Tip-Top Tips!

I never thought I'd see the day I actually AGREED with a travel section article completely, but USAToday.com's "Tips For Cruising On A Budget" is the closest thing to right-on I've seen. Here's a link: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/2009-01-23-cruising-on-a-budget_N.htm . Loyal readers know I have a pet peeve about people who use more than 2 names, or feel the need to use middle initials, but I'm going to give a pass to Ms. Beth J. Harpaz on this one. I still don't get the reason or perceived advantage of using the J., but Ms. Beth: you did a very nice job in covering the bases in your column.

For the 4th year in a row, the FAA has proclaimed Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport as the Nation's busiest. That's certainly because it is Delta's main hub, and Delta continues to get bigger even as it's losing money. Yeah, that's the same fuzzy math that allows us bailer-outers to give billions to lousy banks, who then use a line from "Oliver": May I have some more? It amazes me how scientists have been talking about theoretical-black-holes in Space for years, when in fact we have a black hole are right here in the USA (ask your Congressman). It's where money goes to die. Anyway, this past week, Delta has threatened Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson with pulling out entirely, if plans to raise taxes and fees continue unabated. Delta feels they are being gouged on their runway fees, docking charges etc., and in effect they're saying "Hey airport - remember you got this big in the first place thanks almost solely to Delta Airlines. You may want to take out a Thesaurus and look up the term BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU!"

Price check on Aisle 6!

A Wal-Mart employee in Mississippi has been charged with embezzlement, after allegedly ringing up a sale just a tad below the actual merchandise price. Natchez Police Chief Mike Mullins said a 20-year-old cashier was arrested Thursday, along with a 22-year-old customer who happened to be a friend of the girl. Chief Mullins said the cashier charged the customer a total of $5.25 for seven pairs of jeans, a baby crib, a pair of scrubs, a picture frame, sweat suit, laundry detergent, a bra, four pairs of pants, diapers, pizza, coffee, four 12-packs of drinks, canned goods, air freshener, nachos, noodles, frozen goods, chips and a family pack of beef. The total for the merchandise SHOULD have been $547.50. Mullins said the two women were being held Friday without bond, pending an initial court appearance. You know, I'm an honest 'ol Seafarer, but if I were going to pull some kind of shenanigans like this, it would have gone a little differently. I may have left off the air freshener, noodles, laundry detergent and chips, and had my pal ring up 5 High Def TV's, a couple dozen computers, 3 or 4 hot tubs, a cartful of GPS devices and MP3 players, that kind of thing. If I'm gonna do the time, I'm gonna do the crime!

Gimme that 'Ol Black Magic.... One of Nigeria's largest daily newspapers reported that police have an unusual suspect in an attempted automobile theft there. Friday, there was a front-page article in The Vanguard newspaper, saying that two men tried to steal a Mazda car this past Wednesday in Kwara State, a nearby township area. After vigilantes thought they had cornered the pair, it became evident that one suspect had escaped, but the other had cleverly transformed himself into a goat! The Vanguard quoted Police Detective Tunde Mohammed as acknowledging that one individual had escaped, but the man/goat had been apprehended. Police even paraded the goat before journalists, and published a picture of the alleged suspect-turned-animal. Belief in black magic is widespread in Nigeria, particularly in far-flung rural areas. And you thought WE had open-minded cops. These guys are good...

Happy Chinese New Year!

OK, so it's not until Monday the 26th, but Mondays are busy in the travel biz, and I may not get a chance to blog that day! So welcome one and all, to the Year Of The Ox. One of the main celebratory points with the Chinese New Year (it will be the year 4707 by the way, not 2009), is that it be spent with friends and family, enjoying food. See? That's the difference! Our New Year is celebrated by being with strangers and weirdos, enjoying mass quantities of liquor. Ancient American Secret: Ours sounds like more fun! Still, there is something to be said for both cultures, and the idea of food, friends and family sounds more like Chinese Thanksgiving. Except there's no turkey. Their New Year fare is more of chicken or fish, dumplings and pineapple, spring rolls, and a sticky rice pudding cake. I'm more partial to turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry, green beans and a big slice of mince pie with Cool Whip. I'm guessing they didn't have Cool Whip 4707 years ago, so they had to make do. Since the Ox is assumed to be female, it is also known in some circles as the Year Of The Cow. Being an Earth-sign in the Chinese Zodiac, that means she is also brown. We Americans prefer our sayings and symbols to rhyme, though, so you'd never hear anyone say "How now, brown Ox?"

