Friday, February 1, 2008
Send warm thoughts
to China! This is where I will be spending 15 hours in a couple of weeks, "Worst Winter Weather in 5 Decades...".
Then again, I might not even make it to Guangzhou...China Southern Airlines has totally screwed my tickets by cancelling 2 of my legs (both legs out of Guangzhou). I think it's a conspiracy to keep the cold wussy Western woman hostage in a non-English speaking communist country!!
Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Then again, I might not even make it to Guangzhou...China Southern Airlines has totally screwed my tickets by cancelling 2 of my legs (both legs out of Guangzhou). I think it's a conspiracy to keep the cold wussy Western woman hostage in a non-English speaking communist country!!
Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
I know, I'm a "blog-loser"...
Haven't blogged for a while. It's not that nothing has been going on, it's just such an effort for me to write. And, once I start I feel like it's too boring to read. Anyway, I will try harder this year.
I'm heading off to New Zealand in February. Should be exciting. I'm going to have to put my big girl pants on for this one. I leave Orlando on February 19th and arrive in Australia to meet Ian on February 21st (or maybe the 22nd...with all the time changes and date line crossing I'm not really sure). I have a 15 hour layover in Guangzhou China...this is where the big girl pants come into play. I'm not the kind of person who does well alone. I can't remember ever eating out alone or going to the movies alone. Plus, the language barrier scares the shit out of me. I almost had a panic attack trying to maneuver through the Italian airport by myself. Against Ian's better judgment I've decided to make my way out of the airport and see some sights. I can't see myself sitting in the Crown Room (Ian got me business class tickets!! Thanks baby!) for 15 hours straight!! I can't even sit in my house for 15 hours straight!
Originally I planned to get a private tour guide, but the cost became too much when you factor in the Visa, ride to and from the airport, the actual tour, tip, lunch, etc. So I've decided to get a hotel room smack in the middle of town. This will give me the opportunity to get a shower and some food, then I can get out and walk around on my own. It's winter there and the temps are in the 30s and 40s now, so I'm not sure how much sight seeing I'll really do, but I'm gonna try!
I also have a full day in Sydney by myself after Ian heads home. I haven't decided what I'm going to do there, but that doesn't worry me as much. At least I speak the language!
I'm heading off to New Zealand in February. Should be exciting. I'm going to have to put my big girl pants on for this one. I leave Orlando on February 19th and arrive in Australia to meet Ian on February 21st (or maybe the 22nd...with all the time changes and date line crossing I'm not really sure). I have a 15 hour layover in Guangzhou China...this is where the big girl pants come into play. I'm not the kind of person who does well alone. I can't remember ever eating out alone or going to the movies alone. Plus, the language barrier scares the shit out of me. I almost had a panic attack trying to maneuver through the Italian airport by myself. Against Ian's better judgment I've decided to make my way out of the airport and see some sights. I can't see myself sitting in the Crown Room (Ian got me business class tickets!! Thanks baby!) for 15 hours straight!! I can't even sit in my house for 15 hours straight!
Originally I planned to get a private tour guide, but the cost became too much when you factor in the Visa, ride to and from the airport, the actual tour, tip, lunch, etc. So I've decided to get a hotel room smack in the middle of town. This will give me the opportunity to get a shower and some food, then I can get out and walk around on my own. It's winter there and the temps are in the 30s and 40s now, so I'm not sure how much sight seeing I'll really do, but I'm gonna try!
I also have a full day in Sydney by myself after Ian heads home. I haven't decided what I'm going to do there, but that doesn't worry me as much. At least I speak the language!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Tequila and Turquoise Jewelry
Our trip started out like the Fockers…everything fell in to place perfectly. A nice guy that I met at the bar saved me a good seat on the plane (we flew South West, which does not assign seats). We had a few cocktails and played cards for most of the long flight (South West does not offer movies on their cross country flights). My flight left about 40 or so minutes late, but we made up some time in the air and landed just a few minutes after Erin’s plane…she was waiting for me when I disembarked. We got our luggage unusually quick and made our way to the rental car counter where there was no line. The grumpy faced attendant that started to help us decided to go on break mid-way through our rental process and turned us over to Bernadette. Bernadette happily upgraded us from our mid-sized reservation to a brand new PT Cruiser Convertible!! Hell yeah!!
The ride from the airport to the B & B was absolutely beautiful! Living in Florida I forget how amazingly stunning mountains are. I think I like the scenery of the dry high desert over the lush green foliage of humid Florida…or maybe it’s just the change that I like. I do like the architecture in NM better than Florida – everything is Adobe style. Apparently it gets quite cold there and rarely gets too hot so the Adobe is designed to hold heat. Our Innkeepers said that they rarely have to turn on the heat in the winters.
