Travels to Calgary

I am in Calgary this week and I really enjoyed it. I did NOT enjoy the flights to get here though. It literally takes all day to get there.  First of all, being from Dallas and all I typically only fly on American Airlines. They’re based out of Dallas and I can rack up the air miles with them. AA wanted way way too much money for the flights to Calgary and back. My company wouldn’t approve it so I am traveling Delta this week.  I have zero status with them and I am one of the last to board the plane and stuck in the back too.  I know I sound like a travel snob but come on, I live in these airplanes and airports, I’ve earned my right to be a little snobbish in my head at least.  I had a layover in Salt Lake City ,Utah and I will say that the view was nice while staring out the windows during my long layover (my flight was delayed another hour once I got there).  I’m leaving to home today and my layover is in Minneapolis which has a nice airport too. I hate connection flights though, I still get nervous that I wont have time to make plane. I’m not landing until 10:30 pm tonight. It will be late by the time I get luggage, and car to get home. Geesh.

Touchscreen elevator ,y'all! At the Calgary airport. So cool.

Have you ever heard of Banff? Well, it’s one of Canada’s oldest national parks. It’s a very nice ski resort town this is in the heart of the Rockies. GORGEOUS! Well,  Banff is just short of 2 hours to get there one way from Calgary. I went to Banff 2 years ago with 3 other ladies to have dinner and back so I thought what the heck- I can do this again!  I decided to drive up there after work this past Tuesday night.  I am so glad I did because it really beats sitting in the hotel room all night. I pulled over and took what pictures I could with my blackberry camera.

There was elk everywhere on way to Banff

Canada Rockies

Banff Springs Hotel ( i didnt stay there)

Downtown Banff

Pond facing the mountain

My mom lives in Montana and is supposedly only 6 hours away from Calgary. I really wanted to fit in a visit before or after my stay here but it just didn’t work out.  Being this close to Mom made me miss her especially more though. Maybe next time I come to Calgary my plans will work out in her favor.  The next  time I come though I definitely want to stay one night in the Banff Springs Hotel. I am mesmerized by the architecture of this hotel. I still did not make the time to go inside and actually look at it. I wished I would have walked through it like a customer but it was starting to get dark so I wanted to head back.

Alberta is also apparently known as a great beef (steak) location. Everyone kept saying “ oh you got to have a steak here”. I would say “but I’m from Texas and we know our steaks”!  Anyway, I went to a place last night to have a steak and it was good. It didn’t knock my socks off though but it was nice for them to want me to be in the Calgary spirit.

I just wanted to make a quick post so talk to ya soon.

So great to be at home

Last week was a nice week for the most part in Vancouver. The weather was crappy except one night (last Tuesday). The funny thing is that it actually snowed that day too but it didnt stick so i went out to explore. I asked a coworker to join me and we took the train downtown to the waterfront. It was cold and cloudy but it wasnt raining or snowing. I really enjoyed walking around and seeing what i could. My main goal was to see where the Olympic torch stood. I just really like being around the water too. There was a gorgeous science center on the water, and the stadiums where the sporting events and concerts take place. Lots to do but of course it was late after work so just pictures of the outside will have to do.  The following night i went to dinner with the same coworker (her name is Rani) and went to the coolest little beach town near the US border called White Rock. It had a nice pier, and tons of places to eat,e tc. The downside that evening was that it was raining buckets constantly almost the whole time. I got a few pics between breaks in the rain but its really dark and MAN was it freezing! The winds near the ocean were fierce. I would really love to go back another time and i want to drive an hour or so to Whistler. I 've always heard that it's a beautiful place to visit at any time of year but the rain was just too much for me last week. The traffic there too was crazy. I went to a Harley shop one night after work to get a tshirt for my boyfriend and myself. It was supposed to only take around 45 minutes but was almost 2 hours. I was confused for a minute and thought i was in LA for a second with the traffic.

At science bldg near stadium- Vancouver

The 2010 Olympic Torch

I thought it looked like Legos but its called Digital Orca. My friend Rani with me

White Rock, BC. The Canada flag behind me on the beach

That was my first visit to Vancouver so i had no idea what to expect. I will say that my hotel was not far from the airport but i was in a strange area for sure. All the signs were in a different language on all the places around me (like in Chinese or something Asian). The signs werent all that was Asian. All the staff and most patrons were also Asian. I dont have any clue of the differences between Korean, Japanese, Chinese, etc. The food at the breakfast buffet was very strange. They had oriental noodles , a hot pot of some kind of soup with things to add to the bowl, and mystery foods i would never expect to see for breakfast.  It was very different but it didnt bother me in any way. Just a new part of our world to experience. AND I found a Starbucks very close so i was happy girl!

