Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Ready To Hit The Road? Listen To The Skiptown All-Stars Podcast!

Who hasn't dreamed of hitting the road after retirement (or if you work remotely) to explore the country? My husband and I have discussed doing just that once we can afford to buy an RV. But I'm a planner, so I'll need to research not only the vehicles but the destinations that we have in mind. This is where the Skiptown All-Stars Podcast comes in handy---the Gordons have already put in the miles and are sharing all the important info with their listeners. Here is one of my favorite episodes (#34) of theirs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re_EIca_cmA&t=5s Want more? This is what you'll find when you tune in:

Skiptown All-Stars Podcast

Ever wonder what it’d be like to liquidate your life and hit the road at the tender age of 50? JAMES and DENISE GORDON did just that. After their youngest daughter flew the coop for college, the married couple of 25 years sold everything they owned in Los Angeles, loaded up the minivan, and headed on a cross-country journey in search of their forever home. Their weekly podcast is an adventure like no other. It’s an immersive deep dive into American cities and coastal towns. They take their listeners into every tourist trap, hidden gem, and off-the-beaten-path escapade. All the while, asking the most important question, “Can we live here?”

It’s not just about skipping town. They’re also breaking down retirement, remote working, real estate, and all the other impending issues Gen Xers and Boomers are facing. Whether you’re looking to check off those bucket-list boxes or want to know the scoop about where to hang up your hat, Skiptown All-Stars Podcast is for you! With thousands of miles under their tires and countless cities visited, they’re quickly becoming known as the wildly amusing Trusted Trip Advisors, appealing to the wanderlust in us all. Episodes are available everywhere you get your podcasts. #empty nest #full tank

***You can find the Gordons here: https://skiptownallstars.com/ (plus anywhere you listen to podcasts) or their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@skiptownallstars

***If you need the audio-only links for the podcast:

For Apple users

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/skiptown-all-stars/id1636817938

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/0LY5k3G0n03N0pDtO8Zx72?si=c3f9daa1902b4741

Friday, June 10, 2016

Sizzling Summer Writers Series: Guest Post By Kristi Stephens Walker

Today's guest writer is another funny lady I met at the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop convention in Ohio a few months ago. Kristi Stephens Walker pens the humor blog, Life's Not A Sissy Rodeo, and I love everything about her site! She's just as funny in real life as she is on her blog, and I cannot tell you how many times she had me cracking up at the convention. She was part of the tribe of women I hung out with in Dayton, the place where we created some of my fondest memories (what happens at ERMA stays at ERMA). Kristi's quick wit and fun spirit makes everyone smile, so I'm thrilled to introduce you to this special lady. Please welcome her to Meno Mama's site today with lots of comment love!

HAVE VAN, WILL TRAVEL

Last year, we were packing the car for a family vacation, when the kids expressed concern that they were cramped in the back seat.

By “expressed concern,” I actually mean complained loudly to me while their father was busy packing the trunk as though it were a 5000-piece Ravensburger puzzle.

“I don’t have any room!”

“Get your feet off my side!”

“Mommy! She’s touching me!”

“Do we have to hold the beach chairs in our laps?!”

“I just don’t get the fuss,” I lectured, as we packed the Ford Taurus to the max, shoving duffle bags in-between the three of them. They could barely buckle their seatbelts without giving one another crippling wedgies.

“We’ll be fine,” I said cheerily. “We’ll play the License Plate game. Just like when I was a kid.”

Then we drove a sedan twelve hours to the beach. And back.

I hadn’t even so much as shaken the sand out of the beach towels before I was test driving vans off the nearest car lot.

That is all a distant memory now because of The Van. The Van changed everything.

From the minute we traded in our former ride, we’ve been traveling in style. Nothing squeaks, squeals or leaks. When I drop the kids off at school, I feel like I’m rolling up in a limo—where everyone has space, and no one has to prop their legs up on a cooler from here to North Myrtle Beach. Sometimes, I try to flash the other mommies in nice vans a secret hand symbol, but they seem to think I'm flipping the bird. Again.

The Van is clean. Due to my strongly-worded speech to everyone who enters it, the outside of The Van remains white and shiny, and the inside—oh, the inside—is totally void of the errant French fries and Capri Sun stains that sullied the old car. I found a half-empty Sonic drink in a cup holder the other day and almost had to take a Xanax.

But the piece de resistance of The Van is something I thought I would never, ever succumb to: the DVD player.

That’s right, another screen for the kids to stare at. Yes, we went there. It has been featuring Disney's Frozen on a constant loop for weeks. But what do I care? I also bought 3 wireless headsets.

Don't judge.

Say what you want about it, but I’m telling you, on a recent holiday road trip, that DVD player was the only thing keeping me from impaling myself on a mile marker.

But somewhere between Lexington and Nashville, I popped Annie into that DVD player and things got quiet. I glanced in the rearview mirror to find all three kids crammed into the third-row seat, snuggled under the same blanket and watching together.

I guess being packed in tight with your siblings isn’t always such a hard knock life after all.

BIO:

Kristi Stephens Walker is a writer and editor who enjoys writing funny essays about her real life family, like how she gets shamed by the office lady when the kids are tardy, or how she only lasted two months as a preschool teacher. She lives with her husband and three kids in Nashville, TN where she loves lattes and anything Kate Spade. She just finished writing her first novel.

