My Spring Break...

I'm not even sure where to begin this post, suffice it to say that it has been arguably one of the best times in my life. My spring break began on Saturday 27 March, technically a week earlier than the rest of my school. I took the extra week because on that Saturday Scott arrived for his mid-deployment break from Afghanistan. He was given two weeks leave and I made sure that I cleared my schedule for it. It has been a very, very, very long 6 months since he left and although I made it through successfully, time does NOT fly by. I tired very quickly of hearing people tell me that the time "would fly by". In any case, he finally arrived and we had an incredible time together. I could spend the rest of my life with that man, we get a long so well. Funny thing, he must have been feeling the same way because on Saturday 3 April, the day before his birthday, he took me to a seaside restaurant for a beautiful dinner and starlit walk on the beach. And after reminiscing a bit about how the sky and stars reminded us of our first weekend together in Death Valley (I know it sounds kinda funny, but it was really the best first date I've ever had), Scott asked me to marry him. I told him absolutely, that I would marry him yesterday, today, and any other day. He then slipped onto my finger the most gorgeous ring I have ever seen. The photo doesn't do it justice but it is a platinum infinity band with a Hearts on Fire diamond. There are two tiny diamonds under the big one. It is so perfect for me and apparently he (with his mother's help) spent a great deal of time researching and choosing something that he thought I would love and he did a perfect job (I keep using the word perfect because I really can't think of anything better to say-lol). His whole family knew about it ahead of time and were ecstatic. They have been so wonderful to me and welcomed me into their family with open arms.
So how did we celebrate? We went fishing of course! Sunday morning Scott, his parents, and I took the boat out and fished the bay for a few hours. Scott's parents had gotten him a new rod & reel so he had the chance to try it out. Thank goodness they gave him the rod & reel because he had been set on buying one as soon as he got in and I had used every tactic I could muster to keep him from going to the store and buying one himself. And people, you all know that I am not the best at keeping secrets and this was a mighty difficult one since Scott is fairly stubborn and when he wants something he goes and gets it (sound like someone else you know? lol). The set up that his parents bought was very similar to the one he bought me for Christmas (yes, I am the girl who was absolutely thrilled to get a fishing rod for Christmas) and although neither of us caught any fish that day, we had a good time putting our poles to good use!! Well, I put my pole to good use in between phone calls and text messages about our engagement :)
The rest of Scott's visit was spent mainly in the Keys. We were able to rent a townhouse on the Navy base in Key West and headed down there Tuesday-Friday. The ride was fantastic because Betsy (the '83 Jeep CJ 8) was fixed and ready to go. The weather was marvelous for driving and we took the hard top and doors off for the trip. I love that Jeep, it is so fun to ride in and drive, however not so good for the hair :) It was fitting also since we spent our first weekend in Death Valley rompin around in her. Scott's parents and uncle met us down there with the boat and the boys spent two full days fishing. They went the first day without Scott's mom and me, mainly because it was fairly rough with the wind and we also knew that they would be going again the next day. Also there was shopping to be done in Key West. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the Key Lime Pie on a stick. Those of you who have not experienced this culinary miracle are missing out!! This is frozen key lime pie with a layer of chocolate around it. It is a must for any Florida Keys trip.
So the day we all went out off Key West to fish was wicked awesome! Ok, it didn't start that great for me, I was more than a little embarrassed that I was queasy on the trip out, but as soon as we stopped I jumped in the water and felt instantly better. From then on it was non-stop fishing. We anchored over a wreck and stayed almost the whole afternoon. We were just catching one fish after another! The best part was that I finally got to christen the fishing pole that Scott bought me for Christmas! I probably caught at least a dozen fish that day. Blue runners (not to keep but fun to catch), Amberjack, Grouper, and Snapper. Most I threw back but some were kept for eatin :) We all caught a load of fish over the day but the highpoint of the trip was Scott's catch just before we pulled up lines to head in. He had thrown out a line with a crab in hopes that he would lure Permit in. We had just decided to pull in the lines when Uncle Charlie, me, and Scott all hooked up at the same time. Charlie and I lost our fish but Scott ended up reeling in a 30+ lb Permit. The craziest part is that the hook was just barely sticking into the fish's lip. This was the fish that Scott had been waiting for and will probably not see again. He had permagrin for the rest of the afternoon :) The ride in was the icing on the cake for us as a huge spotted ray was jumping out of the water as we were cruising by. What an awesome display of nature's beauty!!
We finally came back to Stuart and had a few people over to celebrate our engagement. Kimmie went into party mode (I think she just likes excuses to put her culinary education to good use-lol) and created a fabulous display for us. The ducks even have tongues!!!