What's new in Hawaii these days? How about this tour: Roughly 3 miles from Waikiki beach, a mini-bus full of tourists pulls up to a small, blue duplex built on what was once an ostrich farm for Hawaiian royalty. The driver points, and announces "On your left, ladies and gentleman, is the former residence of Barrack Obama's Kenyan father, and it is not out of the question this is where our 44th President was conceived." Yes, it's the local-man-makes-good story all over again, and the tourism industry is milking it for all they've got. Particularly with as hard-hit as the sightseeing and leisure travel market has been over there. But for people interested in all phases of history, it's a neat new addition to the standard Pearl Harbor and Dole Pineapple tours that have flourished for decades. Not much is truly new in Hawaii but this adds a new wrinkle.

SLOW NEWS DAY, small-town-style. A 39-yr. old Iowa woman has been arrested - not for what she did, but what she didn't do. Shelly Koontz was arrested Thursday night, on a fifth-degree theft charge. By the way, did anyone out there know there were at least 5 degrees of theft? 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon of course, but what are the 5 theft levels?

1) Stealing something really, REALLY valuable

2) Stealing something kind of valuable

3) Stealing something that people might actually give you a nickel for

4) Stealing your nephew's used, leaking "Whoopee Cushion" he bought last summer at the Joke and Magic Shop

5) Stealing ANYTHING in Iowa

Anyway, the story claims Ms. Koontz checked out "The Freedom Writers Diary" from the public library in nearby Jesup, Iowa last April. Police say the book, which is about a high school teacher's effort to inspire students to write, had a street value of $13.95. Court records cite witness testimony, that library employees tried repeatedly to contact Ms. Koontz by phone and mail, asking her to please return the book. A police officer even visited her home. Officials at the Buchanan County jail say Koontz was released after posting $250 bond, and a trial date has been set for this heinous crime. I'm expecting to see Nancy Grace do at least 3-4 months on this demon-of-a-woman, and I think we all feel safer knowing she's off the street. No, she's not in jail. She's just in her living room. You know, off the street...

Mexican Pace - Oh!!

Manana. It's a well-known, laid-back Spanish word for "later" or "tomorrow" or "leave me alone, you silly Gringo." What it represents, however, is a fabulous place to relax at a bargain price. The pace in Mexico is much slower than in the US, and right now the Mexican Peso (thus the title play-on-words) is near an all-time low. Considering Mexico is home to some of the most elegant all-inclusive hotels around, particularly comparing to Caribbean standards, it's a great time to visit our friends South of the Border. Although the economy is stale here in the US, and most travel is down 30-40%, Mexico actually had an increase for 2008. Granted we're talking a 3% increase overall, but who's going to argue with success in the midst of a world-wide economic downturn?!

Some Mexican hotels have gone even further with the idea of all-inclusive. As an example, the Palace Hotels figure SURE you want your meals, drinks and gratuities built in. But you're also coming to Mexico to experience the culture, and the world-class sightseeing of its historic past. For that reason, they also include numerous tours when you book a stay with them. The longer you stay, the more tours are included and we're not talking about a 2-hour shopping jaunt. They include such things as a full-day excursion to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, home of the Great Pyramid (recently named one of the 7 Wonders Of The World), for visitors in the Cancun or Mayan Riviera area. Or, you could take an excursion to the island of Isla Mujeres. There are other ruins tours, such as Coba or Tulum, or you may elect to take a day of snorkeling. If you're on the West Coast in Puerto Vallarta, you may opt to take a Sunset Cruise, or visit the Sea Life Park. Again, these are INCLUDED with your stay! They have other optional trips, which are available for purchase, still at excellent value prices. If you want something exotic like swimming with the dolphins or horseback riding, they can arrange it for a fee. But your US Dollar goes a very long way in Mexico, and comparatively it's one of the best travel bargains in the last decade. Grab your suitcase and call us now!

