Oooo! I want to win a Kindle! And so do you! The contest ends tonight...but there is still time to enter! Visit the following website and follow the instructions!
http://www.motherofadeal.com/deal/win-kindle-our-amazing-mom-month-giveaway?page=5#comment-882
Oh, I didn't think I'd like the idea of e-books, but now that I've seen the newer ones in action, I think they're a great idea! Especially when travelling!! To read without the bulk...works for me!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Kids
Oh, kids are fun. They drive me bonkers at times, but I love them to bits and can't imagine my life without them. And I always think it's so cool when I see traits of myself or my husband in each of the kids.
The second one is definitely more like me. She can be quite adventurous and she isn't afraid to try things. After seeing her sister take off her training wheels, she declared she was going to take them off. She had the same frustrations as her sister, but within a day of taking them off, she was off riding. But I guess I didn't realize how small her bike had gotten...or more like, how much she had grown. But what was funny was that while she was riding, she was imitating the circus song.
Seriously. All she needed was a Shriner hat and she'd fit right in with the circus clowns.
And tonight, her sister got in trouble...so my youngest had to find something to do. I was in the middle of putting stuff away...so she went to her room. When I went in, it was clean. For a 5 year old, this was CLEAN. That part isn't like me. However, she kept saying, "mom, could I have some extra time to organize?" She said the word organize. Soon, she'll be saying the word coordinate. And she enjoyed her organizing and thinking what she was going to do next. She's so my kid.
The second one is definitely more like me. She can be quite adventurous and she isn't afraid to try things. After seeing her sister take off her training wheels, she declared she was going to take them off. She had the same frustrations as her sister, but within a day of taking them off, she was off riding. But I guess I didn't realize how small her bike had gotten...or more like, how much she had grown. But what was funny was that while she was riding, she was imitating the circus song.
Seriously. All she needed was a Shriner hat and she'd fit right in with the circus clowns.
And tonight, her sister got in trouble...so my youngest had to find something to do. I was in the middle of putting stuff away...so she went to her room. When I went in, it was clean. For a 5 year old, this was CLEAN. That part isn't like me. However, she kept saying, "mom, could I have some extra time to organize?" She said the word organize. Soon, she'll be saying the word coordinate. And she enjoyed her organizing and thinking what she was going to do next. She's so my kid.
Yumminess
The other day, I had to go to proctoring training. For training, it isn't bad at all. But it's hard at the end of the work day. So I always try to find a good place to eat before hand. This time, my girlfriend was doing the training too so we got to meet up, chill, eat and catch up.
We were supposed to go to Meat and Bread. I was saddened to see that they closed at 5. Looks like a fun place to eat! And the porchetta sandwich looked divine. Look being the key word. I'll have to head down there another time. Yeah, I know I've got some peeps to accompany me if I need them to.
So instead, we ended up at Brioche. Never been there. I have to admit that it looked a bit on the deli side. Anyway, my friend always wanted to go there, so why not?!
I was a little overwhelmed with the menu items. I ended up ordering something I'd never had before. The cioppino with a side greek salad. Let me start with the greek salad. The olive oil they used was excellent quality. I could actually taste the difference. The salad had the usual cucumber, tomatoes and feta. But it also had olives, strawberries and blueberries. There was also some type of dressing. I had my doubts. But it was lovely! Of course, I forgot to take a picture.
Next up was the cioppino. Basically, seafood stew. I stirred up the pot that I was given and I was delighted at the amount of seafood in this stew. They did not chimp, hence the hefty price! But it was definitely worth it. There was such a nice variety too! Squid, octopus, clams, 2 different types of mussels, scallops, and some other stuff I don't think I actually recognized. The broth was so flavourful! Not fishy at all. The spices added to the tastiness of it.
Though I may not go to Brioche again...I would definitely try the cioppino someplace else. Just divine!
We were supposed to go to Meat and Bread. I was saddened to see that they closed at 5. Looks like a fun place to eat! And the porchetta sandwich looked divine. Look being the key word. I'll have to head down there another time. Yeah, I know I've got some peeps to accompany me if I need them to.
So instead, we ended up at Brioche. Never been there. I have to admit that it looked a bit on the deli side. Anyway, my friend always wanted to go there, so why not?!
I was a little overwhelmed with the menu items. I ended up ordering something I'd never had before. The cioppino with a side greek salad. Let me start with the greek salad. The olive oil they used was excellent quality. I could actually taste the difference. The salad had the usual cucumber, tomatoes and feta. But it also had olives, strawberries and blueberries. There was also some type of dressing. I had my doubts. But it was lovely! Of course, I forgot to take a picture.
Next up was the cioppino. Basically, seafood stew. I stirred up the pot that I was given and I was delighted at the amount of seafood in this stew. They did not chimp, hence the hefty price! But it was definitely worth it. There was such a nice variety too! Squid, octopus, clams, 2 different types of mussels, scallops, and some other stuff I don't think I actually recognized. The broth was so flavourful! Not fishy at all. The spices added to the tastiness of it.
Though I may not go to Brioche again...I would definitely try the cioppino someplace else. Just divine!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Make Up
I don't wear a lot of make up...but sometimes, it's just fun to wear some! The only thing is it really depends on the season. I get dark so quickly from the sun that I need two different shades of make up. Make up for when I'm "lighter" versus when I'm tanned. I get tanned very easily.
I don't run out of make up too quickly...but I do have to get some more make up that will get rid of dark circles. That stuff rocks! But again...I have to get 2 shades. Boooooo....
I don't run out of make up too quickly...but I do have to get some more make up that will get rid of dark circles. That stuff rocks! But again...I have to get 2 shades. Boooooo....
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Post Oprah
Thanks to the hockey game on Tuesday night, I did not watch the Tuesday show for Oprah. Though I did tape it. In fact, on 2 different channels just in case one didn't work out! (Go Canucks Go!!!)
So tonight, I watched the Tuesday show and the final Oprah show back to back today. Oh, I was so ready to watch it but sad as I knew it would be it. I never really realized how long I had followed Oprah. I would say it was 17 years. That's a long time to be following anybody, let alone a show!
The Tuesday show was better than the Monday show! I loved all the suprises. I was laughing and crying throughout the show. And seriously, if I can barely hold it in, I have no idea how Oprah kept it in for national television. Holy smokes! She's a veteran.
And the final show...oh, what can I say?! What a lovely wrap up! So gracious and her messages all so perfect. And as she walked out of the studio, I thought back to my 2 trips to see her. The joy of being in that studio, seeing the amazing photos that line the hallways, to remember the buzz and giddiness of people there, the staff members that I encountered, the Oprah store, seeing her in action and shaking her hand. I know that not everybody is a lover of Oprah. But I loved her and her spirit.
That Empty Oprah syndrome? Yeah, I'm suffering from it....
So tonight, I watched the Tuesday show and the final Oprah show back to back today. Oh, I was so ready to watch it but sad as I knew it would be it. I never really realized how long I had followed Oprah. I would say it was 17 years. That's a long time to be following anybody, let alone a show!
The Tuesday show was better than the Monday show! I loved all the suprises. I was laughing and crying throughout the show. And seriously, if I can barely hold it in, I have no idea how Oprah kept it in for national television. Holy smokes! She's a veteran.
And the final show...oh, what can I say?! What a lovely wrap up! So gracious and her messages all so perfect. And as she walked out of the studio, I thought back to my 2 trips to see her. The joy of being in that studio, seeing the amazing photos that line the hallways, to remember the buzz and giddiness of people there, the staff members that I encountered, the Oprah store, seeing her in action and shaking her hand. I know that not everybody is a lover of Oprah. But I loved her and her spirit.
That Empty Oprah syndrome? Yeah, I'm suffering from it....
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Teasing
Part of growing up is learning to deal with teasing. It's never easy. And as a parent, it's that fine line of helping your kid learn how to deal with it and knowing when a parent needs to step in.