Scott brought me a gift from the interpreters that he works with in Afghanistan...a birka. This is the traditional attire for women. Women are not allowed to show any skin (I think I broke the rules by showing my hands). Can you imagine having to wear this getup all the time????









This final photo is of my big fish of the trip. I almost was voted off the boat by the boys for this one-lol
It is a 28" Gag Grouper that I caught off Tampa Bay. I was certainly tired after fighting this monster. It is the first grouper I've ever caught!!







So...you may be thinking...what now? The plan is that I am going to finish out the school year and then pack up my stuff. put it into storage, sell my truck, and take off to Hawaii. My friends Chris and Sarah live in Honolulu and they have graciously invited me to come stay with them. I am going to probably do some odd jobs while there and then at the end of September I plan to head to my brother's in NH to help out for a week or two since they are expecting their first child!!!!! I am so freaking excited for them and can't wait to see my brother as a dad :) I will stay with them until 7 October when Scott returns from Afghanistan. We don't know where he will be stationed yet but he is getting promoted to Major (YAY!!) so it is quite possible that we will end up at Ft. Leavenworth, KS so he can go to military school. Yes, I know, Kansas. However to me it doesn't matter where I go, as long as I can be with Scott. Once we get settled then I will evaluate my job prospects and decide what to do. In the midst of all of my moving, Megan will be giving birth to her second child so as you can see, there really is never a dull moment in my world! Love and happiness my peeps!

2010...

Wow. That we have entered another decade is nothing short of mind blowing. When I was a kid it seemed that time couldn't go by fast enough until I was old enough for whatever the next milestone was. Now...I actually feel like I am in two different worlds. The world of school and teaching seems to be blowing by at light speed. However the world that has Scott in Afghanistan seems to be creeping by at a snail's pace. As of Tuesday (12 Jan) he will have be gone for 14 weeks. Just over 3 months. He is in Kabul, training the Afghan soldiers to fight for their own country. I have been able to talk to him almost everyday, truly a blessing as far as I'm concerned. He is planning to come back to Florida at the beginning of April for his mid-deployment break. This will coincide with my spring break and I don't think words could possibly express how much I am looking forward to that time :)
Anyhow, here are some photos I thought I would share from the last couple of months...





This is a photo of all of the cards I received for my birthday and the holidays from the absolutely fabulous people in my life!!









And here is my crazy sleeping princess, Kinja....


















And...since Scott was not here to be my date for all of the parties I had to attend, I had to make other arrangements...









Yes, these are fuzzy bunny slippers. And they are pink. And I love 'em!

Here comes the fall...

