Did you know...
...that I cut 4 inches off my hair last weekend on a whim? It's now to my chin in the front and shorter in the back.
...that Steve and I are making homemade pizza tonight and I'm so excited to eat so many sauteed mushrooms that about 1/3 of them will actually make it on my side of the pizza?
...the Colorado Avalanche is my favorite professional hockey team?
...Vancouver Canuck's are my least favorite team? Technically, the Avalanche's hated rivals, the Detroit Red Wings should be, but I can't help it.
...I got a cheap-o bubble gum dispense as a white elephant gift at my office Christmas party? It's on my desk and I put salted peanuts in it.
...I also have 2 mugs of candy on my desk? One is Miss Chatterbox and contains Kisses, the other is Miss Sunshine and holds Skittles. Steve gave me the mugs.
...I'm going to school for a Masters of Taxation? It's the only such program in the state of Utah.
...I recently went to San Antonio with Steve? You should if you read the blog regularly. :)
...we're planning a trip in May and may go to Disney World? I've never been to Florida - it's the big selling point as I'm not really big on amusement parks.
...I'm slowly losing the weight I put on at Christmas? I'm down 4 lbs!
...yellow is my current favorite color? It's so friendly and sunny and hopeful.
...I miss my mom? Luckily, she's coming for a visit in February!!!
...I'm currently suffering from seasonal depression? No sunshine for weeks on end does that to me. (And possibly lingering effects from a miscarriage???)
...I have a greyhound named Sadie? She's a crazy, wonderful, silly dog who always makes me feel loved when I get home from work. She is at the door even before Steve to welcome me home.
...I love mushrooms sauteed in butter? Mmmm. I can't wait for dinner tonight!
...I'm a Ute, a Thunderbird, and a Wildcat? Someday, I'll probably add to that list.
...I want to be a professor when I grow up? Most likely an Accounting professor, but maybe Economics.
...that we're planning on going to a Denver Broncos game this fall? They used to be my least favorite team, until they signed Peyton Manning, my football crush. Now I cheer for them because I want him to do well. Yes, Steve knows and doesn't care. He's a good man.
...I used to like the 49ers until the coach was a big, fat jerk to Alex Smith (a fellow Ute alumnus). That said, I can't cheer for Ray Lewis and the Ravens, so I guess I hope the 49ers win the Super Bowl this Sunday. Lesser of two evils, I guess.
...my husband is cheering for the Cowboys this weekend? He doesn't believe in cheering for any other football team. That's loyalty, people.
...I've never owned a pair of cowboy boots? Are they comfortable? They don't look comfy, but I wouldn't know since I've never even worn a pair. Maybe someday...if we move to Texas?
...that as I saute sliced mushrooms I'll also be dipping raw mushrooms in ranch and popping them in my mouth? Mmmmm. Good thing it's time to go home, so I can eat me some mushrooms!!
Have a good evening, everyone!!
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Early last November, as the days grew shorter and the weather turned colder, I announced to Steve that we needed to take a winter trip to somewhere warm. We had initially set aside the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday weekend as a time to go to Denver to see the Avalanche play (our favorite professional hockey team), but sadly, the players and owners couldn't resolve their differences in time for the season's start, and we weren't sure there was even going to be a hockey season this year. Since we couldn't count on being able to see a hockey game, I reasoned that we should instead spend the weekend in a place that would most likely be warmer than Utah in January.
We threw around a few possibilities over the ensuing weeks before finally choosing San Antonio, TX. I've never been to Texas, so I could add it to my list of States I've Visited. Steve went to basic training at a base nearby, so he had been to San Antonio before, but it had been over 22 years and he didn't really remember a lot about it. We looked at the average temperatures in San Antonio in January and the mid-60s looked very appealing. By mid-December, we had our flights and hotel room booked. Texas, here we come!
My work had a "retreat" (i.e. party) Friday afternoon with lunch, bowling, and billiards. We could leave at any time, so I got home around 3pm, and Steve had already cleaned the house, taken Sadie to the kennel, and put our suitcase in the car. We were ready...and yet our flight didn't leave until 8pm, so we had to wait around for a couple hours before we headed south to the airport. We arrived in good time, took the shuttle from the economy parking lot to the airport, checked our bag, went through security, and then discovered that our flight was delayed by just over an hour. Not happy, but with weather being what it's been lately, we weren't too upset...until we discovered that our flight was delayed to poor scheduling of the flight crew. We ended up waiting over 2 hours for them to fly in from Kansas because someone hadn't scheduled them properly in order to get a flight crew to us in time. Steve swears we'll never fly that airline again (Delta).
Our delayed flight and the hour time change meant that we arrived in San Antonio just before 2am local time. I hadn't slept at all on the flight and was exhausted (and a little cranky). Fortunately, retrieving our bag from the luggage claim, finding a taxi, driving to the hotel, and checking in took just under 30 minutes (wow!), so we were snug in our room by 2:30am.
We slept until 10am and really took it easy getting ready that morning. I even took a relaxing bath, something I never do. I had given myself permission to not leave the hotel until noon (or later if need be) so I didn't feel rushed to get out sight-seeing right away. Steve thinks it's weird that I had to give myself permission to take it easy...I don't think it's weird, but it is a little sad. Something to work on.
When we woke up and opened the curtains in our 11th floor room, the entire outside wall being a window, we looked right at the famed Alamo. It was a block away from our hotel and we had a wonderful view of it! When we checked in, the hotel clerk had apologized that he didn't have a room facing the river walk to give us, but we were more than thrilled to be facing the Alamo.
At noon, we finally left our hotel room and went looking for food. We were both starving. We walked both sides of the part of the river walk that opened up behind our hotel (it was a wonderful location!) before choosing a BBQ joint called The Country Line (maybe The County Line??). It served us delicious, succulent, tender bbq brisket with yummy mashed potatoes and creamy, crispy coleslaw. As we ate, we saw numerous plates of beef ribs pass by our tables and swore that someday we'd go back and order a plate of them. They were so big they could have passed for dinosaur ribs a la The Flintstones. Mmmmm. Being stuffed, we couldn't get dessert at that time, but a few hours later, after doing some sightseeing, we returned for it. I ordered a delicious peach cobbler with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream and Steve got a huge piece of pecan pie, also with ice cream. If we hadn't sworn not to eat at the same place twice (for a meal), we might have eaten there every meal we had in San Antonio. It was good.
After lunch, we walked to the Alamo. I was surprised that we didn't have to pay to go inside, especially since it's the hottest tourist attraction in town. The grounds were lovely and peaceful. I wondered if we were there at a low-peak time, since there weren't as many tourists as I would have expected. I was grateful for the lack of crowds and really enjoyed touring the site. Afterward, we walked the river walk some more before seeing a spot where we could buy tickets for the water boat tour. We lucked into getting tickets just in time and didn't have to wait at all before the boat took off. Our guide was very humorous and knowledgeable and the 45 minutes flew by. We learned a lot about the area, including his favorite spots along the river walk to eat and get a drink. Based on his guidance, we later chose to eat dinner at a fancy restaurant after taking a long nap in our room and taking a short excursion to the wax museum.
I can't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was a good choice. Our primary focus was the guacamole the waiter makes right in front of you - our tour guide said it was fantastic and we agreed! We would go back there and just order two helpings of the guacamole - a spicy one for Steve and the normal one for me. The dinner bread, slices of french baguette, was also exceptional, but the rest of our meal wasn't as wonderful though still tasty. After walking off a bit of our dinner and exploring more of the river walk, we had ice cream at a little creamery. The river walk was incredibly crowded and we thanked our habit of eating earlier than the typical night crowd. We didn't have to wait at all to be seated for dinner, but as we left, we heard the hostess telling someone that the wait was at least an hour and a half. It was the same all along the river walk, which prevented us from getting a nice dessert, but we were happy with our ice cream (I had mango, Steve had an odd concoction that was kind of vanilla and kind of chocolate but didn't taste fully like either). We didn't really know what to do after dinner. We walked around our hotel but couldn't find anything that interested us. Most of the night-time entertainment seemed geared for drinking, which we don't do, so we ended up back in our room, watching movies on tv and reading. Neither of us minded, we're home-bodies at heart and were both pretty tired.
Before retiring for the night, we placed a room service request on our doorknob, ordering breakfast for the next morning around 8am. It was pricey, but we loved the idea of waking up Sunday morning and having breakfast in bed without having to go anywhere to get it. Unfortunately, something went wrong and we never got our breakfast! I had hopped in the shower at 8:15, hoping it would be delivered by the time I got out, but it wasn't. I finished getting ready and by 9:00 we still hadn't received our breakfasts, so we went to the front desk and let them know. They assured us they would make sure we weren't charged, which was nice, but now we had to figure out where to go for food. The was an Einstein's bagel shop in our hotel lobby, so we opted for it. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and wasn't impressed. I ate a few bites and let Steve have the rest. Instead, I ate a chocolate chip cookie. Not a good idea, as it later turned out.
We grabbed a taxi and had the driver take us to the zoo, about a 10-minute drive from our hotel. We walked around for 2 hours before realizing we hadn't seen any of the "big" animals. We'd seen lots of lizards, monkeys, birds, and such (oh and a couple way-cute bears), but where were the elephants, lions, tigers, etc??? We looked at our map and realized we had somehow missed the turn-off to get to these animals. Even with the aid of a map, we still had some difficulty finding where to go, and I got cranky. I probably would have been better if I had had food in my tummy, but I didn't. Steve is such a patient man. And, to my credit, I quickly realized I was being cranky and worked hard not to be. It helped that after an overcast morning, the sun was finally peeking through the disappearing clouds and sunshine really cheers me up. We finally found where to go and saw 2 huge hippopotami (sp?), elephants, zebras, an emu, tiger, lion, kangaroos, a rhino, and other animals. It was a cool zoo and we enjoyed seeing it. Fortunately, our taxi driver had given us his cell phone to call when we needed a ride back in since there wasn't another taxi to be seen at the zoo. Within 10 minutes of our call, he had picked us up. Very nice guy.
