"A Few of my Favorite Things"

Missed Flights, Toys, and the Return of Jaws

2012-01-01T09:36:00.000-08:00

I spent Christmas with my family in Texas (as per my usual). My older sister Teri, decided that she wanted to be adventurous and stay cozy in Reston, VA rather than get on her scheduled flight December 21st. Thanks to nothing short of a Christmas miracle the airline granted her free passage on the same flight the next day. Note to self... cry A LOT the next time you need something. Apparently that works!

While Teri was dealing with her airline debacle and an extra day in D.C, Erin and I enjoyed a matinee showing of Breaking Dawn. We went with full intent of mocking it to no end. Only when we left the theater we found there was nothing to mock. Shockingly it was a pretty good movie.

Jack is really starting to talk, which has been fun to hear. He even says, "Aunt Kristi." Pretty sure I'm his favorite! He has turned out to be quite the helper. Santa's little elf himself. He helped Teri and me wrap presents and then put them all under the tree. Super cute. Although, I can't lie. There may in fact have been more than one time he was gently reprimanded for pulling WAY TOO MUCH tape from the dispenser.

Jason was given two nicknames this year. 1. "Swee Pea." Teri and Erin saw fit to bestow this name upon him seeing as he resembles the cute little cartoon character from Popeye the Sailor Man. I however, took a different view. 2 "Jaws." Now, I know that all babies like to put things in their mouths. But Jason takes the cake on this. He literally eats everything he can get his tiny hands on. EVERYTHING! Just like a little shark! Whenever I saw him coming I found myself humming the famous two notes that have caused fear to enter all ocean goers... "Duh Nuh." Erin continuously defended her son as innocent of all charges. Until one fateful night. The Taylors and Nelsons gathered for BBQ. All was calm. All was right. Then in one quick flash and without warning Jaws attacked. Erin didn't know what to do. Her sweater was being devoured. She looked at me, her eyes pleading for help. But it was too late. The damage had been done. All I could do was shrug my shoulders, and say, "I told you." She agreed with me after that night. Jason, cute as can be, lives up to both names. Also... Jason is a momma's boy. He cries as soon as she leaves the room. Please see documented photo below.

Dad had extensive shoulder surgery the day Teri and I, oh wait. No that's not right. The the day I arrived. Yes, that's correct. Merry Christmas! Right?! Thankfully he is doing pretty well all things considered, and he is falling in love with the new ipad 2 that Santa, aka Mom, bought for him.

As always our Christmas tree was full to the brim with presents and our stockings were stuffed to capacity. Mom did all the shopping, wrapping, cooking, decorating etc etc..... ALL for US. She always goes the extra mile and then some to make everything special. We all made out like bandits. Thank you Mom and Dad!

We all enjoyed each others company. The Nelsons beat the Taylors at charades. Paw? Crutch? What?? Just wait till next year! Jack actually caught on to the idea of opening presents this Christmas and was caught trying to sneak a peak at one of his gifts! No, no Jack! One of his favorite gifts was his remote control car and scooter. I enjoyed pushing him around the block. He cant quite do it without falling over just yet.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year to everyone!!!

God Bless America!

2011-09-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

There are a million things I could say about my trip to China and Vietnam. However, the one thing that keeps ringing in my ears is "God Bless America!" Catherine and I had a great time and experienced once in a lifetime opportunities. One thing we came home with was a new found appreciation for the prosperity and freedoms we have in the USA. The gentleman in front of me chuckled as Catherine and I sang this song as we walked off the plane in NYC. We sang it for ten minutes straight. Please find listed below the top 8 reasons why we found China our least favorite vacation spot.
1. Communism blows (of course we already knew this, but it was reinforced quite nicely on our trip). There is no such thing as privacy. The government watches EVERYTHING you do. There are cameras EVERYWHERE (taxi cabs, hotel rooms, street posts etc), Police EVERYWHERE, you have to go through security to get ANYWHERE (even Tiananmen square... come on now. It's an empty square. What could you possibly blow up there???). In Vietnam I asked our tour operator what the general feeling was about the government there. He stated that he couldn't really discuss such things. Why? Because his coworker recently lost her job for speaking ill of the government when asked how she felt about it by one of the tourists in her group. This all took place in the "quite confines" of their tour van. She now works behind a desk where she can't influence the way others think. Crazy!!
2. Chinese food is gross. Even Catherine agrees, who loves Asian food as a general rule. I pretty much lived on the snickers bars I bought at cost-co before the trip. It's no wonder I gained five pounds.
3. Beijing air quality probably reduced my life by 5-10 years. Visibility was really poor because of pollution. Makes LA look like the cleanest city on earth. We would blow our noses at the end of the night and black would come out. No exaggeration.
4. Chinese people have NO concept of personal space. If you're in their way, don't worry, you won't be for long. People will literally push you out of the way.
5. Chinese people have NO concept of waiting in a line. It's every man for himself in this country. If you're waiting to go to the bathroom you'll wait forever. In other words, don't wait. Simply push in front of everyone else to the nearest stall and barge your way in. Otherwise you may as well pee your pants because you'll never get your turn. Literally. I learned this lesson at the Great Wall of China where I wanted to deck every single person in the bathroom. Don't worry, I didn't. No communist prisons for this American.
6. Chinese people have NO concept of germ control. It's no wonder I had a cold when I was there and when I was in Hong Kong. People cough on you, sneeze on you, spit in front of you, and are constantly hocking and clearing their throats in the most disgusting and obnoxious way possible. It's enough to make you want to puke.7. Not tourist friendly. No one speaks English, which is fine. I don't expect people to in foreign countries. It's just different than anywhere else I've traveled. Thank goodness Catherine knew Mandarin or we would have been SOL.
8. Toilets are generally in the form of squaters (a whole in the ground), and you have to bring your own toilet paper.

Now, having said all this... the things we saw and did in China were absolutely spectacular. The landscape is beautiful. The Great Wall of China is truly a wonder to behold and made my top ten list of best life experiences. That alone was worth the time and money spent. We ventured into several small villages where the locals make no more than $30 per year. Yes, I said per YEAR. They are totally self-sufficient. We also took a river boat cruise through the "finger mountains" and hiked through the Longji-Terraced Rice fields. Never seen anything like it. Stunning. We took a float down a small river on a bamboo raft. Surprisingly enough, we enjoyed our best Chinese meal at a local village. Quite tasty actually. Also, too our pleasant surprise we still had our appetite for this meal even though we had been to the worst smelling bathroom only minutes before. I swear a pig wandered through during the middle of our business. Turns out the incessant oinking I heard was indeed from a pig. His stall was right next door. The Terracotta Warriors blow your mind. To have survived over 2000 years is amazing. They were all hand carved and buried with the emperor who conceived of them... for the purpose of protecting him in the afterlife. Nothing like stone to protect you when you're dead. Don't worry. This kind emperor had all the sculptors buried alive for their hard work and service. Disturbing. Everything is fairly inexpensive there. Cabs are SUPER cheap as is food, water, and souvenires. That pretty much sums up China! Oh, also on a positive note, you still get served meals on flights in China. No matter what time of day. Ha! What a concept.

Vietnam was much more pleasant than China. The people were friendlier. Things were even less expensive (if that was even possible). The food was much tastier. And I didn't feel watched QUITE as much. Not as many cameras everywhere. My favorite Vietnamese meals were the Pho (famous soup) and the elephant ear fish. Yes, I actually ate that fish. Scary looking as he was. Tasted very good. I was tired enough of snickers to suck it up and try it. We stayed on a beach resort for a few days where I did some kayaking and got a nice tan. This particular beach (called China beach) is where US soldiers would go for R&R during the war. The water was perfect and the view amazing.

