Winter Vacay

A few weeks ago (sorry- delayed!) I went on a little winter vacation. My friend Lindsey had gone to college in Florida and was going down between Christmas and New Years to visit/vacation with friends and invited me to go along. I had vacation that I need to use or lose- so I was happy to join in!!

We left at 7 am the morning after Christmas (which was a little rough) and headed south. In southern South Carolina we hit a pothole and got a flat- which moved our ETA from 7:00pm to an actual arrival time of 11:45pm. (we sat for an hour waiting for AAA, and then drove 50mph the rest of the way...)

But it was still a good trip- we spent some time in Jacksonville, visited St. Augustine where Lindsey went to school (in a resort hotel basically), went to Bradenton (which was finally warm) and swam with Manatees!! By far my highlight!!!

I have been into Manatees since I was 11. My mom and step dad went to the Keys for their honeymoon and sent me a postcard from there with Manatees, and brought me back a manatee tshirt. I didn't even know about them before and have loved them ever since!!

On wednesday of our vacay we went to an aquarium in Sarasota, and there were 2 manatees in a tank there. I was soooo excited to see them and took a bunch of pics. While we were there the one girl we were with said "you know- you can swim with them in the wild." Well, i was sold!

We got up Thursday morning at 4 something to leave before 5 b/c we had a 2+ hour drive to be at Chrystal River at 7 (the town where the manatees are). It was not warm or sunny that day- we SQUEEZED in wetsuits and were on the water by 8am. I was a little nervous to snorkel in cold water for 3 hours- b/c i don't like dirty river water or snorkeling or being cold- but it was awesome!!!! I recommend that anyone who loves manatees should do this- they were so sweet and gentle and let you pet them.

Well, that is the story- see some photos below!!!! (ps- the drive back was much more efficient!)

me with the manatee in the aquarium- the highlight of my life until the next day...

This is a baby manatee swimming up to see me and let me pet him (that's really me)

Lindsey's friend Nat getting up close and personal with a manatee (i was this close to one too- but no one was there to photograph it)

My hand petting this very friendly manatee- she let me pet her for several minutes.

we were nose to nose!

  

Lindsey and me in the cold water!!

U2 (finally)

A month ago (or more), I saw U2 in concert. I've been wanting to blog about it, and just never made the time. So, while it's not super fresh in my mind- I think I could still string together a few thoughts.

I've always wanted to see them (well, since I was in college and really knew who they were) and thought just one time I'd spend the money and go. So, when my friend Gretchen asked me last spring if I wanted to get tickets with her for the September show in DC, I said yes.

We were hoping to get mid-level tickets, but by the time her mom was able to get through (she went along with us and was our ticket purchaser extraordinaire) all that was left was 7 rows from the top, or field level. I was interested in going, but not $200+ interested... so we opted for 7 rows from the top.

it was an adventure getting there (I have never seen a metro car so full), and adventure ordering food (it took them 20 minutes for our $7 fries and $10 chicken fingers), and we were finally at our seats.

It was an awesome show. Great stage- great set list- my one complaint (besides the drunk dancing woman in front of me) was that there was an echo from where we were sitting so it was hard to hear when Bono spoke. But DEFINITELY worth it (cost wise- i spent more $$ seeing David Cook this summer...) and I would for sure go again. A lot of my friends/acquaintances have asked "why do you/people like U2? what's the big deal?" Here are my reasons.

• They have been playing music together since 1976 with no member changes. How many bands have been doing that?
• They have both sincere ballads and crazy pop/rock. A nice variety.
• They use their fame to do good in the world. I know some people who don't agree with this- they want their singers to just sing and their actors to just act- but I say- if you're famous- why not use it to better the world.
• they put on a crazy good show
• they let people into the inner circle of their stage by random selection (My friend Gretchen got to do it once)
• i think their message and the music points to something bigger. some say it's Jesus, some say it isn't, I think it very well might be.

Jim Wallis wrote a blog about the concert the next day (he's better than I am) and I think he said it well. Take a gander.

To cap it all off, we walked the wrong way out of the stadium towards the metro, had to turn around and haul it back... we got on the last train out of the stadium about 10 seconds before it pulled away. Left York at 2:30 pm, got home at 3:00am the next day. Still... worth it!

Here's the crazy stage lit up

You can sort of see the band here.....

This is with or without you, in the encore. Probably my favorite moment of the show. The sound is terrible- but I think you can still see the effect.

California!!....California!!!! (in the style of Phantom Planet)

Late July to Early August my sister Amy and I went to CA to see our cousin Lisa and her husband Eric. Lisa is a dentist in the Air Force and was stationed for this last year at Travis AFB in Northern CA. They lived in the town of Vacaville. We were there for 6 days and saw nearly everything. (well, not really, but it was a lot) Here is a whirlwind tour of what we saw. (since our trip Lisa and Eric have moved to their next assignment: Guam!)


First Night: Dinner at Tahoe Joe's, a local restaurant. We went for Happy Hour and ate a TON of appetizers and had some fun drinks!

Amy, Lisa, and Becki w/ Tahoe Joe himself!

Day 2: we went to base for lunch w/ Lisa, and then to two local wineries in the Suisun Valley. They were great!! Here is a shot from one of the wineries.

That night, after Lisa was off work, we went to downtown Vacaville for dinner (more happy hour) and then to an outdoor concert in a park.

Saturday we got up bright and early and headed to Muir Woods to see the Redwoods. It was awesome!!!

After Muir Woods we headed into San Francisco and saw IT ALL!! Here are a few things:

sea lions at the pier

it was very windy that day!!

We saw Mrs. Doubtfire's House and went to the Full House houses!

