Happy Birthday LL!

Today my blog turns 1!  Since there was initially a reason for what has turned out to be my place to vent and ramble endlessly about things no one but me cares about, I figured I would update “the list” and see how I’m doing so far!

#5 – Take my girls Ash & Jen out for a sorry-I-missed-it, post-wedding celebration!

I’m counting this one done.  Although I didn’t take them out for a post-wedding celebration per say, I have gotten together with them a few times to celebrate our lives in general and I figure that deserves a check!

#17 – Take my cousins out to dinner and get to know them better.

Done…ish.  I’ve been to lunch/dinner a few times with my cousin Cole and his wife Brittany, and although we haven’t been out to an official meal I’ve gotten to spend a lot more time with Wyatt and his girlfriend as well.  I’m so lucky to have these “brothers and sisters” and am so happy that it’s equally important to them that we all remain close and get to know each other as friends as well as family.  Check!

This brings me up to 9 ½ checks off my list!  Although it may not be as many as I had hoped for, I’m well on my way to checking off some of the others…and in between time you lucky readers get a backstage pass to the inner-working of yours truly.

It's difficult to post a picture of my blog celebrating a birthday, since it's a blog and all...
So here, enjoy this picture of me celebrating my birthday...the balloon clearly proves I'm an only child.

Anyone else accomplish any goals lately?

Mud Run

I used to be the one who never made excuses about working out.  I was the, “sorry, I can’t go to dinner tonight because I won’t have time to shower and straighten my hair when I get home from the gym” girl.  Lately, however, I seem to be finding every excuse in the book.

Last week I was sick, so I’ll give myself a little slack on that one.  But this week I’m just plain lazy, and I’m finding my greatest fear of moving back to the States coming true.  I’m not sticking with my workouts.  I lost almost 30 pounds and over 8% body fat while I was in Spain and I kept that motivation going steady when I was back in California; now that I’m in Arizona I can’t seem to keep that motivation to hit the gym instead of the “insert better plans here” or because of “insert lame reason here”.

So, today I decided enough was enough. 

(Actually, yesterday I did…but running at 10:30AM in Arizona in July after not consuming nearly enough water over the past few days was not a brilliant idea and after 15 minutes I was done.  Mr. actually got the car, picked me up, and took me home…that’s how done I was!)

But tonight, at 7:30PM, I decided I was going to do it.  I was going to go running and get back into my routine, and nothing was going to stop me!  And I did run, and nothing did stop me.

Not to say things didn’t try to stop me.  Like my very first dust storm, which decided to blast me…I got a great facial and my esophagus is now as smooth as a baby’s bottom! 

I Google'd "running in a dust storm" and apparently this is not a popular thing to do...
but I did find this picture of an Arizona dust storm and I'm pretty sure this is what it must have looked like on my run...

And what’s with this awful humid, muggy weather? 

Cheers to my first mud-run…

It's Official!

Today Mr. and I headed to the MVD.  (Motor Vehicle Division…aka the DMV)  We got a letter in the mail from the California DMV saying our registration would be suspended at the end of the month because we were no longer insured in California, (picky, picky!), so we went to sort things out here in our new home State.

I was expecting to update my registration and hit the road.  But instead, they took away all my beautiful California things.  My license…my license plates…all Arizona now.  I actually got a little teary.

I really don't like how I'm just hovering over the Grand Canyon...
although I do like that my picture finally looks like me again!

We did manage to get Veteran license plates however, which I'm pretty stoked about.  I'm thinking with the former-military police population here in Arizona I'm less likely to get pulled over if my plates are screaming "Veteran".  I know, I'm a genius!

So yeah, I’m officially an Arizonian now…or is it Arizonan?  I still haven’t quite figured that one out yet…

Math = Greek

There are certain things I will just never understand.

The appeal of Tom Cruise, not having a desire to travel, people who don’t like to read, why they believe distilling whiskey several times will miraculously make it taste better, and math.

Unfortunately for me, I’m taking Probability and Statistics this month. 

It took me over 45 minutes to correctly figure out how to answer ONE question on my homework.  Sunday is my midterm, and there will be 20 questions, and I have only 2 hours to complete it.  I may not be a genius at math, but if it takes me 45 minutes to answer one question, I’m pretty sure the professor should give me 15 hours to complete my midterm…not 2.

(Don't even ask me what the probability of me passing the exam is...I couldn't tell you!)

