Leaving!

We're leaving on our trip in a couple hours. Hard to believe the time is finally here! We're so excited. 

Hope everyone has a fun 4th of July weekend. We'll be back on the 5th.

Talk to you all soon!

AUD

We're officially ready for Australia! I just got the Australian money from the credit union. How fun looking is their money?

The touch is really different too. Other money is so much more fun than US money.

I Can't Wait to be Here

We leave for Australia in exactly three weeks. I keep seeing the V Australia digital billboards all over town. Their slogan is "Fly Fabulous". I'm actually excited for the flight. They're playing lots of movies I've wanted to see like Marley & Me and Bolt and maybe even Hotel for Dogs, if I have time. Funny how they're all dog movies...I've been severely deprived for 30+ years.

All our big stuff is booked. We rented some cool Australian car yesterday. Now we just need to plan our days out, get tickets for the Opera House tour, harbor boat cruise, the Australia zoo and the trip to the beach in the picture. Oh and we want to actually see something at the Opera House so we're gonna see a showing of Shakespeare's Pericles.

We can't wait to buy all sorts of fun things too. Australia supplies 95% of the world's opals - I cant wait to find some pretty opal jewelry. 21 days and counting!

George vs Stevie

If you were to have a star sighting, who would you rather see: George Strait or Stevie Wonder? I know what you're thinking: who's George Strait?

Someone I know (who shall remain nameless) got all excited when my parents saw George Strait at a restaurant, but could practically care less when I saw Stevie Wonder walking down the street.

Don't you think Stevie is a much bigger star - an American legend? And who is George Strait again? Oh right, a country singer.

We shouldn't even still be living here for this to happen!

I got home last night to a jury duty summons. The stupid state still has my maiden name. If they can't get my name correct after 3 years of marriage then I don't think I should have to serve.

Then, I notice the courthouse is downtown. There's nothing worse than going to downtown LA.

And worst of all - it's the day after we get back from Australia. Hello, jet lag. No way am I possibly reporting to some downtown courthouse at 8am the day after we get back.

You have to call within 5 days of receipt, so I called today and had it postponed until August. I also asked to be transferred to a closer courthouse (where I've had to serve before) and the guy said I'd have to call the MTA and find out if I'd have to take more than 3 buses and note that on my summons and send it to some random address to see if they'll agree to a transfer. He's like, "It's within 12 miles of your home." I wanted to be like, yeah, but it's Downtown LA.

Catching Up

It's been a really busy two weeks, which is why I haven't blogged much. My aunt from Chicago and one of my cousins was out visiting for a week. It was so much fun and SO nice to have them out here. It's my mom's side of the family, which I'm closest with. It was just busy spending a weekend, evenings, and lunches with them. I wish they could have stayed longer though and I know they feel the same way.

What else is new...just got back from getting a haircut. I went for a short bob again. It'll be easy to take care of during our trips this summer.

Work's been busy - another reason I haven't been able to blog. This next week will probably be busy too. We're working on a possible new show, but that's all I can really say about that.

I'm just so glad it's a 3 day weekend. We decided not to do Monterey cause we have a lot of upcoming travel the next 2 months. Maybe we'll go over Labor Day (if we're still here). And no, no movement on that, I'm just trying to stay positive. Oh, but on that subject, did you hear about the 4.7 earthquake here last Sunday and the aftershock on Tuesday? This place should be declared a disaster area. We've gotta get outta here.

Ok, that's all for now. Enjoy your long weekend and Go Cavs!

Cleveland Rocks!

I was halfway through a blog about bumper stickers (sounds exciting, doesn't it?) when I saw this short video. It's about my lovely hometown. We'll, not good old Cuyahoga Falls, but the bigger city: Cleveland. Ah, so funny. I need to send this to my family and friends from home now.

I heard our Hawaii song last night

The whole time we were in Hawaii we heard the Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours" song a couple times a day (I love the scenery in the video). It seemed like every time we got in the car, the song would be on the radio. It will always remind me of Hawaii and every time I hear it, it makes me happy. And slightly sad cause I wish we were back in Hawaii...soon, hopefully.

It's funny how a song can instantly remind you of a trip or time or location or person. The other song that reminds me of Hawaii is what we called "These islands are amazing". We heard that the whole trip too. It's much more original Hawaiian. The pictures in this video are even better. I think the beach at 4:16 is where we were at for sunset on my birthday...that was one heck of a good day.

