I forget what April was for but there was a lot going on in May.
The boy turned 10yo. Yes, really he did.
We had a little party at the house, but nothing to big as we were on our way to Hawaii. Yeah, how many people get that for a 10th birthday?
We did the total tourist route from going to a Lilo & Stitch luau to the Polynesian cultural center. I took a mini hula lesson & failed miserably (no bouncing in hula, it's all side to side & I got too much ghetto in me). C showed us Chinatown that was walking distance from her apt & we ate at a shrimp truck up near the North shore. For Z's birthday we went on a submarine ride that was awesome. We saw turtles, rays & a shark! C took us to a few sacred places, on a hike here & there, we're probably cursed for trespassing...
Upon our return at like 1am on Sunday we were all beyond exhausted & unfortunately had to hit the ground running the next day. Our return flight was delayed, the shuttle to our car was late, the onramp to the freeway was closed...murphy's law at it's best.
I'd missed only 4 days from work, but that included timesheets so I returned to chaos. Although I was distracted all day by the constant hoping Z was having a good day & I wouldn't get a phone call from my BFF. He made it though & Momma was oh so happy!
Showing posts with label vaca. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vaca. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Sunday, July 17, 2011
of course we saw jesus in vegas
on the strip...after midnight....on a wednesday....where else would he be?
as part of the birfday celebrations i flew the vegas & met S, thanks to her employer we stayed at Planet Hollywood :-)
wait, i guess i should go back & talk about how i had an entsy weentsie panic attack on the plane... hahaha, yes, i did, but i held my *hit together & nobody knew i was freaking out, so i have one lonely ounce of dignity... i flew on a lil bitty hopper plane to LA & after we landed my hands began to numb & i got hot & no matter how much i told myself "you're on the ground dumb*ss" it took everything i had to keep calm. then i spent like $50 on LAX snacks &qualudes dramamine. i was prepared for the other leg of my trip, only i didn't need it, bigger plane = no panic.
oh & before i left, Z made me cry at the airport, he was so upset i was leaving. i finally told B to take him, it was better for them to go rather than drag it out. silly to see the both of us crying like i was going away for a long time!
Weds night we walked the strip; among gobs of people we saw a few super heroes, a muscular man dressed in a toga & jesus (of course). the next day S had some silly training things to take care of so when i got up i walked the mall downstairs. they say vegas never sleeps but i discovered it does bc all the shops were closed until 10am. luckily M was on her way to town though! i think that's the night we splurged (unexpectedly) at the buffet, then we walked the other end of the strip.
Friday S finished her silliness & was free after lunch. we went out & walked about again while M stayed at our casino, it was hot so i didn't blame the girl. we walked & took a casino tram thing & it still took forever to get to some shark thing that we decided to not go to after all that! yeah....oh well, on the way back S gambled a bit here & a bit there, when ever she was up a tad she'd cash out & we were on to the next casino. then at one she actually made a little bank, we about ran out the joint. then we texted M & found out she'd won some too!
they'd made dinner plans so i was just the tag along. little did i know they were being sneaky & found a cheesecake specialty place. it was a quaint little italian place with homemade cheesecake. the food was really good & big portions, i didn't know the deal & didn't leave a spot for cheesecake, then i was surprised by a birthday serenade. oh, almost forgot to mention how the restaurant was entirely staffed by men.
Sat was time to leave; M went one way, S & I the other. the drive home seemed quick even though we stopped in LA to eat. i was happy to get home & see my boys. B even cleaned house, did laundry & changed the sheets [although i didn't hear that part & i changed them again].
thanks for my birthday dinner, cake & a memorable 40th birthday girls!
as part of the birfday celebrations i flew the vegas & met S, thanks to her employer we stayed at Planet Hollywood :-)
wait, i guess i should go back & talk about how i had an entsy weentsie panic attack on the plane... hahaha, yes, i did, but i held my *hit together & nobody knew i was freaking out, so i have one lonely ounce of dignity... i flew on a lil bitty hopper plane to LA & after we landed my hands began to numb & i got hot & no matter how much i told myself "you're on the ground dumb*ss" it took everything i had to keep calm. then i spent like $50 on LAX snacks &
oh & before i left, Z made me cry at the airport, he was so upset i was leaving. i finally told B to take him, it was better for them to go rather than drag it out. silly to see the both of us crying like i was going away for a long time!
Weds night we walked the strip; among gobs of people we saw a few super heroes, a muscular man dressed in a toga & jesus (of course). the next day S had some silly training things to take care of so when i got up i walked the mall downstairs. they say vegas never sleeps but i discovered it does bc all the shops were closed until 10am. luckily M was on her way to town though! i think that's the night we splurged (unexpectedly) at the buffet, then we walked the other end of the strip.
Friday S finished her silliness & was free after lunch. we went out & walked about again while M stayed at our casino, it was hot so i didn't blame the girl. we walked & took a casino tram thing & it still took forever to get to some shark thing that we decided to not go to after all that! yeah....oh well, on the way back S gambled a bit here & a bit there, when ever she was up a tad she'd cash out & we were on to the next casino. then at one she actually made a little bank, we about ran out the joint. then we texted M & found out she'd won some too!
they'd made dinner plans so i was just the tag along. little did i know they were being sneaky & found a cheesecake specialty place. it was a quaint little italian place with homemade cheesecake. the food was really good & big portions, i didn't know the deal & didn't leave a spot for cheesecake, then i was surprised by a birthday serenade. oh, almost forgot to mention how the restaurant was entirely staffed by men.
Sat was time to leave; M went one way, S & I the other. the drive home seemed quick even though we stopped in LA to eat. i was happy to get home & see my boys. B even cleaned house, did laundry & changed the sheets [although i didn't hear that part & i changed them again].
thanks for my birthday dinner, cake & a memorable 40th birthday girls!
Friday, August 20, 2010
walking in LA - day 3 & 4
on thurs we got up & finally caught that bus down to santa monica pier. we didn't expect it, but they dropped us off right at the mall...
we were there for the pier though, but then we saw cafe crepe. i've never had crepes before but B has & said they're yummy. they have both sweet & savory types, we ordered a salami panini & a spinach/feta crepe - WOW, good stuff!
the pier was even more of a tourist trap than we expected. i know our entire trip was based on that, but this was uber. Z had a good time on the rides though, it was very carnival like & tons of school camp kids. yes, of course Z found a girlfriend, that's what the boy does, a little girl in a skirt with boots [hussy!].
we headed back to the mall to find something for dinner. we stopped at a japanese place & had some hors d'oeuvres [yeah, i totally had to look that up!], then we walked around some more checking out all our options. we finally decided on thai, then after a relaxing meal we bused it back to the hotel.
on fri am, our last day there, Z asks me where's the soap to wash his hands...really? we've been ALL over LA & hollywood, been on various buses & now he decides to wash his hands?
we considered heading over to china town, but then decided we were tired, achy & blistered from all the walking & will save that for another trip.
the trip wasn't what either of us would really would like to have done, but considering the circumstances it worked. i think it's rather funny that although i'm borned & raised CA girl, all our site seeing was completely new for me too.
we were there for the pier though, but then we saw cafe crepe. i've never had crepes before but B has & said they're yummy. they have both sweet & savory types, we ordered a salami panini & a spinach/feta crepe - WOW, good stuff!
the pier was even more of a tourist trap than we expected. i know our entire trip was based on that, but this was uber. Z had a good time on the rides though, it was very carnival like & tons of school camp kids. yes, of course Z found a girlfriend, that's what the boy does, a little girl in a skirt with boots [hussy!].
