Adventures On the Road

Brrrr…It’s Cold in Here….

14 01 2013

Here I thought we were heading to the warmth of the desert in Parker (Lake Havasu City), AZ. Well there’s definitely sunshine, but where’s the warm kiss of the sunshine on my face? Highs of 45 degrees and Lows of 25 degrees? What is that all about????

The orange tree that we just planted is struggling. It may actually be holding onto dear life as it shivers in the wind at night. We’ve done our best by putting blankets over it and taping cardboard around its trunk when the sun goes down – hey it’s definitely not pretty, but hopefully it’s providing some protection.

And with all the buzz about the flu epidemic? Well, this part of the desert has not been exempt. I think everyone I have come in contact with the last few weeks has been hacking away and by some miracle, despite the fact that the three other people in my household have taken their turn as a self-designated ‘sickie’, (Well, maybe not so much as self designated, but that’s what I’ve been calling them), I have still remained unscathed. I like to think it’s because of my superhuman immune system and strength of mind, but who we kidding, I’m usually the first one sick and give in to it like a little baby. So, I guess I have to thank the round of immunizations that I had to have during the process of getting my green card. I resisted them at first, but looks like I won out in the end.

Well I can’t say I have any advice for dealing with the cold temperatures (besides looking at the views from inside the cocoon of warm blankets while sitting by the fire) or battling the germs in the area other than unexpectantly planning ahead with a full round of vaccinations. But I do recommend healthy doses of Vitamin C and if you’re ever in the area of Mesa, AZ, you’ve got to stop by B & B Citrus Farm, because they have got some tasty fruit on their trees!

Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: Country Living, Food, Lake Havasu City, Nature, Random Life, Sightseeing, Travel, Weather
Categories : Arizona, AZ, Lake Havasu City

F(l)ight of the Hummingbird

8 01 2013

To get a photo of one hummingbird in flight is one thing….

To get a photo of two hummingbirds fighting over sweet nectar is a feat!

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: Animals, Photography, Random Life, Travel. Nature
Categories : Arizona, AZ, Parker

A Difference in Surroundings

3 01 2013

It’s funny what a difference a change in scenery has on your mentality.

While trying to stay dry during a very soggy November and December in Seattle, you get used to constant cloud cover. It’s expected really. You start to make distinctions between heavy clouds, light cloud cover, and of course, rain clouds. It could be misting outside, or it could be drizzling, sprinkling, light rain, and this Fall we saw constant consecutive downpour days. This winter I was introduced to ‘Lumpy Rain’ as well, as the temperature fell and the rain clouds rolled in, it was just not cold enough to snow and instead produced raindrops with just a little bit of ice, making those raindrops fall just that much heavier.

Anyway, my point is that with so much weather that you’re trying to dodge throughout the day, it makes it difficult to get outside for that vitamin D your body craves, especially if you hate to walk around in the rain. You become obsessive about the hourly weather forecast, trying to time your outdoor activities in between the 1 – 2 hour breaks from the rain during the day. A glimpse of blue sky makes you giddy, and full out sunshine, well you barely have time to get your shoes on before your body is jumping outside and heading to the waterfront. In Seattle, you take advantage of any non-rainy weather. Period.

But what do you do when you find yourself in constant sunshine? A place where the norm is sunshine and when a couple clouds find their way in the horizon, it’s a hot topic of conversation. You find yourself indoors, that’s what! You take that sunshine for granted and when you look outside and see bright sunshine and moonscape views, you think, ‘oh – another sunny day. It looks a little cool and breezy out though. Maybe an inside day….’. And when there are a couple clouds in the sky and surprisingly a few raindrops, well, it’s a HIBERNATION DAY. Turn the fire on, grab the blankets and let’s watch a movie. Where in one place the raindrops are the norm and their absence is an opportunity you take advantage of, in the desert, a few drops are cause for hibernation.

Well, today we made a trek out into the desert in the front yard. A path of crumbling rock, sprouting cacti (and their skeletons) and the panoramic views from up above.

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Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: Lake Havasu City, Nature, Photography, Random Life, Seattle, Sightseeing, Travel, Weather
Categories : Arizona, Parker

Fire & Ice

1 01 2013

There’s just something about twinkly lights at night that changes the whole atmosphere. Whistler Village during the day, covered in a layer of fresh powder with buildings rimmed with icicles, beautiful in a pristine and untouchable way.

Whistler Village at night, complete with moonlight reflecting off the snow, colourful lights twinkling between the branches and a combination of fire and ice that just seems to work?

Magical.

