Forgive me, for I have sinned. I went on vacation and totally forgot about my work. Well, sorta. I took a cruise last week on the Carnival Pride and while I did file reports to Twitter, I didn't leave any good stuff for the blog. My apologies. So, now I'll play catch up. (And if you want details on my trip, you can check out next week's cruise guide in The Sun's Travel section.)

-Speaking of vacation, does yours need saving? HomeAway.com seems to think so. They've launched a SaveOurSummerVacation site and a petition for Congress to create a "National Vacation Day" on Aug. 7. I imagine that'll go over well - isn't Congress in recess in August?

-Speaking of cruising, the Port of Baltimore set a record last weekend for number of cruise passengers on a single sailing when the Carnival Pride sailed June 6 with 2,577 passengers on board. All hands on deck.

-This summer, TSA begins operation "Secure Flight." I know - it seems like the 200th time! But it signals an important change for fliers: you'll have to provide your gender and birth date when booking a flight. You'll also have to use your legal name - no nicknames - on your ticket. (I guess I won't be flying as Donald Duck anymore.) TSA says the extra info will help them quickly clear passengers against their watch list. Some airlines are already asking for the info, but others may not do so until later this year. It's a government operation, you know, it takes time.

-Reservations begin this weekend for visitors who want to see inside the Statue of Liberty's crown. The monument's top hat opens to the public July 4 for the first time since the terror attacks of 9/11. You can walk up the 354 steps for beautiful views of the New York harbor. Admission to the crown costs an extra $3 and will be limited to about 250 guests each day.

-If you love the beach - who doesn't? - check out our Best of the Beach series. We're having our team of bloggers check out food, family, fitness, fun finds and more throughout the summer.