we headed back to the mall to find something for dinner. we stopped at a japanese place & had some hors d'oeuvres [yeah, i totally had to look that up!], then we walked around some more checking out all our options. we finally decided on thai, then after a relaxing meal we bused it back to the hotel.
on fri am, our last day there, Z asks me where's the soap to wash his hands...really? we've been ALL over LA & hollywood, been on various buses & now he decides to wash his hands?
we considered heading over to china town, but then decided we were tired, achy & blistered from all the walking & will save that for another trip.
the trip wasn't what either of us would really would like to have done, but considering the circumstances it worked. i think it's rather funny that although i'm borned & raised CA girl, all our site seeing was completely new for me too.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
walking in LA - day 1 & 2
by the time all the planning, organizing, packing, etc was done we were wiped & definitely needed a break. we actually got out of the house before noon [yah for us!] & arrived at the natural history museum just in time for a late lunch.
i had shown Z websites of our planned schedule before we went to make sure it was something he wanted to do & this was at the top of his list. unfortunately [for Z, but excellent for me] the spider pavilion was closed. that was ok, bc we saw enough bugs & other creepy crawly things in my opinion. Z really liked the diorama halls & the bird exhibits too, he wasn't as impressed with the gem displays though. i remember going to gem shows when i was a kid & loving it [add that to the list of nerdness].
then right about 5pm we headed over to the hotel bc why not experience LA traffic? it really wasn't THAT bad though. there was a mall right next to our hotel so after checking in, we went over there to check it out. as expected it was snobville, so we didn't stay long & decided to take the bus over to santa monica pier for the evening.
that sounds like a good plan, right? we thought so except the bus doesn't go that way after 8pm so i guess it was good that we didn't go down there & get stuck... so we ended up eating dinner at the mall's food court.
the next day we did catch the bus, downtown to the farmer's market & we walked over to the la brea tar pits. oh but first we interrupted some filming [dang tourists!]...it was hot so we didn't even look at the outside exhibit. i had read somewhere online to not bother with the museum, but we enjoyed it. [maybe bc we got in free with our military discount or maybe bc it was hot outside...]
Z being an 8yo boy listened to the guide more than i expected him to & when he wasn't he managed to not destroy anything or disturb anyone so that's a win in my book. the outside display wasn't as stinky as i had expected it to be or maybe i had just grown accustom to the smell.
right next door to the tar pits is the LA Cty Museum of Art which i really would have liked to have gone to, but i knew Z wouldn't be able to handle it, so we'll have to save that for another trip. instead we ran to the bus & headed back to the farmer's market for lunch. we didn't even go inside, we had lunch at du-par's well, Z had breakfast...
then we jumped back on the bus & headed up to hollywood blvd. it was weird & crazy, with tons of people & i think i don't ever want to go there at night, especially not alone. we walked around a bit, then went to madame tussauds. Z wasn't very impressed with anyone other than iron man & wolverine [i was impressed with wolverine too] & yes, of course i got a pic with r.pattinson but they should have had him as edward. B had a few inappropriate moments as any marine should with a few female stars & in case you were wondering, we pretty sure the wax figures have nips.
just as we were about to enter Ripley's some guy off the street asked Z if he wanted some cocaine. i'm not joking, the guy was though & Z's pretty sheltered so he asked "what's blocaine?". I told him the guy was crazy & reminded him not to talk to strangers.
this was probably Z's favorite spot on the blvd; it was full of weirdness. after this we bused it back over to the farmer's market & looked for a place to have dinner. we didn't walk around it before, so one would think a farmer's market would you know, have lots of fresh fruits, vegetables & such for sale, but this was more of a food court.
we tried the cajun place & got some alligator; it wasn't bad, a lot like chicken with a cornmeal breading. we were still hungry so then we tried this other place, the village...it was some sort of flatbread/dough thing with hamburger like meat & stuff on it, really good. i'm gonna have to look that pedeh thing up!
finally we headed back to our not so glamorous although one would expect it hotel for a night's rest.
i had shown Z websites of our planned schedule before we went to make sure it was something he wanted to do & this was at the top of his list. unfortunately [for Z, but excellent for me] the spider pavilion was closed. that was ok, bc we saw enough bugs & other creepy crawly things in my opinion. Z really liked the diorama halls & the bird exhibits too, he wasn't as impressed with the gem displays though. i remember going to gem shows when i was a kid & loving it [add that to the list of nerdness].
then right about 5pm we headed over to the hotel bc why not experience LA traffic? it really wasn't THAT bad though. there was a mall right next to our hotel so after checking in, we went over there to check it out. as expected it was snobville, so we didn't stay long & decided to take the bus over to santa monica pier for the evening.
that sounds like a good plan, right? we thought so except the bus doesn't go that way after 8pm so i guess it was good that we didn't go down there & get stuck... so we ended up eating dinner at the mall's food court.
the next day we did catch the bus, downtown to the farmer's market & we walked over to the la brea tar pits. oh but first we interrupted some filming [dang tourists!]...it was hot so we didn't even look at the outside exhibit. i had read somewhere online to not bother with the museum, but we enjoyed it. [maybe bc we got in free with our military discount or maybe bc it was hot outside...]
Z being an 8yo boy listened to the guide more than i expected him to & when he wasn't he managed to not destroy anything or disturb anyone so that's a win in my book. the outside display wasn't as stinky as i had expected it to be or maybe i had just grown accustom to the smell.
right next door to the tar pits is the LA Cty Museum of Art which i really would have liked to have gone to, but i knew Z wouldn't be able to handle it, so we'll have to save that for another trip. instead we ran to the bus & headed back to the farmer's market for lunch. we didn't even go inside, we had lunch at du-par's well, Z had breakfast...
then we jumped back on the bus & headed up to hollywood blvd. it was weird & crazy, with tons of people & i think i don't ever want to go there at night, especially not alone. we walked around a bit, then went to madame tussauds. Z wasn't very impressed with anyone other than iron man & wolverine [i was impressed with wolverine too] & yes, of course i got a pic with r.pattinson but they should have had him as edward. B had a few inappropriate moments as any marine should with a few female stars & in case you were wondering, we pretty sure the wax figures have nips.
just as we were about to enter Ripley's some guy off the street asked Z if he wanted some cocaine. i'm not joking, the guy was though & Z's pretty sheltered so he asked "what's blocaine?". I told him the guy was crazy & reminded him not to talk to strangers.
this was probably Z's favorite spot on the blvd; it was full of weirdness. after this we bused it back over to the farmer's market & looked for a place to have dinner. we didn't walk around it before, so one would think a farmer's market would you know, have lots of fresh fruits, vegetables & such for sale, but this was more of a food court.
we tried the cajun place & got some alligator; it wasn't bad, a lot like chicken with a cornmeal breading. we were still hungry so then we tried this other place, the village...it was some sort of flatbread/dough thing with hamburger like meat & stuff on it, really good. i'm gonna have to look that pedeh thing up!
finally we headed back to our not so glamorous although one would expect it hotel for a night's rest.