Steve quickly fed me lunch at a Mexican restaurant on the river walk. I chose poorly and ate an underseasoned taco salad that didn't have enough protein in it to keep me full long. Ah well. After lunch, we hopped a ride on the double-decker bus tour. It was one of those hop-on, hop-off deals that allows you to get on and off the tour buses as many times as you'd like throughout the day. We started by taking the full 40-minute tour around the city so we could decide where we wanted to get off. One of my favorite moments of the trip came while waiting for the bus to start the tour. We sat on the top deck and the sun shone on us in all its glory. I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth of the day. It was wonderful. Aaahhh. I had to put on my jacket once the bus started, though, because it got kind of chilly driving around. On the second go around, Steve and I got off at the Governor's Palace, a quaint building that had been renovated in the 1930's to look like it had around the time of the Alamo battle. It was interesting. We then walked the couple blocks to El Mercado, the Market, which houses all sorts of shops selling all sorts of items, though mostly touristy souvenir type stuff. The only souvenirs I planned on buying were a magnet and a t-shirt. I bought the magnet at the Alamo and the shirt at the airport. Neither of us are big souvenir people, so our money was safe at the market, except for a large ice-cream cone that Steve bought me, it was yummy! It was neat to see all the wares, though, and we stopped once to watch a street artist drawing caricatures of his patrons. We caught the bus again at the market and stayed on until the Tower of the Americas, although I really wanted to get off at King Williams street to see the huge historic homes. I knew it wasn't something Steve really wanted to do, and it would entail lots more walking and a long time, so I said we didn't have to. We had hoped that the bus would go down the street but it makes sense that they weren't allowed. I wouldn't want a bunch of tour buses going up and down my street all day either. Maybe the next time we go back we'll walk down it. Instead, we got off to see the Tower of the Americas, similar to the Space Needle in Seattle. The area around it had been designed for the 1968 Worlds Fair but it looked a little sad now, maybe because it's winter and nothing was blooming? It still looked cool, though, and we enjoyed the view from the top of the tower. Instead of hopping back on the bus, we decided to walk back to our hotel since it was only a few blocks away. We walked along a part of the river walk that we had seen by boat but hadn't walked yet. It was quiet and nice.
I was feeling kind of light-headed, usually a symptom of not enough calories and protein, so I really wanted to eat steak for dinner. We looked at a couple places as we walked along until finally choosing Saltgrass Steakhouse. I ordered a beautiful ribeye steak with fries and a house salad. Everything tasted marvelous, and I felt much better with some good food in me. Both of us were too full for dessert, so we walked around a bit. We were pleasantly surprised that the river walk was a lot less crowded and finally remembered that it was Sunday evening. We decided to go on the boat tour again since we didn't have anything else we wanted to do, it was fairly inexpensive, and it would be different touring it at night and with a different guide. I'm glad we did it because we did learn new things and it was fun seeing everything at night all lit up. And, our guide won brownie points with me when he found out we are Utah Utes fans and he said he thought it was horrible for Alex Smith to lose his starting QB job just for getting hurt when he'd been doing a good job before that. I couldn't agree more!! This time on the tour, when we got to the part of the river walk that goes by the Riverside Mall, Steve noticed the Official Dallas Cowboys store inside the mall. He's a huge fan, so we made plans to go the next day before heading to the airport. I had also spotted a Starbucks, so we decided to go there for breakfast before going to the Cowboys store.
After the tour, we stopped at a fancy Italian restaurant for dessert. We both ordered a slice of their chocolate mousse cake. It was pretty darn good, but I still think my mom makes the best chocolate cake in the world. We ordered milk to go with it, which was good because the cake was rich and decadant. Tired and feet-weary from all the walking we'd done during the day, we headed back to our room for tv watching, a bath (for me), and book reading before falling asleep.
Monday morning, we woke up and walked to the mall. We arrived just before 9am, an hour before the stores opened, so we had breakfast at Starbucks (a croissant and carmel apple cider for me, orange juice and cinnamon roll for Steve) then walked around looking at all the stores until the Cowboys store opened. Steve very, very rarely splurges on himself. He's a lot better at spoiling me. So, I made sure he bought whatever he wanted, regardless of price. He bought lots of good stuff and I was proud of him for treating himself for once. He felt a little guilty, though, despite me telling him not to, and insisted that I could buy whatever I wanted in the store. I didn't. Nothing sang to me. Nope, I lied. I just remembered that I bought a simple black t-shirt with San Antonio, TX stictched in pink on the front. So, I guess I ended up with two San Antonio t-shirts (since I bought another one at the airport later). He kept trying to get me to buy earrings, jackets, and stuff but for once I wasn't in the buying mood. C'est la vie.
We walked back to our room, made sure we had packed everything, then checked out of the hotel and grabbed a taxi to the airport. We arrived early, so relaxed and read near our gate. This time, our flight departed on schedule and the plane set down in Salt Lake City right around 4pm local time. It was a little depressing to see the haze and the snow, but it felt good to be home. Our dog was still at the kennel and wasn't scheduled to be picked up until the next day (today), so we enjoyed our last night by ourselves and not having to walk Sadie in the cold at night.
I thought it would be hard coming back to the cold and didn't really look forward to it. However, it's been easier than I thought. It's still way too cold but I feel like the small break from it makes bearing it just a bit easier. Like how sometimes a lunch break makes the afternoon work go better, smoother. We're thinking that we might take a winter trip to a warm locale every year. We'd like to go back to San Antonio (seriously, I'd go back just for the guacamole at the restaurant we ate at Saturday night!), but it would also be fun to explore new places. We'll see how things go. I'm just really glad we went.
Now it's time for us to start planning what other destinations we want to visit this year! We're thinking about a long trip in May and maybe another one, shorter, in the summer with my mom. Any suggestions of fun places to go? Where would you like to go on a vacation if money/kids/time-off weren't considerations?
We threw around a few possibilities over the ensuing weeks before finally choosing San Antonio, TX. I've never been to Texas, so I could add it to my list of States I've Visited. Steve went to basic training at a base nearby, so he had been to San Antonio before, but it had been over 22 years and he didn't really remember a lot about it. We looked at the average temperatures in San Antonio in January and the mid-60s looked very appealing. By mid-December, we had our flights and hotel room booked. Texas, here we come!
My work had a "retreat" (i.e. party) Friday afternoon with lunch, bowling, and billiards. We could leave at any time, so I got home around 3pm, and Steve had already cleaned the house, taken Sadie to the kennel, and put our suitcase in the car. We were ready...and yet our flight didn't leave until 8pm, so we had to wait around for a couple hours before we headed south to the airport. We arrived in good time, took the shuttle from the economy parking lot to the airport, checked our bag, went through security, and then discovered that our flight was delayed by just over an hour. Not happy, but with weather being what it's been lately, we weren't too upset...until we discovered that our flight was delayed to poor scheduling of the flight crew. We ended up waiting over 2 hours for them to fly in from Kansas because someone hadn't scheduled them properly in order to get a flight crew to us in time. Steve swears we'll never fly that airline again (Delta).
Our delayed flight and the hour time change meant that we arrived in San Antonio just before 2am local time. I hadn't slept at all on the flight and was exhausted (and a little cranky). Fortunately, retrieving our bag from the luggage claim, finding a taxi, driving to the hotel, and checking in took just under 30 minutes (wow!), so we were snug in our room by 2:30am.
We slept until 10am and really took it easy getting ready that morning. I even took a relaxing bath, something I never do. I had given myself permission to not leave the hotel until noon (or later if need be) so I didn't feel rushed to get out sight-seeing right away. Steve thinks it's weird that I had to give myself permission to take it easy...I don't think it's weird, but it is a little sad. Something to work on.
When we woke up and opened the curtains in our 11th floor room, the entire outside wall being a window, we looked right at the famed Alamo. It was a block away from our hotel and we had a wonderful view of it! When we checked in, the hotel clerk had apologized that he didn't have a room facing the river walk to give us, but we were more than thrilled to be facing the Alamo.
At noon, we finally left our hotel room and went looking for food. We were both starving. We walked both sides of the part of the river walk that opened up behind our hotel (it was a wonderful location!) before choosing a BBQ joint called The Country Line (maybe The County Line??). It served us delicious, succulent, tender bbq brisket with yummy mashed potatoes and creamy, crispy coleslaw. As we ate, we saw numerous plates of beef ribs pass by our tables and swore that someday we'd go back and order a plate of them. They were so big they could have passed for dinosaur ribs a la The Flintstones. Mmmmm. Being stuffed, we couldn't get dessert at that time, but a few hours later, after doing some sightseeing, we returned for it. I ordered a delicious peach cobbler with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream and Steve got a huge piece of pecan pie, also with ice cream. If we hadn't sworn not to eat at the same place twice (for a meal), we might have eaten there every meal we had in San Antonio. It was good.
After lunch, we walked to the Alamo. I was surprised that we didn't have to pay to go inside, especially since it's the hottest tourist attraction in town. The grounds were lovely and peaceful. I wondered if we were there at a low-peak time, since there weren't as many tourists as I would have expected. I was grateful for the lack of crowds and really enjoyed touring the site. Afterward, we walked the river walk some more before seeing a spot where we could buy tickets for the water boat tour. We lucked into getting tickets just in time and didn't have to wait at all before the boat took off. Our guide was very humorous and knowledgeable and the 45 minutes flew by. We learned a lot about the area, including his favorite spots along the river walk to eat and get a drink. Based on his guidance, we later chose to eat dinner at a fancy restaurant after taking a long nap in our room and taking a short excursion to the wax museum.
I can't remember the name of the restaurant, but it was a good choice. Our primary focus was the guacamole the waiter makes right in front of you - our tour guide said it was fantastic and we agreed! We would go back there and just order two helpings of the guacamole - a spicy one for Steve and the normal one for me. The dinner bread, slices of french baguette, was also exceptional, but the rest of our meal wasn't as wonderful though still tasty. After walking off a bit of our dinner and exploring more of the river walk, we had ice cream at a little creamery. The river walk was incredibly crowded and we thanked our habit of eating earlier than the typical night crowd. We didn't have to wait at all to be seated for dinner, but as we left, we heard the hostess telling someone that the wait was at least an hour and a half. It was the same all along the river walk, which prevented us from getting a nice dessert, but we were happy with our ice cream (I had mango, Steve had an odd concoction that was kind of vanilla and kind of chocolate but didn't taste fully like either). We didn't really know what to do after dinner. We walked around our hotel but couldn't find anything that interested us. Most of the night-time entertainment seemed geared for drinking, which we don't do, so we ended up back in our room, watching movies on tv and reading. Neither of us minded, we're home-bodies at heart and were both pretty tired.
Before retiring for the night, we placed a room service request on our doorknob, ordering breakfast for the next morning around 8am. It was pricey, but we loved the idea of waking up Sunday morning and having breakfast in bed without having to go anywhere to get it. Unfortunately, something went wrong and we never got our breakfast! I had hopped in the shower at 8:15, hoping it would be delivered by the time I got out, but it wasn't. I finished getting ready and by 9:00 we still hadn't received our breakfasts, so we went to the front desk and let them know. They assured us they would make sure we weren't charged, which was nice, but now we had to figure out where to go for food. The was an Einstein's bagel shop in our hotel lobby, so we opted for it. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and wasn't impressed. I ate a few bites and let Steve have the rest. Instead, I ate a chocolate chip cookie. Not a good idea, as it later turned out.
