We're here!

It was a beautiful week long drive down to Los Angeles.  We definitely took our time to get here by taking the 101 highway as much as we could.  But it was really worth it.

Our first stop is was well the boarder. We got stopped not because of the cigars, the dog, or the fact the we were moving down, nope it was for the little pail of dog food that didn't have an ingredient list.  But the good thing about that is that while we were in having the pail of kibble inspected who should walk in but the President of the Twelve Colonies.  Yup that was our first celeb siting.  pretty cool.

From here we were on to Portland.  What a great city!! I could have stayed in this place for a good long while.  Alas it was only for a night.  But what a night.  The Vintage Hotel welcomed us and Henry with a beautiful room and a sweet gift bag full of goodies for the dog face.

 

There was a long list of places that we had to visit in our short time first was an interesting little place that didn't open until 10:00 pm, it was called Voodoo Doughnuts.  These are among the more interesting confections I have ever tasted.  Nothing is like a heavy pink box that bears the inscription, " Good things come in Pink Boxes".  It was full of doughnuts that were covered with coco puff, fruit loops and encrusted in sprinkles.  Although these ones were more than elaborate Chris was wanting one of the more unusual ones.  The legendary Maple Bacon doughnut.   Yup that is a doughnut that has a full slice of bacon on it.  A perfect way to end a really good evening.

As we said good by to Portland we headed to the coast.  Down to Eureka for the night and through the Red Wood forest to get there.  It was a fabulous drive with loads of scenery that I wanted to stop and take pictures of every 5 minutes.   What can I say?  Really that hasn't been said before.  Blue skies and rocky shores that were truly breath taking.

This is what we followed until we hit San Francisco.  Oh there were many adventures from here to there but I need to keep something in my back pocket.  

Let's just say we did it all!  In San Fran and that includes the trollies.  

Hitting the Road!

So as some may already know Chris and I are heading south to the land of the movie stars.  Chris has been given the chance to work with a great post house and the opportunity was just too good to pass up.

We are planning on doing the move on July 1 so that we can be in LA for the 4th or so.  For the first little bit we will be staying at a friends place while he is in Thailand, so we can get to know the area and figure out where the hell we are going!

If you have any tips or places that we just have to check out I would love to hear them!!  This is going to be a huge adventure for us and we would love to know all of your favourite spots.

Tatoo

This would be a great look for the summer.  That is if you have the patience and don't mind the heat!

Eau du Bacon

So if you know anything about me I have become some what obsessed with all things bacon.  I think that it all stems from these cookies.  

Now anything that is remotely bacon related seems to come my way.  Today it was the Bacon Tux.  How can you not want your date to be wrapped in cloth that not only looks but smells like the smokey goodness of bacon? 

The Portable Kitchen

While toodling around I found this great kitchen at uncrate. 

Drinking in LA

Well Chris and I are in Los Angles this week.  We've been enjoying the sun, visiting friends, doing a little work and checking out Mickey's place.  

I haven't been to Disney Land in such a long time, since I was 6 actually, and so I really wanted to just pack it all in.  That is exactly what we did!  After getting off of our 4:00 am flight and trying on 3 different cars, Chris didn't like any of our rental car choices, we we're at Disney Land just as it was opening.  YEAH!!!!!!

We hit EVERYTHING, the Indiana Jones ride, the madahorn, all the mountains, oh and don't forget the Teacups.  But on a sad note the one ride that I really truly wanted to go on was closed.  It's a Small World was not open for business.  boo urns.  oh well we moved on.  There were more things to see and do.  Like going on Splash Mountain.  I knew that it was going to be a wet one but i didn't expect to be still wet until 7:00 pm.  

It was a fabulous day spent in "The Happiest Place on Earth" and I can't wait to see what the rest of the week has for us.

Spring is Here!

Get your butt outside if you live anywhere in the west.  Spring has arrived on the coast and I can't get enough of it.  Yeah it is still kinda gloomy with all that infamous west coast rain but that brings on the flowers.  The Daffodils are out everywhere and the Cherry Blossoms are just starting.  

Now if you know anything about me it is that I'm truly a fall type girl, with all the crisp cool days, harvest produce, colourful leaves and sweaters. But when your outside world starts to turn that bright fresh green and the blossoms are literally popping all around how can you not love spring?

Something that I have noticed about now living on the coast is that this season last a lot longer than it did on the prairies.  On the prairies Spring was one month, maybe.  It was dirty, dusty, and if you actually did have a bit of garden space the work that went into actually coaxing plants to grow took forever.  Here I don't have any garden space but I don't miss it.  Mostly because everyone else has one that I can look at while on my daily walks.  Their flowers have been coming up since the beginning of February and more are added every day.  Soon we will be in full swing and I can't wait!

