tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44459184210497524282024-02-20T01:12:10.352+01:00This Wanderer's AdventureWandering to fulfill my need to grow.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-88278086124574629392012-11-15T02:03:00.000+01:002012-11-15T02:03:38.194+01:00Crafting for a Purpose<span style="font-size: x-small;">I feel like I should be writing a reflection post right now instead of the piece that I am, seeing how it is almost the end of the year and it definitely was a busy year. But I'll leave that for late December. Instead I'll write the post I originally intended to do.</span><br />
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I'd like to introduce my newest project: <span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Crafting for a Purpose</span>. <br />
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I had recently started to look into what I'd like to do with my life and what makes me happy. From there I started thinking about two of my favorite past times: being creative and helping people. And you know how it goes, my mind started wandering, thinking about Pinterest, all the crafts I want to do, reading blogs, and the list goes on. And then something came to my mind: Crafting with purpose, for a purpose, for good, etc.<br />
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And from there my mind started racing with ideas. So here is what my thoughts have boiled down to: every other month (in the future it might be every month) find a different cause to help by creating/crafting. During each time period, I will blog about the organization, what craftable/creatable items they could use, the time frame and then I will post updates on the crafters' efforts.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">So now I'd like to ask you to be a part of this group!</span></strong></div>
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After a little research on the internet I found something easy to start out with: St Anthony's Holiday Knitting Donation Drive (<a href="http://www.stanthonysf.org/">Click here to see more information on St. Anthony's</a>) which asks people to knit or crochet scarves for those less fortunate. The deadline to submit the scarves is December 21st.</div>
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I've listed the details below:</div>
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Here's how:</h3>
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<li>Knit or crochet on your own </li>
<li>Scarves will be given free to guests of St. Anthony's during the holidays.</li>
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Here's what:</h3>
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<li>Size: Our scarves should be 5-7 inches wide and 48-60 inches long.</li>
<li>Yarn: Mid-weight yarns in washable wool or wool/acrylic blends (but please no cotton yarn (its not warm and holds moisture)</li>
<li>Colors: Neutral, classic or bright (but please no white or light colored yarns which soil easily)</li>
<li>Yardage: about 200 - 250 depending on yarn weight</li>
<li>Needle size: U.S. 7-9 depending on yarn weight</li>
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Please let me know if you'd be interested in this project and if so how many scarves you'd like to commit to making. If you're not interested in this project but think that you might be interested in one down the road, please let me know and I'll be sure to include you in my updates. And/or if you know someone that might like to participate, please forward on this post or send me their contact information and I'll send them an email.</div>
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Thanks and I really appreciate your time! Now let's craft with purpose! :)</div>
Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.419415537.6745955 -122.577344 37.875263499999996 -122.261487tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-13760795102533560642012-04-26T12:43:00.002+02:002012-04-26T12:43:49.022+02:00Another year come and gone...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazspSXVnKVwnznNYJnKM6M-S9zYleXDbSO0b14CaCnDBKobc0KFXgsxnvCKKjliCbtdUPBbks3642nGZOGNrxBu8Mr2ANzkQP4UAMOzqB6IPZK8CaIcHZCb8i9EM7xWH5yZVsZVp04kax/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #cfe2f3; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazspSXVnKVwnznNYJnKM6M-S9zYleXDbSO0b14CaCnDBKobc0KFXgsxnvCKKjliCbtdUPBbks3642nGZOGNrxBu8Mr2ANzkQP4UAMOzqB6IPZK8CaIcHZCb8i9EM7xWH5yZVsZVp04kax/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">Birthday cake made by Ilaria and candle provided by Mireia :)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Normally Tuesdays aren't very busy for me (I usually teach about 4.5 hours and since I don't have class on Fridays I don't have to really worry about lesson planning). Today is even slower than normal because one student rescheduled for another day (which was nice because I'm not feeling so hot). Since I'm having a quieter day than normal I'm able to relax in bed, rest my sore throat and reflect and of course catch up on all things that I've been missing out on...like pinterest.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I was wondering the wonderful world of pinterest...I'm truly addicted...I came across a pin from the HuffingtonPost...</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/turning-30-30-things-every-woman-should-have-and-should-know_n_1447368.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Turning 30: 30 Things Every Woman Should Have And Should Know</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I know I'm not yet 30, I'm still 3 years away. But with my recent birthday (thanks to my handful of friends here in Barcelona it was a very nice day), Faustino's 30th birthday fast approaching (which I'm sad to say I'll be missing) and getting married this fall I couldn't help but read the article and think what I should have and should know in the next three years. So reflection here we go...</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">1. One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you’ve come...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Half check - I don't think I can imagine one worth going back to but I can imagine a few that do remind me of how far I've come in life and how happy/lucky I am to have Faustino.</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">2. A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Check - I would have to say the couch that we bought a few years ago.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Hmmm...I think I need to find that perfect outfit for work and also one for the perfect date night. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you’re not ashamed to be seen carrying...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Definitely need to work on this one.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">5. A youth you’re content to move beyond...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Checked over and over, I'm happy to move on from my childhood and teenage years.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">6. A past juicy enough that you’re looking forward to retelling it in your old age...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Double check...enough said.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">7. The realization that you are actually going to have an old age -- and some money set aside to help fund it...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Not quite there yet.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">8. An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account -- all of which nobody has access to but you...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Check.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">9. A résumé that is not even the slightest bit padded...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Check and proud of this one!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">10. One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Check and Check. The friends that I've acquired in the past years and that have stuck around are there for a reason. They are all near and dear to my heart. I feel I'm too old to be acquiring unhealthy friendships.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Halfway there. I do have a toolbox, a staple gun, screwdrivers, hammer, etc.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Check...These 4 months in Spain could be that and also the DSLR I bought a few years back.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">13. The belief that you deserve it...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Check...they were both great purchases (so were all my other trips).</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don’t get better after 30...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Still need to work on this one.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>I think for the most part I can say check on this one. Before my stay in Barcelona I had worked for a great employer for almost 4 years who taught me a great many things. And then of course I have not only a satisfying relationship but someone that I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: normal; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">By 30, you should know ...</strong>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">1. How to fall in love without losing yourself...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>I think I was lucky enough to have learned this one at a young age...Or maybe it was just stubborn enough not to ever want to lose who I was...either way...Check.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">2. How you feel about having kids...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Still undecided...but I still have 3 years.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">3. How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>I think I have this one down. We'll go with check.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">4. When to try harder and when to walk away...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Lost friendships have taught me this one, though I still have some more learning to do...not quite there.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">5. How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn’t like to happen next...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>We'll go with check.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">6. The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmothers, and the best tailor in town...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Check, half check and uncheck...need to find that best tailor in town still.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">7. How to live alone, even if you don’t like to...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>I think the only time I ever truly lived alone without roommates was when I was 19 living at my grandma's house during the summer...otherwise I've lived with roommates and/or Faustino...I'm going to say check anyway.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">8. Where to go -- be it your best friend’s kitchen table or a yoga mat -- when your soul needs soothing...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Check.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">9. That you can’t change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Still working on remembering this one.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">10. That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it’s over...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>I think I can say check for this one. I was ready to move past it the moment I left home for college even though it took a few years to completely understand it.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">11. What you would and wouldn’t do for money or love...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Hmm...I guess I still need to think about this one since I've never thought about it.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">12. That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Slowly but surely learning this one.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">13. Who you can trust, who you can’t, and why you shouldn’t take it personally...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>I think this one is always changing but I still need to work on the taking it personally part.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">14. Not to apologize for something that isn’t your fault...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>Far from knowing this one...still learning.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">15. Why they say life begins at 30...</span><span style="color: purple;"><b>because you stop worrying? Bring on the next 3 years until I turn 30, I'm ready to do a lot of living between now and then.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A lot to think about. Though I feel I have a good handle on the list above I realize there is still a lot of learning and growing that I need to do before I turn 30, lucky thing is I'm aware of it and ready for it. I was originally dreading my birthday, not so much because I was turning 27 but because I missed home but I have some really great friends here in BCN who made it a great day. And now that the day is gone I'm looking to what the next 6 months has in store for me and I'm so excited. Even more so, I'm excited to see what I can accomplish in the next 3 years.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I came to Spain for the first time as a nervous 17 year old, traveling across the Atlantic for the first time without my parents. I returned to Spain an open minded 20 year old ready for the best year of my life to begin. And finally I came back to Spain as 26 year old (now 27) wanting closure (though I don't think I realized that is what I wanted at first), needing to realize and know that it was okay to love this great country but also know that I could move on and remember it as a crazy fun time that I will enjoy retelling in my old age (#6 of should have).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So here's to the next 3 years, to always remaining reflective, and to continuously growing</span></div>