I was actually feeling great about this class up until this week.  Week 1 was pretty easy …I was understanding math!  But then we moved on to week 2, and the dreaded probability portion of the book.  It should be common sense, but somehow my brain shuts down and no matter how many times I read over the problem and the formulas it looks like it’s written in Greek.

Since when are there exclamation marks in math!?!

Good thing I’m not working this month, because I’m going to need every second of the 6 hours I spend every night on this class and a good deal of luck to pass! 

Cross your fingers for me!

Cheers to Papa and Nana...

This weekend Mr. and I took a quick trip out to Arrowhead to spend a day with my family at our cabin.  Built by my great grandfather Hap in 1926, this cabin has been a special place for my family for years.  It truly is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, which I’m sure is why my Papa and Nana chose it for their final resting place.  We spent the day visiting, remembering, and celebrating, and then we cousins spread their ashes around our little piece of the mountain.



My "brothers" and I!

I was not wearing the shoes for this, but they were cute!  Nana would have approved!

My mom and Aunt Kathy with Lake Arrowhead in the background...gorgeous!

It was a perfect, sunny day and I feel so lucky to have such an amazing group of people I can call family.  Especially Mr., who joined me on the 6 hour drive at midnight after getting off of a 9 hour work day (without me even asking) to spend less than 30 hours at Arrowhead before turning around and coming back to Arizona!  I am one lucky girl!

We were both exhausted, but it was worth it!

Cheers to Papa and Nana; words cannot express how very much you will be missed and how truly grateful I am for the time I had with you both.  I love you both.

And to end the post on a not-so-sad note, here’s some pictures of my cousins daughter, my beautiful “niece” Riley who is almost one!!!  I could take pictures of this kiddo all day!

Too cute!  I love this smile!

Cracks me up!

Riley's "oh my gosh!" face.

340 days 'til Cruise Time!!!

It has been almost a month since I’ve posted anything!  In fact, it’s been almost a month since I’ve even read any of the blogs I follow.  This whole school thing is really putting a kink in my blog-life. 

BUT…I’ve officially finished my first class!  And although the professor hasn’t graded my final research paper yet, I’m pretty sure I’ve started my 4^th go at school off to a good start with an A!  Now I’m on to my second class, and I’m dreading it almost as much as I dreaded the Speech class I took…this month is Statistics and Probability.  Wish me luck!

In happier news, Mr. and I have been super busy!  We’ve gone on a couple hikes around the area and we are really starting to enjoy Arizona!  I never thought I would, but the heat is growing on me and it’s been great to be outside by the pool and hiking on the weekends.  Sunshine = happy Shana! 

And don’t worry, I’m rocking the sunscreen and saving my tanning obsession for next year, because…

Mr. and I booked a cruise!!!  Yep, next May for our 5 year anniversary Mr. and I will be going on a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise.  We’ll be stopping in Labadee (Haiti), Falmouth (Jamaica), George Town (Grand Cayman), and Cozumel (Mexico).  Plus, bonus, the cruise is departing out of Florida which means we’ll get to spend some time with the bro-in-law Josh, sis-in-law Colleen, their beautiful little girl Nora, and what will be their brand new handsome baby BOY!!!  I see Disneyworld in our future!!!  Crossing #10 off my list!

Ready to rock the Caribbean!!!

We may be absolutely crazy booking a cruise in the midst of building our first home, relocating to Arizona, and going to school…but savings is overrated and travel is my passion, so I’m planning to ignore all the financial anxiety and just go with it!  Everything has worked itself out so far! 

Any recommendations on things to do at any of our cruise stops?

I hate radio...

Radio stations in Arizona are horrible.  I mean really, if I wanted to go from Foster the People to Flo Rida to Keith Urban I would put on my IPod.  (Which totally has all three of those artists on it by the way, I’m pretty diverse right?) 

I am missing the more organized radio of San Diego.  For example, I knew if I tuned in to 93.3 I would be getting some kind of rap music, or at least a bad remake of a pop song; 105.3 would always give me the rock classics, with a good mix of new rock; 91.1 has the 90’s classics and some of the newer pop hits.  I could tune in to a station and know what kind of music I was going to get. 

NOT in Arizona.

I have reprogrammed my “favorites” stations about 10 times now because I thought it was going to be a great station but then the awesome music I finally found changed to some ridiculous rap song that I’m almost positive was being “sang” in German. 

If anyone is in Arizona and can tell me the method to this radio madness it would be greatly appreciated.  Otherwise I’m back to my good ole standbys on my IPod…or at least rocking the more orderly Pandora on my IPhone.

