The rain didn’t dampen the excitement of the crowd as the Olympic Flame was marched through the streets and we came out in our Red & White with the best of them!
OH CANADA!
11 02 2010Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: 2010 Olympics, Canada, Family, Friends, Sporting Events
Categories : Vancouver
Shot Gun!
11 02 2010Considering at Christmas people referred to me as a “Kamikaze Pilot”, you may be concerned of my “Copilot” status. But, COPILOT I am!
So, maybe it was a seaplane, and I didn’t actually touch anything, but I did sit in the copilot seat and take photos and video of the trip from Vancouver Island to Vancouver.
This is the best way to see the Vancouver skyline!
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Tags: 2010 Olympics, Canada, Sightseeing
Categories : Vancouver
Welcome to Vancouver
11 02 2010I made it to Vancouver and the Olympic buzz is buzzing!
On my flight from Newark to Vancouver we had Olympians onboard and the pilot made a big deal about welcoming them and wishing them good luck, which meant that I spent the majority of the flight looking people up and down as they passed me to go to the bathroom to see if they had “Olympian” potential.
It was so exciting when we arrived at the Vancouver airport because all of the airport staff were wearing Olympic clothing, there was a special Olympian customs area, and so many people had the Olympic lanyards. When I walked into the main terminal greeting area where there were welcome groups, signs, people in matching Olympic outfits, etc, it made me realize that when you don’t have anyone waiting for you there, it’s kind of lonely. And, it reminded me of the time when I traveled with friends, and to prevent the lonely “we’re not greeted by anyone” feeling, we took turns running ahead of each other so there was someone (ourselves) to greet us. Lame I know, but it worked.
So after leaving the east coast where there were constant blizzard warnings and below freezing temperatures and the fact that I had been taking photos of snow-capped mountains during the flight, you can imagine my surprise when I looked out the window as we were descending into Vancouver and saw nothing but lush green landscape. There’s no snow here, and I actually saw people walking around in flip flops. Whoops, I’m definitely overdressed and apparently I have forgotten myVancouver roots – we don’t get snow here and the appropriate attire is a waterproof jacket and a scarf for decoration only!
Welcome to Vancouver!
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Tags: 2010 Olympics, Canada, Sightseeing
Categories : Vancouver
Closing Down the Place
10 02 2010Another night at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse and another morning cursing Ralph’s name.
Why oh why can we never resist the never-ending glass of wine?
We invited some good friends to join us for dinner this time around and it added a whole new dynamic to our evening. First off, there’s nothing better than bringing friends together (and having it work out, instead of sitting through awkward silences).
Nathan and I got to spread the delicious taste of the Canadian bacon appetizer, which they loved. However, I shared a piece with a “Happy Hour Goer” and he was not a fan, so he didn’t last long in our group. But it could have also been because Ralph scared him off. After I offered this “Happy Hour Goer” a piece of bacon he started chatting me up and then turned around and said, “and that, my friends, is how you do it”. What??! Do people actually say that? I thought that only happened in the movies.
Tonight we had a special treat – Wolfgang of Wolfgang’s came to the restaurant for dinner and he came by and said hello and shook all of our hands. At the front of the restaurant he sat with all of his friends and family. It was a big deal – the “Owners” table. So it was quite a surprise when we ended up sitting at that table later on in the night (more like the early hours of the morning). It all started when Patron shots were shared between one of their group and one of our group. It progressed when I overheard a conversation that went a little bit like… “dare me! OK – I dare you!…..excuse me, is this seat taken….” What I didn’t hear was, “There’s an empty chair over there, you should go sit there…..No I can’t…..Do it”. So with one foot in the door, or rather, one bum on the seat, we ended up sitting at ‘The Owners’ table and sharing a delicious glass of wine.
Let’s just say that by the time we left, the restaurant was empty, the bartenders had long since changed into their street clothes and the steak and desserts that we’d had for dinner were a distant memory.
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Tags: Food, Friends
Categories : New York City
Whatever it takes…
30 01 2010to get through a weekend in Detroit….
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Tags: Life
Categories : Detroit, Miscellaneous
Mcflurries are not worth it
30 01 2010I made a New Year’s Resolution (and I’m making Nathan follow it as well).
It’s time to curb my sweet tooth. When I asked Nathan how many desserts/week we had….4…..5, he stopped me right there. No need to count them, let’s just say….a lot. In an effort to cut down on our dessert intake we have a couple new rules this year:
1. No lunch time desserts
2. Cut back to 2….or should it be 3 desserts/week (to which Nathan said, why did you bump it up to 3 so quickly?)
3. Nathan’s rule: Desserts on Wednesday and Friday. I vetoed this rule. What happens if we’re on the road, I will not waste one of my dessert nights on a McFlurry!
