Silence
8 years ago
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
A Traveler's Tales.....
If you havent already checked out the traveling pages of my blog, you should! =) I am continuously updating them. There is a page for American Adventures & one for Adventures Abroad, which I finally got around to starting. Between the two of us, J & I have been to several countries & over the next three years, we will add to that list. I am always open to questions/comments, so feel free to either leave a comment or email me. Once we get settled in Germany, Ill be able to add photos from the places that we have been to the pages, but for now, its just my musings. Enjoy!
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Finally...
I think I have finally found a suitable replacement for my beloved pumpkin spice creamer. Sound a little too dramatic? Maybe. Do I care? Not one bit. =) The commissary had one bottle left of International Delights Belgium White Chocolate Macadamia left, so I snagged it & decided to give it a try. Ive been using it for the past four mornings and I have to say, its very, very good. Not as great as the pumpkin spice, but definitely better than anything else that Ive tried. Now I only have to hope that the commissary in Germany carries it, or Ill have to start all over!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Moving Madness
Yesterday was my day to indulge. I slept in late, I played on the internet almost all day, I bought a HUGE bar of chocolate at the commissary, & I drank a cup of coffee at 545 pm with the new creamer that I picked up. Trust me, I deserved this day. The movers were here bright & early Monday morning to pack up all of our stuff. There were only two of them. And they were women. Im not sexist, but moving is man's work in my opinion, and here's why I think that: These women were rude, slow & never shut up. They expected us to buy them lunch & even asked us point blank to do so, and then took all the leftovers home with them. One lady talked more than she packed & in 9 hours, only finished packing one room. One room! By 5pm I was ready to bang my head against the wall. Those two left around that time & two more came and finished most of the packing, stopping at 830pm. J & I were exhausted! We had to watch them pack everything to make sure that it was done correctly & that they didnt pack anything they shouldnt.
Tuesday morning, the real movers showed up and got to work. There were 5 men who worked their behinds off, & hardly talked at all. They finished the packing & moved all of our stuff into huge crates. They filled 6 crates and a large covered trailer which will fill another 1-2 crates. They finished up around 530 or so. We spent the entire day on our feet, back & forth, watching them wrap & move everything. Another exhausting day. Despite watching them pack everything, we discovered that night as we went to hook up our one remaining TV that they had packed the Comcast remote, meaning we were stuck with only one channel- the LIFETIME channel! Oops. Needless to say, we didnt watch TV that night.
Wednesday was another early day. The storage movers were scheduled to show at 8am. They finally arrived at 1pm. My morning was essentially wasted waiting on them to arrive. We didnt have too much stuff to store, so I didnt think it would take long. Wrong. They finished up around 530. I sat out in the garage & watched them pack all afternoon. Overall, we had around 10000 lbs of stuff! You really dont know how much you have until you move.
Those 3 days were long & tiring, so yesterday was my indulgent day & it was wonderful! =)
J & I are both going to spend the next 1.5 weeks studying for the German drivers license test & learning the language. We are without furniture and are essentially camping in our house. The only things I miss, so far, are a comfy place to sit & my bed. My hip is actually bruised from sleeping on the air mattress. Ugh. Only one more week of this, then off to family, friends, & hotels. Despite some discomfort, we are happy and still looking forward to our big adventure in Europe. These next few weeks are all a part of the adventure & we will make the most of them! =)
Tuesday morning, the real movers showed up and got to work. There were 5 men who worked their behinds off, & hardly talked at all. They finished the packing & moved all of our stuff into huge crates. They filled 6 crates and a large covered trailer which will fill another 1-2 crates. They finished up around 530 or so. We spent the entire day on our feet, back & forth, watching them wrap & move everything. Another exhausting day. Despite watching them pack everything, we discovered that night as we went to hook up our one remaining TV that they had packed the Comcast remote, meaning we were stuck with only one channel- the LIFETIME channel! Oops. Needless to say, we didnt watch TV that night.
Wednesday was another early day. The storage movers were scheduled to show at 8am. They finally arrived at 1pm. My morning was essentially wasted waiting on them to arrive. We didnt have too much stuff to store, so I didnt think it would take long. Wrong. They finished up around 530. I sat out in the garage & watched them pack all afternoon. Overall, we had around 10000 lbs of stuff! You really dont know how much you have until you move.
Those 3 days were long & tiring, so yesterday was my indulgent day & it was wonderful! =)
J & I are both going to spend the next 1.5 weeks studying for the German drivers license test & learning the language. We are without furniture and are essentially camping in our house. The only things I miss, so far, are a comfy place to sit & my bed. My hip is actually bruised from sleeping on the air mattress. Ugh. Only one more week of this, then off to family, friends, & hotels. Despite some discomfort, we are happy and still looking forward to our big adventure in Europe. These next few weeks are all a part of the adventure & we will make the most of them! =)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Fab Friday
Happy Friday!
I decided to participate in The Design Girl's Fab Friday today since I love the subject. The topic: Fab Chick Flicks. I love watching movies. While I could name at least 30 great chick flicks, Ive decided to focus on the ones that have great locales or are travel related.