From there we headed to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). We toured the floating markets and some villages in the area. Again very impoverished people. They live on their boats in the market for days at a time selling the goods they raised on their farms. If you want some corn, or a pumpkin, or some tomatoes you simply get in your wooden boat and ride up to the other boats on the river and purchase what you need. You then go back to the business of selling your own goods.

Our final stop was at the Cu Chi Tunnels. Although very interesting and admittedly brilliant, this was unfortunately a death trap for thousands of American and south Vietnamese soldiers. The north Vietnamese built hundreds of miles of tunnels underground to avoid bombings during the war. They placed endless booby traps throughout the forest and had endless entry points in and out of the tunnels. The Americans didn't know what hit them. The Vietnamese lived in these tunnels for upwards of five years or more only coming out to fight or for a two hour reprieve in the middle of the night after the Americans had retreated. We crawled through one of the tunnels (made larger for tourists). No more than 3 feet tall and two feet wide. And that was larger! It was kind of miserable. We were sweating like pigs by the time we got out 5 minutes later. Can't imagine living underground for so long. Dark, cramped, stuffy, no space. Terrible experience for all involved in this horrible war. On that positive note... we began our travels home..... TO.... God Bless America!!!!!!!

My first meal was Mexican food. I had been dreaming about it from the moment I landed in China. It was just as amazing as I remembered it.

For those of you looking for a vacation destination, take my advice... hit up somewhere in North America.... or maybe Europe... or how about Mexic? Oh wait, I mean don't go to Mexico. Until next time...

Climbing Carderock

2011-07-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that climbing outdoors is VERY different than climbing indoors. The rocks are more slippery, the holds are harder to find (not to mention smaller), and you sweat. Just fyi, sweat running down your hands and arms makes the task of NOT falling off the side of the mountain even more daunting. This was my first outdoor climbing experience. I found it to be rather stressful for all of the above mentioned reasons. Having said that, it was a learning experience, and I'm excited to go again sometime soon. I only fell once. The ropes we were using had a lot of give which made it seem like I fell a solid ten feet before stopping. In reality it was probably more like 5. I made it to the top and felt like I had really accomplished something. It's kind of like a puzzle... figuring out where to put your hands and feet and maneuvering in such a way that you get from one spot to the next. It's not easy. The face (cliff) we were climbing was probably around 40-50 ft in height. I went with Catherine and two of her friends from work. We had a great time... minus the wet dogs that kept running around while splashing us with their muddy paws. Hello? Where were the owners? Sheesh. Next climb? Mount Everest.

Never Suppress...

2011-05-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

A generous thought. I started out my day feeling like a rage machine. I was tired and cranky and wanted all the slow pokes who kept cutting me off to GET OUT OF MY WAY! Fortunately my day ended on a much humbler note. I left work at 6:20 and was headed down the road for a 630 visiting teaching appointment when an Indian woman in her mid 40s pulled up next to me and gestured for me to roll down my window. I did, figuring something was wrong with my car. Thankfully, my car was just fine. She proceeded to ask if I knew how to get to "Nelson St," and could I please help her because her "kids were hungry." She had a son and daughter, both under the age of 11 from the looks of it, in the car with her. She was clearly distressed. I had a hard time understanding her accent and asked her to repeat the name of the street a few times. It turned out that I didn't know where the street was. I said I was sorry and we rolled up our windows.

Here's where the generous thought came in... I thought to myself, "I could look that street up on my GPS, but by the time I get it out and turn it on the light in front of us will turn green. " I wrestled with that for a few seconds and almost drove away when I made the decision to pull over. I gestured for her to follow while calling my friend to let her know I would be late. I got out of the car, GPS in hand, and walked up to her window. She showed me the address and I typed it in. I figured the kids were late for a birthday/pizza party or something. Seeing as my GPS is new I couldn't figure out how to get the actual word by word directions (I'm no technological guru). She asked if she could follow me and I said, "Sure no problem." In our cars we got... and off we went. Three turns and about 2 minutes later we were at our destination. My eyes were instantly tear filled as I read the sign on the building of 7208 S Nelson St, "Arlington Food Assistance Center." Dozens of people stood outside waiting for their meal. This is where her two hungry children would eat dinner for the night. No pizza/birthday party for them. I got out of my car as did the woman. She thanked me several times and said that she had "only been here three times," indicating that this was why she couldn't remember how to find the center. I got back in my car and started to leave when another thought came to my mind, "Give her the cash in your wallet." I got back out of the car and handed her the cash. I could tell she didn't want to take it because she felt badly. I insisted and she accepted. She just kept thanking me so genuinely. She asked me what my name was and then said, "Kids this is Kristi." They smiled happily and said "hello." They seemed just as sweet as could be. As I drove away she waved and just kept saying "Thank you."

I felt so humbled by this experience. It completely changed the ending to my day. I went from rage machine to awe struck and speech less. What would have happened if I hadn't taken a few seconds to help this person out? Maybe she would have found the shelter, maybe she wouldn't have. Regardless, I'm sure God would have provided some other way to help this woman and her family. Either way I'm so grateful I was able to be that person today. It has taught me a number of important life lessons. It is SO easy to suppress a generous prompting. Life is busy and we all have places to be and things to do. We move on from one hectic moment to the next often whizzing by people in need without even realizing it. I share this experience because it touched me so deeply... not for the sake of "tooting my own horn." I only share this experience in the hope that whoever reads this (including myself) will try their best to never suppress a generous thought, because you never know who's prayer you'll be the answer to.

"Run a Muck"

2011-05-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

A few friends and I ran a 5k this weekend in Rockville, MD. The name of the race was properly titled "Run a Muck." For an obvious explanation of the origination of this name please see the before and after pictures in this blog. I selflessly offered to drive to the event... as Catherine would have none of this mess in her sleek IS 250! Ha ha. Fair enough. The race started at 1:30 in the afternoon. The weather turned out to be sunny and cool which was perfect. The course involved many obstacles such as crawling under and through wires, climbing a rock wall, jumping over hurdles, clambering through tires and of course the MUD pits. There were several hundred participants in the race and we excitedly started out at the head of the pack, and it didn't take long to get dirty... or STUCK for that matter. Literally. At one point I thought I might become a permanent fixture of one of the mud pits. Thankfully, Peter (the friend in picture next to me) came to the rescue... while Catherine left for me dead! Just like she did in Mexico. But that's another story. :) The mud pits were between 50-100 yards long and there were three of them. My feet got stuck in the first one along with Catherine's and Kyle's. We were able to dig ourselves out and stayed to the outside of the pit where the mud was harder, the rest of the way. I got a little too excited on the second pit and went straight for the middle. I thought, "If I just go fast enough...." BAD idea. VERY bad idea. I was stuck in mud all the way up to my mid thighs and nothing I tried was successful in getting me loose. My shoes were so weighed down with mud I couldn't lift my feet up. They acted like giant anchors. I tried to dig myself out but as soon as I picked up a glob of mud more mud just seeped into the whole I had just created. Peter grabbed both my arms and tried his darndest to pull me out... to no avail. I think I moved about an inch. Finally I was able to lift my leg just high enough that Peter was able to pick my leg up out of the mud the rest of the way (with great effort I might add) He then took my shoe OFF and threw it to the end of the mud pit. We did the same routine with my other leg and then he helped pull me out. This took about ten minutes. Where were Catherine and Kyle during all of this? Laughing on the sidelines. Catherine had been stuck as well, however, once she got loose she said peace out... and off she went! My socks were left as a memorial to my bondage there. May they rest in peace. We all got stuck several times in the remaining pit... but not to the same extent. Just mid calf. Random runners would help dig me out and then I would help dig out random runners. We all worked together!

