holiday-business « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Christmas in Albuquerque

Martha Williams — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:17:53 +0000

I have a daughter, Janet, with whom I’ve been mostly out of touch for the last five or six years. It is a long and painful story, which is now in the past and I feel as though a huge weight has been lifted. Feelings of guilt and inadequacy have plagued me (and her too, it turns out), and this holiday season, we made our amends and spent some time together. It was intense, emotional, and very special, to say the least. The best part of it all, is that I saw my six year old grandson, Shane, who I had only met once.

Janet lives in Albuquerque, so it was fun to travel around a new city, take Shane to some parks and museums, and do a little roadtripping on the way there and back, while I was at it.

Shane’s favorite place by far was the American International Rattlesnake Museum. It wasn’t his first time there either. Apparently it’s a popular spot among the six year old boys… though, I must say, less so with the 60 year old women…eek! I also took him to the Explora! Science Center and Children’s Museum, which was much more my speed.

Probably the highlight of our trip was riding the Galaxi Roller Coaster at Cliff’s Amusement Park. I’ve never been so scared in all my life, but seeing Shane’s excitement made it all worth it.

Janet is a historian, so found a babysitter one day for Shane and took me to some of her favorite sites, including the Pueblo Cultural Center and the Turquoise Museum (which I LOVED), and had lunch at a nearby reservation where she’s got a few friends.

It all went by so fast, like a dream. There were certain moments, like when Janet and I stayed up late talking over a cup of tea, one single woman to the other, where I literally had to pinch myself. We’ve all made mistakes in the past, and this Christmas we each gave each other the gift of forgiveness and family.

I wish the same to all of you and a wonderful holiday season,
Martha

Related Topics:

Holiday Shopping - online vs. the mall? Part Two

TripCart — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:11:42 +0000

And even more reasons to get up, get dressed, and brave the crowds at your local shopping mall:
6. It’s social. Bring your kids to see Santa and you’ve got a fun afternoon activity during a long activity-less winter break. Bring your BFF and you’ve got hours to catch up on girltalk. Bring your boyfriend and all of a sudden shopping is a date.
7. Movies. Sure you can watch a movie online, but we all know that’s not nearly as much fun as the big screen.
8. See if it works. The last thing you want is to buy an ipod online, get it in the mail a day before Christmas, and then realize that you’ve gotten a dud. You’ll end up running out the mall anyways. Why not just avoid that possibility?
9. Quality. Ever notice how things aren’t their real size online? And that you can’t actually see your product in action? When I was a kid I bought a banana plant online. The picture showed this gigantic banana tree filled with leaves and fruit. When I got it, it was a little shriveled up twig in a pile of frozen dirt.
10. It’s fun. You can test the video game you’re thinking about buying. You get to taste a piece of Godiva chocolate before settling on a gift box. Need I say more?

Remember, outdoors is best for relieving shopping claustrophobia. Here are a few more outdoor malls we like. These are all located on the West Coast. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays from the travel crew at TripCart!

Further Reading:

Public Menorah lightings

Peter Brody — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:47:37 +0000

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all! On Sunday night (the first night of Hanukkah) I went to the public lighting of the world’s largest menorah. It was a 32 foot, 4000 pound steel candelabra with gas lamps in a windproof casing. It was designed by Israeli artist Yaakov Agam, inspired by the original menorah that was in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago. Mayor Bloomberg lit the wicks, symbolizing the first of eight nights of the Jewish festival of lights. There was quite a crowd there on the corner of 59th St. and 5th Ave., right near Central Park. This menorah, and about 700 more located all over the world are organized by the Chabad organization and this year have the added significance of standing strong in honor of those who were killed in the recent Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Another popular New York City public lighting took place on Sunday night at Washington Square Park.

The other “world’s largest menorah” is lighting up Washington, D.C. It’s located on the Ellipse, just across from the White House.

Other large scale lightings are taking place all week long in Santa Monica, San Francisco, Honolulu, and Chicago, as well as in 732 more cities in 47 countries worldwide.

Check out this youtube video

from the Chabad of Malibu about their candle lighting initiative. And if you’re curious as to HOW to attend a public lighting, ehow’s got you covered.