Our B & B was located in a remote area outside of Santa Fe. The house was gorgeous…the pictures on the internet did not do it justice! They have an indoor pool that was built as part of the living area. Just off the kitchen was the patio and pool area. The back wall was all glass looking out over the vast open desert…not a single house in sight.
Fortunately, Erin and I have two very important things in common…we both like to drink and we both love good food! It seems that every day was planned around our meals and every outing included a bar break. People in New Mexico are very passionate people. It became apparent early on that they are very passionate about Tequila…I learned a few things about Tequila that I didn’t know, one being that they do not like Tequila that has color – all the good Tequilas they serve clear. I also never knew that there were so many options and brands of Tequila (none of which are available anywhere near me here in FL). We had some fabulous Margarita’s and I was introduced to Sangrita. Sangrita is a spicy, tomato based sidekick for Tequila. The Tequilas are so good that they are often consumed by sipping rather than mixing in a drink. The Sangrita makes for a nice chaser.
The other thing that the people of New Mexico are passionate about is Turquoise and every jeweler thinks theirs is the best and they will take 30 minutes out of their day to tell you why. Within the first hour of our first adventure we had seen enough Turquoise jewelry to last a lifetime! Erin actually gave in a bought a few pieces…all I bought was a cheap pair of earrings that just happened to match the dress I was wearing that day.
Because I’m a bit of a Negative Nancy I have to briefly touch on one major downfall of our trip. It was freakin’ HOT!!! Yeah, I know it’s the desert, but no one…not the stores, not our B & B, no one has a/c. Apparently it never gets THAT hot there. I know that people use the “but it’s a dry heat” excuse, but I’m not buying it!! I felt like I was cooking in an oven. I guess I’m strange, but I like the humidity. Remember earlier when I mentioned the architecture and that the Adobe holds heat?? Well, we were literally sleeping in a clay oven! There was no place to go to get cool.
We had tons of fun though! We went hiking at a National Monument called Tent Rocks. The area was so beautiful...so much more than any picture can portray. I'm glad that we decided to go!
We went to a town called Madrid that was featured in the movie Wild Hogs. It's an old hippie town. Lots of shops, but not much more. From there we went to the town where Young Guns was filmed. This was a bit of a disappointment, just two short blocks of old west looking buildings...no shops or restaurants, but one very scary looking bar (we opted to avoid this one).
Sunday was spa day. Erin found this awesome spa up in the mountains called Ten Thousand Waves. We both had fabulous massages and a relaxing visit.
All in all our trip rocked!! I could totally see myself living there (except for maybe the winters). Highly recommend it as a vacation spot...any season (well winter only if you enjoy skiing/snowboarding).
The ride from the airport to the B & B was absolutely beautiful! Living in Florida I forget how amazingly stunning mountains are. I think I like the scenery of the dry high desert over the lush green foliage of humid Florida…or maybe it’s just the change that I like. I do like the architecture in NM better than Florida – everything is Adobe style. Apparently it gets quite cold there and rarely gets too hot so the Adobe is designed to hold heat. Our Innkeepers said that they rarely have to turn on the heat in the winters.
Our B & B was located in a remote area outside of Santa Fe. The house was gorgeous…the pictures on the internet did not do it justice! They have an indoor pool that was built as part of the living area. Just off the kitchen was the patio and pool area. The back wall was all glass looking out over the vast open desert…not a single house in sight.
Fortunately, Erin and I have two very important things in common…we both like to drink and we both love good food! It seems that every day was planned around our meals and every outing included a bar break. People in New Mexico are very passionate people. It became apparent early on that they are very passionate about Tequila…I learned a few things about Tequila that I didn’t know, one being that they do not like Tequila that has color – all the good Tequilas they serve clear. I also never knew that there were so many options and brands of Tequila (none of which are available anywhere near me here in FL). We had some fabulous Margarita’s and I was introduced to Sangrita. Sangrita is a spicy, tomato based sidekick for Tequila. The Tequilas are so good that they are often consumed by sipping rather than mixing in a drink. The Sangrita makes for a nice chaser.
The other thing that the people of New Mexico are passionate about is Turquoise and every jeweler thinks theirs is the best and they will take 30 minutes out of their day to tell you why. Within the first hour of our first adventure we had seen enough Turquoise jewelry to last a lifetime! Erin actually gave in a bought a few pieces…all I bought was a cheap pair of earrings that just happened to match the dress I was wearing that day.
