In order to take some of the edge off the gloomy financial situation,
I'm sending the following alternative investment plan. A co-worker
brought me to my senses, by sending me this.

Ladies & Gents, All is not lost......
In light of the economic down turn, I've identified an alternative
investment plan and a potential cost savings!!!!!!

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago,
you will have $49.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG
one year ago, you will have $33.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of
shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today. But,
if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the
beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for a recycling refund, you would
have received $214.

Based on the above, the best current investment plan
is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg.
A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a
year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons
of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get
approximately 41 miles to the gallon!

Makes you proud to be an American!

Aussie 

I have just visited Dreams Resort in Cancun Mexico. It is a wonderful hotel located in the heart of Cancun. It offers everything for the family and features a Dolphin pool on the property beside the hotel so that you can sit on your balcony and watch them all day long.

The property has acres of white sandy beaches with the azure blue Caribbean Sea providing an idyllic backdrop in a calm safe swimming environment. For the children they have a kid zone that offers so much activity that they will not want to be with the parents during the day, specially trained babysitters are also available.

There are many restaurants offering specialties from around the world that will make your mouth water in anticipation. You can also indulge yourselves at the spa, with a huge range of treatments that will rejuvenate the body and soul. As it is in the heart of Cancun you are not far from all that there is to offer, shopping both at markets and for quality products. If you want to go off property there are plenty of specialty restaurants close by that you will be familiar with from McDonalds to Ruth Chris Steak House.

However if you are like me I would take one of the Dolphin front rooms, just sit out on the balcony, have room service, watch these amazing creatures or swim with them and take photos all day long. You can see some in this movie here which I made from my visit.

I recommend this resort/hotel for everyone.

Aussie  

As you may have guessed by my name I am from Down Under.So I thought it about time to tell you some things you can see when you go.

Remember I am the expert, I was born there and lived in different cities for over 40 years. 

            Australia and New Zealand are fascinating and fantastic places to vacation.  Whether you choose a land-based vacation or a cruise as the way to see these South Pacific islands, the first thing you should know is that they are quite different from each other.

            Australia is vast and diverse, with everything from beaches to deserts, mountains and rainforests.  The city of Sydney is a major attraction, with instantly recognizable landmarks like the HarbourBridge and the Opera House.  Taronga Zoo, BondiBeach, Sydney Aquarium and the AustralianNationalMaritimeMuseum are all found in Sydney.  The rock formations, canyons and caves of the Blue Mountains are just a two hour train ride away.

            The city of Cairns is the gateway to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a legendary spot for snorkeling and diving.  Cairns is also a good base for visits to TjapukaiAboriginalCulturalPark or the Daintree Rainforest.

            Another Australian must-see is Uluru, also known as Ayer’s Rock.  Sunrises and sunsets are particularly impressive at this sandstone monolith, which is sacred to the Aboriginal people of the area.

            New Zealand is home to about four million people and 44 million sheep.  However, the country is far more than a collection of sheep stations.  No part of the country is more than 80 miles from the sea, and the water plays a major role in New Zealand’s culture.

The city of Auckland offers lovely beach promenades, markets, shops, restaurants, and a look at native Maori culture at the AucklandMuseum.  Take a ferry to WaihekeIsland to visit the wineries, olive groves and art studios there.

Rotorua is the place to learn more about Maori life and to see rare geothermal features.  Visit the RotoruaMuseum for an overview of the area’s volcanic history, then tour the geysers and hot mud pools.  You can also see Ohinemutu, an original Maori village.

Wellington is New Zealand’s capital, and the many attractions include Parliament and the Te Papa Tongarewa national museum.  Ride the cable car to visit the Wellington Botanic Gardens, then return to enjoy Wellington’s lively café society and arts scene.

In addition to these must-see sights, there is much more to both Australia and New Zealand.  For example, New Zealand’s mountains offer wonderful skiing from June through October. 

Aussie 

Well, we have finally moved into our new Travel Agency.

After weeks of moving two offices and all our equipment we have settled into a place that is reminiscent of a tropical getaway with an ambience of relaxation. We have decorated the office tastefully and have had a mural with a map of the northern hemisphere painted on one wall showing many of the popular places our clients like to visit. It has proven to be an attraction that people just want to come and look at.