1. The Proposal- because Ive always wanted to go to Alaska. Just not in the winter.
2. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days- NYC. I want to go, see, and do it all!
3. P.S. I Love You- Scotland, my ancestors homeland. Definitely going to make it up there while we're living in Europe.
4. New in Town- Hilarious, charming, Minnesotan. Hello Mall of America! Also features Miami, which I love, love, love!
5. Sweet Home Alabama- Im a Southern girl, through & through.
6. The Notebook- Again, set in the South. I cant help it, I love it!
7. Bridget Jones' Diary- Set in England (love their accents!), where we are already planning a trip!
8. A Walk in the Clouds- Takes place in a vineyard. What a dream location!
So there you have it! So fav chick flicks with fabulous locales. Hopefully Ill make it to all of these places one day. My passports ready!
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! Enjoy!
I decided to participate in The Design Girl's Fab Friday today since I love the subject. The topic: Fab Chick Flicks. I love watching movies. While I could name at least 30 great chick flicks, Ive decided to focus on the ones that have great locales or are travel related.
1. The Proposal- because Ive always wanted to go to Alaska. Just not in the winter.
2. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days- NYC. I want to go, see, and do it all!
3. P.S. I Love You- Scotland, my ancestors homeland. Definitely going to make it up there while we're living in Europe.
4. New in Town- Hilarious, charming, Minnesotan. Hello Mall of America! Also features Miami, which I love, love, love!
5. Sweet Home Alabama- Im a Southern girl, through & through.
6. The Notebook- Again, set in the South. I cant help it, I love it!
7. Bridget Jones' Diary- Set in England (love their accents!), where we are already planning a trip!
8. A Walk in the Clouds- Takes place in a vineyard. What a dream location!
So there you have it! So fav chick flicks with fabulous locales. Hopefully Ill make it to all of these places one day. My passports ready!
I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Think thin, drink thin?
Did anyone watch Cougar Town tonight? It's so silly sometimes, but I love that show!
(Image from Google Images)
The "group" is always drinking red wine, morning, noon & night. I thought it was so funny that they opened this episode with a segment discussing the health benefits of red wine. Can it really be that in the long run, it keeps us thin?! If so, thats the best news Ive heard all week! It got me to thinking about the other health benefits of red wine. We all know that red wine is good for us in moderation right, but what exactly does it do for us?
According to some reputable health resources, red wine:
*Lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases HDL (good) cholesterol
*Prevents blood clots
*Lowers blood pressure
*Decreases inflammation, which leads to a host of other benefits
*Prevents blood vessel damage
*May protect against the development of type II diabetes
And YES..... *May also protect against developing obesity
Of course, this is in moderation only. One of my favorite mottos to live by is "Everything in moderation". Too much red wine (or any alcohol for that matter) can do the exact opposite and lead to obesity, so its important to stick to one glass/day for women and 1-2 glasses/day for men. How much is one glass exactly? 5 ounces. So the next time youre enjoying a glass of red wine, dont forget to think about its health potential. ;)
(Image from Google Images)
The "group" is always drinking red wine, morning, noon & night. I thought it was so funny that they opened this episode with a segment discussing the health benefits of red wine. Can it really be that in the long run, it keeps us thin?! If so, thats the best news Ive heard all week! It got me to thinking about the other health benefits of red wine. We all know that red wine is good for us in moderation right, but what exactly does it do for us?
According to some reputable health resources, red wine:
*Lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases HDL (good) cholesterol
*Prevents blood clots
*Lowers blood pressure
*Decreases inflammation, which leads to a host of other benefits
*Prevents blood vessel damage
*May protect against the development of type II diabetes
And YES..... *May also protect against developing obesity
Of course, this is in moderation only. One of my favorite mottos to live by is "Everything in moderation". Too much red wine (or any alcohol for that matter) can do the exact opposite and lead to obesity, so its important to stick to one glass/day for women and 1-2 glasses/day for men. How much is one glass exactly? 5 ounces. So the next time youre enjoying a glass of red wine, dont forget to think about its health potential. ;)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Road Trip
Happy Monday everyone!
This week J & I are planning our road trip to the East Coast. We will be driving from Little Rock to St. Louis, MO to pick up our rental car. Due to franchise issues, we had to rent a car from MO instead of getting it from AR. Its ridiculous, but with a difference of $600, totally worth it. I have lots of family in St. Louis though, so this works out well for us. From St. Louis we'll drive to Columbus, OH for a night, and then on to Baltimore, MD for 3.5 days. We are going to spend a full day in Washington, D.C. too. We opted to drive to Baltimore to catch our flight to Germany instead of flying there from AR because a.) I seriously dislike flying, and b.) We'll be traveling with our dog and one flight with her is enough.
Has anyone ever been to Baltimore? If so, what is there to see and do? We definitely want to go to the Inner Harbor, the Aquarium, and Ft. McHenry. We are also looking forward to eating some fresh seafood. We have reservations one night at a restaurant called Kali's Court, which we found on TripAdvisor. The Orioles are playing while we are there, so we also thought about catching a game. If I can talk J into it, we are going to stop by Charm City Cakes and take a picture! I love Ace of Cakes and wish I was half as good as they are. I can follow a recipe, but I am so not an artist.
