...constantly searching to find the best travel deals and places to visit. A never-ending quest for adventure!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Sad Sunglasses

Die Zeit ist gekommen...


Meine Sonnenbrille ist gebrochen. Ich brauche ein neues Paar. Welche Art sollte ich kaufen?

Bitte helfen Sie mir!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

oh how i miss the fattie lights


Always was a tradition in the Music Wing at WLC during Christmastime...decorating all the faculty offices with garland and fattie lights, usually when the unsuspecting professors had left for the day.

It got me thinking about the history of the fattie light...if there is such a thing.  I did a long and exhaustive search, but came up relatively empty-handed except for a few pictures that are included in this post.  I also found a pretty cool site on bubble lights, but that's not my focus.

I did manage to find an official name: 5w retro vintage large bulb Christmas light.  Otherwise referenced by me as a 'fattie' light.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Tebow vs the world

It continues to amaze me how much attention Tim Tebow has been getting so far this season for the Denver Broncos.  The Packers were undefeated up until this last weekend, and most ESPN coverage still had Tebow first to be discussed for the shows.  Plus there was the graphic I saw that compared Tebow's first 11 games to Tom Brady's...sheesh.  Can we all please stop putting the cart before the horse?  I will acknowledge that Tebow did win two NCAA National Championships and that he obviously can play football, he just hasn't built a resume yet in the NFL (although he's now started).  Let's just keep things in perspective please.

Then I had this forwarded to me:  http://youtu.be/ul2dhNaQgxM in case you missed it.

Seems as though others have started to latch onto the Tebow craziness as well...all in good fun.

Qual A complete

It's done...submitted...complete!  My Qual A paper has been handed in, and now I just need to wait to hear back on the results.  I'm very confident in the final product, and am excited about research that will be coming up again in Qatar.  Next step will be the Proposal Defense and fortunately I've got my proposal pretty much framed and ready to go, having already done a set of research on the topic last January. 

My semester is done.  Now what should I do?   If only I didn't have to work...

Thursday, December 15, 2011

it's time for Qual A

Yep...time to hunker down. Get it done.  Pick a phrase.

I'll be going off the grid for a while in order to concentrate on writing my Qual A. 

It's due, and must be completed!  Email will be best way to reach me in the interim.

See you on the flipside!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

almost done...maybe - Yoshino

Is it possible that I only have ONE more thing due before the end of the month?  (whew).  Happily almost made it.  The more I think about it the more I'm going to be really happy to be done actually taking courses and sitting in a classroom...I'm ready to do research in Qatar.  And write.  And be done.  More than ready.

And even though it's not spring yet, today's Place of the Day reminds me of spring.  And thanks to a friend, I'm happy to highlight Japan!

Cherry Blossom Viewing - Yoshino, Japan


The pursuit of hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, happens in many parks and temple gardens in Japan.  Rumor has it that nighttime hanami viewing includes parties and sake, but you'll have to visit in order to find out about that.  Be sure to visit Yoshino Mountain, not far from Nara and Kyoto for the most fun.  April is the best time...everything will be blossoming.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

you know it's winter when...

...you smell the wonderful smell of 'fireplace' walking to work on a cold morning.
...it's raining in San Diego instead of snowing.
...you think your head is going to explode from the sheer volume of typing you have to do.
...snowmobiling becomes your preferred method of transportation.
...your stress level starts to go down.

I'm sure there are more to add...those are the first that crossed my mind today!

Monday, December 12, 2011

A little genealogy...in Bergen?

I'm way overdue for a trip to Norway to do some genealogy work, and so that is today's theme for Place of the Day.  Wish I had more time and that money grew on trees...guess I need to keep looking harder.

Bergen area - Norway


Was the capital of the Kingdom of Norway through the Middle Ages. Sites to see (when you're not doing genealogy) are St. Mary's Church from the 12th century, and Bryggen, one of the only original surviving neighborhoods within the city. Mountains surround the town so if you're adventurous you can make the 1000 foot climb and enjoy the view. And if you travel in June, you might even catch a Grieg concert. 