Thank goodness for Apple!

Arizona Abs

I came to a very important conclusion today…something that would be selfish of me not to share.

Arizona = awesome abs

You see, Mr. has a job…which means he has a daily commute…which means he gets to drive our Prius…which means I’m stuck driving Gary.

Gary in his younger years...Lisbon 2009.  Please note my amazing parking job!

Did I mention that Gary has leather seats?  Great for when you have kids and messes to clean up, but otherwise I don’t see the appeal of this “luxury”. 

And in case you’ve been living under a rock and weren’t aware…Arizona is HOT!

So…when I decide to brave the heat and go out during the day, I’m driving a giant black SUV with leather seats and questionable air conditioning. 

Instead of getting the glamorous look I like to call “Arizona Sweaty-Back”…I choose to recline my seat to the full horizontal position and sit straight up avoiding any contact whatsoever between my back and the leather seats*. 

This is a GREAT abdominal workout!  I’m looking forward to my six-pack that I’m sure is just around the corner…only a few more mid-day drives to go!

*(Yes, I realize that I can get seat covers…and I actually have some.  But apparently Gary has super-heat-absorbent leather which heats straight through the covers…I swear; I could bake cookies on these seats!)

Going Solo

Yesterday I made my first solo trek out to Arizona.  I was a little bit nervous about taking the 6 hour trip by myself, and apparently for good reason.

The road-trip deities were not with me…

I should start by saying this trip was taken in our 1999 Ford Explorer, Gary.  I spent last week getting him up and running, and was pretty confident he would make the trip…which he did.  However, 40 minutes into my drive the “ABS” light came on.  I’m not a car person, so I figured Gary was reminding me I needed to work on my abs.  I mean, summer is coming and all.  Just in case I pulled off to look up the owner’s manual in my phone and apparently the “ABS” light signals that there is some kind of malfunction with the anti-lock brake system and to service the vehicle immediately.  Since I didn’t plan on braking all that much anyhow, (it only slows you down you know) I decided to keep going and work on my abs when I made it to Queen Creek.

The second hurdle was just outside of San Diego.  From just after Viejas Casino to the downgrade past Jacumba there was fog.  LOTS of fog.  As in, can’t-see-two-car-lengths-in-front-of-me, drive-30-miles-per-hour-with-my-hazards-on kind of fog.  It delayed my trip a bit, but not as much as the next guy I saw…

I took this pre-fog because I thought it was pretty...
20 minutes into my slow fog-drive I was over the "pretty"...

Because on the mountains down from Jacumba…right out of the fog…there was a semi truck FACING me!  Yep, he was definitely going the wrong direction.  I would have panicked, but half of his truck was hanging off the cliff so I figured he wasn’t going anywhere.  Don’t worry, he was out of the cab and there were already quite a bit of police on the scene…I wish I would have gotten a picture, or at least stayed long enough to see how they planned to get the truck back on the road and facing the right direction.  I mean, how does that even happen!?

From then on it was pretty rough sailing…the drive was okay but it was WINDY so I was pretty swerve-y.  It also probably didn’t help that I was getting bored and started singing and dancing in the car to pass the time.

Overall an eventful trip and I made it!  And bonus of taking the trip alone is getting to listen to all the music I love that Mr. doesn’t…like Justin Timberlake and Nine Inch Nails!  (Two musicians that totally go together, no?  Don’t judge…)

I should have known it wasn’t a great day for a road trip right from the start…after a great sunny week in California it was raining that morning.  Probably mourning my leaving for good…California and I are pretty close like that.

"Home"
(Eventually the quotations will go away and it will be home...don't rush me!)

Roots

Lately I have been having this overwhelming feeling of complete panic. 

It's ridiculous. 

Our lives are finally starting to come back together since our move from Spain.  Mr. has an awesome job, we're building (with the exception of it being in Arizona) our dream home, I'm signed up, ready, and able to go to school full time and finally finish my degree.  Everything is going great.

Then I realized that we are actually setting down roots somewhere.  In Spain it was temporary...and really every place I've lived up until now has been.  And yes, I know that this too could be temporary.  But it's a longer-term temporary.  We'll have a mortgage, we're starting to think more seriously about kids in the near(er...don't get too excited) future, we'll be buying actual adult furniture for a place we know we'll be in for awhile...

Panic.

My heart literally yearns to be back in Europe.  I desperately miss traveling, and I am just now allowing myself to comprehend that we're at the point in our life where trips will be few and far between.