</div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-49176393420979319812012-02-13T14:25:00.000+01:002012-02-13T14:25:00.882+01:00Turning the page on the chapter titled Salamanca<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvOFTf9yQpeZmDHUaHNzf4t5bplHYtxREVEHrkG1smlQZCU5UcGkrmcv2v5PzqvtzAcC1OFHmFLvRKFsOASBJw2u-5kD32XpsNimyPrV2mooDgYQ5mfxbRaFzaP23ngqs-ySkSVk827Ie/s1600/2012-02-10_14-09-36_674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvOFTf9yQpeZmDHUaHNzf4t5bplHYtxREVEHrkG1smlQZCU5UcGkrmcv2v5PzqvtzAcC1OFHmFLvRKFsOASBJw2u-5kD32XpsNimyPrV2mooDgYQ5mfxbRaFzaP23ngqs-ySkSVk827Ie/s320/2012-02-10_14-09-36_674.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza Mayor is still the center of town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was weird being back in Salamanca. 6 years after I left most things were still the same - it looks the same, it feels the same, it probably still smells the same too. Students are still roaming the streets, babies are still being pushed in the hearse looking strollers, fashion is still unique (shorts in winter with tights under them), and they are still serving Mixto con Huevo in the Cafe Tormes (<a href="http://thiswanderersadventure.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-trip-to-salamanca.html">read last post</a>).<br />
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There are a few notable differences, the biggest change is they built a Corte Ingles on the outskirts of town. Other than the Corte Ingles, shops have closed while others have opened up which is the normal life of a town.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDGneBW0JYQSDL5UefbuHuAbLPRF9qG6583QU37u0lYmNxiSNNY0CD18f8zvrjBRvoe2SRWxqA7CbWHUk9o2u2cBJB6El1A6gmAnyZqIciahgvohivisWem_6rkD8bvvvKSRRXwvcHvMQ/s1600/2012-02-11_15-45-45_694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDGneBW0JYQSDL5UefbuHuAbLPRF9qG6583QU37u0lYmNxiSNNY0CD18f8zvrjBRvoe2SRWxqA7CbWHUk9o2u2cBJB6El1A6gmAnyZqIciahgvohivisWem_6rkD8bvvvKSRRXwvcHvMQ/s320/2012-02-11_15-45-45_694.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People still enjoy a beer in the Plaza<br />
on a sunny day despite the cold</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Maybe the biggest change isn't Salamanca, maybe its me. Salamanca feels smaller but I know its not, its still the same size, maybe its even grown (they do have a Corte Ingles now). I'm older and the only thing that still links me to this town is the family I lived with.<br />
<br />
My friends, like I, have moved on with their lives. Salamanca was a time in our lives that we will forever remember, that will forever connect us to one another and for that I'm thankful. And it will always remain a fond memory. Its a bittersweet feeling but truth be told its a blessing. Now instead of yearning for the past I left behind in Salamanca I can know that my time there was an amazing experience that I can now finally move on from.<br />
<br />
Though I plan on keeping in touch with Sheila and Candy - and doing it a little better this time - I can finally turn the page on this chapter of my life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi724h12RSiEu9qWfSf6OjobB39JopCuU338yV0PXdviacD5hwLkk7LEqsqF_7XuVeWfFTuHCMw_u5w49rLbmVtciQwg7VHh8iGUFsrBB6NluA55V1IfDO_8jIG_XObChoPuZpycDd0gY_0/s1600/2012-02-11_17-46-06_715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi724h12RSiEu9qWfSf6OjobB39JopCuU338yV0PXdviacD5hwLkk7LEqsqF_7XuVeWfFTuHCMw_u5w49rLbmVtciQwg7VHh8iGUFsrBB6NluA55V1IfDO_8jIG_XObChoPuZpycDd0gY_0/s320/2012-02-11_17-46-06_715.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the Gran Via</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0Madrid, Spain40.4166909 -3.700345440.2232694 -4.0162024 40.6101124 -3.3844884tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-53404431204198921412012-02-12T14:05:00.000+01:002012-02-12T14:05:50.987+01:00My trip to Salamanca<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFKw2_ClTKgSSCSWTSOspqOOGNX2IM1j_3nJNgfdRUZPzm7Pt_5C4_wpMlLozpaEK98TXw4gsD4ctwU5cYugtNrkjG6X2IRJEWcUCaskdmA77jYupf3ik2hPNztivug_9JOWoG7YAiSBi/s1600/2012-02-10_17-29-38_116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFKw2_ClTKgSSCSWTSOspqOOGNX2IM1j_3nJNgfdRUZPzm7Pt_5C4_wpMlLozpaEK98TXw4gsD4ctwU5cYugtNrkjG6X2IRJEWcUCaskdmA77jYupf3ik2hPNztivug_9JOWoG7YAiSBi/s320/2012-02-10_17-29-38_116.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Cathedral in Salamanca</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I came to Salamanca with few items on my list to do (not in any specific order):<br />
<ol>
<li>See Candy and/or Sheila but preferrably both</li>
<li>Eat a Mixto con Huevo</li>
<li>Eat mousse (chocolate or lemon) at Delicatessen</li>
<li>Eat a Paloma</li>
</ol>
<div>
Seeing <b>Candy</b> proved to be the most difficult task of them all. She was busy almost the whole time I was there which makes sense because I basically just showed up on her doorstep...well kind of. When I arrived in Salamanca I called the phone number I had for her. Still no answer (I'd been calling for more than a week now). So I decided to head to the address I had and buzz her. Again to no effect - a man answered the bell and said I had the wrong address. Finally, I decided I would go to the ISA office and to my delight Rodrigo (my Spanish heartthrob - don't worry Faustino is aware of my crush) was still working there. After shooting the shit with him for the next 10 minutes, he gave me two phone numbers for Candy - one I'd already had and the other her cell phone number. At last, she answered her cell phone. She was surprised that I called and I think happy to hear from me. I spoke with her briefly as she told me she was going to be very busy that day. Then I asked about Sheila and to my delight she was there. I spoke with Sheila briefly and we laughed about her singing Michael Buble's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLNTJd-gziQ">Quando Quando Quando</a> and Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas is you in English throughout the entire 10 months I lived with them. The memories. The next two and a half days I meandered around Salamanca looking for things to do and waiting for her to call. On Friday she said she would try to call me after her dinner so we could have a coffee but she stayed out too late with friends. On Saturday she texted me saying that she had been out of town all day with the kids but that on Sunday afternoon she'd be available. I figured this might happen and this is why I didn't make any plans to get back to Madrid early Sunday. So here I am in a cafe escaping from the cold and wind waiting until its time to go see my host family. And I can't wait!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qji4RZ-NVNwtsbB9aK2MyWeMLiplBUXzE_1fymqi01Hqstdsl82xoI-mfRbtlEfhqV74KcMicdh1DAXclBjgGGUawK9jcktPSSEJepCYd-dWKThyphenhyphenKE07l7wCqY4ZOAShgCy5tB_BCRqn/s1600/2012-02-09_15-50-51_33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6qji4RZ-NVNwtsbB9aK2MyWeMLiplBUXzE_1fymqi01Hqstdsl82xoI-mfRbtlEfhqV74KcMicdh1DAXclBjgGGUawK9jcktPSSEJepCYd-dWKThyphenhyphenKE07l7wCqY4ZOAShgCy5tB_BCRqn/s320/2012-02-09_15-50-51_33.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixto con Huevo with fries<br />(picture taken after I took my first bite and broke the yolk) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As soon as I arrived and settled into Pension Los Angeles, right in the middle of the Plaza Mayor, I went to Cafe Tormes to eat a <b>Mixto con Huevo</b>. It was every bit as good as I remembered it to be. Ham, cheese and a fried egg in between two slices of toast. The top piece of toast has a small circle cut out that way the yolk doesn't break. Pure genius. I savored every last bite of this sandwich that I so fondly remember.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Eating chocolate or lemon or whichever kind of <b>mousse at Delicatessen</b> proved to be impossible seeing as they no longer had it on their menu. To say the least I was truly deeply disappointed. Instead I had a crepe with chocolate sauce and whipped cream and a glass of red wine. "Eh" describes my satisfaction with the crepe. It was less than mediocre. The wine was the only saving grace at that food outing. I left Delicatessen disappointed wishing that this wouldn't be how I ended my last food memory of the restaurant. I guess we've all had our better days.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUn2WUu6F2qJ-80S82rPXzyGtg6QAQ9H4h5JunodVLw0w2tSVnBDgZ5Dw8FwugP4w08oHo8p14qbTQOtdAmCp8KyROTY3ehyphenhyphendi694rELkl7xzLGYFTm3pGsLSMTuSY0IHqNAFKcXLqqonK/s1600/2012-02-10_21-30-17_814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUn2WUu6F2qJ-80S82rPXzyGtg6QAQ9H4h5JunodVLw0w2tSVnBDgZ5Dw8FwugP4w08oHo8p14qbTQOtdAmCp8KyROTY3ehyphenhyphendi694rELkl7xzLGYFTm3pGsLSMTuSY0IHqNAFKcXLqqonK/s320/2012-02-10_21-30-17_814.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paloma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<b>Paloma</b> - Purely heaven on earth. Thats the easiest way to describe my love affair with this food. Paloma is a regional food consisting of the Spanish Ensaladilla Rusa, similar to potato salad but with mayonnaise, in a shell made out of corn but looks more like a chicharon. I ordered a vino tinto with my Paloma and I was in ecstasy. My love of mayonnaise, potatoes, tuna, alongside other items such as carrots, fake crab is combined to make a food so mouth watering its hard to describe. Luckily I took a picture. Even though that doesn't do it justice. After I ate the paloma I had another pincho - potatoes, eggs and bacon. In Spain eggs are not merely a breakfast item - yes they are indeed an every day dinner and lunch item. This second pincho, which I don't know the name of, was very delicious.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSk4FF7-FUc-qD5cRqHGkjiZ40AU8S35wZhpYS0r678hRE4ICamJdz_Gafty6DSfgk6FARGC13ZYP7PoAzTz0TKU0XbgQyKTPWgXqHoHVjfn2JJoebtw8sCOW3undom_1LffN8f-YDO5x7/s1600/2012-02-10_21-45-30_839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSk4FF7-FUc-qD5cRqHGkjiZ40AU8S35wZhpYS0r678hRE4ICamJdz_Gafty6DSfgk6FARGC13ZYP7PoAzTz0TKU0XbgQyKTPWgXqHoHVjfn2JJoebtw8sCOW3undom_1LffN8f-YDO5x7/s320/2012-02-10_21-45-30_839.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd Tapa/Pincho</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
I'm glad that I went to this tapas bar along the Plaza Mayor which is not your typical tourist restaurant because let's face it, not that many tourists come to Salamanca. Salamanca is a town where you live, where you study, where you visit friends, and its notable becuase it has the oldest University in Europe, a beautiful square Plaza Mayor that lights up at night (only other square Plaza Mayor in Spain is in Madrid), during the civil war it was the stronghold town for Franco's regime but in reality it isn't a tourist destination.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMLnnrp-QgdYICGbWXURgLKze7c-7SGfs_AccEcgnVpRZOUDvkAALynXneLQ_qRqBmlu1o9Mf8eGBXhaHgcabn2hqp1P-VELEP9PaXgUsOwzA514cOy__in4trl2kexmWMsBy_j42VHHK/s1600/2012-02-10_23-33-08_626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioMLnnrp-QgdYICGbWXURgLKze7c-7SGfs_AccEcgnVpRZOUDvkAALynXneLQ_qRqBmlu1o9Mf8eGBXhaHgcabn2hqp1P-VELEP9PaXgUsOwzA514cOy__in4trl2kexmWMsBy_j42VHHK/s320/2012-02-10_23-33-08_626.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza Mayor at night</td></tr>
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So for now I'll sit and enjoy a tea, people watch and wait to go see Candy after she gets off work.</div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0Salamanca, Spain40.9649681 -5.663025340.9170076 -5.7419893 41.0129286 -5.5840613tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-46128147074986726542012-02-10T16:12:00.000+01:002012-02-10T16:12:51.175+01:00This wanderer is on the move again<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HUbXVDpzrx8Rd8eAVmjD6-8iZgsXDKtrv26UKJ6yP2QV_NosC_3lY-KNleH3918in3aTlNic_fNY148PPMvoemVzorxNfTaJu71vgvRCKl2mmYpo-q58TD7QImldGVN9zi4250IbFnvi/s1600/2012-02-08_02-31-39_957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HUbXVDpzrx8Rd8eAVmjD6-8iZgsXDKtrv26UKJ6yP2QV_NosC_3lY-KNleH3918in3aTlNic_fNY148PPMvoemVzorxNfTaJu71vgvRCKl2mmYpo-q58TD7QImldGVN9zi4250IbFnvi/s320/2012-02-08_02-31-39_957.jpg" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom art</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttdLbMRa0EccNcqdLT_qUsXVzuwbUV-cUmoAnmFiZBIi8rbwXziuVzCC2MxtqxLInsSKXHOzHaIRVk7xOHqp9sR4NubLObth8BIdXGCaIe2kX1gFn5psqaQQ9xTi4tXq3rkFo9gsbDpZN/s1600/2012-02-08_03-15-51_619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttdLbMRa0EccNcqdLT_qUsXVzuwbUV-cUmoAnmFiZBIi8rbwXziuVzCC2MxtqxLInsSKXHOzHaIRVk7xOHqp9sR4NubLObth8BIdXGCaIe2kX1gFn5psqaQQ9xTi4tXq3rkFo9gsbDpZN/s1600/2012-02-08_03-15-51_619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
Starting in Madrid was the right thing to do. Monday and Tuesday I participated in the hostel hosted events - which made me realize I could do a better tapas tour than the owner of the company but that's a separate subject. The reason I say that Madrid was the perfect starting point is because of the people I met while there. I'm slowly starting to come to the realization that you really do meet people for a reason...On Tuesday morning, during an unofficial tour of Madrid, Amanda, Laurel, Kelsey (New York) and Lauren (Los Angeles) entered my world. That same night Lauren and I went on the tapas tour before meeting up with Amanda, Laurel and Kelsey for the pub crawl.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttdLbMRa0EccNcqdLT_qUsXVzuwbUV-cUmoAnmFiZBIi8rbwXziuVzCC2MxtqxLInsSKXHOzHaIRVk7xOHqp9sR4NubLObth8BIdXGCaIe2kX1gFn5psqaQQ9xTi4tXq3rkFo9gsbDpZN/s320/2012-02-08_03-15-51_619.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelsey, Amanda and I</td></tr>
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After spending most of Wednesday recuperating from getting back to the hostel at 6:00A from the pub crawl., Lauren and I were invited to join the New Yorkers for their big dinner out - every city they go to they have one nice dinner at a nice restaurant to celebrate their vacation. A concept so simple yet completely amazing, and being the penny pincher I typically am I would never have thought of it. It was nice to be able to share that with them. Now, it's something I'd love to incorporate in my travels.</div>
