Rant: Bitches Be Crazy

I just got back from a quick trip to Las Vegas to spend time with my sisters. I had a lot of fun and got to take a nice break from school AND work at the same time (a rare thing these days). There were awesome people, awesome meals, and awesome sites, but one thing that sucked was the flight home.

K and S dropped me off near security and I headed on in. Thankfully, I didn't have to do the full body scanner, just a good old metal detector.  Phew! I grabbed some snackage and a Coke and found a nice spot to chill for awhile.

I had paid an extra $10 to board early (instead of being in Zone 5 or whatever, I got to board with Zones 1 and 2, even though I was in 24F). I met a nice guy who saw I was reading A Game Of Thrones and suggested some other books for me, and then I settled into my nice window seat. 

The couple who sat next to me were among the last to get on the plane. The gentleman (24D) on the aisle was (by my estimates) probably around 50 years old. He looked and sounded smart and polite, and seemed pretty laid back. The woman in the middle seat (24E) looked younger (maybe mid-thirties?), but she pretty much fell asleep (cuddling with the man; I assume they're married or at least dating) as soon as we took off, so I didn't think anything of her. I just kept reading.

I got a Coke on the first round of drinks, but 24E missed it because she had been sleeping. She got something on the second round, and while trying to set it down, sloshed some liquid and ice on to the tray. She almost dropped it completely, but 24D was able to help her out a bit. Some liquid hit me, and the most I heard was a mumbled half-apology that I think was aimed at the attendant (who was trying to help clean it up) but I decided that hey, shit happens. I let it go.

When the flight attendants came back through for garbage, 24E asked if she could get another drink because she had missed the first round. She ordered a vodka and tonic, and the attendant told her to hit the call button if she forgot to bring it.  About 5 minutes passed, and 24E hit the call button. Along came the vodka and tonic. Another 5 minutes or so and the drink was gone. 

At some point here, she went looking for a pen in her purse and couldn't find one. She turned and asked me if I had a pen in my purse, to which I replied, "I don't, I'm sorry." (It wasn't even for her; her friend across the aisle wanted to do a crossword puzzle.) Shortly after, she hit her call button again. Since nothing happened (she gave it probably a whole 3 minutes or so), she hit the button again to turn it off, and AGAIN to turn it back on. What did she need so badly? Another vodka and tonic. ("Not that I need one!" she told told the attendant, as she sloshed some more liquid onto her tray.)

Quick break to let you know that during the flight, I had a headache. I alternated between reading and laying back with my eyes closed to fight off the pain, and I kept my window shade down so I didn't have sun in my eyes. OK. Back to the story.

We had about an hour left in our 3 hour flight, and 24E sloshed her drink again. This time, a decent amount hit me right on the leg and it was icy cold. Still no apology, so at this point, I'm a bit annoyed, but whatever. Back to my book.

And that's when it all went downhill.

24E turned to 24D and said (loudly), "Next time, I want a window seat. Whenever we fly, one of us should have the window seat!" I hear that. That's why I request a window seat; I like to be on the inside so I can lean on the plane and control the window shade. Understood.

For the last 45 minutes or so of the flight, that's all she talked about. Loudly. She complained to 24D (who told her, "it's not that simple" to which she replied, "oh yes it is!") several times. She shifted around to look out the window of 25F behind me, stating that she couldn't see out her window. She kept asking the row behind us about how close we were to the ground, and asking what they could see, since she couldn't see anything. It was pretty damn obvious that she wanted me to open my shade, but she never actually addressed me (aside from the pen inquiry).

I was about ready to just open the damn thing so I didn't have to hear her complain anymore until this happened.

24E: "Next time I want a window seat! One of us has to have the window seat. I can't see anything!"

24D: "OK, but I can't do anything about it. Stop yelling at me."

24E (twisting around to try to look out 25F's window again): "I know, I'm not yelling at you. I'm indirectly yelling at someone else!"