The final stretch was the best and most anticipated part. At the finish line there was a pool of muddy water. The water was about 12-18 inches deep. You had to swim through the water from end to end. There were wires over head to make sure you got wet. No standing or walking alowed. We made a pact to run and leap into the bath super man style all at the same time. We received a loud cheer of approval from the crowd of onlookers. Tons of people got booed for trying to avoid getting so dirty. But we got quite the round of applause. Peter, Catherine, and I jogged the last 20 yards and crossed the finish line "slip n slide" style. With a running start we slid across the line face first. The race was a blast. We had a really great time. I've never done anything quite like it. There were showers available of course. We all cleaned up as best we could and changed clothes and then grabbed a bite to eat afterward. I was pulling chunks of dirt out of my nose and ears all night long. Sorry, that was probably too much information! I think my shoes will be retired. I've run them through the washer twice and they still aren't looking so good. Oh well! Run a Muck was worth it... any one in for next years race??

Cast Your Vote

2011-04-01T18:20:00.000-07:00

My roommate Catherine and I are planning a vacation for this fall but we need some help deciding where to go... So I'm putting our options out there for public opinion and a formal vote. Please cast a vote via the comment section of my blog. For those of you who don't know how to comment (aka mom and dad) you may send an email.

For Mom and Dad's sake we'll start from the most "scary" places to the least scary... so as to get the anxiety out of the way in the initial stages of this process.

1. Safari (in the safest possible place in Africa)... and I promise NOT to try to pet any of the wild animals... or at least not any of the ones that can run me over in a stampede or eat me.

2. China and it's Great Wall... all several hundred miles of it!

3. Thailand (I can hold a BABY tiger AND safely ride an elephant). Heck ya!

4. Turkey - I hear it's GORGEOUS!

5. Czech Republic (Prague) and Austria

6. Macchu Picchu Peru and it's ancient ruins.

7. OR insert your own vote here if you have a different idea/suggestion!!

Come one, call all... it's voting time!!!

Back in the Game

2011-03-27T18:52:00.001-07:00

Thursday night marked my first soccer game in 12 years. I'm playing on a coed team and I was SO happy to find that I've still got skeels!! My reflexes aren't what they were when I was 18, but all things considered they're still pretty darn good. I scored two of my teams 7 goals. The only problem is that I was sucking wind like no other. I forgot how painful soccer is even when you're in shape! Unfortunately, ever muscle in body is screaming at me now. Literally. It takes tremendous effort to do daily activities such as getting in and out of a chair, putting on my shoes, squatting, undressing, etc. So sad... but so worth it. Also, let it be known that in my coed, church flag football game this weekend I had 2 of our 4 touchdowns, and two interceptions. Not too shaby if I do say so myself. Thats all.

Hong Kong 2011

2011-01-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong was a blast. I loved it... minus the food and the lack of regard for personal space that Asians seem to have (no offense to any of my Asian friends reading this blog). Here's a quick digest of some of my favorite experiences:

1. Monkey Mountain. Monkey's literally roam free on this mountain road. My goal was to pet a monkey. Afterall they are sweet, cute little things right? And surely they would enjoy a little back scratch from an equally as sweet and cute little human. I should have read the "Protect Yourself From Monkey's Sign" before entering monkey mountain not after leaving it. I approached one slowly and squatted down about 2 feet away from him. He didn't mind this at all. No problem yet. I held out my hand, palm up and this is when the monkey barred his fangs and hissed at me. Yes I said fangs. They looked like that to me. It was like he was part vampire. Not only did he show his teeth and hiss but he lunged at me. Thankfully at 30 years old I still have good reflexes. I jumped about ten feet in the air and backed away quickly. Threatening to put my foot in the monkey's mouth by way of a swift kick in the teeth also got the monkey to back off. Catherine and her friend Oscar were laughing in the background. By the end of our walk 3 monkeys hissed at me. I deserved the first two. But not the last one. Anyway, my goal to pet a monkey was not accomplished. And not only that, but I don't think I like monkey's anymore. Hmph. Their loss.

2. Big Buddha - This is the largest outdoor Buddha statue in the world. It was absolutely massive. Located in the mountains. The landscape was beautiful.

3. Chinese Garden - These ancient homes are built like giant puzzles. No nails or screws of any kind are used. Pretty impressive and really beautiful.

4. Hong Kong Harbor - Hong Kong is massive. It makes NYC look like a playground. The skyscrapers are huge, they're everywhere, and they are packed really closely together. Even on the hillsides.

5. Wet Market - I loved this stop. They sell whole chickens... neck, head and all along with various other animal parts from cows, ducks etc. I watched several fish meet the end of their fate. Poor little guys. They kill the fish right in front of you with one whack to the head with a mallet. Then they scale him and slice him up. One minute he's alive and the next he's gone. The cycle of life. Glad that's not how it works for us.

6. Buddhist temple - This was a really interesting experience. I watched people light incense and worship. The incense was a little overwhelming actually. Worshipers brought food as offerings such as whole pigs and chickens, fishes, and fruits. I liked the art and design of the temples. Lots of dragons and intricate details.

7. Macau Tower and St Paul's Cathedral - On Macau island off of Hong Kong. Even though it's part of China you have to have a passport to get through. It's a Portugese island. The tower is the 10th largest in the world. The glass floor was freaky! Made you feel like you were about to drop to your death.

The Cathedral was blown to bits during some war so only the face still stands. There aren't many, if any, Christian Cathedral's in Hong Kong.

8. One of My Favorite Buildings - It was made to look like Koala's are climbing it. Cool huh?

Some other interesting things...

People wear medical masks here a lot. Was weird to see at first. But after being on the subway with tons of people who have no regard for personal space and cough all over you (people literally don't cover their mouth and cough on you) I began understand why people where masks.

Road a double decker bus.

Walked on a concrete soccer field. Who thought that was a good idea???

Trees grow out of walls here.

The grocery store shelves are SO straight and tidy. I really liked that.

Actually tried some Asian cuisine. I'll stick to American food thank you. But at least I tried. Right?

My trip to Hong Kong was awesome. I had a really great time... minus the cold I got two days after being there! I would recommend a stop to Hong Kong for anyone interested in experiencing a taste of Asia. It's a really neat city.

Back on the Bandwagon

2011-01-01T19:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok, ok. So I haven't been the best blogger. True. Life got a little ugly for a while, so it just wasn't on the top of my priority list. That's fair, right? I think so.

Let's do a quick recap of the last 16 months to catch everyone up to speed.

So you all know I've been sick... no need to recap that. I'm a lot better now. Not 100%, but well on my way to being mended.

Thanksgiving/Christmas 2009 went home to TX. First Thanksgiving in TX since I moved to D.C.

January 2010 went to TX yet again to see my grandparents, aunt, and family.

January 2010 SNOW STORMS galore. It didn't take long to learn that I hate snow. Digging your car out sucks. Record snow in VA. 2 feet.

March 2010: Start a gluten free diet for three months to help decrease inflammation in my system. OMG. That sucked. The end.

April 11, 2010: Turned 30. Had a small party. Didn't really care though. Too many other things on my mind.

April 2010: Went to Fort Lauderdale, FL with a friend for the weekend. Rained almost the entire time. :(

April 2010: Sold my house and for a profit at that!!

May 13th 2010: Hit up Mrytle Beach, SC with a few friends. Lazy river, cozy sand, hot sun. So niiiiice.

June 2010. Discovered that my place of employment and car had mold problems. Happy freakin day.

July 2010: Head down to Destin, FL for a family vacation. First family vacation I can recall. Went parasailing, saw a dolphin show, enjoyed the pool, bought cheap t-shirts etc. Lots of fun. Sand was super soft and really white. No oil to be seen. Jack Jack is the man. Lil man. So cute. Even his temper tantrums are cute.

August 2010 new job opportunity fell into my lap. It was a miracle actually. Found a place that was a mile from my house, offered close to the same pay, for 32 hours worth of work... that was mold free. And I didn't even have to look. The job came to me. HF answers prayers.