We grabbed a taxi and had the driver take us to the zoo, about a 10-minute drive from our hotel. We walked around for 2 hours before realizing we hadn't seen any of the "big" animals. We'd seen lots of lizards, monkeys, birds, and such (oh and a couple way-cute bears), but where were the elephants, lions, tigers, etc??? We looked at our map and realized we had somehow missed the turn-off to get to these animals. Even with the aid of a map, we still had some difficulty finding where to go, and I got cranky. I probably would have been better if I had had food in my tummy, but I didn't. Steve is such a patient man. And, to my credit, I quickly realized I was being cranky and worked hard not to be. It helped that after an overcast morning, the sun was finally peeking through the disappearing clouds and sunshine really cheers me up. We finally found where to go and saw 2 huge hippopotami (sp?), elephants, zebras, an emu, tiger, lion, kangaroos, a rhino, and other animals. It was a cool zoo and we enjoyed seeing it. Fortunately, our taxi driver had given us his cell phone to call when we needed a ride back in since there wasn't another taxi to be seen at the zoo. Within 10 minutes of our call, he had picked us up. Very nice guy.
Steve quickly fed me lunch at a Mexican restaurant on the river walk. I chose poorly and ate an underseasoned taco salad that didn't have enough protein in it to keep me full long. Ah well. After lunch, we hopped a ride on the double-decker bus tour. It was one of those hop-on, hop-off deals that allows you to get on and off the tour buses as many times as you'd like throughout the day. We started by taking the full 40-minute tour around the city so we could decide where we wanted to get off. One of my favorite moments of the trip came while waiting for the bus to start the tour. We sat on the top deck and the sun shone on us in all its glory. I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth of the day. It was wonderful. Aaahhh. I had to put on my jacket once the bus started, though, because it got kind of chilly driving around. On the second go around, Steve and I got off at the Governor's Palace, a quaint building that had been renovated in the 1930's to look like it had around the time of the Alamo battle. It was interesting. We then walked the couple blocks to El Mercado, the Market, which houses all sorts of shops selling all sorts of items, though mostly touristy souvenir type stuff. The only souvenirs I planned on buying were a magnet and a t-shirt. I bought the magnet at the Alamo and the shirt at the airport. Neither of us are big souvenir people, so our money was safe at the market, except for a large ice-cream cone that Steve bought me, it was yummy! It was neat to see all the wares, though, and we stopped once to watch a street artist drawing caricatures of his patrons. We caught the bus again at the market and stayed on until the Tower of the Americas, although I really wanted to get off at King Williams street to see the huge historic homes. I knew it wasn't something Steve really wanted to do, and it would entail lots more walking and a long time, so I said we didn't have to. We had hoped that the bus would go down the street but it makes sense that they weren't allowed. I wouldn't want a bunch of tour buses going up and down my street all day either. Maybe the next time we go back we'll walk down it. Instead, we got off to see the Tower of the Americas, similar to the Space Needle in Seattle. The area around it had been designed for the 1968 Worlds Fair but it looked a little sad now, maybe because it's winter and nothing was blooming? It still looked cool, though, and we enjoyed the view from the top of the tower. Instead of hopping back on the bus, we decided to walk back to our hotel since it was only a few blocks away. We walked along a part of the river walk that we had seen by boat but hadn't walked yet. It was quiet and nice.
I was feeling kind of light-headed, usually a symptom of not enough calories and protein, so I really wanted to eat steak for dinner. We looked at a couple places as we walked along until finally choosing Saltgrass Steakhouse. I ordered a beautiful ribeye steak with fries and a house salad. Everything tasted marvelous, and I felt much better with some good food in me. Both of us were too full for dessert, so we walked around a bit. We were pleasantly surprised that the river walk was a lot less crowded and finally remembered that it was Sunday evening. We decided to go on the boat tour again since we didn't have anything else we wanted to do, it was fairly inexpensive, and it would be different touring it at night and with a different guide. I'm glad we did it because we did learn new things and it was fun seeing everything at night all lit up. And, our guide won brownie points with me when he found out we are Utah Utes fans and he said he thought it was horrible for Alex Smith to lose his starting QB job just for getting hurt when he'd been doing a good job before that. I couldn't agree more!! This time on the tour, when we got to the part of the river walk that goes by the Riverside Mall, Steve noticed the Official Dallas Cowboys store inside the mall. He's a huge fan, so we made plans to go the next day before heading to the airport. I had also spotted a Starbucks, so we decided to go there for breakfast before going to the Cowboys store.
After the tour, we stopped at a fancy Italian restaurant for dessert. We both ordered a slice of their chocolate mousse cake. It was pretty darn good, but I still think my mom makes the best chocolate cake in the world. We ordered milk to go with it, which was good because the cake was rich and decadant. Tired and feet-weary from all the walking we'd done during the day, we headed back to our room for tv watching, a bath (for me), and book reading before falling asleep.
Monday morning, we woke up and walked to the mall. We arrived just before 9am, an hour before the stores opened, so we had breakfast at Starbucks (a croissant and carmel apple cider for me, orange juice and cinnamon roll for Steve) then walked around looking at all the stores until the Cowboys store opened. Steve very, very rarely splurges on himself. He's a lot better at spoiling me. So, I made sure he bought whatever he wanted, regardless of price. He bought lots of good stuff and I was proud of him for treating himself for once. He felt a little guilty, though, despite me telling him not to, and insisted that I could buy whatever I wanted in the store. I didn't. Nothing sang to me. Nope, I lied. I just remembered that I bought a simple black t-shirt with San Antonio, TX stictched in pink on the front. So, I guess I ended up with two San Antonio t-shirts (since I bought another one at the airport later). He kept trying to get me to buy earrings, jackets, and stuff but for once I wasn't in the buying mood. C'est la vie.
We walked back to our room, made sure we had packed everything, then checked out of the hotel and grabbed a taxi to the airport. We arrived early, so relaxed and read near our gate. This time, our flight departed on schedule and the plane set down in Salt Lake City right around 4pm local time. It was a little depressing to see the haze and the snow, but it felt good to be home. Our dog was still at the kennel and wasn't scheduled to be picked up until the next day (today), so we enjoyed our last night by ourselves and not having to walk Sadie in the cold at night.
I thought it would be hard coming back to the cold and didn't really look forward to it. However, it's been easier than I thought. It's still way too cold but I feel like the small break from it makes bearing it just a bit easier. Like how sometimes a lunch break makes the afternoon work go better, smoother. We're thinking that we might take a winter trip to a warm locale every year. We'd like to go back to San Antonio (seriously, I'd go back just for the guacamole at the restaurant we ate at Saturday night!), but it would also be fun to explore new places. We'll see how things go. I'm just really glad we went.
Now it's time for us to start planning what other destinations we want to visit this year! We're thinking about a long trip in May and maybe another one, shorter, in the summer with my mom. Any suggestions of fun places to go? Where would you like to go on a vacation if money/kids/time-off weren't considerations?
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Cruising in Alaska
Steve and I returned home from our Alaskan cruise last Tuesday. We had a really good time, but if I were to go back, I'd go later in the summer. It was chilly! Beautiful scenery, glimpses of wildlife, fun activities, lots and lots of food (if you've cruised, you know this to be true!), new friends, and lots of time with my best friend made this trip a wonderful vacation.
Note: I did take pictures but not nearly enough. I'm just not a picture-taker. We'd be enjoying a view or an activity and completely forget the camera in our bag. No, I'm more of a wordsmith that a photog. Below are the best of the pictures that we managed to capture. Also, it's a lengthy post. Just so you know.
Tuesday, June 5
We woke up at 3:45am in order to be ready to go when the airport shuttle picked us up at 5am. Our flight to Seattle was at 8:30 and we arrived there at 9:00 Seattle time. We had forked out for the Carnival transfer and I'm glad we did. They took our luggage at the airport and we didn't have to worry about it again, it just showed up in our room later that day. I wish we would have done that on my other cruises. Oh well. We got to see a little of the city on our way to the ship and I liked what I saw.
We arrived at the ship early enough to avoid most of the lines involved with embarking. However, we were a little too early - they hadn't finished cleaning the ship, so we had to wait for 45 minutes before we could get on. I was soooo hungry and tired and was trying really hard not to be ornery. On board, we headed right for the lunch line. I was a much happier person with food in me! We went to our room and I was really happy that I had upgraded it to an ocean view room a few days before our trip. It was a cheap upgrade and totally worth it! It was a little strange to share the room with just one other person - I once shared a cruise ship room with four other gals! It was relatively spacious with just us two, especially with one of us a male. :)
We rested a bit while waiting for our luggage. When it came, Steve was sleeping so I hurriedly put my clothes away. I loved getting so much space just for me! I left Steve in the room to go to my Disco Dance Class. On a previous cruise, my friends had attended multiple dance classes that had looked really fun but I hadn't participated because of my weight. So, when I saw it on the schedule, I wanted to do it this time. It was a blast! I met a few people that I kept seeing throughout the cruise. And, it was good to be active after so much traveling. I had really hoped that there would be more dance classes throughout the cruise, but nope, this was the only one, which makes me even happier I did it.
That night, we met our dinner companions for the week. I was really glad that we were seated with another couple instead of being seated by ourselves. I love Steve but we get to eat alone together all the time. I really enjoy meeting people on cruises and dinner time is a great opportunity to do so. David and Gladys were wonderful! He's a chaplin with the Army and she's from Peru. They are older than us, probably late 40's. David was hilarious! Told great stories. And Gladys was a hoot as well. We really lucked out to be seated with them. Throughout the week, we'd also run into them in ports or around the ship. It was perfect because we were always happy to see each other but we never expected to hang out with each other except for at dinner. The perfect cruise friends. :)
Wednesday, June 6
Our first full day "at sea", meaning no port stops. We traveled from Seattle the night before and started heading up the coast of Canada. We slept in really late! It's amazing how much I slept on the trip. I think it was the rocking of the ship that kept lulling me to sleep. Thankfully, with the help of the dramamine I took throughout the trip, I never felt sick, a first. We got up and had breakfast and toured the ship. The weather made it not so fun to be out on deck - cloudy, windy, and intermittent rain. Oh, and cold. We realized that we needed warmer jackets and happily discovered a great deal on some in the ship shops. In fact, I got two new jackets on the trip! I ended up using all the jackets I had at one time or another and they'll be great here at home, too.