Happy holidays!

Related Topics:

Holiday Shopping - online vs. the mall?

TripCart — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:32:27 +0000

And the battle begins! Every year you probably debate charging the crowds at your local mall or staying in pjs on the couch and doing your Christmas shopping online. Since we at TripCart always advocate the more active option, we’ve compiled a few reasons why you should get off your butts and head to the shops this holiday season:

It’s good exercise! An hour and a half of shopping can burn 325 calories. Try on lots of clothes and that number goes up. Con: Pig out on mall food and that number will likely sink.
Variety, variety, variety! You want to buy your mom some new lotion – don’t you want to smell all your options before you buy?
What you see is what you get: You’re buying a sweater for your niece – but can you really tell how soft it feels by looking at a picture? Also, does size 6x mean anything to you?
Sales. You may THINK you want to get your boyfriend a new wallet, but when you see that Wilson’s Leather is having a sale, and you can get an awesome jacket for just a wee bit more money, you may change your mind and end up with a better gift and a great deal.
S&H. Who wants to pay for shipping & handling fees? Not us!

Tip: To avoid crowds and get some fresh air along the way, find an outdoor mall in your area and take advantage of its early and extended hours during the holiday season. Here’s a short list of nice outdoor malls we’ve found:

Happy Holiday shopping! Have fun and good luck!

Further Reading:

How We Can Help You Over the Holidays

vipassistants2008 — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:58:15 +0000

It’s hard to believe but Christmas is next week! Like it does every year, the biggest holiday has crept up on me as I’m sure it has for many people.

If you are a small business owner, I hope you have sent out your cards and gifts to clients by now. The post office tends to be backed up this time of year and the earlier you get your cards and gifts out, the better.

How can we help you over the holidays?

We can purchase and send out cards and gifts on your behalf

We can at least compile a list of recipients for you and coordinate mailing lists.

We can help coordinate your holiday party

We have event planning experience and definitely know what it takes to throw a good party for 5 – 300 people. Yes we are now entrepeneurs but we have worked for large Corporations before! I have worked in the PR and Marketing departments for organizations big and small and can help plan your event regardless of your budget.

We can help with travel arrangements

Perhaps you need to travel over the holidays. Even if you are traveling for circumstances unrelated to work, we can still help. We’re sure you have a lot of work to do before the New Year and arranging your travel will only pile more tasks on your plate. Don’t worry about it and leave that to us!

Take time off and leave your to-do list with us

Enjoy time off and spend it with friends and family. Any work you need to complete before the New Year can be outsourced to us! Let us respond to general inquiries and be your answer service while you relax and enjoy!

Beating the holiday doldrums

kirstenreilly — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:36:48 +0000

Calling all Realtors, mortgage brokers, and other service providers who find themselves with less to do as the holidays approach: Don’t dispair! (Really you should be used to this pattern by now.) There is plenty to do other than watch Oprah. For example…

Write your business plan for next year.
Send out your holiday mailing.
Get in touch with your database and line up business for next year.
Network like crazy. It’s time to be a social butterfly
Discover and embrace Social Media as a way to network and expand your reach.
Put together your marketing budget and calendar for next year.
Clean out your email inbox. If you’re like me, you have thousands of emails that need to be trashed or sorted.
Organize your tax deduction receipts now so that you don’t have to do it when work picks up at the beginning of next year.
Above all, enjoy the break. There will be plenty of weeks in the coming months that have you working endless hours away from your family. Consider this our annual Christmas gift!

Some more places to go Golfing

Peter Brody — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:34:42 +0000

A while ago I posted a list of 10 Great Places to go for the Green (Golfing) and now I was browsing a blog I follow and found another list. This is from The Golfer’s World and highlights the best U.S. public courses. Larry Olmsted is the author of the blog and has started with number 24 and has so far worked his way down to number 8. So today I’ll do 24-13 and when he finishes (in December), I’ll post his top 12 choices (remind me). So here ya go, golf enthusiasts:
24. Harbour Town Golf Links – Hilton Head, South Carolina
23. Blackwolf Run – Kohler, Wisconsin
22. The Dunes – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
21. Dorals’ Blue Monster – Miami, Florida
20. The Boulders Resort Golf Club – South Course – Carefree, Arizona
19. Sunriver Resort – Sunriver, Oregon
18. Manele Bay – Challenge Course – Lanai City, Hawaii
17. Pinehurst #2 – Pinehurst, North Carolina
16. Tobacco Road – Sanford, North Carolina
15. Madden’s Lake – Classic Course – Brainerd, Minnesota
14. Primm Valley – Lakes Course – Primm, Nevada
13. Kapalua Golf Club – Plantation Course – Lahaina, Hawaii