"If you build it, they will trade you for it." An upstate New York man apparently was still hungry for seafood after he finished his lobster dinner, so he devised a plan. He took the lobster shell, put it back together and re-built it to look as it had before his meal. Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies said the 57-year-old man brought back the re-assembled lobster to his local Price Chopper store, claiming the crustacean smelled spoiled. The store manager was about to let him trade the lobster for a $27 bag of king crab legs, when he became suspicious and discovered the lobster was just a previously-eaten shell. Deputies said the man ran from the store clutching the crab legs when he was confronted by the Manager. They had his home information from the sales receipt he dropped, but by the time Deputies arrived at his home, the man had already devoured the crab legs. He was given a court appearance ticket, where he will have to answer to a larceny charge in court.

Italian customs police have arrested five people on drug smuggling charges, including two Brazilians whose method was quite unusual. They attempted to bring in $10.4 million dollars worth of cocaine, hidden not-so-discretely in their suitcases. Police at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport said Tuesday they seized 33 pounds of the drug mixed in with fresh meat. Police Lt. Giuseppe di Stasio said officers became suspicious, when they opened the suitcases of the Brazilian man and woman, only to find packages of red meat inside. It was clear something was a-miss, and further inspection showed packets of cocaine hidden between the meat slices.

DUDE -- I don't know if it's just the munchies or what, but these burgers are AWESOME!!

Thelma and Louis?

Once again, there is news about people somehow failing to remain on board a ship the size of three football fields, and going into the water. This time on the West Coast, aboard Carnival Paradise. What makes this story uniquely STRANGE is it was not one person, but two. A married couple. Even more bizarre was their ages, 90 and 79. The did not disembark the ship when it returned to Los Angeles. When crewmembers tried to contact them, they found the balcony stateroom still had a Do Not Disturb sign on the door, and had been double-locked from the inside. All the couples' belongings appeared to be intact. The door to the balcony was unlocked, though not open. No one knows the details at this point, but the US Coast Guard gave up a search after 30 hours. They said the water temperature of 57 degrees would have only sustained life 4-5 hours maximum anyway. Most people are thinking less about an evil deed and suicide, and maybe it's just a romantic notion but observers think it could be a "hearts must go on" moment, a la the Titanic. It might sound romantic, but the reality is there is no director there to yell "CUT!", or team of rescue divers to pull them out for a happy ending. Having witnessed the power and unforgiving nature of the ocean for decades, I will not play the romantic here. That's a miserable idea and one hell of a way to leave this world. Let's all hope people come to their senses and the legacy of jumpers and fallers from cruise ships is a short one.

Genetic modification sounds like frighteningly-complicated laboratory work, but amateurs are routinely doing it in garages and dining rooms all across the country, according to a recent Associated Press report. Hobbyists (some who have termed themselves "biohackers") are busy creating new life forms and someday, observers say, may turn up a cure for cancer or an accidental environmental catastrophe. The community lab DIYbio in Cambridge, Mass., has patrons who typically work on vaccines and biofuels, but in their spare time they'll do things like whimsically try to create tattoos that glow. One amateur bought jellyfish DNA containing a green fluorescent protein (for about $100), and built a DNA analyzer (less than $25) so she could alter yogurt bacteria to glow green, when it detects melamine. If you recall, that's the substance recently discovered in Chinese baby formula and pet food. Yeah, for heaven's sake let's don't eat any melamine, but green fluorescent jellyfish protein sounds DELISH!
"Igor: this day-glo orange salamander puddin' is wonderful. What's the secret ingredient? Spent radium isotope?"

Shades of The Cincinnati Kid again! Jessica Cohen, 20, was arrested in Cincinnati in December, on a theft charge. Claiming she could not afford a lawyer, she was sent to the Public Defender's Office, to seek a lawyer to represent her on the theft charge. While there, according to police, the sticky-fingered Ms. Cohen stole an employee's cell phone and fled. Unfortunately for Miss Jessie, she had already filled out paperwork giving her actual name and address. I'm guessing there was a place on the form for a telephone number, to which she easily could have written in "Yours, thank you very much!" Now she's facing 2 theft charges, represented by a ticked-off attorney. She may want to consult her Magic 8-Ball to ask if she's going to spend her entire adult life in the slammer:
Reply hazy, try again later.