September 2010 sold my Honda Lucky Seven. Purchased a 2010 Toyota Rav 4. His name is Tox. He is sooo niiiice.

September 2010 put in my two weeks notice. Head to Cancun, Mexico with my best friend who also just turned 30. We went to celebrate our 30th birthdays. Snorkeled, got massages on the beach, ate to our hearts content (which I'm still paying for, btw), swam, slept, saw some ruins, and almost got sex trafficked on a bus excursion... literally. That was actually a traumatic experience. But we escaped unscathed.

October 2010 went to Puerto Rico for 4 days. Beautiful Island. Enjoyed yet another beach, hiked through a rain forest, walked across the cobble stone roads of Old San Juan, and toured the old Spanish fort that the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie is being filmed in.

October 2010 spent some time with my cousin Ryan who flew in from California. Enjoyed Great Falls, the D.C. sites, and a new restaurant called Big Bowl. So so tasty. My goodness. Wish I had discovered it sooner.

November 2010 Thanksgiving with Teri. Hit up a local Walmart, made some care packages for homeless people and passed them out in D.C. This is our new Turkey Day tradition. Humbling and rewarding experience.

December 2010 Christmas in TX. Got my first firearm!! Merry Christmas. I'm so excited. Can't wait to go shoot it. Enjoyed time with the fam and with Baby Jack. Finally broke my losing streak during family game time. I'm on the winning side now!!! And don't you forget it.

January 2010... Happy New Year. I go to Hong Kong on the 13th for ten days to visit Catherine who is currently there for work.

Well, there you have it. Now you're all updated. I promise to keep the blogs coming from here on out or my name isn't Kristi Taylor.

"Why not go to Italy?"

2009-08-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

One day I woke up and thought to myself, "Why not go to Italy?" At that moment I decided to plan a trip to Europe... with Italy as the focus. My friend Emily Hardman and I spent two weeks in Croatia, Italy, and Greece and had the time of our lives... its hard to condense two weeks of bliss into a blog entry, but I'll do the best I can to keep it short and sweet. As Maria Von Trapp would say, "Let's start at the very beginning...."

My first stop was actually in Paris, France as can be seen in the picture to the left. I had a 12 hour layover in Paris before meeting my friend in Croatia. Naturally, I left the airport and saw the sights. I won't lie. I was a little nervous about Paris. Everyone I spoke to told me how rude the french people are... Even my french co-worker confirmed this. I was positive I would get lost, not find my way back to the airport and miss my flight to Croatia. Thankfully, this was not the case. I did my best to speak the little french I had learned, from Rick-Steve's pocket guide, to the locals and graciously they always responded in English.

I hit up the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, San Chapelle, and the Arc de Triomphe. No, I didn't go to the top of the Eiffel tower (too many people and I was hot and tired); yes, there are scary gargoyles on Notre Dame Cathedral; walking through San Chapelle was like being inside a jewelry box, and the Arc De Triomphe needs an elevator. I climbed all 234 plus stairs to enjoy the view from the top. Seeing as that was my last stop of the day, I had my suitcases in hand, and I had been up for over 24 hours straight I was a little tired to say the least. But the view was amazing and was worth the climb... and I even made it back to the airport with time to spare!

I landed in Zagreb, Croatia around 10:00 PM and collected the second stamp in my passport of the day. We stayed in a cute little hostel (barely big enough for two twin beds) in the heart of old town Zagreb. In the morning we grabbed breakfast at an open air market and enjoyed the quaint shops and cobble stone roads. From there we hopped on a bus and drove through some of the most beautiful country side I have ever seen, landing us in Pula, Croatia 3 hours later. The next morning we got on the local bus that took us to the beach. On this particular bus ride I had my first cultural experience if you will. My friend Emily had her feet propped up on the seat in front of her. Apparently, not a good idea (even though the bus was nearly empty). An older gentleman walked by, rolled up his newspaper, and while yelling in Croatian hit Emily with his rolled up newspaper; with his wife glaring at me all the while. Emily couldn't help but laugh. I wanted to yell at the guy. Looking back, it was pretty darn funny.

We made it to the beach a short 15 minutes later... not your typical beach. You didn't pull up a nice spot of sand to sit on... it was more like pick a rock that looks relatively smooth and pop a squat! When you wanted to take a dip you just jumped off the rocks into the water. It was different than anything I had ever seen. We met a few nice people our age from Germany and the Czech Republic and enjoyed spending the day with them. I did some cliff jumping which was a blast (minus the sting when I hit the water of course). The highest cliff I jumped from was 40 feet high. The water was just amazing. Crystal clear, perfectly blue, fish swimming around you etc etc. I loved every minute and was sad when the day rolled to an end. We ate at McDonald's that night. Let me tell you, I have NEVER been so happy to eat at a McDonald's in all my life. It was so nice to have french fries instead of pizza or some kind of pasta. It was the best ever... even despite the fact that I had to pay for each individual packet of ketchup with my meal. That was my last cultural experience of the day.

The next morning we hopped on a ferry and headed for Venice, Italy where we collected stamp number 3 for our passports. Venice is just like the movies make it out to be. I felt like I was in a scene from the Italian Job or something. Venice was hands down my favorite city in Italy. Water is so calming to me so naturally I loved all the canals and charming gondolas... although at $120 a pop we enjoyed them from the side walk. After a few days in Venice we got on a train and went to La Spezia, where we hiked the Cinque Terre. Let me tell you it was no small miracle that we even made it to La Spezia. Rail Europe needs to get their facts straight. We were only supposed to have ONE (key word ONE) connection on that train ride. We'll just say it was more like 4 trains, a bus ride, and 8 hours later... at one point as we were driving through the mountains of Italy in the middle of NOWHERE. I thought for sure the bus driver was going to dump us all on the side of the road and steal our passports. Thankfully he didn't, and we eventually arrived at our hotel. Yet another cultural experience that Emily and I laugh about now. PS. I quickly learned that people don't speak English in small town Italy... I had been so spoiled up to that point.

The Cinque Terre is magnificently beautiful. We hiked 7 miles through the mountains right along a cliff line that over looks the Mediterranean Sea. Along the hike are 5 villages that you passed through. Some of them appeared as though they were literally clinging to the cliffs. This hike made the 234 stair climb up the Arc De Triomphe look like a cake walk. We enjoyed a few different beaches here. Again... more rocks. Not much sand. It was starting to grow on me. Who needs sand anyway? The water was just as clean and clear as the water in Croatia. It was like a day out of my perfect life.

Florence was our next pit stop via Pisa. You have no option but to connect in Pisa on the way to Florence. Naturally we took advantage of this. We got off the train, walked to the leaning tower, took a few pictures documenting that we were actually there, and then got right back on the train. We arrived in Florence around 200PM. We were both so tired by that point that we went to sleep for three hours straight! We had an awesome view from our hotel room... as is seen to the right. One of my favorite moments happened next... oh happy day! We were so fortunate to finally find a MEXICAN food restaurant. Enough with the pasta and pizza already! We were needing some variety. We always got a kick out of the looks people gave us when we asked if there was a Mexican restaurant in town. But we finally prevailed and ate at the only one in Florence. Don't get me wrong... Italian food is my favorite. But you can only eat so much of it. Thank heaven for salty chips and fajitas. Florence is a beautiful city. Of course we enjoyed all of the famous sites including Michelangelo's "David." And to continue the theme of hiking and climbing... I made it all the way to the top of the bell tower (414 steps total). At least this time I was well rested and my bags were at the hotel. The view was breath taking and the highlight of my time in Florence.

