More Travel Adventures!

I am SO BEHIND on posting Hawaii pictures, but mostly because I have not finished going through all 400 hundred of them (not to mention any slight editing that many - eh, most - require).  I would say that I'd spend this afternoon completing this daunting task, but instead I'm going to be somewhere over the Atlanta ocean!

That's right - last week I was over the Pacific, this week I'm going over the Atlantic.  Just when I was bragging about a good travel schedule lately, I've been hit with some craziness this month: 10 days in Hawaii last week, home for 36 hours, quick trick to St. Louis this Tuesday / Wednesday, home for 54 hours, and then 6 days in Paris.

BUT, I am not going to complain at ALL about the locations (just a little bit about the sheer craziness of the timing).  :)  I am so excited about Paris!  I'm going over a day before my meeting, and some teammates and I will explore the city.  This means when I get back I'll have both Hawaii and Paris pics to post.  How does one say "woo hoo!" in French...?

I'm going to miss my honey, though.  We were so spoiled in Hawaii with 10 days together!  Posting one of our Hawaii pics below, just because he's so darn cute / sweet:

Vacation Reading List

I wholeheartedly believe that vacations should be about doing whatever the heck you want, so I don't feel guilty for a second when I spent some (okay, a lot) of our Hawaii time doing the following:  watching way too much trash TV on Bravo, going to sleep at 9PM like a dork, and devouring three really good pieces of non-fiction.  Although James teased me a bit for burying my nose in a book when I could be looking out over the blue waters, I couldn't resist. When do I ever have time to read something for fun!?  (In case you're wondering, the answer to that rhetorical question is NEVER.)

Because I thought all of the books were fascinating and unique in their own right, I wanted to share in case anyone was searching for a good recommendation:

The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore

Two guys with the same name, the same age, the same difficult upbringing in the same rough Baltimore neighborhood: one became a Rhodes Scholar and one is serving a life sentence for murder.  An anecdotal analysis on how personal responsibility for one's decisions and actions has a profound impact on the outcome on one's life.  Maybe I could not relate to the gentleman, but I felt his message was powerful.


Franklin and Mrs. Rutherford: Lucy and the Other Remarkable Women in Roosevelt's Life, by Joseph Persico

My dad reads a LOT of presidential history, and I can't get past the back cover of some of the books he reads. I don't get as excited about the founding fathers as he does, but the WWI and II eras have always intrigued me.  This author reviewed (what appeared to be) countless love letters, diaries, and interviews to write a tasteful - for the topic - piece on the 20 year love affair between FDR and a girl who was once Eleanor's social secretary.  It also provides a lot of insight into the other strong women in his life who shaped the man that he was.  It. Was. Fascinating.  I couldn't put it down! This book was almost like sneaking vegetables into a baked good:  you walked away with a solid history lesson within a love scandal.  Brillant!

Kate Remembered, by A. Scott Berg
This author previously took two topics that I had zero interest in - Charles Lindbergh and early aviation - and captivated me for a good two week several years ago as I worked through his Pulitzer prize winning biography, Lindbergh.  (Again, another great suggestion by my father).  I saw this book at my parent's house before our vacation, and was so excited that it was by the same author AND was actually on a topic that I did have previous interest in:  Katharine Hepburn.  I've read 2 other biographies on her, but I would classify this more as a memoir by the author based on his long, intimate friendship with the film written.  Beautiful, easy read that made me want to run out and rent The African Queen.


I forgot how much I loved reading!  I almost want to take another vacation so that I can have the pleasure of another good book.  

What, Vacation is Over?!

Well, not quite, but today is our last full day on vacation here in Hawaii. It has been 10 great days of sunshine and beach and adventure, plus some much needed fruity drinks and relaxation. I think I have fallen asleep by 9:30PM every night, and slept at least 8 hours a night. That does not even include my naps. I feel like a sloth...albeit a very content sloth.

But, now it is time to go back to reality and head back Stateside so that we can return to work and real life. Part of that task will be to download and post the 500 pictures I took in the trip, so I can remember such a great trip!

Bad Blogger...

