The Blonde Diaries

So this morning was my first trip to a gun range.  I just recently held my first gun or guns now that we have 3 in the house but I’ve never tried to fire one.  So this morning we loaded the SUV and met some friends at the gun range. I wasn’t expecting much other than to test out my pink ear muffs and sunglasses while shooting off random shots in all directions. Suffice to say, I did much better than expected.  I’m not an expert on guns by any means but my favorite today was the 9mm Baretta.  I also shot a 9mm Glock, a 38 Bodyguard, and a 22 revolver.  I ended up with two cuts – one a major bleeder – thanks to the Glock and the Revolver so I won’t be shooting those again unless I have protective gloves. The revolver wasn’t terrible but let’s just hope you need to shoot at the side of a barn because accurate it was not.  The little 38 was just too little with too long of a pull.  Overall a good day because I was able to shoot the target between the eyes, through the heart, and shot off his penis a few times.  So if you plan on breaking into my house I would suggest a cup and armor, otherwise you are going down and it ain’t going to feel too well.

Now on to the fun part.  While we were there we noticed A TON of tourists.  Once you start thinking about it and looking into gun laws in other countries you understand why a place like that would have a ton of tourists popping off rounds.  We had a few Europeans next to us who were taking photos and recording their shooting (revolvers and a 9mm) with a Flip camera. We also had some Asians in business attire shooting off some pistols and assault rifles having the time of their life.  I probably wouldn’t have thought to suggest that to someone visiting the US or Texas for that matter but it makes sense. If you can’t experience something at home why not try it out on vacation right?  So next time you come to this great state, find a range, rent a lane and a gun, and shoot off some rounds.  I’m testing out the Tommy Gun next time we go.

I am finally home from a fabulous week of vacation.  Really, when you go on vacation is it ever not fabulous?  Mike and I saided the Eastern Caribbean and made stops in the Bahamas, St. Thomas, USVI, and St. Maarten.  Each stop had the clearest water I’ve ever seen and it was warm!  I hate putting my toes into the cold ocean but that was not the case this time around.

Pretty water in St. Thomas

With such clear water you could see your toes and count the sand grains from standing neck deep in the water.  At the same time, you could see who else or what else was joining you in your little swim.  During our visits, I ran into a sting ray, a school of fish, and I think a barracuda.  Unfortunately, the water was too rough for me to get closer to the barracuda and even if I did I think I would have needed some visual help – at minimum a snorkel mask and maybe even a pair of ncstar binoculars – not because they are tiny fish, but because I think I’d need the extra help to see it in the rough waves of St. Maarten.  That and I’d still like to keep my distance. LOL

So this week I’m left looking at my vacation memories and doing a massive amount of unpacking and laundry.  Even though I laid my clothes out on my bed while packing and did my counts, I still over packed in excessive amounts but it was much less than I have done in the past.  In fact, I still had ample room in my carry-on and my checked bag to do some major shopping while we were floating around but unfortunately, the only duty free items I found were jewelry and watches.  Had their been duty free designer clothes I would probably be coming back with an extra suitcase and a nice amount of credit card debt. It’s all for the best.

Ok so maybe he isn’t coming to Houston per se but he is coming with his best friends to Galveston, Texas for a little relaxation and fun. Today sources leaked the information that will be discussed in luncheon and presentation tomorrow morning here in Houston. Beginning in September 2012 the Disney Cruise Line will begin sailing the Disney Magic from the Galveston port! It was first reported on Local Station KHOU and their website.

This is fairly exciting news because Houston is a rather large city but our cruise choices have been limited to Royal Caribbean (not complaining here) and Carnival. Now with a third cruise line hanging out here we should see some price decreases and new sailing options. Plus maybe it will get the kids off of my beloved Royal Caribbean boat. Even if it doesn’t change who is sailing on which boat, it is exciting to have Disney characters and the Disney feeling so close to home. I’ve never even thought about sailing on the Disney Cruise Line because the cruise itself is fairly overpriced and I’d have to factor in excursions and airfare. Now with it just 45 minutes away it might be worth it to give it a try once. I’m interested in hearing the full announcement tomorrow to learn which ports the ship will be visiting. I’m sure it will be the usual Western Caribbean spots but I’m hoping for a different one or two – add in some variety.

One of the things I’ve been doing while laying on the couch with my puppies is DVRing tv shows and movies like a mad woman. I love old movies and since we have Turner Classic Movies, I am constantly recording old black and white movies and enjoying them when that mood hits. I’ve also been taping way too many shows on the Travel Channel. Normally that isn’t a bad thing but right now all I can think about is getting away and having some fun.

Unfortunately being unemployed puts a cramp in that plan but I am coming up with a huge list of places I want to go on vacation. San Juan, Puerto Rico looks fabulous, Europe is always lovely, and sometimes just a quiet beach getaway like the ones on the top beaches special is all you need. By watching the different shows I’ve learned that there are many beaches in the US that are just as fab as the ones in the Caribbean. Additionally, you can skip the hotels and look for vacation rentals like many travelers do when planning a vacation to the Outer Banks. I couldn’t believe how cheap the Outer Banks vacation rentals were compared to what some hotels charge when you stay at the beach. Quite often when doing the vacation rental you get more space and more amenities for the money than you will with a hotel so why be cramped on your vacation?

Fingers crossed one of my interviews will work out and I will have a job in a few weeks. Then I can start using my paychecks to save in my vacation account. A girl can dream right?

This week has been filled with headlines about the airline industry. First, Southwest announced that they were acquiring Air Tran, another low cost airline, then United and Continental announced that their merger was approved and final. As an accountant, I’ve learned that mergers and acquisitions are often the best way for companies to grow and bring value to their stockholders. But as a consumer, I have to say that I am slightly worried with all of the mergers and acquisitions going on in the airline industry. Air travel is already pretty expensive and now that there are less airlines to choose from the  travel deals we are all use to as consumers might dry up fairly quickly. It just isn’t about saving money either. It is about picking the best travel times and with less flights to choose from the harder it might be to pick the travel time that works best for your travel situation. I think I hate the idea of less choices – less flight times, less companies to choose from – more than I hate the idea of slightly higher ticket prices. It will be interesting to see what these mergers and acquisitions do in the long-term. Maybe it will lead to other budget airlines emerging and competing in the market like JetBlue and AirTran has emerged in the last couple of decades.