Old Shoes - New Trip

For as long as anyone is interested and it doesn't feel like work, I'm going to have some fun with a few of the more meaningless issues of our day.

Issues that, even though they aren't important, people all tend to have strong and dearly held opinions on. Issues that make us emphatically bang our fists on a table. Issues we don't dither about.

In other words, it's . There's no middle ground.

We'll stay away from topics that really matter. We'll debate only the inconsequential, the insignificant, the things that we can discuss fervently, yet still go away friends.

I'm not going to commit to doing this on a regular basis - mainly because I don't want to to start feeling like a chore. But, every once in a while, when a cosmic question pops into my head, I'll post an EITHER/OR question.

Here is our first topic:

Why do people put their toilet paper on the roller backwards?

I've never understood how they could possibly think their way is acceptable.

Every rational, intelligent human being knows that there is only ONE way to put toilet paper on the roller.

So, my question to you, my dear friends is....

Should your toilet paper roll have the sheets coming off from the top? Or should they roll out from the bottom? It isn't a hard question. But, there is only one right answer.

EITHER it's top -- OR it's bottom. Leave me a comment with a link to your blog entry answering this important question. And please copy and paste the yellow link button above into your blog so your readers can also come tell me what they think.

Oh, I almost forgot. The only way to put toilet paper on the roll is, OF COURSE...

We learned yesterday that a friend lost his sibling in the earthquake.

It's not a distant, abstract disaster any longer.

Just an early and fair warning to my Sunday Slow Suppers friends. My week is February 21st.

The method is slow cooker. The recipe is a slow cooker version of a tagine. The flavor profile is clearly Moroccan. The star ingredient is:

So, if you don't have a great source for goat meat, you might want to start looking. I'm giving you lots of advanced notice. For those who live in areas where there just isn't a source, start thinking about what meat you might want to substitute that can stand up to the flavors.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of DK Publishing. They have a strong formula for balancing concise information, stunning photos, and smart layout to produce wonderful books. Their Eyewitness Guides are great basic travel books. Their cookbooks are some of my favorites.

So, when OFF THE TOURIST TRAIL: One Thousand Unexpected Travel Alternatives showed up in our store I drooled over it. But at $40.00, even with my employee discount, I didn't buy. Now, it is 50% off during our after holiday sale. Until the 26th, that is. So, I snapped up a copy.

It's a guide to the world's unspoiled sights and experiences. It takes a hundred clichéd tourist destinations - everything from over-visited national parks to overrated museums - and reveal 1,000 fresh and fascinating alternative options.

The destinations are arranged by theme - Ancient and Historical Sights, Festivals and Parties, Great Journeys, Architectural Marvels, Natural Wonders, Beaches, Sports and Activities, Art and Culture, and Cities. There's practical advice on getting there and around, where to stay, where to eat and when to go, as well as useful 'Need to Know' facts.

Less crowded, generally less expensive, and often more spectacular and rewarding, these lesser-known wonders of the world encourage readers to ditch the famous but well-worn choices, reminding them what real travel is all about - escaping the everyday and embracing the new.

I'm happy to have purchased the book. I'm depressed at the number of places I need to go and the limited time and money I possess. For now, I sip a cup of coffee and daydream as I flip through the pages.

The $20 price is for a limited time. But it's the same in the store and at either B&N or Amazon.
So, you live near a Barnes & Noble, go get your copy while they are only $20.00. If not, go online and order it. You won't be sorry.

It's georgeous books like this, that prove the electronic readers will never completely supplant the printed page.

Three weeks flew by. We could have spent all three weeks in any one of the three locations we'd chosen and still it would not have been enough. But, we find ourselves turning our car in at the Edinburgh airport and taking a cab to our apartment at Candlemaker Row, 48.

We were fortunate to have chosen another comfortable apartment in a perfect location. This one had lots of quirky personality both inside and out!

Inside is an almost over-furnished but very homey three room plus bath apartment. The livingroom/dining room had plenty of light and soft overstuffed furniture. Cozy.

The bedroom was a bit fussy for my taste, but the bed was comfortable and the drapes blocked out the light. So, that's perfect where it counts.

The kitchen was fully equipped. It even had a countertop freezer in addition to the half-sized refrigerator. And it had deliciously sharp knives. Pay close attention to the geraniums in the kitchen window. You'll see them again in the last picture.

Now we turn our attention to our neighbors. Those in front of us were an ecclectic mix of small businesses in a funky neighborhood. They included a comic book store, a storefront legal aide lawyer, a tatoo parlor, and a trendy up-and-coming fashion designer. There was also an Italian restaurant that had its door standing open with people coming and going all the time, yet it never seemed to have any real dining patrons.

The neighbors behind us were another story entirely.