Today, Tuesday, May 10, is National Shrimp Day in the US. Shrimp is the most consumed fish in the country with each citizen downing nearly a ½ pound a year ( a whopping 11% yearly increase)! As the song goes — “shrimp boats are coming are coming are still coming!”
May 9, 2016: Most business travelers, at one time or another, have tried to sneak something on to their travel expense report — upgraded airline seat, fancy rental car, hotel beauty shop or haircut, etc. — but, according to a recent summary from a San Francisco management consulting group, items like plastic surgery, a new pet dog, a side of beef and even taxidermy, have been spotted on expense reports. Other inappropriate expenses include a cruise (wonder who the guest was?), lottery tickets (sounds fair if you split with your employer?), and the ever popular spa day. The survey does not say how many of the unusual expenses were approved!
May 7, 2016: McDonald’s is testing “Gilroy Garlic Fries” at several San Francisco Bay area locations — originated in the SFO area, these french fries are topped with garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and salt. The Gilroy Garlic Fries, named for the Gilroy, California City famous for it’s garlic crop and annual garlic festival (garlic on everything from ice cream to jello) might soon be available for take out at an airport McDonalds near you. While garlic does smell good — at times — not sure that’s a flavor we need to add to the inside of a packed airplane?
May 6, 2016: Burbank Airport, the popular Los Angeles regional (public and private plane) airport is rebranding its name to “Hollywood Burbank Airport” — it’s been called the Bob Hope Burbank Airport since 2003. A few travel agencies east of the Rocky Mountains have complained that the Bob Hope name “just isn’t doing it anymore” and influenced airport commissioners to change the name and spend a bundle of tax payer money on a new branding campaign. The most enthusiastic cheers from the public for the new branding campaign came from the local branding agency that flew off with the multi-thousand dollar project fee. Understand why the locals their don’t want to tag Los Angeles in the name — that adds even more confusion — but Hope, an iconic entertainment American legend and hero, lived and worked in the Burbank area for years — and there is more past and current television, movie and music studio history there than anywhere else in the area but nearby Hollywood. Shame on you Burbank Airport Commissioners — find something more productive and less costly to do!
May 5, 2016: A CBS Radio survey noted that the “traditional honeymoon” program has changed in the last few years. Newlyweds now want “adventure honeymoons” that require moving out of the bedroom and looking for action like scuba diving, rock climbing, eco hikes and exploring. 5 to 7 days is the average newlywed holiday and no where in the world is “off limits”! And, destination wedding ceremonies are still popular — so friends and relatives can tag along — not sure that sounds fun?
May 4, 2016: Not many places around our world where you can find one stop shopping to fine tune your body, mind and spirit. The TC found in Palo Alto, California, a small strip mall along El Camino Real (Hwy 82) where visitors can take a fencing lesson, enjoy a message, and end the experience with a spa visit — all in the same building. I guess if you’re a student or teacher at near by Stanford University (nickname the “farm”) you can afford the treat?
May 3, 2016: Flying around the world visiting new places and meeting new people might not be the glamorous exciting job you first imagine it to be — though you could probably figure that out from taking a few seconds to glance around your plane. 20-year flight attendant, Meagan Drillinger shares points from her 2 decades serving terrible coffee to terrible people, highlighting the good, the bad and the bizarre experiences from her career. Find out more here.
April 29, 2016: Sometimes, ya just have a bad day or week:
April 28, 2016: Carnival caused quite the stir in the Miami Cuban community by initially saying that it will not allow Cuban-born passengers on their Havana cruises (due to Cuban travel restrictions). However, the world’s largest cruise ship company has since reversed its position and says it will welcome cuban expatriates. After Carnival threatened to delay their cruises, the Castro government was quick to lift the ban to “normalize relations between Cuba and the US,” but will it really be that easy for Cuban expats to travel back to their country?
April 27, 2016: Inky, an octopus who was residing happy and comfortably (well handlers thought that any way) in a New Zealand aquarium staged a successful break from his tank into the aquarium drain — and then into the ocean. Inky, the size of a New Zealand soccer ball, made his way out of the tank and “slinked” nearly 8 feet into a nearby drain. Marine biologists note that octopus are well documented escape artists — sad to note that Inky did not leave a note explaining his run to freedom!
