Fall Post

Hi all,
It is a sad reality that my blog has become a mostly obsolete thing. Most of the people who I know read my blog are also on Facebook, so they see the photos and the this-N-thats of my daily life. Seems a bit redundant to share the same stuff here. Not that Facebook is  anything like what a blog can be, but over time it's  become my primary source of online interaction.

Part of this is because something transpired almost five months ago that left my heart kind of shell-shocked. Since then, I haven't really had many other thoughts I could write about.  I'm not depressed, just kind of numb, like I'm sort of unable to feel things properly. I'm sure it'll pass someday, but for now, I haven't felt much like sharing what's on my mind. Perhaps someday I will.

Meanwhile, life goes on. Thankfully!  Despite my brokey little heart, I've enjoyed doing some fun things. In June, the kids and I spent a wonderful week in NYC and another great week in Vermont.  In July I took Bunch on a trip to Hawaii.  I'd been planning to take Gator, too, but one day a couple weeks before we were planning to leave, he informed me that he didn't want to go on any more trips that summer.  After checking his DNA to verify that he was, indeed, my child, I acquiesced and allowed him to stay home. My worries that he'd change his mind and wish he'd come after we were already gone never transpired, and he enjoyed being a homebody whilst Bunch and I enjoyed visiting the North Shore of Oahu and my sister's family.  Those are comparable, no?!

In August, Gator had his 13th birthday, and I made him a fantastic death Star cake. Every year I think "how am I going to top this next year?" and every year I seem to do okay, coming up with something he loves even more than the previous year… But this seriously might be the end of it, because this cake was seriously so awesome.

It wasn't too sad to say goodbye to my sister in Hawaii, because there was a good chance I was going to see her again this month...and I did!

Her husband is from French Polynesia. Every few years they make the trek back to visit his family in Tahiti and Moorea, and had invited me to join them any time they were there.  So it was just fortunate that it all worked out perfectly, and I was able to spend five days with them this month.

Tahiti and Moorea are surreal!

The first morning after arriving, my sister and I went out on a standup paddleboard and a canoe with her two kids. We were staying at his parent's home, and the ocean is in their back yard. I had my five year old nephew on my canoe, and she had her daughter on the SUP.  We were enjoying the water and the morning when we suddenly saw whale spouts nearby.  It was the most incredible thing! A momma humpback and at least one calf (seemed like there must have been two...but if not, that kid got around!) were hanging out in the ocean out behind the house, and we spent a couple hours with them.  It was so magical! I was super bummed that we didn't have a camera to capture them jumping into the air, looking at us with their big, beautiful eyes, displaying fins and tails, spouting off.  It was otherworldly.  There were people on boats nearby taking pictures. I was definitely jealous.

Photo of me and my nephew and one of our whale
friends from the Tahitian newspaper

Then this week something amazing happened: someone on the boat was connected to the local Tahitian newspaper and did an article about whale watching excursions, and they printed a photo with the story of...you guessed it...ME!

My brother-in-law's family saw it and recognized the paddle board and canoe, and sent us the picture.  I couldn't believe that my wish for a photo was granted in such an unexpected way!

All in all it was an incredible trip. Too many memories to share, but I'll leave you with just a few more photos of this amazing speck of paradise in the vast Pacific Ocean:

Over water bungalows. Quintessential Moorea

My sister and her two adorable kids

View from the house of the ocean out back. My nephew is
dancing on the sand. You can see a whale spouting ...

Scene from Moorea

The beach outside the house

The lunch truck my sisters' sister-in-law owns

Another perfect day comes to an end in Tahiti

View from the flight home of an atoll

First Flight

First Flight

“Can we puhleeeeeeeeese stop and watch the planes take off?!” 

For a few years as a young child, we passed the John Wayne Airport while driving to and from church.  Week after week I'd plead with my parents to stop so we could watch the planes.  I was mesmerized by all of it: the roar of the engines, shimmery mirage-effect the jet exhaust made in the air, and the miracle of these massive machines taking flight.   

I don’t understand why my parents ever indulged me.  Perhaps because it was something to do that didn’t cost anything, or just to get me to stop pestering them. Maybe because they concluded it was a suitable activity for the sabbath…because one day they obliged, but rather than satisfy me, it just whetted my appetite for more.  I was hooked.  