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Dinner at <a href="http://www.lagabinoteca.com/">La Gabinoteca</a>, which I'm told was featured on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, was fantastic. The restaurant has an eclectic atmosphere with one seat in particular looking like a chair lift, a rooster as their symbol, and teddy bears as their restroom signage. We arrived around 9:30P and were seated in less than 5 minutes even though it appeared busy. Kelsey had looked into the restaurant so we steered clear of the items she said had bad reviews and ordered the wine that she suggested - we were not disappointed. We ordered 4 starters, 4 first plates, 4 heavier plates, 2 bottles of wine, 1 bottle of champagne and two desserts to split between the 5 of us. Everything was absolutely amazing - all the local tapas with a sofisticated twist.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWHflj_rRZaQm5dwqcrAf5AKsjOI3MR4hDMUpHh7LZ7G7qr5MNspe3BTvgrBdoOTbuMyjBAxCJwzdlw88v7EW9xTlAR3G4sUXFa79YKHWKvp8PjjjDKHqvMv9nsTigWgleNrWQ4Qv84JL/s1600/2012-02-08_23-30-36_462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWHflj_rRZaQm5dwqcrAf5AKsjOI3MR4hDMUpHh7LZ7G7qr5MNspe3BTvgrBdoOTbuMyjBAxCJwzdlw88v7EW9xTlAR3G4sUXFa79YKHWKvp8PjjjDKHqvMv9nsTigWgleNrWQ4Qv84JL/s320/2012-02-08_23-30-36_462.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To travel, friends met, strong women <br />and finding yourself</td></tr>
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To end the dinner, mind you it was almost midnight, we ordered a bottle of cava and two desserts. Amanda (I think) suggested that we each say one item to cheers to and they all needed to be different. I don't remember each one but they included:</div>
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<ul>
<li>to meeting great people in the hostels</li>
<li>to eating great food</li>
<li>to being strong, confident, educated women who love to travel</li>
<li>to finding one's self through travel and adventure</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYZO_A4arGQIfKldUCgGeG9H987Eg3AUbOHNn6MvnKxhVMhVvPVfukvAh3NCPKGYjizHbpPyI_UZB6sRXpkxBo2lzJiMUBmL76vUUa_JGZhG83vlAXOKrq7smZAkdww09Mv2WAZsxDdUv/s1600/2012-02-08_23-51-45_551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYZO_A4arGQIfKldUCgGeG9H987Eg3AUbOHNn6MvnKxhVMhVvPVfukvAh3NCPKGYjizHbpPyI_UZB6sRXpkxBo2lzJiMUBmL76vUUa_JGZhG83vlAXOKrq7smZAkdww09Mv2WAZsxDdUv/s320/2012-02-08_23-51-45_551.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurel and the check in a box</td></tr>
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These sentiments described that dinner and evening perfectly. We received the check in a cute box and realized our dinner was much cheaper than we all thought it would be. Around 12:15, after paying 26 euros each we finally left the restaurant to head back the area where we were staying.</div>
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We arrived back in our side of town to have a drink at a jazz club but unfortunately we came in as the last song was playing. Laurel and Lauren decided to head back to the hostel while Kelsey, Amanda and I decided to go for a night cap at an Irish pub a few blocks away. Finally after being pushed out of the bar because it was closing we went back to the hostel. We said our goodbyes and hugged for this was the last time I'd see these amazing ladies this trip. They were off to Toledo and me, I was off to my old stomping grounds...Salamanca to look for my old host mom and host sister.<br />
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So here I am in Salamanca. I spoke with Candy (my host mom) yesterday and we're going to meet for coffee (tea in my case) and catch up. I can't wait.<br />
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Yes, Madrid was indeed the right place to start.</div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0Salamanca, Spain40.9649681 -5.663025340.9172666 -5.7416463 41.0126696 -5.5844043tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-30040546344862719692012-02-06T03:00:00.000+01:002012-02-06T16:52:03.765+01:00The reason I'll come homeI've been here before. It's the same but it's completely different.<div>
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Last time I was 20 and going to live in a country I'd only briefly explored. Now I'm almost 27 and am revisiting a country I fell in love with 10 years ago.</div>
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Last time I was a child trying to be an adult. This time I'm an adult - full fledged, the kind that pays their bills, has had a full time job, all that fun stuff that is hard but so fulfilling all the same.</div>
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Last time I met a guy right before I left that I couldn't get enough of and this time I'm leaving that same guy who I've been living with for 5 years...last time we just started seeing each other and this time we're engaged...last time I was sad, this time I'm a complete mess.</div>
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Last time I was naive and I had a parachute to fall back on. This time, I've quit my job and am living on my savings.<br /><br />
I could go on and on. I'm nervous, I'm sad, I'm emotional. But in the end I know this is the right thing for me. I know I need to do this, I need to try to live on my own in this country I've loved so much for the past 10 years. And I know only good things will come out of it. I will miss Faustino, my family and my friends like crazy but I'm lucky to know that they support me. They have my back. And besides, this time I'll only be gone for 4 months, a third of a year. It will fly by and before you or I know it, I will be boarding my flight back home.<br />
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In the end, I just hope he knows he's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mCLoQnolBt4">the reason I'll come home</a>.</div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-72165265930232556832012-01-23T08:23:00.000+01:002012-01-23T08:23:48.450+01:00Dancing in the Sun Room...<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dancing in the sun room. That's what we did.</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the past 8 months, my parents, Faustino and I have been diligently working on fixing up my grandma's ranch which includes her house that's been vacant for years. My grandma was a pack rat and after she passed her children sorted through a lot of her possessions but there was still a lot of stuff (I'd like to think of a better word to explain what it all is but stuff just seems to encompass it - there are treasures, junk, and family memories all rolled together). So month after month, the four of us (and sometimes my brother or a family friend) would work at the ranch - my dad outside working/playing on his tractor and my mom, Faustino and I inside the house. We would go from room to room to room sorting, cleaning, painting. And what do you know, because of all the hard work we put in we were able to have our first family Christmas at that ranch in almost 10 years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The first weekend of January we were at it again and this time we had little helpers - my niece and nephew. While my nephew was helping the property's "caretaker" my parents, my niece, Faustino and I were working in the house. Now mind you, we would have liked to have been outside, but it was not possible - 20 mph winds made it unbearable. This gave us the opportunity to finally do some decorating throughout the house and to finally get around to cleaning the quaint sun room which my grandmother had added on to her bedroom during my early childhood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">With music blasting, we were busy cleaning and rearranging the sun room. I'm not sure what inspired me - maybe it was my grandmother's spirit that my mom said she could feel, maybe it was my loopiness that I felt after working so many hours getting the house back to the way I remembered it, or maybe it was just because I was so happy. One thing is for sure - I was feeling the music and just had to dance. It started off with me doing the dance from the Breakfast Club when Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez and the other guy are dancing on the railing and it quickly turned into 3 generations dancing to Donna Summers. My niece was the first to join me, while my mother watched from the ladder. But soon enough my mom climbed down and joined us. We danced a mixture of moves for the next five minutes, laughing, singing and just enjoying the moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I can't remember the last time I had that much fun dancing - I just felt so alive and seeing my mom look so happy (and my niece having such a good time) brought a warmth to my heart. I have to agree with my mom, my grandma's spirit was definitely alive in the room that day and it felt great to have her there.</span></div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-53202630343055206532012-01-10T22:19:00.000+01:002012-01-10T22:19:38.695+01:00Another year gone and another has begun...Enjoy!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another year gone and another has begun. In the blogs I follow the common theme is planning for the year including resolutions and/or goals. Since we rang in 2012 (which was only 9 days ago) I've tried to think about what my resolution/goal would be. Last year I knew what my resolution would be before the clock struck midnight. This year it was harder - so many changes happening in the next 12 months that I didn't know if anything could ring true for the entire year. But I thought and I thought, and surprisingly around day 3 of the new year I had my plan/resolution/word...and I have to thank Faustino for inspiring it.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On the 1st we were eating dinner and Faustino told me his resolution was "to not waste a single day" - it's easy for him to do when he sometimes works 12-13 hours in a day and then sleeps for 8 hours. A day or two after our conversation, I realized "wow, thats a great resolution" and decided I could use that as a base for mine...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Enjoy</b>. Thats it. My resolution is to enjoy 2012. Sometimes I get so preoccupied by work, I get so wrapped up in life that I don't enjoy my life. Essentially I don't stop to smell the roses and its a shame since I come from a family of green thumbs. ;)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This year will bring a lot of change, it will bring a lot of fun, but it has the potential for bringing a lot of stress and anxiety (which can cause me to have anxiety attacks which isn't healthy for 26). I vow to enjoy this year. I will enjoy my months in Spain and not stress about "what if" my plans at home are on schedule, I will enjoy our family vacation with 20 or so people, I will enjoy the planning that will be happening in 4 months between my return from Spain and my wedding in October, I will absolutely enjoy my wedding (no brainer) and everything that comes after.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So here is to your resolution and to mine. Happy 2012!</span></div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.419415537.6745235 -122.577344 37.8753355 -122.261487tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-49010705952125087692011-08-05T08:21:00.000+02:002011-08-05T08:21:30.882+02:00Day 4 - I fell in love at the Britex<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uuQPBiaRcfk/TjuLBJ-jzKI/AAAAAAAAD_o/wPeqwFroyMg/s1600/IMG00468-20110804-1232+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uuQPBiaRcfk/TjuLBJ-jzKI/AAAAAAAAD_o/wPeqwFroyMg/s400/IMG00468-20110804-1232+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I fell in love with 4 full floors of different fabrics...now these weren't what WOW'd me but I love fabric in general. :D</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-11475003942036228292011-08-04T06:36:00.000+02:002011-08-04T06:36:37.726+02:00Day 3 - The Hustle and Bustle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5lhluzYDTT0/TjohP8iPMSI/AAAAAAAAD_c/zBAZKMhplFA/s1600/IMG00464-20110803-1758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5lhluzYDTT0/TjohP8iPMSI/AAAAAAAAD_c/zBAZKMhplFA/s640/IMG00464-20110803-1758.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>Public transportation. Bart. The every day hustle and bustle. You'd hope with all the money you spend and increases in fare that they would keep the place a little nicer. Just a hope...Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-15754096672267161832011-08-03T07:16:00.000+02:002011-08-03T07:16:26.064+02:00Day 2 - You Gotta Do This!!!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48wGnIKzBuHEyTu0bUz5TZzfa4rq5R8DZ7L4w_Rxm99OqLvzhl1WIJOHcHP1cki9S7DJpp7QXp792KRXqbGPoO-qhAt9vr62RQmnLCg_Zwojxig1LEcZvmD8y4_Q3eLFgfiUeMhFbDQ7L/s1600/IMG00457-20110802-1235.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48wGnIKzBuHEyTu0bUz5TZzfa4rq5R8DZ7L4w_Rxm99OqLvzhl1WIJOHcHP1cki9S7DJpp7QXp792KRXqbGPoO-qhAt9vr62RQmnLCg_Zwojxig1LEcZvmD8y4_Q3eLFgfiUeMhFbDQ7L/s1600/IMG00457-20110802-1235.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sign to let the people know they need to spend $29 to zip line above Justin Herman Plaza. Last year it was free thus the long lines at all hours of the day - this year not so free and of course no lines. ; )</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: NONE;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NPU_mpeKlgU/TjjXhYby2OI/AAAAAAAAD_I/bTZYC97-Qfw/s1600/IMG00458-20110802-1235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NPU_mpeKlgU/TjjXhYby2OI/AAAAAAAAD_I/bTZYC97-Qfw/s400/IMG00458-20110802-1235.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Zip Liners - Wish my phone had a better focus feature</div></div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0Justin Herman Plaza, 1 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA37.7948985 -122.394593837.793856500000004 -122.3958858 37.7959405 -122.39330179999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-59827802862902650632011-08-02T01:57:00.000+02:002011-08-02T01:57:07.604+02:00Window Washer at the Building next to me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwEwwPuXNYzFKhyphenhyphen8Vs8V9VCRIda61TjwAMyapS2SgNG4TEB_qL6tG9FoWuISiNEWgy7q4_q-ywUWmDkXIMlbCcS98Z7Jux3bkMIGuc6ta2CR64d4L80ANUFkPj4QYmsV7Wfvl5lIMcSab/s1600/IMG00449-20110801-0909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwEwwPuXNYzFKhyphenhyphen8Vs8V9VCRIda61TjwAMyapS2SgNG4TEB_qL6tG9FoWuISiNEWgy7q4_q-ywUWmDkXIMlbCcS98Z7Jux3bkMIGuc6ta2CR64d4L80ANUFkPj4QYmsV7Wfvl5lIMcSab/s640/IMG00449-20110801-0909.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Oh the joys of working in a high-rise Building in San Francisco - seeing people crazy enough to work in a window washing rig 20 flights above ground.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-60887218884269650692011-04-15T04:17:00.000+02:002011-04-15T04:17:26.949+02:00Another project complete!Yay!!! It has been about 3 weeks since my last blog and since I started the tablecloth. Now it wasn't a hard project, but as you know life can get in the way, so a project that should only take me a couple days at most, took a little longer than expected.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu_lBdAb8CpNoLJrg3hkH9Bao-xTIRn3mYiVx8IS2XL6CmLLB75GBfN-aJ7CbPRLRmNGjfVqVg2M6QJNhsOYtYYPtD0xjjw9qTsI1k5eQue-YJCM55oSq3v2FAwhJps-L-LAzI1gm_p38/s1600/IMG00292-20110410-1801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu_lBdAb8CpNoLJrg3hkH9Bao-xTIRn3mYiVx8IS2XL6CmLLB75GBfN-aJ7CbPRLRmNGjfVqVg2M6QJNhsOYtYYPtD0xjjw9qTsI1k5eQue-YJCM55oSq3v2FAwhJps-L-LAzI1gm_p38/s320/IMG00292-20110410-1801.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French fabric with beautiful colors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Like I previously mentioned, I found the beautiful fabric at my grandma's house. I think she <strong>must</strong> have purchased it on one of her four trips to France. The fabric has a variety of vibrant yellows, blues and greens. Since its a lightweight fabric you can pretty much see through it. To add a little thickness and to make it look "finished" I added another layer of fabric to the back. The bottom fabric is again something that I found at my grandma's place (I have vowed not to buy any fabric for a while - I've decided that I would use as much as I can from my grandma's stash and that should last me a while). Its a light blue fabric that matches one of the colors on the French cloth.<br />
