Stuff I put in storage

So my Mom and Step-Dad are moving and are in the final stages of packing up. The furniture and stuff is gone already, but some last minute things need to be packed up. So I had to go over there last week to go through about 8 boxes of my stuff that had been in their basement since I moved out after high school. There were some stuffed animals and stuff that mice got into and had to be tossed, but for the most part, everything was in good shape. I just had to sort through it and re-pack what I was keeping.

I found...
- Pics from my early trips to D.C., VA and MD (from '89-'92) my trip to Florida back in '87, pics of friends and I in middle school, and stuff from when I was little (camping, etc)
- Yearbooks from pre-school (Peter Pan) through Middle School
- T-shirts my Mom brought me back from their travels through Europe, Mexico, Africa and the Orient
- Baby clothes
- Newspapers/Mags. I collect them from major events and I found the 1989 earthquake, Berlin Wall coming down, the Challenger disaster, Lucile Ball and Bette Davis passing, a mag with Krissy Taylor on the cover before passing, a mag with an interview with River Phoenix before passing, and a bunch of others that I left folded up.
- Letters from the German and Japanese exchange students we had briefly when I was in high school, letters from friends when they moved away, and a few from a friend when she spent time in Iran one summer, etc.
- 6 or so diaries/journals dating from around '86 through'94
- Many other letters, notes passed in school, etc.
- Childhood books, including some signed Zilpha Keatley Snyder books like The Egypt Game, and others.
- Ceramics I made in high school
- Art projects from Middle School and High School
- A ton of school papers from Middle School book reports to High School term papers
- Souvenirs from trips
- And much more

I was in consolidate and pack mode, so I didn't really get to take the time to sit down and read through a lot of the stuff. So that will be really fun to do one of these days. The diaries for sure are going to be a trip. I wrote about everything, and usually daily (at least in my Middle School days) about boys, dances, everything. It'll be a crack up to go back and read.

Yosemite 2010

About 2 weeks ago, Claire, Bobby and I decided to head to their family cabin in Foresta (Yosemite) for Easter weekend. I headed to their place on Thursday so we could finalize the menu, etc. Which basically means that they plan yummy food to cook, and I agree to eat it ;-) Then we hung out and played Wii for a while. My first time ever touching the thing, now I want one. We played bowling, archery, wakeboarding and frisbee. Fun stuff. Anyway...

So on Friday, we headed out early'ish and were on our way. Once we hit the entrance to the park, there was snow all around on the side of the road and in the trees. We stopped so I could take a picture. But then there was more snow to see from then on. Snow banks on the side of the road, then through the forest to the left and right. It was beautiful. The last time I recall seeing snow was at the far end of Horseshoe Lake, outside Mammoth Lakes, the last time I was there in 2008 I think. Once we hit Crane Flat, it was actually snowing, so I took some video. Then we got to the cabin and unpacked. There was no snow down in Foresta, but the weather was overcast. We decided to head down to the Valley since it was early in the day still. So we stopped at Bridalveil first. The last time I was there, the water was whisping off the top like some water through a fan. This time it was gushing down, which was great to see. We walked up to the viewing spot, in the rain, then continued on. We headed to the store in the valley and bought some last min food and stuff. I kept looking at the souvenirs and was inclined to buy something. I collect magnets, but have about 5 from Yosemite, so that was pointless. Plus, I figure that I am there every one or 2 years, so I can get stuff next time.

Back at the cabin, we settled in and they made a nice fire in the wood burning stove. Played some Scattergories, Skip-Bo, etc. And they prepped the most amazing looking Enchiladas Verde, with homemade pinto beans and Mexican rice. All made from scratch, starting with the salsa verde for the enchiladas. And me even shucking some fresh peas from their pods for the rice dish. Although my main contribution was continually reading the recipes during the process :-) Unfortunately, I started to not feel well, so headed to bed without eating dinner. It was warm up in the loft with the wood stove shooting all the heat up there. But I adjusted to it.

