Working hard or hardly working?

Over the last month I've flown to a few meetings for work.  When I was full-time BK (before kids) I went to some great locations like San Francisco a few times, Chicago (fav!), & Montreal (fav!).  I certainly didn't think I wanted to travel since being back part-time.  However, this last month proved me wrong.  Meeting #1:  San Diego.  Coronado Island to be exact.  Hotel Del on Coronado to be even more exact.  Pinch me!

I flew down early landing at 9:30am.  This meant I had exactly 9 1/2 hours before I needed to be anywhere.  Ready?  Explore!

So, I walked into this famous hotel, 

Checked-in in this lobby, 

And, got a key for THIS room....  Oh, what's behind those curtains you ask?  

BOOM.  I had this view.  Bananas, I tell you.  I was going bananas.  

This tiny morsel of a window had a direct west facing view of all beach.  

Corner room on top floor, anyone?  This is why one should always check-in early & smile at the staff.  I was in paradise.  (Paradise alone, wishing my family was with me but, it was still paradise for about 30 hours.)

At this time I had about 8 hours to do a bike tour of the island, read, lunch, swim, walk on the beach & eat ice cream, MooTime ice cream.

Rented a bike for 3 hours & toured this tiny yet scenic island.  

If you have never been to this island off the coast of San Diego, it's a must see.  It's basically half navy base and half ga-jillion dollar homes with some fancy-schmancy hotels along the beaches.  We usually make it out there on every San Diego trip but, have never stayed longer than an hour or two...

(Lifted this map from internet.)  

This is the Coronado Bridge, (the 2nd most popular bridge to jump, following the Golden Gate & leading in front of our Aurora Bridge...)  Other than that sad fact, it really is beautiful.  

After riding, I hit the pool & read.  But, when you're in such a beautiful place like this, I felt guilty being at the pool & not sitting at the "real pool" 50 yards away.    

So, I hit the beach.  

My room is pretty much in the center of this photo, top corner.  

Sunset.  

Sunrise.  

I will go back someday... 

Meeting #2 was Phoenix.  It was the exact opposite.  Great hotel but, no view, totally boring downtown location.  NOTHING to do.  I mean, nothing.  There were about 2 stores open in each "shopping mall".  I don't know how many times one can walk into Urban Outfitters or Charming Charlies but, I'm sure I set the record.  It was a good meeting but, overall lame location.

Fortunately there was a DDD restaurant here.  This place & it's bacon was my saving grace.  

 Without a minute to spare - I flew home, ate dinner with the fam & was around to give my son his birthday gifts before tucking my big 3 year old into bed.

Happy Birthday sweet Axey Benj.  Mama loves you! 

Linens (& my 300th post!)

I have this thing about linens.  Post college I started collecting linens every trip I took.  It was an easy, small, useful souvenir to pack.   This has morphed into keeping the focus solely on dishtowels.  Word got out & I started receiving them as gifts.  I love using a towel and thinking:  "Vera gave me that one when I house-sat"; "I remember buying that in Nice & I couldn't decide on the color"; "we bought that at a great kitchen shop in Whistler"; "Melis gave that to me for my birthday"; "my aunt Livy brought that back from Sweden for me"; "this was my grandma Olsson's that she never used & it made it's way into my drawer"; "this was the first dishtowel I bought in Portugal"; "We had 10 Euros left in the Amsterdam airport & used it to buy this one". You get the idea...

Before kids I would iron my dishtowels.  However, that ended 4 years ago & the only time I add to my dishtowel collection now is if they are gifted to me or if I buy them on a "trip" to Anthro... (Both are equally exciting!)  I don't have 2 towels that are a like & they all have a story.

I'm now reinstating this ironing chore.  I love ironed dishtowels & you just don't see the cuteness of these towels if they're all wrinkled.  All is well in my kitchen when my towels are pressed (& there is Tillamook in the fridge).

Disneyland, Christmas 2012.

Jason surprised me last year on my birthday with a Christmas time trip to Disneyland.  My birthday is in February so, we had been waiting a loooooong time for this trip.  We also decided to invite our families - the more the merrier.  The merrier it was.  Topping out at over 21 people that we knew at various times of the week... Merry merry.  

Ready, set, fly!

 First up:  The new Cars Land

My mom (grammy) with Lai

Waving at Red ("I can't believe they're real mom" as they watched Red, Mater & Lightning drive around talking)

Team Olsson's with Lai (think air hockey/bumper cars)...

Flo's

Mater

Cozy Cone Motel - so stinkin' cute!

Luigi's tires

Hub-cap Christmas tree

The founder

Beyond special & fun to have Gram & Papa join us for a few days!  

It was so fun meeting up with this cutie, late one night.  Since her & Ax were too short to ride the big Cars Land Racer ride, we strolled around taking in the sites.  

Thanks for making the trek to visit with us Alex, Alli & Addi!!!  

Hot date on the Racer ride...

Racer was our favorite

It's really so hard to capture just how cute Radiator Springs in the new Cars Land is... Especially this time of year.   Throw it on your families bucket list!  

I'll have to finish posting Disney pics another day.  I'm so sorry posts have been so few & far between...

This whole job thing, coupled with physical therapy & everyday life doesn't leave much time for this.  I will however post more pics soon!  Stay tuned.

Seaside June 2012.

This time we stayed the full week.  It was so wonderful getting away for the full 7 days.  We filled our days with beach time, swimming in the pools, flying kites, touring Tillamook Cheese factory, Cannon Beach, exploring the coast, outlet mall, checking out the Lewis & Clark National Park & the men caught 135 clams!

Mother/Daughty date swinging on the beach.  

These manly guys testing out the new, giant fairy-ballerina kite.  

Family swing at sunset.  

It was the oddest thing... Our car started driving on it's own & we ended up here...

My baby loafs.  

I'm moving here.  

We (of course) couldn't help ourselves. 

Gettin our hugging on...

Fish eye...

This is now a new family special stop.  We loved Hug Point.  

Hug Point is almost as magical as this place.

Exploring Hay Stack at low tide, in some seriously stormy weather.  

Should have held up a quarter but, these muscles were at least 8 inches long!  

Lewis & Clark trail.

This gives you an idea of how deep the Seaside beach is.  This SUV was readying the sand for a big soccer tournament.   

For the first time L was completely comfortable going under & was really trying to learn to swim  (thanks in part to her little fish cousins!)  

The week ended with this sweet toe stepping into the path of me opening the front door.  Poor, boy.   I will not even begin to describe to you what his toenail looks like now...  

Until we meet again...