Honorable Mention Books of Summer

At the end of last school year, a friend showed me a new book from our school library, Larry Gets Lost in Chicago. I was immediately smitten Larry, a dog that gets separated from his owner during a trip to Chicago.  It's not just because I'm partial to the city setting, but I'm thrilled about the content.  As Larry looks for Pete, his owner, he visits all of the important sights in Chicago.  Larry rides the El, sees Wrigley Field, the Shedd Aquarium, the Picasso sculpture, and the lakefront to name a few.

Don't worry Larry reunites with Pete in a wonderful place.

After I read this book I knew my own kids would love it.  They love it so much, they recognize the landmarks when we visit the big city.  G especially loves to reference Larry when we go past the Art Institute lions.

As I was purchasing Larry Gets Lost in Chicago, I saw that Larry gets lost in other cities, too!  Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle to name a few.  I didn't want to buy all of them so I went to the next best place, my library.

They did not have any of the Larry books in the collection.  However, the website has a tab to request books.  I listed the entire Larry series and crossed my fingers.  Not more than two weeks later I received an email from the library to say several of the Larry books were in and on hold for us!  By the end of three weeks they had bought every one of the Larry books. 

I love my library.

Now I need to write the author and have Larry & Pete go to Europe :)

Fourth (and Final) Book of the Summer

The last book of the summer falls into the young reader category.  Gregor the Overlander is written by Suzanne Collins of the Hunger Games series.  Gregor was her first book series.

Gregor is a teenage boy living in New York City with his mom, grandmother, and siblings.  His father has been gone for two years.  One day Gregor and his baby sister discover an underworld via their laundry room.  He becomes known to the underworld residents as Gregor the Overlander and is an integral part in fulfilling/solving a prophecy that was written long ago.  

His adventure involves royalty, cockroaches, spiders, rats, and bats.  I think this story is great for the late elementary/early middle school reader.  I'm excited to read the next books in the series.  For an adult, it's a quick read!

Goodbye Old Friends

We have to say goodbye to some old friends.  They have been a part of our lives on and off for almost 9 years and their absence leaves an empty spot in our home.  There's an empty spot in the cabinet and another in the dresser drawer.  However we've gained in our pocketbook.  

Can you guess who left?

Diapers!   Wahoo!!!!

G starts preschool soon and diapers are not on the supply list.  So it was an all hands on deck affair to get him ready.  

Matt and I cannot take the credit for this.  G's preschool does not start until after Labor Day, which does not work out so well with my public school & Matt's travel schedules.  G has spent the better part of the last two weeks at my parents' house, and we give most of the potty training credit to them.

By the time he returned to us this past Friday he was independent using the loo.  We have to prompt him to go when we leave the house, which is sometimes a battle.  Thankfully we are stronger and can transport him to the WC.  Otherwise he's becoming a big kid .


Another bonus of no diapers - G's pants that were getting snug, now fit because the bulk of the diaper are gone.  Yay!

Well That Was Weird

I received a message from my friend Renee last week asking what happened to the blog.  I know I've been really busy with school starting, and I have not had time to update it.  I figured her message meant something more than old posts.

When I went to our site I only saw a white screen.

?

No message saying the server was unavailable, just pure white.

It was all Matt's fault.  He remembered seeing something in his email about changes to our hosting (or something technical that I don't understand) and never changed anything.  Apparently August 15 was the day the changes took hold and the blog went silent for a bit.

We're back!

The Best Salad, Ever

You. Must. Make. This. Salad.

Period.

I've had a hate affair with beets since I was a child.  Beets were one of the only foods that kept me at the table well past dinnertime until I could clean my plate.  I think creamed corn was the other.  Truthfully, I don't recall if I ever finished the beets on my plate or if mom & dad got sick of me sitting there, and told me to leave the table.  Maybe I choked them down?  It's a far suppressed memory. 

Until now.

I had this salad at The Strand House in Manhattan Beach, and I will never be the same.  The oven-roasted beets are delicious!!!  If you are in MB, please go to The Strand House.  

*Beets – roast & chill, cut into slices & quarter

*Oranges – slice segments

*Applewood bacon – cook & cool - please use Applewood bacon!

*Goat cheese - crumble

*Butter lettuce – wash & cut into small sections - this lettuce is smooth and creamy, can lettuce be creamy?  Oh yes, yes it can

*Apple balsamic vinaigrette – see recipe below - you will fall in love with this dressing

Spread lettuce on the bottom of a platter.  Layer the remaining ingredients on top!

Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 T onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup apple cider (I used unfiltered juice because cider was unavailable)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 t dried basil

1/4 t pepper

1/2 t salt

1 T honey

1/2 cup olive oil

Dressing Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a lidded container and shake!
2. Smell the dressing and float on air for a few seconds
3. Pour over salad (or veggies, or other items to be marinaded)

12

Today we celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary.  While that is a long time, especially in Hollywood years, we started dating nineteen years ago when we were mere high school kids.

We've experienced many things, and thankfully it's been more for better than for worse!