We are celebrating with a Grand Opening on Halloween (October 31). Come by between 5:00pm and 7:00pm for all the fun. Everyone here will be dressed up in costume (see the attached picture) and we encourage our visitors to also come in their best outfits. For the children getting dressed up this year we will have a professional photographer here to take pictures that you can keep as memories how they were. Prizes will also be given for the best costumes. We will also have candy in a safe and happy environment. For the adults that come we will have a drawing for a free trip to Mexico.

It’s amazing just how much stuff you accumulate over the years, and after weeks of cleaning up we are almost there. And as for those who want to lose a few pounds, consider moving a house or business, I lost 20 pounds and feel so much better.

I hope to see you here.

Aussie.

            If you haven’t been to Walt Disney World in Orlando lately, or if you are thinking of making your first trip to the MagicKingdom, some new attractions are waiting for you.

            At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the “Journey Into Narnia” attraction was recently renovated and reopened as “Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian.”  Guests see special behind-the-scenes footage from the movie “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”;  explore Aslans’s stone table chamber, recreated from original molds used for the movie set; take a close look at authentic concept art and storyboards used for the movie; and meet Prince Caspian himself.

A new edition of “Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage!” has become a popular show at Disney’s Hollywood Studio.  Mickey Mouse and his friends invite children to help create the best birthday party ever for Minnie Mouse.

“Block Party Bash” is a lively street parade that features more than 20 Disney-Pixar characters.  The parade is an extravaganza of music, floats, trampoline units, aerial acrobatics and other surprises.  Spectators are invited to dance and party with characters from Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and A Bug’s Life, among others. 

Toy Story is also the theme of “Toy Story Mania!,” a new attraction where guests put on 3-D glasses, hop into ride vehicles and enter a world of midway-style games hosted by Toy Story characters.  At each game booth, guests launch virtual darts at targets, competing for high scores and triggering some fun surprises.

If that’s not enough, American Idol is coming soon to Disney World.  The “American Idol Experience,” scheduled to open in January 2009, will let guests experience what it’s like to be an audience member – or even a contestant – on the popular television show.  Contests can even win an opportunity to sing in front of American Idol representatives at one of the show’s actual regional auditions.

Finally, Disney World is now opening up its storied gates to guests visiting on their birthdays.

To make the most of your vacation to Disney World, talk with your travel professional.  He or she has lots of helpful information about the MagicKingdom’s multiple theme parks, water parks, accommodations and more.

Aussie 

After serving this community for over 15 years as Carlson Wagonlit Travel our travel agency is transforming into Travel Leaders. However, while the name may change everything such as the phone number, location and employees will remain the same to continue providing the best client service around Lake Ray Hubbard.  Below is the press release explaining our transformation.

After leading the way in travel by serving millions of travelers from coast to coast, the more than 500 U.S.-based franchised travel agency locations operating as Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates are leading travel in an exciting new direction as Travel Leaders. The new brand was selected in recognition of the instrumental leading role the travel company has forged on behalf of travelers ever since its beginnings as Ask Mr. Foster. In proudly transforming itself today with a new brand identity, Travel Leaders is also announcing consumer-centric initiatives specifically designed to transform the overarching experience Travel Leaders’ clients can expect from the new brand and its promise to corporate and leisure travelers alike: “When your journey includes us, you travel better.”

The brand name change process was initiated earlier this year when Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates, now a division of Minnesota-based The Travel Franchise Group (TTFG), became independent from Carlson, the international hotel, marketing, restaurant and travel company and Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), specializing in business travel management. TTFG is the largest franchisor of travel agencies in North America and is a unit of Travel Acquisitions Group, which was formed in January 2008 when Carlson sold its Carlson Leisure Group (CLG) to CLG President Michael Batt. An extensive rebranding process was initiated to distinguish franchisees from CWT and culminated with today’s announced transformation into Travel Leaders.

Aussie

I hope you dont think I am too cynical especially as I am a travel agent but this has happend to me as well. I came across this and thought it would be good for everyone to have.

This handy kit was put together in response to passenger demand.

