Disneyland and Catalina Island!

WARNING: long post

My last day of work before vacation was a train wreck, So I needed this

We started out in Long Beach, the good ole LBC. Usually when we drive into California we like to bump Tupac, but we didn't have an Ipod hook up in the rental car so instead we drove by freeway signs and through cities acknowledging the cities and places Tupac had sang about....it makes us feel like were Californians, on that note, I found my new favorite flower/tree thing while waiting for the ferry to Catalina.

Here's long beach from the ferry (its actually a catamaran type boat, not a ferry)

The ride over was fun, salty fresh air, what more could you ask for!


Heres our hotel from the dock, right on the beach front




So this is our hotel room, I took this picture from the very deepest corner in the room! We only stayed one night, and were out being adventurous most the time anyway.

Beautiful plants and trees, it was very tropical, kind of like Mexico! We found all sorts of things on our Sunday morning run through the town. We also found a local community church which we attended later that morning, very fun!

The famous Casino behind us. Catalina Island is a lot like Friday Harbor, but smaller and tropical. The first day we sat on the board walk and picked out people that play the same role as the people we could identify on FH. That was fun. It was so nice to be on the water! If only we had the time and money to fish! I saw the California state fish in the water, hes super cool and neon orange.

Now its off to Dland!!


This our friend Katie Vaughn. She lives in LA and came down to see us for dinner. It was so great to see her. We saw her mom in Reno for a work conference a few days earlier for a fabulous dinner! How Ironic, two Vaughn spottings in one week!

We stayed at the Hyatt thanx to Adam's childhood friend Chuck, who really hooked us up. We had a King suite, with two 55inch flat screen TV's and he had chocolate dipped strawberries and champagne delivered to our room. This picture is only 1/2 the room, the living room and giant bathroom are missing :) We payed less than 1/2 the price for this one than the Catalina one. hahaha. So when we weren't at Dland we enjoyed the two pools, good restaraunts, work out room and just loungin watching the flat screens!


After dinner with Katie we got into the park just in time for the fire works!!! I love fireworks! Then we literally ran from ride to ride- Space Mtn to Indy to Splash Mtn to Pirates of the Caribbean back to Space Mtn, and on and on. The next morning same thing but throw in all the California Adventure rides like Toy Story Mania, Soarin California, California Screamin and Maliboomer.

I really enjoyed the parade: Celebrate You!!!! But Adam thought it was kinda gay.




The weather was mostly so-so. This gave us premium rideability!




I had to do it. I waited in line for this, which made us miss one of our wine tastings in CA Adventure, but it's Minnie! CA had a Food and Wine festival gong on, so once we got past the first day and half of running around like mad people trying to hit all the best we sat down and enjoyed more than just rides. We learned about cheese and wine, chatted with crush, watched a bugs life three D show (twice per Adam's request), found the Tower of Terror- excellent ride, Enjoyed the Tiki Room and browsed downtown Disney.

This is California Screamin taken from the top of Maliboomer


I love Sully!


Our last time on Toy Story Mania, I finally beat Adam!

We had a blast in Dland and are now recovering!

PS: we stayed in budget, which makes a good trip better!

PSS: Best rides to repeat over and over are- California Screamin, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, California Soarin, Indian Jones, Space Mountain, and Thunder Mountain. Try it once but never repeat- It's a Small World-unless you do hallucinagents.

Holy Shorts

Adam tried to convince me that I could just "patch-up" these shorts

These beloved shorts have already been patched up and now are worse than ever. The patches would hardly have anything to hold on to seems as though any sourrounding fabric is on its way out too, and this is only the backside.

My nasty hand picture is gone!

Happy Mothers day to our moms and sisters/sister-in-laws!

Adam is very loved by our cats!

I will start by saying sorry everyone for the nasty picture of my hands. I got informed that it was really gross. I kept them well covered and protected at work. Imagine if your nurse had hands like that.....hahaha, I look like I have Leprosy!

Momma always finds the most awkward, uncomfortable place to lay, like here- on top of costco toilet paper plastic wrapping.

This weekend was out to get me. I had a softball game friday night, and in the second inning this old lady on the other team, who had been keeping track of all the substitutions informed the ump that we were illegally substituting, so subsequently I could hit the rest of the game. this inferiorated me because we are in the lowest rec league you can be in,

AKA: NONCOMPETITIVE. We had no idea this form of subing was illegal. If it gives you any idea, I've never really played like competitve softball, not even growing up and Adam says I'm one of the top 5 best on our team. I was mad not because I couldnt hit anymore but because who does that???? Who intentionally keeps track of substitutions in a noncompetitive rec slow pitch game. And she kept stopping the game for others things that weren't up to "official league rules", the ump and even her teammates were annoyed. It would be way different if this was competitive, they beat us 22 to 8.

Then the next day was this obstacle race downtown called the "Runamuck". It's like 2.5 miles for each person in the 2 man relay. You dress up and jump over hay bales, run through a group of football players with hitting pads and run through a foam pit and best of all you slide/run through a giant mud pit- hence the name- "Runamuck". Well my teammate, Liz, went first and got all muddy and fabulous. Then my turn, Adam and Dave were waiting at the mud pit to take pictures. But right before the mud pit Adam infomed me that it was closed down because some guy jumped in and then couldnt move his legs. There were ambulances and barracades everywhere. So I missed the mud pit! It was very dissappointing, but the poor guy! I guess he had a C5-C6 break and is paralyzed, at least temporarily. Here is us after the race.