So, in case you haven't realized, I'm the someone else she was indirectly yelling at. Once again, she never addressed me directly. She never once said, "Excuse me, I'd really like to see out the window. Could you open your shade?" or "Can I check the view?" or even "Hey! Open the shade!" It was all a bunch of passive-aggressive statements said to others around me. That's when I decided there was no way I was opening that shade.

I read until we landed. While we were waiting to get off the plane, 24E started getting all sorts of belligerent. "Oh my God! The people up front had like twenty fucking minutes to get their shit out from overhead! Come on! We're from Wisconsin, we're not that stupid!" Um, really? Because as best I could tell, people got up to grab their stuff as soon as the seat belt sign went off, which is the earliest you're really allowed to do so. Twenty minutes? Not so much. She kept yelling things like that. Even on the way out of the plane. ("We're back in Wisconsin! Fuck you, Las Vegas!")

I was proud of myself for being the bigger person and not saying anything on the plane. I also felt like I had done the right thing by not opening my shade. I had selected the window seat on purpose and no one ever asked me to open it. What's done was done.

Until I was walking through the terminal to get to baggage, and from behind me I hear, "...and I couldn't see anything 'cause she wouldn't open the fucking window!" 

Done.

I whipped around and yelled, "You never actually asked me to open it!" She pointed and yelled, "It was you!" as I turned back around.  "Yep. It was me."

To my back she said, "You heard me say it like 5 times!" So I turned back again.

"Yes, but you never asked me to open it. Had you asked me to open it, I probably would have, but you never asked me to." She had the decency to at least look a bit taken aback or (could it be?) a little ashamed. I turned back around and hauled ass to Baggage. 

Thank god Hubby was there right away. On the way to the car, I told him about the experience, almost crying because I was so frustrated and upset. I've never sat next to someone so rude and obviously passive-aggressive as this woman was. I had been able to bite my tongue through the flight. Never mind that I got spilled on. Twice. Never mind that she was CLEARLY trying to goad me into opening my shade for her. I let it all go. But bitching about it in the airport after all was said and done? That was the last straw.

Hubby says I did the right thing and not to dwell on it. I'm not dwelling, but I am reflecting and I agree. I did nothing wrong. I don't work for her or take orders from her. I don't have to open my window shade because she wants to see how far up we are (which, btw, is almost impossible from the middle seat anyway, because I sure as hell wasn't going to let her lean over me; I was reading!). I was never addressed, so I never acted. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

So, if you're out there, 24E, I'm sorry you couldn't see out the window. But next time, either get a damn window seat, or think about asking someone directly if you can see out their window (just because you're in a row, it doesn't make it your window), rather than being a passive-aggressive tuna* who thinks the world revolves around her every desire. You're old enough to know better, bitch.

*My alternative for the 'C' word.

Soooooo close...

As Hubby informed me this morning, "Riki... It's Wednesday."  In my world, this is both good and bad.

Good, obviously, because we leave for vacation on Friday night.  That means a whole week without work.  A week without homework.  A week with my hubby and bestie.  A week in the magical world of Disney.  And, among other things, it means a road trip with my hubs and a (brief) visit with a good friend in Atlanta!  There is lots of good coming my way!

The bad?  It's Wednesday.  Before we leave Friday evening around 5, I have to finish taking notes from a recent lecture and take a quiz for Forensic Science.  AND I have to take a psych mid-term.  Usually I do these things over the weekend, but clearly, that's not an option, so I'm a little stressed out.  And it's not like I have all the time in the world.  I do work full time.  And I have to pack.  And I have to find some time to relax and/or sleep so I don't become Rikzilla.  

It also means that Miss Maxine will be boarded for over a week.  :-(  I so badly wish we could bring her with us.  Anytime we leave her behind, I just know that she thinks we've abandoned her, and I cannot STAND that thought.  Fortunately, she'll be boarded somewhere familiar (our vet offers boarding) and she'll have her bed and Rocky (her favorite toy).  I just wish I could do more to make her understand that we DO love her and we WILL be coming back.  The whole language barrier between species makes that pretty difficult, though.  