Monday, August 16, 2010
taking procrastination to new levels
we knew B was only going to have 1 week between summer school & fall & we kinda sorta tried to plan something, but it didn't happen. the most probable vacation would have been back to chicagoland to visit B's mom & fam, but tickets were pricey. we even looked in to last minute deals, bc that's totally our thing - non-planners extraordinaire!
beings that wasn't going to work, we looked for fishing spots for the boys. B didn't want anything too close or too common & under the time constraints wasn't really able to find anything that fit the bill. then we looked into going to northern CA, beautiful, cooler weather, but um, long drive & we didn't have a full week, more like 5 days. next we looked into something more along going to LA for a couple of days & catalina island for a couple of days.
i had been wanting to take Z to some of the museums & la brea tar pits for years, so that worked, but then whoa, catalina not for the unemployed. nor is it family friendly. virtually impossible to find a place with more than 1 bed, they suggest you rent another king size room at $200+ a night [sure!] or the flip side is a space/cabin with beds everywhere [ie living room] at $150+ a night.
so by sun we had a plan of LA/Hollywood/Santa Monica; only we didn't have a hotel. looking on our own wasn't working so B tried priceline & although i really dislike mr shatner, it worked we got a room at the hyatt for ~$130 a night.
then we found out parking was $24 a day
& when we got there we found out internet was $4 an HOUR
beings that wasn't going to work, we looked for fishing spots for the boys. B didn't want anything too close or too common & under the time constraints wasn't really able to find anything that fit the bill. then we looked into going to northern CA, beautiful, cooler weather, but um, long drive & we didn't have a full week, more like 5 days. next we looked into something more along going to LA for a couple of days & catalina island for a couple of days.
i had been wanting to take Z to some of the museums & la brea tar pits for years, so that worked, but then whoa, catalina not for the unemployed. nor is it family friendly. virtually impossible to find a place with more than 1 bed, they suggest you rent another king size room at $200+ a night [sure!] or the flip side is a space/cabin with beds everywhere [ie living room] at $150+ a night.
so by sun we had a plan of LA/Hollywood/Santa Monica; only we didn't have a hotel. looking on our own wasn't working so B tried priceline & although i really dislike mr shatner, it worked we got a room at the hyatt for ~$130 a night.
then we found out parking was $24 a day
& when we got there we found out internet was $4 an HOUR
Sunday, August 8, 2010
the empty house
on sat cousin ME & i went to nana's house to pick up a few things for her. the lady at the cancer place told me we should go get nana's favorite items from home, bring what we could to make her comfortable in her new surroundings.
it was kind of weird, ME & i have only recently reacquainted, prior to this we've hardly seen each other in 20 years, but we picked up like nothing. it was nice, like old best friends, we caught up on so much personal & family stuff.
when we got to nana's we walked the backyard, so many memories back there: all the parties over so many years, the lemon tree my uncle ralph planted a few years ago before he died, the fig tree that i [tried to] cut steps in so my dog Bobo could climb the tree with me, the pomegranate bushes & the chinchi bugs making noise, the sheds with who knows what in them.
i took pictures of everything. we walked through the bathroom finding items from our childhood still in there. in nana's bedroom we gathered a few items to take with us. in the kitchen we opened the cabinetry & drawers, i took a picture of nana's silverware. in the living room we gathered a few other decor items & found some old albums. ones i had never seen before, very old, all the kids are children & even pics of my grandpa. i found out he was in the military, he went to okinawa. there was even a pic of him & on the side it said "kadena air station" - i've been there!
we picked out clothes for nana, a couple pairs of slippers, her pillow, an afghan my mom made for her, a plastic flower arrangement she likes. things to hopefully make her happy, or something in the arena of happy i guess would be a better choice of words.
it was weird to be in that house & know nana wasn't coming back, heartbreaking actually.
it was kind of weird, ME & i have only recently reacquainted, prior to this we've hardly seen each other in 20 years, but we picked up like nothing. it was nice, like old best friends, we caught up on so much personal & family stuff.
when we got to nana's we walked the backyard, so many memories back there: all the parties over so many years, the lemon tree my uncle ralph planted a few years ago before he died, the fig tree that i [tried to] cut steps in so my dog Bobo could climb the tree with me, the pomegranate bushes & the chinchi bugs making noise, the sheds with who knows what in them.
i took pictures of everything. we walked through the bathroom finding items from our childhood still in there. in nana's bedroom we gathered a few items to take with us. in the kitchen we opened the cabinetry & drawers, i took a picture of nana's silverware. in the living room we gathered a few other decor items & found some old albums. ones i had never seen before, very old, all the kids are children & even pics of my grandpa. i found out he was in the military, he went to okinawa. there was even a pic of him & on the side it said "kadena air station" - i've been there!
we picked out clothes for nana, a couple pairs of slippers, her pillow, an afghan my mom made for her, a plastic flower arrangement she likes. things to hopefully make her happy, or something in the arena of happy i guess would be a better choice of words.
it was weird to be in that house & know nana wasn't coming back, heartbreaking actually.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
beach trip
yeah for the beach!
we picked Z up a little early from school on friday & we were still late, but that's how we roll! M, C & baby S made it over & one of B's friend's from school took the other cabin. we unpacked, made a grocery run, grilled some salmon & relaxed...didn't even make it down to the water.
sat was Z's birthday party, we invited the class, but only got 1 rsvp. i was so thankful we got the 1 [from a family who knew the cabins & live right next to us & we didn't even know it until the legoland trip!] & 2 other neighbors showed up. it was nice & cozy not chaotic.
we had lunch then went out to the beach & enjoyed the afternoon. the kids got in the water [that was freezing!] & once everyone had enough of the sand & fresh air we went up to the cabins for cake & presents.
we did the ocean theme angel food cake bit again, but the store only had moldy strawberries, so raspberries, blackberries & blueberries were served [& yummy!]. no, i did not make the sho-tao [bc i'm a mean, mean mummy]mainly bc i think he forgot & hasn't asked for it again...shh, don't remind him.
the rest of the stay was quite & relaxing. monday am we took Z into school a bit late & returned to business as usual.
oh & i found out Z was going around telling M that i was fired from my last job...nice rumor kid! i wonder what else he says about me...
haha, i just read last year's post, i didn't even go into details about B & R's running vodka drunk, silly me being all nice...here's the story:
last year B bought a giant bottle of vodka, it even came with a jar of olives [they were GOOD too], but the boys wanted to get a serious drink on, so they decided they were going to drink the ENTIRE bottle in one night....& nobody else wanted to join them!
they both ended up slobbering drunk & the next morning is still quite vivid...they were both sicker than DOGS! i haven't puked like that since i was in my early 20's [well you know, besides the pregnant thing but that was different], i digress...
it was a monday & we had to clean the cabins & check out in between the 2 of them retching their lungs & other important organs out of their noses! luckily we only had to drive to SD but R had a 3 hour drive ahead of him. he said he stopped at every gas station to puke & a few times along the road!
so yes, the boys celebrated...like they had just turned 21! a year later B may, MAY have had 1 or possibly 2 drinks containing vodka & i'm sure R has completely abstained!
& we still talk about drunk B holding baby S while M held him steady by the neck of his shirt!!! fyi, don't give that man a baby when he's swaying ok?
we picked Z up a little early from school on friday & we were still late, but that's how we roll! M, C & baby S made it over & one of B's friend's from school took the other cabin. we unpacked, made a grocery run, grilled some salmon & relaxed...didn't even make it down to the water.
sat was Z's birthday party, we invited the class, but only got 1 rsvp. i was so thankful we got the 1 [from a family who knew the cabins & live right next to us & we didn't even know it until the legoland trip!] & 2 other neighbors showed up. it was nice & cozy not chaotic.
we had lunch then went out to the beach & enjoyed the afternoon. the kids got in the water [that was freezing!] & once everyone had enough of the sand & fresh air we went up to the cabins for cake & presents.
we did the ocean theme angel food cake bit again, but the store only had moldy strawberries, so raspberries, blackberries & blueberries were served [& yummy!]. no, i did not make the sho-tao [bc i'm a mean, mean mummy]
the rest of the stay was quite & relaxing. monday am we took Z into school a bit late & returned to business as usual.
oh & i found out Z was going around telling M that i was fired from my last job...nice rumor kid! i wonder what else he says about me...
haha, i just read last year's post, i didn't even go into details about B & R's running vodka drunk, silly me being all nice...here's the story:
last year B bought a giant bottle of vodka, it even came with a jar of olives [they were GOOD too], but the boys wanted to get a serious drink on, so they decided they were going to drink the ENTIRE bottle in one night....& nobody else wanted to join them!
they both ended up slobbering drunk & the next morning is still quite vivid...they were both sicker than DOGS! i haven't puked like that since i was in my early 20's [well you know, besides the pregnant thing but that was different], i digress...
it was a monday & we had to clean the cabins & check out in between the 2 of them retching their lungs & other important organs out of their noses! luckily we only had to drive to SD but R had a 3 hour drive ahead of him. he said he stopped at every gas station to puke & a few times along the road!
so yes, the boys celebrated...like they had just turned 21! a year later B may, MAY have had 1 or possibly 2 drinks containing vodka & i'm sure R has completely abstained!