Related Topics:

Real Men go to Spas

Peter Brody — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:10:12 +0000

There is nothing unmanly about relaxation. Some guys play video games, some guys work out, and some guys go to spas. When I leave a spa, either after a simple shiatsu massage or after a full day go at skin care and specific body work, I feel so relaxed and distressed that I feel the effects of it for weeks afterwards. According to Men’s Health magazine, “Any vacation is a good vacation. But the best ones can calm your mind, refresh your body, revive your relationships, and maybe even extend your life.” I couldn’t agree more. And it’s a great way to meet chicks…or make one very happy if you’ve already got one. It’s a romantic valentine’s gift or anniversary idea. Or, more likely (for me at least) a way I can get out of the city (or feel like I’ve left the city) and completely relax and take care of my body. A lot of spas have fitness centers on their premises, so you really get to feel like you’re working towards a healthier existence.

Here are some great spas that offer spa treatments for men—sports massages, facials, back skin care, and male manicures and pedicures, among others.

Related Topics:

Staying Awake at Work

snazzymoms — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:44:23 +0000

It’s been a tough week so far. Moti is in Greece on business and I’m running the show on my own. That means that on top of my full time job, I’m working out, taking care of the dog, doing everything for Liah and running the house (shopping, laundry…). I’m up at 5 and crash by 11 without a minute to myself. Anyhow, to stay awake at work, I decided to surf Youtube and came up with this cute clip on how to stay awake at work. I figured it was appropriate for today.

Snazzy Moms presents : Video by VideoJug

Featured friends’ posts:

Business trip to Austin, Texas

Peter Brody — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:26:20 +0000

I’m in Austin, Texas for five days, spending three nights at the Hilton near the Austin Convention Center, and two nights at the Lake Austin Spa Resort, which I am really looking forward to (last two nights). As you know by now, I don’t ever plan a business trip without a significant pleasure portion. I’ll really be busy this trip (not like my last trip to Jackson, Wyoming where I spent most of time out on the green), but of course have scheduled some time at the Barton Creek – Crenshaw Cliffside Course, which, coincidentally, I just wrote about in 10 Great Places to go for the Green, so that’s certainly a highlight.

Here are my goals for the week: Get work done, golf, eat some good BBQ and Mexican food, and get a few massages. That shouldn’t be too hard. One of my coworkers suggested the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum—does anyone know if that’s worth going to?

Related Topics:

Boston for the Boys: Good father-son museums

Peter Brody — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:54:02 +0000

Just to continue the Boston conversation that Sharon has started…
I think of these things as “guy things” but that could just be because I’ve been to Boston a number of times to visit my father who always insists on taking me to one of these museums (among many others):

New State Park in Washington State

Kevin Shaw — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:01:28 +0000

Great news for the West Coast! Washington State has just opened its first new state park in more than a decade. Located on the southwest shore of Camano Island is the brand new Cama Beach State Park.

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen calls the new state park “a jewel”, according to the article in USA Today, which also explains how the park-making process was a bit delayed after archeologists uncovered human remains and Native American artifacts dating back 1,600 years. It’s the Tulalip, Swinomish, Upper Skagit and Stillaguamish tribes that occupy that area who opposed the construction and renovations of the park. An agreement was made to leave the north side of the property undeveloped to preserve the cultural history of the ancient Native American village. Reservations for the new park are already filled through the summer.

While you’re in that area, check out other national and state parks in the area:

See ya there.