What Would be Most Relaxing?

We've been torn about traveling over Memorial Day weekend. We don't have too many long weekends to travel and we hate to waste one (hopefully one of the last in LA) sitting at home when there really are amazing places to visit in CA. On the other hand, we've been needing a three day weekend for months and really want time to RELAX.

Mostly, I think we're debating Monterey and Paso Robles. We still need to fulfill our life goal of staying in each room at The Old St. Angela Inn! I called the Inn and got Diane and she said business hasn't been good and they're offering low rates even for the holiday weekend. I felt so bad. I tried to offer hope that the summer will hopefully pick up and then things will get better and people will start traveling again soon. It makes me want to go there even more now so we can give them business. They still have the Crow's Nest, Bayview, Newport and Nantucket open for the weekend. Crow's Nest or Bayview would be great. Too bad the Gilday's are busy that weekend. One thing's for sure: If we go to Monterey, we're not going on the Carmel wine trolley!

Then there's Paso Robles wine country. We were just there last November, but it was so nice and pretty and we only just scratched the surface seeing all the wineries. We just opened a great bottle of wine last weekend that we got there and it makes me want to visit. It's a shorter drive than Monterey, but it doesn't have The Old St. Angela Inn there.

I suppose Monterey would be relaxing too. Walk to the beach or the Pacific Grove main drag or just sit at the Inn and eat obscene amounts of good food. Hmmm.

Glad We're Not on Qantas!

Did you hear the story about real life snakes on a plane in Australia? Twelve baby pythons were making a trip within Australia on Qantas. When they landed, there were only 8 snakes in the bin. They weren't able to find the rogue snakes so they had to fumigate the plane.

Scary.

Wonder if we get this show in the US?

Have you seen Susan Boyle from Britain's Got Talent yet? Take a couple minutes and watch - it's awesome.

Our AU plans

We're still very early in the planning stages, all that's booked is airfare, but as of now, here are some of our plans...

We're flying into Sydney on Richard Branson's fun new airline V Australia. We'll spend three days/3 nights in Sydney. We'll take a tour of the Opera House (too bad they're not having High Tea when we're there), check out the harbor, royal gardens and the The Rocks. That's all within walking distance of our hotel. Then we'll rent a car to go to the Blue Mountains for some hiking. Depending on time, we may also go to their famous wine region, Hunter Valley.

Then it's off the the Great Barrier Reef for 3 nights. We haven't decided on the island resort yet, but I'm leaning toward Hamilton Island. This will be the chill portion of our trip: beach, snorkel and no kayaking. I want to make it to Whitehaven Beach, which looks beyond beautiful.

And then, our final leg is to Brisbane. We'll check out some cool beach communities people have told us about and some other things that are TBD. And then, no trip to AU is complete without the Australia Zoo! I was a fan of the croc hunter from the beginning - it'll be sad, but so fun. I cant wait to cuddle & take pics with a koala! In Sydney and on the reef you can have breakfast with koalas! I think we might have to do that both places - so cool. Think one will fit in my carrryon?

Speaking of customs, would you believe we won't get a stamp in our passports in AU? They do electronic visas instead of passports. It's a bummer - maybe we shouldn't even bother going. :)

We're gone from June 24th - July 5th. For some reason, after we booked the airfare, even though there are lots of things to figure out, I'm not really worried any more. Instead, I am sooooo excited!

It's Official

The airfare is booked - we're going to Australia!

A Tiny Fear

For most of my life, I've hated the fact that I've never been out of the country (Canada doesn't count). My parents lived in Germany for years, my sister was even born there and that was just the first of many trips abroad for them. A couple years ago when we went to the Caribbean for the first time, I was so happy to finally get a passport. Although our two trips to the Caribbean were international, I barely count those trips as out of the country.

Over the weekend I had a minor fear of going on a trip abroad. They don't judge distance in miles, weight in pounds or money in USD. AAA won't even be valid there. Our cell phones won't work. I doubt they accept Aetna health insurance. Will our drivers license be valid to rent a car? Will all our miscellaneous electronics chargers work? This is all part of the adventure though, right?

Since I've always wanted to go abroad, I didn't understand why I had this minor and fleeting fear. Then it came to me - on our first Caribbean trip, my throat almost swelled completely shut in my sleep. Not being able to talk or swallow and being loaded on the next boat to the mainland, a taxi ride through crazy, rooster littered streets and being dumped at a random strip mall was a little scary. I don't know how Ryan figured it all out, but we got to the clinic and the story has a happy ending. But seeing as how that was my first real trip out of the US, I guess I can see why I have minor nerves.

