Dad sailed the Black Sea in September. They began their cruise in Istanbul.
They were fortunate enough to be sailing on one of their favorite cruise lines; Regent Seven Seas on board the Seven Seas Navigator. Mom told me they like this line because it is very inclusive. The cost of the cruise includes not only their food, but also alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic beverages such as soda pop and bottled water. They serve nice wines with dinner which are complimentary. Tips are included in the cruise price, and starting in 2010 there are unlimited complimentary shore excursions included as well. Mom says it is nice not to have to worry about having large shipboard account to pay for at the end of the cruise; she would rather just take care of it all up front and not be “nickled and dimed” throughout the cruise.
I have to agree with Mom and Dad, not having to pay for food is a wonderful thing! I get all of the kibble and water I want at no charge; what a deal! Wait a minute; I take that back. I forgot about Mom cutting back on my food to help me trim down a bit. Well, I still get all of the water I want!
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