Despite all this, it never occurred to me that I would ever go on a plane myself, because I had this notion that only rich and famous people got to fly…something we decidedly were not. 

So I honestly have no idea how this all came about, but the summer I was eight years old, my parents asked if I would like to fly to Idaho and spend the summer with some former neighbors of ours.  The Morgans had moved there two years earlier and had agreed to have me come stay them.  For two months.  

“Of course I want to go!”   

Now lets pause for a moment here. I can’t fathom why anyone thought this was a good idea.  I had never been away from home before, wasn’t a particularly mature child, and I hadn’t seen or talked to these people in two years--a quarter of my life.  They were retired, their children were grown, and they lived on a small farm in a small town in the middle of nowhere.  

But they had me at fly on a plane.  I didn’t actually think the trip through beyond the flight itself.  

The big day arrived and was it was fantastic!  Everything my eight-year old mind had imagined it would be.  I got a new outfit for the occasion (a rare occurrence), and was treated to a special breakfast. It was a big deal for someone in our family to be going on a trip of any kind, but this was especially significant. After snapping a quick picture of me on the sidewalk in front of our house in my new duds with my favorite stuffed animals, all seven of us loaded into the car and drove to the airport.  

Going in to the tiny shoebox of a terminal (as it was in 1977), we handed over my suitcase and they gave me my ticket. Fairly jumping out of my skin with excitement, I said good-bye to my family. And then for the first time, I got to venture past the chain link fence onto the tarmac.  Walking to the aircraft stairs, I paused to look back up at my family who were on the second-floor observation deck waving goodbye. 

My ride was a sweet, solid yellow Hughes Airwest Boeing 727. I'd dubbed them “Flying Banana” jets and they were my favorite planes at the time. It was a thing of beauty.  I considered myself super lucky because the stewardess directed me to the place of honor on the front row!  Wearing my new sweater, and with beloved teddy bear in hand, off we went into the wild blue yonder, leaving all my troubles behind. That first lift off was a complete life-rush. What a feeling!

During the flight the stewardesses were kind and attentive to me. I was amazed that they just gave you stuff, like food, for free.  Food was always a tricky issue in my childhood; it was kind of hard-scrabble a lot, so someone making me a meal always made me feel cared for.  I adored the tiny lavatory--I'd always loved small spaces...like the forts I regularly built out of boxes, in cupboards, closets, or in the shed out back.  Everything about the plane just seemed so cool.  I stared out the window at the top-side of clouds, and was amazed at the patterns on the land below. It looked like a beautiful, cozy, patchwork quilt was wrapped around the earth. I fell in love with the view.

You know how time seems slow down to a crawl when you’re a kid?  Well I discovered that that phenomenon doesn’t hold true on planes, because all too soon the fun was over.  Toward the end of the flight I thought up one of the two complete lies I made up as a kid. I was otherwise a very honest child, but decided I could use a whopper of a story to tell my friend, who had visited Vegas many times before. ("We had to switch planes in Las Vegas on the way, and because there was so much time before we took off again, the flight attendants and pilots took me over to Circus Circus to see the show, and I got picked from the audience to feed the elephant peanuts.")  Had no idea Circus Circus was a hotel.  #busted

We landed and I told my nice stewardesses and pilots goodbye.  Mrs. Morgan was waiting for me in the terminal and helped me claim my baggage before heading out to her car. I was just getting seated when I suddenly realized that I’d left my new sweater on  the plane.  Security being slightly different back then, I raced at top eight-year-old speed straight back out to my favorite Hughes Airwest Boeing 727 Flying Bannana, where the stewardess handed me my sweater and sent me on my way again.  

We got to the farm and put my little suitcase in the attic room that I would be sleeping in with the 1970's bead curtain door.  Mr. Morgan was a character.  His name was simply the letter “K”…and was one of the few adults I wasn’t required to address in more formal terms.  They showed me around the house and then sat me down for a talk.  

“When we lived near you, we noticed that you were a pretty hyper kid.” K said.  “We think it’s because you eat too much sugar, so we’ve decided that during your  visit, we’re going to put you on a no-sugar diet.”  

