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	<title>Random Esquire &#187; travel</title>
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	<description>The Random Observations of a Random Esquire</description>
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		<title>Dumb Shit Sold at SkyMall. But Really?  Sex Wedge.</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2010/03/22/dumb-shit-sold-at-sky-mall-but-really-sex-wedge/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2010/03/22/dumb-shit-sold-at-sky-mall-but-really-sex-wedge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:38:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://randomesq.com/?p=2495</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I fully admit that I look through the entire SkyMall catalog when on an airplane.  Why? Because it&#8217;s ridiculous.  It has some seriously ridiculous stuff. Speaking of ridiculous, when I took out my phone and snapped pictures of things, my mother said, &#8220;You look ridiculous.&#8221;  This is because we all took the same flight to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I fully admit that I look through the entire SkyMall catalog when on an airplane.  Why? Because it&#8217;s ridiculous.  It has some seriously ridiculous stuff.</p>
<p>Speaking of ridiculous, when I took out my phone and snapped pictures of things, my mother said, &#8220;You look ridiculous.&#8221;  This is because we all took the same flight to New Jersey to see my sister.  I digress.</p>
<p>On to the stupid shit sold at Sky Mall.  Let&#8217;s talk about what you would think if you saw the below products in a woman&#8217;s home &#8211; and the best is last.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-2496 aligncenter" title="IMG00668-20100318-1003" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG00668-20100318-1003.jpg" alt="IMG00668-20100318-1003" width="500" height="375" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you visit a woman and she has a funky toilet seat for whatever reason &#8211; just&#8230;leave.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-full wp-image-2499 aligncenter" title="IMG00691-20100321-1815" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG00691-20100321-1815.jpg" alt="IMG00691-20100321-1815" width="500" height="375" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What the hell?  Why would you want your front yard to look like a Night of the Living Dead?  The only thing that would make this funny is if a dog pooped in that thing&#8217;s mouth.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2497" title="IMG00689-20100321-1810" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG00689-20100321-1810.jpg" alt="IMG00689-20100321-1810" width="498" height="373" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This little picture was in an ad for shoes with springs in the heels.  Seriously.  Apparently, they sky rocket you to work.  I couldn&#8217;t tell what the guy was holding in his right hand.  If you see these at a woman&#8217;s home, set her up with your sister.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2500" title="IMG00692-20100321-1817" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG00692-20100321-1817.jpg" alt="IMG00692-20100321-1817" width="500" height="375" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I don&#8217;t even know what the HELL this is.  Like, you seriously strap the cell phone to your wrist so&#8230; that you don&#8217;t lose it?  If you see a woman with this strapped to her wrist, just forget about it. She&#8217;s too stupid to date.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">LAST BUT NOT LEAST:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2501" title="IMG00690-20100321-1813" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG00690-20100321-18131.jpg" alt="IMG00690-20100321-1813" width="500" height="375" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">BOOYAH.  This is the motherload.  If you see these things&#8230; you don&#8217;t need to date this woman. You just need to have sex with her.  Because those things are *not* used to ease back pain &#8211; unless you mean &#8216;back pain during sex.&#8217;   If that ain&#8217;t a sex wedge, I don&#8217;t know what is.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Now, don&#8217;t get me wrong &#8211; the first thing you need to do is throw that that shit away.  Cause you don&#8217;t want to use a<em> used</em> sex wedge.  You just go get another one.  For every room in the house.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