Related Topics:

Honeymoon in Hawaii

Jon Kendrick — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:43:24 +0000

While it was still freezing in NYC, my new, spectacular wife and I escaped for 2 weeks (spring break plus some) to Hawaii for our belated honeymoon. We’re back already but if I close my eyes and concentrate just a little, I think I can take you back there…

Warmth is showered upon me as I peel off the layers of clothes that had kept me warm in the airports and the flight. I squinted my eyes with pleasure and splashed suntan lotion on Carrie’s (now bare) shoulders. We got in a cab that brought us to the Sea Mountain Resort, but not without giving us a tour of a most picturesque landscape. Our windows were open and we could see, feel, and smell Hawaii bursting with life around us. The sight of the waving trees and glistening sands drenched in heat and ocean winds was delectable and whispered our names, beckoning us to partake in its splendor.

The majestic sands of the Punaluu Black Sand Beach won us over for our first day trip. We dragged our feet along the lava granules (sand) lining the beach. Inspired by the natural foot massage, I treated Carrie to a full body Punaluu massage (created and carried out by me) where I took the coarse rocks mixed with warm water and spread them out on her body. We saw turtles and went snorkeling. We went swimming in the freshwater pond at the far end of the beach and saw ducks. We ate a romantic picnic lunch and lazed out in the sun for hours.

I had just finished a unit on volcanoes for my third graders and had promised to take pictures of some volcanoes in Hawaii; and what better place to do so than the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The biggest and most active volcanoes dot this park. The environmental features of this island are absolutely phenomenal. The hike we went on brought us to dramatic vistas that were surrounded by the looming heights of volcanic displays.

Spencer Beach Park and Hapuna Beach State Park demanded a few days of our time, and we broke up beach time with eating at fantastic restaurants and participating in (kinda cheesy, but fun) luaus. We also went to Mauna Kea Beach, which honestly, I can’t remember anything specific about—maybe that’s the one that we camped out at?

The Hawaiian palate is impossible to describe—it’s like someone threw some colors on a canvas and then swirled them magically into a beach sunset. The air is imbued with passion and chaos—it is only through these great forces that this sort of beauty exists.

We took fantastic pictures, but I’m not sure if I know how to post to this site. I’ll see if I can figure it out…

Related Topics:

Join us on Dec. 11th for a volunteer event at Treehouse for Kids!

hjnelson — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:31:18 +0000

If you live in the Seattle area, please join us at Treehouse for Kids on December 11th from 4-8pm, as we help foster children get ready for the holidays by organizing gifts and helping out in their warehouse. Please feel free to extend this invitation to your family, friends and children - all are welcome. To sign up or for more information, please send an e-mail to heather@holidayassistants.com. The last day to register is Friday, Dec. 7th. We look forward to seeing you and volunteering for a worthy cause.

Kind regards,

Heather

Holiday Assistants – Your stress-free holiday solution!

phone 888.627.7525

www.holidayassistants.com

Winter comes to Seattle

kbennitt — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:41:37 +0000

I love the first snow of the season. Probably because it is so rare to see snow in the city. It reminds me of building snowmen as a child. The snow suits that kept out everything, the hats and mittens, the lack of an oposable thumb. I think more than anything snow reminds me that Christmas isn’t too far off. 24 days off to be precise. This is the time of year we go for a simple drive with the family to look at a street of houses decorated for the season, or shop in a crowded mall without feeling anxious and claustrophobic. it is truly a magical time of year and I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season.

Holiday help is only a click away, for those who seek it!

Happy Holidays,

Kristi

http://www.holidayassistants.com

We're in the News!

hjnelson — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 22:00:27 +0000

Holiday Assistants was featured in ‘Journal Extra’ special holiday edition (Vol. 33, Issue Number 1408) for our shopping expertise. We always enjoy working with our clients to find just the right gifts for their family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and all the others who have touched their lives. Purchasing meaningful gifts is the goal and what we always try to steer towards. It isn’t always easy to guess what people would like, but it’s worth taking the time to reflect on their interests, hobbies, and what you both have enjoyed doing together. Also, if you need to get a gift for several neighbors you could save some time by puchasing a bulk item, such as wine, and then personalizing it with a sincere card. It’s about the thought behind the gift more than the gift itself that leaves a lasting impression.