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I also found a ton of great binding at my grandma's place, but unfortunately the one's I brought home with me wouldn't work. They just weren't the right color and I also wouldn't have had enough to finish the project. So last week I bought a pack of yet another blue binding from Beverly's Fabrics and Crafts in Alameda. I brought it home and what do I realize as I'm starting to pin it to my tablecloth?? Its not long enough!!! Ah, I guess I should have measured the tablecloth before I left - but I wasn't thinking.<br />
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Finally, on Sunday I made my way back to Alameda and bought another package of binding. And while Faustino was out with his brother, I put the finishing touches on my first - <strong>yes that's right first </strong>- tablecloth. <br />
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And three weeks after I started (okay maybe four now), I finished another project. Now, I might not be going as fast as I would like to go, but I'm chugging along and I'm happy with the results. And now I'm getting prepared to start my next sewing project. This will be a little more difficult so it might take me a little while longer to blog about it. In the meantime, I still work on taking photos and maybe even making a journal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAK_XWpME0ShHYE9gcyl-CsMvKSv0jgVGr29zGb7Is4gsdqhu8glfrXDqE9UJ-A2OxZJ6pVfNREbkPhN-au2XYGbCpYXeiEqPDhkBkvjL51rgl1Y4ZnoP6tNnDxpstF2RRXxJG0tTL4I3/s1600/IMG00293-20110410-1803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAK_XWpME0ShHYE9gcyl-CsMvKSv0jgVGr29zGb7Is4gsdqhu8glfrXDqE9UJ-A2OxZJ6pVfNREbkPhN-au2XYGbCpYXeiEqPDhkBkvjL51rgl1Y4ZnoP6tNnDxpstF2RRXxJG0tTL4I3/s320/IMG00293-20110410-1803.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time binding! And it doesn't look too bad. :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As always, stay tuned...Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-26875859764276618362011-03-24T18:32:00.000+01:002011-03-24T18:32:47.967+01:00Starting where she left off...My grandmother, well she was... a great seamstress. She had a ton of energy and she was the most creative person I knew. She was always busy sewing, cooking, baking, sketching, painting, traveling, tending to her garden or working with one of us on any one of the projects above. I spent a lot of time with her until her death in 2004. So its no wonder she rubbed off on me in some way or another. <br />
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I realize I'm not a great seamstress, actually I'm really just a beginner (though I've sewn a bit here and there). Around 2000-2001 my grandmother gave me her sewing machine but I wasn't ready to do anything on my own...or even take it home with me. At that time in my life I was too preoccupied with sports and hanging out with friends. But last summer I finally brought the 1970s Singer to my apartment. And slowly, I've been using it for my projects. Anyhow, I feel with practice, dedication and concentration that maybe, just maybe, one day I could be a good one. <br />
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As I've mentioned in a previous post, my grandma started many projects that she never finished (another thing that rubbed off on me). And now 7 years after her passing, my mom and I are finding these unfinished projects as we clean out and organize her craft room. One such project that I found was some gorgeous fabric (purchased on one of her trips to France) that she was turning into a tablecloth. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE78Yz83SCRcS1r4RElbz5CO94Oegbm2OwVNQFjmG-aufkwW1JrlZOAOJ9Q7SIdzfuF5DShbOjXTFD2_1G3EzXd0wS89R5g5bTDKiJ-BvGCL79MRzBusPFivTNIf3naP8I1LoOdaNg0QQZ/s1600/IMG00279-20110323-2037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE78Yz83SCRcS1r4RElbz5CO94Oegbm2OwVNQFjmG-aufkwW1JrlZOAOJ9Q7SIdzfuF5DShbOjXTFD2_1G3EzXd0wS89R5g5bTDKiJ-BvGCL79MRzBusPFivTNIf3naP8I1LoOdaNg0QQZ/s320/IMG00279-20110323-2037.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful fabric that someday soon will cover my table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It looks like she sewed a few pieces together to make it long and wide enough to fit a small table (which is perfect because it should fit mine). Now, all I have to do is finish it - which I hope to do in the next week. I know it won't be as fancy as hers would have been if she finished it, but I know it will make her proud. And I know she'll be happy to know I'm starting where she left off...Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-77272404472609116342011-03-08T22:28:00.000+01:002011-03-08T22:28:20.696+01:00Cupcakes are everywhere...I love community education and Chabot College offers a variety of great classes. On Saturday, Faustino and I had the opportunity to take Cupcake Decorating I. When I say, opportunity, I mean I wanted to take the class and I convinced Faustino into taking the class with me.<br />
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In order to prepare for Saturday's class as we had to take 12 cupcakes each, thus <strong>I</strong> made 24 lemon cupcakes on Friday night. I finally took the last 6 out of the oven around 11:15 and went to bed. Saturday came, after my short run and a shower, we were on our way to Hayward. We arrived just on time, signed in and gave our $20 each for materials.<br />
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During the class, which was only 2 hours long, we learned how to do simple decorations on cupcakes. And if I do say so myself, I thought mine turned out pretty good.<br />
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2 hours, $59/per person, 12 plain lemon cupcakes, materials bag, frosting and accessories and the following is what you get:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first set of 3 cupcakes decorated were summer themed: a watermelon, a summer sun and a sunflower. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7de2bUKWQvLNheGfXhhPynIOtJCGbVNru4DqI9ssQ4qekkwQXY4r7TgvOI9XTKU9zhlSoQuGBi-zbGq0FozsHbRNSQn2J5inadk4GhZqLjVci-yofYTwzyIdlcVj4h7vg-jlHH7VjTic/s1600/IMG00263-20110305-1048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7de2bUKWQvLNheGfXhhPynIOtJCGbVNru4DqI9ssQ4qekkwQXY4r7TgvOI9XTKU9zhlSoQuGBi-zbGq0FozsHbRNSQn2J5inadk4GhZqLjVci-yofYTwzyIdlcVj4h7vg-jlHH7VjTic/s400/IMG00263-20110305-1048.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watermelon, Sun & Sunflower</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next set of 3 were Spring cupcakes and consisted of an Easter Bunny, an Easter basket and a flower. </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_nAftfdyk1QTRldsZOr9ZdwYwRWheYTUzV8_KjqMie-76lqS_UE_00fA7vwEyVhqXmdaVr9CoxCHFkgLDmeh1ffgj12IKPT-OpajVfbVNQfCYjyfuMn2qlAnsPlN4g_e1BV1GRY-AtZi/s1600/IMG00264-20110305-1115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_nAftfdyk1QTRldsZOr9ZdwYwRWheYTUzV8_KjqMie-76lqS_UE_00fA7vwEyVhqXmdaVr9CoxCHFkgLDmeh1ffgj12IKPT-OpajVfbVNQfCYjyfuMn2qlAnsPlN4g_e1BV1GRY-AtZi/s400/IMG00264-20110305-1115.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter Bunny, Easter basket & Flower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The third set of 3 were the "Novelty" cupcakes: Graduation, Pinwheel & a Puppy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroCm3C05FFHha4Q9V6D3qS0_CRTjp7PDgLLWrLxZgzle8clJF9Q2NbCrAKhxAqA11yP9INC3Ydtfq4bFmn9SQISzlcah9c2BykwQXuzu5lLypy5w2worX6IxSSOK3tjO2ykiFCnBxhpdm/s400/IMG00267-20110305-1143.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graduation Cap</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N-usdSHBT4twNq7oDcaGUt36T_8ifWdoa2aEASRZHy6S5YpBkeefueE4WVPB8F1j3xg1h0k2OzlSTzwmRWbzMlksmvLhRz2DeFOC-lVDS8Q_2bSZ-2fo8BHeAozqhow1xZhHov8mgY7e/s1600/IMG00268-20110305-1143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5N-usdSHBT4twNq7oDcaGUt36T_8ifWdoa2aEASRZHy6S5YpBkeefueE4WVPB8F1j3xg1h0k2OzlSTzwmRWbzMlksmvLhRz2DeFOC-lVDS8Q_2bSZ-2fo8BHeAozqhow1xZhHov8mgY7e/s400/IMG00268-20110305-1143.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinwheel & Puppy</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">And for the final set of 3 we used fondant to make flowery decorated cupcakes. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0UOYb-Eg-uYbNTzhnLwvlQjLo28XJqDIyKMiYhX7jU85x9QfIVo2qdFe7eJZlsx_lKTwCyLX6zLuI8dnajZJTRjiYwk8zzxCRwNpPktUqWG77UUb_kCatVdrHf0o1PJDliBgXMf4kZza/s1600/IMG00269-20110305-1212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG0UOYb-Eg-uYbNTzhnLwvlQjLo28XJqDIyKMiYhX7jU85x9QfIVo2qdFe7eJZlsx_lKTwCyLX6zLuI8dnajZJTRjiYwk8zzxCRwNpPktUqWG77UUb_kCatVdrHf0o1PJDliBgXMf4kZza/s400/IMG00269-20110305-1212.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink fondant used to decorate</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I have to say the 2 hours was well spent. The cupcakes were yummy and pretty. I learned a few decorating tricks. Hey who knows maybe I'll start my own decorating business (probably not, they didn't come out that great, ha!). I will be decorating again though...and as always stay tuned for more.</div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-86883664841545084992011-03-01T06:24:00.000+01:002011-03-01T06:24:26.187+01:00Year of the Rabbit......the bunny rabbit that is.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsk8TRFekotth7cNFDWacrGRstfgfARHfvWunxXe2tkJ-jEpwIvIfIvQTUh7hyaMdn1PRkBNWfxLbF2zXmExFeONk0kc8A5dW3t3HoTMGO7inUbagAboGYSBFBd5iANbCgjd3lC4E11zO/s1600/IMG00246-20110222-1949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEsk8TRFekotth7cNFDWacrGRstfgfARHfvWunxXe2tkJ-jEpwIvIfIvQTUh7hyaMdn1PRkBNWfxLbF2zXmExFeONk0kc8A5dW3t3HoTMGO7inUbagAboGYSBFBd5iANbCgjd3lC4E11zO/s320/IMG00246-20110222-1949.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunny #1 right after I completed her</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As I mentioned earlier in the month, I had goals for February. Unfortunately moving to Jack London (by the way...its only been two weeks since we moved and I absolutely love it here, but that's another blog post) got in the way of many of those goals. But goals are merely intentions, they aren't meant to tie you down. They are there to guide. Thus, I'm not sad I didn't finish everything I planned. Because though we plan, life tends to get in the way. ;) March will hopefully bring the completion of the February goals...<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">But enough about that, on to the bunny rabbit. Last Tuesday the stuffing for my bunny rabbits was delivered to my office. Since one rabbit still needs to be sewed together, only one rabbit was ready to be stuffed and so as soon as I got home, I sat on the futon and ripped open the stuffing. I was so excited it finally arrived! For the next 1.5 hours I stuffed and I stuffed and then I mended and sewed. And finally around 9:00PM I finished making my first stuffed animal ever! Though its not perfect, well actually at first I thought it was pretty ugly, its another completed project and something my niece will hopefully enjoy. Right now it has some thread tied around its neck and I'm still trying to decide whether or not to actually put ribbon instead. For now, I'll enjoy it just the way it is.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYxVjtG5Tiwxm8o_DEr3qUSvgzudu-c6oBpcxcofNWijMwSXJ4cQF2kLo0Ph9js82JcXw9xRMvAzMHYrInOJWr6t4a9wsFtZB98JGZEwm2CwacaAKVU7bjBfTIqCz22ol1r2kRLaOlTJI/s1600/IMG00253-20110225-0719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYxVjtG5Tiwxm8o_DEr3qUSvgzudu-c6oBpcxcofNWijMwSXJ4cQF2kLo0Ph9js82JcXw9xRMvAzMHYrInOJWr6t4a9wsFtZB98JGZEwm2CwacaAKVU7bjBfTIqCz22ol1r2kRLaOlTJI/s320/IMG00253-20110225-0719.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bunny #1 with her scarf visiting the Tour Eiffel in the background. ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And tomorrow...I'll work on finishing the second bunny. My nephew's bunny has been cut and its just patiently awaiting my return... Now that I have a clue ;) and more of an idea of what I'm supposed to do, I plan to insert the eyes, sew it together and get it to the stuffing point. If all goes well (and I buy more stuffing) the second rabbit will be completed by Friday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but at the same time won't fret over it.</div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-2917247630194667272011-02-22T01:50:00.000+01:002011-02-22T01:50:40.650+01:00A weekend with the kids...I can't believe its been almost 2 weeks since I last posted. But fear not, for I am back. The last 2 weeks were filled with packing, moving and then unpacking. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Faustino and I decided to take our little family of 3 (that's right I consider Faustino, our cat Bootsie and I to be a family ;D) to Oakland. After a strenuous move, and the past week of putting our things away, the place is finally starting to look like someone actually lives in it. I'll post pictures when its done. :)<br />