Our last stop in Italy was Rome... It was here that I actually felt the NEED to watch my back. Pick-pockets everywhere. We hit up the Vatican, which included the Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter's Basilica, the Coliseum, the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, and the Spanish Steps. My favorite part of Rome was the Trevi fountain and the Sistine Chapel. It was really hard to get a photo of Michelangelo's famous paintings with all the guards yelling at you every two minutes... but Emily and I were successful in the end due to her creativity. How could I forget to mention the best part of our entire trip up to this point? Can you say gelato? It's everywhere and we had at least 2 per day. So tasty.

From Rome we caught a flight to Athens, Greece... where we didn't get a fourth stamp in our passports. Greece is a part of the EU. Consequently, we didn't have to go through immigration. I was real sad about that. But I wasn't disappointed by Athens in general. It's a spectacular city. Surprisingly, I enjoyed Greek food the best hands down. I had fresh orange juice daily. It literally tasted like I was drinking an orange. It's the only way I can describe it. It was so good. We hiked around the many temples to the various Greek gods... which of course included the Parthenon.

Our next and final morning we took a ferry to a little island called Agina. Once we arrived at the beach (which actually consisted of sand this time), I kept thinking to myself, "This isn't real." It was like something out of a magazine. You know, the kind of magazine pictures that you assume are altered by computer imaging because they can't possibly be that beautiful in reality. It was so picturesque and surreal. I'll let the photos do the talking from here. I found a star fish in the sea. It was pink. So pretty. Here's a funny story for you. We ate lunch at the little cafe that was literally on the beach right next to our beach chairs. I ordered the "small fried fish," assuming that I was getting fish and chips. I was so wrong and wanted to hurl when the waiter placed 20 "small fried fish," head, tail, and all right in front of me. There wasn't enough ketchup and water that could get that fish down me. I stuck to the fries! Ha ha.

And that my friends is the end my trip in a nut shell. I realize this was a long blog entry and for that my apologies. But I could have written novels more. The new cultures, the people, the food, the views, the train rides, everything was a blast and was worth every minute of time and money spent. I would do it again in a heart beat. So if you ever find yourself thinking, "Why not go to Italy?" take my advice and GO!

"You will want to die"

2009-05-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to provide comfort prior to surgery my good friend Tiffany said, "Don't be alarmed. When you wake up, you will want to die. This is normal." Those words were the only thing that brought even a semblance of a smile to my face in the recovery room... because they were true, and in a funny sort of way it made me chuckle. I wanted to die! A combination of feeling completely out of control due to the anesthesia, feeling very short of breathe, wanting to vomit, and being completely paralyzed in my right arm, left me with the feeling of "wishing I would die." Apparently being a non-drinker doesn't help the recovery process seeing as my body isn't used to drugs. According to the nurse I have a "pure system." It took me twice as long as most people to come out of recovery. I should have left by ten, but didn't leave till almost 12.

It's a very strange feeling to be paralyzed. No matter how hard I looked at my fingers and said, "Wiggle" they just wouldn't listen. I think that's the thing that bothered me the most. It was very disconcerting even though I knew that the feeling in my arm would eventually come back... or at least in theory.

My sister Teri was great. The only glitch was that her alarm did not go off. I received a very frantic call at 553 AM (seven minutes prior to when she was supposed to get me) stating that she had just woken up! I called a friend and she dropped me off at the hospital. In the mean time Teri risked life and limb to make it to the hospital in time to wish me well... this included excessive speeding and driving in the HOV lane illegally. She made it and was there with me through the pre-op experience. This was a good thing. I would have no recollection of speaking with my surgeon otherwise. When they started the pain block (paralyzing agent) for my arm, we'll just say I became rather loopy. I vaguely remembering asking my surgeon a question... mostly I was fixated on how I was pretty sure the stripes on the curtains surrounding my bed weren't supposed to be moving back and forth and up and down.

Teri was then shewed away, and I was wheeled into the operating room. I remember huge lights and lots of sterile instruments. The nurse wheeled me next to the operating table and asked me to move from the current bed to the table. I told her that I didn't know if I could (please remember I'm still very loopy), to which she responded, "Well, you're gonna have to." My first thought was that this response was not very nice and that I did not appreciate her tone of voice. However, she was right. So I used all of my energy and successfully transferred to the operating table. The only thing I left behind was my right arm... it was still on the gurney. I reached over with my left arm, picked it up and plopped it beside me. This made the nurse laugh. And that my friends is the last thing I remember prior to waking up, and "wanting to die."

I've already mentioned what post-op was like. So I won't say anymore about that... other than that Teri was great. She filled my prescription, got me some ginger ale (even though the nurse yelled at her for this), helped me get dressed... which wasn't a pretty site, for Teri that is, and patiently waited for me to be coherent enough to walk to the car. When I arrived at home Teri had gotten me a cute balloon along with flowers, a card, and markers for my cast. She stayed with me the rest of the day and helped tremendously around the house. I was glad she was able to be with me. She was a huge help and was very comforting.

Perhaps the funniest part were my instructions from the hospital, which stated that if my fingers turned white or blue I needed to go to the emergency room immediately. The reason this is funny is because my fingers were already blue from the dye used during surgery (and still are, by the way). Heck if I could tell if there was anything wrong. But I can feel them, move them, and they aren't fat like "sausages" (another thing the instructions said to look for), so I'm assuming they're alright. Fortunately, I haven't been in much pain at all. Percocet works, in case you wanted to know.

The surgeon said things went very well. I'm in a sling 24/7 until Friday, at which point the stitches will be removed, and I will be casted. In the mean time, I've had great friends who've helped me do a number of things that can not be done one handed... some of which will not be mentioned on this blog. Otherwise, I'm learning to be more ambidextrous. Showering is fun and involves newspaper bags and rubber bands. I already appreciate my right hand so much more. Let the good times roll!!!

And the Verdict is...

2009-05-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

According to my orthopedic doctor and two hand surgeons the verdict is a resounding yes for surgery! And not only that but a bone graft. And not only a bone graft, but a pin as well. And if you thought that was the end, think again. Not only surgery with a bone graft and a pin, but two months in a cast afterwards. And finally, not only casting after surgery but another 4-6 weeks in a splint after that! Ten dollars to the first person who can tell me what doesn't sound fun about that! For those of you who are wondering, the bone graft will likely come from the radius, which is a bone in the forearm.

Though the above mentioned procedures aren't exactly exciting, it could always be worse. And what doesn't kill you will make you better, right? In all honesty I've been very blessed. A door was opened for me to see one of the top hand surgeons in the area. It normally takes several months to even get an initial visit with this guy. I called on Monday, and was in to see him on Friday (there had been a cancellation), which was nothing short of a miracle. Furthermore I should be on the operating table within a couple weeks. All in all I would say things are working out quite nicely for the beginning to the end of my hand problems.

That Dadgum Fourwheeler

2009-05-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

For the first time since I broke my hand during my off-roading experience in California nearly nine months ago, I found myself cursing that day. Last Wednesday I went to my ortho for a follow up on an MRI I recently had done. Though I'm still in pain we were hoping he would be able to clear me for sports. Needless to say I was shocked and discouraged when he mentioned words such as, avascular necrosis, surgery, pin etc. etc. Avascular necrosis is basically a fancy way of saying that my bone is dying. Yes, dying. The blood flow has been compromised and as a result the fracture isn't healing. Good times. I see a surgeon this week. Most likely I'll have a pin placed in the bone and will be immobilized for a period of time. Who would have thought? 45 minutes of fun on a four wheeler and nine months later we're talking surgery. Oh well. You live, you learn, and you have surgery! I guess that basketball court will be waiting for a few more months.

God Bless Texas and Baby Jack

2009-05-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago I took a trip back to the "Blessed Homeland" as I like to call it. It was time to visit family... especially Baby Jack (my nephew). It was so nice to be at home where you can see for miles and miles. If you need to pull off the highway to stop at a Taco Bueno for example, you can spot one from the road easily. In D.C. with all the trees it's a guessing game and you're lucky to find so much as a gas station. It was so refreshing to see the open skies, and large clouds. Even the cows on the way to my grandma's house made me smile.