If time is an issue for you:

1. Don’t shop during peak hours on the weekend (sometimes finding a parking spot can take longer than the shopping itself). It may be worth taking a longer lunch and shopping during the week when stores are the quietest.

2. Purchase as much as you can from one location. Try a mall with several stores that you will likely purchase from so that you can save time driving around.

3. Try to purchase as much as you can over the internet if you still have time to have the items shipped.

Of course if you really don’t have the time, can’t come up with any ideas or don’t trust yourself to stick to a list, we are more than happy to help you with our shopping service!

Kind regards,

Heather

Holiday Assistants – Your stress-free holiday solution!

phone 888.627.7525

www.holidayassistants.com

It's that time again!

kbennitt — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:42:29 +0000

Now that Thanksgiving is over and the turkey is gone it is time to dig out those dusty decorations and the step ladders again. Let the decorating begin! I must admit, I love this time of the season. It’s when I get to be the most creative. A little tinsel here a wreath there and viola the house is festive and beautiful. But just because I love decorating does not mean everyone else does. The solution – Hire someone. Even with a small budget you can get what you want without having to do it all yourself. Don’t want the help setting up, but detest the tedious task of taking it all down… guess what. You can hire someone to take down and pack away your decorations while you attend to other things. There are a lot of things you can do to make the holiday unique and special for you and yours. Just because you would rather spend your time with your family instead of fighting with tinsel doesn’t mean you don’t have holiday spirit. It just means you need to be good at delegating. My suggestion is to think about what you want this season and figure out how to get it without upping your stress level.

Contact us for a complete list of our holiday services and see how we compare. The good thing about using a service such as ours is that you get to choose what you want and how you want it each and every year without committing yourself and your storage closet to one idea or theme.

Wishing you warm holiday dreams!

Kristi

Holiday Assistants – Your stress-free holiday solution!

phone 888.627.7525

blog: http://holidayassistants.wordpress.com

www.holidayassistants.com

Holiday Decorating is Underway!

hjnelson — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:17:51 +0000

It seems that once Thanksgiving is over, people turn their attention very quickly to the December holidays. All the deep discounts at the mall following Thanksgiving is a blatant reminder that the holidays are just around the corner! Right now is our busiest booking time as everyone wants their home and office decorated in time for parties and guests. We make it simple, even for last minute orders, by have decoration packages immediately available. Whether your theme is Elegance or Spongebob, we will do our best to accomodate your request. Our average set-up time is one hour per room to be decorated and we’ve become so efficient, you’ll hardly notice we’re there! Attached is a photo of a customized wreath from our most recent set-up. We love putting our creative minds together and coming up with decorations that you enjoy and can’t wait to show off to guests!

Kind regards,

Heather

Holiday Assistants – Your stress-free holiday solution!

phone 888.627.7525

blog: http://holidayassistants.wordpress.com

www.holidayassistants.com

Holiday cards & Newsletters…How soon is too soon?

kbennitt — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:12:11 +0000

There are no written rules on when you should or should not send out your holiday cards and/or newsletters. Just as there are no rules stating what should be included or the format it has to be in. That is part of the charm of the holiday, every card and newsletter is unique. So how, might you ask, are we to know how soon is too soon to send these out?

A good rule of thumb is that Newsletters, e-newsletters included, should never go out before the 1^st of December. Sending these out prior to Thanksgiving will only incite panic and put you on the Grinch’s good list. Holiday cards can have the same effect, so unless you are writing a two page letter to include with your cards, I would suggest waiting till the 10^th to mail these off. This will still give everyone plenty of time to read your card and/or newsletter and respond to you. Whatever date you choose to send your mailing, keep in mind that the postal service normally takes 3-5 days to get mail to people and during the holiday rush that timeframe increases to 5-7 days. Taking this into consideration all cards and newsletters should be out prior to the 20^th of December if they are going to make it to there destination before Christmas.

There is one form of holiday greeting I have not mentioned and that is the e-card. Yes, these are easier to send and reach there recipients in a more reliable timeframe, however they are also a bit less personal and can be tacky. So unless this is your only option, I wouldn’t suggest it. The holiday season is about sharing your dreams and the magic of the season. Be yourself and send a part of yourself through your holiday card.