Dang we were young

35 Years

This summer we both got a massage and pedicure.  Matt is the other part of "we." It was fantastic, relaxing, and sad when it was over.

In his 35 years of life he has never had a massage. I think he realized what he has missed. Sixty minutes of floating on air is worth every penny.   It was also worth it to see him in a fluffy robe and flip flops :)

Then during his pedicure, the lady told Matt that he had baby feet.  Let's just say he is milking that one.

"Matt can you run out to the car and grab my purse?"
"Let me put some shoes on, I have baby feet you know."

Gracious.

Planes & Automobiles

Let's call this Part 2- Something Angry in the Air

This post is about a thirty minute interaction between a gate agent and a man on my flight home from LA about the ins and outs of being a frequent flyer.  A little back story for the non-frequent flyer readers - being a frequent flyer is an interesting hobby.  I say hobby because those in the club collect miles, spend miles for prizes, and have many message boards and blogs about the art of collecting miles.

Here is what you need to know about being a frequent flyer (FF), in no particular order.  *This information is what I have gleaned from listening to Matt talk about his FF status.  I could be mistaken in some minor details, but you will get the important ideas. 

1.  If you want to collect miles you should stick with one airline and fly them as much as you can so you can earn status.  As you move through the levels you start off with silver, gold, then platinum.  If you move beyond the platinum threshold you earn something über exclusive like 1K status or über über exclusive global service.

2.  Each level of the program gives you certain benefits: early boarding, free checked bags, high priority on stand-by lists, free itinerary changes, double qualifying miles for your flight when the regular folks earn only single miles, and the best is a priority line to get through airport security.

3.  Desire to read blogs of people who live and breathe mile accumulation.  Here you learn insider information about upcoming airline sales and promotions.  These promotions help the FF earn many more miles, and thus further up the status ladder.  On these blogs they like to determine if a promotion is "worth the miles."  They convert FF miles into money using some formula (maybe the number of miles divided by the distance?  I have no idea) and determine if the per mile expenditure is worth it.  

4.  When you fly a certain number of miles in a certain amount of time you earn upgrade certificates.  These coupons are used to upgrade your purchased coach seat to first class, if seats are available.    

5.  The thing the frequent flyer loves the most is free upgrades to first or business class.  The higher your status the better your chances are for a free upgrade.  The über übers get first dibs and then down the line to the lowly gold status flyers.  An elite FF just has to wait until 48ish hours before their flight to see if they got the gratis upgrade.  The airline waits this long just in case someone actually purchases the available seat. 

Car rental companies and hotels have their own FF-style programs that give free upgrades and other spectacular treats.  I have to say I don't know all the specific ins and outs of these programs, but that's why I have Matt to figure it all out.  When I have flown with Matt in the last year (minus the kids), he's always used upgrade certificates or gotten the gratis bump to first.  It's a tough life.  Especially in Business Class on British Airways (should be one of the wonders of the world).

Item Number 5 is the basis for today's post.

Now back to our story - Something Angry in the Air

Matt used his coveted upgrade certificates on our inbound and outbound flights to first class, so life was good for my trip home.  I had a lot of time to kill at LAX since the drive did not take as long as the folks in San Diego suggested.  That's not to say I didn't get my exercise for the afternoon.

They changed our gate three times.  Good thing is that the changes were within ten gates of each other.  One statement by the gate agent gave me a bit of concern.  She told another passenger that asked if there were any more upgrade seats available, she told him that they were all filled.  And someone might have to be downgraded.

Downgraded?  I've never heard of that, I thought you could only go up.

Knowing what I know about FF programs, status is king.  Personally I have no status on this airline.  I was riding Matt's coattails to get the upgrade, and at this moment he was on his way to Boston.  I was a nobody.  The cabin filled and there was one seat left.  I had high hopes that the doors would close soon, and we would be on our way.  No such luck.  The gate agent walked on the plane with a handful of papers.  She stopped at the row just in front of me.

"Mr. XX, I'm going to need you to move seats."

"What do you mean move seats?  I have a ticket for this seat.  I was awarded an upgrade for this over 24 hours ago."(**This means he has some form of elite status and was awarded a #5**)

The lady proceeded to tell him, and all of us in earshot, that there was a glitch when the system awarded the free upgrades.  A couple purchased tickets more than 36 hours ago and one ticket somehow got booted out of the system.  Although he had an upgrade the all mighty dollar trumps that.

He asked for the location of his new seat.  He was assigned to be in the fifth row of coach - in the center.  As soon as he heard the words center seat, he was hot.

"I am not moving.  I will not be downgraded to a center seat."  He buckled his seat belt and crossed his arms much the same as a toddler would in a tantrum.  The gate agent wasn't sure what to do.  She walked up to the front of the cabin to talk with the flight attendants.

In the meantime he was ranting to the guy next to him.  You could feel the tension, but I was super relieved that I was not the one being booted.  When she came back she said that they would offer him a $250 travel voucher.  He immediately pulled out his credit card and offered to pay the difference of the ticket he paid for in coach to stay in this seat.  She graciously explained that the seat he occupied was paid for prior to his upgrade and he had to move.