Saturday (late) morning we headed out to the Ahwanee to check it out (not the first time of course), just because it's beautiful. Then headed to the Valley and had a chicken/mushroom/cheese pizza down there that was pretty good. Then wandered the Native American museum and village. After we went down to check out the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, which were gushing. So we walked the path to the Lower Falls. There was a ton of snow of the ground around the path which was beautiful. Then took a few customary pictures and headed on our way. We drove around the Valley just because. And in doing so, we saw a coyote in a field, so we pulled over and watched it for a while. Then saw a few deer laying down in the distance. Claire and Bobby decided to rent bikes for an hour (which we all did several years ago together) but I opted out this time. So they did that, and in the meantime I wandered a few shops at the Yosemite Lodge, got a snack and sat and watched the ever changing Upper Yosemite Falls, Beautiful!! We headed back to the cabin after that.

Instead of another elaborate dinner, we had a recap of dinner the night before. Luckily, because I missed out. So the enchiladas, beans and rice were amazing. We had the fire stocked again, and very warm, to counter balance the supposed 25-30 degree weather outside. We enjoyed many bottles of wine and sparkling wine this trip, which was a nice change from beer and liquor. Nothing wrong with either. It was just a change :-) After keeping the loft window open for a while to cool me down as I tried to sleep, I closed it and went to bed.

Then it was the ritual of getting up to clean what you had dirtied before leaving the place. So we tidied up for an hour or 2 and headed on our way. Hours later we were back at their place watching the Sharks lose in OT, and eating an awesome spaghetti with homemade meatball and salad dinner :-) A very nice weekend!

Busy week

I kind of realize that I don't blog too much anymore. And think it's mainly because of just commenting on FB and the like. Anyway... this is the latest...

"So... I have to take my Great Aunt to chemo tomorrow. Then Thursday is the typical Thanksgiving at my Moms. Then Friday heading to my Aunt's to help her decorate for Xmas. Her surgery if going to be on the 1st, so she wants to get some of it done while she is still able to help. Plus my Uncle just had unplanned hernia surgery last Friday... during which I went and dog sat for one of Danny and Savannah's dogs (Tanner) who was recovering from getting fixed the day before. Too much surgery stuff... ahhhhh!! :-) Then Sunday, my Mom, Savannah, Danielle (David's gf) and I will be going to my Aunts to make Xmas ornaments like these... http://www.ehow.com/how_5013336_decorate-glass-ornaments-paint.html"

Whew... that's this week.

Secret Santa

So this is the third year in a row that we are doing a Secret Santa on The NHL Arena. In 2007 I got a guy who lives in Calgary. I got him one of these green street signs that said Calgary Flames at the top and customized it with his name (I'd post a picture, but can't seem to find them online anymore). And I got the Hockey Night in Canada DVD game from... that's bad, I can't remember. In 2008 I got a Ducks fan a Ducks Mr Potato Head.

And I got a Saskatchewan Fire Fighter calendar (Yummy!), the same DVD game as the year before (Ooops) and a Team Canada jersey magnet.

I am a big fan of giving gifts, and even a bigger fan of finding something unique and personal, if possible. So this year what I came up with for my person was too cool, and very unique. So much so, that I hope someone didn't have the same mindset in the past and they already have it. I thought it was so cool that I got the same thing for myself. So I just hope all goes well with shipping and it goes off without a hitch. Of course I'll have to keep you all in suspense until after Xmas, since there is a decent chance that my person could read this :-)

Hockey has finally arrived... and other stuff...

After a LONG off-season of trying to scour the internet for anything and everything Sharks, the season is finally here. And things with the team are finalized for the most part. A good handful of players are gone (including my favorite guy), and we have a bunch of new faces that I only know about by name. So this is a new season, and a new team. I'm anxious for them to get started tomorrow night and see what they can do. I purchased a couple of new Sharks items this summer, but done with the splurging for now. The shirt I found on eBay and thought it was cool, and the jersey I bought the day JR retired. Miss you already JR. Oh, and went to the Teal and White game (Thanks Sarah's co-worker!!), and that was a great way to start getting pumped for the season.