We went to Chinatown

We also went up to Twin Peaks for a view of the city (too foggy), walked all over the city, and drove the crookedest street. We ended our day w/ a Giants Game!!! It was great!!

Sunday we went to Sonoma and Napa Valleys. First was a picnic at a winery in Sonoma, after getting tasty sandwiches downtown.

Then we went on a tour and started tasting!

Next stop: Napa for the Laird Winery!! Probably my highlight!

We came home that night and just played cards and watched a movie- we were wiped out!!

Monday we just hung out by the pool during the day. it was gorgeous!! This is what is looks like in Vacaville ALL THE TIME!!!!:

That night we headed up to Sacramento and ate at the old town. I tried to look for Arnold, but I did not see him....

These are just a FEW of the 600 pics we took. What a great trip!!!!

What i've been up to...

It's September 1st. Fall is in the air, and I'm a little bummed about it. I really love summer. I love fall too- but I'm not quite ready for it... Summer seemed to fly by so quickly. But at least this year I got to take some vacation!! Here's a brief overview of where I have been the last month and a half... (in which I'm not sure I've had a full work week...) I have pictures of most events (thanks to my new pink camera).

July 4: Annual 4th of July Carnival in Jacobus, followed by a fun family gathering @ my mom's. This is my young friend Julia killing it at the balloon game.

July 11: Annual LAIRD family reunion in Ebensburg, PA. A Classic Day.

July 12: My step-sister Allison's bridal shower in Pittsburgh (2nd sister to get married this summer!)

July 16: Trip to Burkittsville, MD w/ friends for small town carnival. Always entertaining!

July 18: Heidi (one of my bff's from college and Philly roommates) got married!!!!

July 18-25: BEACH WEEK! Annual family trip to Rehoboth Beach, DE. We had a lot of rain and clouds this year, but I read 4 books (see previous blog post)

July 29: Mom's Bday!!! (no pic)

July 30-Aug 4: CALIFORNIA!!! My sister and I went to Vacaville, CA (outside San Fran) to visit cousin Lisa and husband Eric. She's an Air Force Dentist. We had a GREAT TIME!! (see upcoming post on the trip)

Aug 7-9: American Idol Live in Atlantic City, NJ and weekend to follow on Long Beach Island with great friends.

Aug 13: CCO Area Day- Day trip to State College (which always feels like I'm visiting my homeland). It was a great day to reconnect with the CCO staff in my area and gear up for another school year (I maintain associate staff status w/ the CCO).

Downside to the day: I was stung by 10 bees. (once in the eye- got hives 1 week later)

Aug 15: "An Evening at the Landings" celebrating friends' new apartment

Aug 15-20: ALL THE COUSINS TOGETHER!! Before Lisa & Eric left for Guam (her next AF assignment) they, her brothers and their wives & kids came into town and the 5 cousins + spouses were together for a few days. We had a great time.

Aug. 31: Visiting Kelly & Tim- good friends from college (though Kelly and I go back to camp)- they work for a missions org in Chicago- we only get to see each other once a year- but it's always refreshing to spend time with them on their brief visits to York.

Aug. 23-today: I've had a nasty cold that I can't seem to shake... but I need to improve because THIS weekend is when my step-sis Allison gets married AND my friend Meghan gets married (that's right folks- 2 weddings- 1 weekend). In one (sat) attending the second (sun).

Looking forward to next Monday when I'm home from all my travels and can rest from my Labors!!! It was a good summer... I wish it could last just a bit longer, but all I can do is reflect on its fullness and goodness and prepare for the glorious season of fall!

Beach Reads

Last week I went to the beach with my family. An annual trip, always an adventure- this year in a new location. We were still in Rehoboth, just a new house- it was weird after being in the last house for 15 years!!! This year there was 13 of us at the fullest 2 days- which is a low number for our gang!! It wasn't the best year of weather- but I got a lot of reading in. Guess I'm not so bad at reading after all...
Book #1: Baby Proof by Emily Giffin. This is the first book of hers that I've read- i'm looking forward to her others. It was a quick read, highly entertaining- classic "chic lit." A good way to start. Gotta build that reading momentum.

Book #2: (my fav of the trip) My Life in France by Julia Child. I had read Julie and Julia by Julie Powell when it first came out a few years ago and have since been quite interested in Julia Child. I picked this up in January and finally got around to reading it. It was great!! I recommend it to anyone who likes cooking, France, French Food, international travel, memoirs, history (stories about the 50s-70s), and strong fascinating women. she didn't start cooking til she was 37!!! I was already super excited for Julie and Julia (the movie) and now I can't wait!! It comes out next week!!

Book #3: The Last Lecture. I had seen the documentary on Randy Pausch back in the fall and my mom had loaned me the book. It was a quick read- and covered a lot of what I had seen on the doc., but it was good. Touching. He was a Carnegie-Mellon prof diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and this is the premise of his "last lecture" at CMU (which is a series they have- not just b/c he was ill) and the advice that he's leaving his students, his children, the masses. I recommend.

Book #4: This one I am only about 60 pages into..... but it's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. A memoir (my fav. genre right now) about Kingsolver and her family who leave dry AZ behind to move to rural VA to plant and harvest and live a year on local foods. Foods that they know where they come from. Living in season. It's something I try to do (though at a much less noble scale) and I am enjoying it so far. Though Barbara does not crack me up the way that Julia does....

I'm leaving Thursday for my next vaca- flying to CA (SF area) to visit my Air Force cousin and her husband before they depart for Guam. I already packed my book in my carryon! Photos to come (I took NONE at the beach)

just thought I'd share this photo of me at the beach last summer. getting ready for another fun summer!!! And no, I didn't drive it. (but I did ride on it- my first motorcycle ride ever... not as bad as I imagined it to be...)