He again crossed his toddler tantrum arms.  "What are you going to do if I don't move, call the cops?"  I have to give the gate agent major kudos because she gave him the eyeballs that said, "stop being an asshole and get up."

I think he realized she meant business and he said he refused to sit in the center.  The agent told him she has never in her career had to do this, but she would so that the plane could take off.  She walked into the cabin and made an all call for someone to move to the center seat so Mr. XX could be comfortable.  Someone immediately volunteered, and he moved his downgraded hiney to his new seat.

The couple who ponied up the money for the two seats boarded and we were almost on our way.  The gate agent filled the lead flight attendant in on the blow-by-blow of Mr. XX.  He said that they would be sure to take care of him during the flight.  The gate agent shook her head and said something to him.  His face changed into a disgusted look and he said, "He said that?  Oh we won't take care of him then."  Take that Mr. XX.

I guess sometimes status can't save you.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Let's call this Part 1 - The one with the freeway

Recently we spent three nights in Los Angeles and two nights in San Diego.  The plan was to drive back to LA on our last day for our return flight home.  That was the plan.

Plans change. 

On the day we drove to San Diego, some scheduling needs prompted a change in return flights.  Matt needed to spend two days on the East Coast, and he needed to be home by lunchtime on Friday so he could attend a previous engagement.  In order to make all of that happen, Matt had to change his itinerary and leave from San Diego.

He used all of his mad airline booking skills to find an itinerary our of LA that would fit his needs.  Unfortunately San Diego was his best bet.  On a side note, Matt should earn an award for booking awesome airline tickets.  He is all over different blogs and direct airline news to find deals.  He can smell a sale months away.  When asked, he is quite humble about his mad skills and doesn't see it as anything special.  If you ask how does he do it, he can't describe it.

Anyway back to our story....

Once he figured out his itinerary, he asked if I would have any issue driving from San Diego to LA by myself.  At first I thought he was joking.  But he wasn't.  Then I had a practical thought about California driving.  Many of the roads have rush hour all day, so getting where I need to go wouldn't be so bad since the slow traffic would give me time figure out where I was going.  Plus according to Matt it was only two roads - the 5 and the 405 to get off at Century Boulevard.

"No problem," I said.  Then in my head I told myself I was crazy.

Being the amazing traveler and caring guy he is, Matt made sure to point out major landmarks to me on our way to San Diego.  I often had to look out the rear window to see signs or landmarks as I would on my return trip in a few days.  My main landmark was the Laguna Hills Mall sign. 

"No problem," I said.  Then in my head I told myself I was crazy.

We enjoyed the San Diego sun until the very last minute.  Matt left me at our Gaslamp Quarter hotel around 11:00 for his trip to Boston via Houston.  Repeated the directions, but then added a few more.

"Take the 5 to the 405 to get off at Century Boulevard.  Then turn onto Aviation to return the car.  Stop at one of the stations to fill the tank before returning the car.  Then take the shuttle to airport."

"No problem," I said.  Then in my head I told myself I was crazy.

I did write the directions down just in case I lost my mind.  After he left I had another hour to kill.  I actually had a lot of time to kill because I wasn't scheduled for my return trip until 5:00.  The warning we heard over and over was that the drive between San Diego and LA can be two and a half hours or more.  We felt the just under two hour vibe, but instead of risking it on my own, I heeded the advice.

I was slightly disappointed that I was driving alone because the ride between these two cities is spectacular.  To see the ocean as you drive is truly far removed from the Midwest.  I drove past Camp Pendleton, saw campers & motor homes parked at campsites on the shoreline, and the Coaster commuter train speed by on its way to Oceanside.  Of course I only got short glimpses since I was driving a monsterous Chrysler 300.

This was taken when I was the passenger, not while operating a motor vehicle.  Promise. 

Driving the 5 to the 405 was a piece of cake.  Once I needed to get off at Century the real work began.  Matt forgot to tell me that we did not drive on this part of the 405.  When nothing looked familiar, I started to panic (that's not saying much about me BTW).  As I have learned in recent years, relax for a bit before making any drastic changes.  As assured by Matt, Century Boulevard appeared followed by Aviation.

The remainder of my drive was uneventful.  I made it in exactly two hours.  I did chuckle when someone asked me for directions to the 405 while at the gas station.  I'm glad they decided to ask the station attendant instead of relying on my iffy directions.  The flight home is a story for another day.

Third Book of Summer

The third book of summer is from my favorite genre and by far my favorite book of summer - Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe.  This autobiography tells of the Rob's life from his childhood in Ohio to present day California.

This story was a lot of fun to read because I "know" most of the people in his life.  He grew up with Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, and Matt Dillon, to name a few.  He dated many famous women, some were on the cusp of fame and others came from Hollywood royalty.  He even had a relationship with a real royal.  