Yum, noodles for breakfast. Chopsticks anyone?

This and that to add to my breakfast soup. I have no idea what are in these bowls.

I normally travel on Friday's but this week wasnt filled with many participants which allowed me to go home last Thursday evening. This worked out perfectly because i needed to drive to Oklahoma at some point Friday. I had tickets along with my brother Jeremy and his wife Sarah to go to a rock concert by Chevelle. It was soooo awesome! There was a few tense moments that made me uneasy when the mosh pits and the crazy pushing each other in waves got out of hand. Almost every song had a moment that a fight would break out and i had enough. Sarah and I both were not enjoying that and we left the front of stage to go much much farther to the back. It was still just fine and we could see the stage with no problems. The place was a dive country bar with no seats whatsoever but when you think about it,a perfect place for a good hard core rock concert. There's nothing you can break or mess up really. It was so flippin hot in there though. Goodness! i had sweat coming from every single pore and it was not pretty. If i go back there again, to hell with looking somewhat cute for a concert! I will wear a t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers for sure. I would say flip-flops but some jackass may step on my toes in their excitement and i dont want to chance it.

Sarah, Jeremy, myself about to leave for concert

Chevelle!!!

That was pretty much my week and weekend and i couldnt be happier NOT to pack this week and be traveling. I love catching up with my family and some friends this week.
Be cool!!

I do give a Hoot!

I'm on my lunch break so thought i would take time to make a quick post. One thing i realized is that i like to mention my dining experiences when i travel but i dont always mention the places i try out in my own home town. Last week when i was in Dallas for my team meetings, we went to a really cool resturant called Whiskey Cake and it was Delish!! The menu is short and to the point but had very different approach on their entrees. One of the appetizers was Deviled eggs. You dont see that often. I had one of the best crab cakes that i've ever tasted in Dallas. The burgers are actually beef brisket smushed in a patty and OMG was it good. Another place i went to was a Japanese place called Jinbeh. It's a pretty small place hidden in a shopping strip near our office but it does great business. This is where they have the chef at the hibachi grill being entertaining and chopping the stuff up. I do enjoy their act and they're pretty talented with those knives!
I love their ginger dressing on the salads and i had leftovers from the chicken and shrimp dish i chose. Yummy! So there's a few shout outs to places in my hood.
I am currently in Vancouver, Canada this week. I arrived yesterday after a very long 4+ hour flight. I was not having a good day yesterday. I got totally turned around looking for the rental car place and walked in complete circle until i found it (all while schlepping my suitcase and laptop bag with me). Then i had printouts from google maps on how to get to my office. I had borrowed a GPS from a coworker that has Canada on it (cuz mine does not) but it would not turn on until much later. I followed exact instructions on map but then the directions did not match at all what i was supposed to do next. I drove soooo far out of the way. I ended up in a residential neighborhood where i pulled over, and then thats when GPS decided it was warmed up to help me. My night was uneventful once i left the office. I went straight to hotel and ordered room service (yucky chicken sandwich on wheat). It's cold and rainy and i just didnt feel like exploring.
I got to thinking how blessed i am while hanging out in my hotel room.
*although cold and rainy- i got to travel to Vancouver and i've never been here before
*the Vancouver airport is one of the most prettiest airports i've ever seen (signs are confusing hence me walking in circles for rental cars)
* i love love love meeting new people and training them as part of my job
*my company pays for my Starbucks in the morning and that makes me so happy
* i earn miles for the airline that i'm booked on
*i am skilled at packing a suitcase
*i have my super ipad that i got for Christmas and i can Facetime with my friends ( awesome)
*i'm wearing my boots in the cold weather locations and we all know how much i love my boots
There are many other reasons why i'm blessed but i have a short lunch period today.
I may go exploring tonight even if its cold and rainy, so stay tuned.

Rambles

I mentioned in my last post that my team meeting was this week and we had a night of WhirlyBall and LaserTag I had never participated in either of these events before and i just have to say I FRICKIN ROCKED at the LaserTag!!! No kidding. There were 14 of us playing and i won first place out of all of them. Now i will say that my percentage was low with the ammo but who cares?! I shot at everything all the time and it must have worked. I was so crazy surprised but i truly am not competitive at all with any types of games. It was so much fun though and i would go again. I didnt get any pictures because its in the dark. You wear a vest that has these lights on it all over which are targets. The guns recognize the targets when you're aiming at the vest and you shoot. Love it!  I decided that it would be best NOT to play in the WhirlyBall games due to all my back injuries i've had this past year. What is WhirlyBall? Its where you ride these bumper car thingies while at same time have this catcher contraption and you throw a ball at a basketball goal to get points. I had 2 people on the team mention as they took turns in the games that it was a good idea that i sat out. There is a lot of bumping and thrashing in the seats at times and it could have hurt. I really enjoyed watching my teammates be competitive while others just drove in circles and bumping into others. What a fun night and i honestly didnt want to go at first. I was tired and kid of grumpy but i'm so glad i went!
This weekend is kinda of different in that i have no set plans at all. Its nice to relax and do things as they come up. I'm thinking of getting a pedicure tonight and trying to squeeze in a visit to my Dad's tomorrow afternoon. Church for sure on Sunday too. Oh , and i may go to movies with my boyfriend and his kids. Who knows what i may get into?! I need to pack for Vancouver Canada at some point.
Thats it for now. See ya!