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		<title>Some pictures from Costa Rica</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2009/05/11/pictures/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2009/05/11/pictures/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2009 03:45:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://randomesq.com/?p=1024</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Below are a few pictures &#8211; click to see the full size (for some reason, this doesn&#8217;t work with all of them). 1.  Runway in the jungle. 2.  Lizard. 3.  Bamboo 4.  Graffiti in San Jose. 5.  Gentleman who rowed us across a marsh (where, reportedly, a croc lived). 6.  Birds about to eat a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Below are a few pictures &#8211; click to see the full size (for some reason, this doesn&#8217;t work with all of them).</p>
<p>1.  Runway in the jungle.</p>
<p><a href="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_74721.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-1030 alignleft" title="img_74721" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_74721-1024x519.jpg" alt="img_74721" width="500" height="253" /></a><br />
2.  Lizard.</p>
<p><a href="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_76931.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-1031 alignleft" title="img_76931" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_76931-1024x682.jpg" alt="img_76931" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>3.  Bamboo</p>
<p><a href="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_77021.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1032" title="img_77021" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_77021-1024x768.jpg" alt="img_77021" width="500" height="375" /></a><br />
4.  Graffiti in San Jose.</p>
<p><a href="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_77141.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1033" title="img_77141" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_77141-1024x768.jpg" alt="img_77141" width="500" height="375" /></a></p>
<p>5.  Gentleman who rowed us across a marsh (where, reportedly, a croc lived).</p>
<p><a href="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_77321.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1034" title="img_77321" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_77321-1024x682.jpg" alt="img_77321" width="500" height="333" /></a></p>
<p>6.  Birds about to eat a little boy in San Jose.  heh.</p>
<p><a href="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_77731.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1035" title="img_77731" src="http://randomesq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/img_77731-1023x433.jpg" alt="img_77731" width="501" height="212" /></a></p>
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		<title>What wrong with eating people? Well, excuse me for living.</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2009/01/27/what-wrong-with-eating-people-well-excuse-me-for-living/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2009/01/27/what-wrong-with-eating-people-well-excuse-me-for-living/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:31:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Random]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://randomesq.com/?p=821</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On the topic of eating people&#8230;Issei Sagawa.  Japanese dude.  Killed and ate a girl in Paris.  Now lives in Tokyo.  He did an interview &#8211; he&#8217;s done many and written more than a few books about the experience (one entitled Excuse Me for Living) &#8211; in which he giggles over the fact that he&#8217;s crazy&#8230;while [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On the topic of eating people&#8230;Issei Sagawa.  Japanese dude.  Killed and ate a girl in Paris.  Now lives in Tokyo.  He did an interview &#8211; he&#8217;s done many and written more than a few books about the experience (one entitled <em>Excuse Me for Living</em>) &#8211; in which he giggles over the fact that he&#8217;s crazy&#8230;while he shows the reporter a picture of himself hunched over a naked body with a knife and fork in his hands.  Yup, clip included (NSFW).  His bit begins at 1:13.</p>
<p><!-- start insertion by YouTube Brackets, robertbuzink.nl --><span class="youtube"><object width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/3G8j2UYg1sc"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3G8j2UYg1sc" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /></object></span><!-- end Youtube Brackets insertion --></p>
<p>*crosses Tokyo off list of places to take Besos on vacation*</p>