But I really do believe there is "good" in some teasing as it can be the greatest motivator. Tonight, I took my 2 daughters out for some bike riding. My 7 year old is still using training wheels. And I know she's ready to take it off. I've tried, but it didn't work. I've tried different incentives. I've tried different ways. But she seemed happy just riding with those training wheels on.
However, tonight she bumped into a neighbourhood friend who is 3 years younger and rides like a fiend. And this little neighbourhood friend said with that sneerish tone, "you still use training wheels?!"
Dang. I could tell that really hurt my daughter's feelings. And I know she was embarrassed. But I didn't want to step in quite yet because I wanted to see what she would do. The question was borderline teasing because of the tone. But it was a question.
My daughter made some comment about how she's still using them but was going to take them off anyways. And she tried to look away. But soon as this neighbourhood friend walked away, my daughter declared she was taking off her wheels. She marched into the garage and with her bare hands started unscrewing the screws and took the wheels off. She was pissed and so embarrassed.
I gave her a few tips to get on her bike and maintain power. Though she's not a full fledged rider...tonight, she got a chance to actually ride her bike, fell a couple of times, but she did not declare she wanted her wheels back on. Though she was frustrated at times, she kept at and she was so proud of herself. YEAH. Well done kiddo. I'm real proud of you too....
But I really do believe there is "good" in some teasing as it can be the greatest motivator. Tonight, I took my 2 daughters out for some bike riding. My 7 year old is still using training wheels. And I know she's ready to take it off. I've tried, but it didn't work. I've tried different incentives. I've tried different ways. But she seemed happy just riding with those training wheels on.
However, tonight she bumped into a neighbourhood friend who is 3 years younger and rides like a fiend. And this little neighbourhood friend said with that sneerish tone, "you still use training wheels?!"
Dang. I could tell that really hurt my daughter's feelings. And I know she was embarrassed. But I didn't want to step in quite yet because I wanted to see what she would do. The question was borderline teasing because of the tone. But it was a question.
My daughter made some comment about how she's still using them but was going to take them off anyways. And she tried to look away. But soon as this neighbourhood friend walked away, my daughter declared she was taking off her wheels. She marched into the garage and with her bare hands started unscrewing the screws and took the wheels off. She was pissed and so embarrassed.
I gave her a few tips to get on her bike and maintain power. Though she's not a full fledged rider...tonight, she got a chance to actually ride her bike, fell a couple of times, but she did not declare she wanted her wheels back on. Though she was frustrated at times, she kept at and she was so proud of herself. YEAH. Well done kiddo. I'm real proud of you too....
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Travel Bound
For those that know me, you know I love travelling. And this year, I will be going on 3 trips...maybe a 4th. Two down already. I'm very happy as I haven't travelled much in the last bit.
So, one night, my husband and I were talking about our 40th birthday in a couple of years. What did we want to do? Him and his buddies decided they are going to go on a big Vegas trip as the whole bunch of them are going to turn 40 around the same time. I sense the Hangover 3 coming up. Just don't lose a tooth and come home safely.
But he also wanted to do something with me. And we thought about it and I think we might just do it...go back to Bali where we had our honeymoon. We have always wanted to return and was hoping to return at the 10 year mark. Well, that has come and gone. The thought of it makes me very happy as there was so much to love there. And gosh, I can totally stay at a 4-5 star hotel and not even have to really worry about the cost. LOVE IT!
Now, it seems odd to say what I'm going to say next...but it does relate to travelling and my 40th.
The other day, I found out that I will not be heading to London for the 2012 Olympics. I'm sure this brings K much joy as I won't be yapping around the office about this. I must admit that I had big hopes for this and was disappointed about the news. However, I knew it was a real possibility and understand the company's perspective.
And literally, 3 hours after I got the news, I got a text from a gf who needed to tell me something. So I called her back and she told me what she wanted to tell me. The next thing I know, she's telling me about her 40th birthday and conversations she's had about travelling. She mentioned that in terms of her close knit best friends, I was definitely one of them. And I know her other best friends and we often meet up together for dinners just to catch up. They're my set of low maintenance friends. And she thought, how fun it would be for all of us, who will be turning 40 close together to actually celebrate our 40 or close to 40 birthdays together by going to Europe!
YEAH! The adventures, the laughs and the memories!
That whole saying of "when a door closes, another one opens." I'm impressed the universe held out on me for just 3 hours.
So I'm hoping that all things go well and in less than 3 years, I'll get a chance to go to both places for my 40th. I'm so stoked!!!
But K and T, you realize you're not off the hook and we will have to continue our tradition of roadtrips now.....
So, one night, my husband and I were talking about our 40th birthday in a couple of years. What did we want to do? Him and his buddies decided they are going to go on a big Vegas trip as the whole bunch of them are going to turn 40 around the same time. I sense the Hangover 3 coming up. Just don't lose a tooth and come home safely.
But he also wanted to do something with me. And we thought about it and I think we might just do it...go back to Bali where we had our honeymoon. We have always wanted to return and was hoping to return at the 10 year mark. Well, that has come and gone. The thought of it makes me very happy as there was so much to love there. And gosh, I can totally stay at a 4-5 star hotel and not even have to really worry about the cost. LOVE IT!
Now, it seems odd to say what I'm going to say next...but it does relate to travelling and my 40th.
The other day, I found out that I will not be heading to London for the 2012 Olympics. I'm sure this brings K much joy as I won't be yapping around the office about this. I must admit that I had big hopes for this and was disappointed about the news. However, I knew it was a real possibility and understand the company's perspective.
And literally, 3 hours after I got the news, I got a text from a gf who needed to tell me something. So I called her back and she told me what she wanted to tell me. The next thing I know, she's telling me about her 40th birthday and conversations she's had about travelling. She mentioned that in terms of her close knit best friends, I was definitely one of them. And I know her other best friends and we often meet up together for dinners just to catch up. They're my set of low maintenance friends. And she thought, how fun it would be for all of us, who will be turning 40 close together to actually celebrate our 40 or close to 40 birthdays together by going to Europe!
YEAH! The adventures, the laughs and the memories!
That whole saying of "when a door closes, another one opens." I'm impressed the universe held out on me for just 3 hours.
So I'm hoping that all things go well and in less than 3 years, I'll get a chance to go to both places for my 40th. I'm so stoked!!!
But K and T, you realize you're not off the hook and we will have to continue our tradition of roadtrips now.....
More Ads
LOL! Seriously, another FB ad for acne...but this time it was about nodular acne. I must admit, I have never heard of that before. So this time I did look it up. It's defined as:
"...an inflammatory lesion. It is a severe type of acne vulgaris essentially speaking, and it has been known to consist of pimples that are bigger than papules, generally measuring the size of pencil erasers, ...."
I couldn't read any more. Just sounded extremely painful physically and emotionally. UGH. Feel bad for those that have it.
"...an inflammatory lesion. It is a severe type of acne vulgaris essentially speaking, and it has been known to consist of pimples that are bigger than papules, generally measuring the size of pencil erasers, ...."
I couldn't read any more. Just sounded extremely painful physically and emotionally. UGH. Feel bad for those that have it.
Acne Ads on FB
I wonder what I'm doing in order to get so many acne ads on FB? Am I visiting certain sites that are acne related? Does my IP address that says send me acne related information?
Sure enough, saw one for acsonix reviews...saw pictures of different creams, etc. I didn't click on it. I feel I get bombarded with acne ads all the time.
But hopefully someone finds some use with it!
Sure enough, saw one for acsonix reviews...saw pictures of different creams, etc. I didn't click on it. I feel I get bombarded with acne ads all the time.
But hopefully someone finds some use with it!
Equipment
I have friends that own heavy duty equipment because they do machinery work, or they own their own business for other types of items. I don't really care about the equipment. I don't really even look at it when I walk by it while in their shop. But one particular piece of equipment got my attention because it had the following blazed onto it..."goulds pumps at WeGotPumps.com."
I know nothing about equipment but I was interested just because the saying was kind of catchy. I've looked up the website...still, I know nothing. But the phrase is still with me. Marketing at its best!