Back to Business

I’m much much better now than my last post.  When I landed from Canada 2 weeks ago I went straight to the Dr and got some an antibiotic and more medicine. I was correct that I had a UTI and now I’m prone to having more. I’m not so happy about that. I was in Jacksonville,Fla last week and time flew by. I love going there because I have a lot of great friends to hang out with and its my largest work location so I am crazy busy the second I get there. I had dinner every night with different friends and my hotel was literally ON THE BEACH. I was on 3^rd floor with patio that opened up to ocean view. I was in Heaven for sure. I even slept every night with the patio door cracked so I can hear the waves crash. I took picture every morning of the sunrise but it was cloudy and rainy most every day I was there. I have this tradition with myself that if I’m near the beach I HAVE to walk on the beach and my toes have to touch the sand. Even if its just for a second.  The only time I had chance to do that was my last day there. I got up extra early on Friday and walked down to the beach. It was so worth it.

My toes in the sand

Carrie and me

The Linda's and my friend Mary

On my flight back i sat next to a sweet girl named Ashley who was blind and had the coolest dog named Yale. He curls himself in the smallest ball under the plane seats and is incredible. Ashley is actually going to the Olympics in London this year for Special Olympics.

Working dog Yale

Over the weekend I went out to the country to see my grandmother (Nanny). I always enjoy spending time with her for the day. Bonus for me she had an amazing home-cooked meal for me. I had chicken friend steak (my fave), mashed potatoes, cream corn, pinto beans, rolls and gravy. DELISH!! Seriously, there is no hope of ever dieting when you’re around my Nanny.  I was getting ready to leave and head to Dallas when my uncle called. My Uncle James lives a few blocks from my grandmother and has a great place of land with a pond. He has some miniature donkeys and apparently one had a baby that my uncle was not aware of. He found the baby donkey down by the pond under a fence. He was about 2 days old and was very malnourished and dehydrated. I drove over there to see him and OMG the most precious thing ever! My uncles wife Tara went to the vet and bought some protein packets ,food, etc and had to feed him every 3 hours but he’s good now. The mom donkey does not want anything to do him. I need to call and find out what they ended up naming him.

Precious baby donkey

So this week I’m not traveling and I’m in meetings all week with my team. Its been nice because a few of my teammates live out of state and I maybe see them once a year. We’ve had dinner every night and it’s nice because I didn’t go grocery shopping. Yay for me! Tonight is a mandatory night that we all HAVE to go out and we’re going to a place called WhirlyBird. It’s some kind of thing where we have to drive these bumper car kinda things and throw a ball of some sort. Maybe I’ll have pictures from tonight.

I’m heading back to Canada next week so I’m excited to see what’s in store for me.

Pity Party for One- I want to be at home in my own bed. :(

I am not a happy girl. Beware because this post is simply going to be whining mostly. I am in Toronto Canada this week and I am super sick. I actually got sick over the weekend and its continued to get worse. I am not excited to be out of the USA and to not be feeling well. I was miserable last night in hotel and literally just paced the floors. I seriously may need to go to a Doc in a Box here if today doesn’t improve. I know there are close to zero males who read this so I can tell you what I think I have. I have never had a UTI (urinary tract infection) but I’m convinced that’s what I have. I have to pee every minute- it hurts when I do- my kidneys are aching, I’ve been running a fever, and throwing up. I am drinking cranberry juice today just to feel like I’m doing something. If you’re a praying kind of person I could really use some prayers my way.

Since I haven’t felt well , I have not left my hotel once work is over.  It’s also been raining and snowing here so it’s ugly and no one wants to be out anyway.

I was here last week too but I felt much better. I ate at the hotel restaurant a few times but I did eat too.  We ate at place called Peters on Eglinton. It was a different kind of place because it was a little of everything on menu but it was very good. The portions were HUGE and it was very good. I had grilled chicken kabobs over rice and it was yummy. I haven’t been really impressed with many places to dine here so when it is good it stands out.  When I travel to Canada  I always crave Mexican food. I am so spoiled by many yummy Mexican places in Dallas and I can eat it every day. I wish I had some now.