A Little Fun

On Saturday night we went to a party with some of my work friends. One of the guys, David, was pretty wasted from the minute we got there. He had been joking with me on Friday that if I needed my wisdom tooth pulled I might choke and drown on my own blood during the surgery. So when I saw him Saturday, I played like I had to have all four out on Monday and was gonna be off work for a week to recover. Hard to tell if he bought it since he was drunk.

Yesterday I didn’t go over to his side of the building so he might think I was actually out of the office.

This afternoon I went over there. I was talking to another guy when David walked up to us. I made my tongue push out the side of my mouth and talked all funny and said I was in a lot of pain. He started making fun of me. We all kept up the charade. Finally, in dramatic fashion, I left and went back to my desk. He followed me over and eventually apologized. It really wasn't a good act - I'm so surprised he bought it. Wonder how long I should keep it up? We're trying to find some fake blood for tomorrow.

It's been a bright spot in my otherwise pretty crappy day.

Google - not always practical

Over the weekend, I did a quick search for driving directions from Sydney to Brisbane Australia. I put AU after Sydney, but not after Brisbane. Unfortunately, I can't copy the link of the directions, but you can do it yourself.

Directions 53, 114 and 130 say to kayak to Japan, Hawaii and Washington state respectively! Does Google really think kayaking is a viable travel option? I love that you begin the last leg of kayaking from Turtle Bay in Hawaii!

And the winner is...

Steve. 

Wisdom tooth is fine, gums are fine, teeth are fine. My dentist says it was most likely a piece of food that was stuck back there or it was stress/lack of sleep (which he said makes your gums more susceptible to pain). What do I need to do - floss better.

So happy I don't need to have my wisdom tooth out!

Food Related Incident

I've been trying to blog about two different stories, but work keeps getting in the way. I've decided to tell the shorter of the two cause maybe I can get that done today.

On Wednesdays (cleverly called Donut Wednesdays) at work they provide breakfast: an array of pastries, muffins & donuts. It's a lovely treat. Fridays (Bagel Fridays) they provide bagels and various cream cheeses. Is it sad that I look forward to Wednesdays and Fridays because of this? I'm now vaguely remembering blogging about this before, sorry if it's redundant.

Anyway, yesterday, Donut Wednesday, I rushed into work to get the best pick of muffins. I ran to the big kitchen as soon as I got into the office - there's two guys in the kitchen. I noticed one went for a donut box and he mumbles something about a donut. Then he picks it up with his bare hands, squeezes it, looks at it from all angels and then puts it back down in the box. Eww. I almost said something snide about manhandling the donut and leaving it for someone else, but instead I just slightly half-chuckled. He was like, "yeah, it was really soft." WTF?

In Denial

Ever try to convince yourself that something isn't happening when you know it is? "No, my car doesn't need a new transmission" or "No my favorite pair of jeans doesn't need to be retired." Well, my current denial is, "No, my wisdom tooth isn't hurting." Ugh.

I noticed a minor ache last week at one point, but then it went away. Great. Then over the weekend it was acting up a little more, but I still just ignored it. Then Sunday night I was sleeping on my left side and woke up in the middle of the night to horrible throbbing pain on my lower left side. I thought it might be a cavity. Now I wish it was only that. In the morning, I inspected and found out it wasn't a cavity, it was my wisdom tooth that hurt. It even seems to feel and look different then my other wisdom teeth.

I'm sure I'll have to have it out. And I hear you either deal with the procedure really well or really bad. I'll bet money I'm in the really bad camp. A guy at work said it took around 3 weeks before he was eating normal food. Guess I'll be able to lose a couple pounds.

But I'd rather be in pain for a couple more days before I move from denial to call my dentist. We have appointments for cleanings the first weekend in April - maybe I can wait until then?

Give Me The Mic

I already have plans for September 9th!

Crazy Train

It was a typical drive home last night. I was talking with my sister, zoning out since I'm just going from stopped to 1 mph and back to stopped again for 10 miles on a packed 405. She's telling me a story about one of her students who has whooping cough (I thought that was eradicated in the US) when I noticed a lot of flailing in the car to my right.