4. All World Famous Dessert places are exempt from the rules. I vetoed this rule as well – we’re always somewhere with a world famous keylime pie, red velvet cake, etc
So official rules: No lunch time desserts. 2 Desserts/week
Now, you might laugh (as many have when I told them these rules) that we even have to make rules to cut down on our dessert in take. But what you don’t realize is that I have no self-restraint. In my previous life I just didn’t buy junk food and rarely bought sweets, so when I went out for dinner I was all about the desserts. Now, eating in restaurants all of the time, it’s like an unlimited kitchen – so many options and I just can’t help it. I’m weak!
It’s been 4 weeks and we’ve actually stuck to our new rules. Although I will admit that sometimes I linger at the chocolate aisle at grocery stores, or gaze longingly at the ice cream flavours. But, now I look at a dessert menu and say, ‘nope, nothing on this menu is worth a dessert night’.
The funny thing now is that once Sunday comes along, although in the past I felt a sense of dread at a new work week, now, I feel such happiness that the week is over and another dessert week begins!
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Tags: Life
Categories : Detroit, Miscellaneous
Scenes from Jan. 20, 2009
20 01 2010
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Tags: Inauguration, Sightseeing
Categories : DC
Eating 4 Sport
19 01 2010I’m branching out everyone! Considering how much I talk about food, I thought this would be a great opportunity to create a FOOD ONLY blog.
I am going through all of our past gastronomic stops and organizing them by city, and as we find more delectable treats I’ll add them to the list.
I figure this way, while you’re traveling you can see if there are any restaurants you want to check out, and for all of you who travel in Canada, the US, or overseas, please take the time to comment and add your own recommendations.
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Tags: Food
Categories : Miscellaneous
A Year in Review
10 01 2010A review of my ‘Things To Do’ List for 2009:
– See a Presidential Inauguration √
– Attend the AVN afterparty at LAX in Las Vegas √
– Go scuba diving in Mexico and inadvertently act like a dying fish to attract a barracuda √
– Learn how to sail without falling overboard √
– Live in New York City for 4 months of the year √
– Pet dolphins
As of December 30, 2009, I had one more item to check off my list – Pet Dolphins. The original plan was to spend the last few days of 2009 in Corpus Christi, TX on a sailboat amid waters full of frolicking dolphins – THIS WAS MY CHANCE!!
After one afternoon of sailing, and one night sleeping in the V Berth (note to self: my habit of sleeping diagonally does not work in a v berth), the weather turned and it was cold and rainy so we all packed up and headed to warmer climates. The closest I got to dolphins was watching them follow our ferry, feeding on the fish it churned up.
But I am nothing if not determined to reach the goals that I set for myself. And since we ended up in San Antonio, TX for Dec. 31st – SEAWORLD here we come!
A whole pool full of dolphins frolicking and just waiting for me to come by and pet them (and perhaps toss them a few fish as well). I was ready to go with 8 fish, ready to feed and pet at least 4 different dolphins. Well, someone had a different plan for me. This chubby dolphin (the biggest one in the pool) picked me to be his meal ticket and would not let me go. I fed him a couple of fish, just barely skimmed my fingertips on his forehead, and tried to move down the pool side to see other dolphins. Not only did he follow me, but he got mad at me and flicked water at me. Seriously, I got told off by a dolphin! But, I did reach my goal and checked off that last item on my list.
Not only did we spend time with the dolphins at Seaworld but we fed the sealions, and saw the Seamore & Clyde show and Shamu!
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Tags: Animals, Boating, Friends, Sailing, Sightseeing
Categories : Miscellaneous
A Christmas Miracle
31 12 2009We spent Christmas in Parker, Arizona aka my place of ultimate tranquility.
Every day something random would occupy all of our attention. One day it was toy helicopters (the family seriously doubts my flying ability, I believe the words ‘kamikaze pilot’ were mentioned once or twice). Another day we focused on all of the Christmas presents that have been given in the past, and the phrase, ‘It’s the thought that counts’ became the token phrase of the day.
On one specific day I looked out the window and saw something fluttering on the ground – I thought it was a leaf. Until I looked closer, and then I freaked out, ‘hummingbird down! hummingbird down!’ There was a hummingbird flailing on the ground under the feeder. It looked like his wing was broken, sprained or dislocated. We brought him inside and did what any other helpful person would do – we took pictures of him.
Nathan was ready to “end it”. You know what I mean. Before we could resort to that, we took him to the front yard near the rosemary bushes and left him while we went for a walk. When I got back, the feeder had been brought down to him and he had been placed on it. Although done with the best of intentions, there was no way he could feed where he was placed. So, being the lover of hummingbirds that he is, Nathan’s dad went out to help our little friend out. He moved him to a better position, and with a quick drink of the feeder, all of a sudden the hummingbird took flight. It’s a Christmas Miracle! For the rest of the day all we heard was, ‘These hands have healing powers!’
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Tags: Animals, Christmas, Family
Categories : Lake Havasu City
Adventures On the Road 