Most importantly Baby Jack was just as cute as could be. Now for those of you who know me... I am NOT a baby person. But I just couldn't get enough of him. Unfortunately, Erin wouldn't let me bring him back to D.C., which was very selfish of her. She's the youngest in the family. It's to be expected I suppose. One of my favorite moments with Jack was when he tried his first bite of fish. He scrunched up his face real fast. Not that I blame him. Who likes fish anyhow? It was pretty entertaining. He chewed on that for a while. Lol. His favorite game is being chased around a chair. We played that daily. He's learning to walk, which is fun. He's a bundle of cuteness... which Runs in the family.

Mom pulled out the whip and made me do some spring cleaning. I took a walk down memory lane and trashed piles and piles of old junior high and high school memorabilia. The rest came home to D.C. with me. I had dinner with some of my college b-ball teammates which was such a blast. My trip to Texas was a lot of fun. I just wish it could have lasted longer!

Back By Popular Request

2009-04-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

Though my blog was originally for the sole purpose of keeping the masses updated while I was in California last year, I've decided to continue blogging due to popluar request. The most exciting thing that has occured since my last entry nearly seven months ago is that I officially own property in the United States of America! Yes, that's right, I'm a proud home owner. Other than the refrigerator blowing up three times during my first week at mi casa... along with other things such as the kitchen sink and the windows... things are great! No exaggeration on the refrigerator either. Ya, that's actually still a work in progress, and I've learned not to be bothered by water spewing everywhere. Nothing that a few towels and a bucket can't fix. It's amazing the things you learn how to do when you own your home. My new best friend is my power drill. I know how to rip up lanolium (and carpet for that matter) and lay new tile in it's place. Who needs a handy man anyway? God bless America and the right to own property... however small it may be!

From One "Happy Place" to the Next

2008-10-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

A little over 7 months ago I arrived in Orange County, California, my so called "Happy Place," for a temporary work assignment. That assignment has come to an end, and I am now back in northern Virginia. My time in California was a tremendous blessing, and I already miss being there. Among the greatest of those blessings was the opportunity to spend so much time with my extended family and to get to know them on a deeper level. That in and of itself was worth my time away from the D.C. area. I was able to do and see a lot of really neat and amazing things, as is seen in my many blog entries. A great time was had! But for now it's back to life in Virginia with all it's joys and stresses. I'm grateful to know that during those crazy moments of life I have "happy places" I can visit here as well. May the record show that life rolls on from one "Happy Place," to the next.

See Ya Later Orange County... Hello Pacific Coast Highway!

2008-10-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

After 7 months of great adventures and new memories my assignment in California had come to an end. It was time to pack up and head out. While this brought a certain level of sadness, it also came with great anticipation. My roommate Anna and I had been planning a trip up the well known Pacific Coast Highway for a year, and finally, the time had arrived for our vacation. She flew out from D.C. on Sunday evening, and we started our trek bright and early the next morning. Due to 7 months of driving in LA traffic I successfully mapped out a course that got us through the city in approximately an hour... which I will say I was quite proud of.

The drive absolutely lived up to it's expectations. It was everything people made it out to be. Prior to this trip I was certain I was the queen of picture taking. However, Anna definitely out did me and now holds the name of "Kelly Kodak." I think we took a total of 600 photos... we ended up having to stop at Best Buy to pick up a new memory card, as a matter of fact.

Perhaps the most memorable part of our trip was when I accomplished one of my life goals of petting a squirrel. Yes, I said squirrel. At Moro Bay there's a place where the squirrels will eat out of your hand. One jumped right on my lap. Let me tell you those were some fat squirrels. They were not wanting for anything.

We also enjoyed the amazing redwood forests, waterfalls, cliffs, lighthouses, beaches, winding roads etc. etc. I wish I could have bottled it up and taken back to D.C. with me. Perhaps one of my next favorite moments was when Anna and I decided we wanted a picture of us dipping our toes in the ocean. Unfortunately, we got a little too far out and ended up having to change clothes. Those California waves can get big!

We spent a few days in San Francisco which is one of the prettiest cities I've been too. I think by the end of our trip we knew the streets of that city inside and out. We hit up Ghirardelli Square, a few museums, of course the Golden Gate Bridge, The Painted Ladies, and several parks.

My California adventure ended on the perfect note. I watched the sunset over the Pacific Ocean from the top of a cliff. It was the perfect culminating moment at the end of a 7 month adventure. It was so peaceful and calming and a great time for quiet reflection.
From there it was off to the airport and hello Washington D.C. My flight was a red-eye... which I will never do again, by the way!! The trip was a blast, and I loved every moment of it.

All Things Ridiculous

2008-10-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Before my work assignment ended in California one of the things I wanted to do was take a quick trip to Beverly Hills... for one reason and one reason only; I wanted to take a peek at all the ridiculous houses. I couldn't care less about seeing movie stars, I just wanted to see their homes, some of which looked more like small hotels, I might add!

So, an old friend from my college days and I drove around town after work one night. Not knowing where to go really we just drove until we found neighborhoods that looked promising. After about 30 minutes or so we found some. Let me just tell you, you could immediately tell when you entered "Ritzville" because it was as though you had entered another realm. Every house was completely surrounded by high walls with security cameras or motion sensors, with private, gated entry ways. Now, we're not talking about little chain-linked gates. We're talking about gates that almost seemed to speak to you as it were. It was as if I could hear them saying, "If you come anywhere near me, I will have you shot on the spot." The houses were massive and absolutley gorgeous. Everything was in pristine condition, the yards, the roads, the mailboxes, even the firehydrants seemed to be gold plated. We took pictures and had a great time laughing about how ridiculously large the homes were. We even came across the making of some kind of a film. My trip to Beverly Hills was just as I hoped it would be... a little taste of all things ridiculous!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

2008-10-05T06:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a dysfunctional computer I am beyond late on my blog entries. At any rate, on Thursday, September 11th I took a walk down memory lane with my aunt and cousin. My mom is from southern California, and is a retired flight attendant. One of the great benefits of her career was that we received awesome airline discounts... AKA we could fly anywhere, anytime for FREE. As a result we flew to California 1-2 times per year to visit family and enjoy the coveted California sunshine. One of the things I always enjoyed doing was going to Mile Square Park to feed the ducks. I had so much fun breaking the bread into tiny pieces and giving it to the cute little duckies. Well, during one of these visits to the park Ryan, who was generally my partner in crime, decided that I should join the ducks rather than feed them. With very little effort his foot connected with my backside and in I went... straight into the pond with all the "cute little duckies." Needless to say, as a young child I did not take to this very well and proceeded to cry and carry on. While I don't remember the details of what happened next, I'm sure it ended with disciplinary action for Ryan and a quick trip back to grandma's house to dry off and change clothes. To this day whenever the family talks about Mile Square Park we always laugh about Ryan, the ducks, and me and how oh so funny that day was... even though as a child I personally didn't find anything funny about it!

Randy (Ryan's brother) and I enjoyed strolling through the park on Thursday. He asked if I would like to be pushed into the pond for old times sake. I respectfully declined and gratefully he honored my wish. Afterwards we met Aunt Lynn for pizza right across the street at Round Table Pizza... another place for fond memories. We frequently ate there as a family, and I always loved it. Pizza to this day is one of my staples. It's amazing how well the mind can remember things. I could picture things so clearly, everything seemed to be just so... just as they were when I was a child. It was kind of weird to be there so many years later as an adult. It made for a pleasant afternoon with fond memories and warm smiles. Can you tell I am a nostalgic at heart?!