The heart of the story is Rob's desire to have a good life and make great movies.  He shows that the industry is not very nice and it's hard to make a good living.  Thankfully along the way he meets good people who help him conquer his demons.  I enjoyed reading about his experiences as he made The Outsiders with Francis Ford Coppola, lobbied for votes on a clean environment initiative (Proposition 65) on a bus with Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, and Michael J. Fox, worked on the Wayne's World & Tommy Boy movies, how your true family supports you when dealing with addiction, and his time on The West Wing.

I noticed that Rob had a penchant for two words - zeitgeist and auteur.  These words are outside of typical vernacular that they stood out to me each time he used them.  Here's your vocabulary lesson for the day (thanks to Miriam-Webster.com): 

zeitgeist - noun, often capitalized \ˈtsīt-ˌgīst, ˈzīt-\: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era

auteur (refers you to auteur theory) : a view of filmmaking in which the director is considered the primary creative force in a motion picture

Remember those when you get on Teen Jeopardy some day.

Celebrity Sighting & "Celebrity Sighting"

Matt and I spent the first few days of our vacation in Los Angeles.  We used some of his hotel points to stay gratis at the Hilton Universal City.  This hotel is within walking distance of Universal Studios & Universal City Walk.  We were not going to the theme park but free can't be beat.

Celebrity Sighting (a real one)

In addition to theme park proximity, we were really close to The Hollywood Bowl.  The schedule for the weekend included A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keeler, Grease Sing Along, and Reggae Night.  Why do you care about The Hollywood Bowl's schedule?  The cast of The Prairie Home Companion happened to have a rehearsal at the Hilton on Thursday.  As Matt and I walked to the elevator for we looked toward a conference room and each saw different things.  He pointed out that the event in the conference room was for A Prairie Home Companion.  On the other hand, I was looking at the people in the room and thought one of the men looked familiar.  By golly he was familiar, it was Martin Sheen.  Yes, Apocalypse Now Martin Sheen and President Bartlet Martin Sheen.  He looked quite casual in a Hawaiian shirt.  It was not appropriate to attempt to speak to him since he was busy.  Made us giddy seeing a real celebrity.


That brings us to....

Celebrity Sighting (not so much)
I flew home out of LAX alone (more on that in another post).  I grabbed a bite to eat in an airport restaurant.  At the bar a man was talking quite loud.  He used to be in a band, but now he was focusing on his acting.  He's met Christian Bale's wife, what a nice lady.  He pays $500/month for a room in an LA suburb, which is an AMAZING price for a room.  Blah, blah, name drop, blah, name drop, name drop, blah......He is not a celebrity.  That is unless you consider he's a dead ringer as Luis Guzman's doppelganger.

That's LA for you.

Second Book of the Summer

I'm not certain how I specifically came across my second book for the summer.  I think I read some list of books that people should read and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.  By nature I am not a fan of the science fiction genre, but I thought I'd read outside of my box this summer.  I have mixed feelings about this book.

I'm not giving anything away with my synopsis - An alien that's ben on Earth for several years figures out the planet is about to be destroyed.  He grabs his favorite Earthling and escapes just before doom.  These two hitchhike across the galaxy and have several adventures.  They eventually meets up with two other familiar faces and continue their explorations.  

Positive - There were amusing parts.  The book starts off with the human character lying infront of a bulldozer so it does not knock his house down.  The different alien species they meet in space are quite a creative menagerie.  I read the book in a day and a half.  I could have finished it in a day, but I chose to close my eyes at the pool for a bit. 

The not so positive - The action in the book is mediocre.  They are jettisoned into space and will die if not picked up by another spacecraft.  All of a sudden they just so happen to get picked up.  Very non-dramatic stuff.  The ending was slightly abrupt.  The last few chapters had me hoping for a dramatic ending, but it just didn't happen.

Should you read it?  Meh, if you want a quick read with some amusing parts (and you checked it out from the library).  I might put the movie version at the bottom of my Netflix queue, and if it ever makes it to the top I'll watch it.

California Dreamin'

We made the decision to go to California on vacation. No surprise, right? My sister encouraged us to branch out on our choice of destination. Mexico or the Dominican Republic would be an adventure. She was right about that, but when we looked at our goals for the trip, a passport-worthy location didn't fit.We are looking for a low-key trip to recharge our batteries. One goal was to stay in a hotel that provided proximity to restaurants, entertainment, and possibly a little coffee shop for some morning energy. From what I have been told once you get to your resort in Mexico you don't leave your resort. There is something to be said about staff to bring you what want when you want it, but we are cool with doing for ourselves. Another reason we chose Cali is that we love Cali. You can't beat the sunshine and low humidity. Cali is beautiful. Driving down the PCH has to be one of the most beautiful sights. So for the next few days we'll get some R&R in our favorite state. Stay tuned for the relaxing details.

Doppelganger

Did you know you have a twin?  You may have never seen them, but you have one. 

After I buckled G into his carseat at the grocery store, he saw one.

"Bye, Papa," G says from the backseat.
"Papa?  He's not here," I laugh.
 G retorts with, "Yes he is.  He's right there."