I can hardly believe that we are already in the middle of October. In a couple of short weeks the first quarter of the school year will end. It just blows me away. As most of you know, I have spent as much of the last month and a half with Scott, whether that be here in Florida or in Kansas, where he was temporarily stationed. He left on 6 October for a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan. Scott is a Captain in the Army but he is my knight in shining armor. I admire that he has now gone to a country where the people are almost entirely illiterate, afraid for their lives, and living very primitively compared to how we live. I hope all of you are thankful for all that you have, I know that I certainly am. Anyway, I will wait patiently (okay, stop laughing, I have no choice in the patience thing) for him to return next year. He will have a mid-deployment break at some point, which I am looking forward to very much.
So the first weekend in October was the last time I saw him, and I traveled to Kansas. As usual, we found lots to do, without even spending time in the city. We drove on Saturday out to a classic car show. Now I will be totally honest, I didn't really think I would enjoy it all that much, not being a huge car buff, but I found that I had a great time (could've been the company...). I also realized that for the most part, I really like old trucks more than old cars. However, the highlight of the show was what turns out to be my dream car. Check out me next to this beauty. A 1965 Mustang, and yes that baby is pink! I so want that car!!! Someday, I aspire to own a classic pink Mustang. It was fantastic. Scott is very much a classic Camero fan and since there were many there, his eyes were as big as saucers and I don't think the smile left his face the whole time. It was great :)

On Sunday, we drove to Wamego, KS. What the heck is in Wamego you ask? Only the home of the Wizard of Oz for cryin out loud! Yes, and we happened to catch the Oztober Fest, the only festival dedicated solely to the movie that this year celebrates 70 years. Its not as big as I thought it would be but there were a few fantastic things in Wamego.
First, they have a Wizard of Oz museum. Believe it or not, it cost $10 to get in. That was a little crazy to me but I guess they have to get the money while they can. There were all sorts of pieces of memorabilia from the movies and from the books and from the actors and actresses themselves. There were even relatives of Frank Baum (the author of the original story) on hand to sign books and stuff. And next door at the theatre they were of course showing the movie all weekend. But on Sunday from 11-1 you could meet one of the original munchkins! We decided to skip that because the line was so darn long....REALLY! They had the munchkin hidden through some secret door so you couldn't see 'em, and I think you had to pay to see the munchkin. No thanks. Now I know you must be so darn jealous that I got to experience this very cool slice of Americana but I haven't even gotten to the piece d'resistance...
Wamego, Kansas is home to the Oz Winery. It just doesn't get better than that. Of course I had to go. And what would I buy there? Check out the photo people...
Yup, you are seeing it correct (I added the flowers cuz it made a nice photo :) But isn't that just a hoot??? I HAD to have a bottle of Witch in a Ditch. And let me tell you, I would be hard pressed to ever get rid of that bottle. Between that and my now favorite saying, "Don't make me call my flying monkeys!" I thought my trip to Wamego was wicked cool.
Kansas was also experiencing the first signs of fall and there were spots of beautiful leaf colours on the trees and wild turkeys running around. I miss the fall, especially on nights like tonight where here in Florida the temps are actually dropping down into the 50s...bring out the fuzzy socks baby!! And I want to hear NO snickering from you northern people. You know how I feel about cold weather...
Well, that was my latest adventure. I'm not planning anything for a while (okay so I say that now but you never know what I'll come up with at the last minute...). I am back in the gym weight training 5 days a week and I am committed to finishing my masters program in holistic nutrition within the next year. I've been putting this off and have decided to get the lead out and finish it up. So between that and teaching, I will have my hands full which is what I need to get through the next year. Hope all is well in your worlds-Love and Laughter to all :)

Holy San Francisco!

This city was a mixed bag for me. There are a lot of fun things to do but overall, I wasn't terribly impressed. Now I will admit that this could have something to do with the fact that when I got into San Francisco I had been traveling for over a month and was beginning to hit that switch. Those of you who have been out with me know the one I'm talking about. I don't generally "wind down" when out and about, I simply shut off. I'm not the type to say "Ya know, maybe we should think about heading out", my common statement would instead be, "Okay, I'm done. Time to go." San Francisco kinda felt like that. But I couldn't just go. So I had to stay and have fun. Darn it.

My lifelong friend Christina drove 4 hours to come spend the weekend with me. That I was REALLY happy about. Our mothers are best friends and we've known each other as long as I can remember. She booked us into the Westin St. Francis (our oh so posh room overlooked Union Square y'all!) and we were close to everything (Christina had a planning strategy).