We didn't really do anything until after lunch. I dragged Steve to the art auction. I'd attended one on a previous cruise and had ended up winning a $650 print (that still needs to be framed!). I like seeing the prints and discovering new artists to like. I also like seeing what other people end up buying. We both signed up to be able to bid on works, though neither of us expected to buy anything. Boy, were we wrong! We walked out of the auction the proud new owners of three Itzchak Tarkay prints (see below)! They were for an amazing price and we decided they'd look good in our sitting room along with the Emile Bellet I'd won before (first picture below).
Zip-lining was definitely my favorite activity. It wasn't hard but something I've never dared do before and it was thrilling! I'll do it again if ever given the chance.
Note: I did take pictures but not nearly enough. I'm just not a picture-taker. We'd be enjoying a view or an activity and completely forget the camera in our bag. No, I'm more of a wordsmith that a photog. Below are the best of the pictures that we managed to capture. Also, it's a lengthy post. Just so you know.
Tuesday, June 5
We woke up at 3:45am in order to be ready to go when the airport shuttle picked us up at 5am. Our flight to Seattle was at 8:30 and we arrived there at 9:00 Seattle time. We had forked out for the Carnival transfer and I'm glad we did. They took our luggage at the airport and we didn't have to worry about it again, it just showed up in our room later that day. I wish we would have done that on my other cruises. Oh well. We got to see a little of the city on our way to the ship and I liked what I saw.
We arrived at the ship early enough to avoid most of the lines involved with embarking. However, we were a little too early - they hadn't finished cleaning the ship, so we had to wait for 45 minutes before we could get on. I was soooo hungry and tired and was trying really hard not to be ornery. On board, we headed right for the lunch line. I was a much happier person with food in me! We went to our room and I was really happy that I had upgraded it to an ocean view room a few days before our trip. It was a cheap upgrade and totally worth it! It was a little strange to share the room with just one other person - I once shared a cruise ship room with four other gals! It was relatively spacious with just us two, especially with one of us a male. :)
 |
| Steve as we left Seattle |
 |
| I like me in glasses - who knew? |
We rested a bit while waiting for our luggage. When it came, Steve was sleeping so I hurriedly put my clothes away. I loved getting so much space just for me! I left Steve in the room to go to my Disco Dance Class. On a previous cruise, my friends had attended multiple dance classes that had looked really fun but I hadn't participated because of my weight. So, when I saw it on the schedule, I wanted to do it this time. It was a blast! I met a few people that I kept seeing throughout the cruise. And, it was good to be active after so much traveling. I had really hoped that there would be more dance classes throughout the cruise, but nope, this was the only one, which makes me even happier I did it.
That night, we met our dinner companions for the week. I was really glad that we were seated with another couple instead of being seated by ourselves. I love Steve but we get to eat alone together all the time. I really enjoy meeting people on cruises and dinner time is a great opportunity to do so. David and Gladys were wonderful! He's a chaplin with the Army and she's from Peru. They are older than us, probably late 40's. David was hilarious! Told great stories. And Gladys was a hoot as well. We really lucked out to be seated with them. Throughout the week, we'd also run into them in ports or around the ship. It was perfect because we were always happy to see each other but we never expected to hang out with each other except for at dinner. The perfect cruise friends. :)
Wednesday, June 6
Our first full day "at sea", meaning no port stops. We traveled from Seattle the night before and started heading up the coast of Canada. We slept in really late! It's amazing how much I slept on the trip. I think it was the rocking of the ship that kept lulling me to sleep. Thankfully, with the help of the dramamine I took throughout the trip, I never felt sick, a first. We got up and had breakfast and toured the ship. The weather made it not so fun to be out on deck - cloudy, windy, and intermittent rain. Oh, and cold. We realized that we needed warmer jackets and happily discovered a great deal on some in the ship shops. In fact, I got two new jackets on the trip! I ended up using all the jackets I had at one time or another and they'll be great here at home, too.
We didn't really do anything until after lunch. I dragged Steve to the art auction. I'd attended one on a previous cruise and had ended up winning a $650 print (that still needs to be framed!). I like seeing the prints and discovering new artists to like. I also like seeing what other people end up buying. We both signed up to be able to bid on works, though neither of us expected to buy anything. Boy, were we wrong! We walked out of the auction the proud new owners of three Itzchak Tarkay prints (see below)! They were for an amazing price and we decided they'd look good in our sitting room along with the Emile Bellet I'd won before (first picture below).
D'or et de Reve by Emile Bellet
(Of Gold and Dreams)
Bayside Evening by Itzchak Tarkay
The Look of Love by Tarkay
Tall Ships at Port by Tarkay
After the auction, we grabbed a snack then took a LONG nap. I normally don't nap at all and certainly not for a couple hours. We got ready for the Captain's Night - the first of two elegant nights. I like getting all dressed up, especially now that I have pretty dresses, and Steve was a good sport and put on a nice shirt and tie. We got our pictures taken at one of the dozen photo places but ended up not buying it because it was expensive! For dinner I ate lobster and loved it! I'd never dared order it before because it's so expensive and what if I didn't like it? On previous cruises, I always wanted the prime rib instead, so this was my first time eating lobster. I was surprised by how sweet it was. That night we went to the show and I tried to stay awake even though it was really good. Seriously, I spent most of the time on the ship either trying to stay awake or asleep. :)
Thursday, June 7
At this time, we had left Canada and passed into Alaskan territory. At some point we turned into the Tracy Arm Ford, a narrow passage that ends at a glacier.
We had discovered where the gym was the day before and were both committed to going as often as possible. I woke up at the decided upon time of 6:30, but Steve didn't, so I left without him. I rode the upright bike for 20 minutes then switched to the treadmill. It was at this time that I saw my first whale! I was daydreaming when I saw what looked like a water fountain shooting out of the sea. I stared at the spot until I saw it again. I was so excited I pointed it out to the small chubby man walking next to me. Suddenly I saw a fin and back of the whale! I was definitely more excited that Manuel, the guy next to me. The whale dove (I saw its tail!) and disappeared from view. Manuel and I started chatting and became fast friends (not really, I didn't see him ever again). Steve came to the gym finally and was disappointed that he had missed the whale sighting - blaming me for not forcing him out of bed. He denies that he told me to go without him when I shook him awake before I left.
After the gym, we had breakfast and walked around outside on deck for a bit. It was chilly, but we were nicely bundled. Michelle, the ship's naturalist, would get on the sound system periodically and announce whale, bear, eagle sightings. Then everyone would migrate to a window to try to see them. Steve bought us binoculars after we had rented a pair and then could barely see the brown bear on shore. Now we both have a pair of our own. Don't ask me when I'm going to use mine, but that man sure is a sweetie. We saw several whales throughout the day and about 4 bald eagles. Our window in the room came in handy a few times because we were able to see whales a couple times from the comfort of our own room.
 |
| In between the mountains you can see the Tracy Arm glacier |
 |
| Our cabin window - pretty nice, eh? |
After watching a hilarious live version of The Newlywed Show with three couples from the cruise (one couple had been married 5 days, one couple for 7 years, and one couple for 50 years), we discovered the game room and played Trivia Pursuit pretty much every day from this day on. We have a really old version at home, so it was fun to play a new version. We actually knew most of the references even if we didn't know the answer to the question. We eventually bought a deck of cards so played cribbage (there was a board in the game closet but no cards) and Rummy along with Trivia Pursuit. Usually, we played while drinking a mug of hot chocolate. On most of my cruises, ice cream is the treat of choice because it's available 24/7. Well, hot chocolate replaced ice cream on this trip. I probably had 5-10 small mugs a day!
That night's show was The Blues Brothers. The cruise director was one of the guys (the chubby one) and he did a great job. The other guy was okay but not as good. It was a very entertaining show and I managed to stay awake the whole time. :)
Friday, June 8
Finally! Our first port! We were as far north as we were going to get on this trip, Skagway, Alaska. It's a really small town and can only be accessed by boat or plane. Having learned from my Caribbean cruise, Steve and I had booked shore excursions through Carnival instead of waiting to get to the port and just seeing what was available. In the Caribbean, that led to lots of time in a truck/bus driving around to look at pretty scenery that ended up blurring into oblivion eventually.
Our excursion wasn't until 10am, so we were able to sleep in a bit, go to the gym, and still eat breakfast before leaving the ship. We met our tour group on the pier and then loaded into a bus and headed into a beautiful forest. We drove about 15 minutes to our site. We hiked a bit and then the real fun began! After getting suited up with all the safety stuff, we got to go on a short ropes course - four different types of rope bridges. I hadn't looked forward to this part, but I ended up really enjoying it. I wasn't scared because I was securely fastened and safe, and it was kind of trippy going across the bridges. The trippiest one was just a narrow plank fastened to ropes. It was swinging like nobody's business!
After the bridges, the best part - the zip lines! The first zip line (out of 6 total) was a baby line, a good way to start, especially for those of us who had never done it before. Steve and I had purposely been the last two in line to go across the bridges, so were also the last ones down the first zip line. I was so scared, it's silly. I've gone sky diving and wasn't so nervous! I had to have Steve help me count down from 5 in order to finally get myself to jump. It was soooo fun! The other 5 lines were longer and faster. Each time, Steve and I were the last two, so we were able to see how other people jumped and did tricks (if they did) so were able to do different things that we wouldn't have otherwise. Each time I jumped, my heart leaped into my throat, but it was thrilling! I managed to take a few pictures, here are some:
 |
| Us in our safety gear (and one of my new jackets) |
 |
| Steve crossing the first bridge |
 |
| Me crossing the loop bridge - each step is a loop of rope |
 |
| Steve |
 | ||
| Me - daring to go no-handed! Sorry, Steve doesn't zoom. |
Zip-lining was definitely my favorite activity. It wasn't hard but something I've never dared do before and it was thrilling! I'll do it again if ever given the chance.
We walked around Skagway a bit after eating at a pub but there really wasn't much to see (though we did stop at a fudge shop and buy yummy fudge!), so we headed back to the ship and took a nap. Shocker. We played games then got ready for dinner. I had a yummy lamb dinner that was my favorite to-date on board, even better than the lobster. I don't know what we did after dinner, maybe saw the show? Anyway, I'm sure I was tired and happy to finally get to bed.