I looked out the window and had to do a double take.  The man getting into the car next to us was most definitely my dad's doppelganger  The glasses perched on his nose, the t-shirt, the denim shorts - it was my dad!  In order to get proof, it was needed to play it smooth.

I dusted off my acting skills and launched the camera on my phone.  As Papa Twin returned his cart and walked to his car, I pretended to attend to G in the back seat.  Then my hand started snapping photos with my phone.
 

This is the best photo I could get, but it's great proof of Papa's twin.  You never know when you will run into your doppelganger. 

I Was Right

Remember last night's meltdown about the airport? G came into our room this morning and asked me to change his diaper.

"I need a new diaper so we can go to the airport."

One track mind.

This Weekend

Finish the second book of the summer

Plan activities for vacation - you will find out the location soon!

Find a fun family activity out of the heat

Take the kids to Nana & Papa so we can....

Attend the wedding of a work colleague

Fold laundry - probably not

So sweet

In case you didn't know, it's really stinkin' hot outside.

It was even too hot to go to the pool today.

After dinner we had to go for a drive before the kids hurt each other (more than they had already).

Once we devoured some Italian Ice we continued our drive.  Once we started our way home, Matt did a loop around the airport.  G saw the airplanes and was super excited to see them.  He saw them landing and idling at the gate.  Once we turned toward the exit ramp, G's tears started to pour.

He wanted to get on one of those airplanes.  We tried to explain that we were not going anywhere tonight.  That was not the answer he wanted.

"I get on the airplane now, Mom."

"Sorry Big Guy, we aren't getting on a plane tonight."

"Yes we are!!!!"

A similar conversation continued all the way home.  I tried to rationalize with the tyke that we did not have a ticket or our suitcases.

"Yes we do!!!  The suitcase is in the trunk."

"Really?  Mom & Dad did not pack our suitcases."

A few minutes later he whispered, "When we get home we get a suitcase and our ticket, OK Mom?"

My heart broke hearing him say this.  

It broke even more when we got home.

G went into his room, changed his clothes, and grabbed his Lightning McQueen suitcase.  Oh my goodness, he looked so hopeful about going on a trip.

Thankfully we were able to diffuse the situation and get him into pajamas and to bed.  I have a feeling this discussion is not over.  I've got money he packs his bag in the morning........

Go with the flow

One could say that our family is low maintenance.  We have minimal needs in life and don't get caught up in much drama.  G brings his own drama, but what do you expect from a 3 year old?

Our kids are not over scheduled for activities.  Both kids take a Spanish class once a week and M played softball this summer.  That's it.  The lack of activities allows us freedom to do what we want each day.  Beach?  Sure.  Ride bikes to the park?  If it's not too hot.  Pool?  Absolutely.

While we are relatively drama free; there are some things that frustrate me beyond belief.  One thing I will focus on today is kids' sports.  M wanted to play softball with her friends this summer.  We did not object to a season that went from the end of May to the end of June.  We liked the social opportunity, for M and for us.  Working full time limits the social interactions I have with other parents.  I am not at daily pick-up and drop-off to mingle among the moms.  This was a good chance to meet new people.  Let me just say making friends with adults is very hard.  I will leave it at that. 

I have to say M is a great ball player.  She has an accurate throw and a decent swing.




When softball started in May the coaches had some items for which they needed parent support - striping the field, uniform pick up, etc.  One item on the list made me bristle - Snack and End of the Season Party.

When the coach asked if one parent would like to create a snack schedule, I had to speak up.  The games were scheduled for 90 minutes.  Did we really need a snack?  Is there a designated snack time during the game?  Did we really need a snack?  We've all been parents for 8+ years and can be responsible for a snack for our own kid. 

The coach didn't know how to answer my questions.  He fumbled an answer out to say that they've had snack in the past and should continue it this year.  So one family created a snack schedule for us.  I graciously participated because I was not going to disappoint a group of 7-8 year olds who have come to expect snack at every event. 

In addition to snack, there has to be a party at the end of the season, right?

My ulcer gives kudos to the mom that planned it.  She decided to have a brief picnic at the ball field after the last game.  Each parent contributed a small snack for the girls.  I signed up for baby wipes since I already had them in my purse - no shopping necessary.  It was a lovely 25-minute fiesta.

During their snack I noticed that M was having trouble opening her bottle of water.  I walked over to help.  As I bent over, I felt a rush of freezing cold down the back of my shirt.

Time stood still for a few seconds.....

One of the assistant coaches decided to douse the coach with the cooler of water.  Apparently his aim was a little off and I was an unintended victim.  Once the Earth started rotating again, I stood up and instinctively took my own bottle of water and dumped it down the back of his shirt.  The look on the assistant coach's face was all the apology I needed.

I did snag a beer from his cooler.  How's that for going with the flow?



