Itinerary Set

This May, from the 4th until the 28th, Sean and I will be bouncing around Southeast Asia touring Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Although we'll be overseas for over 3 weeks, it's been difficult to determine where we want to go and how long we want to stay. We want to pack in so much knowing that a return trip is not likely to happen all the soon. However, we also don't want to abbreviate our visits to places that deserve our time and attention. There's so much to see and do that what initially seemed like an endless vacation with limitless possibilities now appears to be just a flash of time.

But after much reading and planning, here is what our itinerary looks like:
- 9 days in Hanoi with 3- and 2-day trips to Halong Bay and Sapa respectively
- 5 days in Cambodia with the sole focus of exploring in detail Angkor Wat
- 6 days in Thailand, specifically the island of Koh Samui, where we will pamper ourselves day and night at an exclusive resort complete with infinity pools and private villas (I know we're supposedly "backpacking," but we had to do it. See pic below and you'll understand.)


- And finally we'll end with 4 days in Saigon with a potential side trip south if the city lights get to us

Only sort of ashamed

I am a big fan of American Idol. There, I said it. I wouldn't say I get caught up in the hype too much, but I am wholly entertained by the auditions, I find Hollywood week thrilling, and I will discuss each show with anybody that even pretends they care about Idol.

Last week's performances by the Top 12 was one of the best showcases of talent on the show since I started watching during Season 2. The contestants chose a song from a collection written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon and then spliced them into a 90-second arrangement. Almost everyone performed spectacularly (although Kristy Lee Cook, as always, was painful), and I had this awkward AI high when the show ended. Perhaps Fox's subliminal marketing messages were working because I promptly headed over to my computer and indulged in my most recent guilty pleasure.

Ok, here it goes...I downloaded an Idol performance song. I actually paid almost a whole dollar for 90 seconds of what I thought at the time was the best thing I had ever heard.

And wait, there's more. I downloaded not one, not two, but THREE songs because I thought they were so great! I can't say I regret the purchases since I've been listening to David Cook's "Hello" by Lionel Richie almost once a day. But after the miserable show this week featuring the Top 11, I don't think iTunes and Fox will be taking any more of my money.

Well on my way to a half-marathon

Keep in mind this photo was taken before my second-Tuesday-in-March resolution.

How I spent my day off last week...Porter, six Hefeweizens, and a view of the San Francisco Bay.

My Second-Tuesday-of-March Resolution

It's a new year, 2008!

It's February 1st!

It's my birthday!

It's Monday!

It's 8:45am! I've got 15 minutes!

This is my thought process as I attempt to reassign a start date/time to my inevitably failing New Year's resolution. I seem to only hold true to those personal commitments for about 2 weeks. Well realistically it's like 5 days. Ok, if you want to be more specific I think about it for 5 days, but I actually act on it for about 2 of them. Then I use the next logical starting date to begin anew. So today I bring you my second-Tuesday-of-March resolution! It's spontaneous and I'm making it public, which gives me hope that it may last longer than a few days. It begins with the obvious - new blog design (or template because I really don't know how to "design" anything) with a pledge to post more often than quarterly. Additionally, I may post about my inadequate attempts at my real resolution, which is to a) register for the Nike Women's half marathon, an apparent feat in itself, then b) train, run, finish.

(Many thanks to all readers who endured the horrendous clown noses for an entire winter.)