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But now back to the weekend with the kids. My brother had a couple tai chi performances this weekend, so we watched my niece and nephew for a couple hours on Saturday and Sunday. Instead of watching movies and/or playing the Wii, I wanted us to do something creative. And that's exactly what we did. Saturday we completed an arts & crafts project and on Sunday we baked.<br />
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<strong>Saturday</strong><br />
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On Saturday before the kids were dropped of we headed to Michael's to pick up a few items for the <a href="http://www.michaels.com/Handy-Wardrobe-Planner/kn0601,default,pd.html?start=11&cgid=projects-kidsteachers-athome-everyday">Handy Wardrobe Planner</a> craft that I found on their website a couple days earlier. Instead of purchasing everything on the materials list I decided to improvise. I had paint at home so all I decided that all I needed was cardboard paper, foam paint brushes, stickers and clothespins. After eating lunch at the Buttercup Grill, we cleaned off the table, laid down newspaper and the craft time began. We were on a mission to create a wardrobe planner for each weekday. <br />
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I cut each cardboard paper in half (perfect, 5 pieces of paper divided by 2 and I got 10 sheets...enough for the weekdays) and gave each child one of each color. We painted their hands whichever colors they wanted and pressed them onto the paper.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEily2eZKAL8HdL2me-D9TEZd_yG-zKKqQJY-aYR6mIGFksJtsDKw12Y3s_5XnA3w2KwfCPOU_E-HQaSp6hcZRJJXeyW-8CuoaPPDXRB9jIx7VYxdRT2eYFIQQLnRamTxGCRSdBuTWW6wvqq/s1600/DSC01803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEily2eZKAL8HdL2me-D9TEZd_yG-zKKqQJY-aYR6mIGFksJtsDKw12Y3s_5XnA3w2KwfCPOU_E-HQaSp6hcZRJJXeyW-8CuoaPPDXRB9jIx7VYxdRT2eYFIQQLnRamTxGCRSdBuTWW6wvqq/s320/DSC01803.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serena looking at her yellow paper while I paint Diego's hand yellow</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKckW7wt2dYCxSjrZqmLS4G8DG4KnzG2eVtWQIDRyiIemA_NSzNMlFglgjBK5GTnG9ikTF8_5iAjYULks8XtNA6IDmOm9tKiw34jeHc-pB9h46vdcQEVAmcLcGjjE3krvyi_4ddmO72blB/s1600/DSC01804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKckW7wt2dYCxSjrZqmLS4G8DG4KnzG2eVtWQIDRyiIemA_NSzNMlFglgjBK5GTnG9ikTF8_5iAjYULks8XtNA6IDmOm9tKiw34jeHc-pB9h46vdcQEVAmcLcGjjE3krvyi_4ddmO72blB/s320/DSC01804.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing us their painted hands</td></tr>
</tbody></table> After the kids finished pressing their painted hands to each sheet of paper, we laid them out to dry for a bit. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj679m2pPc2h8yr1yMJFbr0OBVXOLQ1vNdQsVLe1OEetrXqhLyh62PFBH_iSiXZ9M7w0PbliInK-JijsMFANtt6vaV4e5xpXrNGBjtbzExAWZV_shOH-F4Mh2P1Y1URL3H9wt1rj_Vb3lsg/s1600/IMG00236-20110219-1418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj679m2pPc2h8yr1yMJFbr0OBVXOLQ1vNdQsVLe1OEetrXqhLyh62PFBH_iSiXZ9M7w0PbliInK-JijsMFANtt6vaV4e5xpXrNGBjtbzExAWZV_shOH-F4Mh2P1Y1URL3H9wt1rj_Vb3lsg/s320/IMG00236-20110219-1418.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the paint to dry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I then cut each hand out and used my scrapbooking circle cutter to cut perfect sized holes so they could hang the hands easily onto their wardrobe hangers (the Michael's website says to use velcro to secure the hands to the hangers but after some thinking and a good idea from Faustino, I decided this was easier and made more sense).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREjAgao-7yEJn7RnZp2xVvMhdP7HHOqn0cpsZfU93GA3I7vQxX3aB-66MxStQOx9XMUGYW9lN0zRqaelxyD-KBuO5ysXUiDG2cacvuLjESzEyOzKDnsFmgc4McC1IZsNaF-BQVLPSwpb_/s1600/IMG00238-20110219-1455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjREjAgao-7yEJn7RnZp2xVvMhdP7HHOqn0cpsZfU93GA3I7vQxX3aB-66MxStQOx9XMUGYW9lN0zRqaelxyD-KBuO5ysXUiDG2cacvuLjESzEyOzKDnsFmgc4McC1IZsNaF-BQVLPSwpb_/s320/IMG00238-20110219-1455.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids choosing their stickers for the days of the week</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The kids then decided which hand would be for each day of the week and then they deliberated on which alphabet sticker they would use to spell out each day. Just for fun (and because I had bought these cool little clothespins) they chose a different color mini clothespin to attach to each hand. Then of course I wrote their names and dates on the back of each hand just for future reference. And voila, the final product. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrL__-1kyo9efzHcsripcso1HP1qUXba_WOGpLXijd0tLBESL2Uebz3QinDCoZNRdFdNjoP85dr7Jrz9t4yFqEF9LvoYno1pjek1HhujFnT8YoxfEYFl3FCn5MQHklsJImb57IXgLHq6C/s1600/IMG00239-20110219-1518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrL__-1kyo9efzHcsripcso1HP1qUXba_WOGpLXijd0tLBESL2Uebz3QinDCoZNRdFdNjoP85dr7Jrz9t4yFqEF9LvoYno1pjek1HhujFnT8YoxfEYFl3FCn5MQHklsJImb57IXgLHq6C/s320/IMG00239-20110219-1518.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final Product</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpJ0Ah_NCNDjOmqO8eLmg-P2bPDQw9ZU3VTxeTNRfyMOek_Uhao_mznX2Z0AaYtkG9koVdXLjlqeg0F2ccdJH4Q1hMLLNOD5dW2k0ObrEg9CC86XrmF6FcqCza8S5sS5zl5vZFS-YowKy/s1600/IMG00240-20110219-1519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpJ0Ah_NCNDjOmqO8eLmg-P2bPDQw9ZU3VTxeTNRfyMOek_Uhao_mznX2Z0AaYtkG9koVdXLjlqeg0F2ccdJH4Q1hMLLNOD5dW2k0ObrEg9CC86XrmF6FcqCza8S5sS5zl5vZFS-YowKy/s320/IMG00240-20110219-1519.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diego's hands</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5mhoxT7bJiQldy-Q6mzWlXZn_p474BZVotRA6KLQ8g4JB24vOueUa6QvqE3uVVuu4SDZxx7XX4PvbjD6-Oh14v7F9Jl1LSDLUq1E_Ks-3YRIeYJWsz35TZmENN7d2LJnsL8NKesosTOg/s1600/IMG00242-20110219-1519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5mhoxT7bJiQldy-Q6mzWlXZn_p474BZVotRA6KLQ8g4JB24vOueUa6QvqE3uVVuu4SDZxx7XX4PvbjD6-Oh14v7F9Jl1LSDLUq1E_Ks-3YRIeYJWsz35TZmENN7d2LJnsL8NKesosTOg/s320/IMG00242-20110219-1519.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serena's hands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm so proud of the kids. We had a great time on this project and we were really able to spend some quality time together.<br />
<br />
<strong>Sunday</strong><br />
<br />
On Sunday we made lemon cupcakes with lemon frosting. Unfortunately, I do not have the pictures of the final product, however I do have an adorable photo of my kids in the aprons that I have. Serena is wearing the apron my grandmother made me when I was about her age or a couple years older (still have it and will still wear it though its a little too small... yellow has always been my favorite color and my grandmother made it especially for me with my name stitched on it and I absolutely treasure it) and Diego is wearing an apron that I had in a mini bake ware set I bought to use with the kids.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbKiL7iWeWeqzA54X00GNVCVxdpQnn9c_cu6OKyXAwMiwxIGtacaTTYubbWVv8E_HUVti2awyPaOUUj-5r4SzNclA9KbWgOqLyXDEW8Q40sAYU7mjHIFpuLKuzaf7QVEkdf9nu_Xik9ec/s1600/IMG00243-20110220-1120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbKiL7iWeWeqzA54X00GNVCVxdpQnn9c_cu6OKyXAwMiwxIGtacaTTYubbWVv8E_HUVti2awyPaOUUj-5r4SzNclA9KbWgOqLyXDEW8Q40sAYU7mjHIFpuLKuzaf7QVEkdf9nu_Xik9ec/s320/IMG00243-20110220-1120.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serena & Diego</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Unfortunately baking was not as successful a project as the Handy Wardrobe Planner was on Saturday because it didn't take up as much time and there is more waiting time while the cupcakes actually baked. Their minds started wandering after the initial mixing and filling of the pans thus I finished the rest of the project. But all in all, I'd still say it was a success because the kids enjoyed the cupcakes and stayed away from the tv. ;)<br />
<br />
And because I have the day off today (thank you Presidents' Day) I was able to write, reflect and enjoy the photos of the weekend.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-62322963904520693132011-02-08T21:18:00.000+01:002011-02-08T21:32:26.087+01:00January Insight, February ForesightsIts officially February. We have indeed left January behind and I'm proud to announce that I was indeed creative every day in the month of January. In the first month of the year I:<br />
<ol><li>finished Faustino's scarf</li>
<li>finished sewing a shirt that I started in September (lessons learned: make sure to use right type of material or it might not fit - yes the shirt didn't fit correctly. But I was completely joyed that I finished sewing my first shirt ever (despite the outcome)!</li>
<li>took some decent photos at <a href="http://thiswanderersadventure.blogspot.com/2011/01/journey-to-point.html">Point Reyes</a></li>
<li>baked coffee cake and banana bread</li>
</ol>I am having this satisfactory feeling of accomplishment and its thanks to <a href="http://creativeeveryday.com/">Creative Every Day</a>. I have been able to finally put my creative energy to work. Now onward to month 2.<br />
<br />
February will bring more completed projects as well as creative ideas that I've found online. This month I plan to:<br />
<ol><li>make 2 stuffed animals. Bunny rabbits to be exact - one for my niece and one for my nephew. I will give them the rabbits on Easter (yes, I know its far away but I'd like to finish them early on instead of waiting until the last minute - have I ever mentioned I'm an overzealous procrastinator?) This will be another finished project - seeing that I bought the fabric and pattern at least 10 years ago. EEK!</li>
<li>organize my new creative space. Faustino and I, we're moving again and I'll need to reorganize my project area (if I have a dedicated space) and supplies.</li>
<li>complete 1/4 of the my Spain scrapbook (I already have about half completed...almost there). :)</li>
</ol>The way February is looking, it will be another busy month in creativity. But I'm looking forward to it all. And of course, I'll make sure to keep the cyber world posted...Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-11077155038267724542011-01-25T03:44:00.000+01:002011-01-27T05:27:18.114+01:00Journey to the Point<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><em>This entry is a little late...it has been waiting in my draft box for about two weeks not. But better late than never. ;)</em></div><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhna1Nt3GaqTVeRrAsrbQY3DvuBxyiHBbXwDfWdaR6q12uxGTL0mWMewOHD6yxEMMixwu17ODz2hZuuNnBzdUGynmsrRtRzIAog8o4CHbQgtVdbEzXZvK6GBi1tHWgj6h3crpwQZSgkR7__/s1600/DSC03394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhna1Nt3GaqTVeRrAsrbQY3DvuBxyiHBbXwDfWdaR6q12uxGTL0mWMewOHD6yxEMMixwu17ODz2hZuuNnBzdUGynmsrRtRzIAog8o4CHbQgtVdbEzXZvK6GBi1tHWgj6h3crpwQZSgkR7__/s200/DSC03394.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Point Reyes</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here we are in week 2 of the 2011 and I'm proud to say that I'm still in my creative state of mind. Meaning, and I am still being creative everyday. Now even though it has only been 11 days into the year I've already encountered an obstacle that upset my piece of mind one night. But the next day I realized it was a blessing in disguise...</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Here it was Tuesday, January 4th and I decided I was going to make Faustino's mom a draft dodger for her door. And what to my surprise happens... my sewing machine isn't working. I thought it was user error, so I took out the useless stitches, tried to figure out the issue and tried again. Only to encounter that it still wasn't working. Finally after 3-4 times of using my seam ripper and trying again I gave up. Now the reason this was a blessing in disguise: the sewing machine in its brilliance was telling me I needed to finish other projects that I had started but never got around to completing. This makes me laugh because: I'm exactly like my grandmother and I am the first to admit it. Now I love my grandmother and she was a great woman but she, like everyone else, had her faults:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><ol><li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Starting projects but never fully completing all of them (75% of them yes, but to this day my mom and I find projects she started and never finished - that's a lot for the amount of space she had to be creative).</li>
<li>She was a pack-rat.</li>
</ol><div>I posses both of these qualities. I have started many projects but never fully completed them. And I love to keep everything and anything. For example - my mom and I are in the process of cleaning my grandmother's craft room and what do I decide to do...take material and anything else that I might (big MIGHT) use and store it until Faustino tells me its time for me to go through my stuff and reorganize or toss. Though I hate to do it he's right.</div><div><br />
</div><div>But enough about the background, I want to talk about the fun stuff. I have a few projects on my list (to once and for all complete):</div><div><ol><li>Scarf for Faustino</li>
<li>Scrapbook of the year I spent in studying and exploring Spain (5 long years overdue)</li>
<li>Old sewing projects</li>
</ol><div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">During the week, I have diligently worked on the first item. I'm expecting to be done by the end of the month. Yay! But of course, I'll keep you updated. On the weekend, I try to explore my other creative activities such as photography...</div></div></div><div><br />