*On a side note - we did not give out goody bags at M's birthday party this year.  I heard at least three of the kids express disappointment to their parent as they walked out the door.  I'm taking a stand, will you join me in not giving these bags of crap out at parties?*

Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President,
I took my son to the doctor for his annual health check up.  The doctor was very pleased to hear that he eats a healthy diet and gets a lot of physical activity in his day.  All of his immunizations are up to date and his vocabulary is expanding as it should. 

My son will attend preschool in the fall, and we are very excited for him to partake in this experience.  I needed a health physical form filled out by my pediatrician to satisfy the preschool's enrollment requirements.  I hope you can imagine my surprise when my pediatrician informed me that my son was obese.  My doctor stated that government regulations stated a BMI had to be calculated for all children.  I have an idea of what an obese child might look like, and my son is nowhere near that image.  If my son is obese then there is something seriously flawed with the BMI formula.  

Sincerely,
Holly

Not a Bad Problem to Have

The kids are going to spend some time with their grandparents, so Matt and I are thinking of taking a vacation.  The problem we are having is where to go.  Airfare is quite a bit higher this year than last.  Two of us can go to California this year for the same price as all four of us last year.   

We decided a good way to make our decision easier is to look at the bottom line - airfare + hotel + car + food = the bottom line.  We have a bottom line number in mind, that's where our problem starts. 

We can go many places for that bottom line.  Since it will be two passport-toting adults on this trip, we can go anywhere, except super busy London  :(

Airfare to one location might be high, but the hotel is cheaper so the bottom line stays the same for the first three options.

Los Angeles - stay at a hotel near the beach and walking distance to coffee shops and restaurants. 

Mexico - all inclusive hotel/airfare package

Florida - stay at a hotel near the beach and walking distance to coffee shops and restaurants

Staycation - head to the city once or twice, fold the heap of laundry, and clean out the storage room.

Somewhere not listed that is amazing -  please leave a comment to this blog post!

Vote in the poll on the right side.  If you have any other spectacular destinations or activities to do in the suggested locations, leave a comment!

First Book of the Summer

Summer vacation brings on many things, one is the time to read for pleasure.  I do read during the school year, but my eyes typically make it only a few pages until I pass out.  The extra sleep of summer makes me more alert for books!

My first summer read was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.  She also wrote Seabiscut, which I have not read.  This story is about an Olympic runner that joins the military and serves during WWII.  He flies planes and eventually crashes (I'm not spoiling anything for you).  What happens after that is horrific and inspiring. 

I actually started this book back in November during our weekend in LA.  It was an interesting coincidence that I read this book during our trip.  The main character, Louis Zamperini, grew up in Torrance, California, which was not far from where we were.  On Sunday morning of that weekend we drove down toward Long Beach, and I was shocked to see an airport named Zamperini Field.  The city of Torrance renamed their airport in honor of their famous son. 

After our trip I put the book down and had hopes of returning to it during the holidays.  I bought the book for my dad and thought we could have a discussion about it.  Needless to say he finished it by Valentine's Day.

So, I didn't read the whole book during the summer since I picked up on page 150, but I'm not going to be picky.  Once I resumed reading, I could not stop.  I found myself thinking about the characters and what they experienced when I wasn't reading.

LHR-->EWR-->ORD

I came to London alone, and I leave London alone.

Matt and I parted ways at Holborn and I made my way to Heathrow (LHR) for a 12:00 flight.  His flight was 4:00, so he was going to squeeze in a few more hours of work.

Matt used his fancy schmancy miles for my ticket, and I had access to the club before my flight.  I had a great breakfast and some comfy chairs to relax in before take off. 

It was an uneventful flight back to the US.  My seat on the plane was not as comfortable as my flight over on British Airways, but I will certainly not complain.  I made small talk with the man next to me once I saw him reading The Hunger Games :)

A nice selection of charging options

The strip steak was delicious

He knew that I had never been to New York so when we landed at Newark he was sure to point out the major Manhattan landmarks.  He works in Manhattan and we had a sobering talk about his day on September 11.  His office is not far from Ground Zero, and his recollection of that day brought tears to my eyes.

I had a two-hour layover in Newark that I did not want to wait out.  Matt booked a long layover not knowing how long clearing customs would take.  I happened to exit customs with the flight attendant from my flight.  We chatted on our walk through the terminal.  I told him I wanted to see about getting on an earlier flight home.  He walked me to the right terminal and line for changing my ticket.  If you are ever on the LHR/EWR flight look for Salvatore, he's great!  The agent at the counter said no other flights were available so I resigned myself to some down time and checked out the United Club - you know so I can tell Matt all about it.  I thought I would give an earlier flight one more try, and asked the agent at the desk to help me out.  She tapped a few keys and voila!  I was on my way in 45 minutes.
 
This United Club was definitely much busier than the other two clubs I visited on this trip.  This club even had shower rooms, slightly weird.  They looked quite clean and the employees were cleaning them after each patron finished.

My flight from Newark to Chicago (ORD) was even less luxurious.  First class on this plane only meant leather seats.

I know, boo hoo.  It did have DirectTV so that was a bonus.  After that the rest of the day was a blur.  I'm pretty sure I drove home and went to bed because it was approximately midnight, London time. 