I know, I've been such a bad blogger!  I tease about the new car, and then fail to write another post for almost 2 weeks.  I have a great birthday week, but lack any pictures on the blog to prove it.  AND, as one of my dear followers pointed out, I completed a previous post full of inaccuracies!  A few weeks ago when I posted about all the things I loved in Canada, I incorrectly stated that we, in the States, did not have the luxury of cheese curds.  Well, friends, WE DO, in fact, produce cheese curds in the US!!  Thank you to the Freys for bringing this to light for me.  I will certainly be making a trip up north to taste some US-produced curds.  :)

Well, this bad blogger has to sign off without much to post, because we are 30 minutes away from leaving for HAWAII!  I cannot wait to dip my toes in the surf and slather myself with SPF70 while I sit under an umbrella (hopefully drinking something with a little umbrella in it....)

Stay with me...I promise there is more to come on the blog!

New Wheels

More to come later, because I have to properly chronicle all the years and events leading up to something very exciting:  my first new car!!

Oh, Canada

Recently, I've started to split my time between our neighbors to the North and South.  I'm like a living, breathing NAFTA.  Although these two neighbors couldn't be more different, the French-speaking Quebecians and Spanish-speaking "Chilangos" (term of endearment for those from Mexico City) are both a pleasure to work with.

I already posted an ode to Mexico on the blog, but I haven't really mentioned all the wonderful things I've experienced in Canada.   So, briefly below, I've noted a few of my favorite things:

1) Cheese Curds - Why the heck don't we have these in the States?  They're tasty, they're squeaky, and they are so readily available here (even in the gas stations.)  Vermont and Wisconsin - get on the ball and start producing us some curds!

Love those curds!

 2) Just all Food, in General - I called out the cheese curds, but let's face it...I love all the food here.  Right now, I'm ordering some room service, and even the room service menu exudes nothing but pure French goodness.  Some of the favorite things I've put in my mouth here:  veal cheeks (not sure which end these cheeks came from, but I don't care); croque-madame (ham and gruyere on a fresh country bread, served with a fried egg on top);  various tartares from things I didn't even know you could tartare; and a series of other things that I could not pronounce or identify (all of them delicious).  People wonder why I run so much, and obviously one legitimate reason is to counter the saturated fat I consume each trip to Canada.

Croque Madame

3) Overly Suspicious Border Agents - God bless 'em, but you just can't come up with a good enough reason for entering the country that can withstand their hole poking.  Most borders I cross are quite satisfied with "here for business" or "meeting a client", but - to the Canadian Immigration Service - that answer is an open invitation for them to demand your full itinerary.  And, they don't fall for that consultant talk, which usually leaves agents so bored out of their mind that they're practically frantic to stamp that passport and pass you forward.  Personally, I have never been detained (yet); but many colleagues have not been so fortunate.

4) The Snow - okay, anyone who knows me at all knows that this is NOT my favorite part of all this country has to offer.  Because I like to stay positive, I decided not to add another list entitled "things that make me want to run back to my own border..." for this item.  However, it's so flippin' cold here sometimes that I can barely breath.  I've yet to see the city without 3 feet of white stuff, but (staying positive here) I believe their summer - which takes place for 2 weeks in July - is supposed to be GORGEOUS!

Purple means snow, Yellow means LOTS of snow

So, there ya go - a few reasons (if you weren't aware already) that you should love our northern neighbors.  And, the people are lovely, too.  Now, I know that I'm technically spending all my time in Quebec, which some argue is very different from general Canada.  Even some Quebecians themselves struggle with their identity as a Canadian and have wanted to succeed.  As a Texan, I can, of course, relate.  But, I'm not one to get all up in their business and question matters of nationality, so I'm just going to generalize these things above as "Canadian" and call it a day.

 

Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

This weekend I was in Oklahoma City for one very special event:  the baby shower for Audra, one of my best friends in the whole world.  This sweet gal means very much to me, so to be there with her as we celebrated this new baby girl that she and Dustin are bringing into the world...makes me tear up just thinking about it.  Maybe all the babies and pregnant women impacted my hormones, but I was on the verge of (happy) tears all weekend!

Unfortunately, I just got one picture beautiful Audra, but I can't wait for Baby Girl to get here so we can head back to the midwest and meet her (and take LOTS of pics).

Can I also just say that baby girl showers are SO MUCH FUN.  There are so many cute bows and dresses and Mary Jane shoes that are no more than 2 inches long...  Love it.

God bless you, Audra, through these last few weeks of your pregnancy, and may He bring you a quick, safe birth of this most special little one.