As one might have guessed from yesterday's post, I'm a hermit when I travel alone. I, literally, spent more then 24 hours alone in my hotel room. By the time JD knocked on the hotel room door, I greeted him with star jacks (it's basically just jumping into one big ‘X') and didn't stop until he asked me to. I couldn't help it. I was excited.

I was actually more excited because he promised we'd explore the town we're staying in, a place 35 minutes into the outskirts of Chicago. We asked the Front Desk where we should go and gentleman suggested I'd like the town mall. Why, yes. Yes, I'm always in the mood for retail therapy.

But here's the major difference between outskirt malls and life in Orange County: They're SO different. My mall is outdoors, spans the length of Noah's Ark, is peppered with movie theaters, restaurants, and palm trees. Yesterday, the hotel shuttle dropped us off in front of Sears. And then I almost cried. Most the stores were closed, but when I saw an Auntie Anne's Pretzels, I did another star jack. JD opted for Panda Express. Without the starjack.

We were shuttled 15 minutes from the hotel for a pretzel, chow mein, and the promise of new shoes. Ehhh, I guess two outta three ain't bad. The highlight of the meal was JD's fortune cookie: Your presence livens up any conversation. Now if he just did starjacks as well I did, I might agree with the fortune.

And, yes, this leads me to another installment of Kisses and Disses…

This week's DISSES go to…
*Husbands who don't do starjacks correctly.
*Redeye flight delays. No, really, when debating sleeping on the airport floor, you know it's bad. Very bad.
*Not having Tivo. I feel so 1986 not being able to record my shows while I travel. I miss Jeff Lewis and Zoila.

This week's KISSES go to…
*Girls who can do perfect starjacks. Clearly.
*Room service. I'm trying to convince JD we need to invest in room service at home.
*Auntie Anne's pretzels. They turn my frown upside down.
**Bonus Kiss goes to: All the amazing photographers I've met on the road. Honestly, meeting so many of you has made this trip remarkable!