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		<title>Silk and Silky Silky and Baptism, HO!</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2008/11/10/silk-and-silky-silky-and-baptism-ho/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2008/11/10/silk-and-silky-silky-and-baptism-ho/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:22:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://randomesq.com/?p=699</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I spent the weekend in New Jersey with my sister.  Her daughter, my niece, is 2 1/2.  Niece said something that caught my ear and I asked my sister, &#8220;Does she have an imaginary friend?&#8221;  Turns out she has two and also two imaginary pets.  Her friends are named Katcho and Comedy.  No lie.  I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I spent the weekend in New Jersey with my sister.  Her daughter, my niece, is 2 1/2.  Niece said something that caught my ear and I asked my sister, &#8220;Does she have an imaginary friend?&#8221;  Turns out she has <em>two </em>and also two imaginary pets.  Her friends are named <strong>Katcho </strong>and <strong>Comedy</strong>.  No lie.  I wondered about the pets names.</p>
<p>Random: Do you have a dog?</p>
<p>Niece: Yes.</p>
<p>Random: What&#8217;s his name?</p>
<p>Niece: <strong>Silk</strong>.</p>
<p>*pause*</p>
<p>Random: Do you have a cat?</p>
<p>Niece:  Yes.</p>
<p>Random:  What&#8217;s her name?</p>
<p>Niece:  <strong><em>Silky Silky.</em></strong></p>
<p>*Blink*</p>
<p>I looked at my sister and she rolled her eyes, &#8220;We really have no idea how this happened.&#8221;  My sister imposed a rule that I was not to encourage these imaginary friends.  I asked why not.  She said she doesn&#8217;t want her daughter to be seven years old and saving space at the lunch table for Comedy.</p>
<p>I told my mother that the kids were baptized.  My sister asked if she (my mother) was happy about that.  I said yes, she was relieved that my sister was no longer raising heathens.  My sister said dryly, &#8220;Oh yes&#8230;they&#8217;ve been washed of their Original Sin. <em>I can totally tell.</em>&#8221;</p>
<p>heh.</p>
<p>So, the baptism.  I didn&#8217;t understand a word of it.  Okay, that&#8217;s not entirely fair but this was a priest whose presence at the church on a Saturday afternoon was paid for with a generous donation to his mission in Sri Lanka.  He not only had an accent but he was pretty determined to have this thing over in 15 minutes.  I&#8217;m pretty sure I denounced or renounced Satan and all his empty promises while also promising to make sure the kids grew up Christian.  I figure I&#8217;m already in trouble on that one since the first thing I did was ask my niece if Katchoo and Comedy enjoyed the Baptism as well.</p>
<p>Welcome to the family.</p>
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		<title>Sister v. Random and Black Market Baptism ACTIVATE.</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2008/11/05/sister-v-random-and-black-market-baptism-activate/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2008/11/05/sister-v-random-and-black-market-baptism-activate/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:43:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Little Filthy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Raves]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://randomesq.com/?p=696</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m going to go visit my sister in New Jersey.  Let me draw a little distinction between me and my sister. Sister:  Two perfect children, one girl, one boy. Random: Little Filthy, dog that eats own poo. Sister:  &#8220;I&#8217;ll be flying in from a quick business trip on the day you arrive but it won&#8217;t [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m going to go visit my sister in New Jersey.  Let me draw a little distinction between me and my sister.</p>
<p><strong>Sister</strong>:  Two perfect children, one girl, one boy.</p>
<p><strong>Random</strong>: Little Filthy, dog that eats own poo.</p>
<p><strong>Sister</strong>:  &#8220;I&#8217;ll be flying in from a quick business trip on the day you arrive but it won&#8217;t take me long to get home because I&#8217;ll be on the corporate jet.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Random</strong>:  &#8220;Damn, where did I put my CTA (Chicago public transportation) card??&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Sister</strong>:  &#8220;The driver will pick you up from the airport.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Random</strong>:  &#8220;Damn! Where is that freakin&#8217; card??&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Sister</strong>:  &#8220;The nanny will be there with the children.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Random</strong>:  &#8220;Oh, don&#8217;t try to take his toy away!  He&#8217;ll hump it.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Sister</strong>:  Daughter currently speaks 3 languages.  She&#8217;s 2 1/2.</p>
<p><strong>Random</strong>:  Dog currently knows how to<em> not listen</em> in <em>one </em>language.  He&#8217;s 4.</p>
<p>The kids are going to be baptized on Saturday.  You may recall, it is going to be a <a href="http://randomesq.com/2008/07/22/black-market-baptism/">Black Market Baptism</a>, with the Priest who is going all out Sarah Palin style and going rogue to do the baptism on the side.  I wonder if I&#8217;m not supposed to look him in the eye.</p>
