Our Marival Video

Various Things

1) We're back from Puerto Vallarta. We had a great time. I still love the Marival. This weekend I'll be editing all of the property video I took while we were there. I will put it here when I'm done.

2) I'm actually at the Apple Store right now. I had a 10am One to One appointment to work out some issues regarding my videos and You Tube. Basically, I wasn't pleased with the quality of my videos on You Tube. Turns out, You Tube sucks.

At this moment I am uploading an MPEG file up to one of my web hosts to see if it looks better. I think what I'll have to do is have my videos on YouTube, but also host better quality versions on my own host. Apparently the "featured" videos on YouTube are allotted more resources and, therefore, are viewed at better quality. Mine aren't featured (yet).

3) A really cool opportunity is happening with one of my kids. I can't get more specific in this public forum due to security concerns, but it's really cool.

4) My daughter and I will be going to Jamaica soon for our annual "Mother/Daughter Sleepover". This will be the first time we've done it out of town. Should be great fun.

My upload is almost done....so, go have a great weekend!

I can't believe it!

I am blogging to you from poolside at the wonderful Marival Resort and Suites. I brought Rosie (my Macbook) down here so I could manipulate some Excel spreadsheets to upload pricing up to my websites...lo and behold..the wireless was active even down here at the pool. Amazing!

I'd better get to uploading.

Adios.

...and we're off to Puerto Vallarta

Tomorrow morning our whole family is departing for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We will be staying at our favorite Vallarta resort, the Marival Resort and Suites.

All four of us are going, my inlaws and my sister in law as well. Should be a great time! They have wireless Internet there, so I should be able to stay in touch.

Have a great weekend.

Right now at our house we are doing our Summer reading. Both of the kids have a list of books that they need to get through before school starts (next month!).

Tonight we read Miss Rumphius. As a child Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the last being the most difficult of all.

Sounds like a pretty good life plan, really.

• See Faraway Places


• Live Near the Sea


• Make the World More Beautiful

If I can help you with that first item, give me a call. :-)

More Soon.

Fun and Games at the Banks House

If you've only seen it on a cruise, you haven't seen it....

A representative from the Jamaica Tourism Board spent time in our office today. One of the subjects that came up was the difficulty with cruise ship passengers visiting the island, then not returning. The reason for this is twofold:

1) The cruise ship passengers believe that they have seen the destination and therefore do not have a desire to go back.

and

2) The cruise ship passengers generally have a less than ideal experience in the destination and therefore do not have a desire to go back.

I've previously had a similar conversation with representatives of the Cozumel Promotions board, so it isn't just Jamaica.

Let me just go on record to say that the experience of a cruise ship passenger bears little resemblance to that of a land based vacationer in a destination. The very nature of having a cruise ship in port and thousands of people swarming in a downtown area creates a bad situation.

So...if you've only seen a destination as a cruise ship passenger...you haven't seen it yet. The cruise is about the ship, not so much about the port.

More Soon.

Taken directly from this week's Top 20 email: "Every week we search 600+ companies for their very best sales and compile this Top 20(R) list."

First of all, let me explain that I love TravelZoo. I advertise on TravelZoo. However, I must clarify something to my loyal readers.

TravelZoo Top 20 deals are not the result of an exhaustive search. The companies offering those deals paid HUGE dollars to be included in that email.

I just thought my readers would want to know.

More Soon.

This is What World Peace Looks Like

Last December, my daughter traveled to Argentina for a month with CISV. CISV is an organization that creates experiences for young people in order to promote peace and friendship around the world.

Our daughter traveled to Argentina last December for a month long village. This summer (as every summer) there is a village right here in Dallas. That means that 12 4 kid delegations travel here to Dallas from around the world. Each delegation also brings a young adult leader. Upon arrival, the leaders to to the camp to make final preparations and the kids go to host families.

Yesterday, we picked up the Norwegian delegation. Cecile, Oline, Tobias and Markus will be with us until tomorrow when we take them to village. They are delightful kids and we're having a great time getting to know them.

Tonight we will be attending a Frisco Roughriders game.

More Soon.