Falling leaves and changing colors

It's the time of the year that invigorates me...maybe you too? Temps become cooler, the air crisper, and our routines become synchronized and hitting on all cylinders after the summer of vacations, moves and transfers, and postponed projects. Here on the east coast we are looking forward to the changing colors of the leaves. Here's a peek from Wintergreen Resort.

Lucky you if you have a home where the seasonal colors of gold, terra cotta, burgandy accent the deep greens or soft beiges of summer. You'll be lured by that temptation to pick up the "pumpkin spice" candle or potpourri, adding another hint of autumn to your decor. But, if you are staging your home for SALE, don't be fooled into thinking how you LIVE is how you sell. It is not. Keep it simple, and remember you are highlighting the home's best features, and the key is selectively removing items, to invite the prospective homeowner to envision their own lives happening in this very space. And their idea of the perfect season might be spring pastels and lighter colors. Happy decorating....happy staging!

Curly Hair

It's been three long months, three months of letting life get in the way: you know those things you gotta do versus wanna do...where does the time go. This morning, already 2 hours since I jumped out of bed around 5am, and it's still dark outside. In that Van Gogh sort of way: navy blue sky, not black like an hour ago, but with a hint of gray toned to match the icy cold of concrete. I blink my eyes and slowly the skyscape lightens, but doesn't brighten. It reminds me of a movie set for a horror scene...a little spooky, with everything lying dormant for winter's long months yet to come.

Just days ago in the Grove at this time of the day I was slipping on the thin monogrammed cotton pique Sonesta robe, rolling open the heavy sliding doors, stepping out on the balcony to see the gold, orange, and violet of the sunrise rise over Biscayne Bay. Waking was warm and reassuring of better times to come. Thoughts of abundance, good fortune, and vibrancy wafted over the waves of the bay. Back home today, gloom seems to prevail in northern Virginia and quietly the television news recants the stories of fire, bombs, and other misfortunes of the week. Reality is somewhere in between. So, though the sun may be hidden today, I have a dose of sunshine within and I know it will take me thru the next months. Sometimes you forget that all is not lost: it just takes a good haircut and humid weather to bring the curly hair back again.

I'm looking forward to delving back into my cruise mementos and sharing these with you.

Happy New Year! Kiko

Decisions, decisions

The crisp chill of fall is in the air, and it's one of my favorite times to work in my garden. The days are getting shorter and I won't be able to sit outside after the workday to watch the grass grow....well, come to think about it, the grass will be too cold to grow, and I'd rather have a glass of wine in my hand than a flashlight anyway. So, it's really a fantasy to say I watch the grass grow, because DH knows if he keeps busy with me on the weekend, then I will pull out the little electric lawnmower and quickly sweep over our tiny yard during the week. So, he's off the hook for this chore once again, because today I gathered up an entire bag of clippings, proof positive the lawn was much overdue for its trimming.


Last night I gave my "First Impressions" workshop to a group of Mary Kay consultants and their leaders all who were eager students..... so it was a ton of fun for me too, and isn't that just the best kind of work? I give "homework" at these sessions and next week during Part Deux will be the chance for me to see my "students" strut their stuff as they bring or wear a professional outfit found from their closet by way of a new outlook on fashion styles linked to their personality: dramatic, classic, sporty/natural, or feminine. We'll see how they do.


Jewelry always brings a smile to the faces of women, and when they get to choose their own pieces at 50% off, the smile is even broader. No more so than these days when the stock market is in turmoil, and the big decision on who to pick for the nation's leader is just weeks ahead of us. Decisions, decisions. So, now the debates are over for the evening, the wine glass is almost empty, and all this points to the end of another evening of multi-tasking, and time to jump into my plush Serta pillowtop.....I missed this bed even while I was on my wonderful journey to new and exotic ports. I smile each night as my head hits the pillow and for a moment, yes, just a tiny moment, all is right with the world....my world.

