Some Random Things I Have Learned This Trip

- It royally hurts to be a mere visitor in what used to be your hometown. AND, nothing brings that home more than seeing, of all things, billboards congratulating your hometown NHL team on winning the Stanley Cup.

- A resort is quite welcoming when you have Ronnie Francis greeting you at the entrance, (Actually, it's a HUGE cardboard trilon about the sights and sounds of the Raleigh/Triangle area, and Ron happens to be in the picture representing the Canes...well, it made *my* days. ;) )

- Penny Press variety puzzle magazines suck. Where the h-e-double hockeysticks are the Logic Puzzles, Word Bowling, Quotagrams, etc.? Y'know, the stuff that actually exercises your mind?

I'll still play around with some of the puzzles (Like the Codewords and Frameworks (a.k.a. Kriss-Krosses) in the PP mag I got...but, thank god for the Sudoku mag I got too.

- Never thought I'd get an "unofficial" Canes shirt, but I ended up doing that...specifically got the one that said "The Perfect Storm". "Redneck Hockey" is just too danged popular...AND the hotel gift shop didn't have that.

- The Happy Hour at Embassy Suites AND Sex On the Beach totally rocks my socks.

- Blue Hawaiian tastes great too...but is not a good chaser after three Sex On the Beaches. Better off as a singleton drink.

- The restaurant at Embassy Suites is AWESOME too...still can't decide if my absolute favorite dish there is the Pork Tenderloin or Porcini Mushroom Ravioli. The Creme Brulee and Tiramisu desserts are very much worth mentioning too.

- As much as I have loved seeing Raleigh again, I miss my dog and cat, among other things (like a comfortable bed AND computer with a normal keyboard), and can't wait to get back to them tomorrow.