I get it, we were lucky.  Most people my age haven't been to half the places we've been to.  I don't care.  I WANT that.  I've never been more at home than when I was seeing the world with Mr..  It was hard at first to be away from everything that was comfortable to me...family, friends, California in general.  But as time went on it became more comfortable than any of that ever was.  It's like I was finally doing exactly what I'd always wanted to do, and I was where I should be.

I'm excited for Arizona.  It's a change, it's different, and lots of exciting things are in our future there.  I'm excited to get to see my family and friends more regularly and share (in person) life with them.  I'm just terrified that setting down such permanent roots will never give me that same feeling of contentment I had when traveling.

So...I suppose the best way to deal with this is to plan a trip!  Obviously it'll be a while until we can afford and take the time off to take it, but having that plan will give me some sense of a light at the end of the travel-less tunnel. 

And until then I'll work on appreciating what we had and what we now have...because we truly are lucky to lead such an amazing life.  I have so much to be grateful for.

Anyone else planning an amazing trip in the not-so-distant future?

School...again...

When I sat down and created my 30/30 list, there were a couple things that were more dreams/wishes than things I actually thought I would accomplish.  I know this probably seems pointless to have included them on the list, but you're suppose to push yourself and I figured this was the best way I could at least try to do that.

Recently, the two things I thought were the biggest long shots are coming to reality.  Buying a home and getting my degree.

This last week I enrolled at National University, and I'm giving myself no option to fail.  Mr. was lucky enough to get a great job where we can afford to live off his income alone, so my full-time job will be to get my degree.  The way the classes are set up I'll be able to complete my Bachelor's in Business Management with a concentration in Human Resource Management in 21 months...when I turn 30!

It'll be hard...I've never been big on school...but it will be worth it!  And hey, it will have only taken me 12 years...

Here's to doing everything I can to check off every last item on the 30/30 list!  And here's to this blog...even with just 8 followers I feel like it's keeping my accountable!

Anyone else accomplishing any big goals soon?

I am not an RV-er...

Mr. and I are back in California.  450 miles apart, but still...we're both in California.  Mr. is training for his new job up in Pleasanton for the week, making money so we can afford the new house we bought. I'm down in Escondido packing stuff up, getting our Explorer (Gary to those closest) up and running so he can transport me and our stuff back to Arizona, having a girls day to get foot massages and take a cooking class, and getting my hair done.  Clearly we have equally important tasks for the week.

On the way back to Escondido, I spent the first half of my trip RVing with my parents.  We stopped in Yuma, since you have to go slow in an RV, and spent the night last night.  Basically a dirt lot next to what my mom called "the river" (a small canal). 

This night made me realize that I am not an RV-er.  I'm a fly-er and a hotel-er, or when we save up a bit more cash a spa-er. 

There was a woman who lives in a permanent mobile home across the way from where we parked.  She had a tree in her front yard with a bunch of bird feeders and A LOT of birds...I hate birds.

The birds, obviously not sensing my fear, fled when I tried to take their picture.  There are still some birds in the picture however, and I am dubbing this the "crazy bird lady house".

Another gem in the RV park was this display...which I am still debating the reason for...

These bird statues are either having a party or a face-off...

The one thing I did appreciate about my brief stint as an RV-er is that you've always got your refrigerator with you...so you've always got a cold drink at hand.

Enjoying a beer by the "river"...far away from the crazy bird lady house.

Needless to say I took my parents car this morning and drove myself the remaining 3 hours to Escondido.  Lucky too, since their RV broke down and they are having to wait an extra night in Yuma for a repairman tomorrow. 

I hope they last the night next to the crazy bird lady house...I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet of an empty house!

It's Anniversary Season!

I’m pretty lucky.  Every year, I get TWO anniversaries!  Anniversary #1, which just happens to be today, is the day I trekked up to Orange County with my mom as my witness to sign paperwork to officially become Mrs. Howell.  Anniversary #2, exactly one month later on May 11^th, is the day we had our wedding.  This means TWICE the presents and TWICE the celebrations EVERY year…which is pretty much awesome.

For anniversary #1 last year, we went to Venice…Italy, not the beach;  the year before we went to the Campania region of Italy and toured the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Pompeii; and for our first anniversary #1, we went to the Running of the Bull festival in Arcos de la Frontera, Spain.

Needless to say it’s hard to top living in Europe and being able to afford and have the time to do those things. 

For example, this year there will be no jaunts to Italy.  Instead, we will be showing my parents our new home (the model of it at least), and then heading to dinner at Kona Grill in good ole Gilbert, Arizona!