Kiko

Malaga, Spain

A day at sea followed our visit to Lisbon; then as evening approached we passed the Rock of Gibraltor and I snapped lots of photos, mostly shrouded in a misty gray background. The next morning we were in Malaga, Spain. A small fee, 5 euros if I remember correctly, provided a roundtrip shuttle bus from the ship's berth to the entry gate at the heart of the city. It was worth the expense, since walking would have been on the side of the road in an area of still developing port upgrades without sidewalks or pedestrian paths.

Immediately left of the gates was the marker post for the Malaga Hop-on, Hop-off bus, and although advertised to stop every 20 minutes starting at 9am, it was closer to 10am when the first bus arrived, and already some had given up waiting to venture into the city. The delay gave a couple of our friends time to walk across the street to ATMs so they could replenish their euros. We climbed up to the open air second level and plugged the headsets into a connection on the sidewall and tuned to channel 2 for an English explantion. This being much better than hearing the same commentary in several languages.

Our plan was to ride the entire 90 minute loop, and then repeat the tour getting off at the most enticing or tempting sights. Along the way I made a mental note to hop-off at Gibralfaro Castle, the Alcazaba, and the Cathedral near Picasso's museum. But as we started the tour, just rounding the first park, I noticed to the left a wide pedestrian street already busy with traffic. So, as the noon hour approached, and the bus finished our first circuit, we hopped-off to enjoy a picnic lunch carried from the ship, to one of the many benches inside the garden of the first park. Then I innocently suggested to DH that we should stroll thru the pedestrian streets of the city and hop-on later, and that was our folly. Bye-bye "hop-on" bus.....we never made it back on.

We did enjoy window shopping and later DH sipped a caffe con leche and for me the most delectable Snow Queen green tea (Sans & Sans) at a sidewalk bakery. Alas, it wasn't until I returned home I discovered this tea is made and sold in Barcelona, so I missed my opportunity for picking up a decade's worth of this sumptuous tea infused with vanilla and almond flavoring. Anyone going to Barcelona want to run a teeny-weeny little errand for me?

I saw the Penelope and Monica Cruz collection at Mango, after first spotting Penelope's photo on the bus stop shelters. DH bought a cap as the sun was quite bright today. And I ducked in a shop to find a large pair of tortoiseshell design fashion sunglasses for less than the fake brand ripoffs I had seen on the streets in Vigo.

I love the fashion shops with fall merchandise completely coordinated on each rack from shoes, to skirt, to blouse, sweater, gloves, and handbag. Subliminal meaning.....you need it all to make it work! I saw a dress almost identical to the $3000 gold color Oscar de la Renta one worn by Cindy McCain at the Republican convention. You know, the one that got all the buzz, because the ensemble cost $300,000 (note: her 3 carat diamond studs were $280K....so what's mere $20K between fashionistas?.....I could do that number in so much less buckaroos....Lia Sophia 3 carat studs are only $32) Except this one was purple, and a bargain at only 148 euros. Same sheen, same collar, same full skirt. 'Would I like to try it on, asked the clerk?' Durn right I would if I were 6 inches taller and 20 pounds lighter, but instead I said "no gracias". Cindy is Barbie doll, me...well, let's just say I am not.

Last stop before heading back to the shuttle at the port was a quick walk over the bridge to El Ingles Cortez in search of Sans & Sans tea. Like most European department stores we found the gourmet foods market in the basement, but my mission was not successful. I did however find BlingH2O, and for this 98 euro per bottle of water I share this photo. No doubt, like me, you will Google this water to find it at the bargain price of ONLY $40 U.S. per bottle in Beverly Hills, CA. Well, back to P&G teabags on board the ship, with tap water!! Adios! Kiko

Tick Tock the Body Clock

Going East was quite easy, or was it the excitement of being in London again ?
Coming home, the journey was long heading West, even though it was a perfect Delta flight, and it's now one week since touchdown and still I am feeling not quite up to par. At the grocery store yesterday I didn't have my little swipey card, so the clerk told me to just enter my phone number...simple, right? Except all I knew was the area code and the last 4 digits....where were those other 3 numbers? I could have opened my Blackberry and said "home" or I could have scrolled to home, but the idea never crossed my mind. Luckily, after the second try, I came up with my cell phone prefix which then prompted my mind to remember my home prefix. She didn't think it was funny, and perhaps she thought I just lucked out with a number on record.