This will give a warm-and-fuzzy feeling to people who are already anxious fliers. In December, a Flybe Airline flight from Cardiff, Wales was preparing to land at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Just before final approach, the pilot came on the speaker system, announcing the plane would be returning to Wales because of heavy fog on the ground in Paris. "Unfortunately, I will not be able to land the plane in Paris as scheduled. Because of heavy fog, we would have to do an instrument-landing, and I have not yet completed my certification for that. So we're going back."

Willie Windsor, age 54 of Phoenix has for several years lived as a full-time baby, wearing frilly dresses, diapers and bonnets, sucking on a pacifier, eating Gerber cuisine and habitually clutching a rag doll, in a home filled with oversized baby furniture. According to a Phoenix New Times newspaper profile, the diaper is not just a prop. Apparently Windsor's brother, ex-wife, and neighbors tolerate his lifestyle. Windsor is a semi-retired singer-actor and said he's been celibate for nine years. Gee, Willie...celibate for nine years, eh? Hard to believe no woman has seen beyond the pacifier to your true hunkiness. Quoth The Big Bopper: "Hellll-ooo BAAA-BY!"

Put Some Clothes On!

It all started with Bugsy Siegel - Dateline: 1946. In the middle of a scorching desert, not far from Hellacious places like Death Valley, a concept was born. Cheap land, flimsy or non-existent laws, and this gangster thought: "What a great place to build an entertainment empire, based on gambling, drinking, and less-than-reputable ladies." As the sign has said all these years, WELCOME TO LAS VEGAS. Once Vegas was built, there had to be a draw created, and the concept was built on ultra-cheap food and lodging, free-flowing liquor, famous entertainers, topless showgirls, and 24-hour-a-day gambling action. Oh, the lights. Vegas was truly the city that never slept, and that concept has remained until today.

So let's review, to see after 63 years how much has changed. Ultra-cheap food and lodging? Not like the old days, but bargain hunters can still do much better in Las Vegas than just about any other resort area on the planet. Free-flowing liquor? Check. Famous entertainers? Check. 24-hour action? Check check check. Topless showgirls? Well, maybe what was exciting in 1946 has failed to hold the test of time. Unless you're a 15-year old, and even then probably not. After almost 5 decades at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino, the "Les Folies Bergere" is hanging up its feathers on March. 28th. Folies had been the longest-running old-style revue in Vegas, and the draw simply isn't there for that kind of thing. Not that Vegas has gone conservative, but those kind of showgirl productions have fallen out of favor in recent years. People who are laying out $60, $80, $100 or more per ticket want world-class showmanship, not strutting. The emergence of Cirque du Soleil has created a dominant species of new shows. Thrills, acrobatics, grand scope, and light and sound are the new draws. Also, productions from Broadway have made their mark on Las Vegas as well. The original play "Stomp" has led to a spin-off called "Stomp Out Loud" at Planet Hollywood, which is a kicked-up version in sweeping scale. I saw the show last year and before going in, was wondering if it would be my cup of tea. That notion was settled in about 2 minutes, and everyone in the theater was giving standing O's by the end. Even though there was history behind Folies Bergere (it was brought over from Paris in 1959 by then-Tropicana entertainment director Lou Walters, who happens to be Barbara Walters's father), it takes more than topless feather-bearers to ignite a crowd these days. As the old saying goes, you've seen one, you've seen them both...

This morning, I was reading the Travel section, and saw an article from Southern Living Magazine about what a great idea it is taking teenagers on a cruise. Agreed! There is so much going on, and always groups of others in that age range to meet and hang with, it's an experience they'll never forget. But I have to wonder about travel writers sometimes (present company excluded, of course). They'll be going along at a nice clip, giving people sage advice, and then something totally absurd falls out of their mouths that makes me question their credentials, other than a B+ in a Creative Writing class at Northwestern. I'll give you a link to the story on CNN, then my take:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/getaways/01/16/family.cruise/index.html