<p>With that, I&#8217;m off to take Little Filthy to stay with his grandparents.  I won&#8217;t even go into the worries I have about <a href="http://randomesq.com/2006/09/01/babysitting-little-filthy-a-picture-story/">his behavior while there</a>.  I fully expect him to lay an egg on the dining room rug, eat everything he finds, and leave hairballs in his wake.</p>
<p>More news from NJ shortly!</p>
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		<title>I&#8217;m not judgin&#8217;.  I&#8217;m just sayin&#8217;.</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2008/06/05/im-not-judgin-im-just-sayin/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2008/06/05/im-not-judgin-im-just-sayin/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:58:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://randomesq.com/2008/06/05/im-not-judgin-im-just-sayin/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1. While in Paris, a conversation struck up amongst us Americans about bidets. One young woman said that her friend at home in Michigan had a bidet &#8230;and that said friend&#8217;s teenage daughter loved it. *blink* I&#8217;m not judgin&#8217;. I&#8217;m just sayin&#8217;. 2. Despite crawling through my front door very late on Sunday, I managed [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>1.  While in Paris, a conversation struck up amongst us Americans about bidets.  One young woman said that her friend at home in Michigan had a bidet &#8230;and that said friend&#8217;s teenage daughter <em>loved </em>it.</p>
<p>*blink*</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not judgin&#8217;.  I&#8217;m just sayin&#8217;.</p>
<p>2.  Despite crawling through my front door very late on Sunday, I managed to get to the office on Monday morning <em>and </em>take The Ballerina to dinner that night.  After we watched some TV and I dropped her off at home, I think I&#8217;d been awake about 50 hours straight.  Anyway, back to my point &#8211; when making dinner plans with The Ballerina, she sent me a text that said she was buying perfume.  At dinner, I learned that it was her &#8220;Summer perfume.&#8221;  I must have looked puzzled because she told me that she buys a new perfume for each season.  She shoved a wrist across the table and I smelled.  I admit.  She smelled nice.  You know,  it&#8217;s sort of ridiculous that I find these high maintenance habits charming in a person.</p>
<p>3.  While in Italy, I was rather aggressively approached by someone who, in a not so subtle manner, suggested making love for two hours.  A complete stranger, mind you.  This was in front of a group of people who broke out into wide grins and watched my awkward handling of the situation.  Had it been <em>someone else</em> *cough* in Italy, I&#8217;d have gladly grabbed her hand and ran off to the nearest dark corner but, as it was&#8230;.not so much.</p>
<p>4.  Since I returned from Europe, I have a new goal:  I am going to become an alcoholic.  I realize this is setting the bar rather low for most attorneys but as someone who just doesn&#8217;t drink much, I now realize that it wasn&#8217;t for any other reason other than I&#8217;d been drinking the wrong thing.  Now, however, I have seen the light.  By 10 a.m. this morning, I&#8217;d purchased a 12 pack of Erdinger Weisbier and Warsteiner Dunkel.  Nothing will quite recapture Switzerland, Austria or Germany but I&#8217;ll give it a go.  Maybe I should ask Plush to wear this:</p>
<p><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c169/RandomEsq/beeah.jpg" height="489" width="315" /></p>
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		<title>Back in the saddle again.</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2008/06/05/back-in-the-saddle-again/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2008/06/05/back-in-the-saddle-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:34:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://randomesq.com/2008/06/05/back-in-the-saddle-again/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I realize it may be terribly boring to listen to vacation stories so I will keep them to a minimum. Here&#8217;s where I went and a highlight from each: Paris, France &#8211; I want to move here and marry a French woman. Highlight: Musee D&#8217;Orsay was more than I expected. Beaune, France &#8211; Tried wines [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I realize it may be terribly boring to listen to vacation stories so I will keep them to a minimum.  Here&#8217;s where I went and a highlight from each:</p>
<p>Paris, France &#8211; I want to move here and marry a French woman.  Highlight:  Musee D&#8217;Orsay was more than I expected.</p>
<p>Beaune, France &#8211;  Tried wines in underground caves/tunnels below a convent.</p>
