Yes, I know, Bad Blogger this month. Between getting ready for Christmas, lining up new clients, and planning for the first vacation I've had in over a year, I've really let things slide.
I feel a little guilty about the vacation, since I ought to be staying home and saving money, but I've actually already paid for most of it. About two years ago I bought a block of timeshare points for Barry and me; I thought a resort apartment would be the perfect vacation venue for him because it would involve a minimum of travel, we could minimize expenses and calories by eating breakfast and lunch in, and he would be able to swim and work out (his favorite leisure activities). Alas, he decided he didn't want to do anything that so closely resembled his (if not my) everyday life, and the points remained unused. They expire next month, so I finally decided not to let them go to waste, and my sister and I are spending this week in Palm Springs to use most of them up.
Because I'm providing the room and driving my car, Sue is paying for the food and entertainment. So far we've shopped the Cabazon outlet malls, visited the air museum and the art museum (Andrew Wyeth exhibit this month!), taken the tram up to what's still snow country, and eaten in a succession of fabulous restaurants. Some of the foodie highlights of the trip have been the 3-course prix fixe dinner at Zin American Bistro (best mushroom soup and aioli ever), the bouillabaisse at Pomme Frite, and the buckwheat crepes at Zini Cafe Mediterrano. At night we're working our way through a bottle of wine, a block of fudge, a box of popcorn, and the stack of chick flicks we brought along. We've already watched Chicken Run, Saving Grace, Starman, and Julie and Julia, with Shakespeare in Love to follow.
Of course, this is not an entirely non-working vacation. I still have two online classes running (winter break starts next week) and I'm uploading blog posts for my real estate friend. Still, I'm seeing something other than the inside of my house and someone else is cleaning the apartment and cooking a lot of the meals. A week of this and I will feel recharged and ready to go back. Maybe I'll even be able to get back onto a more regular blogging schedule.
If not, Santa may be leaving a lump of coal in my stocking this year.
"A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking." ~Earl Wilson
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