I had to use the tight and bright outfit again! It may be overdone, at least the whole 80's thing but it's just too wonderful

boxing

I tried boxing the other day, with gloves.......it didn't work out so well.

Late April Events

This last weekend we went to A UNR softball game, our friend Kaylee's sister plays. It was great to be out in the sun watching softball. I even got a little color. Although they lost pretty bad!

Adam had another b-ball game last night, this one went way better than the last, they beat the other team by 30points! Adam hit two three pointers in a row.

I've now been at my job long enough to where I've started to discover there are people I just really don't care for. I kind of got into a little "tif" with one of them because he's chovenistic and was making sly sarcastic remarks....like a child would. But he's on the board of medicine at the hospital so I guess I loose that argument every time, although it helps to know that everyone agrees with me in my dislike of him. Like Adam says, it doesn't matter if you like politics or not, they are a part of every job.

The other day a co-worker walks up to me and asks me what's under my scrub top and she point to the V neck area, I'm thinking, well a shirt silly, since I wear shirts under my scrubs. So I put my hand on my chest and feel this kinda rough material.....it was a dryer sheet, hanging out the top of my shirt! Good thing it was relativley early in the morning!

We finally got our herb box up and running! We thought long and hard where to put it so they could all get the amt of sun they required, we came up with the front porch ledge.

Adam spent his Sunday afternoon making this box, isn't he so handy? It was my valentines day present. If they look a little pathetic, it's bacause we had a huge wind storm the day after we bought them, 80mile/hr winds! That day I came home and Adam hands me a letter from our apt complex that reads:

"Dear resident,
Although your flower pots do look good on your patio.....Our insurance agent has advised that they must be taken off the edge of the patios. This is a safety issue...."
We both start laughing.......Adam is the the apartments insurance agent! So I say "Adam, this is your fault!"
He says its not him, it's the insurance company, making those "advisements". So he goes and talks with the apt ladies (who love him) and reassure them that this is not a flower pot, but an herb box with braces on either side, therefore it is a lot more stable, and technically okay. heeheehee

Spring

On Saturday morning I was asked to come into work early...... 4AM early! I said yes, so I worked on Saturday from 4AM-7:15PM. A Long 15hr day!!!! When my boss asked me to do this she had just given me a card that had some very sweet words about me and my contributions at work. She said the card was not given to me because of the favor she was asking, either way I accepted and she also said that if I did her this favor, I would be guarenteed permanant day-shift! Yay. It was actually one of the funnest if not THE funnest day at work I have ever had being a nurse (I had a lot of fun at The Crab House in Friday Harbor. Oh and yes funnest is a word in my dictionary) I had a blast. I started out working a few hours with my old night shift buddies, who are always wild and crazy, and then the rest of the day was spent with day shift buddies. It was just one of those really enjoyable days, fortunatley. I'm sure it had a great deal to do with the insanity feeling that comes with waking up at 3:30AM.

Adam had an interview with Big Brothers, Big Sisters this morning. He wants to be a mentor. He comes up with this stuff all on his own and its so cute! I guess they ask a lot of questions, it's a very serious thing. He also wants to be a part of the childrens ministry at church, I think he really enjoys youngens.

On Sunday it was a beautiful 80degrees! We went for a walk together which is always one of my favorites. It was almost 80 today too, and go figure, possible snow on Thursday! Thats Reno in the Spring! Adam and I also stopped by Home Depot to check out the supplies we would need for our Herb box we want. We are planning on growing Basil, Rosemary, Cilantro and Mint. Cilatnro will be great for salsa, we cook with rosemary a lot, and summers coming so we need fresh mint for Adam's famous Mojito's! Happy Spring everyone!

Not up to much.....and it's Great!

So we havn't been up to much. I accidently thickened our orange chicken glaze with baking soda, and it started to fizz. Adam's planning a golf tournament. My first close friend is almost due with a baby boy! I just bought a slew of new fabric for a new quilt!!!!- if I can just get the cats to quit eating all my thread!, and well thats about it. Easter was great, Dave went with us, and the day before I went to our churchs Easter egg hunt at a local park. There were 5,000 eggs!!! Adam and I helped stuff some the week before. Most our nights are spent watching Bones, American Idol, Biggest Loser or many others, while Adam ices his shins and I heat my butt. Adam plays basketball almost everyday despite his aches and shin splints and I run on all my days off despite my tight piriformis (butt) and now affected IT band. (my relay race is in less than 2months!) So basically were old and will be crippled and have osteoarthiritis at the age of 40, but right now it seems worth it. Adam made me a deal, if i clean up after myself everyday, he will give me a 5minute butt massage. So far it's been like a whole week with massages every night!!! Adam got on a rec basketball team with three guys, all above 6'4", one 6'9", and still they lost their first game, how does that happen?!?! I'm playing on a work softball team, (oh yay, my vball team lost in the first round of the playoffs :( so were done). Our Softball team name is the DNR's. How funny is that! On the back of the shirts is a picture of a normal heart rythym and then it flat lines! Everyone on the team is an RN except like 2 people, we all pretty much stink too, so this will be good! We had our friends over the other night, they have a 15month old little girl and Acorn was terrified of her. She is never shy or scared of people, but I think Jersey was just too close to Acorns size, but just big enough to seem like a giant cat!
We reserved our Dland hotel and our Catalina Island hotel!!!! The big disneyland trip is coming up! We have a good friend who works on the Hells Kitchen set and lives in LA, so we are gonna get to see her too, very exciting.