Today is Ash Wednesday and beginning of Lent season. Do you participate in any Lenten traditions? I used to. I practiced Catholicism for 37 years and always went to church on Ash Wednesday to get my forehead marked with ashes. I would fast and then give up something all during Lent. One year I gave up French fries and it was not a fun time for anyone around me. I have a serious weakness for French fries and it was a hard one to give up.  Now I am a member of a Non-denomination church and I am actually a little relieved about that today. With me feeling like crap I am not sure if fasting today would help my mood.  Even though I haven’t been able to eat much I still want to snack a little.  I do appreciate the Lent season as a time to reflect and get closer to GOD.  I do want to make some special quiet dates with my bible and reflect more up until Easter (well all year but you know what I mean).

So how was your Valentines? Since I had to travel last week here I actually got to celebrate last Sunday on a very nice date. I was taken to a steak restaurant in Dallas called Perry’s. I had never been there. I had some lobster bisque and a delicious filet. The best part is that as we were leaving it started snowing on us. It didn’t stick but it was so pretty and it made it more romantic.  I was just happy to have a date and someone to celebrate with me.

Next week im traveling to Jacksonville, Florida. I love going there so I hope i'm feeling better.  I’ll try to post next week.

SuperBowl and Valentines- So whatcha think?

How does time go by so fast? I haven’t blogged in weeks now.  So how was your SuperBowl weekend? Did you care one way or another on  what team won? Honestly,  once my Cowboys were out of the running, I lost all interest on who would win. I love football and liked both teams in the game though and enjoyed the performances. I loved Miranda and Blake singing together and couldnt be more proud of Texas girl Kelly Clarkson singing the anthem!

 I went over to Dad’s to watch the game with my folks. He ended up having a full on party with 17 people total! Craziness! It got so loud with people talking that I couldn’t hear the commercials and that’s the best part.  I was so crazy happy about the Madonna halftime performance y'all! I think she did an Amazing job and looked fabulous. Yes she almost slipped in those ginormous heels but rocked it the whole time.   My stepmom made the best Chili ever and we had some yummy dips and typical game food. It was fun just all in all. Seeing Dad enjoy himself surrounded with his buddies was enough to make me smile. He seemed very happy and was in good mood.

I’m switching subjects now -So does it matter to you if you participate in Valentine’s at all? I for one love all occasions to buy a card. I am a card junkie and I LOVE giving cards to my friends and family for any reason. My ex-boyfriend was not a fan at all of Valentines and believed it was a”hallmark” holiday made up just to make money.  In the last few years he finally gave in and would buy me a card and maybe some candy but that was it.  I know it may sound silly but I do buy into the hype and think to myself “how great would it be if I had someone to take me to dinner and do something special with the rest of the world”.

From the time we were in grade school and would make valentines for all our classmates and decorate a lunch bag with name on it so we can put the cards in the bag- I’ve been hooked!  Don’t you remember the PTA moms would bring cupcakes and punch and we would have a special time in our day to exchange our valentines and eat our treats? Who doesn’t love a chance to eat dessert and feel special from your friends at same time!  Oh well, I actually will be in Canada next week for work during Valentines.  Cupid has to shoot his arrow a LONNGGG way!!

At this moment I am working in St Louis. I was  here last week too and it’s been a quick 2 weeks.  Last week the weather was so awesome and it was supposed to be cold but never got below 60’s. I love it when I don’t have to schlep my coat around everywhere.  This week  has been colder and it actually snowed last night. I love love love seeing some winter moments!!! It didn’t stick on the roads but I had to scrape windshield this morning off the rental car. I wished it would have snowed more. L I have some friends that live here that I enjoy hanging out with but this week has been such a treat. My girlfriend Caroline that lives near me in Dallas is also here for business. We had dinner Monday night at a yummy little hole in the wall Greek restaurant called the Gyro House. It was so fun hanging with Caroline like we do at home. We also went to a fun resale shop that had vintage clothes.  I bought the cutest blazer that has skulls in the background but very subtle and it was a whole $14 dollars. Woo Hoo! I should have taken a picture of it. The two of us just went to Dallas Museum of Art  two weeks ago to attend the John Paul Gautier exhibit and had a blast!! We went shopping at the galleria after that and had a lunch at Grand Luxe. Just a fun girlie day for sure. Caroline and I are supposed to connect for dinner tonight too so I am looking forward to that.

I most likely wont be blogging again until next week so have a great weekend to those who are reading this. I’ll be in Toronto next week so will try to post then.