Saturday, June 9
We docked in Alaska's capital, Juneau, early that morning. Our shore excursion was at 8am, so we didn't go to the gym, just had a quick breakfast and went to the pier. As usual with me, we reached the meeting place really early, so we walked around town for a bit. There was a huge celebration going on that day and the day before with all the native tribes in Alaska meeting in Juneau. That morning there was going to be a parade, which we were going to unfortunately miss due to our excursion. This was our "down day", since the day before was an active excursion and the next day would be too. It was a mistake, we should have done something more active all three days. Oh well.
We got on a tour bus with 60 or so old people and drove to the salmon hatchery for a quick tour and free samples of smoked salmon jerky - I didn't love it. It was interesting to learn about the hatchery, how they try to recreate the salmon's natural spawning as much as possible while making it a little safer. And, a bald eagle flew right over us, just a few feet above. It was really neat! After the hatchery, we went to the Glacier Gardens, a beautiful garden/forest that someone had created after a huge landslide. It was gorgeous, but boring, and I was disappointed that we didn't get to see the famous Mendenhall glacier from it - I had assumed that we would, which is one of the reason I had chosen this excursion. After exploring the gardens/forest for a bit by jeep and getting a little snack, we drove to a salmon bake. This was definitely the best part of the excursion. The salmon wasn't quite ready when we got there, so we hiked the short trail to a pretty waterfall. By the time we returned, the food was ready. It was delicious! On the menu were cheesy potatoes, baked beans, salads, corn bread, glazed grilled salmon (sooo good and I don't love salmon), and marshmallows we could roast over one of a couple fires.
 |
| Us waiting on the pier in Juneau |
 |
| Upside down tree in the Glacier Gardens |
 |
| Heart-shaped pond in Glacier Gardens |
 |
| No, I didn't gain 50 lbs, just a bad angle. |
 |
| Steve at the waterfall by the salmon bake |
 |
| Am I trying to model?? Weird. |
We took a shuttle back to the pier and walked around a bit but found the same shops that had been in Skagway (later learned that the cruise lines own most of the shops at ports) so didn't spend much time in Juneau. I had really wanted to see the glacier and we contemplated taking a tram ride up to the top of a mountain even though it was expensive and we didn't have a lot of time up at the top, until I learned that we still wouldn't be able to see the glacier. Ah well. It wasn't the most exciting port, but we still had fun together.
Once again, we took naps (short ones this time) and played games before dinner. I ate a fabulous filet mignon with wonderful cheesy potatoes! It overtook the lamb as my favorite dinner on the cruise. We skipped the show because I was so tired. I should mention that in our normal lives, we go to bed around 9:30pm. I usually read for awhile and am asleep by 10:30 typically. Well, our dinner time on the cruise was 8:00pm and we'd get done around 9:30. Alaskan time is 2 hours behind Utah time, so it was way past my bedtime! Alternate reason for my sleepiness: I'm actually 80 years old.
Sunday, June 10
Our shore excursion in Ketchikan started at 7:00am, so we were up early and on the pier on time (okay, early). There weren't a lot of people signed up with us, maybe 14 others. We drove in a bus about 30 minutes out of town. There we geared up. Steve and I had bought waterproof jackets and pants before we left on our cruise but we hadn't needed to, they had some there we could have used. However, I was glad to have my own because mine had little things that made me more comfortable, like ties to tighten my hood so it didn't blow off. After gearing up, we took a motorized raft ride across the sea to a secluded little cove. The weather was cloudy but not too windy and had stopped raining once we got out of town. At the cove, we received a lighter life jacket and got into our kayaks. All the kayaks were two-person, or I wouldn't have let Steve talk me into doing this. I had convinced Steve to get into the back seat since that was the steering seat but the guides told us to change places since women are more flexible and that's needed for the steering. It was easier than I thought it would be but by the end of the voyage (about an hour) my legs were getting tired of being in the same position.
This is where I really dropped the ball with picture taking because we saw so many cool things! When we got out of the cove and into the sea, we saw a whale in the distance - close enough to be cool and exciting but not close enough to be scary. We also got pretty close to some sea lions and seals. In fact, we got really really close to the seals. At one point, I could have reached out and touched one if I wouldn't have been too scared about tipping over. The sea lions swam away as soon as we got too close, which was good because the guides said they are territorial and will attack if they feel threatened. The seals, on the other hand, were very friendly and curious. They swam around us and would pop up quite close to our kayaks. They kind of looked like dogs with just their heads popped up, and I kind of missed our little Sadie.
Sea kayaking was remarkably easy and lots more fun than I thought it would be. Steve picks it when asked his favorite part of the trip (I still liked zip lining better). We were lucky because the weather held the whole time we were out so the water wasn't too choppy. Our rain gear was awesome so we stayed really dry and warm. I had no trouble rowing and surprised Steve by not resting as much as he thought I would (I had joked that I would make him do all the rowing since I was steering). I probably only rested a couple short moments, mostly because it was fun and easy. When we got back to land, we ate cookies and hot chocolate and watched loons swimming in the cove while waiting for the motorized raft to come back for us. It came with another group of kayakers (from a different ship because ours was leaving in a little bit). The ride to and from the cove was a blast. It bounced around a lot and we caught a lot of air several times. Also, we saw a billion bald eagles. I amazed everyone with my eagle-eye (teehee), always seeing them before anyone else, including the driver.
We got back on land just as it started to downpour. The driver said we were lucky to have had such perfect weather. The other group was going to be in for a hard ride with the rain and the wind picking up. Whew! Lucky us! We bought t-shirts and a hat for Steve to commemorate our good time (we also bought zipline shirts).
The ship left around noon, so we rushed to get back on board once we got back into Ketchikan. We had lunch, and yep, a nap, before heading to another art auction. Steve had surprised me by agreeing to go, even saying that maybe we could get something else if we saw something we liked that was within our price range. Well, within minutes of getting to the preview before the auction, I found two Emile Bellet prints that I really liked. Bellet is known for his paintings of women without faces and his colors. Well, I spotted these two prints that didn't have the women but I knew before seeing the signature that they were done by him because they still had his style. I showed them to Steve and he liked them, so we asked what the pre-bid prices were. They were excellent, so we put in the pre-bid. This means that we get a better price and that anyone who wants to bid on them has to pay the full, much more expensive price, which never happens. It also gave us more tickets in the raffle and I ended up winning a mug! Well, we settled down to watch the auction, happy with our two Bellet prints. Before they came up for auction, a mystery print came up. Every so often throughout the auctions, the auctioneer would bring up prints and face them away from the audience. We'd all "bid" on them but no one actually had to buy them - we were just "giving ourselves the chance to buy it if we wanted to when we saw the print and learned its price". Really, it's a way to get everyone involved in the auction. Well, imagine my feelings when the print was finally turned over and it was an Emile Bellet! Have I mentioned how much I love Bellet? By this time, the gallery workers knew us and knew my liking for Bellet so they looked at me when they turned it over. Steve groaned. We waited as the auctioneer told us the value then kept going lower. He announced that they only had 5 prints so only 5 people could get it, then said the price. It was low! Three paddles immediately went up. I looked at Steve, one gallery worker looked at me and said, I know you want it. I kept looking at Steve, it was up to him. He gave me a short nod and my paddle went up so quickly I'm surprised my wrist didn't audibly snap! One other person bid on it just after me. This is how sweet my dear husband is and how much he must love me. We ended up buying 6 prints (for really good prices) when we hadn't planned on ever buying any! Below are the two prints we pre-bid for and the one I ended up bidding on.
 | |||||||
| Les Tournesols (Sunflowers) by Emile Bellet |
 |
| Infini Rouge by Emile Bellet |
 |
| Lumiere d'Ete (Summer Light) by Emile Bellet |
At one point in the auction, they brought out some really neat prints that we probably would have bought had they shown them in the first auction before the Tarkay prints. The painter is called the chocolate painter because his paintings look like he painted with white, milk, and dark chocolate. I love the Tarkays, but I think Steve would have enjoyed these other prints more - less feminine and visually stunning. Oh well, he says he has no regrets and that maybe some day we'll get the chocolate prints. It was really exciting for me to acquire three Bellets and they'll all go in the sitting room with my other Bellet. The Tarkays will find a home in our home, we just don't know where yet.
After the auction, we played games in the game room and read for a bit. No nap, surprisingly! Tonight was the second elegant dinner night, and I ate what ended up being my ultimate favorite dinner of the cruise - chateaubriand, ultra tender beef loin in a delightful sauce with veggies and scalloped potatoes. It was divine! We went to the show after dinner but left after 10 minutes because we were both so tired. Such old fogies!
Monday, June 11
I woke up ready for the cruise to be over. We would be spending most of the day at sea, docking in Victoria, British Columbia around 7pm, but since my passport didn't come in time, we planned on staying on the ship the whole time. Honestly, I was done with being on the ship. The scheduled activities weren't interesting to us (why didn't they have any more dance classes???) so we played our own games, went to the gym, and wandered around the ship. We realized a slight problem with our Seattle transfer excursion, so we went to the Shore Excursion desk to fix it (we had overpaid). While there, we learned that I didn't need a passport to go on shore in Victoria if I were on a cruise excursion because the authorities would know where I was going and when I'd be back. We discussed it for a bit then decided to sign up for the excursion to Bouchardt Gardens. I'd heard about the gardens when a coworker had gone there and had been told it was gorgeous. I'm really glad we decided to go. It made the rest of the day easier to handle because I knew we would be getting off in the evening.
That afternoon, we went to the final art auction, only because the winner of the "Guess How Much This Painting is Worth" contest would be announced and you had to be in attendance to win. The gallery workers gently tried to get us to look at more prints but we politely refused saying we had bought all we were going to at the previous auctions, reminding them that we had been good customers. Well, we didn't win the contest but David, our dinner companion, did! We were pleased for them. At this point, we hadn't decided whether or not we'd be getting off in Victoria. One of the reasons why I didn't want to was that we'd miss the final dinner with David and Gladys. However, at the auction, I gave them our contact info (they had already given us theirs) and we learned that they would be missing dinner because they were going into Victoria. That made our decision easier and we ended up going to Victoria.
