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!