<p>Switzerland &#8211; Paragliding in the Alps.  Also, discovered that I love Dunkle Perle.</p>
<p>Austria &#8211; Down a luge and hiking through the Alps across the border into Germany and going to Neuschwanstein Castle.  Austrian women prove to be&#8230;better than expected.</p>
<p>Venice &#8211; Managed to convince someone to give me a poster advertising a movie festival.  Got yelled at by three Italian women as I tried to pry off a poster about dance for The Ballerina.  Night gondola ride proves actually rather cool.</p>
<p>Florence &#8211; Stayed at a Tuscan Villa straight out of a movie.  Ridiculously charming.</p>
<p>Rome &#8211; Oy, where to begin.  This city captured me.  Everything about Rome was&#8230;fascinating and charming.   Including the women.</p>
<p>In fact, especially the women.</p>
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		<title>Alliance Francaise, travel, neighbors and Plush.</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2008/05/15/ahhh-friday/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2008/05/15/ahhh-friday/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 04:24:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plush]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://randomesq.com/2008/05/15/ahhh-friday/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1. I was invited to a cocktail party at the Chicago Opera House tomorrow night &#8211; to the 2008 Gala of the Alliance Francaise de Chicago, in support of this non-profit organization that promotes film, music, theater, literature, cooking and all things l&#8217;art de vivre. Providing food and drink at the dinner will be The [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>1.  I was invited to a cocktail party at the Chicago Opera House tomorrow night &#8211; to the <a href="http://www.af-chicago.org/gala2008/award.html">2008 Gala of the Alliance Francaise de Chicago</a>,  in support of this non-profit organization that promotes film, music, theater, literature, cooking and all things <em>l&#8217;art de vivre</em>.  Providing food and drink at the dinner will be <span class="style4"><a href="http://www.af-chicago.org/gala2008/ritz.html">The Ritz Paris</a>, </span><span class="style4"> <a href="http://www.af-chicago.org/gala2008/escoffier.html">L&#8217;Ecole Ritz Escoffier</a>,</span>                             <span class="style4"><a href="http://www.af-chicago.org/gala2008/hemingway.html">Colin Field &amp; the Hemingway Bar</a>,</span>                             <span class="style4">and <a href="http://www.af-chicago.org/gala2008/varda.html">Djordje Varda &amp; l&#8217;Atelier Floral du Ritz</a>. </span> I have not yet decided if I will attend but if I do, it will be to people watch as the National Restaurant Association gathering is here in Chicago this weekend and there will surely be some notables about.</p>
<p>2.  I have spent much of the past week concentrating on finalizing work issues and packing for my trip.  In the upcoming weeks, I will go to France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Italy.  I am looking forward to a bit of adventure and, of course, a bit of trouble.  This will be the longest vacation I have ever taken and the first I have taken alone in many years.  It is&#8230;<em>thrilling</em>.</p>
<p>3.  I have a very nice next door neighbor.  Last summer, she gave me a potted geranium for my patio.  I suspect this may have been because her patio was an array of many colored geraniums and mine looks positively dreadful next to it.  My only decoration is a grill.  I might plant some fresh herbs this year.  But really, I can&#8217;t be bothered much with plants or flowers.  I don&#8217;t <em>get it</em>.  Tonight, she knocked on my door and gave me a very nice fold out chair for my patio.  She said she had three and simply didn&#8217;t have the room.  This means I will be able to work, reclined out in the sunshine, with my laptop.  I will be sure to find her something nice while I am traveling.</p>
<p>4.   The reigns to the blog will be handed over to Plush while I am away.  I imagine that with the multitude of internet cafes, I may post something but I haven&#8217;t decided if this should also be a vacation away from even this, my favorite hobby.  I had no reservations about turning things over to Plush but after a few reassurances from her that she would not do certain things&#8230;<em>then </em>I began to think about it.  But, I simply <em>do not care</em>.  I trust her and hope she scandalizes you all.</p>