"The Gipper" and Laguna Beach

2008-09-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend was a whirlwind of fun starting with a trip to Ronald Reagan's Presidential library in Simi Valley. The library sits atop a ridge overlooking Simi Valley and is absolutely breath taking. The perfect place for "The Gipper" to be laid to rest. Of course the library itself was very classy and enjoyable. President Reagan's Air force One is inside the library and open to the public. So we were able to walk through it which was neat, to say the least. To know that you were just feet away from where he sat time after time on that airplane was stirring. There's even a piece of the Berlin Wall at the library as well. Of course I got a snapshot of it. I still remember the day that wall came down! He was an amazing president, who left his mark on this country and the world.

I spent Monday at Laguna Beach, approximately 30 minutes south of Orange County. Talk about another breath taking Southern California hot spot. I'll let the pictures do the talking... they say it all! The place we went to is called "A thousand steps" because you have to walk down 283 stairs to get to the beach... but it feels like a thousand. The waves were huge and the water clear. I had to be careful once I got into the water seeing as my knee still isn't up to par from my four wheeling accident several weeks ago. It was a relaxing day and the perfect way to spend Labor Day. Aahhhh the beach!

Four Wheeling and Face Planting

2008-08-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Typically a 5:30 start on a Saturday morning isn't my idea of fun... but the desert was calling. My cousin Ryan and I were off for a four wheeling adventure in the Mohave Desert. We picked up donuts on the way. That early in the morning they're tastier than ever... hot and fresh. Food always puts a smile on my face.

We got to the dessert just before 8:00. I hopped on the four wheeler and Ryan climbed onto his bike. We were in the middle of nowhere. Nothing else was around... it was me, Ryan, and the creatures of the desert. The ride started out smoothly. It was a blast. We were having a great time. But it wasn't too long after we started that the tide changed...

I quickly learned that the dessert is full of surprises. I took a pretty bad spill. A crevice came out of nowhere. It didn't like me too much, and I didn't like it either. My front tires hit and I popped out of it okay. Unfortunately, there was another one right next to it. There was no escaping it. I hit the second and was thrown head over heals. I hit my head really hard on the edge of the crevice, did a flip and landed on my back... not a pleasant experience. Luckily the four-wheeler didn't roll over me. I laid there for a good few minutes. I wasn't sure what I should try to move first. After assessing myself I ended up with the following: 1 sprained knee... my leg currently looks like a large sausage. Nice and swollen. 1 sprained wrist also swollen like a sausage. 1 softball sized bruise on my leg... also swollen and very tender (and that's just the right side of my body). On the left side... my forearm is scraped from my elbow almost to my wrist... large knot on my ankle which is also bruised and scraped, and a few bruises and scrapes on my knee. And of course I'm just sore in general. As painful as all of this was/is I'm just grateful that I don't have a broken neck or serious head injury. My head basically hit the equivalent of rock. I was wearing a helmet which definitely prevented a serious concussion or worse... no exaggeration. So all in all I'm just grateful.

Unfortunately, that ended our trip. On the positive side my cousin was well prepared with a first aid kit. He doctored up my injuries quite well. Despite the fact that I'm currently a walking disaster it was still a blast. Thanks go to my cousin for a great time!

How Could I Forget...

2008-08-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

To mention amidst all my talk of friends, co-workers, and roommates, one of the most fabulous parts of returning to D.C. two weeks ago... seeing my SISTER! My deepest appologies go to my most be-loved and reveered older sister, Teri Taylor.

Baby Jack and Old Friends

2008-08-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

July was a whirlwind with back to back trips to "The Blessed Homeland," more commonly known as Texas, and a trip to Washington D.C. The first trip to TX was for my temple endowment, and the second was to meet my new nephew Baby Jack. Unfortunately, the cosmos combined against me while I was in TX for my endowment... I got sick and consequently was quarantined from Jack. But not to fear I was back in TX 5 days later. Jack and I immediately bonded. I think it's safe to say that I'm his favorite aunt... and I'll say he's not so bad himself. Minus the time that he rocket shot spit up all over me. But other than that he's a real cutie. I taught him how to chicken fight in my friends swimming pool. He's a tough little cookie.

Now here's a little piece of advice for all who are 28 years of age and older... If you haven't learned how to flip off a diving board by this stage in your life... DO NOT try to learn now. After approximately 20 attempts my neck gave out, almost landing me in the ER... no exaggeration. Two weeks and a few muscle relaxants later, and I'm still hurting. Just a word from the wise.

It was great to see my family, especially little Jack. After 5 days in TX I headed to D.C. Let me tell you, I've never been so happy to land in a particular place in all my life (other than the Blessed Homeland). I could have done cart wheels down the aisle, I was so excited. It was so great to be back in D.C. and to see my roommates, church friends, and co-workers. It was so refreshing... so much to the extent that it was hard to get back on the plane for my return trip to California. But alas here I am in sunny California. It's a rough life, but someone's gotta do it!

Three Fly's Up and Water Slides

2008-07-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

First of all and most importantly... Happy Fourth of July and God Bless America!! The weekend was fun and relaxing with not a whole lot going on. Which for once, was a refreshing treat. I celebrated the holiday with my cousins and a healthy round of softball. We played a game called "Three Fly's Up," among others such as "Pickle." Maybe it's not always good when the competitor in me comes out... at least not when your cousins are 1. Male and 2. More than twice your size and probably weight. On more than one occasion it was a miracle I didn't come out with a broken nose or back as I was sandwiched between Ryan and Randy while attempting to catch pop fly's. It's every man for himself in this game. Yikes! But for the record, I did win one of the three or four rounds of that game. After that it was the family bar-b-que and then swimming at a home in Corona... which belonged to one of my cousin's friends. Corona is a more mountainous area of Southern California... so the scenery was gorgeous. Now this wasn't just any home. It belonged to someone who, we'll just say has done very well for himself. It therefore goes without saying that the pool was unlike any I had ever seen. It was like a lagoon with caves, fountains, and waterfalls. The pool had a large rock formation on the back side of it... with two slides built into the rock on either end. It made for some fun swimming and splashing. My favorite was jumping from the top of the rocks into the pool below. It was great fun! As far as Saturday goes... I was finally able to take a swim in the Pacific Ocean. Yes, I said finally. It surprisingly hasn't been hot enough here to brave the icey waters of the California coastline. But this weekend was perfect. The waves were huge... which unfortunately did a number on my neck. But it was worth it. Happy Fourth to everyone!!

The Getty and The Angels

2008-06-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

My aunt, cousins, and I enjoyed a day at the J. Paul Getty museum yesterday in Los Angeles. The museum sits atop one of the hills just west of LA. There's a great panoramic view of downtown LA on one side and the coastline on the other. Unfortunately it was a hazing day so the view wasn't as good as it normally would have been. But it was still amazing to say the least. And of course the museum itself was amazing. The architecture is very pleasing to the eye not to mention the gardens and fountains are remarkable. We had a lovely time soaking it all in... or should I say sucking it in as you can see from the picture above. Ha ha. Hey, I could be that thin right?!?The evening ended with a face off between the Dodgers and the Angels. My friend Arriane andI headed back up to LA that evening for the 7:10 game. She rooted for the Dodgers and I rooted for my Angels. The folks at Dodger stadium weren't too happy about my Angels ball cap. But that didn't deter me from wearing it and cheering all the louder. Unfortunately, the Angels didn't come through in the end. But, they're still in first place. And that's what's important!!