Huh?!  No sugar?  No treats at all?   But Mrs. Morgan explained that she would make me special carob treats to eat when everyone else was having chocolate, for example.  I had no idea what carob was, but when she showed me it looked like chocolate, and sounded something like caramel, so I thought it might not be too bad.  I had no idea.

When they sent me outside to play, I ventured into the heat and started poking around their property.   There were a few chickens, and I made a game of hunting for their eggs…Easter in July!  It was scorching hot...a kind of heat I was totally unaccustomed to. So hot that I decided to see if I could actually cook the eggs on pieces of scrap metal lying on the ground.  How twisted would you think I am if I told you it worked, and that after they were cooked, I fed them to the chickens?

Chicken-fun aside, there just wasn’t much to do. There was a new kind of silence out there in the country.  Miles up the road I could just barely make out the farmhouse of their nearest neighbor.  It looked smaller than my fort at home from that distance.  I was an extreme extrovert from a large, noisy family, growing up in a suburban neighborhood chock full of kids, and suddenly I was very alone.  As I gazed off into the endless horizon that hot summer day, I experienced the first pangs of homesickness in my life.  

Puerto Rico Redux

Last week Doc and I went on a quick get-away to Puerto Rico. We had a free round-trip ticket that we had to use or lose, so we booked his flights (I can always sit on a jumpseat if a flight is sold out, so I don't purchase tickets for myself. Does mean I'm often tired when traveling, as sleeping on a jumpseat will get you fired).

We've vacationed in Puerto Rico a few times now, so we knew it would be a perfect place to go for our short window of time ( 2 full days sandwiched between travel days), and that we'd be able to find affordable accommodations.  Hotwire.com generally serves us well when scoring deals on hotels...and this time was no exception. The Wyndham Rio Mar resort was beautiful, in a great location, and we got it for only $90 a night! I should note that in typical resort fashion, prices for everything you could buy onsite were outrageous. We literally didn't purchase anything while there, instead we got some basics at the local Amigo grocery store to eat during the day, and had a nice dinner out each night for local cuisine.

Rio Mar is directly in front of the entrance to the only rain forest in the National Park system: El Yunque.  We've hiked there twice before, once with my inlaws and once with our kids, and it's absolutely gorgeous. This time we ended up hiking for about five hours, but actually, that wasn't intentional. After our first two hikes, we were heading back to our car and took a trail unintentionally, which led us on a long path to the top of the mountain. We realized fairly soon that we were heading up, but decided to keep going. We were both glad for the experience and the beauty we enjoyed during our wanderings.

We had barely set foot in the lobby to check in to our resort when a friendly man in line behind us told us about this Mini Boat Adventure that he highly recommended. We looked into it and were grateful for the suggestion. It was FANTASTIC!  We loved having our own little boat and some time on the open ocean and snorkeling around some reefs and exploring the little islands.  The guides took all the photos of us from that day, and we had such a great time free-diving and seeing the sea life.

We love Puerto Rico and have enjoyed many wonderful outings during all our visits. The Bio Bay is one of the most magical experiences we've ever had. We've visited the Camuy Caverns and drunk from what was once believed to be Ponce De Leon's Fountain of Youth (I will never die. Or at least avoid aging...not sure how these things work.). Visited Arecibo Observatory and the largest radio telescope on earth. Toured San Juan and all the old forts and historical sites. Spent some time in Ponce, and a few days on Culebra Island where we rented a boat and had some amazing snorkeling and diving experiences.  

Puerto Rico is what it's name says, a port rich in beauty and history and wonderful experiences. I highly recommend it!

The Prettiest State

I'm on a campaign to convince one of my besties of the Vital Importance of experiencing some of the amazing wonders of my dear Utah.  I don't believe there is any other state with more natural beauty than this one, so I thought I'd put up some photos of our visits to a few spots.

In this slideshow are scenes from Zion National Park, Arches National Park, and Goblin Valley, including our Little Wild Horse slot canyon hike.

Two other must-see destinations for anyone who hasn't explored the wonders of this region include Bryce National Park, and Yellowstone National Park--which isn't in Utah but IS really close.