Now, I don't really pay much attention to people in other cars. One wrong look and you could be in a freeway shooting out here. But with all the commotion, I looked over. It was a nice looking black car with semi-tinted windows. I could see into the back and I thought, "Is that Sharon Osbourne"? Probably, who cares. I continued on.

A moment passed and the car is next to me again. I notice it's a Bentley. This time I see into the front. It's a young 20-something guy driving and he's laughing hysterically. Next to him, doing all the flailing, long black hair wildly blowing, is Ozzy Osbourne. I'm not a fan, but it was kinda interesting to see the hair, black clothes, big rings and tattoos.

As my sister said, even celebrities have to go on the 405. Then again, they're in a Bentley (slightly more comfortable than my car) and they have a driver. Their exit is Sunset Blvd, mine is the valley.

It Was A Long Wait

For my birthday, my sister got me a double broiler that I've been wanting for a while. I know, it's just a pot, but I was so excited to get it. Why I haven't bought one for myself in all these years is beyond me. Last night, I used my double broiler to make something that I've craved for 8 years now: zabaglione.

We had it for dessert once when we lived in Ithaca. I was hooked. It's a custardy dessert - kinda like crème brûlée, but without the caramelized top. I tried to make it once in Ithaca, but it didn't work so well. I didn't have a double broiler so I used a glass bowl (which is what they say to do). I had the water boiling too high and suddenly the bowl shattered. Through the years I've tried to buy stainless steel bowls, but for one reason after another, I couldn't find the right one.

Last night was a success. It's really a very simple dessert to make, but boy is it delicious and decadent. I made a version using champagne, which added a great taste. The strawberries and home made whipped cream on top really made it perfect.

I can't wait to make it again. Maybe this weekend when we have a friend coming over.

Can't Wait to Go Back

The view from our cottage at Turtle Bay. I miss going to sleep and waking up to the sound of those waves.

Couldn't Ask For More

My 30th birthday could never have been better. It all started with a helicopter tour of Kauai. We were lucky enough to sit in the front two seats next to the pilot. The views were amazing (pics don't do it justice). We went to Mt. Waialeale, the wettest spot on earth, with numerous 300 ft. towering waterfalls surrounding you...amazing. Here's a pic of the Na Pali coastline.

  

After the trip, we went to The Fish Express for a great hawaiian plate lunch. I lived dangerously and got kalua pork which is wrapped and cooked in ti plant leaves (which tastes kinda like spinach). We took our feasts to the beach and watched an endangered monk seal - what a great bday lunch. Here's my meal - it might look gross, but boy was it yummy:

From there we drove up the eastern coast, stopping at cute stores and coffee shops along the way. The Kauai Lighthouse was pretty:

The drive ended at the northern most part of the island accessible by car. It was a beautiful sunset at a really pretty beach. You can see the lei Ryan surprised me with.

The North Shore (of Oahu)

I've been wanting to blog about our amazing trip all week, but have been waiting to send myself a couple photos first. My evenings have just been too busy. So instead of waiting till the weekend, I'll start a trip review now and post pics over the weekend.

Turtle Bay beach cottages are the most amazing places to stay. They are luxurious in every way possible and well worth the money. It's no wonder why they shoot movies here and why so many celebrities vacation at Turtle Bay. The cottage is only 15 ft away from the giant north shore waves. You leave the door open and hear the crashing waves day and night. We had room service one morning on our patio watching the surf and surfers...amazing. When they turn down the room in the evening they put on lovely hawaiian music and leave a coconut macaroon wrapped in a leaf on your bed. I wanted to start a new rule that I only eat things wrapped in leaves, but that quickly lead to problems and I re-considered. We will stay at Turtle Bay again and I hope everyone else can at one point...it's not to be missed in life.

We went to a lot of beaches along the north shore and to the Bonzi Pipeline. The surf is so strong they have red flag strong current warnings up every day. It's not really a place to swim (although there are smaller bays along the coast that were tame). It was so much fun to sit on these beautiful beaches and watch the surfers. I wouldn't want to do it myself, but it really is an amazing sport to watch. The girl who had her arm bitten off by a shark in Kauai was surfing at Turtle Bay one afternoon - ESPN was shooting her for a special to air in March.

The nearest town of Haleiwa was so cute. We frequented a great coffee place called The Coffee Gallery. We bought a couple bags of coffee to bring home. There were some amazing restaurants too. We ate so much excellent seafood. It was all so fresh and delicious. I loved the Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes! Matsumoto's was a must see - the best shaved ice. It was so fun!

