Hello from New York!

Hi readers,

Now that I have successfully redecorated my bookshelves in my current home (see: yesterday) I am thrilled to be writing from my forever home, New York City. Details on my flight below.

The flight from Madrid Barajas to New York John F Kennedy takes approximately 7 hours (longer on the way back going against the wind). I have broken the experience into time intervals for easier reporting.

Minute -30: Spanish nationals start lining up for the plane. Spanish people simply adore standing in line--it's very puzzling. 

Minutes 0-45: Board and promptly fall asleep. All going well according to 'napping and reading' flight plan.

Minute 46: Helpful stewardess wakes me up to ask if I would like something to drink. I unenthusiastically accept some tepid water in an akward plastic cup

Minutes 60-90: Airplane 'semi-food' lunch service. Delighted to be awake to invent mental expressions including 'pasta glue' and 'air prison'

Minute 100: Oratory discovery of the esteemed college-aged world travellers sitting behind me. Loud discussion of merits of European living ensues.

Minute 101: I didn't bring any earplugs.

Minute 105: Or an eye mask

Minute 125: Or any Xanax. And the current discussion about the merits of the European gay pride movement is much too loud for reading Don Quixote. Or even Spanish Vogue.

Minutes 126-360: American Ninja warrior followed by the Avengers. Thank God.

Minute 361: Accept 'American Airlines hot veggie snack' mostly because not accepting would clearly ruin helpful stewardess's whole day. 

Minute 371: Return unopened veggie snack to passed trash. 

Minute 385: Peanut gallery now discussing 'the woes and excitements of their new Americorps positions'. Was I ever that annoying? Probably. In total desperation, strike up a conversation with the man sitting next to me. 

Minutes 390-420: Light-hearted discussion of my terrible Spanish language abilities and uncertainty about my future in education. 

Minute 421: Touchdown! Disembark the plane and interestedly watch an unlicensed Pakastani taxi driver get arrested outside the airport. Welcome home! 

Feeling at Home

Hi readers,


Today I bought $75 worth of silver-plated picture frames from Zara Home.  In the category of "picture frames" I also include whimsical candle holders and decorative boxes.

I'm nesting. 

This is not a skill that comes naturally.  For 5 years, the sum total of my furniture consisted of 2 beat-up, army-green ammo boxes.  My last coffee table in California was made out of a cut-up 2x4 and 8 nails.  I once lived in a high-rise on 67th Street for a month and didn't bother to buy any pillows.  I don't mean "picture-frame-decorative-pillows".  I mean "the-pillows-you-put-on-the-bed-pillows".

In my defense, I often live in mostly-furnished places.  Also, I move a lot.  Also, buying things makes me uncomfortable.

Normal people buying decorative home goods:
"Oh, this end table would look divine with paisley-seashell decorative lamp!"
Me buying decorative home goods:
"If I buy an end table, do I need to get a lamp? Should I get a matching lamp?  What matches wood-colored?  Do they make wood-colored lamps? Maybe a contrast color lamp?  What is the contrasting color of wood?"

It's one of those skills I don't quite understand.  Where do people learn how to do this?  Needless to say, I gave up the Ikea-induced panic attack trips as soon as possible in my fledgling career as an adult.  I am good at buying functional things, but decorative shopping has never been my forte.  

For example, this fall, when my roommate and I arrived at our apartment in Madrid, I gleefully bought us a coffee pot, a yoga mat (for "non-yoga" where you lay on the yoga mat and pretend to do sit ups while you watch TV) and a set of shiny new kitchen spoons.

Nested. 

Fast forward 9 months later.  I was sitting on the couch this morning, happily reading Don Quixote, when I looked around.  I realized:

A) My roommate has very graciously decorated our whole apartment (love you!)
B) It is time to get off my lazy ass, go buy some votive candles and give this "feeling-at-home" thing a try.

I told myself I would not leave the store without a purchase.  After all, it is segundo rebajas (Spanish for: the best sales in the world) in Madrid right now, what better time to try my hand at home decorating?  Some photos of votive candle holders below.  I'm off to read House Beautiful.

Like a Painting

Hi readers,

In the continued trend of 'Fashion at the Museum', Vogue magazine opened it's archives for the privately-owned Thyssen museum in Madrid. In my continued trend of 'Pretending to Know Things about Fashion and Art', I carved a hole in my busy summer day to check it out. Photos below. 