I know nothing about equipment but I was interested just because the saying was kind of catchy. I've looked up the website...still, I know nothing. But the phrase is still with me. Marketing at its best!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Garage Sale
One of my neighbours is moving. =( The couple was very nice, always hung out with them during the block parties and always had nice conversations with them whenever we met.
But the wife came by to tell me their house was sold and they would be out by the end of the month. To get ready for their move and to minimize what they had to move, they had a garage sale. They had desks, patio sets, tv stands, equipment...even a car! But nothing of theirs appealed to me as they had a very different style.
I felt bad for them as they had a ton to sell...but nobody was showing up. And that's because they were selling in the rain! Geez. Took every effort for me to walk over during the big rain storm. But I like them...so it was worth the effort.
Oh well, let's hope we get some awesome new neighbours. These ones are and I'm really sad to see them go.
But the wife came by to tell me their house was sold and they would be out by the end of the month. To get ready for their move and to minimize what they had to move, they had a garage sale. They had desks, patio sets, tv stands, equipment...even a car! But nothing of theirs appealed to me as they had a very different style.
I felt bad for them as they had a ton to sell...but nobody was showing up. And that's because they were selling in the rain! Geez. Took every effort for me to walk over during the big rain storm. But I like them...so it was worth the effort.
Oh well, let's hope we get some awesome new neighbours. These ones are and I'm really sad to see them go.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Portland - Day 1
The next couple of entries will be a little different. First of all, I'm writing in a different order so that when you read about the Portland trip, you can start here and continue reading down rather than having to scroll all the way up.
Secondly, I have some guest writers this time around. These two ladies will introduce themselves and provide highlights of the the Portland trip too. So, let me get started with Day 1!
I love roadtrips!! And I love roadtrips that are with some great peeps! I took a small roadtrip with these two ladies last year when we headed off to Seattle. We had a blast and couldn't wait to do another trip together. We thought Portland was a great idea because it was far enough, but close enough we didn't have to take a plane. There were "rumours" that this was a food cart mecca. And really, tax free shopping...need I say more?
We've been chatting about this trip and planning for it for months. From coloured coded maps, to checking out Food Network recommendations, to finding coupons and to finding "neat" places to go...we had all the bases covered. We were ready!
And so, it was time to go on our trip. On the morning of, the peeps drove to my place to pick me up. First small snag, the George Massey Tunnel. Poor things were stuck in the middle of rush hour traffic. But they eventually made their way here.
After some goodbyes to my family, it was off to the border! Ugh. Only to have to wait. We were probably there for an hour...but it sure beat the waits the next day of 5 hours! Once over the border, we had to go to Jack in the Box! Woo hoo! Last time we got stuck with some worker there that wouldn't stop talking to us. Maybe the place doesn't get a lot of Asians. Anyways, no new antenna balls for me to pick up (strike 1) but some good greasy eats.
We started to make our way down South. Easily driving through Bellingham and Seattle. We even opted to go in the HOV lane as the traffic was moving quickly in that lane. Me and the driver were yapping about something while our friend in the back was settling in to take a nap. More like, me and the driver were yapping about Back Street Boys (woo hoo, they rock!) and the back seat passenger was going to take a nap to ignore us.
We started to slow down as the traffic in front of us was completely stopped in all lanes. But before we could totally come to a complete stop, we were hit from behind with another vehicle! DANG. I'm all for bumping into people, but this is not what I had in mind! And really, if you're going to hit us with your vehicle, be cute or something. And something he was not. Strike 2 for us!
Oh...mullet man. I'll give you props for actually stopping and asking if we were ok. But mullet man...you're getting in some deep doo-doo. Not only did you not report your accident, you outright said you didn't have enough insurance you were under your parent's insurance. You outright said you were going to come up to Canada to pay for the damage. Mullet man. You're going down.
Secondly, I have some guest writers this time around. These two ladies will introduce themselves and provide highlights of the the Portland trip too. So, let me get started with Day 1!
I love roadtrips!! And I love roadtrips that are with some great peeps! I took a small roadtrip with these two ladies last year when we headed off to Seattle. We had a blast and couldn't wait to do another trip together. We thought Portland was a great idea because it was far enough, but close enough we didn't have to take a plane. There were "rumours" that this was a food cart mecca. And really, tax free shopping...need I say more?
We've been chatting about this trip and planning for it for months. From coloured coded maps, to checking out Food Network recommendations, to finding coupons and to finding "neat" places to go...we had all the bases covered. We were ready!
And so, it was time to go on our trip. On the morning of, the peeps drove to my place to pick me up. First small snag, the George Massey Tunnel. Poor things were stuck in the middle of rush hour traffic. But they eventually made their way here.
After some goodbyes to my family, it was off to the border! Ugh. Only to have to wait. We were probably there for an hour...but it sure beat the waits the next day of 5 hours! Once over the border, we had to go to Jack in the Box! Woo hoo! Last time we got stuck with some worker there that wouldn't stop talking to us. Maybe the place doesn't get a lot of Asians. Anyways, no new antenna balls for me to pick up (strike 1) but some good greasy eats.
We started to make our way down South. Easily driving through Bellingham and Seattle. We even opted to go in the HOV lane as the traffic was moving quickly in that lane. Me and the driver were yapping about something while our friend in the back was settling in to take a nap. More like, me and the driver were yapping about Back Street Boys (woo hoo, they rock!) and the back seat passenger was going to take a nap to ignore us.
We started to slow down as the traffic in front of us was completely stopped in all lanes. But before we could totally come to a complete stop, we were hit from behind with another vehicle! DANG. I'm all for bumping into people, but this is not what I had in mind! And really, if you're going to hit us with your vehicle, be cute or something. And something he was not. Strike 2 for us!
Oh...mullet man. I'll give you props for actually stopping and asking if we were ok. But mullet man...you're getting in some deep doo-doo. Not only did you not report your accident, you outright said you didn't have enough insurance you were under your parent's insurance. You outright said you were going to come up to Canada to pay for the damage. Mullet man. You're going down.
(Editor's note: visually may not be "impressive" as a big accident...but it ended up being $7,000 in damage!)
So after we get the guy's information down, I took pictures of his car and license plate, etc., the driver decides to tell us that her fortune teller has told her she'd be in a lot of car accidents. Well, kudos to the fortune teller for getting this right. LOL!
So instead of heading straight to Portland, we spent the next couple of hours making sure that we were ok and making sure we documented everything so our mullet man couldn't get away with anything. This includes adventures in:
* looking for a police station.It's as if this station is in the middle of a fricken forest. And when we get there, it's closed! But we got to drive through the sticks of a city called the City of Lainey.
* using the nastiest payphone outside of the closed police station to contact the police about this accident. We were told to fill in a collision report. Paperwork while on holidays?!
* using this same nasty payphone to call our extended medical to report the accident. What's funny about this incident is that we were there, in the middle of a forest, in the freezing wind all huddled around this phone receiver providing our information while people were wandering into City Hall with yoga mats. After the yoga lesson which was an hour long...us 3 gals were STILL outside on this same nasty payphone giving our information.
* heading to St. Peter's Providence Hospital. Admissions nurse did a quick triage and gave us pagers (yeah, like in restaurants when it's your turn to be seen). And within 5 minutes of getting the pager, we got called in 1 at a time. Got to see a lovely doctor, got checked out, got some ibuprofen. By the time we were signed out and released, they were just doing the "admissions" paperwork. Now that's fast! My kind of hospital visit.
So instead of heading straight to Portland, we spent the next couple of hours making sure that we were ok and making sure we documented everything so our mullet man couldn't get away with anything. This includes adventures in:
* looking for a police station.
* using the nastiest payphone outside of the closed police station to contact the police about this accident. We were told to fill in a collision report. Paperwork while on holidays?!
* using this same nasty payphone to call our extended medical to report the accident. What's funny about this incident is that we were there, in the middle of a forest, in the freezing wind all huddled around this phone receiver providing our information while people were wandering into City Hall with yoga mats. After the yoga lesson which was an hour long...us 3 gals were STILL outside on this same nasty payphone giving our information.