& we still talk about drunk B holding baby S while M held him steady by the neck of his shirt!!! fyi, don't give that man a baby when he's swaying ok?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
past out on the bathroom floor
the timeframe: we need to go back to last week when we were still at the beach, the day i felt awful & thought i possibly was having a bad reaction to the antibiotics [macrobid].
at the ER they hooked up an iv to give me some fluids, more antibiotics, some sort of painkiller/tranquilizer & anti-nauseous meds. we were finally done & back to the cabin about midnight.
i was beyond exhausted & although i had just been given anti-nausea meds, they already seemed to be wearing off. B parked, i gathered my stuff & headed for the door. the 3 steps to get up to the door were more than i had to give & i started getting hot flashes, the ones that are in time with your heartbeat. i got inside, dropped everything in front of the bathroom then went in & sat in front of the toilet waiting for the inevitable to happen.
i sat with my knees to my chest but got uncomfortable so i stretched my legs out across the floor. the nausea & hot flashes started to subside so i leaned my back up against the tub & my head against the wall. before i knew it i was sleeping [on the bathroom floor of a trailer that rents out by the week - classy!], dreaming, the most glorious & refreshing sleep you could imagine. this sleep was so good i'll remember it for years to come.
i was dreaming [it felt like i had been sleeping for hours] when i was abruptly awakened by B yelling my name out. when i finally was lucid he asked me if i was ok? I said yes [duh!], i was just sleeping [on the bathroom floor of a trailer].
B's side of the story: when i went into the bathroom, he walked to the front of the trailer (like 15 feet) to close a couple of windows, when he returned i was out cold. he said i was snorting/snoring/gagging/choking/breathing erratically & thought i was indeed having a reaction to the new meds [k-flex]; he thought he was going to have to call 911 to come get me.
i crawled into bed fully clothed & slept all night long. in the morning we went over the scenario again, i was was so tired & weak, i must have past out & i was just snoring from exhaustion.
at the ER they hooked up an iv to give me some fluids, more antibiotics, some sort of painkiller/tranquilizer & anti-nauseous meds. we were finally done & back to the cabin about midnight.
i was beyond exhausted & although i had just been given anti-nausea meds, they already seemed to be wearing off. B parked, i gathered my stuff & headed for the door. the 3 steps to get up to the door were more than i had to give & i started getting hot flashes, the ones that are in time with your heartbeat. i got inside, dropped everything in front of the bathroom then went in & sat in front of the toilet waiting for the inevitable to happen.
i sat with my knees to my chest but got uncomfortable so i stretched my legs out across the floor. the nausea & hot flashes started to subside so i leaned my back up against the tub & my head against the wall. before i knew it i was sleeping [on the bathroom floor of a trailer that rents out by the week - classy!], dreaming, the most glorious & refreshing sleep you could imagine. this sleep was so good i'll remember it for years to come.
i was dreaming [it felt like i had been sleeping for hours] when i was abruptly awakened by B yelling my name out. when i finally was lucid he asked me if i was ok? I said yes [duh!], i was just sleeping [on the bathroom floor of a trailer].
B's side of the story: when i went into the bathroom, he walked to the front of the trailer (like 15 feet) to close a couple of windows, when he returned i was out cold. he said i was snorting/snoring/gagging/choking/breathing erratically & thought i was indeed having a reaction to the new meds [k-flex]; he thought he was going to have to call 911 to come get me.
i crawled into bed fully clothed & slept all night long. in the morning we went over the scenario again, i was was so tired & weak, i must have past out & i was just snoring from exhaustion.
Friday, June 19, 2009
the beach - June 09
of all our beach trips, this was the first time we had 6 cabins, so we had a big group, but we were also in the middle of a move & fixing up 2 houses, so we were the least prepared.
on fri we did some work on the SD house, then we headed over to the beach. we checked in & within a couple of hours everyone was there: M & C, the redheaded family of Z, R & girls, & 2 couple friends that B worked with. it was a fun group, but hard to organize meals the way we were used to doing. it didn't help that i wasn't feeling well & will get into that more in a different post.
B & R pretty much went on a running drunk celebrating B's retirement. i'm glad i drink like that anymore. after sun night, i don't think B will anymore either. haha, he was hurting bad on mon. all day long.
mon am is when everyone left. the weekend went fast beings i wasn't feeling well, i hardly got to visit with everyone. beings B was down for the count, Z & I went for a walk on the beach & had lunch outside. all in all we had a good few days & enjoyed our friends, it just went so quickly.
the weather was perfect, maybe next year we'll delay Z's birthday celebration again.
on fri we did some work on the SD house, then we headed over to the beach. we checked in & within a couple of hours everyone was there: M & C, the redheaded family of Z, R & girls, & 2 couple friends that B worked with. it was a fun group, but hard to organize meals the way we were used to doing. it didn't help that i wasn't feeling well & will get into that more in a different post.
B & R pretty much went on a running drunk celebrating B's retirement. i'm glad i drink like that anymore. after sun night, i don't think B will anymore either. haha, he was hurting bad on mon. all day long.
mon am is when everyone left. the weekend went fast beings i wasn't feeling well, i hardly got to visit with everyone. beings B was down for the count, Z & I went for a walk on the beach & had lunch outside. all in all we had a good few days & enjoyed our friends, it just went so quickly.
the weather was perfect, maybe next year we'll delay Z's birthday celebration again.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
disneyland 09 - pt III
i know, this is like a running drunk but instead of good things like vodka & tequila it's mouse ears & awkwardly happy people.
i emo'ed out in protest of the happiness, yup all black & heavy eyeliner...that made me feel a little better.
i was still on iffy ground from the migraine so i didn't even try to get on any rides on tues. we did one last round of CA Adv & i got dizzy just watching the boys on the swings as i tried to take pics of them.
Z ended up being on very good behavior the entire trip i'm happy to report...considering he should have been home chained to his bed & only let off to clean the bathrooms & cook meals for us.
kidding, latest events were minor infractions.
he got his annual disneyland shirt, some gigantic candy & a couple of toys from the lego store.
B & I survived to tell our story...next time we hit OC i'm not leaving until i get my garlic salmon bowl though.
i emo'ed out in protest of the happiness, yup all black & heavy eyeliner...that made me feel a little better.
i was still on iffy ground from the migraine so i didn't even try to get on any rides on tues. we did one last round of CA Adv & i got dizzy just watching the boys on the swings as i tried to take pics of them.
Z ended up being on very good behavior the entire trip i'm happy to report...considering he should have been home chained to his bed & only let off to clean the bathrooms & cook meals for us.
kidding, latest events were minor infractions.
he got his annual disneyland shirt, some gigantic candy & a couple of toys from the lego store.