Overall, B+ on the writing and content by CarolAnne Griffith Roberts, whoever she is. I've never been one to trust people who feel the need to cart around more than 2 names, anyway. Cap'n Bob. Normal. John Doe. Normal. John Q. Public? Pretentious! Who gives a pickle about the "Q" there, John? So what if I was to make myself "Captain Griffith Bob?" Yeah, makes me sound like a dork doesn't it? Just one of my many pet peeves, but let's get back to the cruise critique. She does a nice enough job talking about the activities, and then out-of-the-blue says "Pick a 3 or 4 day sail in the Caribbean for best results." Dear dear. Ms. C.A.G.R. you are wildly mistaken, I must tell you. First of all, you can't get to the Caribbean in 3 days (ships move through the water at a speed called knots, but in perspective imagine a top speed of about 20-22 mph if you're thinking in car terms). There's a big 'ol strip of land called Cuba that blocks the Caribbean Sea from the United States, and 3 days is all but impossible. You can visit the Bahamas, but you're in the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean. Misconception! In 4 days, if you blast away at top speed all the way there, making only 1 stop, you can cruise to Cozumel Mexico, which is barely into the Caribbean...sort of a tweener area where the Gulf Of Mexico stops and the Caribbean Sea starts. But that's been a marketing ploy of cruise lines for years, to make you assume that anything with a palm tree and people who speak with a bit of an accent means Caribbean. So Ms. C.A.G.R. is iffy at best on that part of it. Now read the article and see where it talks about the multitude of activities for teens. And all the new friends. The laughter. The thrill and yes, even romance. Does that sound like something your teenager wants to experience for about 48 hours, then pack up to go back home to Milwaukee? Trust The Cap'n, your kid is thinking more about "How can I stay here the rest of my life, and ditch the parents?" My professional AND personal opinion is every family should take a week-long cruise. You'll get more ports of call, more family time to enjoy around the dinner table, you actually WILL get to see the beautiful water of the Caribbean Sea, and your teens or even younger kids will be forever grateful. It's quite possible they'll make life-long friends and pen-pals. And from an intrinsic viewpoint, you'll find it more comfortable for yourself as well! Today's cruise ships are longer than 3 football fields, and a dozen or more stories tall. They're floating cities. That's another reason I never suggest 3 day cruises to anyone. When you get on a new mega-liner, it will take you at least a day or day-and-a-half just to get the feel of where everything is. You'll start to hit your stride knowing whether you're walking towards the front or back of the ship. You'll find shortcuts. You'll discover a quiet reading nook or a perfect place to put a sun-chair. But if you're only there 3 days, and at least one of those days is spent walking around the straw market in the Bahamas, you can expect to feel lost and un-appreciated for your entire cruise. You've got the week vacation. Take the family! Make it a life-long memory, not a frazzled weekend.

I read the following story from the Associated Press, and the first thing that popped in my head was "This woman - was she wearing CLOWN pants????"

Authorities are looking for a shoplifter, who is accused of stealing $1,200 worth of designer purses from a Cape Coral, Florida store. A security guard at the Cape Coral T.J. Maxx told police she saw a woman stuff six designer Dooney & Bourke purses into her pants Tuesday morning, and walked out of the store. The guard followed her outside and was confronting the woman, when a car came whizzing up along side the perp. The report said the shoplifter tried to get into the vehicle, but fell out and was run over by the car. She then got up and jumped onto the hood of the car to try to escape. As the car began driving away at high speed, the woman lost her balance, fell off, and was run over again! On her third attempt, she finally made it into the vehicle. Police are using the car's license plate and a check the woman dropped to track her down. I can see the Ebay ad now:

Slightly-used Dooney & Bourke handbags, lightly crushed, with only a few small blood-stains and moderate skid-mark damage, now 50% off. As-is. All sales final...

Note to "W": Don't let the door, well....you know....

America has had all they can stands, and they can't stands no more! Last night Bushy gave his farewell to arms address, and it's being reported that besides his direct family, and media members who were ordered to cover the event, 3 people watched his buh-bye. Maybe 4, but I'm hearing that one of the "viewers" was also playing Spades on the internet at the same time, so you can't count him. With approval ratings that have plunged off the deep end of the charts, it's not surprising everyone is ready to move on and start fresh with a new Prez. All the talk now is focused on The Inauguration, and it hasn't had this kind of an up-tick since Kennedy. I like it. It feels like a combination of hope, anticipation, with a little bit of "Heck, after Bush how bad can this guy be?" thrown in for taste. Personally, it feels historic and uplifting to me, and I'll be grateful if the only place I have to see the name BUSH over the next 20 years is a on can of baked beans.