The silver lining of boarding her, though, is that it's one of the few times she'll voluntarily interact with other dogs.  Maxine is a little too territorial and protective of us, so normally when she encounters another dog, she barks like crazy (with some whining thrown in for good measure).  When she's boarded, we're not around to protect and she's on neutral turf.  We actually have photo evidence that she can get along with other canines in that situation!  In fact, she seems to make friends!  Who knew, huh?

So, maybe instead of thinking of it as a week of boarding, I should think of it as a week of socialization and play dates.  It's like camp for dogs!  And she'll just be that much happier to see us when we come pick her up after vacay.  Yep.  That's my story and I'm sticking with it. 

For now...

D is for Disney, that's good enough for me...

Holy crap, the time is almost here, lovelies!  On Friday night, Hubby and I will drop the puppers off to be boarded and thus begins our vacation.  So close, but so far...

This will be my 5th trip to Disney World, kids, and I am so freakin' excited!  Even cooler is that this will be the second time I've been there with Hubby (the first being our honeymoon) and the second time I've been there with my bestie, M!  How cool is that?  

So, naturally, I've been thinking about past Disney trips.  My memories from my first 3 trips are fairly fragmented, but a few key points stand out from each.

Year: 1994

Age: 9

With: My parents

My first trip to Disney World.  Holy balls, was I excited for this trip!  Partly because I got to miss school for it (my dad's work didn't always line up with school breaks, and he was determined to take me there), but mostly because it's damn near every nine-year-old girl's dream to go to Disney.

Sadly, I only have a handful of memories from this trip.  I remember crawling around in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids play area, while wearing my Minnie Mouse headband.  I remember going on Space Mountain with my mom and barely being able to walk afterward (I felt so effing sick).  I remember eating dinner in France and that the butter was sculpted like a little man (a soldier, I think) and feeling so grown up.  I remember one night for dinner, all I had was a Nestle ice cream bar (I was pretty sure I was the luckiest kid ever).  I remember the day we left, I found a coin on the floor of the hotel closet (I still have it; it's from England!).  

The memory that stands out the most, though, is a sadder one.  Particularly for my poor dad.  We had a one room suite, so my parents had the bedroom and I had the sofa bed in the living room area.  One night I woke up and had to pee so badly that I couldn't sleep anymore.  The only bathroom, though, was in the bedroom, and I didn't want to wake my parents up.  So instead, I sat at the edge of the bed and waited.  I'm not sure what I was waiting for.  Morning, maybe?  Anyway, at some point, my dad woke up and came to check on me, only to find me perched at the edge of that damn bed, trying not to cry because I was nearly in pain from holding out.  When he asked what I was doing, I explained, and to this day, he says that moment broke his heart.  I can't even imagine how he must have felt.

The vast majority of the memories from that trip are pretty great, though, so no worries.  

Year: 2001

Age: 16

With: My high school cheerleading team (and my mom)

This is the first trip to WDW with M.  She and I were damn near inseparable at that point in time, and among the other team members were my boyfriend (the longest relationship I've had aside from Hubby) and a few other good friends.  This is the only WDW trip that I have an actual scrapbook from, and the pictures make it look like the trip was a blast!

The only problem was that it wasn't a blast.  I have a hard time pulling up positive memories from that trip.  I think one of my favorites was when we were trying to get a group picture, and one of our teammates was out taking pictures of us instead of being in the picture!!  It was so funny when we realized what was going on.  Being in my first national competition was a real rush, too (even if we did suck and took last place).  Oh, and swimming in February is a novelty that I don't think I'll ever tire of.  :)  

What went wrong?  Where to begin?