Kona sounds pretty Hawaiian to me though, so I suppose if I squint real hard and drink a bunch of Mai Tais I may be able to pretend we’re celebrating our four year anniversary #1 in Hawaii.

AND, buying a home is on my 30/30 list…so I’m working towards a pretty huge goal too. 

Happy Four Year Anniversary #1 Mr.!  I’m so lucky to get to celebrate twice…and to be married to my best friend who has always worked so hard to make all my dreams a reality.  (Wow, that sounded cheesey, but it’s totally true!)

Hope you all have a fabulous day!

It's like sharks and crocodiles...but REALLY big!

Yesterday, as I was browsing through the channels on the little cable TV Mr. hooked up for us in our room at Mom & Dad H.’s, I ran across this gem.

There are no words...

Yep, you’re seeing that right.  Mega Shark v Crocosaurus. 

Since our little TV doesn’t have a menu guide, I actually had to imdb this movie to get the title, which led to me finding out there was a prequel!  Mega Shark v Giant Octopus.  Clearly another winner…

It has Jaleel White in it…you know…Steve Urkel from Family Matters?  So I’m glad to see his acting career is still booming. 

I’m sure this must be a cult film thing or something…right? 

So as not to deprive you all from this experience, I’ve done the research for you and here’s a link where you can buy this masterpiece on Amazon.  Only $14.99 plus shipping and handling, what a bargain!

Enjoy!

Hey look, we bought dirt!

Yesterday Mr. and I bought a house!  I know, can you believe it!?  We’re such adults now!

Mr. is such a good sport!  The construction workers were totally watching us!

I guess it would be more accurate to say Mr. and I bought dirt. 

That's OUR dirt!!!

It’s brand new, so it’ll take approximately 5 months to build…mid-late August according to our builder.  We signed what felt like a novel amount of paperwork and got our financing in order, and now we wait. 

Patience…definitely not my strong suit.

We get to break up the long wait next month with an appointment at the design center to pick out all our details…the floors, cabinets, countertops, hardware, etc.  I’m SO excited!!!  So far all we’ve chosen is to add the hobby room to the floor plan (for a home gym of course!), the placement of the ceiling fans, and the exterior colors and roof tiles.

Pretty awesome colors and roof tiles if you ask me...

I cannot wait to move in and get to decorate and furnish our very first non-rental, non-military-issued home! 

If you want to check out the area or the house, click here! 

Yay for being dirt/homeowners!!!

Margarita Man

Yesterday Mr. and I went to the Diamondbacks v Brewers preseason game at Chase Field.  Although I’m not a Diamondbacks fan, I figure as long as they aren’t playing my Padres I can root for them to win…which they did.  (The Padres also won their preseason game…go Padres!) 

We started our night off with a lovely dinner at T.G.I. Fridays Front Row restaurant. 

I pretty much could have just stayed here to watch the game...what an awesome view!

Then we made it to our seats which were REALLY close.

Okay, I suppose I'm glad we eventually left TGIF!

Look, we’re sitting at the game.

I was wearing a blue tank top which is apparently one of the Brewers colors...thanks for the heads up when I was choosing my outfit for the night Mr.!!!

Then something amazing happened.  I spotted this man.

Sorry for the slightly blurry picture...he kept moving, like he was working or something...

Yep, that is a margarita machine strapped to his back.  How awesome is that!?  I’m pretty sure I need one of these instead of a boring old Camelbak. 

Although they won the game, and it was an overall fun evening, this made my night!  Thank you Margarita Man!  And thanks to Mr.’s Aunt Karen for hooking us up with the last minute tickets!!!

"Unshopping"

I have come to the realization that I have what I am dubbing an “unshopping” problem. 

unshopping   [un-shop-ing]

noun

1.       A person who shops, but does not buy

adjective

2.       Pertaining to examining yet NOT buying merchandise

Example: Shana found a really cute Kate Spade lobster purse at Nordstrom Rack, but did not purchase it, making her an unshopper.

Yep, that’s right.  A few weeks ago I found a super cute Kate Spade lobster purse at Nordstrom Rack.  After pining over it for about a minute, I talked myself out of buying it.  Why?  Because two weeks ago we had no jobs and spending money on a lobster purse that would go with about two outfits I own didn’t seem like a very responsible decision.  Now I am regretting this line of reasoning as I decided I should get it, went to Nordstrom Rack here in Arizona today to find it and there was no lobster purse…

Mr. pointed out that I do this a lot.  We shop, I find cute stuff, I talk myself out of buying it, I go home and think about said cute stuff, I decide I DO want it and I SHOULD buy it, I go back to get it and it’s gone, I spend hours (and sometimes days/weeks/months) looking for said cute stuff.  Sometimes I’m lucky and I find it, other times my now obsessive desire for said cute stuff goes unfulfilled. 