B & I survived to tell our story...next time we hit OC i'm not leaving until i get my garlic salmon bowl though.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
disneyland 09 - pt II
oh yeah, i forgot when i was getting Z's clothes out sun night i pulled out his last pair of clean pants for him to wear only to discover they were ripped i mean completley flipping destroyed. he's in the middle of putting them on when we see they are torn - from the groin down to the ankle!!!! so we headed over to target, arrived just a few minutes after 9pm, but it's sun so the store was closed. grrr!
the next morning we go back to get some pants, then had a $45 breakfast at ihop served by a pissy waitress. i know that serving tables wasn't her choice career, but honestly, she threw our silverware on the table....after we had asked for a spoon to stir our coffee! bee-yoch!
[of course if i was ever a waitress i would be a bee-yoch too, i've just been fortunate enough to not have do that job...]
Z liked CA Adv best so we went there first & went on all his fav rides again. we also got on the raft ride again, where i got completely soaked. i wanted to take my pants off because they were drenched; soggy pants is not a good feeling & i'm guessing not a good look either. however i'm thinking going around pantless is not allowed, even at the happiest place on earth...that would be a different happy place, no?
whatever mickey...
next we headed over to disneyland for some rides. i figured beings i was already wet we should get on the log ride but it had an hour long wait, so we decided not to & got on other rides. um, in case you didn't know, some of those people at disneyland don't really check those fast pass card times...so you can get a fast pass, then go to the front of the line (over & over)....but i didn't tell you that k? shhhh. so we got on a few rides, repeatedly.
then i had to be stupid girl & get an upset tummy...onset to a migraine...back to the hotel [remember that song? shut up, i know you sang it too] for a nap. but it didn't help, i woke up with the headache still there so we had to cancel sushi with OC-D; which was even more disappointing than not going on the haunted house.
the next morning we go back to get some pants, then had a $45 breakfast at ihop served by a pissy waitress. i know that serving tables wasn't her choice career, but honestly, she threw our silverware on the table....after we had asked for a spoon to stir our coffee! bee-yoch!
[of course if i was ever a waitress i would be a bee-yoch too, i've just been fortunate enough to not have do that job...]
Z liked CA Adv best so we went there first & went on all his fav rides again. we also got on the raft ride again, where i got completely soaked. i wanted to take my pants off because they were drenched; soggy pants is not a good feeling & i'm guessing not a good look either. however i'm thinking going around pantless is not allowed, even at the happiest place on earth...that would be a different happy place, no?
whatever mickey...
next we headed over to disneyland for some rides. i figured beings i was already wet we should get on the log ride but it had an hour long wait, so we decided not to & got on other rides. um, in case you didn't know, some of those people at disneyland don't really check those fast pass card times...so you can get a fast pass, then go to the front of the line (over & over)....but i didn't tell you that k? shhhh. so we got on a few rides, repeatedly.
then i had to be stupid girl & get an upset tummy...onset to a migraine...back to the hotel [remember that song? shut up, i know you sang it too] for a nap. but it didn't help, i woke up with the headache still there so we had to cancel sushi with OC-D; which was even more disappointing than not going on the haunted house.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
disneyland 09 - pt I
on friday Z got in trouble again at school, but the trip was already planned, reservations made & non-refundable deposits => cancellation wasn't going to happen.
we headed out of town late sat am & checked into the hotel around 1pm. we decided most of the day was spent so we just checked out the nearby grounds & planned on getting to bed early so we could hit the park early sun.
although we were at the disney hotel & could enter the park at 7am, that's unattainable for this family...i think it was 8..or maybe 9am when we made it to the park. never the less, early for us.
we got on a couple of rides, then it began to rain. while in line for the matterhorn it started raining hard...for OC. we weren't dressed for rain, we all had light cotton jackets & looked like wet dogs.
we were trying to get on indoor rides to stay out of the rain, even though it was dissipating. we took Z on the indiana jones ride, but he still didn't like it. last time he actually thought i was driving the vehicle (stay out of my way!), this time he realized that's part of the ride. he refused to go on the haunted house, so i was bummed about that, it's still my favorite ride.
after our morning adventures we had lunch & headed back to the room for naps.
in the afternoon we went to CA Adv, it was a first time for all of us. Z liked the dropping jellyfish ride, the bee swings & the car rollercoaster that made me scream. we also went on the rafting ride, because we didn't get enough of having wet clothing in the morning. we didn't stay long though as we had a dinner date with some pirates.
Z really liked the pirate dinner, finally a place where it's not only ok to yell, but also ok to "boo" the other team => found his element. the entertainment was alright but the food wasn't so good. the chicken was ok, but the shrimp, well, um, i'm surprised it didn't land in the hair of the person in front of me when i tried to eat the first one; it melted in my mouth...in the WRONG way.
we headed out of town late sat am & checked into the hotel around 1pm. we decided most of the day was spent so we just checked out the nearby grounds & planned on getting to bed early so we could hit the park early sun.
although we were at the disney hotel & could enter the park at 7am, that's unattainable for this family...i think it was 8..or maybe 9am when we made it to the park. never the less, early for us.
we got on a couple of rides, then it began to rain. while in line for the matterhorn it started raining hard...for OC. we weren't dressed for rain, we all had light cotton jackets & looked like wet dogs.
we were trying to get on indoor rides to stay out of the rain, even though it was dissipating. we took Z on the indiana jones ride, but he still didn't like it. last time he actually thought i was driving the vehicle (stay out of my way!), this time he realized that's part of the ride. he refused to go on the haunted house, so i was bummed about that, it's still my favorite ride.
after our morning adventures we had lunch & headed back to the room for naps.
in the afternoon we went to CA Adv, it was a first time for all of us. Z liked the dropping jellyfish ride, the bee swings & the car rollercoaster that made me scream. we also went on the rafting ride, because we didn't get enough of having wet clothing in the morning. we didn't stay long though as we had a dinner date with some pirates.
Z really liked the pirate dinner, finally a place where it's not only ok to yell, but also ok to "boo" the other team => found his element. the entertainment was alright but the food wasn't so good. the chicken was ok, but the shrimp, well, um, i'm surprised it didn't land in the hair of the person in front of me when i tried to eat the first one; it melted in my mouth...in the WRONG way.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Japan, finally together
i was sidetracked at work today, i had a little work to do & in between that i was reading book 2 of twilight (which isn't as good as book 1, because Edward so far only has a very minor role).
anyways, so yes, finally after this drama & that drama, i was in B's room...alone. i don't know how long it was before he finally showed up. when he did i was worried that i may have gotten him in trouble beings base was on lockdown & he wasn't supposed leave; he wasn't or if denied it if he was, then he explained how we crossed paths.
he managed to get off base & go to the teeny airport. thankfully it was that small because when he couldn't find me he asked the people there if they had seen me & they told him i had taken the bus with a group to base. when he tried to return thebeater car was having electrical problems from the heavy moisture in the air, delaying our reunion even further.
finally we made it, we were together again, on the same island & in the same room. for a few days at least.
okinawa is very small island, we had a fun time exploring it. we went to the downtown shopping district (B said the women really looked at me, like not only was i american, but i wasn't military, a rarity indeed), visited remains of castles & military standoff points from the war.
we spent most of our time swimming though. in the ocean. yeah, me, in the ocean. the water was warm, like mexico, but clear, not like mexico. i snorkeled for the first time. it was VERY strange. the worst part, which i still remember vividly was listening to my heartbeat. it was so loud, eerily loud, like i was in a hospital unconscious & a machine was echoing it out for the entirefloor room to hear.
a little tip for those of you who haven't gone snorkeling before - it's not a good idea to scream underwater. it doesn't work very well. the screams kinda get muffled by all the water entering your mouth. it took me a couple of times to get that one right. i would get so excited at all the sea life i couldn't control myself & i would scream out. i'm pretty sure i killed a lobster, poor little guy never heard such a thing before.