The exhibit, entitled "Like a Painting" is on display until October 12. See website for info:

http://www.museothyssen.org

Monday Facts

Hi readers,

Below please find a list of facts I made up that make me feel better about my life.  Happy Monday!

1) The movie "Heathers" is a loose interpretation of Shakespeare's "Othello".  Think about it.
2) The Obamas own matching pajamas.  Including the dog. They wear them on Sunday mornings for "Obamas in Pajamas" quality time.
3) Harvard Business School curriculum includes a class called "Fanny Facebook: The Role of Gender in Social Media Marketing"
4) The cast of "California Dreams" is staging a musical reunion tour, set to premier in Paris on New Years Eve 2015
5) Katy Perry owns a unicorn named "Fluffy Buns".  Madonna gave it to her.

If you need me, I will be lying in bed eating spoonfuls of Spanish olive oil and reading. See you tomorrow.

Think about it.

What is "Calfornia Dreams", you ask?  We can't be friends until you watch this video

Celebrating Fluffy Buns.  These are their happy faces. 

How to Make Vacation Longer

Hi readers,
I have been back from my latest vacation for approximately 36 hours.  I have already:

Gone out to an amazing dinner with my boyfriend, read a book, ran 4..ish... miles in Retiro Park, written a blog post, caught up on my e-mail and started harassing my friends about my NEXT vacation.  

Not good at relaxing?  Who, me?!

At around 7 PM I realized-I needed to get my head back in vacation mode.  I immediately booked an appointment at the Hammam Arab Baths.  By 8 PM I was floating blissfully in a pool of hot water, debating the merits of a rose oil massage.  (Pros: Rose oil benefits circulation and rejuvenation.  Cons: No cons)

Vacation is all about relaxing, so in order to stay in vacation mode it is important to do relaxing things.  Obviously, it is important to do relaxing things anyway, so that one does not die in an un-fabulous attack of high-blood-pressure-related illnesses, but immediately after a vacation the state of relaxation is still so close to the front of the mind.  It is easy to coax the mellow vibes back out to play for a few more days if you purposefully create a relaxing atmosphere.



How to create a relaxing post vacation atmosphere, you ask?

Spa appointments are wonderful.  My favorite facial (the Triple Crown at Joanna Vargas in NYC) is so relaxing that I usually fall asleep.  Massages, oxygen chambers, fish pedicures, chocolate body rubs, anti-gravity lights...the list of things you can find at a spa is basically endless.

No money?  Make your own spa.  Light a candle, take a bath, read a magazine, give yourself a foot rub (hint: use a golf ball. You're welcome).

Do something creative.  Draw a picture, write in a journal, cook a meal, go to a museum...do something a little out of the ordinary that makes you think.  About something other than work and your 37 Groupon update e-mails.

Feel sexy.  Vacation is super sexy.  Channel that.  If you have a boyfriend, dress up for a date night or fool around in that slow kissing vacation way.  No boyfriend?  Flirt with some tinder match handsome stranger.  

Beach in Cadiz photos below.

How to Increase Traffic to Your Blog

Hi readers,

The blogging life reminds me of a playground.  More specifically, the blogging life reminds me of a playground where all the popular girls are standing around the tire swing, loudly laughing and thoughtfully adjusting their adolescent "I LOVE TAYLOR SWIFT" concert tee-shirts while I am lurking around the potted trees with the rabid squirrels, dying for someone to notice how awesome I am.
Oh, the joys of childhood.  The point is--ALL bloggers want to know how to get more people to read their blog.  I have been thinking about it lately.  The best advice I can come up with below.

Ways to Get People to Read Your Blog

1) Talk about your blog.  I know.  Yes--you need to be that girl.  Sample conversation below:

Polite stranger at a party: Have we met?

That girl: Not yet.  But you might know my BLOG.  It's called Rhymes with Fabulous.  Do you happen to have a cell phone? 

Polite stranger, now standing slightly further away: Ummm...

That girl: Of course you do! Why are you standing over there?  Take out your phone and give it to me, I will download the Blogger app for you and add my blog to your list of favorites so you can read it every day.  Do you promise to read it every day?! I will give you my e-mail address too, so you can keep in touch and tell me what you think.  Or even better, you can COMMENT on my BLOG.  I loooooove when people comment on my blog....etc.   