Shortly after docking, Steve and I were seated in a tour bus and driving through beautiful Victoria. We drove through downtown and our delightfully Canadian guide gave us excellent information. We drove out of town to the Bouchardt Gardens. Steve and I, seated in the front of the first bus to get to the Gardens, were the first people in the gardens. By this time it was after 8pm and the garden was closed to the public, so for the first few minutes, we got to see everything with nobody else around. That made seeing the Sunken Gardens for the first time really special. It was beautiful! It was dusk, so we had enough light to see by, and was really romantic. All the gardens were pretty and the temperature was comfortable, so it was really pleasurable walking around. However, my favorite part of the gardens, and of the day, and really high up there on my list of favorites for the trip was the Rose Carousel! I love love love carousels and will ride them whenever possible. When we got to the carousel, people were walking around inside the enclosure but not riding it, so we assumed we couldn't ride it. Fortunately, I asked how much it was to ride it then lamented that we couldn't ride it. Well, the man said, you can! Steve paid the man the money and we hopped on. Miracle of miracles, Steve actually rode an animal! Usually, he just stands by me refusing to mount up. It was probably the second best carousel I've ridden. It was pretty, it was fast, and it was a long ride. I had a blast! To top off the entire evening, I found maple hard candies and maple cookies in the gift shop! Yay!
 |
| The Empress Hotel |
 |
| Me at the Bouchardt Gardens - my other new jacket |
 |
| Some government building in Victoria |
Tuesday, June 12
Since our flight back to Utah wasn't until 4:30, we opted to go on the Seattle Essentials tour through Carnival. It made getting off the ship the easiest I've ever experienced! We grabbed our luggage (having left it outside our rooms the night before like normal) in the building and gave it to our bus driver. Didn't have to worry about it again until the airport. Nice! Again, we sat in the front of the bus (my preference) as we drove around Seattle. I like Seattle and could live there although Steve doesn't believe it - he says I would get too cold. He might be right. Anyway, after a while, the guide's voice lulled me asleep for a 15 minute nap. I woke up a few minutes before we got to the Space Needle. It was fun to be at the iconic site and we went to the top and looked all around. We were surprised the hour went by so quickly. Then we were driven to Pike's Market where we were given 90 minutes to explore. It started to drizzle, so we went inside the market and ran into David and Gladys! I was so happy to get a chance to see them one more time and to tell them a proper goodbye. We bought lunch at a greek shop David recommended, mmmm, it was good! We saw them toss fish (I tried to capture it on camera) at the iconic fishing-tossing place. We bought big chocolate chip cookies - which reminds me that I failed to mention that after hot chocolate my treat of choice on the cruise were the small crispy chocolate chip cookies. I got kind of addicted to them. Again, time passed quickly, and we headed to the airport.
 |
| At the top of the Space Needle |
 |
| David and Gladys! |
We still had lots of time before our flight so we read and napped. Our flight arrived in Salt Lake around 7:30 Utah time and our shuttle came an hour later to take us home. It was a great trip but it felt soooo good to finally be home. We slept like the dead that night and first thing Wednesday morning we picked up Sadie from the boarding kennel. I was relieved to hear that she had behaved well and had seemed very at ease the whole time. Yay!
Well, congratulations if you made it through this whole thing. What a novel! I trimmed it a bit, but in the end I decided to keep it fairly lengthy because I'm writing this more for my own memory than for the reader's comfort. Sorry. :) I would totally recommend an Alaskan cruise, just be prepared for cold and rain and lots of old people. :)
P.S. I've been getting ads as comments so I'm not allowing comments. If you'd like, comment on my fb posting that will go with this or email me. Thanks for understanding. :)
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Spring Break 2012
It has been 6 years since I've had a Spring Break and even then I still had to work, so it wasn't really a true break. Not this year, baby! Since the student health center is closed when the university is closed, I'm free as a bird this week!
My break started at 1pm last Friday. Since Steve was able to get off work earlier than we thought, I asked to leave work early, too, and since I work for the most generous, amazing people, they said yes. I rushed home, helped Steve finish loading up the car - including Sadie, and we headed for Cedar City. Other than an accident in Provo, which slowed us down quite a bit, the drive was easy and we made it to Cedar in pretty good time. Starving and craving steak, Steve and I invited Mom to go to dinner with us at Ninja. I love Japanese hibachi restaurants and the steak there really hit the spot for me. Mom had never been, so I was even happier that we went there.
I love being in Cedar City. It's funny to me that for years and years all I could dream about (besides a dark handsome stranger who fell madly in love with me) was leaving Cedar and living almost anywhere else. Now, I miss it. A big part of that is being able to hang out with my family, but it's not just that. Cedar is my hometown. I know it, even though things change, I know where to find things, what streets can get me where I'm going. And, I have history there. I like driving around with Steve and telling him stories from my past. Cedar is a part of me.
We spent a few days in Cedar, having a grand time! I even got to go to lunch with some good friends I haven't seen awhile - thanks ladies! Yesterday morning, we packed up and took a quick trip to St. George to go to my bariatric surgeon's office for a band fill. It was so warm and lovely that I wanted to stay there the rest of the week. Instead, we headed for home and arrived around 3pm, giving us the rest of the day to unpack and relax from our fun trip.
So, what are my plans for the rest of my break? Unfortunately, since I didn't study at all the first half of Spring Break, the rest of the time will be pretty study-intensive. I am taking the GMAT (the exam to get into WSU's Master's of Accounting program) on March 24, so that is what I plan to focus on, but I also have a few things to work on for my actual classes, especially my online class.
When I'm not studying, I'll be walking Sadie, blogging (not a lot, but a little), cooking, thinking about what to plant in our patio garden this year, and maybe even reading a very little bit. So I wasn't too tempted to spend too much time on that last item, I stayed up late last night finishing the book I started in Cedar.
Even though I'm spending most of my time studying, it feels great to have a few days off - no work, no classes. After Spring Break, there is only 4 weeks left until finals week, then it will be Summer! No classes, no work, and no studying! And it will be warm weather!! Aaaahhh. Those will be the days. All I have to do is work hard and get through the next few weeks. Piece of cake!
Mmmmm. Cake. I don't have cake, but I do have girl scout cookies! Excuse me while I go grab a few to help me get through the next few hours of studying.
Happy Wednesday!
My break started at 1pm last Friday. Since Steve was able to get off work earlier than we thought, I asked to leave work early, too, and since I work for the most generous, amazing people, they said yes. I rushed home, helped Steve finish loading up the car - including Sadie, and we headed for Cedar City. Other than an accident in Provo, which slowed us down quite a bit, the drive was easy and we made it to Cedar in pretty good time. Starving and craving steak, Steve and I invited Mom to go to dinner with us at Ninja. I love Japanese hibachi restaurants and the steak there really hit the spot for me. Mom had never been, so I was even happier that we went there.
I love being in Cedar City. It's funny to me that for years and years all I could dream about (besides a dark handsome stranger who fell madly in love with me) was leaving Cedar and living almost anywhere else. Now, I miss it. A big part of that is being able to hang out with my family, but it's not just that. Cedar is my hometown. I know it, even though things change, I know where to find things, what streets can get me where I'm going. And, I have history there. I like driving around with Steve and telling him stories from my past. Cedar is a part of me.
We spent a few days in Cedar, having a grand time! I even got to go to lunch with some good friends I haven't seen awhile - thanks ladies! Yesterday morning, we packed up and took a quick trip to St. George to go to my bariatric surgeon's office for a band fill. It was so warm and lovely that I wanted to stay there the rest of the week. Instead, we headed for home and arrived around 3pm, giving us the rest of the day to unpack and relax from our fun trip.
So, what are my plans for the rest of my break? Unfortunately, since I didn't study at all the first half of Spring Break, the rest of the time will be pretty study-intensive. I am taking the GMAT (the exam to get into WSU's Master's of Accounting program) on March 24, so that is what I plan to focus on, but I also have a few things to work on for my actual classes, especially my online class.
When I'm not studying, I'll be walking Sadie, blogging (not a lot, but a little), cooking, thinking about what to plant in our patio garden this year, and maybe even reading a very little bit. So I wasn't too tempted to spend too much time on that last item, I stayed up late last night finishing the book I started in Cedar.
Even though I'm spending most of my time studying, it feels great to have a few days off - no work, no classes. After Spring Break, there is only 4 weeks left until finals week, then it will be Summer! No classes, no work, and no studying! And it will be warm weather!! Aaaahhh. Those will be the days. All I have to do is work hard and get through the next few weeks. Piece of cake!
Mmmmm. Cake. I don't have cake, but I do have girl scout cookies! Excuse me while I go grab a few to help me get through the next few hours of studying.
Happy Wednesday!
Friday, January 13, 2012
2012 - The Year of...
...School. It takes up pretty much all my time, and I feel like I live on campus. I go to class. I work on campus - the Student Health Center. I exercise at the university gym. I do homework practically all evening every evening, except for Saturdays and Sundays. I manage to get enough done during the week so I can have a break on the weekend. This semester, I have three classes, all Accounting classes. I really enjoy my professors and am learning a lot. I'll take the summer off and then will have one undergrad class left to take in the fall. I'm also hoping the department will let me take one or two Masters classes to help speed things up a bit.
...England. Steve and I are talking about going somewhere this summer and are leaning toward England. We live in such a way, and are blessed with a good enough income, that we're able to put a good chunk of money into savings every month. We're going to assign a healthy portion of those savings toward a fun trip. I've always wanted to go to England and am so excited to start making plans and figuring out where to go and what to see. If anyone has suggestions, please email me, leave a comment, text, call, whatever. I don't Twitter.
...Journaling. One of my resolutions is to write in my journal every day. I realized that one of the reasons I haven't kept up with my journal like I used to was that I'd go so long in between writing that it would take forever to catch up. I'm also too detail-oriented when I write it would take a long time to write, so as part of my resolution, I'm only writing a page each day. I have to decide what I really want to record; whether it's a funny thing that happened in class, how I felt about my hair, or what Steve and I did for date night. I'm really enjoying writing in my journal again.
...Running. A couple years ago, I had a resolution to run in a 5k. I kind of accomplished it. My friend Kyle and I walked a 5k that February, and then I ran the last little bit in order to finish before him. (teehee). This year, there's a 5k on May 19th that I want to participate in. I may not run the whole darn thing, since I haven't run in over a year, but I'd like to run as much of it as I can. To that end, each week I'm working on running a bit more than I did the week before. And, I'm back to recording my exercise. My goal is to exercise 100 miles a month, every month.
...A New Car, 2nd Dog (maybe), Camping, and Lots of Fun. We bought a new car on December 30th, 2011. I swore I'd never buy a brand new car, too much money and too much immediate depreciation, but we found a good deal on a car we really like and that we plan to have for many, many years so depreciation isn't as important as it could be if we were planning on selling it sooner than later. It's a 2012 Subaru Outback, red. I love it. It has seat warmers. *big smiley face*
We got it so our greyhound Sadie would have more room and so that we could have passengers in our car at the same time as our dog. And because we're thinking of getting a second dog. We're looking at dogs online, no puppies and nothing for hundreds of dollars (really, people?! $2000 for a puppy that will pee all over my carpets??). We may get another greyhound since Sadie is so awesome. We definitely want a male this time.