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		<title>Easter, Confit, Travel, Italian sex, the single kid.</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2008/03/23/easter-confit-travel-italian-sex-the-single-kid/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2008/03/23/easter-confit-travel-italian-sex-the-single-kid/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Mar 2008 18:26:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Random]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[1.   Easter is low-key at the Random household.  I explained it all to Little Filthy. &#8220;Jesus, cave, blah blah, third day, blah, stone rolled away, blah blah, if he sees his shadow, there are six more weeks of winter.&#8221; 2.  Someone, please talk me out of trying to make duck confit.  I really don&#8217;t [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>1.   Easter is low-key at the Random household.  I explained it all to Little Filthy. &#8220;Jesus, cave, blah blah, third day, blah, stone rolled away, blah blah, if he sees his shadow, there are six more weeks of winter.&#8221;</p>
<p>2.  Someone, please talk me out of trying to make duck confit.  I really don&#8217;t need to do that.  Last week, a law school buddy asked me, &#8220;Hey, remember when you made your own sausage?&#8221; Let me recommend against that right now.  Fortunately, I now live in downtown Chicago and can get fresh, good sausage at many locations.  I dig cooking and every so often, I will get it in my head that I need to make something from scratch.  I made falafel once.  Spare yourself the garlicky trouble.</p>
<p>3.  The next few months will put me in NYC, DC, France, Switzerland and Italy.  Go, go, travel Random.</p>
<p>4.  Are the Italians having different sex than the rest of us? I ask because every day, multiple people find my blog by doing a Google search on &#8220;Italian sex.&#8221;  Well, I guess I will be in Italy shortly enough.  I&#8217;ll report back on the situation.</p>
<p>5.  Talk about your single kid Easters&#8230;I&#8217;m going to stuff a pepper with whatever is leftover in my fridge.</p>
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		<title>Lonesome Dove, adventure and training.</title>
		<link>http://randomesq.com/2007/09/12/lonesome-dove-adventure-and-training/</link>
		<comments>http://randomesq.com/2007/09/12/lonesome-dove-adventure-and-training/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:27:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Random Esquire</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[I decided to read Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.  He won the 1986 Pulitzer for the book.  In truth, I&#8217;m listening to the audio book from audible.com.  The book chronicles a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. I&#8217;d heard of the book/movie but it never occurred to me to read it until I was poking [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I decided to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonesome-Dove-Larry-McMurtry/dp/067168390X/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-5622230-9011335?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1189648979&amp;sr=8-2" target="_blank">Lonesome Dove</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_McMurtry" target="_blank">Larry McMurtry</a>.  He won the 1986 Pulitzer for the book.  In truth, I&#8217;m listening to the <a href="http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_DOVE_001125&amp;BV_UseBVCookie=Yes" target="_blank">audio book from audible.com</a>.  The book chronicles a cattle drive from Texas to Montana.</p>
<p>I&#8217;d heard of the book/movie but it never occurred to me to read it until I was poking around for my next download on audible and saw that it was 36 hours and the reviews were fantastic.  As I like to get bang for my buck, I decided to give it a go.  I&#8217;m about three hours into it and I have to say, <em>it&#8217;s pretty damn funny</em>.</p>
<p>I didn&#8217;t expect that.  I know I&#8217;ve grinned at something while listening on the train and probably looked like a subway-weirdo.  It&#8217;s nothing like I expected or anything like what I typically read.  My standard fare is legal thriller, murder mystery, suspense, espionage, etc.  My last book was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Janson_Directive" target="_blank">The Janson Directive by Robert Ludlum</a>.</p>
<p>I think the book strikes the same cord in me that drives me to watch <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/deadliestcatch/deadliestcatch.html" target="_blank">Deadliest Catch</a>.  Smoking, calloused hands, the most important possession is a good pair of boots, cooking from rations, all of that.  Sort of intrigues the reckless and adventurous side in me.</p>
<p>I want to seriously start planning a very adventurous trip to Vietnam and Thailand not only with respect to travel plans but also how fit I am for some physical exertion.  So, I just hired a trainer for the next six months.  I better be able to scale a mountain in 100% humidity and 100 degree heat as well as hold my breath underwater for 2 minutes after this.</p>
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