Following the Wine Route

Christopher and I really wanted to get away for our second anniversary. So we thought why not find the wine route in the Okanagan Valley? There are so many different wineries in the valley that we could take in some beautiful views and collect some amazing wines. It was Christopher's idea to get a full case of wine, one bottle from every winery that we visit, but with one stipulation that all the wines are from the year we were married. A challenge but we could do it.

Our first stop was at Mission Hill for something that we knew we would like. It was beautiful up at the top of the hill and as we were settling into what we were actually trying to taste, we met these three women who were on their way to the Dragon Boat festival in Kelowna. They were really helpful in telling us where to go for really good wine and that we needed to hit Quail's Gate and Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery. Both wineries were much smaller and more intimate in how they did their tastings. Mt. Boucherie's wines were much more fruity and it was the first wine that I could actually tell what I was supposed to be smelling. Were as Quail's Gate had bold and intense flavour in their wines.

I have to admit that I didn't realize you could have so many different flavours of wine in such a short distance. These wineries were only a few kilometers away from each other and yet there was a totally different taste.

So you know how I mentioned that we met the Dragon Boaters? Well we didn't quite realize just how many dragon boat racers would be in Kelowna that weekend. We pulled into town and the place was packed! People were everywhere! We tried 5 different hotels and we finally ended up at the Kelowna Moter Inn. yeah... Sleeping in your clothes is mandatory.

The next day we headed south towards Peachland, Summerland and finally ending up in Penticton. In Peachland we found the most unusual wine yet at Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery. Z2 smelled like stinky cheese and it was so smokey! I can't wait to drink that one!! From there we got hungry for fruit and cheese so it was up another hill to Dirty Laundry.




They packed us a picnic lunch and sat us out on the patio to take in the view. The best lunch we could have even thought of! As we were full but wanting more we decided that Penticton would be were we stopped for the night but our case wasn't even near full. We headed up the East Shelf to Township 7, Therapy, and Red Rooster.

So you know how I mentioned that we slept in our clothes in Kelowna... well in Penticton we couldn't get enough clothes onto our bodies. We stayed at the Slumber Inn and I think there was a horror movie shot in our room. Chris was convinced that he got a bug bite inside his mouth. But the dinner we had was really nice, not at the motel, and Henry found loads of goose poo to eat and roll in.





On Monday we kept going south to Blasted Church to pick up a bottle of Merlot, 2005 of course. In our travels to the many wineries we had heard a lot about a little one near the town of Oliver called Silver Sage. This is by far our favourite of the weekend. They had the most original and unique wines of the trip. They were the only ones that we actually picked up more than one bottle and it was also the only place we tried the dessert wines. All this drinking was sure making us hungry and we had been told that we should head up to Burrowing Owl for the spectacular views and a delightful lunch. What a wonderful way to end a most wonderful weekend!

New City New Look!

So here I am sitting in our very tiny, little apartment in Vancouver looking out at all of the tourists trying to stay out of the rain and I'm realizing that I'm actually not one of them. I actually live here. Cool!

I kinda took last week off, mentally anyways. I told myself that I needed a break and that I was going to get to know my new neighborhood. I have walked down to the pretty towers of Yaletown, explored the tourists in their natural habitat of Robson, toodled in and around the West End and have had drinks in Gastown. So far I have enjoyed it all!

Now down to the hard part, not actually being that tourist and being a resident. That means tying up all of the loose ends that are still in Calgary, nothing that I can't do from here, and starting to pickup new ends here. Like looking for an actual place for us to hang our many hats. Looking for employment so that I can afford new hats and dare I say... a new car? I do miss the Saturn.

I know this all sounds like so much to do but I am relaxed now and I'm totally looking for all of these new challenges. I'll keep you updated!

On the move!

The house is SOLD! And I can Move! Vancouver here I come.

I gave my notice last week and my last day at work is going to be the 30th of August. I really want to be out of Calgary by the first of September. So that means that I only have2 weeks really to get it all done!

I'm heading back to Saskatchewan to see my relatives and my parents new store. Then I will fly out on September 7th to live with Christopher, finally!

So here is to packing, closing deals and quitting your job. New life here I come!

Officially for SALE!

We are Officially selling the house! So if you or anyone you know is in need of a 1972 bungalow in Calgary. Drop me a line and I'll see what I can do to hook you up.

new image

I stumbled across this great archivce of desktops at Pixel Girl Presents

and I can say that I'm now sporting a brand new to me desktop. Stuff for everyone. Go on check it out!

Moving! Take it all!