With the new car, we also have more room and capability to do more of the things we like to do that we didn't do last year (partially due to lack of time last year). More fishing, more camping, more hiking, more exploring. My brother gave us his old tent and a really cool camping table that we're excited to finally use. I'd also like to give snowshoeing a try this year. Lots and lots of possibilities and I look forward to making the most of all of them!
I hope everyone has a very wonderful 2012!
...England. Steve and I are talking about going somewhere this summer and are leaning toward England. We live in such a way, and are blessed with a good enough income, that we're able to put a good chunk of money into savings every month. We're going to assign a healthy portion of those savings toward a fun trip. I've always wanted to go to England and am so excited to start making plans and figuring out where to go and what to see. If anyone has suggestions, please email me, leave a comment, text, call, whatever. I don't Twitter.
...Journaling. One of my resolutions is to write in my journal every day. I realized that one of the reasons I haven't kept up with my journal like I used to was that I'd go so long in between writing that it would take forever to catch up. I'm also too detail-oriented when I write it would take a long time to write, so as part of my resolution, I'm only writing a page each day. I have to decide what I really want to record; whether it's a funny thing that happened in class, how I felt about my hair, or what Steve and I did for date night. I'm really enjoying writing in my journal again.
...Running. A couple years ago, I had a resolution to run in a 5k. I kind of accomplished it. My friend Kyle and I walked a 5k that February, and then I ran the last little bit in order to finish before him. (teehee). This year, there's a 5k on May 19th that I want to participate in. I may not run the whole darn thing, since I haven't run in over a year, but I'd like to run as much of it as I can. To that end, each week I'm working on running a bit more than I did the week before. And, I'm back to recording my exercise. My goal is to exercise 100 miles a month, every month.
...A New Car, 2nd Dog (maybe), Camping, and Lots of Fun. We bought a new car on December 30th, 2011. I swore I'd never buy a brand new car, too much money and too much immediate depreciation, but we found a good deal on a car we really like and that we plan to have for many, many years so depreciation isn't as important as it could be if we were planning on selling it sooner than later. It's a 2012 Subaru Outback, red. I love it. It has seat warmers. *big smiley face*
We got it so our greyhound Sadie would have more room and so that we could have passengers in our car at the same time as our dog. And because we're thinking of getting a second dog. We're looking at dogs online, no puppies and nothing for hundreds of dollars (really, people?! $2000 for a puppy that will pee all over my carpets??). We may get another greyhound since Sadie is so awesome. We definitely want a male this time.
With the new car, we also have more room and capability to do more of the things we like to do that we didn't do last year (partially due to lack of time last year). More fishing, more camping, more hiking, more exploring. My brother gave us his old tent and a really cool camping table that we're excited to finally use. I'd also like to give snowshoeing a try this year. Lots and lots of possibilities and I look forward to making the most of all of them!
I hope everyone has a very wonderful 2012!
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Utah State University
I had a great visit to Logan this past weekend. I picked up Shiree on my way, and we arrived at Sarah's house at 10:30pm Friday. Of course, we stayed up way too late talking but it had been awhile so we had a lot to discuss. Saturday we slept in, ate at a Thai restaurant, bought chocolates at the candy store and books at Borders, cooked yummy fajitas, then walked to the USU/SUU football game. We were a little late and had some trouble finding seats but eventually we did. Sarah, a USU student, wore a blue Aggies t-shirt. Shiree, having attended SUU but not really being all that serious about football, wore a cream shirt. I, having graduated from SUU and being a serious fan of the U (whose main color is red and whose rival's main color is blue), wore my only SUU t-shirt. I got it for free at a volleyball game, and yes, it's a volleyball t-shirt, but hey, at least it said SUU on it! Here's a picture of us:
SUU lost. However, I was thrilled that they kept the game close until halfway through the 4th quarter. Prior to the game, I had wondered if I'd be as vocal a fan in a sea of "enemies" as when I'm surrounded by people cheering for my team. I answered that question with a firm YES! I stood up, I whistled, I clapped, I shouted, I made it quite obvious that I was cheering for the visiting team. I've got to give the fans around me their dues - they didn't heckle me or give me a tough time at all. It probably helped that they were winning the entire game, but I'll still give them credit for being good sports. Overall, we had a blast at the game.
Sunday was the Sabbath, so we attended church, rested, and took a drive up Logan Canyon. It was beautiful! Sarah showed us a special spot that was peaceful and lovely. It was a nice, relaxing day.
Monday, before my meeting at USU, I walked around Sarah's neighborhood and up to the university. I could see myself living in Logan and attending the school; I was really impressed with both. So, I was kind of disappointed when I discovered during my meeting that the program wasn't what I wanted. The guy with whom I met talked about the three different Masters I could get, all heavily related to agriculture or natural resources. Yeah, not so much what I'm interested in. During this meeting, I also learned that there are two "branches" of Economics at USU. One is Economics and Finance and is part of the School of Business. The other is Applied Economics and is part of the School of Agriculture. Somehow, I ended up meeting with someone from the latter instead of the former. As I thought about it, I wondered if this guy hadn't fully disclosed what the other department could offer me. He made it sound like every Economics class offered at USU was doused in Agriculture. And he sounded a little bitter about the other "branch".
Back at home, I researched some more online and emailed the Economics and Finance department head. His PhD is in Econometrics and International Economics, two areas that highly interest me, and he earned both his BS and MS at USU. He emailed me back and said the Masters degree he earned is still available and it's more like a 1st year PhD program than a terminal Masters degree. He thinks it would be ideal for what I want to achieve and regretted that we hadn't been able to talk while I was in Logan. Yeah, me, too. Oh well. He told me to call him so we can discuss the program more and I will as soon as I get a spare moment. I'm excited that USU is still a possibility.
Next Up: I've tentatively planned a trip to Vegas for October 16-19 and hope to be able to meet with representatives from the culinary school and UNLV (their Masters program looks interesting). It also looks like my cousins will be able to be there that weekend, so it'll be another two-for-one trip: cousins weekend AND information gathering. I love killing two birds with one stone. Metaphorically, of course, I've never killed even ONE bird with a stone! Or with anything for that matter. I digress - surprise, surprise. Anyhoo, I'll let you know how that trip goes.
SUU lost. However, I was thrilled that they kept the game close until halfway through the 4th quarter. Prior to the game, I had wondered if I'd be as vocal a fan in a sea of "enemies" as when I'm surrounded by people cheering for my team. I answered that question with a firm YES! I stood up, I whistled, I clapped, I shouted, I made it quite obvious that I was cheering for the visiting team. I've got to give the fans around me their dues - they didn't heckle me or give me a tough time at all. It probably helped that they were winning the entire game, but I'll still give them credit for being good sports. Overall, we had a blast at the game.Sunday was the Sabbath, so we attended church, rested, and took a drive up Logan Canyon. It was beautiful! Sarah showed us a special spot that was peaceful and lovely. It was a nice, relaxing day.
Monday, before my meeting at USU, I walked around Sarah's neighborhood and up to the university. I could see myself living in Logan and attending the school; I was really impressed with both. So, I was kind of disappointed when I discovered during my meeting that the program wasn't what I wanted. The guy with whom I met talked about the three different Masters I could get, all heavily related to agriculture or natural resources. Yeah, not so much what I'm interested in. During this meeting, I also learned that there are two "branches" of Economics at USU. One is Economics and Finance and is part of the School of Business. The other is Applied Economics and is part of the School of Agriculture. Somehow, I ended up meeting with someone from the latter instead of the former. As I thought about it, I wondered if this guy hadn't fully disclosed what the other department could offer me. He made it sound like every Economics class offered at USU was doused in Agriculture. And he sounded a little bitter about the other "branch".
Back at home, I researched some more online and emailed the Economics and Finance department head. His PhD is in Econometrics and International Economics, two areas that highly interest me, and he earned both his BS and MS at USU. He emailed me back and said the Masters degree he earned is still available and it's more like a 1st year PhD program than a terminal Masters degree. He thinks it would be ideal for what I want to achieve and regretted that we hadn't been able to talk while I was in Logan. Yeah, me, too. Oh well. He told me to call him so we can discuss the program more and I will as soon as I get a spare moment. I'm excited that USU is still a possibility.
Next Up: I've tentatively planned a trip to Vegas for October 16-19 and hope to be able to meet with representatives from the culinary school and UNLV (their Masters program looks interesting). It also looks like my cousins will be able to be there that weekend, so it'll be another two-for-one trip: cousins weekend AND information gathering. I love killing two birds with one stone. Metaphorically, of course, I've never killed even ONE bird with a stone! Or with anything for that matter. I digress - surprise, surprise. Anyhoo, I'll let you know how that trip goes.
Monday, June 29, 2009
My Weekend
This last weekend, I traveled up north to visit Adam.
And we got engaged.
Just kidding!
We really just decided to start dating again.
Just kidding, again!
No really, several people really struggled to understand why I'd go visit him if we're really just friends - we must be getting back together for me to go just to see him. Well, we are really just friends. Can't a friend go visit another friend? (That's a rhetorical question, I know the answer. It's "yes".)
Anyhoo, I had a great time. Adam's sister, Diana, let me stay with her and her family. I love them! I'm glad Adam and I are still friends so I can see them every so often. (There are other reasons, too, Adam!) His sister is so warm and welcoming and I've liked her from the first moment I met her - 4 years ago. Her husband is a quiet guy, so I didn't really get to know him, but he was really helpful Saturday - I'll explain later. Their kids are adorable. So well-behaved, polite, fun. Their third child, Ashley, was baptized on Saturday, so Adam's parents were also staying with Diana and her family. It was certainly a full house, but a fun full house. Everyone was so nice to me. I never once felt uncomfortable. In fact, I felt a part of the family the whole time I was there. I really appreciated it.
So here's a quick run-down of the weekend's activities, then I'm going to share some interesting moments that happened.
Friday: arrived around 7pm; toured Diana's home and was introduced to Joe and the kids; Adam's parents took him and me out to dinner - cute restaurant, delicious omelet!; played games with Diana, Adam's parents, and Adam's nephew Daniel; Adam and I watched Amelie - it was fantastic!; talked with Adam 'til 3am; went to bed and slept like the dead.