Friday, December 9, 2011

change and more change

Happen to be on a break during class...wanted to post a quick link to a recommended book on change, called Unleashing Change by Kelman.  Oh, and another book from Alice Eagly called Through the Labyrinth.

As we report on our case studies tonight, it's refreshing to hear about everyone's individual stories around leadership and change, and how it personally relates to their work and life journey. 

One area that I continue to find fascinating is how organizational leadership and change affects workers at every level, including management.  I'd like to do more reading into toxic leadership and its role on affecting change.  Can we survive?

from here to...Timbuktu

I've heard the expression regarding this location for most of my life (from here to...)...when something is far away, it can't quite possibly be as far as Timbuktu.  Well...in that spirit I couldn't quite help myself in choosing this for today's Place of the Day. 

Timbuktu - Mali


Settled by Tuaregs, or the original "Blue Men of the Sahara" in the 12th century, and made famous by caravan routes.  It has three mosques on the UNESCO World Heritage list, yet remains little visited.  Tours might be the only way to get here and enjoy the historic culture, but it's not something you should miss!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Zelazowa Wola

I'm definitely in a classical music mood today, so my Place of the Day happens to mirror my mood.  I have to say, though, that I don't recall this particular location ever coming up in Music History class.

Chopin's Birthplace - Zelazowa Wola, Poland


This is the place where Chopin grew up for the first 20 years of his life, before he left for Paris and fame.  In the summer you can find numerous outdoor piano concerts, and if you're lucky hear them in the same parlor where he played.  Don't forget to track down and take a photo of the piano he played on during the last two years of his life!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Nizwa

I literally was in my office all of 45 minutes yesterday...it's been a long time since I've gone back to back to back on meetings, but I had no choice and then had class that went late.  So...maybe today will be a little bit better.  Couldn't even get something posted yesterday...and I've got Qual A looming as well. 

I'd also like to share that last night reminded me of Doha nights in the desert...clear sky, amazing stars...and 39 degrees.  Even for San Diego, that's pushing it just a hair. 

So in honor of that, my choice of Place of the Day today will be from that region:

Nizwa - Oman


Dating back to medieval times when coastal Oman was deep in sea trade, this was the seat of the imams who ruled for centuries.  Also known for being the birthplace of Sinbad the Sailor, and the center for Oman's jewelry and crafts industries.  Definitely a place to pick up a khanjar if you want one!

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Northeast Kingdom

When I first saw this as a Place of the Day location, I actually had to stop and think for a while about how to describe it.  And it's not a kingdom in the strictest sense, because my first inkling was "oh, it must be a European reference of some sort".  Rather, this place is located within the US, and specifically on the east coast.


Dubbed the Northeast Kingdom by a US Senator in 1949, the three counties of Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia and their fall foliage, hamlets, small villages, and lakes make up this region of upper Vermont.  Lake Willoughby is often compared to Lake Lucerne in Switzerland.  There's lots of snow in the winter though, so bring your boots.  Or skis.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Aaron Rodgers lookalike?

I admit this is rather random.

I don't know...what do you think?

I think it's pretty close, sans mustache....


Thursday, December 1, 2011

work is required

I had every good intention of posting a new Place of the Day today, but I had a pretty big change in work coverage today which negated my standard routine.  We had a video conference this morning with students from Military Science connecting to one of our military bases in the Middle East. Given the 10 hour time difference, the codec had to start at 6 (which mean a 5:20 connection, which mean me getting up at 4:15am to get ready in time to cover it since I had no staff available on such short notice). 

Long story short, I'm tired.  And just a tad cranky.   But I'm trying hard not to be.

Instead I'm trying hard to write on this final Case Study that is due, and get it done so I can be on to the next final project. 

A nap is calling though...