</div><div>The need to explore this area we call home (Bay Area) took Faustino and I took Point Reyes on Saturday. I had heard on the news that we would be able to catch glimpses of the grey whales migrating south. And I was not disappointed. After a two hour drive we made it to shuttle bus that would take us to the Lighthouse where the whales would be waiting. Unfortunately we were not able to see the whales' bodies because contrary to my hopes the whales didn't jump out of the water upon my arrival. We did however see spouts and fins. And let me tell you, it was enough to make the drive worth it. After 15-20 minutes of spout watching we decided we would make the trek back up the 302 steps to the path.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsux6d4uQBOjO70S6vJ5bpkxnLxMN10hFPUJpWnu0UswuqKJcKi9-mkiQQ_luiF2RwoN7tXoOTxgXxCxZ1pDDau58_1LPh_EssvRt3Gp-8bl18ZuqLH9aUDj-sd_Cc1hqntydwH-gCDkt/s1600/DSC03423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsux6d4uQBOjO70S6vJ5bpkxnLxMN10hFPUJpWnu0UswuqKJcKi9-mkiQQ_luiF2RwoN7tXoOTxgXxCxZ1pDDau58_1LPh_EssvRt3Gp-8bl18ZuqLH9aUDj-sd_Cc1hqntydwH-gCDkt/s320/DSC03423.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After the long trek (even though it was only 302 steps it was still long), we decided to go on a 3-mile hike. And what we found was great scenery, a peaceful walk and a fantastic day together. With photos to document. :)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkRd7LYbniKVJ8dovWJgp-5EVM3uIWjLOiQ0mNCVPAYL6Fp86SoAlgFFzBAZhClWh1Tm89dgQAPk_bO7ZZHAg7EKAfvP4YwXdSkf7wkFRHozwMjLvecRFTPMzngCEnTcq1PFilFPzvmZC/s1600/DSC03458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkRd7LYbniKVJ8dovWJgp-5EVM3uIWjLOiQ0mNCVPAYL6Fp86SoAlgFFzBAZhClWh1Tm89dgQAPk_bO7ZZHAg7EKAfvP4YwXdSkf7wkFRHozwMjLvecRFTPMzngCEnTcq1PFilFPzvmZC/s320/DSC03458.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8rafJDmVdmJFrD86xBulU-a8BzORqMVJEZUY-cny5La5U304eNGRhFZwZpeYgAyG-0KDzyIcmXHMHixdjMQdKNdOO_CNnHRw878X4LvhKHxhSokFCiwmcBhfs9yyYH6EzA4mx6mXPjcw/s1600/DSC03448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8rafJDmVdmJFrD86xBulU-a8BzORqMVJEZUY-cny5La5U304eNGRhFZwZpeYgAyG-0KDzyIcmXHMHixdjMQdKNdOO_CNnHRw878X4LvhKHxhSokFCiwmcBhfs9yyYH6EzA4mx6mXPjcw/s320/DSC03448.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
What would a day trip be without me insisting that we take a photo together on our hike. He says he puts up with it, but I think he secretly enjoys all the photos I take of us.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEMjbYoDxR8eFN6EpW9ch-W3LC3ib1Yp5X1bWZQzUHnhX1p_Hk7uQobA-g04Cgt3qnDUOSchSbyeMx_5pO_CwOYMiX6Kln238s5CgnTGJjHwkXTm8s54FEtkTlIaN0Z1k3GMFwvgapiXx/s1600/DSC03446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVEMjbYoDxR8eFN6EpW9ch-W3LC3ib1Yp5X1bWZQzUHnhX1p_Hk7uQobA-g04Cgt3qnDUOSchSbyeMx_5pO_CwOYMiX6Kln238s5CgnTGJjHwkXTm8s54FEtkTlIaN0Z1k3GMFwvgapiXx/s320/DSC03446.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faustino and I on our hike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And of course I learned something new...Seals are called cows, bulls and pups.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VRokVNFa7TN4V9AwdDtDTrRZ0rHAoMTV6zfiu2wJ8MsE_6NkPVwjD2K2FieZUs9gc32g0ka4umHRpXGrQ27iZTVLCVtg_cL7Y8GddVpKEP2DZiwsHFWc4WaE1PClsDkUbjtXv7aqpzcB/s1600/DSC03439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VRokVNFa7TN4V9AwdDtDTrRZ0rHAoMTV6zfiu2wJ8MsE_6NkPVwjD2K2FieZUs9gc32g0ka4umHRpXGrQ27iZTVLCVtg_cL7Y8GddVpKEP2DZiwsHFWc4WaE1PClsDkUbjtXv7aqpzcB/s320/DSC03439.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cows, bulls and pups down in the middle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And what would the day be without some fog? I loved every bit of the fog, even the cool weather. And, I enjoyed photographing it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWavuiBRpm5lyo4qXrOUJJ-FAkxXwDcfP_qBSdDUitcUkekHUElLo8_-YuAG6vkBTMqgHsVNdznuzqAmU9XlPR8ZviP5qK4-Aq7CZ01BjAFxhVvK7Abomok9mmExjCNl7xP2YfGqvsPhdO/s1600/DSC03401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWavuiBRpm5lyo4qXrOUJJ-FAkxXwDcfP_qBSdDUitcUkekHUElLo8_-YuAG6vkBTMqgHsVNdznuzqAmU9XlPR8ZviP5qK4-Aq7CZ01BjAFxhVvK7Abomok9mmExjCNl7xP2YfGqvsPhdO/s320/DSC03401.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fog along the coast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Finally, after 5 hours at Point Reyes we decided to head home. We had a great time but we were exhausted. I got some good shots in, enjoyed a nice hike, learned something new and went whale watching. What an exhilarating Saturday it was.Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-41819560855384733642011-01-07T21:50:00.000+01:002011-01-07T21:50:00.693+01:00And the creativity starts...Adventures in making Coffee Cake<div style="text-align: center;">January 2, 2011 - Adventures in making Coffee Cake</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3W4NzXR1VB_QuMx5zAxG3ZOBgaoDPsLBbK_O5dSIyrsM3UYg3bBLfGWb_h3YarDClzTahWvd9C901xdkFJMUFa7-qTduJGtfg53J7Snd702z-n_R8hZseNoJYzI5nrTxF9I2wHl0Yq88r/s1600/DSC03355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3W4NzXR1VB_QuMx5zAxG3ZOBgaoDPsLBbK_O5dSIyrsM3UYg3bBLfGWb_h3YarDClzTahWvd9C901xdkFJMUFa7-qTduJGtfg53J7Snd702z-n_R8hZseNoJYzI5nrTxF9I2wHl0Yq88r/s200/DSC03355.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I will start by admitting that I'm not a cook. A couple of years ago I would have even went so far as to say that I hated cooking. Besides Faustino is good at cooking so who am I to stand in his way. But as time would go by he started complaining more and more informing me that he wanted me to try my hand at making dinner. And since then, I have and I've even improved my cooking skills.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But that is cooking and we're now talking about baking! I've always liked baking, but was never great at it. Then some how in the past couple of years I decided to take up baking again here and there. And by Christmas 2009 I was even confident enough to bake massive amounts of goodies and hand them out as presents to my family (they were awesome by the way). It was definitely a step up from my thought of never stepping foot into a kitchen to make any kind of food for someone other than myself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyhoo, I had planned on starting 2011 by making Country Living's <a href="http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/crunchy-coffee-cake-12">Crunchy Coffee Cake</a>. Haha that didn't happen. I was too tired and of course I needed milk and my kitchen was dry. Moving forward one day...January 2, 2011. I rested all day before so I didn't have an excuse to postpone my planned breakfast that I had promised Faustino and Megan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Everything was going great until I had to start making the crumble that goes on top...Cake Flour?!? What the hell is cake flour and where do I get it? Store. No way, I wasn't going back there, I was in my pjs and I intended to stay that way. Looking like a raggamuffin and all. Screw it. I'm using regular flour. And you're supposed to cut the butter in the mixture, but that was too much work for me. I had the mixer out from cake portion so I decided to be lazy and mix in the butter and thought nothing more of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Until I laid the topping on the cake and thought that doesn't look right. Oh well, into bake it goes. 20 minutes later and this is what comes out...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHsTPbJTIYweYnKPkN6zXZ-jL8nje3ZUpOLgNbjdg-_b7ir9A0mDMjTgFnd4UASbiKFBGCGNHtImr4-LKWkLWYpzI6Y_PqTH3JFyPfHkHw7zGaj7tpfaNJbqKS3MiON5rrW9Bx_VAkYWs/s1600/DSC03354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHsTPbJTIYweYnKPkN6zXZ-jL8nje3ZUpOLgNbjdg-_b7ir9A0mDMjTgFnd4UASbiKFBGCGNHtImr4-LKWkLWYpzI6Y_PqTH3JFyPfHkHw7zGaj7tpfaNJbqKS3MiON5rrW9Bx_VAkYWs/s200/DSC03354.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I'm not an expert but I know this doesn't look right. Megan took one look at it and then the recipe and knew that I didn't cut the butter in like I was supposed to. Whoops. Well, I guess that's what I get for cutting corners and not following directions: ugly coffee cake. We ate it anyway, because I had promised coffee cake. And you know what? It tasted great. Maybe next time I'll follow the recipe a little closer and I'll have a better looking meal and thus a better photo op. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_QjCLkCEg0tc3jhYM-pvrXRnFI6axPiEcFCNC5I6EACuPCu-YAtsD19EffANTshuVzamPtmYZSaGjOSKyb-0LJLpIo8ludoczBxHBa_8E0MexCozlHPvHsQ5ypuNLgdip57uSSl1BS2t/s1600/DSC03359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_QjCLkCEg0tc3jhYM-pvrXRnFI6axPiEcFCNC5I6EACuPCu-YAtsD19EffANTshuVzamPtmYZSaGjOSKyb-0LJLpIo8ludoczBxHBa_8E0MexCozlHPvHsQ5ypuNLgdip57uSSl1BS2t/s200/DSC03359.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee & Cake :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-11225813404178026772011-01-04T06:06:00.000+01:002011-01-04T06:06:23.727+01:00Here's to a Fruitful 2011<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWT3OxWraGQwJjA-bKD9roQKWUZOaFdl04MJKY6oBBXUoaEl0Fxsezw-5Nnv1iWozW4pwmkKNuxGoBk5tA2KvqiE3TnJIzOAJkfQWIj6WGwgXxFnEqGk0nBA-sNr6UolphyphenhyphenbsYLI8EnEo/s1600/IMG_1349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWT3OxWraGQwJjA-bKD9roQKWUZOaFdl04MJKY6oBBXUoaEl0Fxsezw-5Nnv1iWozW4pwmkKNuxGoBk5tA2KvqiE3TnJIzOAJkfQWIj6WGwgXxFnEqGk0nBA-sNr6UolphyphenhyphenbsYLI8EnEo/s200/IMG_1349.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's to a great 2011 with the one and only</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRr6Xp3jsKO3GrZ5_c3OXeE0VdBKJ6U_d8jrRcjsV0mHSlseU584rcXjATL0TMoRBrROZZB_32RXk1yPFk8JaUPqbtsT8Y_QJrakgxLymIE9HRLF5UPjA_2yo_IaB7IsIKQ0IGSupqHwo/s1600/IMG_1350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRr6Xp3jsKO3GrZ5_c3OXeE0VdBKJ6U_d8jrRcjsV0mHSlseU584rcXjATL0TMoRBrROZZB_32RXk1yPFk8JaUPqbtsT8Y_QJrakgxLymIE9HRLF5UPjA_2yo_IaB7IsIKQ0IGSupqHwo/s200/IMG_1350.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What would life be without my two big brothers?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrTegg21odZOIRx660hw7UuPxB-K_Sojb79MUA_46K47Ls0_eNDXXmKNgxycl01mEGnwObY3quhUURTwSSMmh3BQpfYz7ukikQJNyuOGk2_vx4cJC7LvkiXQU1jDCaUzjxcKo1T7Xk9vE/s1600/IMG_1347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrTegg21odZOIRx660hw7UuPxB-K_Sojb79MUA_46K47Ls0_eNDXXmKNgxycl01mEGnwObY3quhUURTwSSMmh3BQpfYz7ukikQJNyuOGk2_vx4cJC7LvkiXQU1jDCaUzjxcKo1T7Xk9vE/s200/IMG_1347.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan and I<br />
getting ready to head out on the town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After spending a great New Years Eve with my family (my brothers Nick and Justin, my one and only Faustino, and my irreplaceable Megan), I'm starting to look forward again. And as I said last year, I'll say it again this year...I'm excited about the New Year and whats coming. Last year I had plans, and while some of them fanned out others fell short...very short. This year, however is going to be different. For one thing, as of yesterday around 2 we unplugged our cable. Not only did we cancel the cable (actually we cancelled it in August they just continued streaming it to us for free) we actually unplugged the cable cord. This means that if we turn on the tv we see static/white noise. Yay! This is a new step for me and I'm stoked with what this will mean for me. That being said this is what it will mean...<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">More creativity:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3bH7haGvhNvSHu7Ztehyphenhyphen1ouFn43835vYut5QOrs3WPi2E6b9fY2W5BIEXdpbBoKuX2UA02DM6Vo3UefYrVavJf25moUbbmGRGj6g7jyTbIaHKR6mOGBbmhUAGfCRE-n8QuP89pxlCaDf/s1600/ced2011logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3bH7haGvhNvSHu7Ztehyphenhyphen1ouFn43835vYut5QOrs3WPi2E6b9fY2W5BIEXdpbBoKuX2UA02DM6Vo3UefYrVavJf25moUbbmGRGj6g7jyTbIaHKR6mOGBbmhUAGfCRE-n8QuP89pxlCaDf/s200/ced2011logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A week ago I decided I wanted a challenge. I wasn't sure what kind of challenge I wanted but I knew that I needed something where I would be held accountable. Accountable to myself. And what did I find but...<a href="http://creativeeveryday.com/creative-every-day-challenge">Creative Every Day Challenge</a>. Now this seemed PERFECT. I had wanted to be more creative for months but hadn't had the drive to do anything after a long day of work...especially since the tv was right there waiting for me to turn it on. With the tv turned off, it will give me more incentive to find other things to do with my spare time. Like finishing the scrapbook I started last year for my year abroad or sewing projects I had started in my teens and recently. So among other small "resolutions" for the year, this is my goal. I want to be creative every day whether it be finishing my knitting projects, completing new sewing ideas or taking pictures. This year will be a year of putting my creativity to the test. I'm putting myself to the test. And I'm looking forward to the challenge. And of course, I'm going to try to maintain my blog along the way, blogging about the adventures in creativity I'm having.<br />
<br />
Keep coming back for a great year of great creativity.</div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-49162813983257232852010-10-18T22:25:00.000+02:002010-10-18T22:25:05.356+02:00Beginning to see that Southwestern Flare...Day 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiS5Rl67K7xzqbtU6wpoShGdrVRXe98u2sHsdKGSVbMHAGS2mlsB8phzXM_8ikfdK05mdOH8CXshveH5afF0JsLDBrhHIieb0T1kOH8ffTi-_7jPzHgnxpo-bI6JniTYxGYFLKwolHHTF/s1600/DSC03052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiS5Rl67K7xzqbtU6wpoShGdrVRXe98u2sHsdKGSVbMHAGS2mlsB8phzXM_8ikfdK05mdOH8CXshveH5afF0JsLDBrhHIieb0T1kOH8ffTi-_7jPzHgnxpo-bI6JniTYxGYFLKwolHHTF/s200/DSC03052.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 3<br />