Find me at:

Blog: http://nosissyrodeo.blogspot.com/

instagram: krististephenswalker

twitter: @kristiswalker

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristi.s.walker.5

Friday, January 2, 2015

Why I Look Forward To Being An Empty Nester

I'm counting down the years until the last of my four children moves out of the house. I get giddy at the prospect of being an empty nester. While there are some parents who might dread this phase of life, I know I'll embrace the newfound freedom of an unscheduled calendar. No more P.T.A. meetings, teacher conferences, football games, homework squabbles, band practice or bake sales. I dream of the day I can lock the front door, hop in the RV and hit the road to Margaritaville.

There are numerous advantages to being an empty nester:

*The laundry room will no longer look like I it has been hit by an atomic bomb of dirty clothes.

*The liquor cabinet that was once locked down tighter than Fort Knox can now be left open for legal libations.

*Our extra bedrooms will no longer resemble hotel rooms trashed by rockers and their overzealous fans after a sold out concert.

*My electric bill will decrease because no one will be checking the refrigerator every ten minutes to see if new groceries have magically appeared inside.

*I won't have to wake up before the owls go to bed to get my kid to the school bus on time.

*I can travel to exotic places like Bore Bora. Just kidding! I'm broke after raising four kids. The only trip I can afford now is to Walmart.

*No more stockpiling of toilet paper, milk or socks.

*It'll take three days to fill the dishwasher---maybe more since I'll only be cooking for two. How much space do I need for a microwave tray, cup of soup or a bowl of Cap'n Crunch cereal?

*Ant colonies will no longer form on my kitchen counters to feast on donut crumbs or pizza crusts left out by the kids the night before.

*There will be no more squabbling over the TV remote. I can watch Cupcake Wars instead of listening to Kim whine on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

*I won't have to conceal my Chinese leftovers in a container marked, “Urine Sample” to fool hungry teenagers.

*I'll finally be able to hear the birds singing outside instead of covering my bleeding ears to the loud, thumping bass of my son's EDM music.

*My grocery bill will be cut in half since I'll no longer be feeding a school of piranhas at the dinner table.

*The Hubs and I will be able to get our freak on 24/7 without worrying that the kids will catch us playing Little Red Riding Hood in bed with the big, bad wolf.

There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel of motherhood and it's called, RETIREMENT....

until the circle of life comes around and bites me in the ass with grand children.

LOVE MENO MAMA? BUY MY BOOK! AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM

Friday, October 24, 2014

Twelve Ways To Kick Depression's Butt

I hate depression. The last thing I want to do is spend a day curled up in the fetal position in my closet or hibernating under my bedcovers until the next lunar eclipse. I would much rather spend my time socializing at an Origami Owl convention or attending a class on fifty ways to repurpose dental floss.

I've always suffered from depression, but a few years ago when menopause was added to the mix, it hit like a one-two punch. Depression has been like a donkey kick to my head, and each day is a struggle to find a happy balance. Short of eating my weight in candy corn and MoonPies, I've discovered twelve ways to kick depression's butt:

1. Surround yourself with pets. They will love you unconditionally and never ask you for a new cell phone or an increase in their allowance.

2. Listen to the drug-induced music of the 60-70's. Many of the songs from this era include tambourines, harmonicas and lyrics such as, "Sha-la-la-la…..feelin' groovy…" If you listen to this music long enough, pretty soon you'll be playing recorder solos better than Zamfir.

3. Get plenty of exercise. It boosts metabolism and confidence. Take a Zumba class to shake the junk in your trunk and twerk like a pro. Don't worry if your backside looks like a butt tsunami. Ride that wave with a grin on your face.

4. Eat chocolate. It has been proven that cacao stimulates the release of endorphins that boost the mood. Just don't mistake cacao with caca.

5. Go for a drive along a scenic road. It doesn't matter if you're driving an outdated minivan with duct tape holding up the windshield or a transmission that acts like a bucking bronco. Be grateful that it still has air conditioning and a gas pedal.

6. Attend a sporting event, even if you hate sports. Soak up the excitement and the adrenaline of the crowd to lift your spirits. A few beers and a large bucket of chicken wings are exactly what the doctor ordered.

7. Travel the world. Or at least cross the county line for a change of scenery. Add a little excitement to your life during your travels by canoeing in alligator infested waters. Toss your raft out into the ocean along with a bucket of chum. You'll forget how depressed you are when the sharks start circling your raft…especially once you discover it has a slow leak.

8. Surround yourself with funny people. Find your tribe among the jokesters and pranksters. If you're a female, be sure to carry Poise pads in your purse for those uncontrollable moments of intense laughter.

9. Get back to nature. There is nothing more calming than sitting in a beautiful park with a granola bar and watching squirrels play with their nuts.

10. Change the decor of your home. Spend hours on Pinterest for ideas until your brain is fried and you end up covering your entire home in cheerful, Hello Kitty wallpaper.

11. Act silly. Spend an entire day talking like Pee Wee Herman until your voice becomes hoarse and your family is ready to throttle you.

12. Learn to appreciate the little things in life and be grateful for what you have. I'm fortunate that I married a man with a great sense of humor and a deep appreciation for all that he has been given. He grew up with a mother who served her eight children cow's tongue smothered in ketchup that she tried to pass off as "Mom's special meatloaf." After one bite, my husband quickly learned to appreciate the basket of stale rolls that could have doubled as hockey pucks.

Every day is a new challenge, but I'm ready to face whatever lemons life throws at me….as long as I have a blender, vodka and an endless supply of used dental floss to knit into Christmas sweaters.

***Want More Meno Mama? This week you can find me on The Huffington Post where I'm sharing a comical shopping experience. Read it here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-kester-doyle-/one-size-fits-none_b_6017560.html

Menopausal Mother

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