Olympic Plaza at Night

Whistler’s Fire & Ice show at Whistler Village’s Skier’s Plaza. Every Sunday night (Dec. – Mar.) the fire dancers congregate, the Ring of Fire is erected and a few crazy skiers and snowboarders barrel down the mountain to jump through that Ring of Fire, to everyone’s delight.

Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: 2010 Olympics, Canada, Christmas, Nature, Photography, Sightseeing, Travel, Whistler
Categories : Whistler

Whistler!

31 12 2012

Sometimes I forget about the magical atmosphere of a Winter Wonderland. The past few years we’ve done a pretty good job at avoiding snow. Last year we spent the majority of December in California beach hopping and for a brief moment, looking for snow at Big Bear (which never appeared), and settled into a wet winter in Seattle.

This year we took a trek out to Whistler. Despite growing up in Vancouver Island and spending years in Vancouver, I have never gone to Whistler in the Winter. And there’s just something about being in a mountain/ski village that says “Welcome to Winter”, “Merry Christmas” and also, “Why not have a drink, or two, or three…..you’re on holiday right?”

Whistler

Since Whistler hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, there have been a couple additions. Both in Whistler Village and at the top of Whistler Mountain.

Olympic Rings at Whistler Olympic Plaza

Olympic Rings at Whistler Mountain Peak

Cold noses, cute hats, and good ol’ Canadian Ceasars, fun times were had in Whistler. Despite the fact that we were neither skiers nor snowboarders, we put in a good effort with a few good snowball fights. I believe the lesson here was, don’t challenge a Canadian to a snowball fight….especially if you’re from Texas and don’t know what to do with snow (Jonathan!). We took the gondola to the Tube Park and spent a couple hours night tubing with christmas carols blaring and perfect snowflakes falling around us. And completed our winter weekend with a Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride, making the 30 minute ride up to the Whistler Mountain Peak, and trying to stay out of everyone’s way as we took the next gondola ride to the Blackcomb Peak and then back to Whistler and down to the village.

Peak 2 Peak Gondola Ride

Blackcomb

We experienced a ton of fresh snow, but the snow clouds cleared for our drive down the mountain and we were treated to some amazing views.

Loved experiencing a true snowy Winter Weekend, although my coordination may be better suited for a summer climate, but overall, it just felt good to be back in Canada!

True Canadian Spirit!

Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: 2010 Olympics, Canada, Christmas, Nature, Photography, Sightseeing, Travel, Whistler
Categories : Whistler

Wait….Am I Boring?

10 12 2012

Sometimes it takes a question as simple as ‘what’s new with you?’ to make you jump up and realize that things need to change. Or sometimes to make you realize that things have changed.

Someone asked me that simple question a couple weeks ago, ‘what’s new with you?’ and I realized that for the first time in a long time, I had nothing to report. After four years of a life that was constantly in motion, where I was in a constant stage of waiting for the next leg of the trip, with no need to make plans because something would always come up, and inevitably, any plans that I did make would have to be cancelled, the fact that I had nothing exciting to report, nor did I have any immediate plans, kind of threw me.

At first I rushed into immediate plans. I headed to the city to get lost in the hustle and bustle of downtown Seattle, trying to wake myself up from the West Seattle haze I had found myself in. Don’t get me wrong, I love West Seattle, but not a ton of excitement minus the orca whale sightings. I scoured the event listings and bought tickets for the Seattle Symphony, the holiday show at the 5^th Avenue Theater, and found myself at the Showbox at the Market on a Monday night seeing ‘Walk Off the Earth’ live (who would have thought that youtube video we watched a year ago would come back around like this?).

Showbox at the Market (Seattle, WA)

Walk Off the Earth “Somebody I Used to Know”

Summer Jammin’

After that initial panic that I was wasting away my days, I realized that not being on the road and traveling constantly was actually a good thing. It’s true that in the past few years I never had to make any plans for adventure because there was no way I could avoid a last minute trip to NYC, a weekend in Chicago, an opportunity to see Martha’s Vineyard, have access to concerts, or have the opportunity to sing ‘on the road again’ again and again as we drove straight across the country for the 5^th time that year. But for the past few years I never made plans. It seemed like I could never make a dr’s appointment, much less attend a neighbour’s holiday party or BBQ. I sounded like a recording stuck on repeat, ‘who knows where I’ll be. I’ll let you know, but probably won’t be able to make it’. And it’s a little hard to make new friends when you can never commit to spending time with them.

It hit me suddenly that now I have the freedom to MAKE PLANS. To commit to a schedule. What?? The value of having the freedom to commit to a schedule? Who would have thought that that was important? Well, I have now thrown myself into ‘planning’ wholeheartedly. A girl’s night, a weekly grocery shopping trip, a holiday ornament exchange, hosting a Christmas Cocktail Party, attending a friend’s holiday party – all things that I can say have happened in the last week, or will be happening in the week to come.