Other than that, not up to much. My cousin and his fiancee are getting married in February. So that has been the talk of the family lately. We went this last Saturday dress shopping for her, and she found the one. It is GORGEOUS!!! And she looks gorgeous in it. I happened to be poking around online looking for dresses for me to wear at the wedding, and I found one. It came in the mail a week or so ago, and I think it's a keeper. One less thing to worry about.

And it's been almost exactly 5 months since my Mom and Step-Dad left for their 5th annual summer jaunt up the coast of B.C. and Alaska. They will be getting the boat back to it's final resting place for the Winter, on Saturday. Then they will be home within the week after sometime. It'll be nice to have them back.

That's it for now... I haven't blogged in so long that I'm not sure of everything I wanted to say. But that's the download from my brain for now :-)

My Mom cracks me up

So, my Mom had been meaning to send my Aunt and I a list of the toiletry, etc items that she had on the boat, and that we wouldn't need to pack. The boat isn't all that big with 4 adults and a dog on it, so the less you bring the better. This e-mail arrived in my inbox yesterday evening and I cracked up. Besides the obvious, it's meant as a joke :-)
__________

Dear Cruise Passenger;
We are delighted that you have chosen the mv AQUILA for your 2009 Alaskan Glacier Adventure. We want you to enjoy your trip. Following is a list of items which we carry that are available to you at no additional fee. Remember, this a casual cruise. Formal nights have been eliminated due to lack of interest.

- Shampoo (Pantene)
- Conditioner
- Shower gel
- Body lotion
- Sunblock (#8, #15, #30 and #45)
- Insect repellent (yes, there are mosquitoes in Alaska)
- Curling iron
- Hair dryer (can only be used when we are in port)
- All linens
- Laptop
Cd's for storing and/or sharing photos
- First Aid supplies including:
Ibuprofen, Excedrin, Benadryl, Tums, and various ointments
Seasick medications (holistic as well as Dramamine)
- Numerous paperback books in the library
- Binoculars

Some items that will be necessary for you to bring: (the temperature in the fjords near the glacier is often in the 20's F) One does not need to spend much time outside. One can stay in the heated salon. However, most of our guests prefer to look at icebergs from the outside deck.

- Warm coat (or layer lighter ones)
- Rain slicker or umbrella if it rains in Juneau while you want to
site-see
- Cap (we have a few available to borrow)
- Gloves
- Good walking shoes for site seeing in Juneau
- Shoes that can get wet (it may rain either while we are in Juneau
or while we out of port)
- Personal medication
- Camera

Some items that are not necessary to bring:

- A hard sided suitcase. Storage space is at a premium and a duffel that
folds will work best.
- High heel shoes

Miscellaneous information:

- The cruise line has a small dog as a mascot. Dog lovers only are encouraged to take this cruise.
- We are a "no smoking" cruise line
- There will only be cell service while in Juneau.
- There will only be internet service while in Juneau.
- Email service will be available on Aquila's satellite system while away from
port.
- Kayaks are available at no additional fee
- In order to keep the capt. on an even keel, please feed him chocolate at
regular intervals
- BYOB or beer, etc. Alcohol may be consumed both in port and during cruise,
however it is not provided by the management
- Please feel free to bring to spare boat parts
- A limited number of DVD movies are available. Feel free to bring your own. They will be a wonderful addition to our "Popcorn at the Movies" evenings
- Earplugs may eliminate equipment and other miscellaneous noises

We hope this helps with your trip planning. We are anxious to meet you and begin the adventure. Remember, gratuities are gratefully accepted.

Sincerely,
Phred - Captain, Maintenance Engineer, and Entertainment
Joan - Admiral, Chef and Cabin Steward.

The countdown begins...

In 5 days I'll be leaving for Alaska for 10 days. I can't wait. Although I'm psyching myself out and already started thinking about the trip being over. Time just goes way too fast when you are having fun. But I think I have that mentality too because my Step-Bro and his girlfriend fly up for a week a few days after I get back. So I'll be back home with my trip being over knowing they are up there having fun. Blah! But it will be so nice to escape these heat waves and head to the land of icebergs.