Saturday: was woken up at 8:30 by Addie, Adam's 12-year old niece in whose room I was sleeping, because she had forgotten her dress - she was so cute and polite and we had a nice conversation; woke up because I couldn't get back to sleep and got ready for the baptism; baptism went from 11am to noon - it was pretty standard except for the bizarre opening prayer; ate lunch with Adam at Kneaders - very tasty; Toys R Us for a present for Ashley (neice who was just baptized); tour of Adam's apartment; back to Diana's to change clothes; art museum - found a few paintings I'd actually buy if a) they had been for sale and b) I had the money set aside for such purchases; drove around looking at interesting homes (I LOVE doing that) and the Krishna temple; browsed an antiques shop/bookstore; ate dinner at Diana's; ran to the mall for a thank-you present to give to Diana and family; played games 'til 2am with Diana and their parents (they actually only made it to midnight); went to bed and slept like the dead.
Sunday: tried to wake up early to go for a walk but my body refused; finally got up and got ready then went to breakfast with Adam (who paid, grrr, I mean - thank you!); went back to Diana's and looked at a few of his family pictures; ate lunch with my host family; toured the garden; played games until time to leave; loaded up my car (which took awhile, see #4 below); said my goodbyes; drove home; other stuff unrelated to my trip; went to bed around midnight and slept like the dead.
Now for the interesting moments: (in no particular order)
1. Adam's dad: "So, Julie, when are you coming to Kanab to visit us?" It surprised me, quite frankly, so I stumbled a little bit with my answer - They know that Adam and I aren't dating, so why would they want me to visit them? was all I could think. I take it as a compliment, though. They must like me. I like them, too, and if it wouldn't cause assumptions to be made, would be happy to visit them. It was just funny and a little awkward at the time because it took me by surprise.
2. Adam's mom: "Buy a diamond!" When Adam and I were leaving to go to the mall, his mom shouted this from the dining room. Neither Adam or I heard her say it, but Diana told us about it later. Again, I take it as a compliment. When a mom likes you enough that she wants her son to marry you, that's probably one of the highest compliments you can get. Still funny, though.
3. Diana: "You better watch out, Julie, I think Daniel likes you." Daniel, if you recall from above, is Adam's nephew. His 28-year old nephew, in case you were thinking of some cute liittle 7-year old. This really took me by surprise. I'd only been in the guy's company for a few hours and had had no clues that he had taken a fancy to me. Her evidence was compelling, and funny, so maybe he did develop a little crush. Again, I'm flattered if it's true but am not interested.
4. Me: "I'll take it!" At the antique store, I stumbled across an old (though not antique) secretary hutch. The tag's price was too good to be true, so I assumed it was just for the hutch and not the drawers upon which it sat. I asked Adam if he thought I'd be able to fit both pieces in my car, and he said he thought I'd be able to. I asked the owner about the price, just to be sure, and was told it was for both pieces. Without a moment's hesitation, I said I'd buy it. I bought it, Adam's brother-in-law came in their surburban to take it to their house, then we had lots of fun figuring out how it would fit in my car. It didn't. Not really. With Joe's help, though, on Sunday we rigged it so that I was able to make it home with both pieces intact. Thanks Joe! Now they rest at my mom's house awaiting my brothers return to town this weekend. Then they (my brothers) will pack them up to my 3rd floor condo. My brothers don't know this plan yet, so please don't tell them. Maybe they'd decide not to come down afterall. *smile*
5. Addie: "Can you stay another night?" Adam found out that he didn't have to work today (Monday), so Addie asked if I'd stay longer. I really liked Addie. I liked all the kids, but I liked her the most, so I was touched that she wanted me to stay longer, even though it would've meant giving up her bed another night. It's fun to be liked.
6. Daniel: "I should probably stay here tonight in case Julie and Adam want to go back to our apartment." He said this to Diana. Again, Adam and I didn't hear it, Diana told us later. Don't ask me why he thought I'd go back to their apartment that night (Daniel and Adam share an apartment, in case you're a little slow on the uptake) or what he thought we'd be doing there. It's funny because I'm beginning to think Adam hasn't done good things with my reputation amongst his family. Four years ago, a distant relative of his came up to me at one of Adam's niece's wedding (again, don't picture a 7-year old) and asked if I was still living with Adam. Now this! I either scream "hussy" or he's not painting a flattering picture of me. *smile*
It really was an enjoyable weekend. The best part was getting to hang out with Adam. We do better as friends than we ever did as more-than-friends. In fact, he's become one of my best friends. He knows me better than most, accepts me with all my flaws, and can read me almost as well as my own family. I really love him like a brother-friend.
Thanks, Adam, for inviting me for a visit and for making it such a fun trip!
And we got engaged.
Just kidding!
We really just decided to start dating again.
Just kidding, again!
No really, several people really struggled to understand why I'd go visit him if we're really just friends - we must be getting back together for me to go just to see him. Well, we are really just friends. Can't a friend go visit another friend? (That's a rhetorical question, I know the answer. It's "yes".)
Anyhoo, I had a great time. Adam's sister, Diana, let me stay with her and her family. I love them! I'm glad Adam and I are still friends so I can see them every so often. (There are other reasons, too, Adam!) His sister is so warm and welcoming and I've liked her from the first moment I met her - 4 years ago. Her husband is a quiet guy, so I didn't really get to know him, but he was really helpful Saturday - I'll explain later. Their kids are adorable. So well-behaved, polite, fun. Their third child, Ashley, was baptized on Saturday, so Adam's parents were also staying with Diana and her family. It was certainly a full house, but a fun full house. Everyone was so nice to me. I never once felt uncomfortable. In fact, I felt a part of the family the whole time I was there. I really appreciated it.
So here's a quick run-down of the weekend's activities, then I'm going to share some interesting moments that happened.
Friday: arrived around 7pm; toured Diana's home and was introduced to Joe and the kids; Adam's parents took him and me out to dinner - cute restaurant, delicious omelet!; played games with Diana, Adam's parents, and Adam's nephew Daniel; Adam and I watched Amelie - it was fantastic!; talked with Adam 'til 3am; went to bed and slept like the dead.
Saturday: was woken up at 8:30 by Addie, Adam's 12-year old niece in whose room I was sleeping, because she had forgotten her dress - she was so cute and polite and we had a nice conversation; woke up because I couldn't get back to sleep and got ready for the baptism; baptism went from 11am to noon - it was pretty standard except for the bizarre opening prayer; ate lunch with Adam at Kneaders - very tasty; Toys R Us for a present for Ashley (neice who was just baptized); tour of Adam's apartment; back to Diana's to change clothes; art museum - found a few paintings I'd actually buy if a) they had been for sale and b) I had the money set aside for such purchases; drove around looking at interesting homes (I LOVE doing that) and the Krishna temple; browsed an antiques shop/bookstore; ate dinner at Diana's; ran to the mall for a thank-you present to give to Diana and family; played games 'til 2am with Diana and their parents (they actually only made it to midnight); went to bed and slept like the dead.
Sunday: tried to wake up early to go for a walk but my body refused; finally got up and got ready then went to breakfast with Adam (who paid, grrr, I mean - thank you!); went back to Diana's and looked at a few of his family pictures; ate lunch with my host family; toured the garden; played games until time to leave; loaded up my car (which took awhile, see #4 below); said my goodbyes; drove home; other stuff unrelated to my trip; went to bed around midnight and slept like the dead.
Now for the interesting moments: (in no particular order)
1. Adam's dad: "So, Julie, when are you coming to Kanab to visit us?" It surprised me, quite frankly, so I stumbled a little bit with my answer - They know that Adam and I aren't dating, so why would they want me to visit them? was all I could think. I take it as a compliment, though. They must like me. I like them, too, and if it wouldn't cause assumptions to be made, would be happy to visit them. It was just funny and a little awkward at the time because it took me by surprise.
2. Adam's mom: "Buy a diamond!" When Adam and I were leaving to go to the mall, his mom shouted this from the dining room. Neither Adam or I heard her say it, but Diana told us about it later. Again, I take it as a compliment. When a mom likes you enough that she wants her son to marry you, that's probably one of the highest compliments you can get. Still funny, though.
3. Diana: "You better watch out, Julie, I think Daniel likes you." Daniel, if you recall from above, is Adam's nephew. His 28-year old nephew, in case you were thinking of some cute liittle 7-year old. This really took me by surprise. I'd only been in the guy's company for a few hours and had had no clues that he had taken a fancy to me. Her evidence was compelling, and funny, so maybe he did develop a little crush. Again, I'm flattered if it's true but am not interested.
4. Me: "I'll take it!" At the antique store, I stumbled across an old (though not antique) secretary hutch. The tag's price was too good to be true, so I assumed it was just for the hutch and not the drawers upon which it sat. I asked Adam if he thought I'd be able to fit both pieces in my car, and he said he thought I'd be able to. I asked the owner about the price, just to be sure, and was told it was for both pieces. Without a moment's hesitation, I said I'd buy it. I bought it, Adam's brother-in-law came in their surburban to take it to their house, then we had lots of fun figuring out how it would fit in my car. It didn't. Not really. With Joe's help, though, on Sunday we rigged it so that I was able to make it home with both pieces intact. Thanks Joe! Now they rest at my mom's house awaiting my brothers return to town this weekend. Then they (my brothers) will pack them up to my 3rd floor condo. My brothers don't know this plan yet, so please don't tell them. Maybe they'd decide not to come down afterall. *smile*
5. Addie: "Can you stay another night?" Adam found out that he didn't have to work today (Monday), so Addie asked if I'd stay longer. I really liked Addie. I liked all the kids, but I liked her the most, so I was touched that she wanted me to stay longer, even though it would've meant giving up her bed another night. It's fun to be liked.
6. Daniel: "I should probably stay here tonight in case Julie and Adam want to go back to our apartment." He said this to Diana. Again, Adam and I didn't hear it, Diana told us later. Don't ask me why he thought I'd go back to their apartment that night (Daniel and Adam share an apartment, in case you're a little slow on the uptake) or what he thought we'd be doing there. It's funny because I'm beginning to think Adam hasn't done good things with my reputation amongst his family. Four years ago, a distant relative of his came up to me at one of Adam's niece's wedding (again, don't picture a 7-year old) and asked if I was still living with Adam. Now this! I either scream "hussy" or he's not painting a flattering picture of me. *smile*
It really was an enjoyable weekend. The best part was getting to hang out with Adam. We do better as friends than we ever did as more-than-friends. In fact, he's become one of my best friends. He knows me better than most, accepts me with all my flaws, and can read me almost as well as my own family. I really love him like a brother-friend.
Thanks, Adam, for inviting me for a visit and for making it such a fun trip!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)