Perhaps.....

...... there are just so many episodes of House Hunters and House Hunters International one can watch before what the Germans call extraordinary sitzfleisch--an ability to persist with sedentary determination--begins to give way to getting up and going.

Cheese Shop on Rue Cler, Paris

Perhaps it's my surprise at what, at least to me, seems to be an extraordinary amount of travel and restaurant-hopping for this self-described homebody.

Perhaps it has been my extraordinarily good fortune to travel (and dine away from home) more than I'd ever hoped.

Perhaps it's the 200+ reviews ("and counting"!) I've written for other people's sites.

Perhaps I should thank my husband, Jay Boersma, who is sharing some of our travel snaps here, forThe Considered Traveler. Take some time to look at his professional photography:  www.re-vision.com
 
Keep in mind that I will update existing posts periodically, so don't let the date at the top of the post mislead.  And feel free to comment!

My Favorite Airport:  Charlotte-Douglas International Airport

Yes, friends, the results are in, even though there is no poll of which I'm aware:

As I sat in the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport the other day, awaiting the departure of a small plane to New Bern, NC, I realized that my peaceful, easy feeling in this very busy airport was an indication of how much I like this place and how much its designers and businesspeople seemed to ensure its being so, well, nice.

Having just tussled with and then rejected the fee-for-wireless at O'Hare International in Chicago, I confess that I felt something akin to delight and pleasure as I accessed the free (hear that, O'Hare?) wireless in Charlotte, allowing me to continue unabated my inevitable loss in "Words With Friends" to my nemesis back in Chicago, Marilyn.

Perhaps the easy access to gelato and frozen yogurt shops is what's doing the talking here, but this Considered Traveler has considered it, and this airport is a favorite.  (I've never really had a favorite airport before.) Food chains?  Sure.  But lots of choice to suit every type of hunger pang, easy access between and among terminals, comparatively serene decor (OK, for an airport), and, of all things, the type of variety that allows for Brooks Brothers, Bojangle's Fried Chicken, and Jamba Juice.

And then there are the friendly and yet professional TSA agents, one of whom addressed me as "miss," rather than the suitable-for-my-age "ma'am."  I thanked the man.

Beaufort, North Carolina--Plaza Mexico

Plaza Mexico Restaurant
521 Front Street,
Beaufort, NC

(No URL available.)

Why Plaza Mexico?  Kind service; serviceable food.

Our flight into New Bern, NC, was late.  Once we took the drive from New Bern to Beaufort (where restaurants close rather early, it appears), there were twenty minutes left for us to grab something to eat before the 10pm closing time.

Consequently, we didn't have much opportunity to consider the expansive menu with any detail or care.  (Or, to be precise, we didn't feel we had the time; no one on the staff rushed us.)  My spouse and I centered on the steak quesadilla, which, given the hour, we decided to share.  Our son and his significant other ordered a cheese quesadilla.  We were surprised when ours arrived as a full meal (rice, etc.), with two steak quesadillas, but their cheese quesadilla arrived in solitude and on a small plate. We had assumed we'd ordered similar types of meals.

So, there appeared to be difficulty in our translation.  But no matter. 

The food was good, we were still un-rushed, the chips and very garlicky salsa were welcome, and we had finally gotten something to eat after our journey.  We stayed, engrossed in conversation, until we noticed that staff members were putting chairs on tables. 

It was all just fine, and perhaps when we're back, we'll have more time to peruse the menu carefully, and I will be able to write much more.  For now, I can say with confidence that Plaza Mexico is certainly worth a try.

Elmwood  Park, Illinois--Jim and Pete's Italian Restaurant

Jim and Pete's Restaurant
7806 W. North Avenue
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
708.453.5204
www.jimandpetes.com

Why Jim and Pete's?  Why not?  Good, basic Italian fare.

So, here we are in Illinois, with a hankering for Italian food of the most basic, substantial, and fairly un-upscale sort.  (And we'd just finished working out at the gym, too.)

Since I receive emails from Jim and Pete's to alert me to daily specials and the like, I had noticed that Mondays feature a "buy one entree, get the other half-price" offer, additionally fueling our post-gym, less-than-virtuous intentions.

To put it simply, this place is great for basic, red-sauce Italian food.  My husband ordered his favorite:  angel hair pasta with marinara and a side of two meatballs.  Not to be outdone, I ordered the same--but with regular spaghetti.

Now, the dinner salad that I had before the meal was nothing special, but it was certainly adequate.  The crusty bread was fresh and nicely warmed, and we joyfully doused our respective slices in olive oil (and my spouse added the parmigiana). Instead of salad, my husband had ordered and enjoyed his "Italian Wedding Soup," the feature that night.  The pasta entrees, however, were quite delicious and big enough that we each were able to take home half.  Ah, yes:  dinner for tonight.

Keep in mind that one has to mention the special of that particular night, a way that J and P's gets customers to subscribe to emails or to friend and like them on Facebook, the latter of which I try to avoid.  But it's certainly worth getting the notifications; just remember to mention them when you order or before you receive your bill.  (The nice servers will repair the bill, however, if you forget.)