the best part of okinawa is that it made me think that it was probably what hawaii used to be like long before it became commerical. the ocean was so beautiful & you could pull off the road anywhere & hop in. you could have your own private beach access point.
before we knew it, it was time for me to head back home. the return trip was uneventful.
anyways, so yes, finally after this drama & that drama, i was in B's room...alone. i don't know how long it was before he finally showed up. when he did i was worried that i may have gotten him in trouble beings base was on lockdown & he wasn't supposed leave; he wasn't or if denied it if he was, then he explained how we crossed paths.
he managed to get off base & go to the teeny airport. thankfully it was that small because when he couldn't find me he asked the people there if they had seen me & they told him i had taken the bus with a group to base. when he tried to return the
finally we made it, we were together again, on the same island & in the same room. for a few days at least.
okinawa is very small island, we had a fun time exploring it. we went to the downtown shopping district (B said the women really looked at me, like not only was i american, but i wasn't military, a rarity indeed), visited remains of castles & military standoff points from the war.
we spent most of our time swimming though. in the ocean. yeah, me, in the ocean. the water was warm, like mexico, but clear, not like mexico. i snorkeled for the first time. it was VERY strange. the worst part, which i still remember vividly was listening to my heartbeat. it was so loud, eerily loud, like i was in a hospital unconscious & a machine was echoing it out for the entire
a little tip for those of you who haven't gone snorkeling before - it's not a good idea to scream underwater. it doesn't work very well. the screams kinda get muffled by all the water entering your mouth. it took me a couple of times to get that one right. i would get so excited at all the sea life i couldn't control myself & i would scream out. i'm pretty sure i killed a lobster, poor little guy never heard such a thing before.
the best part of okinawa is that it made me think that it was probably what hawaii used to be like long before it became commerical. the ocean was so beautiful & you could pull off the road anywhere & hop in. you could have your own private beach access point.
before we knew it, it was time for me to head back home. the return trip was uneventful.
Friday, January 30, 2009
getting to B in Okinawa
i'm having issues focusing, so i thought i'd simply continue the story from yesterday, here goes:
after being stuck in a foreign country with the group of strangers for 24 hours we learned we were all pretty much going to the same place. okinawa is a really small island & most americans don't have any business there unless they are going to a military base.
[in case you don't know your history (i didn't), after pearl harbor the agreement was to keep american military bases on the island to keep japan in check. ie, don't even think about pulling that shit again - so they don't like us there.]
ok, where was i? oh, yeah, so we go back to the airport, fly to the little island & land in the smallest airport on earth. really. i'm sure it is, but i'm not going to look it up. s.m.all (haha, remember that?)
thankfully i'm with this group of people & many of us are going to the same base, but, BUT!!!! we find out because of the the hurricane the base is on lock down. in case you don't get that - they aren't letting people OFF base...as in to pick people up from the airport. WTF?
first stuck in seoul, now at the airport, is someone filming this?
a group of people decided to take the bus to base & i decided that was my best option & went with them. (honestly, how completely out of character is that for me?) the bus dropped us off right outside the gate, however the street was at the bottom of a hill & the gate was at the top. at the time i didn't know it, but that hill is called 'sobriety hill' because it's such a bitch it will sober you up, well we got to take it with luggage sans alcohol.
i don't remember what the heck we did in order for the guards to let us in, but i was sore afterwards (i'm joking!). the reason i don't remember that part is because it was just the beginning of another fricken obstacle in my adventure.
finally on base, now to figure out where the heck my man is, yeah, that was monumental. so close yet so FAR.
where is the camera? this has to be someone's sick game right?
i don't know how many people i talked to. i walked here & there, everywhere. barracks, rooms, spaces, parking lots, all over. part of the thing was B's room wasn't where it was supposed to be, so they couldn't find the right place.
it was awful.
& i was beyond tired.
they finally found his room, but he wasn't there. he had snuck off base to go to the airport to get me. i didn't know it at the time, all i knew was he was gone. they didn't want to let me in his room because it was a mess. then they had a change of heart, probably realized with all the crap i'd been through i really didn't care what state the room was in & they were right. i just crawled in bed & went to sleep.
2 posts & we haven't even seen each other yet. talk about drawn out!
after being stuck in a foreign country with the group of strangers for 24 hours we learned we were all pretty much going to the same place. okinawa is a really small island & most americans don't have any business there unless they are going to a military base.
[in case you don't know your history (i didn't), after pearl harbor the agreement was to keep american military bases on the island to keep japan in check. ie, don't even think about pulling that shit again - so they don't like us there.]
ok, where was i? oh, yeah, so we go back to the airport, fly to the little island & land in the smallest airport on earth. really. i'm sure it is, but i'm not going to look it up. s.m.all (haha, remember that?)
thankfully i'm with this group of people & many of us are going to the same base, but, BUT!!!! we find out because of the the hurricane the base is on lock down. in case you don't get that - they aren't letting people OFF base...as in to pick people up from the airport. WTF?
first stuck in seoul, now at the airport, is someone filming this?
a group of people decided to take the bus to base & i decided that was my best option & went with them. (honestly, how completely out of character is that for me?) the bus dropped us off right outside the gate, however the street was at the bottom of a hill & the gate was at the top. at the time i didn't know it, but that hill is called 'sobriety hill' because it's such a bitch it will sober you up, well we got to take it with luggage sans alcohol.
i don't remember what the heck we did in order for the guards to let us in, but i was sore afterwards (i'm joking!). the reason i don't remember that part is because it was just the beginning of another fricken obstacle in my adventure.
finally on base, now to figure out where the heck my man is, yeah, that was monumental. so close yet so FAR.
where is the camera? this has to be someone's sick game right?
i don't know how many people i talked to. i walked here & there, everywhere. barracks, rooms, spaces, parking lots, all over. part of the thing was B's room wasn't where it was supposed to be, so they couldn't find the right place.
it was awful.
& i was beyond tired.
they finally found his room, but he wasn't there. he had snuck off base to go to the airport to get me. i didn't know it at the time, all i knew was he was gone. they didn't want to let me in his room because it was a mess. then they had a change of heart, probably realized with all the crap i'd been through i really didn't care what state the room was in & they were right. i just crawled in bed & went to sleep.
2 posts & we haven't even seen each other yet. talk about drawn out!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
how that Japan trip started
i was tagged on facebook to write 25 random things about me, i copied practically everything from my about me page then added a few things.
then i started a little thing about the trip to Japan, so here's the background:
i was in my senior year of college, B was deployed & in Japan for 6 months. he worked out all the details for me & 3 months into his deployment i was off to visit him.
OC-D took me to LAX, international area was crazy busy. the flight was long & we weren't able to finish our last leg to Okinawa because there was a hurricane so we stayed in Seoul, S. Korea overnight. they bused us for what seemed like forever to a hotel out as far away from the airport as possible. i remember it reminded me of mexico, the buildings all hodge podge & very colorful. oh & it smelled like sewer, i couldn't believe they had the olympics there.
the hotel wasn't all that fancy, but they thought it was. i remember sitting on the floor in the lobby (because i was fricken exhausted) & the bell boy came over & made me get up off the floor. the rug had big stains on it & he was worried about me sitting on the floor & giving off the wrong vibe.
i had my mom's cell phone & luckily was able to reach her. this was back in 2000 & coverage was really bad, i told her i was stuck & she relayed the message to B.
for dinner they gave us salmon & french fries, it was the best american type food they could deliver. we had to share rooms, so i was put with another young woman, it could have been a worse match up i thought.
let me put this out there - i'm a light sleeper, got that? ok.
so we we're wiped from the flight & bus ride so we go to our room with 2 beds. i wake up in the middle of the night to...um, noise, let's go with that.
i understand that we all have our needs, but really?
are you serious?
yup, she was.
right there.
in the same room.
in the bed next to me.
just a few feet away.
what do you do in THAT situation, hmmm?
not fricken move one muscle was my choice & hope she didn't notice a change in my breathing. oh what am i talking about, she probably couldn't even hear my breathing. even if she could hear it, i'm sure she wasn't focused on it one bit.
so note to self, next time you share a hotel room with a stranger, make sure to tell them if then need private time, do it in the bathroom.
with the door closed.