Can't wait to go back!

I Walked How Far?

***Ooops!  I thought I published this post long ago.  Apparently I never clicked that button!  Enjoy***


6 miles.


I walked approximately 6 miles yesterday.  That is if my unscientific scrap of paper cut to map scale measurement tool is accurate.

Let me tell you my calves, toes, arches, knees, and maybe even toe nails felt every mile this morning.  My first steps out of bed were excruciating.  I knew I needed to push through the pain for one more day in London. 

Matt was going to meet his colleague for coffee.  I needed something more substantial to recharge my batteries from yesterday.  The great thing about one of our favorite restaurants in the UK, Pret A Manger, is that they are never far away.  I walked down by the Holborn station and cozied up to the window for some porridge (Proper Porridge that is) and a latte.

Numero uno on today's list was Kensington Palace.  Why, you ask?  Well it's the soon to be permanent residence of William and Kate.  I had to make sure it was going to be an acceptable location for them :)  Aside from them Princess Diana and Queen Victoria formerly lived here as well. 

Matt and I visited Kensington Palace on our first trip to London back in 2005.  It has been closed for a bit for renovations in part due to the Queen's Jubilee in June.  Yesterday was the palace's grand re-opening, so I was happy that we were in town for it.  I took the tube out to Kensington and walked my way to the palace.  I was quite giddy waiting for the palace to open.  I have such fond memories of the rooms and the history in each one.  

This is the gate that was flooded with flowers after Diana's death

The side entrance - Which window is Will & Kate's?

London was experiencing a stretch of amazing weather.  As you can see in the photo above, the clouds were on a holiday, too.  

According to the lady at the front door, the renovation brought on changes to the way one tours the palace.  Instead of reading information from posters, each room is hosted by an expert staff member that will tell you about the room and answer any questions.  Sounds good to me since I was dying to talk to someone after touring most of yesterday by myself.  My giddiness soon turned to disappointment.  The tour of the palace was terrible.  A twelve million pound price tag for renovations was not worth it.  They tried to make the palace into a fairy tale theme, the old castle was just lovely the way it was.  The rooms were not staged as the past; the renovation made them into quite creepy scenes.  One of the rooms had all these little chairs and you had to sit in the window seat to hear "whispers" from the speakers.  I could not even tell the purpose of the room.  I kept looking for the expert staff members, but many of the rooms were empty.

These cutout figures lined the stairwell.  They did not add anything to the palace.

The section of the palace devoted to Queen Victoria's artifacts was tastefully done.  However, her bedroom was disappointing.  For preservation purposes the lighting is extremely dim.  The renovation brought in some back-lit shadow boxes that made it difficult to see anything. 

London has had one other Diamond Jubilee in their history .  This is a replica of the statue that overlooks the lake in Kensington Garden.
  

 I will say that the views outside of the palace windows are great.  

Kensington Garden and Queen Victoria statue

I made my way to the gift shop to buy my commemorative Diamond Jubilee pill box to go along with my collection from Charles & Camilla's wedding and Will & Kate's nuptials.  *Since coming home I've checked the reviews on Trip Advisor and I am not the only one disappointed in the renovation.  It has over 100 terrible reviews - one of them is mine. 

I could not waste the gorgeous day riding the tube.  I walked through Kensington Garden toward the Knightsbridge neighborhood.

  

The Albert Memorial commissioned by Queen Victoria after his death

Across the street from the Albert Memorial is the Royal Albert Hall, another Queen Victoria creation.  

Had I walked around front of this building, I might have seen some movie stars.  I found out later that tonight was the London premiere for the re-release of Titanic.  I guarantee I would have at least seen some red carpet, if not Kate Winslet. 

A few more blocks down the road is Harrods.  I spent a few hours meandering the departments and food halls.  

I will admit, I thought I could cut through a neighborhood and get to Harrods.  I quickly found that I was wrong.  I forgot that London neighborhoods are usually comprised of little enclaves with private parks and lots of gates.  The streets were deserted, but I was not scared for my safety as this was a pretty swanky neighborhood.  I was starting to panic that I might never find the way out, but I spotted a man in business attire that looked like he was on his way somewhere important; I hoped he wasn't on his way to his house.  Thankfully he zipped through a secret archway, and we were back to retail civilization.  

My feet were done.  They did not want to walk any further.  Thankfully there is a tube stop right outside of Harrods.  I hobbled back to our hotel and ate a sandwich I grabbed along the way.  After a short rest I decided to go back to The British Museum.  Matt's delirious state a few days ago cut our first visit short.  I am so glad I went back; we missed a lot, and I got to explore an exhibit that awed me then.

I made my way back to the Rosetta Stone for a photo. The Enlightenment Gallery shows the progression of the museum's collection, starting from 1680.  The artifacts are displayed from floor to ceiling and the number of books is more than anyone could read in a lifetime.

