Oh Leo

Here is a snippet of a conversation Jon and I had just two nights ago.

(Out of the clear blue sky)

Me: I really miss when Leonardo DiCaprio's hair was long enough to wear a headband. He looked good in a headband.

Jon: You should email him and let him know. Who is he dating now?

Me: Oh probably some model

Jon: That's right, he is what you call a modelizer right?

Me: Yeah, that's right (inwardly shocked that he knew that term)

*I was looking for a picture of Leo with his headband and there was not one to be found. Jon asked me "are you sure it was him that had the headband?" I looked him dead in the eye and said "Yes I am sure-you don't know how deep my love for him ran when I was a teen"...Seriously though I had a scrap book dedicated to my love for Leo. Alright, I am going to stop typing, I am making myself look bad.

The Great Out Doors

This past weekend Me, Jon and Frank made a quick trip to Tahoe in search of some rest and relaxation.

It was also Frank's first time in Tahoe so Jon and I had some fun introducing him to our favorite activities. Like the beach:

The water was freezing so we had to force Frank to take some breaks in the sunshine to warm his little body up.
We also went on a little hike which was really neat because we let Frank roam around without a leash on. He was so well behaved and it made my little heart happy.

He looks so small compared to the tall trees.

We also stumbled upon some gorgeous flowers.

Does anyone know what type of flower that is?

We also stopped along the way to stack rocks because we think it looks cool-and we're dorks.

Spontaneous photo shoot! Vogue! Cheese! Etc.

Another fun "activity" was lounging on the deck and just taking in nature.

It was a really relaxing weekend and I am so glad we went. And to be honest, I was a little sad to leave. Oh well, till next time!

What did you do this weekend?

Hot Pup in the City

This past weekend Jon and I took Frank to the San Francisco English Bulldog Meet up. We have been to some meet ups in the past, but it had been a while since Frank was able to mingle with his buddies.

This was Frank's first meet up post weight loss and it was so fun to see him running up and down the beach.

And then of course took a break for some sunbathing.
Afterwards we took our waterlogged pup out for lunch and even snapped a "family picture" in the window of a mirror store.

And as could have been predicted Frank fell fast asleep on the ride home. And then he slept for the rest of the day.

It was a perfect day spent in the city with my little family.

I'll Be There For You!

This might sound super couch potatoey of me, but I really like watching TV. See I told you, sounds super lazy of me, but it is true. I don't sit in front of the tv 24/7 but when there is a show I enjoy on I get really excited. Friends is one of those shows that I still laugh out loud (or you know, LOL) to even though I have seen every episode at least twice.

When I was in high school new episodes of Friends were kinda a big deal around campus. It seemed like the day after a new episode aired that is all anyone would talk about. Now keep in mind this is before MySpace, Facebook and Twitter so such discussions like this were not instantaneous as they are today. But we had pagers, like a bunch of little doctors (or drug dealers) with acne. I mean really, who else necessitates a pager. So anyway, since I went to school in the dark ages and this severely hindered our enjoyment of tv viewing.

Well about three friends of mine decided to get together on Thursday nights to watch Friends as a group so we could chat about it's awesomeness in real time. We did this religiously and had such a good time doing so and eventually a couple more of our friends started to join us. And then our "Friends Nights" really caught on and we had at least 20 of our classmates gathered around a tv every Thursday. It was really interesting to see people from all different "groups" sitting and laughing together at something as silly as a tv show. There weren't any drugs or alcohol involved and not a soul would talk while the show was on and during commercials we would trade notes. Totally wholesome fun.

I'm telling you we were serious about it...we even had a slogan:

"Friends don't let friends watch Friends without friends"

...we even had t-shirts with said slogan printed on them!

And then as quick as it started the season ended and we all went back to normal.

It is funny because I hadn't thought of those "Friends Nights" in so long. hmm. random.

Did you have anything like this in high school? What was your favorite tv show?