2) Instagram.  How does ANY entrepreneurial 20ish-something white girl get anything done these days?! INSTAGRAM! That little self-descriptor line was basically invented for your blog link. The little self-descriptor line also exists on facebook.  Also there are approximately 1,945,752 writer groups on social media sites.  Get busy on linkedin/facebook/pinterest/etc.  Get your name out there. Don't be shy. #blog #fabulous 

3) Make friends.  Friends that write blogs.  They will read your blog AND will probably let you guest post on their blog, which Ramit Sethi promises is a sure-fire way to increase traffic (and I believe him).  Check out some blogger events here

How to Buy Souvenirs

Hi readers,

Cathedral Saint Alexander Nevski, Sophia

 I was traveling with a friend in Bulgaria this year and we found an adorable handicraft shop (in the lobby of Bulgarian National Art Gallery and Ethnographic Museum in Sophia, in case anyone is interested). Turns out Bulgarians make delightful pottery, woven rugs and these adorable red thread friendship bracelets.  Who knew? 

After a few minutes hours in the shop, we had our purchases lined up.  After careful consideration, my friend bought an amazing set of dishes, mismatched in that purposeful, whimsical way and complete with a serving platter. I went to dinner at her apartment recently and she served vegetable-stuffed mini-pumpkins and Greek salad in her new set of dishes. When she is not using them, the dishes sit in a fashionable break-away cabinet, on display with a well-cultured and useful mix of other international treasures.

I bought 2 friendship bracelets friendship bracelets and an impractically-sized, oven-safe dish.  I made nachos in my lonely little dish once and occasionally my roommate uses it to artfully display lemons.  I have my friendship bracelets carefully stored in a plastic shopping bag, so I can bring them back to the 1980s if I ever find a time machine. 

I am terrible at buying souvenirs.

Some people can walk into a shop with a sense of purpose and all the right questions:

Is this locally produced?  Are you the artist? Is this dishwasher safe? Do you ship internationally? 

I am more likely to walk into a shop and awkwardly attempt to sputter around in whatever the local language is, ignoring the fact the shop keepers obviously speak English, and walk out after admiring the postcards. (I actually used to COLLECT postcards when I was a little girl. Obviously my fascination with being terrible at buying souvenirs started early. File under "most pathetic hobbies in the world")

Currently, in my always-present attempts to be a more useful adult, I am working on my souvenir buying ability. During my trip to Portugal I studied another adept souvenir purchaser (my mother) and came up with some guidelines:

How to Buy Souvenirs 

1) Know your purpose. For example, my mother shops for Christmas presents.  My brother decorated an entire room in his house in an "African art and music" theme.  Some people collect something more interesting than postcards.  Maybe you are hosting a lunch when you get back and everyone wants a friendship bracelet.  Perhaps the region where you are traveling is known for something (Turkish rugs, Venetian stained glass, Andalusian tiles, etc).  Figure out a purpose-it will make shopping more interesting. 

2) Know that the souvenirs are weird-looking by themselves. There is a reason my (very knowledgable) friend bought a set of Bulgarian pottery.  Don't be afraid to buy in bulk. If you really like something and you don't want it to look weird surrounded by normal western things, buy more than one.

3) Just buy something.  Remember at the end of the day you are supporting the local economy.  It's an important part of tourism.  Be proud to buy something, even if you end up simply using your large Portuguese rooster as a bookend.  

Me in Bulgaria, being terrible at buying souvenirs, below. 

Star Magazine is Ridiculous

Hi readers,

I do not often read gossip magazines. No judgement, just not my thing. I generally actually don't read any kind of magazines-I'm too cheap and prefer to spend my extra time and money in convenience stores and airport shops agonizing over which combination of candy will make me "least fat". Not a lot of spare energy left for the whole "Jennifer is pregnant/not pregnant/overweight/now anorexic" cover wars.  Which Jennnifer, you ask? Not the point. (And...all of them).

The point is, even if you read these magazines you must know--the content is a little ridiculous. The same way White Girl Rose or Pucci dresses or Fredricks of Hollywood nightwear is a little ridiculous: it's good marketing. There is nothing wrong with being a little ridiculous. 