So, what at first seemed like a horrible realization that the excitement in my life was dependent on the twists and turns of work (which means I’m actually a very boring person), has now turned into the fantastic realization that I’m in control of my own adventures (and that I’m not actually a boring person by nature), and part of that adventure is this new opportunity to put down some roots!

Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: Concerts, Life, Music, Random Life, Seattle, Writing
Categories : Seattle

A True Seattle Weekend

27 11 2012

I’m not going to say that I embraced American Thanksgiving full steam ahead…….but there did seem to be a lot of turkey, pumpkin flavoured things (Caramel Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie from Sunset Magazine) and more football than I thought I would ever see. There was way too much food over a four day period, drinks-a-flowing, a mean game of Jenga and Taboo, and plenty of friends to enjoy it with.

But what made this holiday weekend memorable were the True Seattle activities.

I don’t know who isn’t excited for wildlife sightings, but in West Seattle, besides Orca Whale sightings (which we did not see, although they did visit this weekend) the next best thing to see is a seal pup resting on the shore. And this little guy was giving Nathan ‘goo goo’ eyes.

West Seattle Seal Pup

We got to enjoy a private tour of Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. From the very top of the stadium with rooftop views of the city and waterscapes, to walking on the field and hanging out in the home team dug out, and everything in between.

Safeco Field

On the Field. In the Dugout.

To end a weekend where the rained stopped and the sunshine came out to play. We spent the evening at the Seattle Symphony for a performance by Brandi Carlile with the Symphony at Benaroya Hall. Amazing Performance. Amazing Acoustics.

And what Monday morning is complete without a little bit of a Squid Fishing expedition? More of a spectator this time, but just wait until next time!

Squid Fishing ‘Catch’

I’m starting to feel like a true Seattlite!

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Tags: Animals, Concerts, Music, Nature, Sightseeing, Sporting Events
Categories : Seattle

The Power of the Written Word

19 10 2012

I’m having a weird reflective moment that I’m not quite sure how to explain. I just read a blog post (http://thehandwrittenlife.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/burning-bridges) that was about burning bridges; about making a decision whether or not to turn your back on someone who has been a part of your life, a part of ‘who you are’, but being torn because as much pain as you’ve felt because of that person, you’ve also felt the love – and which one is stronger?

Now, I think that that scenario and personal experience is something that everyone can relate to, in some shape or form. But what made me react so strongly is to see how everyone else reacted so strongly. Because if you are riding that same emotional roller coaster, or have just gotten off (or thrown off) that ride, well I think it would be hard not to feel ‘moved’ by the writing. What was written has the ability to tug at your emotions and provoke you to respond because it strikes a chord in your memories and can dredge up some painful personal memories and experiences (and tears, probably a lot of tears).

So my odd reflective moment is seeing this all from a distance. Yes – I have been torn in the past about whether or not to let someone go. But, since that was long in the past (and I’m really quite happy right now), I’m impressed with the power of writing about a personal experience and all of the different ways it can be received and reflected upon and how it can provoke such a strong response (written and emotional), depending on where the reader is in their life.

Last year I wrote a post inspired by the ‘Dear Me: A Letter to My Sixteen Year Old Self’ series. I read some of the letters, it inspired me to write my own, and despite knowing that it was personal, I wasn’t unleashing any deep, dark secrets. But the response was overwhelming – greatly appreciative that I shared my story, a feeling of personal connection, a solution to their own personal reflection, a lot of personal stories shared with me, and only a few negative comments about how trivial my problems were (but it still made a big enough impact to provoke a response, right?). In my efforts to write something that was worthy of the jolt of inspiration I felt, I never imagined that it would strike a chord with so many people. But I guess that’s my ‘aha’ moment today. You never know who’s reading and what effect you can have on others – whether it’s deeply personal turmoil, or ‘tongue and cheek’ reflection, when you write from the heart, you have the ability to connect emotionally and sometimes, inspire.

Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: Random Life, Writing
Categories : Miscellaneous

The ‘Flavours’ of San Francisco

14 10 2012

San Francisco. There’s a certain mystique about the city. When you think about the city quickly, it’s a flurry of sights that go through your mind: Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Pier 39, Ghiradelli Square, etc. Sometimes it feels like you could experience the city just by flipping through one of those ‘best sites of’ postcard books.

But it’s so different when you’re actually in the city. When you think about the city, you think of the highlights. But when you are walking the streets of the city, that’s when you realize that San Francisco is more about the city’s flavour – and not necessarily the notable attractions.