PLEASE!
that was the highlight of my visit to seoul. the next day was a holiday for them so although we didn't get back on the bus until the afternoon we had nothing to do all morning at the hotel. i had to sit there & awkwardly be friends with this woman & look her in the face the whole time.
that was just the start of the trip...i hadn't even gotten to the right island yet. that's a whole different story.
then i started a little thing about the trip to Japan, so here's the background:
i was in my senior year of college, B was deployed & in Japan for 6 months. he worked out all the details for me & 3 months into his deployment i was off to visit him.
OC-D took me to LAX, international area was crazy busy. the flight was long & we weren't able to finish our last leg to Okinawa because there was a hurricane so we stayed in Seoul, S. Korea overnight. they bused us for what seemed like forever to a hotel out as far away from the airport as possible. i remember it reminded me of mexico, the buildings all hodge podge & very colorful. oh & it smelled like sewer, i couldn't believe they had the olympics there.
the hotel wasn't all that fancy, but they thought it was. i remember sitting on the floor in the lobby (because i was fricken exhausted) & the bell boy came over & made me get up off the floor. the rug had big stains on it & he was worried about me sitting on the floor & giving off the wrong vibe.
i had my mom's cell phone & luckily was able to reach her. this was back in 2000 & coverage was really bad, i told her i was stuck & she relayed the message to B.
for dinner they gave us salmon & french fries, it was the best american type food they could deliver. we had to share rooms, so i was put with another young woman, it could have been a worse match up i thought.
let me put this out there - i'm a light sleeper, got that? ok.
so we we're wiped from the flight & bus ride so we go to our room with 2 beds. i wake up in the middle of the night to...um, noise, let's go with that.
i understand that we all have our needs, but really?
are you serious?
yup, she was.
right there.
in the same room.
in the bed next to me.
just a few feet away.
what do you do in THAT situation, hmmm?
not fricken move one muscle was my choice & hope she didn't notice a change in my breathing. oh what am i talking about, she probably couldn't even hear my breathing. even if she could hear it, i'm sure she wasn't focused on it one bit.
so note to self, next time you share a hotel room with a stranger, make sure to tell them if then need private time, do it in the bathroom.
with the door closed.
PLEASE!
that was the highlight of my visit to seoul. the next day was a holiday for them so although we didn't get back on the bus until the afternoon we had nothing to do all morning at the hotel. i had to sit there & awkwardly be friends with this woman & look her in the face the whole time.
that was just the start of the trip...i hadn't even gotten to the right island yet. that's a whole different story.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
weekend at mom's
yeah! Z only got 1 unhappy face last week! (you can only ask so much of a boy, right? more on that later...).
we drove down to mom's on friday afternoon; mom had already prepped dinner when we got there (the cornish hens she's been begging for all season) & she made enough stuffing for an army (or 2 possibly) for the 3 of us. i gave her a bowl i bought in acapulco; really colorful with chili peppers all over it, no doubt where it came from!
the next morning B & I headed down to ikea to look for something to put the tv on. we've been making due the past year with our old entertainment center. the tv doesn't fit in the space so we placed it on top & it's all ghetto, but we're in the right house, so no complaints other than we're getting a little tired of it. we bought a couple of besta shelving units.
that evening we took mom out for pho soup & picked up her favorite coconut cream pie for dessert. after our nummies, B installed a faucet in the downstairs bathroom. when we were done we went upstairs & everyone was passed out. people know how to party -> eat pie & go to sleep.
this morning we picked up a couple of parts to finish the faucet, then once that was complete we packed up & headed home. our sleep schedule had been completely messed up, on sat we were all up at 3am (Z was hungry & everyone had to watch him eat) & today they were up about 5am making all kinds of noise (they have issues!).
we drove down to mom's on friday afternoon; mom had already prepped dinner when we got there (the cornish hens she's been begging for all season) & she made enough stuffing for an army (or 2 possibly) for the 3 of us. i gave her a bowl i bought in acapulco; really colorful with chili peppers all over it, no doubt where it came from!
the next morning B & I headed down to ikea to look for something to put the tv on. we've been making due the past year with our old entertainment center. the tv doesn't fit in the space so we placed it on top & it's all ghetto, but we're in the right house, so no complaints other than we're getting a little tired of it. we bought a couple of besta shelving units.
that evening we took mom out for pho soup & picked up her favorite coconut cream pie for dessert. after our nummies, B installed a faucet in the downstairs bathroom. when we were done we went upstairs & everyone was passed out. people know how to party -> eat pie & go to sleep.
this morning we picked up a couple of parts to finish the faucet, then once that was complete we packed up & headed home. our sleep schedule had been completely messed up, on sat we were all up at 3am (Z was hungry & everyone had to watch him eat) & today they were up about 5am making all kinds of noise (they have issues!).
Sunday, December 14, 2008
cruise - final thoughts
we spent a few more days on ship for the ride home; those quite days were needed. we met up with R & family throughout the days & evenings for poolside talks & also caught a midnight comedy show. they were really nice family & at the end of the trip we exchanged contact info & hopefully can keep in touch. both boys are anxiously awaiting a playdate although they live in washington state so that would take some planning.
B & I also decided to splurge on a spa morning. we thought what the heck right? we hadn't spent a lot of $$ at the ports & the treatments were discounted. um, yeah, so then we both went crazy on purchasing products...merry christmas is what we decided!
i got a facial that was fantastic, my face was as smooth & as plump as a baby's butt. seriously, i was ready to buy anything that could make my face like that!
B had a professional shave, a mini-facial & a neck massage. the lady used a cream on his cheeks that made his psoriasis go away, something he's battled since before we even met.
haha, so when he walked in the room after his treatment with a bag of goodies, i didn't feel so bad about all the $$ i spent. although he said he really would have liked to have seen how things would have developed if he walked in empty handed & i had to explain myself!
we enjoyed the cruise & will probably do it again sometime in the future, but to another location; we heard the carribean is fantastic. if we go back to mexico, we would fly & stay, either ixtapa or we heard cancun was very nice also.
B & I also decided to splurge on a spa morning. we thought what the heck right? we hadn't spent a lot of $$ at the ports & the treatments were discounted. um, yeah, so then we both went crazy on purchasing products...merry christmas is what we decided!
i got a facial that was fantastic, my face was as smooth & as plump as a baby's butt. seriously, i was ready to buy anything that could make my face like that!
B had a professional shave, a mini-facial & a neck massage. the lady used a cream on his cheeks that made his psoriasis go away, something he's battled since before we even met.
haha, so when he walked in the room after his treatment with a bag of goodies, i didn't feel so bad about all the $$ i spent. although he said he really would have liked to have seen how things would have developed if he walked in empty handed & i had to explain myself!
we enjoyed the cruise & will probably do it again sometime in the future, but to another location; we heard the carribean is fantastic. if we go back to mexico, we would fly & stay, either ixtapa or we heard cancun was very nice also.