Early word has it that Caribbean destination weddings are still running as strongly in 2009 as they have in the past. Some travel has tapered off due to the economy, but people are still getting married, and compared to weddings in the US the Caribbean all-inclusive packages are still a tremendous bargain. Not all islands or destinations offer this service, but we know the ones that are most accessible and offer the best bang for the buck. Contact Mann Travels for more info. Heck, you can even call an old bachelor like me.

DEFACE the nation?

Authorities in the northern Mexico town of Guadelupe, near Monterey, have had about enough of gangs spray painting everything in sight, proclaiming it as "art." It's destruction of property. It's vandalism. It's defacing. Now, a few of the officers face suspension for taking matters into their own hands. Or should I say fingers? Emilio Alafaro of "Nuevo Leon" (the state's Human Rights Commission) said Thursday that four teenagers have filed a complaint, alleging that police officers spray painted their hair, shoes, and buttocks to teach them what it felt like to experience graffiti up-close-and-personal, after catching them in the act. If it had stopped right there, I'd be out of my chair cheering for the cops, giving these vandals a taste of rough justice. The allegation went on, though, to say the police officers also slapped and kicked the youths, who were all between 14 and 16 years of age. They presented paint-stained shoes and photos of their painted heads as evidence. Photos of the you-know-whatsits remained sealed. The youths were fined more than $200 before being released on Tuesday, and although I can't condone the slapping/kicking part (if true), you have to get a little Biblical with "spare the rod" sometimes. My guess is the 4 amigos will likely be seen bowling or doing some other activity now, long before they reach for another can of red or green Krylon.

Manhattan Miracle

Today there was a near-tragedy in New York, when USAirways flight 1549 was leaving LaGuardia airport headed towards my hometown, Charlotte NC. Apparently a flock of geese hit the plane's engines on takeoff, and somehow this TRUE HERO of a pilot managed to guide the aircraft into the Hudson river, after losing complete power. There were 150 people on board, and by the time the Coast Guard and other vessels in the area arrived, passengers were climbing out of the exits. They did so in as orderly a manner as possible, seeming to avoid the chaos and panic that could have made matters dramatically worse.
Final tally: Hudson river 0, God 150. Congratulations to the excellent pilot and crew, and although I'm sure the passengers had some devastating moments, congratulations to those very fortunate people as well. You can always replace your clothing and suitcases. Survival of all on board was truly a miracle.

Royal Caribbean has had a Vitality At Sea program for years, where passengers sign up for strenuous exercise and fitness programs, earning onboard "rewards" and freebies. The economy is the BIGGEST LOSER as we all know, and the cruise line just announced it is discontinuing the heart-healthy program, looking for more ways to create onboard revenue and reduce freebies such as this. It's a sign of our times, but as a long-time cruiser I have to say it's a sad sign. People miss the perks they used to get on cruise ships. For free. It's human nature, and I miss them too. I find it disappointing that senior executives of most cruise lines seem to have forgotten their heritage, and what made cruising popular in the first place. The fact is, people see bottles of liquor sold in St. Thomas for $6 a quart, and when they get back to the ship and order a cocktail, they're charged $7 an ounce. Hmmm. Any PROFIT built in there? Attention non-math-majors: 32 ounces in a quart. Go ahead, get your calculator....I'll wait.

Procrastination. You probably know someone who excels at it. Maybe it's even you! Well, here's a procrastinator's nightmare. The Lexington Kentucky Herald-Leader newspaper reports that a man recently walked into a particular building, showed a gun and demanded money in an attempt to rob a bank. Only problem was, he had waited too long. The robber yelled to the employees to hurry up and fill sacks with money. Then one of the employees attempted to explain to him they didn't have any. The confused would-be robber said "Don't mess with me - I KNOW you have money. This is a bank for heaven's sake!" The workers had to correct him. It seems the Jessamine South Elkhorn Water District had moved its offices into what was formerly a branch of the Farmers Bank. City police spokesman Scott Harvey explained that the exasperated felon finally put his gun away, and left with nothing. Note to self: once you case a joint, you may want to pull your caper within, oh I don't know....a year to two.