The problem I had flipping through an old issue of Star (though can't be that old because Bruce is Kaitlyn and there is lots of talk about Dad Bods) was the content of the advertising. The advertising is NOT just a little bit ridiculous, the advertising is 100% off-the-ringer-batsh*t-crazy-INSANE! 

Pictures below. File under #icant. Someone find me a back issue of Town and Country immediately! 

1) Snickers Ice Cream Bar

Warm up photo. Mildly rediculous:

A) Choice of slogan is bad. Obviously should be "it's like you're tonguing a chocolaty, peanuty, caramel iceberg". The verb form evokes a much more powerful mental image and it's not like this magazine is a damn Golden Book. Let's get a little racey. 

B) Snickers ice cream bars do NOT need to waste money on advertising. Even someone visiting from the moon could figure out they were delicious, all by themselves. 

2) Astronauts Wives Club

Now we are getting somewhere. Seriously? THIS is the next best thing after Mad Men?! No. 

3) Litter Lifter

Honestly? Ridiculous because this advertisement probably moves a lot of product. Something about carefully reading reviews of upcoming mediocre TV shows in summer issues of cheap gossip magazines scream 'A little lonely and I own lots of cats', don't you think? 

4) Jitterbug

I'm sorry, did we step into a time machine? Are "you and your friends" all Eastern European mail order brides? WHO has a cell phone that looks like this in the year of 2015?!

5) Annabelle the Monkey

Know what? I'm actually not going to talk sh*t about Annabelle. Because I'm legitimately terrified of her. 

Off for a sunset sail...soaking up the last few days in Portugal. 

National Ice Cream Day

Hi readers,

Happy national ice cream day! I love made-up holidays that center around doing tremendously unhealthy things. When is national "food-from-aerosol-cans day"? Because I will need to stock up on Readi Whip. And Cheez Whiz. And request the next day off work. 

Here are some more possible causes for celebration: 

1) "I-gave-up-smoking-ten-years-ago-but...sometimes-I-wonder" day.

2) "Bacon" day. Portland, Oregon--you guys love bacon. Get on this. 

3) "I-love-drinking-cocktails" day. Work holiday, obviously.

4) "Reality-television-marathon" day. (Note: this may already exist. I believe some people call it "Sunday")

5) "Yard-games" day. No yard? 3 words: extreme urban bocce.

But seriously. Ice cream is awesome. Enjoy. 

Moving Water

Hi readers,

What is it about the sea? The endless possibilities of adventure, the mysterious refreshment, the possibility that salt water cures cellulite...ok I made the last one up. But, my grandmother did always say, 'Salt water cures all things'. So technically she kind of made it up. And she was a smart lady with a pretty terrific figure. So maybe it's not made up. 

Whatever, the point is I love being near all this water. I have spent the last 2 weeks flopping between the Mediterrian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, a large blonde fish deliberately avoiding the desperate heat of inland European summer. Some of my best water pictures below. Hope everyone is enjoying wonderful summer adventures! 

Ibiza,Spain

Porto, Portugal 

Madeira, Portugal 

Public pool, Portugal. Seriously. 

Besos! 

Stupid Things that Happen at the Airport

Hi readers,

I love flying the same way I love the 2nd floor changing rooms at Bloomingdales. An annoying experience, cramped and a bit miserable that must be endured in order to possess something wonderful. Here is the difference: 

If you are at Bloomingdales, get your ass up to the 4th floor, pronto. Much roomier and better mirrors. You're welcome. If you are flying...what's that? Daddy canceled the private jet credit card? Yeah, me too. So if you are flying, make lists of the annoying things that happen at the airport to pass the time. Mine is below:

Stupid things that happen at the airport

1) Taking liquids out of hand baggage. Unzipping, zipping, blah blah blah. Travel size shampoo is indignant enough already without having to suffer all this fiddling around. Also, since they never actually look at the travel size shampoo, why do they make you take it out of the bag? 

2) Lines. 

The lines at the airport are the worst type of lines. Full of families with children, guided by incomprehensible announcements and constantly shifting around. And the only reward at the end is some dumb, undersized seat no one wants to sit in anyway. 

3) Clothing. 

Why do airports make terrible slogan clothing okay? For example today I saw:

-Dopey canvas hangbag that said 'I am not a morning person'

-Paisley tee shirt stating 'Be who you are' 

-A teenage boy wearing a tee shirt that said 'Born in USA. Party in Portugal.' No, no, no.