Time crunched? Why not delegate the mailing of your holiday cards? Holiday Assistants offers many services to meet your holiday needs including contact management, newsletter assistance, and holiday card mailing.

Warm Regards,

Kristi

Co-founder, manager

www.holidayassistants.com

kristi@holidayassistants.com

Holiday Assistants will be at the eWomen Network Luncheon Nov. 15th!

hjnelson — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 02:47:36 +0000

Since we received such a great response at our booth at the eWomen Network luncheon in October, we are doing it again this month on November 15th. Networking with all the wonderful Seattle and Eastside women is always such a fantastic experience, and we just love the feedback and ideas we get – thank you! This time we will be putting special emphasis on our home and office decorating service. It seems everyone needs someone who will decorate their home and come back to take the decorations down again afterwards! The response we have had so far has been very clear – some people do enjoy putting the decorations up themselves, but nobody wants to deal with putting the decorations away after the holidays. Our goal is to delight our clients, so if you want to put up your own decorations, that’s fine, we’re happy to come by after the holidays and box them up for you. For those of you with no time to get decorations and put them up, we have decoration packages you can quickly and easily choose from, and we’ll put them up and take them down – your house will look great and you won’t have any work to do! It’s all up to our clients and what they prefer!

Right now we are featuring special packages for the home and office including decorated trees, mantle decorations, entranceway decorations and decorations for reception desks for our business clients. Choose ours or we can do custom – we want you to really shine this holiday season!

Kind regards,
Heather

Holiday AssistantsYour stress-free holiday solution!

phone 888.627.7525

blog: http://holidayassistants.wordpress.com

www.holidayassistants.com

Are you organized for the holidays - or even during the rest of the year?

hjnelson — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:40:36 +0000

Sometimes it’s hard to think about holiday decorations, parties and guests when your home is disorganized and in a state of disarray. Getting organized isn’t always something we have the time or even the skills to do, and that’s when it’s best to call in the experts. Simply Placed is an excellent Seattle/Eastside professional organizing service that is available to organize your home or office. They go beyond organizing by offering seminars so that you and your family can learn how to become and stay organized. They even offer seminars tailored to businesses concerned with organizing both time and objects! Their emphasis is on increased focus, organization and productivity – things everyone can benefit from! Their next “Getting Organized” seminar is coming up December 13th and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Feel free to contact us for more info!

Kind regards,

Heather

heather@holidayassistants.com

www.holidayassistants.com

Its never too early to put your christmas lists together!

hjnelson — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:07:45 +0000

Why put yourself through the stress of shopping the week before Christmas? The crowds, the prices, the parking?!? Save yourself the headache and anxiety and put together your holiday shopping list ahead of time. Doing so will give you plenty of time to get what you need as well as ponder over what to send to Uncle Fester in kansas.

Having trouble with Uncle Fester? Why not take a look at some of the options Holiday Assistants has for you? We can arrange gifts for everyone on your list and even customize them, too. Or, if you prefer, we offer a personal shopping assistant to either accompany you shopping to make sure you stick to the list and fing great gifts, or to take care of all the shopping for you and deliver the wrapped gifts to your home. We can find the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop-for someone!

Kristi

Kristi Bennitt, Manager

Holiday AssistantsYour stress-free holiday solution!phone 888.627.7525 fax 425.821.2936

blog: http://holidayassistants.wordpress.com

www.holidayassistants.com

I can breathe in Yosemite

Peter Brody — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:57:54 +0000

Its been a fun few days at Yosemite Lodge. I found it using my trip planner. Now I’m about to head back to New York and back to the stress machine known as work. It was fun swimmming at the lodge’s pool and chatting with some of the other guests. I went on some hikes in the park, but mostly relaxed and read with the beautiful scenery around me. I’ve been reading a book on finding the perfect match–a book on finding one’s soul mate. I don’t think its been working since nothing has shown up here in Yosemite, but I really didn’t come here for that sort of thing, just wanted to get away. Anyway I’ll write when I get back to NYC.