Matt finished with work for the day just as I finished at the museum.  We rested for a few minutes and stepped out for dinner.  We wanted to go back to the Italian restaurant we ate at a few days ago, but the line was out to the sidewalk.  So, we settled on a small neighborhood spot that was just enough for our weary bones.  

Tomorrow is a travel day.  Back to real life. 

Dinner with a Canadian in the UK

Matt’s Canadian colleague joined us in London.  He had a much shorter ride to London because he finished his vacation in Paris the day before - a quick ride across the The English Channel was all it took.  

The three of us went out to dinner on Monday night.  The Canadian is a certified sommelier and enjoys his liquor.  If you know me well then you know I don’t typically drink alcohol.  In my opinion it’s pretty nasty stuff.  Don’t get me wrong I occasionally enjoy a bit of Guinness, Blue Moon, or delicious Summer Ale. 

Anyway, we rode a black London cab to a tapas place in the Theatre District.  We sat at the bar and had a fantastic meal & great conversation with the bartender.  As the night progressed we consumed plates of soft-shell crab, empanadas, skirt steak, pork belly (I graciously passed), and alcohol.  The bartender and the Canadian had lively conversation about wine and spirit pairings for different dishes and ogled at different rarely seen bottles.  The bartender was quite generous with samples (for the men, thank you very much) of different wines and spirits.  He even made me an Earl Grey Iced Tea, which was spectacular.  I will have to try my own very soon.  It was certainly nice to eat in a restaurant without a kids’ menu.

Going Solo in London

Let me tell you I squeezed as much out of this day as I possibly could. 

One thing to remember about traveling to Europe is that the plugs are quite different.  We brought the necessary adapters, but Matt needed to take them to work with him.  That left me only one choice  - get up at 6:30 to use the adapter or take my chances.  I chose the former.  Getting up early certainly got me on my way.  Plus I had a surprise to look forward to this afternoon!

At home I drive everywhere – everywhere.  In London I am compelled to walk everywhere – everywhere.  Today was no exception.  I could have taken the Tube to my first destination, but the amazing weather was too good to miss. 

I made my way to Tralfagar Square to visit the lions, see the Olympics Countdown Clock, and the world’s smallest police station.  I then went to see Winston Churchill’s War Rooms based on several recommendations.  On my way there I passed Number 10 Downing Street, where the Prime Minister lives.  I thought about cutting through on Downing but soon realized that was not going to be possible upon seeing the number of police and gates.  

 Churchill’s War Rooms were a worthwhile trip.  During the war he created a home-base underground to run the war.  The rooms are just as they were left after the war.  The mannequins in some of the rooms are a tad creepy, and a few of them even startled me as I rounded a few corners. 

   

 Then I doubled back to Tralfagar Square and toured the National Gallery.  I was thrilled to tour the Impressionist gallery.  I got goosebumps when I saw Seurat’s Bathers at Asnières because we just saw A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte @ the Art Institute three weeks ago.  

Since I was in the area I decided to tour Westminster Abbey again.  The last time we were there it was so packed I did not get a good feeling for what it really contained.  Also I wanted to stand on the same floors as William and Katherine.  It was just about one year ago that I got up at 4AM to watch the amazing nuptials of these two beautiful people.  

Kate took this path to her William <3

 By this time it was almost 1:00 and I was starving.  I decided to ride the Underground back to our hotel (Piccadilly Line – Holborn) to rest my feet for a bit.  While on the ride I realized that the Piccadilly also goes up to King’s Cross Station.  If you remember Harry Potter walked through Platform 9 ¾ each fall to go to Hogwarts.  I read an article in the paper detailing the renovations that just finished at this station.  So I skipped Holborn and checked it out.

The funny thing is that during the renovations they moved the Platform 9 ¾  display nowhere near Platforms 9 or 10.  They put it right inside the front door of the station.  I suppose it’s better for people to tick that site off their list without needing to bother people who actually have business on Platform 9 or 10.  I grabbed some sushi (£5 – score!) from one of the new restaurants and watched the crowds from above.  

The highlight of my day was catching up with a colleague that lives in London.  She suggested that we meet at Covent Garden at 4:15.  Covent Garden is a hopping place. There is more shopping than I imagined, plus some flea market stalls.  Even with all the people around we found each other.  We walked and talked for almost two hours.  She took me to one of her favorite coffee places called Monmouth.  I have to say it was the best cup of coffee that I’ve ever had.  It was smooth and delicious.  The nursed the small size for almost 45 minutes - worth every minute.  Too bad there was not another Monmouth closer to Holborn.

@ Piccadilly Circus

We walked through Covent Garden, Tralfagar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and finally over to Buckingham Palace.  We ended our visit at Leciter Square so Melissa could hop the Underground back to her flat.

Admiralty Arch on the way to Buckingham Palace

After we parted ways I window-shopped on Regent Street.  I also had to pee and bathrooms are a difficult to come by so I went into the biggest store I could find, Hamley’s Toy Shop.  After taking care of business I walked back to the escalator who did I see, William and Kate!

Oh yes I did.

Made out of Legos that is.  And the Queen and her Corgi.

Such a great day.