Just wanted to give myself a pat on the back...

I forgot to mention that a couple travel sites gave me a nod recently...


Back in December, http://www.roadsideamerica.com/ posted a mini write-up I did about the Black Angel of Iowa City, along with a photo I took of the statue. I was totally flattered and I can't believe I forgot to post a link here! I love, love, love this site. You can see my write-up here.


In January, a site that's relatively new to me, http://www.travelerseyes.net/, was kind enough to post my mission statement and a link to my page. This traveler has been keeping her eye on Travelers Eyes ever since. You can see the post about me


Thanks again, guys. I really appreciate the exposure. :)

ATTN: Aspiring Nomads

I just found an amazing article on www.vagabondish.com about how to work long-term travel into your life with little or no cost out of pocket. This is something I would love to do someday... after I've taken my 25 trips in one year, I think it'd be great to get away, write those memoirs, and not have to worry about bills for a while! It's really a wonderful article with tons of helpful links for any aspiring nomads out there. I highly suggest you peep it. :)

8 Tools to Travel Long-Term & Live Rent Free

St. Patty's Day is not for me.

Once again, I missed the dyeing of the Chicago River for St. Patrick's Day. It happened on Saturday the 15th. Whoops. Since I missed this time-honored tradition, here's a photo I ganked from one of my favorite travel blogs (http://www.debohobo.com/), so we can all just pretend that I was there to capture the magic for you...


I'm sorry, but St. Patrick's Day is just one of those holidays that makes me want to stay within five minutes of my humble abode (along with New Year's Eve). I hate going to bars and waiting 30 minutes for a drink only to have it knocked over by some drunken idiot before I even reach my table... and that's assuming that I got to the bar early enough to grab a seat between all the sweaty bodies looking for a little green beer or Jager Bomb action. I like to drink and I like hanging out at bars, but I don't like drinking and hanging out at bars on St. Patty's.

Anywho, I hope that you all enjoyed this holiday for me. If you have any photos or tips of awesome places to hang out for "party holidays" such as this one, send 'em my way.

Oh, yeah - Erin Go Bragh!

Vote for my favorite KJ - Rockin' Rick!

I just got this email from my favorite karaoke jockey in the area, Rockin' Rick. Please read it and take a second to vote for him for Suburban Nitelife Magazine's Best of the 'Burbs Contest. If you've never been to his karaoke at Ernie McCann's in North Aurora, make it a point to stop by sometime. Now go on with your votin' selves! We've only got until tomorrow to vote. Thanks, guys! (See the email with voting link below.)

YOU DID IT!!! Once again we are voted into the finals for Suburban Nitelife
Magazine's best of the Burbs!

Now, we need you even more than ever! The finals voting takes place now
through March 15th. WE NEED YOUR VOTES!!! Log on to: www.nitelife.org.

Remember, vote everyday, you may use more than one e mail account to vote several times in one day, but be sure to leave at least half an hour between voting
sessions!

You will find us under the following catagories:

Rick, with Rockin With Rick Karaoke...Best male KJ
Rockin' With Rick Karaoke...Best Karaoke company
Ernie McCann's...Best karaoke club
Mike Lowy...Best Musician
Rockin with Rick Music videos @ The Muddy Duck...Best Promotional

PLEASE GET YOUR FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND OTHERS TO CONSIDER VOTING FOR US AS WELL!
We have been to the top before, it would be so cool to do it again!

Thanks for your support, winners will be announced on March 31st!

Keep Rockin'..........Rick

Hand me my soapbox. STAT.

<--- That's not me, just to clarify. :)

Grandma Sally's Waffle House is the inspiration for this soapbox rant; or, more specifically, my inspiration was the observation I made while I was there a couple days ago, enjoying a delicious lunch...

I stopped at this awesome family restaurant for lunch to see my longtime friend Joanie, a current Grandma Sally's waitress who used to work at a diner my friends and I frequented in high school (R.I.P. Cozy Corner). After chatting with her for a while, I sat back to enjoy my soup and salad. I had brought a book with me, but I wasn't in the reading mood, so I decided to "people watch" instead. What caught my eye? The owner.

He was standing at the cash register counter, panning his eyes over the crowd that filled his restaurant. Now, I'm no mind reader, but I recognized the look on his face - it was a look of pride.

I know the look well, because it's the same look that I get on my face everytime someone links to my blog or writes me an email with a destination tip or comments on one of my posts. I've seen this look a thousand times in the past, especially while growing up - it's the same look that I would see on my dad's face each time he gained a new customer at his paper supply business. It's the same look that my mother and brother would get on their faces when a customer would call to tell them how satisfied they were with a sign that one of them had painted for a local business. It's the same look of pride that reminds me that most small business owners will do anything they can to make their customer's experience the very best it can be.

This particular man looked out over his bustling restaurant for only a minute, smiled to himself, then went right back to working that cash register. When was the last time you caught a glimpse of someone's well-deserved pride spreading across his or her face?

We all shop at big stores and buy name brand goods; sometimes, it's just easier that way (and many times it's cheaper, too). All I ask of you is that you make sure that when you're done spending a cool $300 on that new Olympus digital camera, you get your finished photos framed by that friend of a friend who owns the little shop on Main Street. He'll appreciate it, and, in turn, so will you.

I got a new jobby job!

Updates, updates, updates…

I got a new job! I started yesterday and so far it’s going well. I accepted a sales assistant position, so I will no longer have to worry about making a revenue goal each month. Why is this wonderful? Besides the awesome-ness of not having to guess what my take-home pay will be at the end of each month, due to the rise and fall of commissions, it also means that I will be able to make planned deposits to theALTERNAtraveler with every check. My budget is going to be so much easier to calculate from now on.

The only downside of taking on a new job is that my vacation time starts all over again. I will have to wait six months at my new company before I am able to take any vacation time, so for a while, weekend trips will be my only option. That’s not a bad thing, though – I love weekend trips! I am going to go somewhere between now and the end of May – probably to Wisconsin – and then I’ll take a longer trip over Memorial Day weekend – most likely to Killeen, TX, where my dear friend Nicki Brown now resides.

Good things are on the ALTERNAhorizon!

Stay tuned for another soapbox rant about supporting small businesses. My wide mouth is itching to blabber on and on about a beautiful experience I had at a local diner (Grandma Sally's in Naperville, IL) yesterday.

Cheers and a good day to all! I'm happy a pig in poo. :)