One of the very best places that you can discover the flavour of San Francisco is at The Ferry Building at the Embarcadero. Yes – it is full of very tasty treats and boutique food stores, but it is more than that. The Ferry Building is packed full of local restaurants and vendors (especially on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays).

All I can say is……YUM. A few of my favourites:

Boccalone:

The first thing I saw was a sign that said, ‘tasty salted pig parts’. To some that may not be appealing, but to a bacon-lover such as myself, I couldn’t pass up their ‘Salumi Cone’ which had a selection of their salumi to sample.

Tasty Salted Pig Parts

Cowgirl Creamery:

Poached egg with cheese polenta for breakfast. It was like a savoury oatmeal, and the perfect breakfast. And for dessert (a little bit later), Earl Grey and Chocolate panna cotta. The Earl Grey was light and creamy and was infused with a hint of the earl grey. The Chocolate was an intense, rich, dark chocolate flavour and a much thicker custard, but just as good.

Hog Island Oyster Bar:

I can’t think of anything better than having dinner on a patio, watching the sunset, sipping white wine and eating tasty, salty, briny oysters. The recommended oysters while we were there – kumamoto and extra smalls. The clams, mussels and grilled cheese sandwich were also perfect.

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market:

If you can make it to the Ferry Building on a farmer’s market day – it is definitely worth it. One – you can browse the stalls trying little morsels of fruit. But on Saturday, when the farmer’s market extends to the back of the building, that’s when I found the perfect sandwich. I can’t remember the name of the vendor, but it was an open-faced smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich, with lemon slices, tomato and capers.

There’s only so much you can taste in one trip…guess I’ll have to make my way back soon!

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: Food, Sightseeing, Travel
Categories : San Francisco

Road Blocks

7 10 2012

There have been many times when I’ve had an idea for a blog post. After a trip, I have gotten a sudden wave of inspiration of this funny tale to tell about, for example, how I got trapped inside a San Franciscan public restroom as water came flooding into the little oblong capsule and as I kicked and yelled to try to get out, I felt like I was in some sort of Hunger Games booby-trapped room. (This made me realize that I may have read the Hunger Games Trilogy one too many times).

But once it came down to sitting down to write this funny little anecdote, I couldn’t do it. The story never really came together on the page, and it sounded so much funnier in my head. But it was definitely a story that I wanted to tell, and because I couldn’t figure out how to tell it, and because I am somewhat anal about wanting to tell stories in order of when they happened, I was stuck. Since that horrifying experience thinking that I was trapped in a bathroom at Twin Peaks, I have gone to Napa and driven through wine country, I’ve taken a gondola ride up Crystal Mountain and seen crystal clear views of Mount Rainier, I’ve explored Pike’s Market and bought fresh seafood, taken water taxis and watched sea lions frolic, and seen the sun rise over the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge. A lot has happened since those 90 seconds of bathroom terror. But still, I haven’t been able to move forward since I couldn’t get past this one insignificant, but embarrassing moment in time.

Castella Di Amorosa

Up Close and Personal to my Friend Vino

Mt. Rainier View from Crystal Mountain

Mt. Rainier

Seattle Skyline

Early Morning at the Bay Bridge

This reminds me of when I was young. Maybe 13 or 14 and I decided to try my hand at drawing. Both my sister and brother are artistically gifted, and I on the other hand, always willed my hands to be able to create some masterpiece when I put pencil to paper, but it never felt like anything came of it. But on this day, I decided I was going to use some sketch paper and one of those artist’s pencils and I was going to make a teddy bear be my subject.

I drew feathery strokes on the paper. Tried to do a little shading to create depth. And I really wanted to capture that perfect glint in my teddy bear’s eye. When I finished my drawing, I was so impressed with myself. I patted myself on the back and showed it off to everyone. I truly felt like I had overcome some sort of obstacle and that I did have some sort of artistic gene in my body. But even though there is the saying that ‘practice makes perfect’ and that every talent needs to be continually worked on and practiced to evolve and improve, I decided that there was no way that I could draw any better than that. I had peaked. And anything that I drew after that point would surely not meet up to my now high expectations of myself. So, that was it. That was the last drawing that I drew…never allowing myself to improve or fail.

I don’t really know what all that says about me, (maybe I’m a control freak?), but during the last few months of my writing absence where I’ve felt like I couldn’t produce the quality of writing that I expected of myself, I realized today that I love writing too much just to stop because I haven’t been able to tell a story the way that I wanted to. Perhaps one of these days I’ll be able to perfect my San Franciscan bathroom story, but for now at least, I won’t let not being able to tell that story prevent me from moving forward.

On to new adventures and life lessons….

Moving On…

Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: Life, Random Life, Travel, Writing
Categories : Miscellaneous, Napa Valley, San Francisco, Seattle