Because I’m a bit of a Negative Nancy I have to briefly touch on one major downfall of our trip. It was freakin’ HOT!!! Yeah, I know it’s the desert, but no one…not the stores, not our B & B, no one has a/c. Apparently it never gets THAT hot there. I know that people use the “but it’s a dry heat” excuse, but I’m not buying it!! I felt like I was cooking in an oven. I guess I’m strange, but I like the humidity. Remember earlier when I mentioned the architecture and that the Adobe holds heat?? Well, we were literally sleeping in a clay oven! There was no place to go to get cool.
We had tons of fun though! We went hiking at a National Monument called Tent Rocks. The area was so beautiful...so much more than any picture can portray. I'm glad that we decided to go!
We went to a town called Madrid that was featured in the movie Wild Hogs. It's an old hippie town. Lots of shops, but not much more. From there we went to the town where Young Guns was filmed. This was a bit of a disappointment, just two short blocks of old west looking buildings...no shops or restaurants, but one very scary looking bar (we opted to avoid this one).
Sunday was spa day. Erin found this awesome spa up in the mountains called Ten Thousand Waves. We both had fabulous massages and a relaxing visit.
All in all our trip rocked!! I could totally see myself living there (except for maybe the winters). Highly recommend it as a vacation spot...any season (well winter only if you enjoy skiing/snowboarding).
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Big Debate - need help deciding what to do
Pita got out again last night. It was my fault...I didn't close the door to the garage all the way. I don't know how long he was out, but I didn't realize the door was open till at least an hour since I had last gone out. Initially I thought both cats were gone, but "the fat one" came running when I busted out the bag of treats.
I took the treats out side and called his name but there was no sign of him. I came back in and locked Madi in the bedroom so that I could leave the garage door open in case Pita decided to eturn. Within 5 minutes of me calling him he was back in the house torturing a poor defenseless lizard, which he caught on his outdoor adventure.
Pita spent the entire rest of the evening meowing incessantly at both doors...begging to get out to get more lizards and annoying the hell out of me.
So, the big question...Should I get a cat door? Pros and cons are vast, but here are a few:
Pros:
He's a cat, born outside
He craves the out doors: this might calm him down and make him less of a PITA
Cons:
He could get killed
He will bring in lizards to dismember
I don't know...need help. Should I keep him indoors or allow him to venture outdoors?
I took the treats out side and called his name but there was no sign of him. I came back in and locked Madi in the bedroom so that I could leave the garage door open in case Pita decided to eturn. Within 5 minutes of me calling him he was back in the house torturing a poor defenseless lizard, which he caught on his outdoor adventure.
Pita spent the entire rest of the evening meowing incessantly at both doors...begging to get out to get more lizards and annoying the hell out of me.
So, the big question...Should I get a cat door? Pros and cons are vast, but here are a few:
Pros:
He's a cat, born outside
He craves the out doors: this might calm him down and make him less of a PITA
Cons:
He could get killed
He will bring in lizards to dismember
I don't know...need help. Should I keep him indoors or allow him to venture outdoors?
Monday, September 3, 2007
Blogging drive
I've kind of lost it...obviously. Just got back from an awesome trip to Santa Fe, NM with Erin. Will blog about it this week...promise. :o)
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Windjammer
Our vacation was fine...much better in retrospect than it was while I was actually there. Sorry it's taken so long to blog about it...not really been motivated to write, but here are the cliff notes.
I'll start with the bad...there was a lot of down time with absolutely nothing to do on the ship. The boat was only allowed to stay in Costa Rica for 5 days so when we boarded we had one day at port then had to sail down to Panama to get out of the country then come back. That was about a day and a half. The activities director on the boat was lame and didn't have anything going on during the day on the boat. I'm not much of a lay around in the sun kinda person (especially since it was hell hot there) so I found myself bored.
Next, our room lost it's a/c and since it was hell hot sleep was impossible. It took them 2 days to finally move us to a new room. This room was smaller and on a lower level on the other side of the ship, also, it was a used room and had a soppy wet floor. This wasn't too terrible because it was cold in there. The next morning our steward asked us to move our baggage and when I told him about the floor and asked for a different cabin he told me that we could keep our stuff in the other cabin, but had to pack it all up. So, we slept in one cabin and then had to make the "walk of shame" from one end of the boat to the other in our jammies with bed head back to our other room to get our clothes and shower (not to mention we were now living out of a packed suit case).
We had grand plans of scuba diving, but the scuba guy seemed more interested in getting "some" rather than fixing the problems we encountered with the dive dingy. Apparently it got a hole in it and he wasn't able to fix it. Some how, though, it was fixed by the last day of the cruise...whatever. So, no diving.