4) The shifting around of baggage. 

All the rules! Hand luggage includes a purse, a hat, you baby is hand luggage, your baby gets its own hand luggage, but it has to be a stroller, your duty free shopping bag and anything you can jam inside are welcome to board...it's exhausting enough to make me need a coffee...

5) Coffee

See lines. The coffee isn't even worth it. And I get very cranky when I can't have coffee. 

Sigh. See you in Lisbon 

Summer Trip Planning Tips

Hi readers,

You know I love you but I'm late to a fado show in Porto, so I need to make it quick. I miss writing every day, I miss the routines of September to June, but summer vacation has been rife with wonderful adventures. Best of all, I've had a myriad of types of trips-in hostels, in friends apartments, in classy(ish) hotels. I have been thinking about some general summer trip planning tips and here's my five minute best:

Moderately Important Vacation Advice

1. Know how to say a few words. Please, thank you, menu, bathroom and 'I don't understand you' will do nicely.

2. Find someplace good to stash your passport. And your house keys.

3. Always bring a pashmina-style scarf, a bikini and an awesome face wash. Workout clothing opinional but highly recommended.

4. Stop lots. Stores, cold drinks, church pews, whatever. Extra points for places that are air-conditioned.

5. Eat dessert. At least once. Because whatever, you're on vacation. 

Pictures of Portugal below!

Happiness Lunch

Hi readers,

Today, I was blathering away to my pedicure girl in nonsensical Spanish, remarking thoughtfully and apologetically about how gross my feet were and wondering aloud how to say "square but round" in Spanish (turns out it doesn't translate) it occurred to me: I was happy.  It was a breezy summer day, I had gotten a free iced coffee and my nails were being transformed from "Alpine-Climbing-Disaster-Neutral" to "Charged-up-Cherry-Pink".

Happiness is a instinct.  These days, I am able to state my level of happiness with just a few seconds thought.   It is caused and defined by different parameters for different folks, but like Heidi Montag's plastic surgery, it is always easy to recognize.

As my delightful Korean manicurist razored dead skin off the side of my big toe, I was transported to a summer day a few years ago when I was going through a terrible break-up and not so happy.  I didn't know it at the time (the same way people that are dying from hypothermia think they are just tired).

I was having lunch with a wonderful friend, an appointment I had squeezed in between two therapy sessions in the hopes of cheering myself up.  My friend gamely asked how I was doing and I replied I wasn't quite sure.  Life seemed so complicated.  As we sipped $10 glasses of rose at Artisanal I volleyed the question back at her.

Me: "Are you happy?"

Wonderful caring friend: "Oh god, no."

Her quick answer made sense.  She was (unknowingly) at the precipice of a divorce, it was August in Manhattan and she was not a teacher, so she had to return to work instead of spending the whole day considering her feelings, filling lorazepam prescriptions and trotting around to different therapies and wellness appointments. Nonetheless, I was impressed by her sure ability to recognize her own feelings.  When she said no, I had the strength to say no too, and it made all my problems a lot simpler.  Because in the end it boils down to this:

Choice A. You're happy

Choice B. You're not happy

Everything else in life can branch our from this realization.  Once I was able to recognize my unhappiness, I started asking questions and making decisions.  Did I want to stay unhappy?  No.  Could I become happy by reconsidering my current situation?  An eventual no.

How could I change things?  

This question was the golden ticket--the one that changed my perspective.  It takes strength to ask and answer honestly, but it's been a road to fabulous and I haven't regretted a single step.  My wonderful friend and I re-live our "happiness lunch" sometimes.  The conversations tend to go like this:

Me: Remember that terrible lunch where we were both so miserable?

My wonderful friend: Ugh, yes. That was the worst!

Me: Are you happy now?

My wonderful friend: Yes.  The happiest I've ever been. 

Me: So am I.

Sunset in Madrid

Happy 4th of July!

Hi readers,
Celebrating the 4th of July overseas always feel a bit more contemplative.  Last year I was in Jackson Hole, WY (as American as baseball apple pie the Kardashians ) for a day full of fireworks, barbecue and some deadly arrangement of lemonade, vodka and blueberries.  It was fun but not in a "deep-thoughts-about-my-country" kind of way.  More in a "lets-get-drunk-and-go-tubing" kind of way.