So amazing are these places that I thought I should also spread the word for any other fair readers who may not have experienced these spectacular spots. I hope you find your way there and enjoy the awe and majesty they inspire. And to my darling bestie (who knows who she is), I can't wait to share these places with you! ♥

Perchance To Dream

Last Friday, Doc took the day off work and the two of us flew to Long Beach for a little overnight get-away for my birthday. It was absolutely wonderful! 

Dodge Charger

We got this ridiculously amazing deal on Hotwire.com at the five-star Island Hotel in Newport Beach, so our accommodations were superb in every way, particularly because one thing on our agenda was going to the 103rd annual Christmas Boat Parade around Balboa Island...which was just a mile away.  Perfect!

I always reserve economy rental cars, but when we got to Alamo, they upgraded us to a sweet set of wheels. I've never had a car without a key before.  And talk about acceleration! This was a fun ride.

Tunnel through the rocks

Saturday we went to Treasure Island Park, which is a beautiful stretch of coast in South Laguna. We loved exploring the beautiful gardens and rocks along the shore. It was low tide, so we hiked out on the rocks where we were surrounded by ocean, and just talked for a couple hours with the air and the smells and sounds of the sea filling us up and making us feel peaceful.  Ahh, dear ocean, I love you!

Looking inland from the rocks, accessible because it was low tide.

"What are your dreams?", Doc asked me as we sat, mesmerized by the ocean.  I paused for a while before answering, because I wanted to check in with myself.  Do I currently have any dreams? I wondered.  Growing up, my greatest dream was having a happy marriage and family. Really, that was all I wanted in my life, and while it takes effort to maintain, that dream has pretty much come true. But I never really had aspirations beyond these two things.

Sometimes opportunities have presented themselves and I've seized them.  Like when I became a flight attendant eleven years ago - that has been a very happy thing in my life. I also tend to get excited for other people and their dreams, happily signing on to support them in lieu of chasing my own dreams.  For example, it's taken a lot of effort to put Doc through his Ph.D. and then, later, going to medical school, but I don't regret any of the sacrifices it's taken to help him get to this point.

Doc & my sis. They're actually so much alike it's scary. And wonderful.

YMMV but it seems like there has almost been a movement towards not just having dreams, but having BIG DREAMS. People SHOULD have an admirable dream! You are wasting your life otherwise. 

So lately I've almost felt guilty about not having a big dream that I'm actively working towards.  Everyone around me seems to be, so what the heck is my problem?!

Doc didn't ask this question to pressure me. He's just genuinely curious, and supportive of me in pursuing worthwhile things.  He recognizes that some people (me) tend to be more process-oriented, while others are seem to need a specific goal that they're actively pursuing. Their dreams may fulfill any number of purposes, such as:

• Making their lives meaningful - by making a difference in the world whether large-scale or small. Starting a charity, volunteerism (eg: school, community counsel, church, soup kitchen), doing God's work, finding a cure for the common cold, etc. They want to leave a legacy behind them.
• Self-improvement - eg: become healthier (lose weight, work out more, eat healthier), acquire education (get a degree, take piano lessons, learn to scrapbook, bake, cook etc), find a partner (romance goals), all things that make them more accomplished and self-confident.
• Have lots of fun - such things as travel the world, go in a hot air balloon, be a guest on Oprah.  The pursuit of fun, unique, interesting experiences. (It seems these kinds of goals are wildly popular.)
• Negative motivation - like proving to someone else that you could do something, eg: those kids who were mean to your nerdy self growing up, doing something impressive so you can show them. This kind of goal can still bring about positive results, even though it's not the best starting point.
• Goals that you set because you need to - like learning to walk and talk after a stroke, quitting smoking BECAUSE it's KILLING YOU, or training as a stenographer for a new career as a court reporter. 
• General goals or aims, such as "eat healthier" or "spend quality time with my spouse and kids", or "be an optimist - accentuate the positive in life"...and doing these kinds of things can help improve one's overall life, but they tend to be less accountable. (These are the kinds of "goals" I've generally had.)

Though once upon a time I was a person with modest aspirations, they have all either come to pass or didn't come to fruition, and I never zeroed in on new goals. Hence, I've landed in this place of not really doing much good with my life the last while (few years?). 