* heading to St. Peter's Providence Hospital. Admissions nurse did a quick triage and gave us pagers (yeah, like in restaurants when it's your turn to be seen). And within 5 minutes of getting the pager, we got called in 1 at a time. Got to see a lovely doctor, got checked out, got some ibuprofen. By the time we were signed out and released, they were just doing the "admissions" paperwork. Now that's fast! My kind of hospital visit.
Check out the proof we were really there! Yeah, JC is in the house too!
So having done the visits, we were ready to hit the road again. By then, it was starting to get dark and we still had a good 3 hour drive. But hey, we needed some food. Bad call on my end...I made everybody eat at Panda Express. Let's just say I cook better than these guys...and that's not saying a lot. Strike 3 for the trip.
We eventually found our way to the hotel. By this point, we were all tired. And I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the stairs we had to climb to get to the room. Really?! And after getting into the room, there was still reports to fill out, contact ICBC, etc. We wanted to do all the paperwork and calls so we could just enjoy the next couple of days.
When it was time to finally go to sleep, I went to sleep. I was in the sofabed, rolled over, and in a very short period of time, I was snoring away. But before I did, I could hear my peeps in the bed whispering and giggling. I had to laugh. I heard my dad's voice in my head..."you already saw each other all day and spent every minute together. What more do you have to talk about?" Well, these two peeps definitely had tons to chat about. I was looking forward to some sweet dreams and the start of day 2.
We eventually found our way to the hotel. By this point, we were all tired. And I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the stairs we had to climb to get to the room. Really?! And after getting into the room, there was still reports to fill out, contact ICBC, etc. We wanted to do all the paperwork and calls so we could just enjoy the next couple of days.
When it was time to finally go to sleep, I went to sleep. I was in the sofabed, rolled over, and in a very short period of time, I was snoring away. But before I did, I could hear my peeps in the bed whispering and giggling. I had to laugh. I heard my dad's voice in my head..."you already saw each other all day and spent every minute together. What more do you have to talk about?" Well, these two peeps definitely had tons to chat about. I was looking forward to some sweet dreams and the start of day 2.
Portland - Day 2
First, I need to give a shout out to my dear friend for even letting me (us) impose on her blogosphere. I basically told her that I was going to do an entry as a guest blogger about our trip to Portland, when we decided to go. There was our friend Alice, the lady of the blog, myself who I will refer to as K, and my friend T—my soul mate and if I was still a teen, I’d call her my BFF.
So the honours of trying to get the taste and feel of day 2 rests on solely on my He-man shoulders. After our crazy night thanks to mullet-man, the three amigas decided to devote the day to shopping, to “get it over and done with”. Yeah right, who am I kidding--- I love shopping as much as I love chocolate!!! After the car accident, we somehow thought that shopping would be the activity with the least amount of planning and thinking involved.
First though, we started off with our free, continental buffet breakfast at the Marriott. Ok, maybe because it’s vacay time, and it’s the three of us girls hanging out with good convo and laughs, but breakfast every day was fantastic! Did I mention it was free??!! Even their dairy seems to taste better—creamier yogurt, cream cheese, and butter. There was basically eggs, breads, fruit, yogurts, juices, muffins, waffles, and a different meat such as sausage patties or ham every day. A huge spread and no dishes to do afterwards—heaven.
So after our breakfast off we went to the Woodburn Outlets just outside of Portland. Let me say that we started off by giving ourselves 2 hours to shop and then we were to meet up again to see if we needed more time. After the 2 hours, much to me and T’s chagrin, we had only shopped in about 1/5th of the shops! It’s funny how you release 3 women into an outlet mall, and we all spread into different directions. T and I were able to somewhat stick together while shopping, and branched out every once in a while separately. Alice went out on her own, and she is like the wind when she shops. Similar to how she is at work, I must laugh when describing how she shops. She has her itinerary and list of who to shop for, and off she goes nonstop. In fact, T and I laughed out loud a few times because we would cross paths with Alice every once in a while in between shops, and literally, if we were lucky, Alice would wave to us. I was asking a question out loud of Alice, and turned around, and she was gone!! Like the wind I say!! After the 2 hours we stopped and had lunch at Subway—yes, my non-fave, Subway. There was a very limited food selection at the food court, and we didn’t want to waste time leaving the area to search for food. We shopped for another 3-4 hours, and at the end of the day, the various loot that we acquired filled up the trunk of T’s beamer. Tons of clothes for little ones, shoes, a blender and even a mini donut maker—yes, a donut maker!!! Makes you wanna go down to Portland yourself, doesn’t it?? I hit my exemption limit just shopping there.
Another highlight of day 2, was the fact that we were able to try some food from this BBQ food cart. I don’t care how great people say the food here is in Vancouver, when it comes to BBQ, we cannot even compare to our neighbours down south. This guy was so busy and we were there at about 5ish that he was almost sold out of everything! But we were able to order a pulled pork sandwich and hot link sausage (hot weiner in a bun) to share. We wanted to just have a little snack as we were planning to have dinner still. The pulled pork sandwich was to die for. Maybe it was because we were so excited from our good deal shopping, but that pulled pork sandwich was one the best sandwiches I have ever had. The pork was tender and juicy, there was a perfect amount of BBQ sauce, and the coleslaw accompanying it was crispy and had the right amount of ‘tang’.
So the honours of trying to get the taste and feel of day 2 rests on solely on my He-man shoulders. After our crazy night thanks to mullet-man, the three amigas decided to devote the day to shopping, to “get it over and done with”. Yeah right, who am I kidding--- I love shopping as much as I love chocolate!!! After the car accident, we somehow thought that shopping would be the activity with the least amount of planning and thinking involved.
First though, we started off with our free, continental buffet breakfast at the Marriott. Ok, maybe because it’s vacay time, and it’s the three of us girls hanging out with good convo and laughs, but breakfast every day was fantastic! Did I mention it was free??!! Even their dairy seems to taste better—creamier yogurt, cream cheese, and butter. There was basically eggs, breads, fruit, yogurts, juices, muffins, waffles, and a different meat such as sausage patties or ham every day. A huge spread and no dishes to do afterwards—heaven.
So after our breakfast off we went to the Woodburn Outlets just outside of Portland. Let me say that we started off by giving ourselves 2 hours to shop and then we were to meet up again to see if we needed more time. After the 2 hours, much to me and T’s chagrin, we had only shopped in about 1/5th of the shops! It’s funny how you release 3 women into an outlet mall, and we all spread into different directions. T and I were able to somewhat stick together while shopping, and branched out every once in a while separately. Alice went out on her own, and she is like the wind when she shops. Similar to how she is at work, I must laugh when describing how she shops. She has her itinerary and list of who to shop for, and off she goes nonstop. In fact, T and I laughed out loud a few times because we would cross paths with Alice every once in a while in between shops, and literally, if we were lucky, Alice would wave to us. I was asking a question out loud of Alice, and turned around, and she was gone!! Like the wind I say!! After the 2 hours we stopped and had lunch at Subway—yes, my non-fave, Subway. There was a very limited food selection at the food court, and we didn’t want to waste time leaving the area to search for food. We shopped for another 3-4 hours, and at the end of the day, the various loot that we acquired filled up the trunk of T’s beamer. Tons of clothes for little ones, shoes, a blender and even a mini donut maker—yes, a donut maker!!! Makes you wanna go down to Portland yourself, doesn’t it?? I hit my exemption limit just shopping there.
Another highlight of day 2, was the fact that we were able to try some food from this BBQ food cart. I don’t care how great people say the food here is in Vancouver, when it comes to BBQ, we cannot even compare to our neighbours down south. This guy was so busy and we were there at about 5ish that he was almost sold out of everything! But we were able to order a pulled pork sandwich and hot link sausage (hot weiner in a bun) to share. We wanted to just have a little snack as we were planning to have dinner still. The pulled pork sandwich was to die for. Maybe it was because we were so excited from our good deal shopping, but that pulled pork sandwich was one the best sandwiches I have ever had. The pork was tender and juicy, there was a perfect amount of BBQ sauce, and the coleslaw accompanying it was crispy and had the right amount of ‘tang’.