I wrote and shared my blog address as blingbling, which is my cruise critic online name and not this blog name at all. I put two earring backings on ONE earring, and didn't discover it until the free earring popped off later in the day when I was wrestling with wrinkle-face (dear dog). I keep starting to place things in my pantry which really go in the refrigerator.....duh, like milk!

And the nightmares! Oh, my, my! I'll have to blog "dream analysis" but at this point it's between DH and myself (he laughed hilariously!). It has to do with orange and purple striped lizards, and the only association I have at this point is getting a chance sneak peek at the Swiss guard uniform inside the Vatican when a door cracked open for a second and our guide said 'quick look!'. The Pope must have a sense of humor, as my first free association thought was court jester, see what I mean? Take a look for yourself at www.vatican.va/roman_curia/swiss_guard. At any rate, I know Armani is not influenced by this historical garb. Maybe Pucci? I do love/amore Pucci!

Well it was 6 hours of time change, and I have heard "one day for each hour of time difference"....so I'm on my way outdoors for a dose of melatonin in the sunshine! Ciao!

Kiko

Last Night in Rome

Check-in is exhausting! (Terminal 5) just opened 3 May this year, and I did hear lots of passengers comment while we were in line to go thru the various check-points that this was so much better than previous years. But let me take you back to the evening before my flight and my walks via the moving sidewalks from the Hilton Airport Hotel to terminals A, B, and C around midnight.

I discovered the Hilton had no airline check-in kiosk, something I have grown accustomed to using....the Executive lounge closed at 11pm, and it cost 3.50 euro per minute to use any of the Hilton computer terminals, no matter that both DH and I are gold members with supposedly free Internet privileges. It's Rome after all. Based on my shipboard computer time used, I estimated it could easily take 10 minutes to check-in online. So, rather than shell out potentially 35 euros/$50 US dollars to just to check in online, I decided to take advantage of being physically connected to airport. I patted myself on my back for using my hotel reward points on such a clever location.

It was a little spooky to be the only person on the moving sidewalks, and as I looked at the monitors, I noticed Delta used all the terminals for departures: A, B, C, and 5. 5? But the monitors listed early morning flights until 9:20am.....and my flight is at 10:45am. Interesting that one terminal is named a number instead of a the next letter of the alphabet....I suspected the International flights might be at this odd "5". So, first stop: terminal A. I found no Delta desk at terminal A. Back to the the corridor with moving sidewalks to terminal B.....no Delta desk or check-in kiosk at terminal B. Did see 2 security guards, who obviously did not consider me a threat, and a few persons camped out on chairs for their overnight wait. Saw British Airways, Air France, and KLM check-in kiosks. Still cold, am I getting warmer? Okay, to terminal C....by this time 30 minutes had gone by and I wondered if DH would miss me. Answer: no. Then, the information stand appeared to me looking like the oasis in the desert. "Good evening (tall, kind Italian) sir, could you tell me where to find Delta check-in?" Not here, take shuttle to Terminal 5. Aha, terminal 5? Shuttle?
Had I forgotten to revisit the airport website and print out pertinent info? (yes). By the way, find it at www.adr.it for your planning. Here's the info directly from the FCO site:

Rome Fiumicino Airport: the new T5
Terminal 5 has been built for departing passengers of American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, US Airways and for those going to Israel with EL AL. It has been designed with the aim to increase the capacity of Fiumicino airport intercontinental area. In the past years overcrowding at Terminal C has caused quite many problems to passengers. The new building is just at a short distance from the airport terminals, it extends over a total surface area of approximately 14,000 sqm and it is subdivided into three main areas: an area dedicated to profiling activities, a check-in area and a security/passport control area that also includes the gates to the shuttle bus service, which transports passengers to the West Satellite for boarding operations, covering a short-distance journey of 800 m only. The security check area also provides a Fast Track service for frequent flyers and business class passengers. Services available to passengers are a pharmacy selling OTC products, a coffee shop, soft drink vending machines, a baby-changing unit and a special assistance lounge available to disabled passengers located in the profiling area.