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Remembering Rosie One Year Later

I rarely ever post on the weekend but a year ago today was when my family lost a very important member. Rosie was our first family dog and she taught us just how fun dogs can be and how much we were capable of loving them. We are all so thankful for the lessons she taught us and the short time she was with us.

So please give your dog an extra treat, hug or extra long walk today in memory of my sweet little Rosie.

Meet Up Magic

Not to sound like a broken record but I am always stunned, STUNNED, at the way blogging has impacted my life. I've had photo shoots with, roller coaster rides with, blueberry white Russians with, puppy talk with and giggly online girl chats with wonderful women I have met because of blogging. Seriously not what I expected, at all.

You may be wondering what spurred this?

Well today I was able to meet up with the lovely Raven from Just Expressive. Raven and her fam were on vacation to San Francisco so I met up with them for lunch in the city. Jon even met up with us!

We had great conversation about travel, ghostly encounters, Ed Hardy and the amount of trust you can put in a ghost hunter that wears such shirts. It was a really great time. The only downside was that she had to hop on a plane and go alllll the way to Texas :( Why can't all of my friends (in real life and internet found) live in a compound where I can borrow cups of sugar from them on a whim? I had a lovely time with you and your family Raven.
I was told a couple days ago that "it takes a specific type of person" to "get" the whole blogging/twittering thing (I'm pretty sure it was a dig). But you know what? It sure does and I am glad I am that type of person.

The Most Work I Have Done For My Food In A While

Remember how I told you that my "place of yes" had encouraged me to go to a craw fish boil? Well I went. Here is a play by play of the evening.

We arrived and there was a steaming pile of....craw fish. Craw fish are also known as crawdads or mud bugs...yum. Or something.

Here they are in all their glory!

Hesitant isn't even the word to describe how I felt about trying these little buggers. But I kept reminding myself how I already declared it on the Internet so I had to follow through. I mean regardless of if anyone reads this blog anymore (seriously, are you guys there?) it is out on the Internet so Jon could look it up and remind me that I said I would do it.

They are kinda cute

So I cracked the tail off of the head and then I sucked the "juice" out of the head. By the way I was instructed to suck the juice-I was not improving for the fun of it.

See that far away look in my eyes? Yeah, I am going to my happy place which does not consist of juice sucking.

And theeeen, you eat the tail meat. That being said, I am not quite sure if I would do it again. But ya know what? I am glad I tried it!

What did you eat this weekend?

I Know, Right?

There are a lot of catch phrases going around these days and in my opinion, they need to stop. I'm not pointing any fingers because sadly, I am guilty too. But every time one of these choice phrases slips from my mouth I cringe a little inside.

I think my friend Jesse says it pretty well:

What are some phrases that you wish would go away right now?

Place of Yes

I was watching the premier of "Bethenny Getting Married?" on Bravo last night. Bethenny was originally on Real Housewives of New york City and now has a spin off show about her getting married, having a baby and running a business. Bethenny has always been my favorite housewife because she is so honest and dodges drama as best she can.

One of Bethenny's most memorable moments on the show was when she was trying to have a conversation with Kelly (easier said than done, let me tell you) and she said that she comes from "a place of yes". Interestingly enough that is also the name of her new book.

This statement encouraged me to wonder, what place do I come from, yes or no?

I think historically I was probably from the place of no because oh boy, no is such a safe place. In the place of no people don't get hurt or bored or really anything. And I think I resided there for a while because I was just so darn busy with school and working. So I said no simply because there wasn't any time to say yes. I didn't need to add to the hectic life I was already leading. I was no out of necessity.

But things are different now. And I have talked about this before, my fascination with saying yes. I feel like I am in a place where I can say yes and see where that leads me. Its fun being from the place of yes. Life is a little spontaneous and can lead you to places you never thought you would go. For instance, I am going to a craw fish boil on Sunday...I don't like seafood. We'll see how that goes, but hey I am up to it!