Now granted, during this time I've been working hard to heal from the past, and fending off depression can be a major goal/dream/aspiration/pursuit killer. But there's no point in waiting till I'm "better" to have dreams I'm working on. I love how Leonard Cohen put it in his song Anthem:

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

So I've (again) begun thinking about goals and dreams.  I've watched this gorgeous message, and am hoping to identify what it is that I actually want. There are lots of things I'm pretty good at or that other people have suggested, but they haven't moved me to action. I'm sure that fear is the primary reason I am kind of stuck. Some of my dreams have been dashed, but rather than move on, I've felt sorry for myself and stopped trying, so as to avoid failure. How crazy is that?!  Also, I can be pretty lazy. 

I'm not yet sure what my dreams are. But I'm starting to zero in on the subject. I think I have a pretty good sense of the person I want to be generally (those General Goals mentioned above)...thoughtful, grateful, nice, honest, loyal, faithful to truth. I want to turn weaknesses into strengths, create happy memories for people I love, be a parent to and friends with my kids forever, and grow really old with my sweetheart while never losing the spark of love that we have. That would be a life well-lived. But in addition to these basics, I know there is room for me to soar.

Holiday Crimson Amaryllis

My darling bestie Keri sent me a gift this week for my birthday. Her note said "Sometimes beauty takes time. This is your year, Blue" 

It's an amaryllis, and it didn't come with instructions on how to make it bloom. Neither did I, but between all the resources out there, and the lovely people around me, I know that if I choose to, I can find and reach any dream I make.

Shakespeare asked well when he said: 
To be, or not to be, that is the question. 
I want to be.  And, perchance, to dream. 

Merry Christmas to you!
xoxo 

PS: (Did you click that first link? If you click nothing else, promise yourself that you will take just 10 minutes of your life and watch it. You won't regret it UNLESS YOUR HEART IS A PETRIFIED ROCK. I've watched it at least 15 times so far. Thank me later...preferably via a comment.)

Mini Vacation

I know yesterday I said I'd be discussing The Drama Triangle next, but I interrupt your programming with a little side post.


This week we took the kids out of school for a day and went camping in Goblin Valley, hiking through Little Wild Horse slot canyon, and visited Arches National Park again.  And seriously, I have to say, If there's a state with more amazing natural beauty than Utah, I want to hear about it.  


Since I'm the "keeper of the photos", I decided to post some here for my family so they can see them.  Good memories!

Gator climbed up on the rocks behind our campsite

Goblin Valley -- we had it all to ourselves.

Our one family pic...found a rock to use the camera timer on. We were the ONLY ONES THERE...so we had no options for all of us to be in a picture except this shot.

 It's hard to see how precarious this rock was that I'm on.

It's like Utah's own little Easter Island.

This looks so much like a great and spacious building to me!

Such a gorgeous setting to camp in.

The backdrop to our campsite

Hoodooville!

This was taken at sunrise with the light shining on the face of the rocks unlike all the others which were taken at dusk.

Kids spanning the rocks in Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon

My boys. This riverbed was flooded not too long ago in the recent rains...and of course the slots were carved by water over eons.

My family

Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon...my little Bunch is scrambling up to join me.

Bunch taking a break on the Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon hike 

Path through Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon

Classic Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon scene 

Hiking through Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon

Pretty spectacular hiking in Arches National Park

Kids checking out some of the CRYPTOBIOTIC SOIL that you mustn't disturb!

The Fam

Double Arch in Arches National Park

Arches National Park. I just held the camera out the window whilst driving.

38,000 Feet Up!

I'm on a wifi-enabled jet, and so I thought I'd post my first official blog from the sky! I only have my little iTouch, since I've been dealing with complete laptop FAIL this month (hence, the book is back burnered tho' I did manage to get it saved before the crash and then the nasty virus.). (And on that topic, I think there will actually be a special place in purgatory for people who create and unleash viruses upon the world. End of rant.)