More to report later...

Best Job In The World

I want this job!

Hawaii Bound!

We're off on our trip Saturday. Hope everyone has a great week. If anyone wants a souvenir, let me know!

So...Fun!

Here's a fun reminder of the night:

No, I'm not drunk - just about to blink. Ugh. 

It was like we were in a tv show for 2 hours. Really, that's how it felt. And it was awesome. What a fun night. The whole cast was there, along with EPs/Creators

 and Director. There was inside scoop, BTS (behind the scenes) fun facts and of course a ton of laugh out loud moments. They're all comedians, so it was really funny.

The best moments:
1. Neil (Barney) running out of the auditorium declaring he had to pee and then leaving his mic on. If something like that happens in an upcoming episode, we'll know exactly where the inspiration came from. Priceless.

2. Jason's (Marshall) pure bliss at realizing Neil's mic was on in the bathroom.
3. Discussion of the Naked Man episode.
4. Insight into Jason's method acting technique during all the slaps that take place between characters.

5. Neil's favorite line on the show, "Legen...wait for it. I hope you're not lactose intolerant, because the last part is Dairy!"

The night reminded me of why I was a tv major. There is something pure and exciting about the inner workings of a tv show that is so intriguing to me. Although, unlike my blissful college days, I realize that as fun as it may seem, it's long and grueling hours with little job security.

The warm-up video made us realize how many scenes and episodes we've forgotten. Maybe we'll bring some of the DVDs with us on the plane!

Here are some more pics from the night:

Note the original Bro Code book, Yellow umbrella, Goliath National Bank hat, Metro News 1 mic and mug.

Who's Not Your Daddy!

Wait For It...

Here's a sneak peak of our night. Details to come...

For Man

Here's the video of Bush leaving! If you don't want to watch the whole thing, liftoff is around 2 minutes in. I know you'll enjoy this as much as I did!

Crazy Times

What an exciting and optimistic time it is with the new administration. However, this economy really blows. It's scary to hear day after day about the latest company announcing layoffs. I know so many people recently unemployed, or those who are looking and can't find anything (counting ourselves). I doubt that'll change anytime soon, but for some reason I'm hopeful. Maybe it's because for 8 years we've been beat down and couldn't see the light. Hopefully all this positive energy will help things turn around this year.

On a happy note, how great was it to see Bush leave in the helicopter yesterday?

Congrats to Mike! (another 2008 leftover)

I never got a chance to blog about our friend Mike on his new house. What an accomplishment. We hope to follow your example soon! Can't wait to see the place!

In other friend news, Steph is on the way to stay with my sister in DC for the inauguration. I wish I could be there (although I'm enjoying the 80 degree weather here). Can't wait to hear all about it!

In random news, as I was on my way to work, about a block away from my building, I saw a guy walking down the street and he had a giant sign above his head - it was like a real life thought bubble. It said, "My wife doesn't know I'm gay." Um, ok. When that HBO show John From Cincinnati came out there were people in the same area carrying promotional surfboards. Maybe this is another show promotion? Probably not - it's probably just another LA freak. I can't wait to buy that one way ticket outta here.

A Leftover 2008 Story

Picture this: it's mid-December. We're crazy busy Christmas shopping. We find a good deal (of course) on Rock Band so we run out to Best Buy one night to buy it. We're at the register, a male college age kid is ringing us out.

College kid: Is this for you or your child?
Us: Um, for us.

Holy crap! This kid thinks we're old enough to have children of Rock Band playing age*? A five-year-old can't really play Rock Band - it's safe to assume you'd have to be older. Now, technically** we could have a ten-year-old. But good grief, do we really look that old to where it's a safe assumption? I'm still clinging on to my 20s!

Old enough to have a ten-year-old...Harrumph.

*Remember that in LA we're young to even be married. People are like 35-40 before they start having kids.

**Sometimes I wish I had kids earlier. Think about it - a ten-year-old would be more than half way to being 18 and out of the house! At this rate, we're gonna be 60 before the kid leaves and we have our carefree lifestyle back.

SO Excited

I am seriously thrilled right now! I just got some great news. There's an upcoming event with the cast and executive producers of How I Met Your Mother. Through the kindness of a co-worker, we're able to go. It's at the end of the month. How cool to hear them talk all about the show and mingle at a reception afterwards.

It's gonna be Legendary!

Get Me OUT OF HERE

Yep, another earthquake.