What place are you from and why do you think that is?

Related: What are you doing this weekend?

And more importantly, do you watch any of the Real Housewives shows? Which one is your favorite?

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Like a Fine Wine...

So I have noticed a trend in my celebrity crushes lately. And for once I am not robbing the cradle, ala short lived Zac Effron phase. No, this time all of these men are older, much older than me.

Maurice Benard:

Years older than me: 22

Obsession first began: When I started watching General Hospital religiously. Maurice plays the super moody and suave mob boss Sonny Corinthos.

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Robert Downey Jr.:

Years older than me: 20

Obsession first began: When he did a guest spot on Ally McBeal. And I saw him and his super hero gadgets in Iron Man and with that the obsession was rekindled. It also helps that his character in Iron Man is sassy and sarcastic. I fall for the sarcasm it every single time.

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Sting

Years older than me: 26

Obsession first began: When his cd came out when I was in high school and then I got on a Police kick.

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John Stamos

Years older than me: 22

Obsession first began: When he played the ultra cool Uncle Jesse on Full House. This obsession was made anew when I recently saw that he had a twitter account.

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Rob Lowe

Years older than me: 21

Obsession first began: When I saw him as Senator McCallister on Brother's and Sisters. And the obsession continues as I watch him on Parks and Recreation opposite Amy Poehler. Who knew he was so funny?! Hot and funny. Perfect combo!

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I Scream, You Scream...

Ice cream and I have a long, complicated history.

I can remember shoveling spoonfuls of ice cream into my mouth on summer days when I was a kid. I would mix my bowl of ice cream up so that it would get soft and goopy and I would call it "ice cream soup". YUM. Twas a match made in the frozen food aisle.

As I grew older my love affair with ice cream intensified; sundaes, milk shakes, sandwiches. But it soon became apparent that we were not a good match. While I was with my beloved ice cream everything was fine, great even. However, soon after I would be literally sick to my stomach. Maybe ice cream really wasn't my perfect match.

But I persisted and even ignored the signs that I should give ice cream up for good. Unfortunately, my intolerance for ice creams negative attributes hit a fever pitch and I could deny no longer that ice cream and I were just not meant to be.

It was a hard transition but somehow I made it out on the other side. If I see ice cream in public I no longer wish it was me with the delectable dairy dish in front of me. In fact I now can only think of the pain that ice cream caused me, which I suppose is for the best.

But dairy free frozen yogurt.....well that is a whole other story.

Do you have a food that you have trouble giving up regardless of how it makes you feel afterwards?

Getting Back In The Swing Of Things...Trying To Anyway

I want to be a professional vacationer.

Is that so much to ask?

I want my biggest worry to be which bathing suit I should wear that day. Or which restaurant I should have my dinner at. Or which spa option I should take that day. Or or or or...

You get the point right?

We have been home since Sunday and I still can't pull myself up by my bootstraps and say VACATION OVER-GET WITH IT LADY! I still find myself wistfully remembering how awesome it was to just sit by the pool in the sunshine. I think I am having such a hard time getting with it because this was one of my first vacations where I was able to truly relax. Most of the vacations I go on I am going, seeing, doing but this vacation I was just able to purely relax.

So now that I am home and forced to get in the swing of things I am actively working on making my surroundings a little bit more blissful. I mean I can't exactly hire someone to give me pedicures and facials everyday but I did spend coin at my local nursery. I am now the proud owner of a garden full of potted snap dragons. They are no palm springs but they do bring a smile to my face. It is the little things ya know?

Adoring the Desert: A How To

After a long, full, day at Disneyland we hopped in the car and drove two hours to Palm Springs. This drive was challenging because we were both absolutely exhausted times ten! But as soon as we made it into the desert we saw some amazing scenery that revived us a bit.

