Fade to Fog: A Photo Story
Hey California, what is UP with summer?
I hate to say I sorta miss the deep-fry temps of Palm Springs right now as I sit watching Food Network in my robe, flannel jams, and slippers! It's damn cold.
Plus the wind we get around 3pm every afternoon has creeped up to visiting at noon and you may as well take the parka out of your vacuum-packed storage.
What's the smartest thing to do? Go north. Up the coast. Sure it's not warmer, but it's pretty. And there's blue skies.
But, off in the distance...fog.
Creeping in, ever so slowly.
And, in a matter of...
...miles...
...the fog wanted to...
...swallow us whole.
And it did.
But, oh how gorgeous the coast is even in it's greydom.
Then staying here...
...and enjoying this the next morning...
...makes it all worth it. Fog and all.
Are the Cookies Ready Yet?
If you wonder what it’s like to walk into an oven at 117 degrees to see if the cookies are done, then head to Palm Springs in the middle of July.As we approached Rancho Mirage, we watched the car thermometer rise…100, 103, 105, 106…110…111…113…114…115…116…117.
117.
I have never experienced heat quite like that before.
Everytime we left an area with air conditioning and into the heat, my husband would ask, “Are the cookies ready yet?!” We’d feel like we just opened the oven door to check on cookies baking.
Look at the mountains, nakey! Nothing grows here.Like you often hear, “it’s a dry heat.” It is. Just overwhelms you by filling your face with the inability to breathe. Your eyeballs dry up, you take a breath in, only to dry all the saliva in your throat and mouth and you exhale saying, shit that's hot.
Once you regain the ability to spit again, you sweat, or if you’re like me, you don’t sweat at all, you internally boil then pray you can get one of those perspiration moustaches.
It doesn’t happen, so then heat stroke knocks on my door and asks to come in.
THAT’s when I ordered my first Mai Tai and the rest of the weekend was easy.
Okay, so I did alternate Mai Tai, water, Mai Tai, wine spritzer, water, beer, then water again.
Duh, I didn’t want a headache!
Why do you think they call it Rancho Mirage? NOTHING GROWS HERE.
This was the first vacation that I wanted to be equally imbibing fluids as I wanted to be submerged in pool, all day, all night. It’s actually a nice plan, though we did have to dry off to eat once in a while too.I even went down both waterslides. Water shot up my nose so fast, I momentarily couldn’t find which way was up from the bottom of the pool, what a rush.
So the low for the weekend was 89 degrees and that’s at 7am.
Just as we all got our wings and were acclimated, it’s time to pack up and head home.
It’s okay, though, hub has to work tomorrow and K has school.
Plus, I gotta get home to watch the Bachelorette!
It’s going to be the best finale, YET.
We will be back though.
NOTE---if your oven is only set to 117, cookies will take 4 times longer to bake...if at all...just eat the raw dough...raw eggs, schmawschneggs!
PS NOTE---I don't endorse eating raw eggs. That was just a joke.
Life Was Simpler in the Age of 8-Track Tapes
Midway through our 7 hour trip to Rancho Mirage, I pull out my trusty laptop to write.A fairly new concept, thanks to my in-laws, the laptop goes with me everywhere now, just in case I have a brain twitch and need to get it in print before my mind swallows it whole and I forget about it 3 seconds later.
Where was I?
Oh yeah. Limo windows.
I will give you full royalties if you just name it after me.
The Jen Window.
The invention I NEED to have made is for regular-non-stretch variety cars to offer an electronic window between the front of the car to the back.
Seriously, and we think driving while talking/texting on a cell phone is dangerous!
How about a four year old’s squeals of “I’m hungry, my turn on the DS, give me your iPod, and get your feet off my head!” piercing my eardrums at 2000 decibles??
Nevermind that she packed her own backpack of toys to keep her busy on the trip.
It’s still on the floor, zipped.
I’m not even driving and I want to stick the keys in my eyes.
And I forgot my earplugs.
I thought I’d be beyond this stage by now. But it gets worse with the tweens. Just wait. They will eat you alive.
I remember driving to Oregon when I was little, all I needed was the Grease Soundtrack on 8-track and I was good.
Grease was the word you know, and I loved me some Frankie Valli.
Bee-yoo-tee-school dropout….I can’t believe I never questioned what a hooker was when I heard that song at age 9. (hindsight glance into space)…
I loved that green Audi we had too, everyone thought it was a Mercedes.
I didn’t tell them different either, not my fault they couldn’t read.
Sigh.
Oh hey, it’s sprinkling. And it’s 88 degrees out.
Chances for a cool down to about 109 in Palm Springs is possible people, keep your fingers crossed for us.
Hold on my phone….
Apparently the Grapevine doesn’t accept calls, I have no bars.