Being the hillbillies that we were, we got the guy to come out of his food cart and take a picture with us, shouting that we were from Canada. You’d think we came from Nanuvut and were visiting China or something, but the guy was friendly and game, giving out some warm Southern love.
We headed back to the hotel to drop off our loot and then were off again for more shopping. Yes, you read right, even more shopping. For you young inexperienced shoppers, you might think that 5-6 hours at an outlet mall was enough, but no, we were on a mission. Alice needed to get some treats for her kiddies, and we wanted to hit up Target. Have I mentioned yet that Portland is tax-free shopping?? With the Canadian dollar doing so well at the American prices, and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream at $2.50 a pint at regular price, K was in Asian-saving heaven. Getting to Target was not as smooth as the shopping. Suffice it to say that Alice has many varied skills that would enable her to whoop my butt at many things, especially any skills needed at work. A good map reader or internal GPS person she is not though. In fact, she had a name for the person who navigated beside T as she drove, and that person was the designated ‘star-gazer’. I was the ‘star-gazer’ because Alice fired herself. Let’s just say that what should have been a 15-20 minute drive along a freeway to Target ended up being a 45-50 minute drive through the burbs, on to some ghetto streets, and then up and down some hills before we reached destination point. As a result, we only had 1 hour and 15 minutes to shop before Target closed shop. Perhaps the limited time was what made Alice miss the fact that there was a second floor rife with children’s clothing and other goods. She did not realize there was a second floor until about 15 minutes to closing and T told her. I would have paid money to see the expression on her face, like the expression on people’s faces when they were told the world was actually round rather than square.
Those were basically the highlight moments of day 2. We had dinner at a swanky café afterwards who delightfully gave us our leftovers wrapped in tinfoil animals—a cat and mouse respectfully.
Those were basically the highlight moments of day 2. We had dinner at a swanky café afterwards who delightfully gave us our leftovers wrapped in tinfoil animals—a cat and mouse respectfully.
The food was ok but I think Alice and T were more impressed with the tinfoil animals as there was lots of photo taking. If the day had ended even right after our BBQ snack, I already would have been more than happy. The shopping was just that good. Oh----wait, how could I have forgotten??!! For those who appreciate the ‘extreme foodies’ even though we were beat tired, at around midnight after finishing our meals and driving, we also decided to hit up Voodoo Donuts before we got back to the hotel. Why such a big kafuffle over donuts you say?
(Editor's note: check out some of the other donuts that were available!)
Well, there was the Maple Bacon donut. Need I say more? Bacon-yum, maple-yum, donut-good. But we were so stuffed, we had to wait til the next day, yes a bit gross, to divvy up our Maple Bacon Donut, the Oreo Donut, and the Diablo Rex, a chocolate donut.
So you have to wait for the donut verdict in day 3, written by T, who can also rave about the shopping for books at Powell Books downtown.
Portland - Day 3
So…..we’re onto Day 3 of our first (and hopefully not last) Portland trip! First off, a big thanks to A for letting K and I be guest bloggers on her site!
So, Day 3 was our “supposed” chillaxing day where we just venture our way around Downtown Portland, check out Chinatown, the Saturday Market and have some good eats!
Our day started off with us arranging everything that K had bought the day before on our bed and to take a picture of all her new purchases! Take a look for yourselves.
We then headed to the hotel lobby for breakfast again and much to our surprise and delight, this particular morning offered up English muffins and sausage patties, plus all the other basics. So we chowed down on the yummy food and A made us a waffle too this morning! Thanks A!
So our first job when reaching Downtown Portland was to find parking. That proved to be quite a task because the parking lots that were originally advertised to be open and were the cheapest, ended up being closed! WTF??? What pay parking lot closes on a Saturday in Downtown??? Crazy! When we finally found parking, we headed over to the Portland Saturday Market which is basically an outdoor arts and crafts fair which I loved.
While walking through the food fair portion of the market, we spot a stand selling bubble tea! K and I love to try bbt in all the different cities we visit, so of course we HAD to get one here in Portland too! BIG mistake! WORSE bbt EVER! I actually had to spit out the gross tapioca balls! Definitely not graceful, but I didn’t care…..I just stood in front of the garbage bin spitting all the remnants out of my mouth.
And to top of the worse bbt experience ever, K also bought some crab puff crap which was basically wonton wrappers with imitation crab and cream cheese stuffed inside. Even the sweet and sour sauce accompanying it did not help! No more food from Portland Saturday Market ever!
(Editor's note: this picture is worth a gazillion bucks! OMG. I can't stop laughing. This just shows how BAD these cream puffs were...but I continued to eat them. No stink face from me)
As our walk through Portland Saturday Market was coming to an end, all of a sudden A spots these 2 guys and starts hugging them! I was thinking, “So cool that A would run into some friends while vacationing in Portland!” Well, one of her “friends” held out his arms wanting a hug from me, and me, being the nice person that I am agreed and I gave him a hug! K refused to hug him though. Not strange I thought since it didn’t seem like a thing she would normally do, so I didn’t think anything of it. That is until K was like “ewwww…..why would you hug strangers???” I’m like “they’re A’s friends!” Then K points out the sign…..the 2 guys were holding up “FREE HUGS” signs! WTF A??? I thought they were your frickin’ friends!!!! That’s the only reason why I agreed to hug the guy! LOL! Apparently, they’re part of that whole “FREE HUGS Campaign” which I’m just learning about NOW! I had no clue what it was all about but A knew! That’s why she hugged them so readily! I had the heeby-jeebies afterwards!
Next stop, Chinatown! This was the most disappointing Chinatown ever! There was nothing authentically Chinese about this Chinatown! Just totally whitewashed Chinese restaurants. The only “authentic” Chinese thing was the red entry way with the golden lions on either side. Thumbs down Portland Chinatown!
By this time it was close to 2:30pm and we hadn’t had any lunch yet! (And no, the bbt and crab puff at the Market does not count!) So we headed over to the much anticipated Mother’s Bistro!
We’ve heard many good things from different people about this place, so we were all looking forward to some yummy food! Too bad they had just changed over from their lunch/brunch menu to the “light afternoon” menu. Damnit! Only sandwiches and soups on this afternoon menu. Oh well, we ordered a turkey sandwich, a cup of asparagus soup and an order of their fries. Despite the fact that it wasn’t what we were hoping to have at Mother’s, it was still very good nonetheless! A was slurping away at the asparagus soup which she loved! I know what we ordered doesn’t seem like much between the 3 of us, but remember, we still had our Voodoo donuts packed away which we still needed to munch at and it was already 3pm, so we didn’t want to spoil our appetite for another highly anticipated dinner later!
So after a quick meal at Mother’s we started making our way to Powell’s Bookstore. Before we headed inside and dive into the world of books, we decided to munch on our donuts! Time to see what all the fuss about Voodoo was all about! To be honest, I wasn’t all that impressed with the donuts EXCEPT for the Bacon Maple one! Even a day old, it was absolutely scrumptious! Loved it! Don’t think A enjoyed it as much since she got the most oily portion and it did a number on her stomach while in the bookstore. Oh, did I mention that there was a homeless girl sitting in front of Powell’s that was begging for food while we were chowing down right in front of her??? We are so mean…..
And then…..aaaaahhhhhhh (a la Oprah)…..Powell’s Bookstore!
OMG, you can get lost in that place! It’s a block long, with 3 (or is it 4) floors and house to over 4 million new and used books! Book heaven! I think we stayed about 3 hours there and I was only able to get through maybe 1/8 of the store! I sooooo need to go again! And the books are so cheap too! I ended up getting 10 books for 40 bucks! Woo hoo! That should last me a while until the next time I go again!