We walked through Chinatown where I began to half-heartedly look for a suitcase. I still didn't want to lug one around, but actually zipping up my backpack was becoming nearly impossible. We also went down to Fisherman's Wharf, which along with having all of the piers for the ferries and cargo vessels, had stores galore! We ate chowda (now I can say that I have had east coast and west coast chowda) and went hunting for replacement shoes for Christina, who made the unfortunate mistake of wearing stupid shoes. And as is usually the case, she couldn't find anything and since I didn't have any space in my backpack, nor a need for another pair of shoes, I of course found the cutest pair of pink shoes! (Christina did end up finding some sensible shoes to wear around thankfully)

We took the ferry over to Alcatraz and donned the headsets to listen to the narrated tour of the facility. First, what a dreary place with an amazing view of the city. That had to suck for those inmates. Second, oh my goodness was it windy! I believe that the winds were upwards of 20 knots that day!

You can tell by the fashionable "winded" look

that Christina and I are sporting....

Finally, there are some amazing views from that island. The sun and the sailboat with the Golden Gate Bridge as the backdrop, gotta love it :)

On Sunday we drove up to the Benziger Family Winery in Sonoma County. My friend Jerri recommended this particular winery to me because of their environmentally friendly practices. Christina and I took an in-depth tour of the place and learned about everything from how the time of day that the sun shines on the vines affects the flavor of the grape to insecteries, which replace chemical pesticides, to the retention ponds where they collect and reuse the water they use, to the 4.2 million dollar cave they dug to store and age their wines, which cuts electricity use tremendously by keeping the wine at a stable temperature regardless of the temperature outside. The science involved in wine making is intense. I was very impressed with consideration taken by this family to ensure that they make the smallest environmental footprint while still sustaining a thriving business. IT CAN BE DONE PEOPLE!!!

The wine was pretty good too...

So after Christina left I stayed in SF for two more days. That was really three days too many. The hostel that I stayed at was less than impressive in many ways. I didn't realize that this particular hostel was known for its "party" atmosphere. Now for those of you who think all hostels are like that, let me educate you. Most hostels see people from all age ranges and walks of life. And the majority of those people are not looking for a 24 hour party. The hostels that I have stayed in til this one were very peaceful. That's not to say that there weren't pub crawls organized out of the hostel or partiers coming in the wee hours of the morning, but I haven't run into a hostel where people weren't respectful of everyone else. This place was like a dormitory run amuck. But that is what they are known for, and I didn't know. So in any case, it wasn't a place where you traveled out of the hostel at night (we were in the "red" district), and it wasn't very quiet at night. On the good side, I did have the pleasure of meeting Shell. Shell is in San Francisco for the summer and working at the hostel making killer meals. She and I struck up a conversation and spent Tuesday roaming around Golden Gate Park. She was a bubble of positive energy and I loved hanging out with her. The weather was wicked cold (I really didn't believe that SF's weather was this crazy but it was overcast and 50 while just outside of the city in Sonoma it was about 80) and we rode the bus all over, had hot chocolate at Starbucks (I had a craving and it was cold) and then headed back to the hostel where I showered, took a nap, and waited for my shuttle to the airport where I would take a 10:30pm flight to Newark, NJ and continue my summer of sight seeing and visiting. The rest of these photos are from the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park...

As a final note, I did break down and return to Chinatown to buy a suitcase. And of course I searched until I found one that matched my bag (pink and brown) and was as bold as possible. I hate checking luggage. I have had a few bad experiences and I try to avoid it. However, I was informed by Scott that he checks luggage, so I think that was a hint that I should probably just get over it seeing that if we travel together I wouldn't get out of the airport any quicker anyhow. Well, at least I have a suitcase that I can spot...pink, red, and brown hibiscus flowered print. HA!

Seattle and Portland

So Jason and I drove out of Vancouver on 16 July, headed ultimately for Portland, Oregon, where Jason lives. Getting back into the United States however, it would prove to be a lengthly task. We waited for over an hour at the border to even talk to the border patrol guy. I don't know what was taking so long because when we finally got to the window, the agent (not a very friendly representation of our country by the way) kept us for maybe 3 minutes before directing us to move on. Actually I think he more or less grunted at us rather than directing us. Such hospitality...

