Hangin’ out by the water
Ahhh, the life of a baby. Early to bed. Up late. Spend all day relaxing at the beach. What more could a 10-month-old want? A margarita on the rocks, no salt, maybe? In another 20 1/2 years, I’ll be all set.
Finding the forgotten Virgin
Her white-sand beaches that fade into a green ocean are among the most postcard-perfect in the Caribbean. Her history, from the crumbling windmills to the old sugar-cane plantations, is among the most fascinating. Her people, accomplished in the West Indian art of island hospitality, are among the friendliest. So why is St. Croix the lost Virgin Island, at least when compared with her two showy sisters, St. Thomas and St. John? When we landed on the island, we couldn’t tell. There was a blast of warm, humid air, the smell of jet fuel and Frangipani blossoms that greeting us as we stepped off the plane. There were rum drinks offered to us in plastic cups - and fruit punch for the kiddies - a trademark of this region.
Hotel won’t pay for ruined pants
Q: Last December I stayed with my family at the DaVinci Hotel in New York. While we were out sightseeing one day there was a leak in the room on the floor above ours. We returned to the hotel to shower and dress for dinner and a show, only to find the staff sopping up [...]
Don’t even look at my bottle
You should know by now never to come between a baby and his bottle. It’s not good for your health. I’m thinking about your sense of hearing in particular. You really don’t want to be on the receiving end of one of my famous screams.
I can almost stand
I’ve been able to pull myself up pretty good, but today I stood for the first time without any help. Next step is to walk. Mommy and Daddy better batten down the hatches, ’cause I’m gonna tear this place apart. I might even try my climbing baby routine.
Hey … over here, ladies
It’s still spring break down here in the Keys. And you know what that means. Lots of bikini-clad babes, hanging out at the bar, waiting for an eligible young bachelor like yours truly. Ignore the two senior citizens next to me, darlings - they’re just two out-of-town relatives I’m trying to show a [...]
Thanks, Cookie
I dropped by to see my cousins in Delray today. I saw Jennifer and Jon and their kids, Emma and Ryan, Cookie, and my cousins Jon and Patty and their kids, Christine and Stephanie. Cookie helped me with dinner, but I am almost ready to eat without any assistance. In fact, gimme that, [...]
Too many dollars for my rental
Q: My husband and I reserved a Dollar Rent-a-Car for a trip from Orlando to New York. I made the booking online to pick up the car at Orlando International Airport and return it to LaGuardia Airport.
When we got to the counter, the Dollar employee who helped us had great difficulty with the reservation, [...]
They gave me the chair
Omi and Opa gave me this rocking chair when they visited me last week. It rocks! I like to sit on it and think about … well, never mind. Let’s just say this chair puts me to sleep. This is a family Web site, after all. And besides, I’m only nine months old.
How about a little kiss?
After all, I’m part Irish. My aunt Kaia sent Mommy and Daddy this picture from when I visited them a few weeks ago. It’s so cute (maybe it’s the smile … or the funny green hat) that my parents just had to post it in honor of St. Patrick’s day. But where’s the [...]
A worst western vacation
Q: I recently booked eight nights at the Best Western River North in Chicago over the New Year’s holiday. I selected a room with two double beds and was quoted a rate of $80.10 a night on the Internet.
New Year’s Eve was a nightmare. We were put up on the top floor with all [...]
Look who’s talkin’
Our friend Noi came to see me from Annapolis. He promised he wouldn’t talk to a baby, but we did have a brief discussion, anyway. I can already say five words: Cookie, cat, hat, dad and hot. So it wasn’t really a one-sided conversation. At least not entirely.
Jackson Hole thrills
At the windswept peak of Rendezvous Mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyo., there comes a moment when you’re forced to ask: stay or go? Staying means snapping out of your ski bindings or shouldering your mountain bike (depending on the season), boarding the aerial tram, and then descending to the safety of Teton Village. Going means plunging off a steep drop, the kind of incline that make this mountain resort a legend for thrill-seekers.
Cruise lines need an overhaul
Holland America’s Caribbean cruises are billed as voyages to paradise filled with “sun, serenity, good times and romance.” But for hundreds of passengers who sailed on the company’s Amsterdam last fall, their vacations didn’t live up to that promise. Instead, they were infected by the Norwalk virus, an increasingly common gastrointestinal ailment that confined many of them to their cabins with diarrhea, vomiting spells and a fever. Although the travelers recovered, the memories of a cruise ruined by sickness lingered.
Another visit to the Seaquarium? Why not!
I mean, we had to take Cookie to see the parrots - and Flipper was in peak form. Omi and Opa also thought it was kinda cool, all those fish swimming around in formation. But I didn’t get to feed the sharks. Maybe next time they’ll let me.