Now that Valentine's Day has passed, is it too early to think about next year's celebration? How about a getaway to an exciting foreign destination, only a short flight away?

The poet, Lord Tennyson, once wrote that "in spring, a young man's thoughts turn to love." What, then, do they think about in the winter? The answer for many -- skiing!

When I was young, many decades ago, going sailing on a sailboat was an outing that involved lots of drinking. Now that I'm older and sail instead on large cruise ships, the primary focus is instead on eating. What better way to close out the decade than by going on a cruise? So, on the day after Christmas, I went aboard the Holland America Oosterdam for a relaxing jaunt to Puerto Vallarta and back, with stops in Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.

Oh, my God! The year is almost over. Christmas is coming up fast and 2010 is right around the corner. It seems like only yesterday we were all worried about the impact of the millennium on computers.

What kind of reaction could you expect when you invite someone to dinner but tell him that he has to do the cooking? "You've got to be kidding!" But it is fun to ease the shock when you tell him that you're taking him to a "strip club." That will get his attention.