The Rumors are True

2008-06-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was little I heard how wonderful the San Diego Zoo was. So, I've always wanted to go. My best friend from college was in San Diego this weekend so I took the liberty to hit up the zoo while I was down there visiting her. I gotta say, rumor is actually true for once... the zoo was amazing! The best zoo I've been to by far. Absolutely gorgeous layout with top notch exhibits and of course the animals were entertaining... especially the bears. Unfortunately, the cats were on the lazy side. But who wouldn't have been in those 90 degree temperatures. Most importantly it was wonderful to see my best friend and to finally meet her baby boy. He's a cutie! We had fun walking down memory lane. She even got me to try sushi for the first, and might I say, last time. Once was enough for me! And now it's back to the rat race of work tomorrow... personally, I'd rather stay at the zoo.

"The Happiest Place on Earth"

2008-06-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn’t have fun at “The happiest place on earth, where all your dreams come true?” Sarahanne and I had a blast reconnecting with the child within this past weekend. A little Mickey Mouse and Peter Pan always was good for the soul. Interestingly enough, even Splash Mountain was worth the 2+ hour wait. We’ll just say neither of us needed to take a shower after that front seat ride. At least it was hot outside! Of course there was more fun to be had than simply with Mickey and the gang…

The weekend began with great seats at Dodger Stadium for the Cubs game. Unfortunately, the Cubs weren’t on their “A game.” But peanuts, cracker jacks, and great company made it just as enjoyable in the end. After all, baseball is the all American sport.

Downtown Disney, fireworks like clockwork every night, and the relaxing California coast line were added bonuses for the weekend. But above all it was just nice to spend time with a close friend from D.C. for a few days. Good times were had!

Who Needs Africa for a Safari

2008-05-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Randy and I enjoyed a day at the Shambala preserve... a special sanctuary for wild cats that have been abused/mistreated in some way or another, located 40 miles north of LA. The Preserve is opened once a month for private tours, and seeing as I love cats and especially black cats, I had to pencil this in as one of my must do items. The neat thing was the animals were up close and personal. Although, I will say it was somewhat disconcerting that the only thing separating me from hungry, carnivorous animals was a chain link fence that looked as though it had been constructed sometime in the 1950's. I stood literally 3 feet away from lions, tigers, ligers, servals, mountain lions, and most importantly a black leopard. It was so great! I really wanted to pet them, but for some strange reason they wouldn't let me. Not real sure why though?! Tippi Hedren is the owner of the preserve. At the end of the tour we were able to meet her. She was very nice and personable. It was a wonderful adventure, minus the 100 degree temperatures!

Nervous Laughter

2008-04-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

So... I have a few friends that laugh when they get nervous or uncomfortable. Personally, I find this interesting, as I have never experienced this before. However, a few days ago I learned first hand what the phenomenon of "nervous laughter" feels like. Getting a haircut really should be a simple thing. When you request that an inch be cut off, an inch should be cut off. Not THREE! Especially when your hair is already SHORT. I left Super Cuts laughing all the way home and through much of that night. I think the last time my hair was this short I was 14. Fortunately it has turned out cuter than I anticipated. Furthermore, it also turns out that my hair is rather curly when it's short. Who would have thought? The picture doesn't really show just how short or curly it is... but trust me it's short and curly. I don't even need to put it up when I go work out. My hair's not long enough to get in my face. lol... more nervous laughter... lol!

Grand Canyon Adventure

2008-04-14T11:06:00.000-07:00

All I can say is this was literally one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Words can't describe it. You just have to see it for yourself. Our day started at 6:30 AM with an hour plane ride (in a 17 passenger prop-jet airplane) over the Grand Canyon. We flew 500 feet above the Canyon... 500 feet!!! Then we took a jeep tour through Antelope Canyon. We walked through a slot canyon that is approximately 1/4 mile long and 6-15 feet wide. Our trip concluded with a 4.5 hour float trip down the Colorado river through Glenn Canyon. It was one of the most peaceful, quiet places I've ever been to. The pictures, though amazing, don't do it justice. This may now be one of my new "Happy Places."

Road trip to the Grand Canyon

2008-04-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

A friend from Texas and I took a trip to the GC this weekend. Seven hour drive from Anaheim, CA to Grand Canyon, AZ. Let me tell ya, a whole lot of NOTHING on that little drive. That is until we decided to take a little off-roading adventure in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Saw a cool mountain, pulled off the highway, drove a quarter mile in my little sports car through sand and cacti, got out and climbed a mountain for an hour and half. So, much fun. Cool part was, when we finally got to the top my alarm went off to signal the actual moment of my birth... 4:57 PM April 11th. We sang happy birthday to Me at the top of a mountain in the middle of the Mojave desert! Glad I didn't fall off the top of the two foot wide ledge at the top of that mountain... that wouldn't have been such a good birthday present.

Birthday Celebrations

2008-04-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

Three birthdays in one week makes for a huge celebration. My grandpa celebrated his 90ieth birthday, I my 28th, and my cousin, his 25th. Two cakes made for lots of tasty calories. What can I say... who doesn't love birthday cake?!?! Happy Day of Birth to us all!

Kayaking the Grotto's

2008-03-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know what a grotto is... it's a sea cave. And yes, I kayaked in some sea caves in La Jolla this past weekend. It was fabulous. The weather was beautiful, the caves were beautiful, and most importantly our tour guides were beautiful (although this is not depicted in their photo... trust me they were hot).

No, I didn't get attacked by any sharks, whales or other sea creatures. Only the waves got the best of me. I was thrown from my kayak by the Big Kahuna right at the beginning of the trip. Don't worry my hot tour guide came to the rescue and all was well. The caves were great. It was so so nice. I went with one of my old roommates from D.C. We met some new people, made some new friends and had a blast.

Easter and the Family

2008-03-31T22:21:00.000-07:00

Easter was fabulous this year. It started earlier than it ever has in my entire existence. My aunt and cousin invited me to a "Sunrise Service." It required getting up at approximately 4:15 AM!!! For those of you who know that my brain doesn't function before 9:00 AM, you can picture how I felt that morning. However, I was glad I went. It was very nice and a lot of fun... minus the cold breeze that is. After that I headed to the beach for some reading and contemplation... then it was off to more church and the day ended with lots of food and family time! Food ALWAYS makes me happy.

The picture on the couch is of my cousins and me. We are on much better terms after my being here for a month... In case I hadn't told you, the first thing Randy said to me when I arrived was, "We don't like you, and you don't like us." He wanted to make sure I knew exactly how things would be around the house... as was also made clear in his "book of suggestions." It was pretty funny. Good times!

Ah, the beach...

2008-03-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

So I spent most of Saturday enjoying the beautiful California coast line while working on my tan. Tan? Yes, tan. I did get some color this past weekend and am starting to look hot! I'm loving the sun out here! Perhaps my favorite part of bumming it on the beach was eating a corn dog and fries from Zach's... one of my most treasured childhood pastimes. And after my jog along the beach I feel totally justified in so doing. The seagulls were quite satisfied as well... as they were the happy recipients of my left over french fries. Those things sure do get feisty. Please do note the picture of the overgrown pineapple. Miracle grow works my friends.

Aaaaahhhhhh!!!!

2008-03-03T18:15:00.000-08:00

Just call me Dorothy.... All I want to do is put on my red slippers, click my heals, recite the phrase, "There's no place like home," and find myself in D.C.!!! Even the warm, sunny weather doesn't make up for a bad first day at work. But in the words of Scarlett O'hara, "Tomorrow is another day."

First weekend in my "Happy Place."

2008-03-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

The weather is great... sunny and 70 degrees. I love California!!! Turns out that the place I'm staying at is so close to Disney Land that I hear the fireworks go off every night right at 9:30 like clockwork. I can see them from my bedroom window. It's like the 4th of July every day.
The car I'm renting turned out to be a cute sports car. Leather interior with a sunroof. Perfect for California. Soooo glad not to be driving a grandma mobile for the next three months! You never know what you're going to get when you rent a car.
Work starts tomorrow. Wahoo!! Can't wait to tackle that LA traffic... can't be worse than D.C. right?!?!