Anyway. So it's December...which has ironically always been my favorite month. I guess it wasn't that ironic~growing up in the land of sun and perennially mild weather. But that was just the first half of my life. The rest of it has been spent living in snowy winter climes, with dark mornings and evenings...and I don't really love cold dark days. But I have always loved the festive feeling of the month, and the hope of happy moments it seems to bring. While I was a kid I didn't relish having my birthday right before Christmas, these days it doesn't matter somehow. So while you'd think I'd prefer a nice June, hot July, or even a scorching August, for me, December is still the best month of all. The End.

This has been a year of trying to live by my motto at the top of this page~"Come What May And Love It"...and doing so has been part of the happiness I've enjoyed. I'm excited to embrace my 2011 motto...which I'll reveal in January. I've also been pondering what my honest goals for myself are for the coming year. It's going to be a fantabulosa year!

Well, time to land. Bye!
Grateful for
1) commuter privileges
2) friends and coworkers
3) free wifi!

Round-Trip Give Away

A long time ago (in a galaxy not so far away) I held my first "Give Away" on this blog.

Today, I'm holding my second one. Queue the confetti!

I have two one-way buddy passes that expire this Halloween at Midnight.

To win them, tell me WHERE and WHEN you'd go, and WHAT you'd go there for (eg: "visit my spinster granny and her seventeen cats").

The person who has what I decide is the best chance of making use of the passes and having a good experience will win. Yay!

THE RULES (this part is required reading!)

Travel must be between cities that my airline flies to, which can be found here.

You must read the old post (click here), which describes the meat and potatoes of flying standby. I don't have time to re-explain the nitty gritty. If, after reading the small print, you find standby travel just isn't your cup 'o tea, no worries...It's really not for everyone.

But if the thought of this lights you up like a torch in a medieval dungeon, Leave a comment
ON THIS POST, by Monday night, 11 October, 2010, at midnight. This can't be a long contest since we have just 20 days for the passes to expire. Check back Tuesday by noon to see who has won, and then email me your contact info so I can get in touch with you.

NOTES

Standby travel is easiest on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Wednesdays (in that order). Keep this in mind when planning your trip

Unfortunately, standby travel is completely impossible VERY DIFFICULT to/from Salt Lake City on my airline. Sorry to my local friends, but that's just the facts. You could win this for someone else, though!

Flights can and do sell out, which means you could be stranded, bumped, or even pulled off a flight after you've boarded. Standby travel is not for the faint of heart. Have a back-up plan.

Visiting family or friends is a GREAT plan...in case of unexpected disruption.

You're responsible for all costs associated with your trip (see taxes and fees section on old post).

I won't be favoring people on any other basis other than the criteria I've listed. If, after looking at flight loads and dates your proposed trip strikes me as the most likely to happen, you'll be my winner. It's kind of a hassle for me, because I have to play travel agent for you...so I'm doing this for both our sakes.

You have to promise not to be naughty and do anything that would get me fired since you're traveling on my benefits.

FINAL THOUGHT:

In my opinion, any travel is better than no travel...even if it's standby. If you agree, you're a good candidate for this contest. So go ahead, look at the route map, check your calendar, and give it your best shot! And feel free to play on behalf of having someone come visit you, if you're so inclined!

GOOD LUCK!

Grateful for:
1) the chance to help someone have a fun trip.
2) my bloggy readers.
3) my amazing, awesome, fantabuloso job, which is making this giveaway possible.

Living a luxurious life

There was a homeless man that we passed every day during our time in NYC. He set up just off the sidewalk between two buildings, and there he slept, hour upon hour, morning, afternoon, night.

He lay there dead to the world, only he wasn't dead (I was pretty confident no one would reposition a cadaver). His location across from Central Park and next to a nice church was relatively safe and picturesque. I wondered what he did when he was awake (Only once that we went by he was gone, and that was late at night after Wicked was over. His things were stacked neatly against the wall.)

He almost looked like an art installation, someone I would definitely want to interview if I were researching homelessness. Where does he go when it's cold? How does he eat? Does he have family? Any kind of income?

I was fascinated enough to snap his photo (much to my daughter's mortification. Does that make me weird?)







Then there was the bookseller. Don't know where he slept at night, but by day he sold used books, magazines and records. I don't know how he made a living with this (were the books a cover for selling contraband?), but he had a table full of books set up on the sidewalk, which he covered with tarps at night.