So I'm realizing that i am a pack rat. I have way too much stuff that I need to get rid of and I just don't know how I'm going to be able to do it. I had a yard sale last weekend where I sold quite a bit of stuff but I don't want to have yard sale after yard sale.

I think I will be putting a lot of stuff on the Market place on Facebook.com . It might sell there. Who knows.

This is where I say that I will change my ways and I will never, ever, ever accumulate this much crap again. (but we all know that would be a lie) I like stuff too much, it is part of my creativity. It gives me inspiration and I like to be able to be surrounded by cool stuff. I just need to have a way to rotate that stuff through better. hmmm.... i will have to think about that some more.

Until then... if you would like something, perhaps a sofa, book shelves, no you need a dresser... i know you need a dresser.

A Salute to the Saturn

So yesterday I became amongst the members of the Dumb Ass Family.
I'm fine! My car well she is not. Let me explain... Well the corner where I live is west facing and you have to turn east to get to the main street out of my area. As soon as you turn that corner on a cold and rather bright early morning you are blinded by they sun.

This is what happened to me yesterday morning. I had pulled over to let my car warm up a bit more and to let the miss firing engine settle. As I was going to pull out I failed to realize that there was a truck in front of me and smashed right into the back end of a 1998 Tachoma.

Yup; I had barely been awake for 30 mins and already I had managed to ruin my car. Great Brod! Just Great!

Thankfully the guy who's truck my car was now attached to was home and was a very understanding and nice man. His truck came away pretty much unscathed, I'll have to replace the back bumper, and we had a nice chat about what we like most about our neighbourhood. While the cops filled out the paper work.

I did manage to get a $172 ticket for failed to produce my proper insurance material because someone failed to place it in the vehicle. Other than that I will replace his bumper, see what can be done with the Saturn and go and buy a bus pass. Yay for the looser cruiser.

Moving on...

on the pier
Originally uploaded by peariso.

Well I have had fun here in Calgary but it is time to move on to new places and new adventures.

Chris has just accepted a job offer in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is heading over there in a week and I will follow in mid August. I have some school that i would like to finish. And well we have this great house that I have to clean and pack up.

If you know of any great must do/ go to's in Vancouver please forward them on I would love to hear about your adventures.

I'm so excited I could pee.... that could be just the coffee though...

Spring!

Well we have moved from the ice and cold of February to the ice and cold of March. I really would like this city to just make up it's mind when it came to what the hell it wants to do with the weather.

All last week it was beautiful. We actually got up to 19 degrees. Then on Monday it snowed and not a little bit of snow. No it was a large, nasty, wet dump! The ice made it stupid to drive and then idiots on the road didn't help at all.

I am just ready for the nice weather to be here and be here now. All the pictures of peoples first flowers of the year are making me really want to move.

Cute hun? I have been wasting some time this afternoon. Can't you tell?

i have been super grumpy lately but I think that not doing my actual work is helping me get over it. I think I might have a few more places to hit before I really do something. You know like deal with the logs that are piled underneath my drafting table.

The Marriage of Liza and Stephen

This is my wonderful friend Liza. Isn't she pretty? I had the great honour to be involved with this gorgeous wedding.

First off we were in Canmore, Alberta for an entire week. The mountains were perfect and the snow was pristine. The place that I got to stay was a condo, with a hot tub, beautiful views and was right on the mountain side. Liza's Mother and sister were staying there along with Liza and her roommate from Montrea,l Devida (DD). It was like being at home.

I am so happy for this wonderful couple. I hope that they are having the time of their lives in Hawaii!

Happy Valentine's!

vintage valentine: she knits!
Originally uploaded by jek in the box.

Just thought that I would shout out and say Happy Love day to you. I hope that you get to spend it with someone special.

I will be spending it at school. Trying to understand my teacher and being completly confused by what he is actually teaching. Ya-ay for Physical Geology and how ultra romantic it is not!


This is where cinnamon hearts fill the void....

ipod blues

My baby died. Let me explain....

Two years ago my wonderful Hubby bought me an ipod for Christmas. She performed wonderfully and played many of my most favourited songs, but alas no more. She stared to freeze, needed to be reset constantly, and would no longer sync up with iTunes.

Chris informed me that we had purchased the extended warrenty over at Best Buy. That should either fix it or replace it. Well I finally just bit the bullet and took her in. They wouldn't out right replace her. I had to send her away to see if they would fix it first. Then after 60 days if I haven't heard from them I can go in and get a replacement.

That's all fine and dandy for them but I'm lost!

I use my ipod every day! My music collection is growing but I can't bring it with me. How am I going to really experience the new Norah Jones album? Or get through those boring afternoons splicing logs with out my podcasts.

The withdrawl period isn't pleasent.