First of all, there was a rule that whenever we were on Coach's time, there were no couples.  My boyfriend had his 18th birthday in Florida and the best I could do was sneak a quick kiss before we headed out for the day.  We couldn't hold hands, couldn't hug, could hardly talk to one another without fear of being caught.  As if that weren't enough, Coach decided that M and I were going on too many rides together and were told to separate.  So, I'm at Disney World with my boyfriend and my best friend, and I can't hang out with either of them?  Awesome.  Thanks.

I won't go into detail about all the other things that sucked, but I do have to mention the one that really bothered my mom (who was one of our chaperones).  At DHS (or, at the time, MGM), there's only one thing I absolutely must do when I'm there.  It's the Muppets 3D movie.  I loved it when I was 9, and it's one of the few experiences that I was dying to repeat.  Coach promised we'd get to it, so, I was psyched.  Lunch came around, and mom reminded Coach about the Muppets (I wasn't the only one who wanted to go, so it wasn't JUST for me), and again, she said we'd get to it.  In the meantime, Coach kept asking our captain and another select few teammates what we should do or see.  We did all sorts of stuff, but we never got to the Muppets 3D movie.  I tried not to act too disappointed, but my mom was less than pleased, to say the least.  Favoritism is one of my mom's few hot buttons, but there wasn't anything she could do.

Year: 2002

Age: 17

With: My high school cheerleading team

If 2001 was bad, 2002 was an absolute nightmare.  For one, M was no longer on the team.  Another good friend, T, had opted out because of a bum knee (in reality, it was because she didn't want to go, but she really did have a bad knee).  So I was down two good friends, my mom, and my boyfriend (since we weren't together anymore and he was out of high school anyway).  The trip was so bad that I honestly don't remember much at all.  If I think about the 2001 trip, I can pull up little bits and pieces of standing in lines, eating in the food court area, waiting for the buses, etc.  When I try to recall the 2002 trip, I can't even tell you who I shared a room with.  I've blocked most of it out. 

I do have one good memory from that trip.  We were done at one of the parks and were heading to another to wrap up the day (it might've been our last night, even; I don't recall).  We decided to take the monorail, and I remember standing there with my friend A.  We were both pretty un-enthused (to say the least) and were standing apart from the rest of the team (A and I have been friends since I was 3; if there was anyone there I could connect with, it was her).  The monorail pulled up, and we hung back, letting people get on, when the conductor yelled that she had 2 spots open in the front.  A and I ran.  The front car of the monorail is awesome.  The conductor was there, doing her thing, and there's LOTS of room to spread out.  Especially since it was only the two of us and a couple from Tennessee on their honeymoon.  We got to ask the conductor questions about what she does, and she answered them all without any attitude.  When we came up on Epcot, it was just glowing and it took my breath away.  I went to grab my camera and the conductor asked if I wanted a picture.  When I said yes, she slowed down the entire monorail just so I could take it.  If ever there were a magical moment, that was it.  (I'm actually tearing up just thinking about it!)

I'm looking forward to another trip with M (one where we don't get separated) and another trip with Hubby (though, it will be hard to top our honeymoon).  We're staying at the same resort that I stayed at in 2001 and 2002, so hopefully this trip will get rid of the bad taste in my mouth that I've come to associate with that resort.  

 

Red, White & Drag Queen Bingo

This past weekend was, of course, Independence Day weekend.  And being that K is around, it was full of traditions and fun.

Friday night we did go see our new nephew at the hospital.  He.  Is.  Adorable.  No kidding.  I know I'm biased and all, but he's seriously cute.  I even held him for quite awhile, which is a feat considering I'm normally scared to touch kids before they turn two or so (that fear of breaking them, you know?).  It was a nice experience.  :-)  And no, it didn't make me want kids of my own.  Just made me even happier to be an aunt!

Saturday was the day for Rhythm & Booms, the best fireworks you'll find in the Midwest.  For those not familiar, the fireworks are (loosely at times) set to music.  You just tune in to the local radio station and enjoy the show.  Rather than going to the actual park for the event (which, IMO, is a clusterf*ck and a half), we always go to my old elementary/middle school and sit on the hill.  We can see almost everything (excluding a handful of ground display fireworks that don't make it above the trees), and though it's much busier than when we first started sitting there, it's not nearly as crowded as the park itself.  