Sunday, October 3</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> We started off day 3 well rested. Sleeping in a bed for more than 4 hours was awesome! We awoke at 8 or 9 and it was already warm out. I could get used to Arizona weather in October, but the summer weather would deter me. Though we would only be spending half a day in Tucson, Shelly was planning on making those 6 hours eventful.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We started the morning off by heading to Sabino Canyon which was only a 10 minute drive from Shelly's house. We took a tour up and down the main road (we were too lazy and didn't have enough time to do the 7 mile round trip hike). The tour offered some good background info on the Canyon and the area. One cool fact that we learned was that the cactus (pictured below) don't grow their first side arm until they are about 80 years old. Crazy!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtXEMf7lz0zXHnjjbHnCX5A8opVAIfxWnXCbOk-XDaSA4VHHUda9-_H8NEH5Sujx6dsiAQcZr51lIvNz5mLvgO8WUvIKS3HmyQ-VWqkAMItVP46xj-XBvFJ9dPeSH-9U8uTmtlweZmHJp/s1600/DSC03028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtXEMf7lz0zXHnjjbHnCX5A8opVAIfxWnXCbOk-XDaSA4VHHUda9-_H8NEH5Sujx6dsiAQcZr51lIvNz5mLvgO8WUvIKS3HmyQ-VWqkAMItVP46xj-XBvFJ9dPeSH-9U8uTmtlweZmHJp/s320/DSC03028.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sabino Canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-WNxLRFegzCF6KnWabHDABuTflRnq1vzcSV6GXHfhCGcUtNaIXZaRKpEBOQ5jk-YOelUkMeTSeXfk6_cQVfcvgOPN2eh4VvUmNsX6Osihg-Xqgn5Zd8HsxCG3fgkbZ9QJb6nGFT0Pbsa/s1600/DSC03034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-WNxLRFegzCF6KnWabHDABuTflRnq1vzcSV6GXHfhCGcUtNaIXZaRKpEBOQ5jk-YOelUkMeTSeXfk6_cQVfcvgOPN2eh4VvUmNsX6Osihg-Xqgn5Zd8HsxCG3fgkbZ9QJb6nGFT0Pbsa/s320/DSC03034.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One eyed tiki man</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTaziWgQ6GD-X4jLR-WWb3kCjIY_dU7-n-SZAqBRsRhSI88i0nC8pcfp9h95iDaHHsri-G_om2zoWMHs85BZ2JynIYMo5BS6WS31zWRU2Ta7MuW4GbD7evtiFMEKALu8aWeZpYWsw2Xyg/s1600/DSC03030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTaziWgQ6GD-X4jLR-WWb3kCjIY_dU7-n-SZAqBRsRhSI88i0nC8pcfp9h95iDaHHsri-G_om2zoWMHs85BZ2JynIYMo5BS6WS31zWRU2Ta7MuW4GbD7evtiFMEKALu8aWeZpYWsw2Xyg/s320/DSC03030.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cactus older than 80 years</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHO8oGHoeZzxLyqvoz2YaRUCx0wMtpWGmF9Di6Zc9jTFrVpBd00X8tnspQIfnYrdyw-7F_i94LBlrfRaUBfnH0sqGJI-vNxh78piDLGVa5FcAbIDZQ6l7JtjoxDIJ9fe3Nl3bzMp9xLBI/s1600/DSC03040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHO8oGHoeZzxLyqvoz2YaRUCx0wMtpWGmF9Di6Zc9jTFrVpBd00X8tnspQIfnYrdyw-7F_i94LBlrfRaUBfnH0sqGJI-vNxh78piDLGVa5FcAbIDZQ6l7JtjoxDIJ9fe3Nl3bzMp9xLBI/s320/DSC03040.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snoopy on top of his house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoGmacXZuCTnUnWza1RFSwMtj6y2j74b-hMSRYGeC-43lQfN6TRMmXuS4eUJSBwvtR_cDhJw5k2hoGVXZ5PECghZxYiJ-SN9N99YbzzsC3dOAz_yl4jC2G__MS_2ryaCWbIvpJMTfN2V-/s1600/DSC03044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicoGmacXZuCTnUnWza1RFSwMtj6y2j74b-hMSRYGeC-43lQfN6TRMmXuS4eUJSBwvtR_cDhJw5k2hoGVXZ5PECghZxYiJ-SN9N99YbzzsC3dOAz_yl4jC2G__MS_2ryaCWbIvpJMTfN2V-/s320/DSC03044.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faustino and I at the top of the tour</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnQAP24E_oLcCNQ0tsB7wU8Y3nI0arWwpJLV07aMgERjFM4SuESpVms_wcU8FT-Rl_YB9RQ7DLmqSfm3bS84zV2LEHKAT5LqX4KZeXWN9i6khX1fO8Jwxv_RBHAEcCipQMP6CmUVdH8DD/s1600/DSC03045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnQAP24E_oLcCNQ0tsB7wU8Y3nI0arWwpJLV07aMgERjFM4SuESpVms_wcU8FT-Rl_YB9RQ7DLmqSfm3bS84zV2LEHKAT5LqX4KZeXWN9i6khX1fO8Jwxv_RBHAEcCipQMP6CmUVdH8DD/s320/DSC03045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelly and I</td></tr>
</tbody></table> It was a beautiful day and it was a beautiful area. I'm glad that we got to go and see a different part of Tucson. They even had a couple funny signs (below).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGCJ8I6_SEk5d8hw4o8tBq5rPwTK6wpx8mAxvmTxYU6SG0yXya-Ki8bMaT-9tMQG9jCXus4VO57dyWpuNOtS9_9_K7W6A-j8jpmFps2YepSkc8LQ2uXfESEOVGPCSDSE4_jmRjl6xJbFv/s1600/DSC03050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGCJ8I6_SEk5d8hw4o8tBq5rPwTK6wpx8mAxvmTxYU6SG0yXya-Ki8bMaT-9tMQG9jCXus4VO57dyWpuNOtS9_9_K7W6A-j8jpmFps2YepSkc8LQ2uXfESEOVGPCSDSE4_jmRjl6xJbFv/s320/DSC03050.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing what could happen when riding your bike across the bridge</td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After Sabino Canyon we went to Shelly's old apartment complex to use the pool and lay around. Couldn't have asked for better weather to lay around under the sun. Honestly - relaxing by the pool was just what we needed after two long days of driving. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Finally our stomachs were starting to growl and football was on (it was Sunday of course). We headed to Sir Veza's Taco Garage for what else but tacos and beer. $2 Bud Lights to be exact. Awesome! We sat outside under the mister, drank beer, ate chips and salsa and watched football while we waited for our food. Our food arrived and my shrimp tacos were delicious. :)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After watching the 49ers lose, we headed back to Shelly's to pack up our stuff. After a quick goodbye and thank yous, we were on the road once again. Next destination: Las Cruces, NM. But not before taking a photo with the cowboy pictured below.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyBUqcMQAW_m9W4VRhzjMUikbI1Fhln2WQDyLpd3bn4nmJ5UYb_HhWJBLz-syBQkZUzi-Z5YyqLVQmvNxEPt4pLAbRjDuf896PE2Ykc-N7G1PfOSkftdvGv9EjvPpJhS7D3B0gs-CA66H/s1600/DSC01493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyBUqcMQAW_m9W4VRhzjMUikbI1Fhln2WQDyLpd3bn4nmJ5UYb_HhWJBLz-syBQkZUzi-Z5YyqLVQmvNxEPt4pLAbRjDuf896PE2Ykc-N7G1PfOSkftdvGv9EjvPpJhS7D3B0gs-CA66H/s320/DSC01493.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahh, don't shoot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Faustino was the driver for day 3 - my legs needed rest. And in no time we were crossing the border into New Mexico. The Land of Enchantment should be known as the Land of Great food!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vpKbssw4l5jgiJ6Fa2XDReW3TsXSwD1JIUgoq4Uatm5qpkKxq8gOXCC0WQAeDsAR5NOsd4Fvs-yEbSUhW2BweC0SciHp-he05sN2DwiFyS_S1zAbdsD-AbjM4c8PcUx2Z6Z9jremQx3p/s1600/DSC03051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vpKbssw4l5jgiJ6Fa2XDReW3TsXSwD1JIUgoq4Uatm5qpkKxq8gOXCC0WQAeDsAR5NOsd4Fvs-yEbSUhW2BweC0SciHp-he05sN2DwiFyS_S1zAbdsD-AbjM4c8PcUx2Z6Z9jremQx3p/s320/DSC03051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After the jump forward (time zone change) and 4 or so hours of driving, we made it to our campsite in Las Cruces. We set-up our tent, made dinner and were in our makeshift bed by 9pm. We were even far enough out of town that the stars were illuminating the skies. But soon enough our eyelids were heavy and we were out.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Thought on Day 3: Tucson was cuter than I had originally expected. I didn't think I would care for it much, but the styles of houses showed that there was a lot more culture there than I had originally thought. Even the cookie cutter houses weren't so typical. They each had the southwestern flare that I was so excited to see. It was great seeing Shelly and she showed us a good amount in what little time we had together. We were even able to relax which is exactly what we needed by Day 3.</div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-34369712197142754632010-10-15T00:42:00.000+02:002010-10-15T00:42:28.971+02:00Battling Thunderstorms from the Grand Canyon to Heart Attack Grill all the way to Tucson...Day 2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkh9h2pH57eBzr_ZQwoANsrQiNjDm3YNCT-tCZ7s-5Bu2yuZNLZ_wmfVlhwU0gBdSp526O50v6bXqhf4X946aXHIYGjtEW7TrHHIp0ZYhrZmng6rd3d7_fZVjr4MXdxLbeY1yAjfZbIezP/s1600/DSC01475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkh9h2pH57eBzr_ZQwoANsrQiNjDm3YNCT-tCZ7s-5Bu2yuZNLZ_wmfVlhwU0gBdSp526O50v6bXqhf4X946aXHIYGjtEW7TrHHIp0ZYhrZmng6rd3d7_fZVjr4MXdxLbeY1yAjfZbIezP/s200/DSC01475.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 2<br />
Saturday, October 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day 2 started off earlier than I normally get up...4:15am that is. Now, I'm used to waking up 6-7am with an alarm. So I was astonished when I actually woke up on my own at 4:15am (I accidentally set my alarm for 4pm) after only going to sleep a measly 4 hours earlier. Faustino and I made it to our car by about 4:30am after stumbling to get our stuff ready to go. When we went to open the door with the clicker we realized something was wrong. Either the clicker was broken or the battery was dead because it wasn't unlocking!!! What the... Its only our second day and our car is not working. This can't be happening. After about 2 seconds, I tried the car and you guessed it...our battery was DEAD. Kaput. Beyond life. Again...this can't be happening. Oh no, what do we do? I'll call a tow truck so they can jump it... Wait a moment, why do that if I can call Jackie and have her jump our car. She couldn't have fallen asleep that quickly, we only just left moments before. Jackie's phone's dead...what the??? So I ran back to her apartment, knocked on the door and yes she was still awake. So after about 10 minutes of giving juice to the car, we were finally able to start the car. And phew, we were on the road by 5am. But boy was that nerve wracking. It had all the signs of ruining our trip. And I'm too much of a control freak that I would have let it drag me down for the next 10 days. But luckily that wasn't the case.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So here we are, on our way out of LA and everything is going smoothly, until wait for it. We missed the exit to the connecting freeway and didn't realize it for about half an hour. Faustino's sleeping because he needs to sleep (running on 6 hours of sleep for two days isn't healthy you know). FAUSTINO! Wake up!!! Where are we, we missed the exit. Do we go back or keep going? Luckily, Faustino with his dreary eyes found that we would hit another freeway that would continue to take us to the Grand Canyon. Phew! Relieved to say the least. Hopefully we'll only lose an hour or so. And that is probably all we lost being that I was driving fast and there wasn't any traffic because who is up at 5am on a Saturday to go to the Grand Canyon anyway. Me...us. We're that crazy, yes we are.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXU6xBBQ5yQApnwf6-SrT5RDX_mKf7l1A1A5gNpRC8B-qi1m8Z8t4jHKis9hNP5dWk8VFEsVQI0lVVhdPRgkEAl1f9796jFbYWlJQdYaak7xvew4ZT9G7xHsszzx25nGLLc6Yb7Lx3NQD/s1600/DSC01451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXU6xBBQ5yQApnwf6-SrT5RDX_mKf7l1A1A5gNpRC8B-qi1m8Z8t4jHKis9hNP5dWk8VFEsVQI0lVVhdPRgkEAl1f9796jFbYWlJQdYaak7xvew4ZT9G7xHsszzx25nGLLc6Yb7Lx3NQD/s320/DSC01451.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the road on the way to the Grand Canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7hw7rR4HUgRwyq3SXdDkmPPRVN7zkh7jSelUY-zMlpwpTW93dmYikzAFTOJJOjUPX7DTXs-RTgHqs-DKskkmB47Grho-2vjKzejhXke-oabn3CaX2p0PsMpRfYzZX5e1VZZu_cSt_Nnv/s1600/DSC01454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7hw7rR4HUgRwyq3SXdDkmPPRVN7zkh7jSelUY-zMlpwpTW93dmYikzAFTOJJOjUPX7DTXs-RTgHqs-DKskkmB47Grho-2vjKzejhXke-oabn3CaX2p0PsMpRfYzZX5e1VZZu_cSt_Nnv/s320/DSC01454.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving in the Mojave Dessert</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Driving through the Mojave desert was the most beautiful site I had seen (but each day as you will see, I saw many beautiful things). It was so desolate which made it even more pretty. Anyhoo, as we were driving, I saw ahead of me a massive amount of rain. In a couple moments I would be driving through a rain shower so heavy I could only see 10-15 feet in front of me. And then a few minutes later we were out of it and it was bright as day. And there we were in the Mojave Desert again with nothing around us but hills and land.<br />
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So after about 5 hours of driving and finally getting to the Arizona border I ask Faustino to drive. I need a break and he's awake. Driving through northern Arizona was nice and fast (I feel like we have the slowest speed limit in the U.S.). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6YqULjjfXrLHKcuqEN9nHvZfT0sQsae-9PWlZWR3IHfqZRO-NZ0VMGsWEDEQnjl3r_rBDZuuZT_lurq9Vea6Gui0Js4VO0IUaJjQ-6_HY8j93MNgGLvT5RRKwecVuamuWDvQ2BXalYyn/s1600/DSC01457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6YqULjjfXrLHKcuqEN9nHvZfT0sQsae-9PWlZWR3IHfqZRO-NZ0VMGsWEDEQnjl3r_rBDZuuZT_lurq9Vea6Gui0Js4VO0IUaJjQ-6_HY8j93MNgGLvT5RRKwecVuamuWDvQ2BXalYyn/s320/DSC01457.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting into Arizona, obviously</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We only had about an hour left to go before we got to the Grand Canyon and what did we see in front of us?!? More rain and gray skies. Though some think its dismal, it was spectacular to me. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXLxcqd7Y7RSJ3861HPGDEiCrM7pusGuNKm5lmqmvEoDb0UnblxE89QKf1ZW1mV26nWHENgpVRi7s8e2EcBwPrOHP7wDkSiqjICiiHJkgNLL8kDEbTbVUH2xS86P9n_KRW_VTTq6i9RQB/s1600/DSC02987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXLxcqd7Y7RSJ3861HPGDEiCrM7pusGuNKm5lmqmvEoDb0UnblxE89QKf1ZW1mV26nWHENgpVRi7s8e2EcBwPrOHP7wDkSiqjICiiHJkgNLL8kDEbTbVUH2xS86P9n_KRW_VTTq6i9RQB/s320/DSC02987.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain on the car</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Then lightning!!! I loved seeing and looking for all the lightning coming down. Little did I know, that lightning would follow us through most of our trip. :)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSKx_0AAMyXqYvGYL8Jj63JGD1sMrndW-XGxmWbB4ApG1UZarPi57uuQUXdKSJ7U0RZxLv877wY4hyphenhyphenTYKLqMM6cvmBs5krr4bBAn7tNgar_eBKeUiz3VVjEdUc1vYTLqlsD7nSIy3lO9D/s1600/Windows+Media+Player+10122010+44039+PM.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSKx_0AAMyXqYvGYL8Jj63JGD1sMrndW-XGxmWbB4ApG1UZarPi57uuQUXdKSJ7U0RZxLv877wY4hyphenhyphenTYKLqMM6cvmBs5krr4bBAn7tNgar_eBKeUiz3VVjEdUc1vYTLqlsD7nSIy3lO9D/s320/Windows+Media+Player+10122010+44039+PM.bmp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lightning seen on our way to the Grand Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Finally after several hours of driving we get to the Grand Canyon! Woo hoo! We finally made it. It was still raining when we arrived but it wasn't too cold or windy. We decided to pack our cameras and go for a hike which was only a little more than a sprinkle. When I saw my first ever live view of the Canyon I was amazed. So amazed that my mouth dropped and Faustino had to tell me to close it (haha). At the beginning of our hike, we only saw 2 other people. 20 minutes into the hike, the rain stopped and it was a nice day with mist covering the Canyon. Soon there were 20 people and then 200 (okay maybe not 200 but still, many more people started showing up). We were able to take a nice slow hike, taking pictures and we were able to really just enjoy the moment. We weren't there to be professional hikers, we weren't there to build up a sweat, we were merely there to enjoy the scenery and be amazed by what this world truly has to offer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXH9iBnAH2zyP6DxUwuSMXnVU0nFOcr16XmBpEroLQDl-JqJrZQ8LV9X8S45WRcdje_w_HymOgedWMFHSr_fQTGITzFAr1zIaBRB0Qr20Bz1dTN5ZOZFa-b-mTmll6tneWXPh4lUo8eU95/s1600/DSC03015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXH9iBnAH2zyP6DxUwuSMXnVU0nFOcr16XmBpEroLQDl-JqJrZQ8LV9X8S45WRcdje_w_HymOgedWMFHSr_fQTGITzFAr1zIaBRB0Qr20Bz1dTN5ZOZFa-b-mTmll6tneWXPh4lUo8eU95/s320/DSC03015.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faustino and I</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiBrmBOqkuXrza2siUwL7mHVZnnrwHM32jy9HTdDFMBL5JbK4y_CuPOl6MVlp44zwv-Zv4CxiGyt0eBUlsz72BeoPgGZ-FbmafggRYMXsMMmS6LWEXArEvPd-VunDoBJZXeZ8sxKw4Lma/s1600/DSC03017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiBrmBOqkuXrza2siUwL7mHVZnnrwHM32jy9HTdDFMBL5JbK4y_CuPOl6MVlp44zwv-Zv4CxiGyt0eBUlsz72BeoPgGZ-FbmafggRYMXsMMmS6LWEXArEvPd-VunDoBJZXeZ8sxKw4Lma/s320/DSC03017.