We were rarely in a place that was deep enough to dock at so we were shuttle boated from the ship to our ports. We found ourselves, on several occasions, waiting up to 45 min in the hell hot sun to get picked up and returned to the ship after our excursions.
The travel time from the port to the excursions was usually an hour or more one way (our white water trip travel time was 5+ hours round trip, plus 2 hours of rafting)...this left little time to do more than one activity or explore the ports. We got totally hosed on the white water day because that was the port with the most stuff to see. There was a place that we wanted to have dinner at, but because of the 7 hour tour plus nearly an hour to get picked up we had to forfeit the dinner :o(.
OK - to the good...We met some really cool people, everyone on the boat were great! I guess mostly cool people go on windjammer...LOL. Costa Rica is gorgeous!! I'd love to go back and see more of the country. The food on the boat was mostly good. The excursions were mostly good...we did the canopy zip line tour and got rained on, we did a waterfall hike and just missed getting rained on, white water rafting with more rain (my favorite adventure) was kick ass!! The rapids were class 2 - 4 and the drive to the put in was class 4 -5!! Kayaking, snorkeling and most importantly, DRINKING! :O)
I have a ton more pics that I will try to put up later, but here are a couple from our adventures...first, zip line tour...second (obviously) our kick ass white water rafting trip. We plan to make a trip to GA in the near future for another one if anyone would care to join us.
I wouldn't personally recommend the Windjammer cruise, but the majority of the people on our boat were repeat customers, who told us to give it another try. I'm reluctant to spend the money but have sent a letter to Windjammer in hopes of getting a discount to come back and try again.
I'll start with the bad...there was a lot of down time with absolutely nothing to do on the ship. The boat was only allowed to stay in Costa Rica for 5 days so when we boarded we had one day at port then had to sail down to Panama to get out of the country then come back. That was about a day and a half. The activities director on the boat was lame and didn't have anything going on during the day on the boat. I'm not much of a lay around in the sun kinda person (especially since it was hell hot there) so I found myself bored.
Next, our room lost it's a/c and since it was hell hot sleep was impossible. It took them 2 days to finally move us to a new room. This room was smaller and on a lower level on the other side of the ship, also, it was a used room and had a soppy wet floor. This wasn't too terrible because it was cold in there. The next morning our steward asked us to move our baggage and when I told him about the floor and asked for a different cabin he told me that we could keep our stuff in the other cabin, but had to pack it all up. So, we slept in one cabin and then had to make the "walk of shame" from one end of the boat to the other in our jammies with bed head back to our other room to get our clothes and shower (not to mention we were now living out of a packed suit case).
We had grand plans of scuba diving, but the scuba guy seemed more interested in getting "some" rather than fixing the problems we encountered with the dive dingy. Apparently it got a hole in it and he wasn't able to fix it. Some how, though, it was fixed by the last day of the cruise...whatever. So, no diving.
We were rarely in a place that was deep enough to dock at so we were shuttle boated from the ship to our ports. We found ourselves, on several occasions, waiting up to 45 min in the hell hot sun to get picked up and returned to the ship after our excursions.
The travel time from the port to the excursions was usually an hour or more one way (our white water trip travel time was 5+ hours round trip, plus 2 hours of rafting)...this left little time to do more than one activity or explore the ports. We got totally hosed on the white water day because that was the port with the most stuff to see. There was a place that we wanted to have dinner at, but because of the 7 hour tour plus nearly an hour to get picked up we had to forfeit the dinner :o(.
OK - to the good...We met some really cool people, everyone on the boat were great! I guess mostly cool people go on windjammer...LOL. Costa Rica is gorgeous!! I'd love to go back and see more of the country. The food on the boat was mostly good. The excursions were mostly good...we did the canopy zip line tour and got rained on, we did a waterfall hike and just missed getting rained on, white water rafting with more rain (my favorite adventure) was kick ass!! The rapids were class 2 - 4 and the drive to the put in was class 4 -5!! Kayaking, snorkeling and most importantly, DRINKING! :O)
I have a ton more pics that I will try to put up later, but here are a couple from our adventures...first, zip line tour...second (obviously) our kick ass white water rafting trip. We plan to make a trip to GA in the near future for another one if anyone would care to join us.
I wouldn't personally recommend the Windjammer cruise, but the majority of the people on our boat were repeat customers, who told us to give it another try. I'm reluctant to spend the money but have sent a letter to Windjammer in hopes of getting a discount to come back and try again.
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