But the thing that caught my attention was his car, which was parked beside his table on the street. It looked as though it hadn't moved in months (didn't know the city would permit that!), and it was stuffed to the gills with books! No room for a person in this baby.

I didn't want to embarrass him by being obvious about snapping a photo of it, so it's not the best picture. But it was a wonder!



Grateful for:

1) My home. It's not a lot, but it's far more than many people have, and we're blessed to have it.
2) My employment. Having a job you love isn't a luxury most of humanity has enjoyed.
3) Books. They bring me a lot of joy, teach me countless lessons, and enrich my life.
4) Working vehicles. They're getting a bit old. They're scratched and dinged up. One has lost all it's hubcaps. But they're paid for, and they get us where we need to go. We live lives of luxury.

We ♥ NY

We're home!



Last night Bunch and I returned from our fabulous trip to NYC which included, in no particular order:

• Wicked (which completely exceeded our already high expectations). It was the reason we went in the first place. We both absolutely loved it.
  




• Great times with some of our favorite relatives





• Times Square





• Shun Lee where we enjoyed scrumdiddilyumptious Chinese food in an upscale setting. MMmmm!


• Super fun visit with one of my besties and her darling girls


Getting "fairy dusted"



• Alice's Tea Cup where the famished can order the all-you-can-eat sandwiches, scones, desserts and teas. We stayed a long time and ate far too much. So delish!!! Really. Go if you can.
  
  
  
• Shake Shack (which has notoriously long lines...but we were the first customers of the day)




• Shopping, Shopping, Shopping, Shopping, etc.




• American Museum of Natural History, where we saw this remarkable tree.

• Sampled some classic NY Pizza, soft pretzels and candied nuts
  


• World Trade Center site and Memorial, where I recorded my experience of 9/11 as a flight attendant based in New York.
  


• Good books


• Central Park
  Bunch and Me on the terrace overlooking the park.
  
  (and here's a view of it at night from our place)
  



• Sore feet from hours of walking. (We soaked them in a fountain at the park)




• Magnolia Bakery Our eyes simultaneously popped wide open in delighted surprise when we tasted the first bite of our treat! Blueberry Jamboree...I'll be googling for a recipe for you. Consider yourself warned!
  


• Planes, trains, a convertible BMW with the top down, boats, cabs, subways, and (almost) a helicopter ride!


• Pinkberry (x2) (it was THAT good! But then I'm a complete sucker for frozen treats. Complete.)
  




• Governor's Island (which we think should be renamed Pistachio Ice Cream Cone Island" because that's honestly what the island looks like!
  
  
• Visit to the world famous Juilliard School. So fun for my little songbird
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Lincoln Center
  
  
• Manhattan LDS Temple (which was closed, but we attended church in the same building, where we were happy to see a familiar face from our days in Vermont who's all grown up and famous now, but who is just as sweet and lovely as she ever was.)
  
  
  
  
• Rockefeller Center
  
  
  


• And countless amazing, Crazy, Inspiring, Sad, Beautiful scenes from this remarkable city that I love:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


• And finally, our accommodations. They were more fantastic than you can possibly imagine!

The dining area. I didn't get a photo of the kitchen. Or the terrace with the fountains, trees, flowers and outdoor eating area. My sincere apologies for depriving you...

Living room.

We b0th spent quite a while playing this beauty. If this view doesn't draw out the music in you, nothing will.

Master suite. The bed was so comfortable we almost didn't get out of it. Almost.

Bunch takes a photo of the mirrored ceiling in the master bathroom, which is all granite, glass and mirrors.


Bathroom #2 was all mirrors. No photo of #3, but it's dusky silver walls, black sink, toilet, and floor, and fabbo deco are superb!


This trip was truly one for the books. We packed it in and enjoyed ourselves silly. We're both so grateful to all those who made it possible for us. There's really no way to pay back the kindness we've been shown. We'll be paying it forward (for a long, long, time!)

Grateful For:

1) The fact that, though I used to be intimidated by the sheer scope and craziness of NYC, I've fallen in love with it over the past few years. It's amazing.
2) Perfect weather, health, and company!
3) Doc and Gator. What better ending than to come home to my lovely boys?!