So after taking our books back to the car and relocating to a new parkade, we decided to shop a little bit more before heading to eat. We ended up just checking out some shops around Pioneer Place and also Nordstrom Rack where I snagged an awesome deal on jeans!
After walking around all day, we were so ready to sit down and enjoy a delicious dinner and Jake’s Grill did not disappoint! Food here was sooooo good! We started off with an appy of steamed mussels in a curry sauce to share and I ordered 2 oysters on a half shell for myself since A and K weren’t into raw oysters. That curry sauce was so yummy!
We used our bread to totally sop up every drop of it! For our mains, we got a pasta and a steak. Either we ordered all the right things from the menu or this place just makes awesome food! Seriously, one of the best steaks I’ve had!
(Editor's note: the waitress got the kitchen to split this meal into two dishes. So this dish would have been much "grander!" However, a split dish or not, it was really fantastic!)
And then to end off the already wonderful meal, we ordered the Dessert Trio which included smaller versions of their Berry Crisp, Crème Brulee and Chocolate Pot au Crème. My fave was definitely the crème brulee! One of the smoothest ones I’ve had and just the balance of just the right amount of crispy brulee on top. We will definitely be coming back to try some more items off their menu!
Despite the time, about 9 pm, we were totally exhausted already. We decided to head back to the hotel because we still had the task of packing everything that we had bought yesterday and try to stuff as much as we could into our suitcase for fear that my trunk and half my back seat would not be enough room for all our stuff……that just shows how much we actually bought!
So, Day 3 was our “supposed” chillaxing day where we just venture our way around Downtown Portland, check out Chinatown, the Saturday Market and have some good eats!
Our day started off with us arranging everything that K had bought the day before on our bed and to take a picture of all her new purchases! Take a look for yourselves.
We then headed to the hotel lobby for breakfast again and much to our surprise and delight, this particular morning offered up English muffins and sausage patties, plus all the other basics. So we chowed down on the yummy food and A made us a waffle too this morning! Thanks A!
So our first job when reaching Downtown Portland was to find parking. That proved to be quite a task because the parking lots that were originally advertised to be open and were the cheapest, ended up being closed! WTF??? What pay parking lot closes on a Saturday in Downtown??? Crazy! When we finally found parking, we headed over to the Portland Saturday Market which is basically an outdoor arts and crafts fair which I loved.
While walking through the food fair portion of the market, we spot a stand selling bubble tea! K and I love to try bbt in all the different cities we visit, so of course we HAD to get one here in Portland too! BIG mistake! WORSE bbt EVER! I actually had to spit out the gross tapioca balls! Definitely not graceful, but I didn’t care…..I just stood in front of the garbage bin spitting all the remnants out of my mouth.
And to top of the worse bbt experience ever, K also bought some crab puff crap which was basically wonton wrappers with imitation crab and cream cheese stuffed inside. Even the sweet and sour sauce accompanying it did not help! No more food from Portland Saturday Market ever!
(Editor's note: this picture is worth a gazillion bucks! OMG. I can't stop laughing. This just shows how BAD these cream puffs were...but I continued to eat them. No stink face from me)
As our walk through Portland Saturday Market was coming to an end, all of a sudden A spots these 2 guys and starts hugging them! I was thinking, “So cool that A would run into some friends while vacationing in Portland!” Well, one of her “friends” held out his arms wanting a hug from me, and me, being the nice person that I am agreed and I gave him a hug! K refused to hug him though. Not strange I thought since it didn’t seem like a thing she would normally do, so I didn’t think anything of it. That is until K was like “ewwww…..why would you hug strangers???” I’m like “they’re A’s friends!” Then K points out the sign…..the 2 guys were holding up “FREE HUGS” signs! WTF A??? I thought they were your frickin’ friends!!!! That’s the only reason why I agreed to hug the guy! LOL! Apparently, they’re part of that whole “FREE HUGS Campaign” which I’m just learning about NOW! I had no clue what it was all about but A knew! That’s why she hugged them so readily! I had the heeby-jeebies afterwards!
Next stop, Chinatown! This was the most disappointing Chinatown ever! There was nothing authentically Chinese about this Chinatown! Just totally whitewashed Chinese restaurants. The only “authentic” Chinese thing was the red entry way with the golden lions on either side. Thumbs down Portland Chinatown!
By this time it was close to 2:30pm and we hadn’t had any lunch yet! (And no, the bbt and crab puff at the Market does not count!) So we headed over to the much anticipated Mother’s Bistro!
We’ve heard many good things from different people about this place, so we were all looking forward to some yummy food! Too bad they had just changed over from their lunch/brunch menu to the “light afternoon” menu. Damnit! Only sandwiches and soups on this afternoon menu. Oh well, we ordered a turkey sandwich, a cup of asparagus soup and an order of their fries. Despite the fact that it wasn’t what we were hoping to have at Mother’s, it was still very good nonetheless! A was slurping away at the asparagus soup which she loved! I know what we ordered doesn’t seem like much between the 3 of us, but remember, we still had our Voodoo donuts packed away which we still needed to munch at and it was already 3pm, so we didn’t want to spoil our appetite for another highly anticipated dinner later!
So after a quick meal at Mother’s we started making our way to Powell’s Bookstore. Before we headed inside and dive into the world of books, we decided to munch on our donuts! Time to see what all the fuss about Voodoo was all about! To be honest, I wasn’t all that impressed with the donuts EXCEPT for the Bacon Maple one! Even a day old, it was absolutely scrumptious! Loved it! Don’t think A enjoyed it as much since she got the most oily portion and it did a number on her stomach while in the bookstore. Oh, did I mention that there was a homeless girl sitting in front of Powell’s that was begging for food while we were chowing down right in front of her??? We are so mean…..
And then…..aaaaahhhhhhh (a la Oprah)…..Powell’s Bookstore!
OMG, you can get lost in that place! It’s a block long, with 3 (or is it 4) floors and house to over 4 million new and used books! Book heaven! I think we stayed about 3 hours there and I was only able to get through maybe 1/8 of the store! I sooooo need to go again! And the books are so cheap too! I ended up getting 10 books for 40 bucks! Woo hoo! That should last me a while until the next time I go again!
So after taking our books back to the car and relocating to a new parkade, we decided to shop a little bit more before heading to eat. We ended up just checking out some shops around Pioneer Place and also Nordstrom Rack where I snagged an awesome deal on jeans!
After walking around all day, we were so ready to sit down and enjoy a delicious dinner and Jake’s Grill did not disappoint! Food here was sooooo good! We started off with an appy of steamed mussels in a curry sauce to share and I ordered 2 oysters on a half shell for myself since A and K weren’t into raw oysters. That curry sauce was so yummy!
We used our bread to totally sop up every drop of it! For our mains, we got a pasta and a steak. Either we ordered all the right things from the menu or this place just makes awesome food! Seriously, one of the best steaks I’ve had!
(Editor's note: the waitress got the kitchen to split this meal into two dishes. So this dish would have been much "grander!" However, a split dish or not, it was really fantastic!)
And then to end off the already wonderful meal, we ordered the Dessert Trio which included smaller versions of their Berry Crisp, Crème Brulee and Chocolate Pot au Crème. My fave was definitely the crème brulee! One of the smoothest ones I’ve had and just the balance of just the right amount of crispy brulee on top. We will definitely be coming back to try some more items off their menu!
Despite the time, about 9 pm, we were totally exhausted already. We decided to head back to the hotel because we still had the task of packing everything that we had bought yesterday and try to stuff as much as we could into our suitcase for fear that my trunk and half my back seat would not be enough room for all our stuff……that just shows how much we actually bought!
Portland - Day 4
Well, final day of the trip and time to head back home. It's always a little sad when a trip is coming to an end, but I was looking forward to seeing my family.
Before we headed off, we had to of course enjoy the free breakfast. And once again, to our delight, the menu had changed! Woo hoo! I even ventured off to the oatmeal bar. Very nice!