·        SOS signs (to put in your airplane window after 3 hours on the tarmac)

·        Water Germicidal Tablets (to treat the non-drinking water in the plane’s bathroom)

·        Crystal Light hydrating formula (so you’ll forget that you’re drinking the bathroom water)

·        Pure Protein Bar (for when the peanuts are gone)

·        List of Edible Parts of an Airplane (for when the protein bar is gone)

·        List of warning signs for health issues you might experience from a delayed flight

·        Astronaut Diaper (for when you’re in for a long ride or when the toilets cease to function)

·        “How to make a diaper from a T-shirt” instructions

·        “How to make a diaper liner from an airline garbage bag” instructions

·        “How to fasten a diaper with garbage bag ties” instructions

·        Airborne immune boosting formula (for when you find yourself in close quarters)

·        Earplugs (for when you’re tired of hearing “just 15 more minutes)

·        Pine Scented Air Freshener (no explanation needed)

·        Disposable Camera (For those moments you want to remember)

·        Instruction for taking the perfect picture

·        Media Outlets(to let somebody know you’re out there!)

·        A regulation sized plastic baggie (so you can take these or other items through airport security)

There’s no doubt a vacation to Rome or Florence, Italy, provides a kaleidoscope of experiences that, after just one visit, will beckon you for a return trip. After you’ve soaked up the romantic Renaissance and profound history of these two cities consider hopping a train to visit other nearby Italian treasures.
   

If in Rome…Head to Pompeii

Italy is packed with opportunities to glimpse into the past, but few in Italy, or the world, offer more of a complete perspective than Pompeii. 

For well over a thousand years Pompeii was hidden from the world under the volcanic ash spewed from Mt.Vesuvius in 79 A.D. It wasn’t until the 18^th century that magnificent Pompeii was rediscovered, frozen in time. Theaters, buildings, temples, sculptures, bathhouses and residences – many of which still retain their vivid interior paints and frescoes – provide a rare glimpse into first-century Roman life. Most striking are the body casts (made by archeologists) of some of the victims that capture their harrowing final moment of life as searing pyroclastic flow and ash consumed them. 

Pompeii is less than a two-hour train ride south of Rome (via Naples) through picturesque countryside strewn with rolling hills, coastal towns and stunning views of the Mediterranean.

Check out The Cinque Terra

One of the more picturesque and prototypical Italian experiences can be found along a small strip of the Ligurian Sea coastline called the Cinque Terra ("Five Lands"). Colorful villages teeter on cliffs and tuck into craggy mountainsides, with backyards sprinkled with vineyards and olive groves. Each town evokes its own unique dolce vida persona which is meticulously preserved by locals and utterly adored by visitors.  

The Cinque Terra’s five towns, (listed south to north) Riomaggiore, Manarola, Monterosso, Corniglia, and Vernazza, are connected by hourly train service. Other options include passenger ferry service or the popular footpaths that cut through the towns’ vineyards and olive groves.

From Florence, board a train to La Spezia (under a two-hour ride) from which you can reach even the northernmost town of the Cinque Terra within 20 minutes.    

These are just a small sample of the many memorable tastes of Italy outside Rome and Florence.

Aussie 

Carlson Wagonlit Travel

New York City always has a buzz about it. On a visit to this city of 8.1 million you can find all the familiarity of home, as well as things and places that astonish and amaze. But that’s the excitement – you get the best of the world all in one place, which is why the Big Apple is so enthralling. On your next visit, discover another side of New York by putting the maps and guide books aside and immersing yourself in the city’s culture with one of these unique endeavors.

• New York City appeals to taste buds of all levels. Discover some of the more prominent ethnic flavors of the city with local tours from the Enthusiastic Gourmet. A selection of tours are available which individually cover the Jewish Lower East Side or Chinatown, or encompass the Hispanic and Jewish Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy, where you’ll drop in on local shops and markets for samples of pastries and meats. Plus, you’ll learn a more about how important role familiar food staples have played in each community.
  
• Those backyard scavenger hunts you played when you were young will pale in comparison to those offered by Watson Adventures. Find clues in art as you unravel a who-done-it murder mystery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or work as a family to answer fun questions on art at The Brooklyn Museum. There are many other hunts available, all designed to unfurl some of New York’s more iconic places with an adventurous, sometimes quirky, spin.       
  
• For the budget-conscious, a tour of
  Union Square
  just might be up your alley. You’ll learn all about the neighborhood, the history, politics, people and architecture. Plus, it’s free. Head to the Abraham Lincoln Statue in
  Union Square
  at 2:00 p.m. any Saturday to join the tour.
  
• If you missed witnessing the drop of the New Year’s Ball, you have another chance to celebrate the New Year during the Chinese New Year. This city celebrates the new year twice. Chinatown is packed for the New Year parade featuring floats, dragons, acrobats, music and a whole slew of events to celebrate. Get there early for a good spot.   

^Aussie