Overseas, there is more time to consider what the 4th of July actually means--why we take the time off work to celebrate. Here is the bottom line:  America is amazing.  We have tremendous civil liberties, thousands of miles of beautiful country and hundreds of years of tradition to consider.

 Check out some interesting (if dubiously supported) facts about America here

Take a quiz about American government here

And enjoy some of my favorite pictures of our beautiful country below.  Happy 4th of July! 

 Finding serenity in Cataract Canyon, Utah

The view of Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park, Nevada

The magic of the Joshua Trees, California

The way we breath the air when looking over the Grand Canyon, Arizona

The tide pool explorations at lava beaches in Hawaii

How to Make Friends

Hi readers,

I am always wondering about how to make friends. On my recent trip to Mont Blanc, with hours of time to think between breathless gasps, I had lots of time to consider. File it under "Fun Things to Think About to Ensure Your Brain is Getting Enough Oxygen at Altitude".  In my slightly impaired state, I came to many brilliant conclusions on the topic.  The problem with high altitude deep thoughts?  They pass like clouds and footprints through a hypoxic brain.  Back on the valley floor and discussing this phenomenon with the other holiday climbers dedicated alpine mountaineers on the trip, it occurred to me: I now counted this lovely band of British men among my friends.

You make friends by sharing experiences 

Experiences serve as a watermark.  Even through silent times on the mountain we were bonding. In quiet moments later we had something to look back on and discuss.  We witnessed important stuff together--avalanches, helicopter rescues, group members falling on their faces trying to crampon through the snow.  The "experiences theory" is why the people I know that "hang out" the most seem to have the most friends.  The exposure time is greater.

My problem is I don't have a lot of patience for "hanging out".  I would rather be "drinking martinis" or "obsessing over my blog readership statistics" or "going to spinning class" or "reading sarcastic nonsense on the internet".

Here is the trick--go do the stuff you put in those quotation marks.  Talk to the other people involved in those activities. For example, in my case I will be approaching unfriendly-looking people drinking martinis alone in hotel bars.  Once I break into their day with my unfailing good attitude moderately friendly demeanor, we can participate in activities we mutually enjoy.

And that's how you make friends.  Figure out stuff you like to do, then stalk other people involved in similar activities.  You're welcome.  Picture of me with my new mountain friends below.

Summer Routines

Hi readers,
Welcome to July.  What a glorious month, when time seems to actually slow down as various vacationers find their rental keys tucked under the doormat/decorative frog/whimsical and ironic hipster gnome/whatever and unlock the possibilities of the restful summer weekend.
I have come to the conclusion reading over the viewing stats of RWF carefully meditating in the summer sun, that summer changes routines.  I think it's an important concept to embrace--it helps delineate the passing of the year.  Here are some of the changes I notice in myself:

1. Coffee.  I don't drink as much coffee in the morning during summer months.  It's nice to let the daylight wake me up. Also, coffee tastes more like Bailey's than usual different.  I think there is probably some Eastern medicine explanation about hot drinks on hot days?
2. Bedtime.  In an inverse relationship (look it up) with my coffee consumption, I seem to go to bed later in the summer.  Yes, I'm a teacher and don't have to "go to work" in the summer.  But that's besides the point.  I embrace the late night hours more, the delicate time around sunset that seems to stretch out in the heat like sidewalk gum.
3. Cleaning.  Something about summer makes me a little tidier.  Maybe it is the crushing heat of the mid-afternoon hours, or the allure of shuffling around as a way of relaxing, or the way the summer sun picks up the coating of dust I generally allow to accumulate over all my worldly possessions, but I enjoy doing dishes, sorting through pictures and picking kinder egg wrappers out of the couch a little more during summertime.
4.  Stress.  Summer has a way of sorting out what is really important.  I talk to my family, read good books, write what I want and enjoy the things I do each day.  The grind is removed more for me than people engaged in other professions, but I think the summer stress reduction is true across across the board.
5.  Food.  I seem to eat a little less in the summer. Thank God.  Except I've developed this strange habit of eating chocolate for breakfast.  I'm telling myself it's very european--for now.  C'est la vie. Summer beaches below!

Zanzibar 2012

Barcelona 2015

Enjoy the beautiful day.