The drive into Seattle was spectacular. I was able to see Mt. Rainer, the highest point in the continental United States (4,392 m or 14,411ft) from the highway.

Seattle itself was a typical city and I was glad that we parked and walked around (okay, Jason bounded places as opposed to walking. That boy has lots of great energy for sure!!). We had been discussing how much we liked books so Jay decided to take me to what he considers the coolest place in Seattle...the library. This place was very cool. All steel beam and glass, and HUGE!! There was a floor painted entirely in red which held all of the meeting rooms, and a lookout on the very top floor. I don't think I have ever been into a larger or more user friendly library. Bill Gates has certainly contributed to this place.
So the library was great. However. I came into Seattle with a mission, and the library was the pivotal source of information to help my mission succeed. I was here, in the great city of Seattle, to pay homage. To whom you may ask? Why Starbucks of course. Not a very good photo, I know...

I am a Starbucks junkie (I even have a Starbucks gold card-I know you're jealous but someday maybe you will have one too!). I love Starbucks coffee. Now before I go any further, let me dispell some of your assumptions. First, I do not NEED coffee, I just really love Starbucks. Second, I like actual coffee, not a bunch of cream and sugar and God only knows what else with a little coffee flavor. I drink my coffee bold and black, the stronger the better. My friends, Dunkin Donuts is coloured water to me. There is nothing that compares to a piping hot Grande Sumatra. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, and if it is really hot outside, then I will even trade my hot coffee for the iced version. There is nothing in the coffee world that compares. And Seattle is the home of the original Starbucks. The store (I know the photo isn't great, sorry) sits across the street from the Pike Street Market. Maybe you've heard of it? This is the home of the Pike Fish Market. These guys have an open air fresh fish market and they interact with the customers and throw their fish around and the whole point is to have fun. There is even a business model based on them, called the FISH philosphy. I only got to watch for a couple of minutes but they were all smiling and the crowd was loving it! Imagine...having fun while working? What a concept!

Anyway, I paid homage to Starbucks and Jason and I headed out. Unfortunately we hit the worst traffic I have seen in a very long time. So bad in fact, that Jason was ready to pull off just to get out of the car for a bit. Yuck. I have an easier time tuning out traffic (I figure that I will get there when I get there and there must be some good music on the radio to help pass the time:). By the time we got to Portland, we had been on the road for 9 1/2 hours (including the 1 1/2 hrs in Seattle). This trip should've taken 6. Oh well.

From what I saw in the very short time I was in Portland, it really didn't feel like a big city. Many people were biking or walking and I saw relatively few cars on the road. The buildings were older and smaller, less intimidating I think. There were little shops and cafes all over and the mood was really mellow. Jason took me to Powell's book store, the largest independently owned bookstore in the United States. It was 3 floors and for as huge as it was, it was really a mellow, friendly place. The hostel I stayed in was also really mellow and probably the cleanest hostel I have stayed in yet. Someday I would like to go back to Portland and roam around for a while longer. The next morning I hoisted my overfull backpack, checked with the desk clerk for directions, and then headed off to catch the train to the airport. I probably should've checked the holy iphone before I started walking though. I walked 8 blocks in the wrong direction. Yup, I guess I'm not as good as I thought with the direction thing. And the fact that I thought I was so good that I didn't need the GPS on the iphone to double check...let's just say I will NOT be hiking the Appalachain Trail by myself...EVER! In any case, I walked an extra 16 blocks, made the train, just barely made my flight and headed off to San Francisco. By the way, on the ride down from Seattle to Portland, I also got a glimpse of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood. Wow.