(Sorry for the junky cell phone pic)

We headed to bed pretty much as soon as we got there which wasn't hard to do because our bed was a California King with all the bells and whistles; down comforter, mattress pad, fluffy pillows. I love me some quality bedding.

The next day we took our little rental car to take in the sights-and what beautiful sights they were.

Palm Springs is such a chic place dahling. So naturally I had to glam it up pool side with an over sized hat.

While this picture was being taken I was totally singing "Money can't buy you class, elegance is leaaaarned....my friend".

After hanging poolside we found a great BBQ joint with a really cute bronze pig out front. His name was Lucky and he had been sitting out in the sun all day-read: SUPER HOT! My lips aren't actually touching him.

Now here is where the trip gets bananas!

Read slowly.

We went for a hike.

IN THE DESERT!

A Hike In The Desert.

I don't go for hikes in the non-desert.

I am still in shock.

And here is another crazy story.

Ok so we pull up to the place where you park your car (also known as a parking lot) and I notice a van parked next to us. A little dog pops it's head up into the driver's side window. I talk baby talk to him for a bit because I am now officially a crazy dog lady. After shmoo shmooing the pup I make sure there is a window open for him. There isn't. We are in the desert, no shade, at 8am and it is already 80 degrees! This was not ok with me.

So being the do gooder/tattle tale I am I very passionately told a ranger that there was a dog locked up in a van without a window rolled down. Thankfully they saw how scary and dangerous this was for our four legged friend and they not only sent a ranger to go help the dog but they went on the trail to search for the owners (luckily they were right near the entry so it didn't take too long). (I was informed later that the owners were given a tongue lashing and told they could not finish the trail unless someone went to go sit in the car with the dog).

But really people WHO LEAVES A DOG IN A VAN WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP-IN THE DESERT!!!

So anyway.

After that craziness we had a really enjoyable time on the trail. I mean look at all that beauty.

And after about an hour of hiking we made it to the waterfall. And it was glorious. And ice cold. But mainly glorious.

And then I don't know what got into me but I dunked my whole noggin in the ice cold water. But contrasted with the heat, it felt oh so good.

I wasn't anticipating this at all, but the hike was a highlight of the trip. Who knew. Hmm maybe I do like hiking...

The rest of the trip consisted of a lot of eating yummy food and lounging pool side, going to the spa and sleeping in the delicious bed. And then before we knew it, it was time to drive home.

Don't I look like I am driving a school bus? I take my 10 and 2 seriously.

The Happiest Place On Earth!

Jon and I are back from our vacation and I have got a ton of pictures to share! Our first stop on vacation was Disneyland! Now let me tell you something, Jon has never been to Disneyland. I know, shocking (since we live so close and all). I was so excited to share the magic with him.

Right after we bought our tickets the lady that handed us our tickets she asked us if we were celebrating anything today. It just so happened that we were celebrating our anniversary. Once we told the lady she said "let me see if I can make some magic happen" and then she handed us some buttons with Mickey and Minnie on them that said "It's Our Anniversary!". So we clipped on our buttons and every park employee (or cast member as they call them) would greet us with "Happy Anniversary!". Very magical indeed.

Since I have been to Disneyland, oh roughly a bazillion times I gave Jon a tour of all of my favorite places. Here I am at the stage I performed on a couple of times when I was on my middle school's dance team.

We hung out in Toon Town.

Went for a drive:

Jon got a work out in:

Then we slayed some evil space guys

(Check out the score, clearly Jon kicked my butt)

And since we were there on a Wednesday morning we were able to get in all of our rides without a wait!

After all that excitement we ended our day with a yummy dinner at the Blue Bayou restaurant. The Blue Bayou is a restaurant that is actually part of the Pirates of The Caribbean ride. You actually feel like you are sitting on the Bayou having dinner.

The day was exhausting but oh so fun. I think Jon had a good time at his first time in Disneyland. What do you think?

Tomorrow I will tell you about our trip into the desert!