So here, online where things go to be forever in the internet ether, I am vowing to stop over thinking my purchases and buy when I see something I want. 

Better to buy and return, than to not buy and perpetually long for…right?

Greetings from Arizona!

After months of applying for what felt like thousands of jobs, Mr. was offered and accepted a position as a Warehouse Supervisor at Safeway in Tempe, AZ.  Needless to say, he vetoed my request for a 6 hour work commute, so we'll be making the move to Arizona.

I'm pretty sad to be leaving my beautiful California.  (Little did you know it is MY California, huh?  I also take claim to many parts of Italy as well.)  I have to say I'm actually pretty excited about the move though...much more so than I thought I would be.  I know it'll be ridiculously hot in the summer, and the beach is quite a drive away...but there are lakes and it's a lot greener here than it used to be! 

It probably helps that Mr. is promising me a house with a pool and my dream kitchen...we've already started looking at NEW model homes and I think I'm a little high on the idea of getting a home built custom, just how I want it!

It'll be a process, and I'll be spending some time in California getting things situated and soaking up all the time I can with friends and family before we move.  Hopefully the home buying will be faster than I'm expecting and we'll have a guest room all set up...because you will all be visiting regularly, right? 

At least I'm closer than Spain, and in the same timezone!  Arizona living is going to be quite the experience for me...so stay tuned on what I'm sure will be some interesting adventures.

Anyone from the Phoenix metro area have any ideas on things to do, places to see, or restaurants to try?  Leave a comment and let me know!

New Shoes

I hate change.  Whether it’s the moving-across-the-ocean kind of change or the my-bronzer-is-discontinued-so-I-need-to-find-a-new-one kind of change, I just don’t like it.  I’m the person that goes to a restaurant and orders the same thing every time; because I know it’s good so why change?  I’ve tried to change this (ha!), and I’ve attempted to be more go-with-the-flow, but just like having patience, change isn’t one of my many amazing talents.

This is why buying new running shoes yesterday was a momentous occasion for me.  I’ve talked about replacing my good ole running shoes for years now.  Yes, years.  I bought these in high school, and since my 10 year reunion is coming up you can see I’ve had quite a long relationship with these shoes.  They are comfortable, they work fine, and they've stuck with me as I slowly but surely became a runner…but Mr. insisted that I get new ones since they are starting to break down a bit… 

Clearly used...but I love them!

After years of trying on many pairs of shoes, (Mr. has obviously mastered patience), I finally settled on a new pair yesterday.  They are pretty…but they are new so I’m skeptical. 

Pretty awesome running-shoe-glamour-shot if you ask me...

I went on my first run with them today and my feet didn’t hurt, so I guess this new relationship is getting off to a good start.  I’m still keeping my old ones though…just in case.

Global Warming, Snow, and Peacocks

So we drove out to Arizona yesterday.  I know, you’re probably thinking I’m losing my mind since my last post was about how Arizona can’t figure out how toproperly use roundabouts.  I swear I have been back in California since then and we just drove out to Arizona, yet again, yesterday.

This drive is getting old, let me tell you.  Six hour road trips on the same stretch of boring freeway every two weeks are getting a bit redundant.  Sometimes we get off and go to a “new” gas station though…like the one we went to this time where I found an amazing metal peacock that rocked back and forth in the wind.    

But this time it wasn’t my remarkable gas station find that made the trip more eventful than usual.  SNOW!  Can you believe it!?  Between Southern California and Arizona there was snow, and lots of it!  From Viejas Casino outside of El Cajon to the little town of Jacumba there was snow…all over the roads and as far as the eye could see.

Although I didn’t get a picture of my precious metal peacock, I DID get 65 pictures of this snow.  Firstly, because it was pretty exciting to see that amount of snow in a generally snow-free area…secondly, because what else am I suppose to do while we drive 45 mph for an hour on a stretch that usually takes us about 20 minutes. 

A view from the Prius!  Not exactly an all weather vehicle...

Look how thick the snow is!

A picture of a road sign...in case someone was thinking of questioning the truth of this post...

I suppose I owe a shout-out to global warming for making this post possible...?

