I love my state, in spite of high taxes, so I’m bragging about local sights.  The driftless (unglaciated) areas of SW Wisconsin; seeing the morning mists rise from the lovely hills & sandstone bluffs could turn me into a "morning person".  The 32000 acre Horicon Marsh; marveling at the flight of egrets & the industrial pursuits of beavers making so many dams, the protected scenic areas of Wisconsin Dells, the wild Lake Superior coast.

As for manmade wonders, I agree with Belinda Joy about the American Club bathrooms.  The kitschy hoopla around the touristy Wisconsin Dells; an upside down White House???  How can so many water parks & "haunted" houses stay in business?  Our beloved Circus Parade.  Of course, the Green Bay Packers winning.

I LOVE the aroma of coffee, but I despise the taste.

 Give me a nice pot of Earl Grey tea, & I’m a happy caffiene addict.

Nivea Creme/Lotion…can’t live without it.  I have pots/botlles all over the house & at work, & a tube in my purse.

I used to have a Sam’s Club membership, but let it expire long ago.  It seemed that in order to get a deal, so much had to be bought.  For example, I get a taste for Spam about once every year or so.  I looked at Sam’s, & the unit price was good as long as I bought a four-pack of cans of Spam.  I’d never, ever use that much, so buying a single can was a better deal for me.  I’m single, & can’t use olive oil by the gallon.  At the time, I was filling feeders in the yard for the birds, & checked the price of birdseed at Sam’s, & for the brand I prefered, Target was cheaper. 

These days, you have to be careful with your pennies, & I "shop around.  My brother & his wife love WalMart & I went with them yesterday.  I checked out school supplies (I fancy myself a writer & do it "by hand").  Packs of 150 sheets of college-ruled paper was 80 cents each; I paid 50 cents fa piece or the same thing at Target.

I  put on make-up, read, talk on my cell.  However, I do this on the bus or in the passenger seat because I am a non-driver by choice.

When I travel with my Dad, I answer his cell phone calls.  He’s not allowed to talk on the phone while driving when I’m in the car.  I’m lucky enough to still have my Dad around (he’s almost 77) & I intend to do what I can to keep him around as long as possible.

#2 makes me think of a statement I’ve heard from several men.  A few years ago, I was sent into a screaming tirade when a male pal used the statement. 

He had excused himself from the life of his daughter (he’d never married the mother), mostly, it seemed, because the woman he did eventually marry insisted he have nothing to do with his daughter.  When his daughter got married outside of pregnancy, he explained having nothing to do with her by using "That Statement".

 "She got herself pregnant, so…."

I didn’t wait for the rest of the statement, I turned into a fire-breathing feminist monster, & pointed out to him the fallacy of women being able to get pregnant by themselves, like starfish regenerating new arms.  I asked why men never took responsibility for the prevention of pregnancy, instead putting the entire burden on their women.

I left him speechless, & hopefully, thinking about his stupidity.  Eventually, his wife left him with a house empty of everything but mortgage & tax bills.  He’s since remarried to a terrific woman who knows how important family is, & helped him establish contact with his daughter. Now he’s a proud grandpa to her kids.

IMO, planning a trip is part of the fun of the trip.  I love diving into new guidbooks, researching a place on line, etc.  Even when I’m not planning a trip, I love reading the email from cruise lines, Peter Greenberg (the best travel writer, IMO), Budget Travel, etc. etc. that fills my inbox.

In spite of the research I do, I still travel mostly by the seat of my pants.

I usually go to Britain, & outside of staying with my brother, who lives in the wonderful city of Bristol, I’ve had hotel reservations only once.  In Edinburgh, I go to the reservations desk at the Toursit info center & ask them to book me a single room close to a bus line.  I generally end my vacation in London, so I stop at the reservations desk in Paddington station to see what’s being offered.

When I go to American Legion conventions with my Dad, reservations are made in advance, since the Legion books  blocks of rooms for delegates; all we have to do is say what size room we need.  However, since I go as a "Legion groupie" rather than a delegate, I’m off wandering around by myself during the day.  I go to a convention armed with info about local public transportation, sights I want to see that won’t interest Dad, & shopping.

My favorite travel guides are Arthur Frommer’s & the Lonely Planet Guides, &  I check to see if Suzy Gershman has a "Born to Shop" guide for where-ever I’m going.

I work a twelve hour shift, & I’m supposed to work a rotating shift.  Fortunately, I’m able to trade away day shift, which I hate, & work mostly nights.  Following Ms. Giuliano’s rules simply don’t work with my life.

I have no trouble sleeping during the day, in fact, I sleep better during the day than at night.  Actually, I’m like a cat: I can sleep any place, any time.  Unless I’m sick, I don’t need nine hours of sleep.  I get home around 5:30 a.m. & am in bed before 6 a.m. I don’t set an alarm, I wake up by noon without one.

My room is not dark, but I have no TV or phone in there.  I do have a radio-alarm clock I use on the rare occasion I have to work days or have an early appointment.  Of course, there are lots of books, & sometimes Bubba the WonderCat sleeps with me (but he doesn’t snore or hog the bedclothes…lol).

Do as much as possible ahead of time.

 If you have a friend or relative whose behavior will make you decide to lecture them ahead of time, don’t bother.  Call them after the party & claim their not getting an invitation is the fault of the post office.

Yes…"kind of, sort of".  I ripped an earring out & had to have my ear repaired by a cosmetic surgeon.  That was twenty or so years ago, when insurance covered the bill.  I ripped the ear again a couple of years ago, & now, insurance won’t pay to repair it, since it’s considered "unnecessary, purely cosmetic" surgery.  Until I can save the money to have the repair made, I have to look as if I have two earlobes on one side.

As to other surgery, I’m saying no…umtil I win the lottery.

I’m a reader.  I call my living room the library.  Every shelf is two-deep, there is a row of books on the floor in front of one big book case, the coffee table is buried under books, the old dumbwaiter/tea trolley in front of the window (because the top shelf is the ideal height for Bubba the WonderCat to sit & watch neighbors) has no room for more books on the lower shelves.  There are mor books in the den, in my bedroom, & there are over a dozen boxes in the basement.

I keep a paperback in my backpack for reading on breaks at work, one in my purse for reading on the bus, one or two on the other end of the library couch, a few on the other side of the bed.

However, the ones that remain partially unread are ones lauded by others.  "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follet was recommended by ab ex-beau.  I’ve started it three times, but can’t seem to get past the first chapter.  I’m one of those sad women that read Jane Austen over & over, have made pilgrimages to J.A. sites in Britain, etc. etc.  I’ve been reading sequels to her work written by others, & I just cannot force myself to finish "Mr. & Mrs. Darcy".  It’s been praised to the heavens by readers at the J.A. web community I belong to, but frankly, I think it sucks.

There are others, but these are the ones annoying me right now.