Friday, December 12, 2008
last port - manzanillo
i hadn't even heard of manzanillo prior into looking into the cruise, so instead of booking an excursion we decided to play it by ear. Z's buddy R & family came with a few additional family members & friends & they invited us to the beach so we tagged along.
the boys got along so well it was unbelievable. typically, Z has love/hate relationships with his friends but R was some how able to work with Z & they would flex & bend to fit each other. maybe because R is only a few weeks older than Z, but something about them just clicked.
we spent the entire day down at the beach. the peddlers were crazy, it was like home shopper network live. a constant barrage of shirts, wraps, jewelry, dishes, trinkets, fruit, hats. we joked that we should just pay someone to keep all the peddlers away because 1 no wasn't sufficient, they had to go around & put their wares up in your face & hear a distinct no from each individual. i realize this is how they make their living but it really was overwhelming...& sad.
we didn't even buy any souvenirs there, we just enjoyed the day & made new friends. we headed back to the boat exhausted from the sun & B had a few too many cervezas.
Z went to kids camp again & we had a quiet dinner in the dining room. it was better than our meal the first night. when we picked Z up about 9:30 he wanted to eat again, he definitely liked that food ready at any time deal.
the boys got along so well it was unbelievable. typically, Z has love/hate relationships with his friends but R was some how able to work with Z & they would flex & bend to fit each other. maybe because R is only a few weeks older than Z, but something about them just clicked.
we spent the entire day down at the beach. the peddlers were crazy, it was like home shopper network live. a constant barrage of shirts, wraps, jewelry, dishes, trinkets, fruit, hats. we joked that we should just pay someone to keep all the peddlers away because 1 no wasn't sufficient, they had to go around & put their wares up in your face & hear a distinct no from each individual. i realize this is how they make their living but it really was overwhelming...& sad.
we didn't even buy any souvenirs there, we just enjoyed the day & made new friends. we headed back to the boat exhausted from the sun & B had a few too many cervezas.
Z went to kids camp again & we had a quiet dinner in the dining room. it was better than our meal the first night. when we picked Z up about 9:30 he wanted to eat again, he definitely liked that food ready at any time deal.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
next stop - zihuantanejo/ixtapa
the next morning we hit zihuantanejo early, we browsed through a couple of shops then hit up a taxi to take us to a quiet beach. as soon as we got to the water Z recognized a boy from kid camp (R) - i can't tell you what a blessing that was! R was well behaved, he & Z got along splendidly & his parents were nice too! it was a definite win/win, the boys played & we could relax & chit chat.
we hung out for a few hours & drank & ate, then it was time to head up to ixtapa. the boys were scheduled to go swim with the dolphins so we headed back to port for the bus ride. they didn't even want to sit with parents, they were on their own program being boys. it was cute.
ixtapa is the nice, new, trendy part of town, but we didn't have time to explore. we were taken directly to the dolphin place, where B & Z spent about an hour in the water. each kid had a few minutes of one on one with a dolphin & in the meantime other ones same around them. R's mom said she was surprised at how close they would get, almost like cats that rub themselves up against you.
before we knew it time was up & we had to get back on the bus & head back to port to make it on boat before it left without us. at each of the ports, there were armed men; i wasn't sure if they were there to protect us or not. on our drive back to the port there was a coca-cola truck next to us, the doors were open & men sat inside holding guns. it was kind of scary & our guide conveniently didn't see them & couldn't explain when we asked about them.
we made it back safely & on time though.
oh & i had absolutely the BEST margarita ever in my life here! it was so thick & creamy, i think it may have been made with real cocunut milk & a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
we hung out for a few hours & drank & ate, then it was time to head up to ixtapa. the boys were scheduled to go swim with the dolphins so we headed back to port for the bus ride. they didn't even want to sit with parents, they were on their own program being boys. it was cute.
ixtapa is the nice, new, trendy part of town, but we didn't have time to explore. we were taken directly to the dolphin place, where B & Z spent about an hour in the water. each kid had a few minutes of one on one with a dolphin & in the meantime other ones same around them. R's mom said she was surprised at how close they would get, almost like cats that rub themselves up against you.
before we knew it time was up & we had to get back on the bus & head back to port to make it on boat before it left without us. at each of the ports, there were armed men; i wasn't sure if they were there to protect us or not. on our drive back to the port there was a coca-cola truck next to us, the doors were open & men sat inside holding guns. it was kind of scary & our guide conveniently didn't see them & couldn't explain when we asked about them.
we made it back safely & on time though.
oh & i had absolutely the BEST margarita ever in my life here! it was so thick & creamy, i think it may have been made with real cocunut milk & a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
vamos a mexico! - acapulco
the first 2 days we spent on boat, it was nice & relaxing. they had a kid program that we shuffled Z off to, so everyone was happy!
our first excursion was in acapulco, we didn't plan anything so when we got off the ship we just hired a taxi to show us the town. first he took us to the old part of the city & showed us a couple of the old hotels old hollywood stars would frequent back in the day. you could tell at one time these were magnificent but time had certainly taken it's toll. we also drove by a vacation house that once belonged to Diego Rivera (unfortunately entry isn't allowed) but there was a mosiac dragon on the wall & his name.
we asked him to take us to a place where locals would eat but he insisted on taking us to Senior Frogs. there were only a few other (white) people there when we arrived, but we had a feeling we were being duped & we were SO right. B got a beer & plate of shrimp, Z got a smoothy & fish & chips, I got a margarita & a small shrimp cocktail. guess how much that was? come on, just GUESS? in american dollars, i won't even try & trick you with pesos? got a number? ok, well whatever it is triple it. yeah, our bill was almost $90 AMERICAN DOLLARS!!!!
i had taken Z to the bathroom & left B to pay the bill so i didn't even know it until we were back in the taxi. i couldn't believe it. i was sure we should have each received a free t-shirt with that bill.
after that the taxi driver took us to the new part of the city which was much nicer & a church that reminded me a lot of Mt Soledad. then we headed back to our point of origin & he dropped us off at the zocalo (downtown center). we meandered through the shops & the streets. Z got plenty of attention throughout our escapades, those girls love the blonde kid! there was another church here & there were many processions of people celebrating the virgin of guadalupe.
we got back on the boat about 7pm & i was exhausted. Z went to the kids club & B & I went to the jacuzzi for a bit.
our first excursion was in acapulco, we didn't plan anything so when we got off the ship we just hired a taxi to show us the town. first he took us to the old part of the city & showed us a couple of the old hotels old hollywood stars would frequent back in the day. you could tell at one time these were magnificent but time had certainly taken it's toll. we also drove by a vacation house that once belonged to Diego Rivera (unfortunately entry isn't allowed) but there was a mosiac dragon on the wall & his name.
we asked him to take us to a place where locals would eat but he insisted on taking us to Senior Frogs. there were only a few other (white) people there when we arrived, but we had a feeling we were being duped & we were SO right. B got a beer & plate of shrimp, Z got a smoothy & fish & chips, I got a margarita & a small shrimp cocktail. guess how much that was? come on, just GUESS? in american dollars, i won't even try & trick you with pesos? got a number? ok, well whatever it is triple it. yeah, our bill was almost $90 AMERICAN DOLLARS!!!!
i had taken Z to the bathroom & left B to pay the bill so i didn't even know it until we were back in the taxi. i couldn't believe it. i was sure we should have each received a free t-shirt with that bill.
after that the taxi driver took us to the new part of the city which was much nicer & a church that reminded me a lot of Mt Soledad. then we headed back to our point of origin & he dropped us off at the zocalo (downtown center). we meandered through the shops & the streets. Z got plenty of attention throughout our escapades, those girls love the blonde kid! there was another church here & there were many processions of people celebrating the virgin of guadalupe.
we got back on the boat about 7pm & i was exhausted. Z went to the kids club & B & I went to the jacuzzi for a bit.
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