Of course, with R&B comes a party with K.  She invites family and friends over to her dad's place for food and fun before the fireworks begin, and then it's just a short walk to the old school from there.  One of K's friends has an adorable 4-year-old son who kept us all pretty well entertained, but it was the adults who played with the bubbles the longest (as the 4 y/o got fed up with a bubble sword contraption he just couldn't make work).  It's just so easy to get caught up in the pure fun that comes with bubbles.

The fireworks were beautiful, if not a bit short this year.  Budget problems would be my guess, as I know they were seeking donations (I gave them $15 - I love those fireworks) and really pushing people to come down to the park to support the vendors there.  I'm hoping next year will be better, particularly because I hope the damn construction surrounding the park is done.  Talk about a mess...  Oi.  Oh, and just to confirm, Maxi handled the fireworks just fine, though she didn't watch with the same intensity as last year.  At least she didn't bark her furry little head off!

On Sunday, hubby dropped me back off at K's dad's place so K and I, along with another friend (P) could go on an Oddball Wisconsin adventure.  See, one of K's friends got her the Oddball Wisconsin book, knowing that she loves all things odd or offbeat that you might find while driving, such as a giant wooden nickel (outside of Iowa City, Iowa) or a buffalo made of chrome bumpers (somewhere in Colorado).  So away we went with the book and a map.

We ended up driving about 314 miles that day.  Starting in Madison, we headed to DeForest to see the pink elephant and its nemesis (or so we're told) from across the street, a cow at a cheese shop.  Then it was off to Spring Green to check out some (not so) acrobatic goats.  There were other things there to keep us entertained while we waited for the goats to wow us, but it just never happened.

After that we headed to Platteville to see the world's largest 'M.'  It's 241 feet tall and 214 feet across.  Trust me; it's a big 'M.'  After a quick stop at Culver's for some cheese curds (nom nom nom) it was on to Dickeyville to see The Grotto, an interesting experience for sure.  Then it was a LONG drive over to Delavan to see the clown-stomping elephant (we skipped the nearby concrete frog since it was getting late), and then it was back to Madison so I could see my puppers.   

On the 4th, K and I headed down to the neighborhood bike parade that we were part of for so many years.  Kids made a good showing this year and actually decorated their bikes with more than a tiny flag.  We gave this year's parade a solid 7.5/10.  After that, it was off to Henry Vilas Zoo and, of course, Ella's Deli!  We can't eat like we used to, I swear, but we still managed to scarf down all our cheese fries.  It's a tradition, after all!  

I spent the rest of my day bumming around at my parents' house.  We eventually ordered Chinese (nothing screams patriotism like ordering sesame beef) and hubby showed up to take me and the puppers back home.  On the drive home, we had to have encountered probably 10 different fireworks displays.  It was nice, and I appreciated being able to see some fireworks on the 4th.

The 5th was no longer the weekend, but K came out so we could go to Drag Queen Bingo at BTW Lounge with her cousins and aunt!  Drag Queen Bingo is pretty much bingo with the balls being read off by drag queens.  But, we also got performances between rounds, so it was pretty awesome.  Of the 5 of us, 3 won prizes!  Sadly, K and I were the only two not to win.  Boooooo-urns.

So, as you can see, the past few days have been pretty exciting for me!  I hope everyone else had a wonderful 4th and hope you all have an excellent rest of the summer!  :-)

Las Vegas to Milwaukee: Points of Interest

Hello, dear readers!  Hope you're all doing just peachy.  I don't have time for an extensive retelling of my recent road trip, but here are some points of interest in a brief recap!

Thursday night, 6/16: Though non-stop flights are less hassle, I was reminded that four hours on a plane next to people I don't know in a seat I can't possibly get comfortable in is not one of my favorite activities.  