Sorry mom. Call you later.
It smells like wet pavement and McD’s pancakes now.
We just rolled down the windows so K could feel the rain and giggle.
Aw. See just when you pull the keys out of your eyes, the cherubic toddler does something completely adorable.
It all may go back to hell in a handbasket, I give it 10 minutes.
As we pass Six Flags Magic Mountain, a collective “awww!” comes over the car.
No we can’t go there, we’re going to fry in the desert and that’s final!
I will now stuff some leftover pancake in my ears and take a little nap.
Midday Wine and Melting in Palm Springs.
It's the middle of the day.It's warm out.
The kids are in the Wade Lagoon in the backyard.
Mom's working.
I'm drinking wine.
[yellow tail] Tree Free Chardonnay.
In a virtual wine tasting event, you want my job don't you?
Just "tasting" not chugging.
Paired it with jalepeno cream cheese and wheat thins.
I was sent a free bottle of wine to taste and participate in this online event.
Did I mention it's noon?
It's a fabulous varietal not aged in oak, hence it's lighter, crisper taste with hints of grapefruit and melon.
Ahh.
I can't wait until it's after 5pm to attack the bottle a little more vigorously.
So what are we doing this weekend, again, as part as my job?!
Heading to Palm Springs.
We get the opportunity to try out this fabulous resort and write about it.
I think my first line will be, "Someone turn on the AC outside please!"
The forecast is 117 all weekend.
Really.
I didn't think that was humanly possible either.
Palm Springs may be a road to hell.
Luckily the resort has Spashtopia, waterslides, pools, and AC indoors.
If we don't make it back, you can find me in a puddle on highway 10.
Tahoe, will you Marry Me?
You know how when you're on vacation...You're having fun,
You don't have to work,
It's all relax, drink, repeat?
Yeah, I miss that.
I miss Lake Tahoe.
I miss our vacation with my husband's family, spending hours with his sister and her family. The boys, ages 1.5 and 3.
I'm vacation-sick.
Like home-sick, but for more time off, and with pay.
Oh yeah, that doesn't really exist.
Hub misses this...
And avoiding these on his mountain bike...
My Boy misses this...
and is itching to ride this with dad...
K misses this...
..and can you blame her?!
DQ misses holding her....
and well hanging out with the rest of these little guys...
I miss doing this on the Tahoe Queen Cruise...
And...the views of here (Emerald Bay)...
Seriously, Tahoe, marry me. I cannot leave you. It's so hard to say goodbye.
A Thousand Words Thursday
Wait for it, wait for it!
One of the very coolest things at the Monterey Bay Aquarium aside from the amazing animals is the sitting under the canopy of a wave. Every few seconds or so you get a wave crashing over you and the feeling is just so cool. This is close to "eating it" while surfing I'll ever get, and I'm okay with that!!
Want to join me in A Thousand Words Thursday, read and grab my button from HERE. Then write in your name and the URL(permalink) in the new Simply Linked below.
Things I Learned from our Disneyland Trip, Part Deux
.....more things I learned on our Disneyland trip.This...
Is totally worth this...
Renting a stroller was best $15 we spent all day!
Hubby gets motion sickness and prepares with Dramamine....we found out that at this height....
Visiting the Mission Tortilla Factory at California Adventure, I'm happy to report I weigh approximately 1280 tortillas.
Disney's machinery...
...and colors are amazing.
Always a magical....
...mystical time!
We miss you Disneyland!
Things I Learned from our Disneyland Trip, Part One
This week has been a whirlwind of adventure, illness, stress, and fun.So much so, I completely flaked on my very own meme, A Thousand Words Thursday, for the first time in 2 years I didn't put it up, even late.
Anyway.
I learned a lot about my family, about Disneyland, about tourists, this last roadtrip....like.....
**Sleeping in the same room with the kids is something I'm not used to anymore! Talk about sleepless nights. Poor kids were affected by colds and allergies and the midnight sniffing, coughing, and snortling made it hard for a pleasant slumber.
**Dangle "free breakfast" and "Disneyland" over their heads and you can wake up anyone, parent and child alike early in the morning.
**Rain scares tourists at amusement parks.
**Rain also means $19.99 ponchos for die-hards and NO LINES on Pirates of the Carribbean! WOOT.
**Pirates is a ride you can go on twice, at least!
**When you are too short for some rides, lollipops make the hurt go away!
**People who don't use Fast Pass are cah-razy!
**The Indiana Jones ride was my all-time FAVORITE!
**Dumbo is a water-ride when it's pouring down rain and you're flying through the air! And, if you ask K, it was her favorite!
**My oldest does know how to smile....and she and her brother can get along!
.........part 2 coming soon!
Roadtrips, Earthquakes, and Aftershocks Oh My!