(Just a disclaimer...I didn't take the photos of the three mountains in this posting. I wasn't able to get a decent shot because of the haze but these are pretty impressive from Wikipedia)

Vancouver, BC

This is the view from my gram's balcony. Beautiful isn't it? All of the cruise and container ships coming to and from Alaska go through this waterway. I spent a week here, enjoying my gram's company, the view, and the seawall below. The seawall is significant to me because it is approximately 10km long and I walked or ran on it almost everyday. And I was never alone. There were always loads of people walking and running on the seawall. It was a place with such great vibes. Elderly couples walking hand in hand (I hope that I am that happy when I get to be that age), joggers on a mission, moms with babies in strollers looking absolutely content, and of course the dogs and their parents. There is a separate walkway for the dogs where they walk on packed dirt (better for their pads) and poop anywhere along the way because no people walk on their walkway! What a great idea! If you were out first thing in the morning (which of course, being the morning ray of sunshine that I am, I was out there) you also got to catch an occasional glance of the otters playing. I don't think I saw one person frowning on that seawall.

Another thing I liked about Vancouver was the sense of community. Even during the week the parks were filled with people picnicing in the afternoons after work, and families were playing together all over the place. There were drum circles, soccer games, dancers, and you just felt that people were remembering to live, not just spend their time making a living.

On the day before I left Vancouver my friend Jason drove up from Portland to Vancouver for his first visit to the city. Jason's parents live in Florida so he always was in my neck of the woods. It was quite a change for my to be on his side of the U.S. Anyway, we decided to head to Stanley Park, a place that Canada is very proud of. Stanley Park is an island and you must cross the Lions Gate Bridge to get to it from North or West Vancouver, where I was staying. It is a beautiful place with kilometers of walking and biking trails all over. Jason and I walked up through the center and saw the beautiful redwoods that I am hugging (See? I really am a tree hugger!) and checked out the view of the mainland. Then we came to the rocks...

Seriously, when you see these formations you think, no way that is there without glue. Well people, you know me well enough to know that I would have to be the one to check it out and yup, they really just are balanced there. Thankfully Jason was able to "fix" my curiousity and then we took to building our own formations. It was very peaceful actually and suprisingly addictive. We both could've stayed and built rock formations all afternoon I think :)

The story behind those formations comes from the Aleutians. They would stack up the rocks at points in the trail to send good wishes but also to mark the places they had been. They are said to be good luck. I'm all for surrounding myself with goodness in whatever form seems to fit at the time :)

Here is Jason with his gravity defying formation. Seriously...no glue?

Whistler Mountain

After a VERY long day of traveling (I left Scott in Manhattan, KS, stopped in Kansas City, Mo, then Phoenix, AZ, and Las Vegas before landing finally), I arrived in the city of Vancouver where my gram lives. However before I could even drop my bags she had us on a bus up to the resort town of Whistler. This absolutely beautiful mountain village sits at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. This area loaded with activities for any age as well as a multitude of shopping and eating. And even though Whistler was downright cold the first couple of days, I still loved it. Could it be that I am beginning to appreciate climates other than Florida's?
Whistler, along with Vancouver, will be the site of this winter's
2010 Olympics. The amount of construction and "improvements"
was intense. I used "improvements" because I think, and most Canadians I have heard agree, there is a serious concern over what will happen after the Olympics are gone. Many cities have experienced a serious economic downturn after they've invested so much to prepare for an Olympic Celebration in their city. Vancouver is taking a "sustainable" approach, and I keep my fingers crossed that they have made wise decisions. In any case, I saw the mountain bike track (photo), which will be used for snowboarding from what I understand, the construction of the pipes for the luge and other activities, and a great deal of housing and road construction. This town is going to be packed!!! The hotel we stayed at said that they are already 90% full with just press. Yikes!
On our way down the mountain, Gram and I rented a car instead of taking the bus. This was fantastic because we were able to stop at a couple of really spectacular waterfalls and a lookout at the Tantalus Mountain Range, which looked to have just had an avalanche. If you look closely, you can see the snow piled on itself down the mountain, such as when a spring avalanche occurs.