Thank goodness we filled up our tummies as we needed to haul all our goods down to a car. Holy smokes! We filled the trunk...completely. Every square inch. We also filled up one of the back passenger seats with all the goods we bought. But there was no way I was leaving the states without my goodies! That was a workout and I'm sure I burned off some of that oatmeal.....
K wanted to try at the local mall to get some See's candy. But when we got there, it was quiet. Only Sears was open...the rest of the mall was closed due to Easter! Dang. They take that holiday seriously out there! We were just thankful that we got all our shopping done. OMG. I'd be so upset if we went just to shop only to find everything was closed!
The ride home was smooth. No accidents! Thank goodness. We even had time to stop off at a burger joint for lunch, do some grocery shopping and a last stop for cheap gas. Border wait home was only about 20 minutes. And before I knew it, I was at home!
My kids and husband were happy to see me. Though my kids kindly reminded me that they were happy I was gone considering they got McDonald's...everyday. Feel the love.
So, all in all, an awesome trip. Seriously, us 3 peeps are similar in some ways, but our temperaments are quite different. As K said many times on the trip, it really is a testament to the friendship because not everybody could handle these types of personalities together or our styles in travelling. Considering that K and T are "soulmates," I was honoured to go on another road trip with them. Sometimes BFFs travelling together are not so welcoming of a 3rd person and really, 3 is a crowd...but it worked out well.
It really was a great time...getting a chance to chat freely about everything and anything was awesome. OMG. And the giggles and guffaws. There were so many funny moments and conversations! Good food, great shopping, no tax. I can even laugh about mullet man now!
Thank you to K and T for being my guest bloggers...really, you two should do it more often on here. =) Thank you for being awesome travel buddies.
Until our next trip!
Before we headed off, we had to of course enjoy the free breakfast. And once again, to our delight, the menu had changed! Woo hoo! I even ventured off to the oatmeal bar. Very nice!
Thank goodness we filled up our tummies as we needed to haul all our goods down to a car. Holy smokes! We filled the trunk...completely. Every square inch. We also filled up one of the back passenger seats with all the goods we bought. But there was no way I was leaving the states without my goodies! That was a workout and I'm sure I burned off some of that oatmeal.....
K wanted to try at the local mall to get some See's candy. But when we got there, it was quiet. Only Sears was open...the rest of the mall was closed due to Easter! Dang. They take that holiday seriously out there! We were just thankful that we got all our shopping done. OMG. I'd be so upset if we went just to shop only to find everything was closed!
The ride home was smooth. No accidents! Thank goodness. We even had time to stop off at a burger joint for lunch, do some grocery shopping and a last stop for cheap gas. Border wait home was only about 20 minutes. And before I knew it, I was at home!
My kids and husband were happy to see me. Though my kids kindly reminded me that they were happy I was gone considering they got McDonald's...everyday. Feel the love.
So, all in all, an awesome trip. Seriously, us 3 peeps are similar in some ways, but our temperaments are quite different. As K said many times on the trip, it really is a testament to the friendship because not everybody could handle these types of personalities together or our styles in travelling. Considering that K and T are "soulmates," I was honoured to go on another road trip with them. Sometimes BFFs travelling together are not so welcoming of a 3rd person and really, 3 is a crowd...but it worked out well.
It really was a great time...getting a chance to chat freely about everything and anything was awesome. OMG. And the giggles and guffaws. There were so many funny moments and conversations! Good food, great shopping, no tax. I can even laugh about mullet man now!
Thank you to K and T for being my guest bloggers...really, you two should do it more often on here. =) Thank you for being awesome travel buddies.
Until our next trip!
Glee
I love watching Glee. I'm not into musicals, but this show is smart and incredibly funny. The music is fantastic. What I love most is that it really brings out so many topics that need to be discussed and can haunt teenagers for life.
I finally watched Tuesday's episode and LOVED it. The music rocked! And they even made Friday sound AWESOME! Believe me, that takes a lot of effort!!
But the one thing that never is seen on this show is acne prone kids using acne cream. Seriously? Teenagers without acne? Their skin is always so perfect!!! A little reality people!
But I can deal with that flaw. This show just rocks.
I finally watched Tuesday's episode and LOVED it. The music rocked! And they even made Friday sound AWESOME! Believe me, that takes a lot of effort!!
But the one thing that never is seen on this show is acne prone kids using acne cream. Seriously? Teenagers without acne? Their skin is always so perfect!!! A little reality people!
But I can deal with that flaw. This show just rocks.
Conversations
There are some conversations that I cannot follow...as in, I really don't understand what is actually spoken about. I cannot talk about cars or anything industry related. I don't understand things like industrial bearings or talk about the measurements used when using a lathe. Uhhh...yeah. I totally feel lost in those conversations and I feel like a total moron.
Thank goodness those around me that talk about that stuff spares me the details and stories. Or when they do talk to me about it, they explain it in really, really simple terms.
But despite my total lack of knowledge in certain conversations, I try my best and usually end up enjoying the conversation.
Thank goodness those around me that talk about that stuff spares me the details and stories. Or when they do talk to me about it, they explain it in really, really simple terms.
But despite my total lack of knowledge in certain conversations, I try my best and usually end up enjoying the conversation.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Caring
I was at Safeway with my youngest the other day. I love this particular one because they have pint sized carts for kids to use so they feel like they're really taking part of the shopping process. I always put things in her cart...especially all the things she likes and she really enjoys that.
Well, after loading up our carts, time to pay for our food. As I was waiting for the newbie cashier to get all my coupons right and take my money, my kid kept swatting my hand to move it. She must have done it 5 times in a row and I was getting thoroughly annoyed considering the newbie cashier was taking forever and my kid was just swatting me like I was a fly!
When I finally asked her what she was doing...she just looked at me with this big doe eyes and pointed. The kid can read and she read well considering she's not even in kindergarten. She saw a warning sign that hands and hair should be away from this separate conveyer belt as it could easily get caught and you could lose a hand, etc.
I asked her if she did that because she was worried I'd lose my hand. "Yes momma. I love you and don't want you to get hurt." How can you be mad at a kid after they tell you that?! You don't. I was immediately apologetic to her for getting mad at her and thanked her immensely for caring and for making sure I was safe. Hey, for any parent out there that watches the Safety Patrol..."safety first!"
So for all those times I'm going nuts because of the kids and trying to teach them...it's moments like this that makes me think I must have taught them something right.
Well, after loading up our carts, time to pay for our food. As I was waiting for the newbie cashier to get all my coupons right and take my money, my kid kept swatting my hand to move it. She must have done it 5 times in a row and I was getting thoroughly annoyed considering the newbie cashier was taking forever and my kid was just swatting me like I was a fly!
When I finally asked her what she was doing...she just looked at me with this big doe eyes and pointed. The kid can read and she read well considering she's not even in kindergarten. She saw a warning sign that hands and hair should be away from this separate conveyer belt as it could easily get caught and you could lose a hand, etc.
I asked her if she did that because she was worried I'd lose my hand. "Yes momma. I love you and don't want you to get hurt."
So for all those times I'm going nuts because of the kids and trying to teach them...it's moments like this that makes me think I must have taught them something right.
Software
There is software for everything. Now with smartphones, everything seems possible. I just want some document management software for my personal pc and work pc. For the most part, the management of my forms, etc., is pretty good as I can find things quickly. But there are some things that I work on every once in a while and they're harder to find in my maze of documents and file folders.
And considering this age of technology and informaiton management, this type of management of software is the only way to go.
And considering this age of technology and informaiton management, this type of management of software is the only way to go.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Saving
On the weekend, I went to a birthday party for a little 1 year old. CUTE as can be! And I remember when she was just born...and here she is waddling away, kissing everybody and trashing wrapping paper. I loved it!
And while I was there, I had to chat with folks. I knew about 4 people out of the crew. Everybody else was unknown to me. Didn't matter...I just chatted away. One of the people I chatted with was a 12 year old girl. She is actually the daughter of one of my daycare workers.