Spring Break Roadtrip. Day 1, First Hour.A few observations we’ve made so far…
--this is the first trip we haven’t had a potty chair, bottle, or diapers with us!
--headphones for all the kids on iPods, DS’s, and DVD players--blissful!
--riding with two tweens (caravanned with another family) is better than the alternative. It's quieter and less "fight"y than with just siblings. I always went on vacay with friends since my brother was so much older. DQ is in heaven having her friend in the car!
--having a laptop in the car is cool, if only for drafting in MS Word!
--our car cleans up well, when we actually clean it.
--I-5 is a long, boring road.
--Mixed CD’s make the ride tolerable. Thanks Kim!
--I love my family.
--My husband is a good driver.
--I want car wi-fi.
-------------------
Day 1, Afternoon Evening.
--After lunch we played musical cars. I rode with my friend and both boys.
--Talking makes the drive go faster.
--Boys make more animated noises than girls.
--We made it to the hotel in great time.
--While checking into the hotel, we experienced and earthquake. We had to go outside, escorted by the scared staff!
--Learned the quake was a 7.2 centered in Mexicali.
--Quakes don't deter kids from wanting to go swimming!
--Hotel restaurants are nice when you want to drink and not drive.
--The night before Disneyland, plus aftershocks woke me at 4am....
next blog post....Things I learned from going to Disneyland!
The Easter Mouse
The Easter Bunny came early this year.Yes, he brought cosmos for me and a trip to Disneyland for the kids!
Dude, rabbit-man, how did you know?
Who cares, thank you, and you can keep the cranberry juice.
I'm thrilled, maybe even more than the kids. But, maybe that's the vodka talking after a long first day of Spring Break!
We haven't been to the House of Mouse since 2004. Lots has happened since then I'm sure.
I think the place is now called HannahMontanaLand, and the princesses are now tween-age girls in knee boots, all named Taylor.
Rad. Y'all.
I kid. I just wish I had the whole Disney idea.
Phineas and Ferb, pure brilliance.
Sonny With a Chance would so be cancelled by now. No offense Demi Lovato, but can we say over-rated. Camp Rock was not that good! Just because you put a Jonas brother in a movie doesn't make it good. Hotter...but not good.
So anyway, princesses, It's a Small World, Autotopia, oh my gosh the Finding Nemo adventure!! K is going to flip, that combined with Little Einsteins at the Playhouse Disney show?
She's going to want to live there. Right in Tomorrowland, next to the Jedi Training area, so she can see My Boy a lot.
I'd probably have to find a job there to pay for the $45 hot dogs. I think I'm short enough to don the Stitch costume.
Or DQ can dance in the parades nightly for some extra coin.
Hubby will want to bunk in the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse.
Cool, I think we have it all planned out.
The trip is going to rock. Thank you Easter Bunny.
Our Lucky Day!
Despite all the SHAT that has been going on with the illness, side effects, and my downer posts lately, we did have a fantabulous day Saturday.My friend Merrie (Sleepless Mornings)gave us free tix to an Oakland A's game and we were thrilled.
My hubby has been a fan since his youth, and frankly My Boy can't pass up a stadium hot dog for anything!
So we get their early and luck out-we get to watch batting practice which is always cool!
Soon after finding our amazing seats, an A's Ambassador comes over and asks if the kids want to go ON the field and watch BP!!
UM, YEAH!
The kids are on the field taking in the view from just behind home plate, very cool!
Soon after, another A's rep comes over and hands My Boy a BP ball!
Our seats were so close to the A's dugout, My Boy and I hung out and tried to get some autographs.
Luckily Eric Patterson was hanging out, so we grabbed our new ball and tossed it over the dugout for some signage!
And of course, I snapped some pics of my personal favorite player...Bobby Crosby.
First inning we see 4 runs score for the A's plus a homer from Mark Ellis, woot!
If that wasn't enough...another pair of A's reps came over to us and asked if we'd like to participate in the Chevron DiamondVision game in the 6th inning. 3 fans get a chance to win a $100 gift card for gas! We couldn't pass this up, so Hubby reluctantly agreed, since I had to take photos.
Hubby gets whisked away to the other side of the stadium and dons a Chevron car tee!
Then the computer-game is played on DiamondVision...and Hubby is then shown with his opponents!
Unfortunately, the car he represented, Muddy Maddie, did not win, but for his good sportsmanship he wins a $10 gas card!
It was an amazing day, and the A's beat the Indians 8-4, which means that every fan got a free 2-liter of Pepsi from their sponsors...I also found 2 A's merchandise cards in my wallet for $33 that i've had for over a year so the kids got a A's pullover.
I'm thinking with that luck, I should have purchased a lotto ticket!
Thanks again Merrie!