Proper Roundabout Etiquette

This last weekend Mr. and I went to lunch with Mr.’s brother Mark.  We ate at Pei Wei; it was amazing.

But that isn’t why I’m writing.  We encountered a roundabout!  It is VERY exciting for me because whenever we drive through one in the States I remember the good ole days when we lived in Europe and were employed and had a home and drove through them daily.

This roundabout broke all roundabout etiquette however and I was both amused and a little miffed.

In the MIDDLE of the roundabout as we’re driving through it there was a stop sign.  WHAT!?  Isn’t the whole point of a roundabout to have NO stop signs?

Needless to say I ran right through it.  I didn’t even notice it until I had cruised past it…because there shouldn’t have been one there in the first place.

Of course I didn’t think to break out my camera…but if you’re interested in seeing it and you’re in the Gilbert, Arizona area…it’s on E. Civic Center Drive and S. Gilbert Road.

And if you're not planning your next vacation to Gilbert and would like to check out how a roundabout SHOULD work...check out this link*:

*Thank you Wisonsin for showing us how a proper roundabout works.  (Please note, no stop signs!)

Oh Arizona…I have so much to teach you.

I heart television

I am afraid that Mr. and I have become addicted to television.  Or, more accurately, I have become addicted to television.  We currently tape 22 shows every week…TWENTY TWO!  This is including the ones that are currently on the incredibly frustrating hiatus all shows do once or twice a year.

How did I notice this addiction you ask?  Probably has something to do with the fact that two of my shows are no longer able to be DVR’d (Tivo’d for you fancy folk) due to me watching too many shows Monday nights.  I mean really, who puts all the good shows on Monday night?  Spread them out.  I have nothing to tape Friday’s and Saturday’s for example; Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s are a little light too.

I think it’s time we turn off the TV and do something…  I’ll get on that as soon as we’re employed again and have money to do something.  Until then I’ll keep on watching…and hiking in between to feel less sloth-like.

Anyone have any good shows for me to start watching???

Waffle Rant

Mr. loves Belgian waffles.  Since I am such a doting wife and I plan on winning the 2012 Spouse of the Year Award (I hear the prize is mimosas in bed, all you can eat cookies, and a foot massage), I made Mr. Belgian waffles this morning.

I must admit, it has been quite a while since I’ve taken on this task.  We gave away our waffle maker before leaving Spain, and although he got a waffle maker for Christmas from his Secret Santa, I haven’t had the time (or more, the willingness) to make his favorite breakfast. 

But today, I made the waffles.

It’s easy really, and I enjoy them almost as much as Mr.  However, the clean-up is what I absolutely detest.

WHY are waffle makers so hard to clean!?!  I mean honestly, the time I spend cleaning the stupid machine after making waffles makes it almost worth spending $30 to go out to breakfast instead;  or an even better idea, throwing out the waffle maker and buying a new one each time I make them.

No matter how I clean it, it’s still greasy.  I follow the instructions, soap and water only.  I don’t even think about submerging any portion of the machine in water or it will die a horrible death and possibly shock you or set fire to your kitchen…according to the manual. 

I feel like this is an easy fix for the waffle maker making industry.  Have the plates be dish washer safe and *gasp* removable.  I have yet to find this model anywhere.

If anyone has any ideas or has seen the magical waffle maker I suggested above, please let me know!  Until then, all I can do is struggle on.  That award is mine!

Hiking

Today Mr. and I went hiking at Daley Ranch.  This is the second time we’ve gone this week, so I like to think of myself as super outdoors-y now.  I plan on getting a North Face jacket soon to prove my point.

The first time we went was Valentine’s Day.  We aren’t big on celebrating this “holiday”, but we figured we could get our cardio in and throw in a picnic for good measure so off we went.  It was a good day, nice weather, and we hiked about 4 miles on some really pretty scenic trails that went by a couple small lakes.  I had a surprisingly good time, seeing as that I am not a huge fan of middle of nowhere, buggy, dirty places…which made me think that today was going to be a good idea as well.

Don't we look like happy hikers???

Since it was so great last time, we decided to take a longer trail.  A good portion of this trail was quite narrow, rocky, and a little too middle of nowhere for my liking.  Shockingly I didn’t trip or fall…my clumsy side had apparently taken a hiatus for the day…but my panicky side was out in force.  I spent the majority of today looking out for rattlesnakes, worrying what would happen if I saw a rattlesnake, examining what could only be the world’s largest cougar-mountain lion hybrid tracks, and worrying some more that I kept hearing the cougar-mountain lion hybrid in the bushes.  (Mr. said it was wind…I’m pretty sure we were being stalked.)