I was in Juneau 2 summers ago, so I have kind of done almost everything there is to do there in town. That doesn't cost over $200 at least. But one day I will splurge and do the zip-line and helicopter/dogsled/glacier tours. But since my Aunt (who is going with me) hasn't been before, we'll probably take the tram up Mt Roberts and the City and Mendenhall Glacier tour. According to weather.com's 10 day forecast, we will have "showers" next Mon-Fri (that's as far out as it forecasts). However, I never trust weather.com, as they are consistently wrong. So about 3 other weather sites I checked said "cloudy with a chance of rain". But it is what it is. I will have just as much fun getting drenched outside on the boat (see below from 2 years ago), watching beautiful scenery go by, as I would in the sun. And I can't wait to go kayaking around icebergs again. YAY!


So I just have to start packing and getting organized. I have my packing and to do list already, just have to gather the stuff. And that includes the boat parts, magazines, books, medications, stuff for Merlin, etc to bring up to my parents. Just hope it doesn't take up my whole duffel bag ;-)

Fingerprinted

I had to go get my fingerprints scanned today, which is required by the company I will be temping for later this week. Kind of random. But now I'm in the system. Then went for a walk around the Berkeley Marina. It was quite windy and chilly out there, but better than being super hot I guess.

Now I'm quite tired and just chilling at my Aunt's awaiting ribs and salad for dinner. YUM!

I'm so sunburnt!!! OUCH!!!

This isn't even close to the worst of the burn...

So my Aunt and I headed to the coast today just to get out of the house and the heat. One of our destinations in mind was the Taco Bell in Pacifica. Sounds silly, I know. But it's apparently the only Taco Bell to actually sit on a beach. And has a deck on the back where people from the beach can just walk up to all wet and order at a window. So, we figured me may as well check it out, just for the hell of it. It was on some Travel Channel Top 10 list at some point.


We then thought we'd beach hop and take some pictures. I don't know all the names, but they are between Half Moon Bay and Pacifica (Montara and Moss Beach are two). Mostly just pulling over at random lookouts or driving down coastal access roads when we saw them.





But one coastal access road took us unexpectedly to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. So we pulled over and thought we'd check it out. They had a little Parks and Rec visitor booth so we walked over to get a pamphlet on the place. The Ranger in the booth let us know that the beach to the left was coned off because a harbor seal beached itself. So they were waiting for someone from the Marine Mammal Center to come check it out. So we wandered down to the reserve which is a nice beach with tons of rocks and tide pools. We took plenty of pics, and tried to look for the seal, but couldn't spot it. So, we just decided to sit on the bench and enjoy the view, and wishful thinking that we'd get to see the Marine Mammal Center person show up. And sure enough, maybe 15 mins later, the Ranger and a guy show up and walk out onto the coned off part of the beach. With a blanket the Marine Mammal guy picked up the seal from where it was laying between the rocks and laid it on the beach. He then got a better hold of him with the blanket and started carrying him back. As he got closer, he was telling us that the seal still had part of the umbilical cord attached, so they left him out there a day to see if the mother would come back. And since she didn't, they came out to rescue him. So he is probably just a few days old. And we got to see the little guy very close up (if you click on the pics, you'll get better photos). How cool was our timing to get to see that? So awesome!! And someone who was there while we were was wearing a Saku Koivu shirt. How random is that?








And at the end of the day...

Anyway, I think that was a pretty cool way to spend Earth Day.

SJ Gnome

So my friend Sarah finished the painting of her gnome and just got it back today, after it had been fired. How cute is he? I just might have to steal him when I see him in person ;-)



But that made me want to go do a project too. It's called Petroglyph and is one of those places where you buy an item, then you just pay for the sitting fee to paint it. Then they fire it for you. Back in high school I took several ceramics classes and won several awards for some of my stuff. I know it was only high school, but it was nice anyway. I've often contemplated getting back into it for fun. Whether I go to a studio to work on it, or set up a place around my house to do it. So I was thinking this may be a good first step to get me back into the hobby. So she and I might go in a couple of weeks. I can't wait!!