By now it was well past 12:30am and I was by no means leaving my safety net of moving sidewalks which would transport me slowly but surely back to the Hilton. Urrrr.....shuttle, I would have to push my luggage which would feel like 2 tons at 8am in the morning across 6 moving sidewalks to Terminal C only to be shuttled to Terminal 5. But then, even in my tired weary condition, it struck me.....Hilton shuttle direct to terminal 5. Fantastico! Don't you love my Italian?

Back at the lobby desk I asked about shuttle service to terminal 5. "Not possible" said the desk clerk....how can she look so lovely at 1am? I digress. "The shuttle is for flight crews only." I confess to her that I booked the Airport Hilton based on the fact that it was connected to the terminal and I had no idea I would need to push my luggage all the way to Terminal C and then take a shuttle....couldn't a shuttle take us directly to T-5? "No" she said, "but call the bellman in the morning and perhaps...." I think she has heard this request before.

In the morning DH rang the bellman but no answer. We prepared for check-out with the hopes of convincing, or perhaps even pleading if need be, for a shuttle to T-5. As we arrived in the lobby, it was filled with Americans filling first one shuttle van than another all going to T-5 like it was as natural as olive oil on bread. At this point I was filled with glee and very thankful Bonnie had left me her coin euros so we had a tip for the driver. The chatter in the shuttle van was the same as what I felt.....grazie Dio we did not need to push luggage to the next citta!

If you've stayed overnight at the London Gatwick Airport Hilton, the rooms at the Rome Airport Hilton are exactly the same. There isn't a moving sidewalk at Gatwick but the walk is definitely shorter than getting to Rome's international terminal.

Once at the terminal, we went thru the 3 steps to take a shuttle bus to our gate. Oh yes, one suitcase was 10 pounds overweight, but we were able to remove DH shoes and some clothing into our smallest check-in bag and we were on our way with no excess weight charge. My own checked bag was 1 kg overweight, but it was kindly granted amnesty. At the gate, I was thankful for the extra euros (thanks Bonnie!) for purchasing a latte to sip now, and sandwich for eating later during the flight. Note to self: plan for 10 euros on day of departure.

Here's the way the terminal cafe works: order and pay at the cash register, but keep your receipt...you give the receipt to the barrista at the coffee counter (not Italian....switching to Starbucks lingo here) to pick up your coffee made to order. Sip it fast....perhaps they faced a similar situation as McDonald's with a scalding issue, because even though I witnessed the process, the latte was lukewarm. Still it was nice to browse the extremely expensive duty-free shops with latte in hand.

Kiko

Sailing the Seas - 22 September

I have yet to fill you in life onboard this splendid Carnival ship, but I assure you I will. For one thing, there is not a lot of free time if you, like me, are interested in participating in some of the many activities. I by no means was a social butterfly, flitting to and fro the various decks…..after all, the sea days are fundamental to me for recuperation from the long days in port…. yet I found some venues that at least piqued interest. Enough there was little time to read more than one chapter in book #1 “Ghosts of Spain” recommended by the Nurse Practioner who gave the Tdap vaccination a month ago. And paperback book #2 never left the bookshelf. So look for future notes on the ports of Malaga and Barcelona, as well as from our venture out of Livorno today to Florence.

For now it’s time to pack and bid farewell to shipboard life. Even popping the corks on our bottles of champagne with friends after dinner doesn’t diminish the twinge of sadness this necessary task signals. Our hotel afloat provided a marvelous mode of transportation to historic cities. One more land destination tomorrow as Rome approaches.
Kiko