I was asking her what she was going to do in the summer considering it is right around the corner! She mentioned some work that she was going to do. And of course I was curious what she was going to spend it on. She wants one of those custom laptops because she's "very picky with what she spends her money on and what she likes in computers."
She told me how much she saved up already and what her plan was to get the rest of the money. Well. I'm impressed! Well done my little tween.
Maybe to help her in her goal, I'm going to hire her to do some work for me. Heck, the weeding in the back won't get done by itself.
And while I was there, I had to chat with folks. I knew about 4 people out of the crew. Everybody else was unknown to me. Didn't matter...I just chatted away. One of the people I chatted with was a 12 year old girl. She is actually the daughter of one of my daycare workers.
I was asking her what she was going to do in the summer considering it is right around the corner! She mentioned some work that she was going to do. And of course I was curious what she was going to spend it on. She wants one of those custom laptops because she's "very picky with what she spends her money on and what she likes in computers."
She told me how much she saved up already and what her plan was to get the rest of the money. Well. I'm impressed! Well done my little tween.
Maybe to help her in her goal, I'm going to hire her to do some work for me. Heck, the weeding in the back won't get done by itself.
Wedding Items
Ok, I never got on the bandwagon of wedding night lingerie. To each their own. LOL! To get me in something like that, oh, my poor husband. His eyes would hurt and I'm sure he'd divorce me. It would not be a pretty sight. Sausage casing is what I'm thinking.
But obviously there is a market out there for this kind of stuff. However, I'm not a contributor to this market.
But obviously there is a market out there for this kind of stuff. However, I'm not a contributor to this market.
Berries
Sometimes I wonder how google or any other search engine gathers their information. I searched berries as I had some that I wanted to use...but in a new recipe.
I got Shari's tweets. I'm not a tweeter and I don't follow unless they post directly to Facebook and I already like that group/page. But I thought, I had nothing to lose by checking out this woman's tweets.
Ooooo! Yummy stuff. I get on there and I see this awesome picture of these beautiful chocolate covered strawberries. Many different types! Really? You had me at food. I'm just sad that I'm not near that destination or I'd go in and see the other goodies that this shop provides. Ooooo...maybe a trip to Cali?
I got Shari's tweets. I'm not a tweeter and I don't follow unless they post directly to Facebook and I already like that group/page. But I thought, I had nothing to lose by checking out this woman's tweets.
Ooooo! Yummy stuff. I get on there and I see this awesome picture of these beautiful chocolate covered strawberries. Many different types! Really? You had me at food. I'm just sad that I'm not near that destination or I'd go in and see the other goodies that this shop provides. Ooooo...maybe a trip to Cali?
Monday, May 2, 2011
Scanners
I think we need barcode scanners at work. Everytime you take something from the supply bin, you can the item, and you click on your name. I'd be interested in who keeps taking all the post it notes and pens. ROFL! Holy smokes! I feel like I need to stock pile some at my desk.
Seriously, we could order 100 packs of post it notes and within 2 days they're gone. At least that's what it seems like to me. And seriously, are people packing away pens in their pants and just leaving them at home?! I don't know how many times I've gone to look for one only to find that I've taken the last one and having to order more boxes.
Now, if someone would just take away the boxes of pamphlets that no one needs anymore...I wouldn't be complaining.
Seriously, we could order 100 packs of post it notes and within 2 days they're gone. At least that's what it seems like to me. And seriously, are people packing away pens in their pants and just leaving them at home?! I don't know how many times I've gone to look for one only to find that I've taken the last one and having to order more boxes.
Now, if someone would just take away the boxes of pamphlets that no one needs anymore...I wouldn't be complaining.
Names
I seem to be pretty good at remembering people and their names. Oh, but sometimes, I'm terrible at it. I'm good when I do the "repeat the person's name 3 times" in a very short period of time. i.e. intro, middle and goodbye. But some people are so interesting throughout the conversation that I forget to do this...therefore a 99% chance that I'll forget their name!!! EEEK!
I just wish there was some mandatory social norm that when you attend parties, you have to wear name tags. Even if you know people there. It helps those that are new to the party, or to a group of friends or a new family. Seriously. It must have taken me 2 years to remember the names on my husband's side of the family. So many!
However, I will try my best to continue to invoke the "say the name 3 times" rule. Because I know I hate it when people get my name wrong.
I just wish there was some mandatory social norm that when you attend parties, you have to wear name tags. Even if you know people there. It helps those that are new to the party, or to a group of friends or a new family. Seriously. It must have taken me 2 years to remember the names on my husband's side of the family. So many!
However, I will try my best to continue to invoke the "say the name 3 times" rule. Because I know I hate it when people get my name wrong.
Flowers
Gift or flowers? Mother's Day is coming up. And we all know how much I like Mother's Day (enter sarcasm here). So I thought I might look up some flower prices. Found one that had a description of
Richmond flower delivery. Prices looked good. Thought it might be worthwhile to do something like that for my Italian mom (caregiver). Then I realized it was in Virginia. Love the woman, but I'm not spending a gazillion dollars in shipping for a vase of flowers. Cheaper for me to just wander over with them.
But saw some neat selections...too bad I'm not in Virginia!
Richmond flower delivery. Prices looked good. Thought it might be worthwhile to do something like that for my Italian mom (caregiver). Then I realized it was in Virginia. Love the woman, but I'm not spending a gazillion dollars in shipping for a vase of flowers. Cheaper for me to just wander over with them.
But saw some neat selections...too bad I'm not in Virginia!
Machines
One of my daycare workers was a bit freaked out today. Had to go for a stress test. This was to get a baseline for his health, especially since his family history is not a healthy one.
Basically the stress test is being hooked up to an ekg machine. You walk on a treadmill, then faster, then up an incline. During the whole time, they monitor you heart rate and blood pressure. I've done it before. No big deal.
But it does give the doctor some great information. Hope he did ok today!!
Basically the stress test is being hooked up to an ekg machine. You walk on a treadmill, then faster, then up an incline. During the whole time, they monitor you heart rate and blood pressure. I've done it before. No big deal.
But it does give the doctor some great information. Hope he did ok today!!
Backyard
For years, I cut the grass in the backyard by myself. But considering my time, I just could never get to it all the time, only to find that I had a jungle growing in the background. So I've converted to having someone come over and do it now. Best decision ever.
So now that my grass is constantly cut, I'm thinking of getting one of those swing sets for the kidlets. Not sure if I want steel or plastic. And how big?! Oh, if I had th money, I'd buy one of those $5,000 swing/play sets. That would so rock! But then, I wonder how long my kids would play with it.
Well, I don't have $5,000 just lying around. So that set isn't even an option.
So now that my grass is constantly cut, I'm thinking of getting one of those swing sets for the kidlets. Not sure if I want steel or plastic. And how big?! Oh, if I had th money, I'd buy one of those $5,000 swing/play sets. That would so rock! But then, I wonder how long my kids would play with it.
Well, I don't have $5,000 just lying around. So that set isn't even an option.
Royal Wedding
Well, like 3 billion people, I watched the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. Yes, I even woke up at 2:45am to watch the whole ceremony...and went to work the next day. Die hard. Yep. But I loved it!
From the beautiful dress, pomp and circumstance, the cute high school looks and giggles, to the supportive crowd...oh, it just made me happy! Oh, and it made me miss London even more.
Even days later, I chatted about the wedding with co-workers. Though I'm not that girly, I was gushing like a little girl who wanted to be a princess.
These two seem perfect for each other. Prince William seems like a complete gentleman and she seems like a smart and beautiful woman. I'd be ok with them being my kind and queen.
From the beautiful dress, pomp and circumstance, the cute high school looks and giggles, to the supportive crowd...oh, it just made me happy! Oh, and it made me miss London even more.
Even days later, I chatted about the wedding with co-workers. Though I'm not that girly, I was gushing like a little girl who wanted to be a princess.
These two seem perfect for each other. Prince William seems like a complete gentleman and she seems like a smart and beautiful woman. I'd be ok with them being my kind and queen.
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