J was in DC last summer for five days during a work trip, but I havent been since the 6th grade. We only have one day there, so we are going to make the most of our time. I want to see the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, and the Library of Congress. Any other must-see sites? Id like to go to the Smithsonian again, but I dont think we'll have time. J is taking me to Old Ebbitt Grill for lunch. He swears that they have the best Bloody Marys that hes ever tasted. Im game. =) I just finished reading Dan Brown's book "The Lost Symbol" which takes place mainly in DC and it increased my excitement over going. Because of it, I definitely want to go to the Capital Building and check out the ceiling in the Rotunda.
Neither of us have ever been to IN, OH, PN, or MD, so this should be a really fun trip. Germany is only a month away! Js in the living room now, practicing his German with the Rosetta Stone. Guess Id better go brush up too. Tschuss! (Bye!)
This week J & I are planning our road trip to the East Coast. We will be driving from Little Rock to St. Louis, MO to pick up our rental car. Due to franchise issues, we had to rent a car from MO instead of getting it from AR. Its ridiculous, but with a difference of $600, totally worth it. I have lots of family in St. Louis though, so this works out well for us. From St. Louis we'll drive to Columbus, OH for a night, and then on to Baltimore, MD for 3.5 days. We are going to spend a full day in Washington, D.C. too. We opted to drive to Baltimore to catch our flight to Germany instead of flying there from AR because a.) I seriously dislike flying, and b.) We'll be traveling with our dog and one flight with her is enough.
Has anyone ever been to Baltimore? If so, what is there to see and do? We definitely want to go to the Inner Harbor, the Aquarium, and Ft. McHenry. We are also looking forward to eating some fresh seafood. We have reservations one night at a restaurant called Kali's Court, which we found on TripAdvisor. The Orioles are playing while we are there, so we also thought about catching a game. If I can talk J into it, we are going to stop by Charm City Cakes and take a picture! I love Ace of Cakes and wish I was half as good as they are. I can follow a recipe, but I am so not an artist.
J was in DC last summer for five days during a work trip, but I havent been since the 6th grade. We only have one day there, so we are going to make the most of our time. I want to see the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial, and the Library of Congress. Any other must-see sites? Id like to go to the Smithsonian again, but I dont think we'll have time. J is taking me to Old Ebbitt Grill for lunch. He swears that they have the best Bloody Marys that hes ever tasted. Im game. =) I just finished reading Dan Brown's book "The Lost Symbol" which takes place mainly in DC and it increased my excitement over going. Because of it, I definitely want to go to the Capital Building and check out the ceiling in the Rotunda.
Neither of us have ever been to IN, OH, PN, or MD, so this should be a really fun trip. Germany is only a month away! Js in the living room now, practicing his German with the Rosetta Stone. Guess Id better go brush up too. Tschuss! (Bye!)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
More Fabulous Giveaways!
There is a fantastic giveaway going on now through Sunday night over at www.thedesigngirlblog.com! She is offering a FREE blog design makeover + a custom signature (an $85 value)! I soo want to win this as I have many ideas for the design of this blog, but no clue how to make them a reality.
www.mychihuahuabitesblog.com is offering a week of giveaways, so head over there too!
Happy Wednesday!
www.mychihuahuabitesblog.com is offering a week of giveaways, so head over there too!
Happy Wednesday!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Countdown is On!
Im thinking that nothing is going to live up to Pumpkin spice in the creamer department. The International Delight White Chocolate Mocha is good, but not great. I am however really liking their Skinny Caramel Macchiato. Its fat free, but tasty.
We are moving to Germany in FOUR weeks! Time is flying by. I cant believe it is already May! We have been planning our first trip once we get to Europe...PARIS! Of course. We're hoping to be able to go within the first couple of weeks of our arrival. Paris is only a 2 hour train ride away from our future German hometown! =) The sites that are a must-see for us are: The Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Cathedral of Notre Dame, and The Louvre. Ill have to make a few trips to the Louvre to see all that I want to see, but a brief overview would be nice for this first trip. Has anyone ever been to Paris? Any must-see sites, or restaurants that we should not miss? I actually found a couple of affordable hotels, near all the sites, but we arent going to book until we get over there. If anyone has any advice, let me know! Of course once we actually go, Ill post photos!
We are moving to Germany in FOUR weeks! Time is flying by. I cant believe it is already May! We have been planning our first trip once we get to Europe...PARIS! Of course. We're hoping to be able to go within the first couple of weeks of our arrival. Paris is only a 2 hour train ride away from our future German hometown! =) The sites that are a must-see for us are: The Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Cathedral of Notre Dame, and The Louvre. Ill have to make a few trips to the Louvre to see all that I want to see, but a brief overview would be nice for this first trip. Has anyone ever been to Paris? Any must-see sites, or restaurants that we should not miss? I actually found a couple of affordable hotels, near all the sites, but we arent going to book until we get over there. If anyone has any advice, let me know! Of course once we actually go, Ill post photos!
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