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faustino enjoying the view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyDDpbaoHTiDf0Ud-v1bNRg92il9qrv3hxduI-hQkR79Zbw2HXxJEhAMTY8kRSa-XvJbyYVdVcFj78udxpG_CGRK84YIvIoiSX1Jb9nNR4vIN-EInRaj57PQ9ZWqkZmQ4YX2xCwbcSVyD/s1600/DSC02993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyDDpbaoHTiDf0Ud-v1bNRg92il9qrv3hxduI-hQkR79Zbw2HXxJEhAMTY8kRSa-XvJbyYVdVcFj78udxpG_CGRK84YIvIoiSX1Jb9nNR4vIN-EInRaj57PQ9ZWqkZmQ4YX2xCwbcSVyD/s320/DSC02993.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by me...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After revelling in the immenseness of what the Grand Canyon is, we bought a couple hot chocolates and decided to be on our way. Our next stop: Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Arizona. Let me start this part off by saying that we are huge lovers of a good burger. That paired with Faustino seeing an article about the Heart Attack Grill on msn.com and it was settled. He had wanted to visit this restaurant since he saw the article over a year ago, so what better time to do it when we are on our way through Arizona. Off we went to Chandler. We had 3 or so hours to drive and we needed to get to the restaurant by 8:30pm. We were making great time, we'd be there by 7:30-8pm. But of course everything in the world said nope you aren't going because as soon as we got to Phoenix we hit traffic, then once we got off on our exit we made a wrong turn, and finally our car was saying that we had such little gas that if we kept going we'd die right there in the middle of the street. But I pushed it, Faustino wanted to go and even though he said it would be okay that we didn't I wanted to make it there for him. I'm controlling but I like to see other people happy too. We turned the car around, and made it to the Grill about 5 minutes before they shut down the kitchen! Woo hoo, we would have our lard cooked french fries after all. And I must say, that even though the women are dressed in tacky and demeaning outfits (think Hooters), the restaurant is filled with cheesy decor (again think Hooters), and it could give me a heart attack, despite all of that...the burgers were awesome! They were indeed superb. I wouldn't go again but I enjoyed the experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywwTZgf-i2AcKo34Gs-eBNtdurHiEZTYFFx5lS6aeQZ1mCmae-qjEIERb7IiIK1AavyWf062VzEXuf5ijYuEHRArBK1KF3eJ54Kg86vSByrQNzzzWTdFKMyf3ExdrAvQ4xoUoDljbetz_/s1600/DSC01489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywwTZgf-i2AcKo34Gs-eBNtdurHiEZTYFFx5lS6aeQZ1mCmae-qjEIERb7IiIK1AavyWf062VzEXuf5ijYuEHRArBK1KF3eJ54Kg86vSByrQNzzzWTdFKMyf3ExdrAvQ4xoUoDljbetz_/s320/DSC01489.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faustino in the hospital gown and wrist band provided by the Heart Attack Grill</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From Chandler, after getting gas that is, we drove down to Tucson. And as soon as we got back on the road the lightning started up again. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it was so beautiful. And each time the lightning struck down I smiled. The 1.5 hour drive to Tucson was quick and we made it Shelly's house and hopped into the shower. That night we went to a place called the Sky Bar in the hills of Tucson with Shelly and her roommate Allison. We had a couple of tall beers and caught up on each other's lives. It was great seeing Shelly since I haven't seen her in a year and the likelihood of me seeing her before Kiersten's wedding next August are slim to none.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After closing down the bar at 2:15am, we headed back to Shelly's. Faustino and I passed out shortly thereafter, seeing as it had been the longest day (22 hours that is). Once our heads hit the pillow the lights were out. What a great day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lesson from Day 2: Never think just because you're only listening to music for about a half an hour the night before that your car won't start. It doesn't take THAT long for your battery to die. And if you have an instinct from the night before that the battery is losing life, don't dismiss it. You don't want to wind up in the streets at 4:30am with a dead battery and an 8 hour drive ahead of you. Word to the wise...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thought on Day 2: I loved sharing the Grand Canyon experience with Faustino. It was both our first time seeing such an incredible place. I felt like a kid again, so naive. But this time I had some knowledge about the world being bigger and more remarkable than I could have imagined.</div>Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-76151821636504423532010-10-12T23:21:00.000+02:002010-10-12T23:21:25.314+02:00San Leandro to Santa Monica to Brentwood to Burbank. Oh what a day...1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Friday, October 11</span></td></tr>
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The Road Trip (RT) started out like any other...driving to get to destination and I drove from San Leandro to West L.A. while Faustino slept because he worked the night shift thus needing to sleep. I've never driven down south so this would be interesting. Luckily it was pretty smooth because we left at 11am on Friday. I'm sure my driving 90mph didn't hurt either.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXavuXD4yBEX60oCSc3FozTOUILF6cj_oe2-qG6q6w5fQsL_g3w8unoJemON1VWw4MJWKlQ31t4e_tdhVztyJkuH6ykUgl0h2rK2WrRZ5gKFowWBZfPmf7TAxr243xhfheP9oqWrBSxhUB/s1600/DSC01417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXavuXD4yBEX60oCSc3FozTOUILF6cj_oe2-qG6q6w5fQsL_g3w8unoJemON1VWw4MJWKlQ31t4e_tdhVztyJkuH6ykUgl0h2rK2WrRZ5gKFowWBZfPmf7TAxr243xhfheP9oqWrBSxhUB/s320/DSC01417.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the grapevine</td></tr>
</tbody></table> After driving the grapevine (my first time), we made it to the LA area by about 3pm. But because my friend was still working we decided to head to Santa Monica. Despite being stuck in traffic, we made it to the pier. I'm typically not a big fan of the huge tourist spots. But this was nice, especially because 10-20 helicopters decided to fly over the pier about twenty minutes after we arrived. Because Faustino has great eyesight he saw them first from far away (I thought they were birds, haha). Within minutes they were overhead and louder than I could of imagined. I don't think they typically fly over the pier on Friday afternoon so it was a nice treat to start our trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8G79zyVxqwnbEsycD6DngTTI29XU_mgzdpBso6ORyWpykTFJ5Von3JSfzV7Xhe8PEDuuN2GXSlNUTjSt6jqbnm2cEU6tMtQFypuF3-v4zcq8264J-OqktPBpjI-Kd0haUC2o_PpWghhb/s1600/DSC01422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8G79zyVxqwnbEsycD6DngTTI29XU_mgzdpBso6ORyWpykTFJ5Von3JSfzV7Xhe8PEDuuN2GXSlNUTjSt6jqbnm2cEU6tMtQFypuF3-v4zcq8264J-OqktPBpjI-Kd0haUC2o_PpWghhb/s320/DSC01422.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the helicopters overhead</td></tr>
</tbody></table> We then walked around, enjoyed the pier and some fries in the nice weather. Even took some pictures to share. Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgj5kULC2Dcwr3DN-1L2mCvEVos70EGKIHrox4_Ms2sqcwf5hcmtoMLda7e492bXeEnPEc6T0-KZdkX6BnbY7J87X12JZek5DnSs86IC09pNzcHHrhdpaNHLWwt1h3Xr1g37p-H-POCMT/s1600/DSC01427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgj5kULC2Dcwr3DN-1L2mCvEVos70EGKIHrox4_Ms2sqcwf5hcmtoMLda7e492bXeEnPEc6T0-KZdkX6BnbY7J87X12JZek5DnSs86IC09pNzcHHrhdpaNHLWwt1h3Xr1g37p-H-POCMT/s320/DSC01427.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Santa Monica Pier</td></tr>
</tbody></table> After playing on the swings and feeling sick, we went to Jackie's in the Brentwood area. Drank a beer, waited for a couple friends and then headed out to Burbank. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackie, Faustino and I at her apartment</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beer Jackie sells at work</td></tr>
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At the Big Boy's in Burbank we went to the car show that they have every Friday night. We got to see boat loads of cars (hehe). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course I had to take a picture with the yellow boat. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimz-RQDpw6YHux6ZGRbT3hL-dIxv2TNS_S9lqR7fde4O9KLERIFCggCWV9v8aT8wnlsDLcIWlrzk5C6l7hNDw7D2hhvmxW1Q5ZDV2lLpNvHtYAWRt0APl3ptXR06U2dmB_cYjZ4jhXivmG/s1600/DSC01440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimz-RQDpw6YHux6ZGRbT3hL-dIxv2TNS_S9lqR7fde4O9KLERIFCggCWV9v8aT8wnlsDLcIWlrzk5C6l7hNDw7D2hhvmxW1Q5ZDV2lLpNvHtYAWRt0APl3ptXR06U2dmB_cYjZ4jhXivmG/s320/DSC01440.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not supposed to touch the cars.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3u2DbTQBLj_el8cQFZRoHWHvbJt8vZ1gbPB_VSTQZIcQHxhqDl16CASDXufHdbBi0Hgqf6vl95OmCBToU2XcOY5z0QfhQQyago8Nd2UHHwU5c6Y80q1FyffVKwvzIPNngG8hoYlf0v7_v/s1600/DSC01444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3u2DbTQBLj_el8cQFZRoHWHvbJt8vZ1gbPB_VSTQZIcQHxhqDl16CASDXufHdbBi0Hgqf6vl95OmCBToU2XcOY5z0QfhQQyago8Nd2UHHwU5c6Y80q1FyffVKwvzIPNngG8hoYlf0v7_v/s320/DSC01444.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Big Boy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SC1B7k7u40g4iDv99H6AiFKRwbpu8nYcpRqpuHqt2ROPJCq2eMbV0Yfgh9w6MefhKPN95_r7GLdP6MPgl_OyIjrYl0z9gp3e7PdavnHgSzPvV-v0yece8DLkMuMO8P0h45k8bHRrah7o/s1600/DSC01442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SC1B7k7u40g4iDv99H6AiFKRwbpu8nYcpRqpuHqt2ROPJCq2eMbV0Yfgh9w6MefhKPN95_r7GLdP6MPgl_OyIjrYl0z9gp3e7PdavnHgSzPvV-v0yece8DLkMuMO8P0h45k8bHRrah7o/s320/DSC01442.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ladies with Big Boy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After walking around looking at cars for an hour or two we decided to go eat at an Italian restaurant down the street. Food was superb and the beer was good. They even had a little club in the back called "The Lounge" or something similar. The DJ wasn't great at mixing and the music selection wasn't very good, so needless to say it was a little lame. There was about 10 people who must have stayed from dinner because no one in their sound mind would have gone to this place on a Friday night just to go. Unless they were getting free drinks. Overall, we would go again to have dinner but not to listen to the music. We finally decided to call it a night around midnight, seeing that Faustino and I had to get up early for the next day's adventures.<br />
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Thought about day 1: The drive wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, I was able to drive calmly while listening to music and letting Faustino nap. The weather was beautiful and it was a great way to start the trip. Can't wait for day 2. :)Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4445918421049752428.post-6863902422189794342010-10-12T04:12:00.000+02:002010-10-12T04:12:02.997+02:00Soul-searching, gut-wrenching tripsFor me there are two different types of trips. There are the trips/vacations which are mindless and they're meant to be that way. Meaning that during these trips you aren't trying to determine the meaning of life on earth. For me these type of trips tend to be quick getaways to places like Vegas where life is so fast you don't think about whats going on in the world or they're to the beach somewhere because you're trying to getaway from everyone and everything. Essentially I call these breather vacations. These trips are usually nice and they help you relax. Though, I definitely enjoy them, they don't tend to be fulfilling to me, they are basically just an easy way to escape reality.<br />
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Then there are those soul-searching and sometimes gut-wrenching trips. These trips are journeys and adventures. They are the things life-long memories are made of. These tend to be the stories you tell with a wide smile on your face a big chuckle in your heart. These experiences can open your heart and mind past what you ever thought possible. They tend to offer a lot of firsts. Like the first time stopping on a busy highway, putting on the hazard lights just to get a picture with the "Welcome to Arizona" sign meanwhile trucks and cars are honking to cheer you on. ;) Or they are a first time to a country completely different from your own, with a culture unlike any that you've ever encountered. Even more so, these trips often put your life into perspective. You have deep conversations with both yourself and other people. And generally, they are life altering and they mold the rest of your life. Sometimes these trips start out as the first type and quickly change into the second and other times you know from the get that they will be both soul-searching and gut-wrenching. Not because you plan it to be that way you just have this feeling that it will. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmYq2wyg0R1gAD4kHu6u0WfHgPPQRrLswvs5b9VUFr73NpYlzkJSd_TCZnPtHDyCYbRAm595RklnE8m3aNctE_Qrul2mN6MHcmW26KQpp5X6F-q7dXwBeuuja408SaqV0yk8-P_TCkPdT/s1600/DSC01458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmYq2wyg0R1gAD4kHu6u0WfHgPPQRrLswvs5b9VUFr73NpYlzkJSd_TCZnPtHDyCYbRAm595RklnE8m3aNctE_Qrul2mN6MHcmW26KQpp5X6F-q7dXwBeuuja408SaqV0yk8-P_TCkPdT/s320/DSC01458.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes you have to be a little crazy ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In my short life of 25 years, I have been blessed to have two to three soul-searching trips. Trips that had an awing effect on me. And that my friends is how my eleven day road trip started out. I knew it was going to be great but about an hour into the drive with Faustino sleeping in the passenger seat and me thinking, I had this feeling that this was going to be a lot more than I had anticipated. And I welcomed it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbSieplPrHW5buYv_XPJ5sZQHHrdTSxGi5rKKzhWw_PPM0tq07swa-my7vn-J0YKK6b7dxKy9X8tmhNEBBqARw6DFp4HUBUibwP3esPk-83TTIV_vNAgoww6rFhzuF81LYeGY9Aql1Zhd/s1600/DSC03322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbSieplPrHW5buYv_XPJ5sZQHHrdTSxGi5rKKzhWw_PPM0tq07swa-my7vn-J0YKK6b7dxKy9X8tmhNEBBqARw6DFp4HUBUibwP3esPk-83TTIV_vNAgoww6rFhzuF81LYeGY9Aql1Zhd/s320/DSC03322.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the road in Wyoming</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Please continue to stop by my blog over the next few weeks as I will be adding photos (above is just a glimpse at what was taken), captions and stories from my wonderful adventure!Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09092495477580824657noreply@blogger.com0