I also got some pretty gnarly blisters on my heels.  We hiked farther than last time, but I wore the same shoes, so I’m a little annoyed about this. 

All and all we got some good cardio in again though (better than last time since I made Mr. run with me through parts of the trail that I deemed too scary to simply walk through).  Plus, we made it back safe and sound…other than the blisters.

Hope everyone else is having a giant-cougar-mountain lion hybrid free weekend!

Brunch!

Today was an awesome day.  Laura Day, to be exact.  19 days late, but us girls finally got together to celebrate Laura’s birthday!  We had a great time shopping and just hanging out, but even more exciting was the amazing brunch we had.

I’ve never been a brunch person, and unless you count making brunch on our own because Mr. and I slept in too late for an actual breakfast I’m almost positive I haven’t actually ever had brunch before.  The place we ate at today has officially converted me however, and I’m shocked I have never fully appreciated what must be the most important (and forgotten in my case) meal of the day!

We went to 3^rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro in Encinitas.  Obvious potential just from “wine shop” being part of the name.  I had Cap’n’Crunch French Toast (combining not only my love for carb-loaded breakfast brunch food, but CEREAL!) and it was absolutely delicious; a cup of fruit for starters made me feel less piggy for all the carbs.  Plus, there was a side of yummy potatoes that came along with it, which I’ve noticed is never the norm for French toast.  Pancakes come with eggs and hash browns just about everywhere, but apparently French toast doesn’t deserve a side.  Or maybe it’s because it’s French and they have a bad reputation about getting along well with others…?

(Don’t get all offended, other than the people who worked in the metro I enjoyed France and the people there…but come on…it’s a little true.)

However, the meal wasn’t what convinced me that “brunch rocks” should be shouted from the rooftops.  It was what came WITH brunch.

Bottomless mimosas.  BOTTOMLESS!  As in, “I see your glass is empty for the fourth time in a row, would you like a complimentary refill of champagne with a splash of orange juice?” bottomless. 

PERFECTION! 

Cheers to Laura and a late birthday celebration, and cheers to brunch!

Great Boring Intentions

I had great intentions these past few weeks.  After my Pity Party post Mr. and I went on a long weekend trip to Los Angeles to visit my Uncle Bill and Joann.  Although we mostly did the touristy things which weren’t all that blog worthy…we DID go to a tapas place called Three Drunken Goats (which is obviously blog worthy just because of the name!), AND we went to Venice Beach which I’m pretty sure I could write an entire hilarious novel about.

Pretty much sums up the entire Venice Beach trip...and possibly the name for my book?

On our drive home on Sunday the sad inevitable happened however, which stopped my blog-ideas in my tracks.  My Audrey Hepburn-esque Nana passed away.  My entire family was as prepared as possible for this, but it didn’t make it any easier…so getting back Mr. and I spent a few days helping to pack up her apartment and be with family.  I then had my second great intention of writing a blog in memory of my Nana…but no matter what words I put on the page they never seemed right.  So I didn’t post.

Then, a few days ago, Mr. and I went to Disneyland.  My cousin-in-law Bri is participating in the Disney College Program and invited us up for the day to hop the parks with her on her day off.  A fun day, AND we totally saw Coach Beiste from Glee!  (Dot Jones for those of you who live under a rock and have no idea who I’m talking about or what Glee is.)  Mr., however, pointed out that Johnny Depp was supposedly in the park the day before…and since we weren’t there then and didn’t see him it’s really not all that exciting to see a “C list celebrity like Coach Beiste”.  His words, not mine.  Plus, I was too excited seeing someone famous that I forgot the cardinal rule…TAKE A PICTURE…so, pictureless, I didn’t post.

I DID take this gem of a picture...do you like my surprised/excited face?

Then we found out this week about a job fair in Phoenix.  Although I’m not 100% stoked on the idea of moving from (in my opinion) the best state, California, the job finding process has been more difficult than we expected so I suppose Arizona would be the next best thing.  Mostly because Mr. has family there and it’s a quick, cheap flight to San Diego (or a 6 hour drive, which will TOTALLY be worth it when I need a girl’s fix).  PLUS, Mr. agreed that if we moved there we could get a big house so my friends will totally have a place to crash with a big pool so that my friends will actually want to come visit!  So off he went, leaving me a bit bored…so…

I posted it all!  You’re welcome.