Friday morning, 6/17: Spent my birthday morning in my pjs watching TV (huzzah for Degrassi reruns on The N and Family Guy on DVR!).  It may sound boring, but it was pretty glorious.

Friday afternoon/evening: Celebrated 'Chranksgiving' with K, S and some of their friends.  It's essentially a combo of the best foods of Christmas and Thanksgiving, but in the summer.  Who says turkey should be a winter food only?  My contribution was cutting up bread for the stuffing and picking my own birthday cake.

Friday night: Spent about $30 at Red Rock Casino.  God, I love penny slots.

Saturday, 6/18: Waited for K to get packed and headed out.  K drove the whole day, since I'm not as familiar with mountains.  We drove from Vegas to Denver.  Dinner that evening was a bag of M&Ms.

Sunday morning, 6/19: Headed to Rocky Mountain National Park!  My first trip there (and only my second nat'l park).  Seeing so much snow in June is a bit of a mindf*ck.  Loved it.  It even snowed on us in the park!

Sunday night: I drove from lunch in Loveland, CO to our hotel in North Platte, NE.  I drove in some epic rain.  I was just taking it slow, doing what I needed to do, and cars kept pulling over and throwing their flashers on.  It was crazy!  K decided we should stop for gas at the next exit and wait some of it out.  About 30 seconds after that suggestion, we started getting pelted with hailstones.  Ended up parked along the side of the interstate for 20 minutes, and spent another hour at a gas station in Brule.  I got us safely to North Platte after that, earning some major respect from K.

Monday, 6/20: Got to see the Kool-Aid exhibit at the Hastings Museum!  Drove part of the afternoon, and we got into West Des Moines around 6, the earliest we'd reached any of our destinations.  It was nice to have an evening to relax.

Tuesday, 6/21: West Des Moines, IA to Milwaukee, WI.  Stopped along the way to see a giant wooden nickel, the future birthplace of James Kirk, and the world's largest truck stop.  Sleeping in my own bed was like Heaven.  

Summary:  Had a freakin' great time!  But there really is no place like home. :-D

Mini-Vacay Recap

Saturday: Our first plane took off from MKE around 11 AM and we landed in Memphis between 12:30 and 1 PM.  After lunch at the Blue Note Cafe (the only area in the airport that allows smoking), we made it to our gate and took off for Mobile.  Got in around 3:30 and found my Grandpa waiting for us.  Grabbed our luggage and away we went, all 5 of us (Mom, Dad, Hubby, Grandpa and myself), to Grandpa's house in Moss Point, MS (about a 40 minute drive).  Spent the evening hanging out on his front porch, just talking and enjoying the weather.  Had deli meat and cheese sandwiches for dinner (Grandpa bought enough ingredients to feed an army).  Passed out shortly after 10 (soooooo tired).

Sunday: First full day down south!  We porched it in the morning, then headed off to Biloxi to have brunch at the Grand Casino.  Hadn't been there since Katrina.  It used to be a casino boat, but the storm put it up ON the highway.  When they rebuilt, they did so on the land-side of the highway as a regular building.  Of course, I was the ONLY one in the group to get carded (Hubby's less than a year older than me and NEVER gets carded).  Buffet was good, but not as spectacular as I remembered.  Played some penny slots after eating.  Put in $20 and eventually cashed out at $15 (got up to $26 at one point and down to about $3 at another, so I figure I did alright).  Headed out along the coast and hit up Souvenir City, a favorite store of mine from childhood visits (though, it has also been relocated/rebuilt).  Got a cute ornament of a starfish wearing an eyepatch and a pegleg.  Mom bought me a mini souvenir license plate with my name spelled right (a rare find!).  Headed back to Moss Point and spent the rest of the day napping and porching.  Deli sammies for dinner again.


Monday:  Headed toward Mobile, AL to spend the day at Bellingrath Gardens & Home, which I haven't done since I was about 12.  Though it's still early in the season, the flowers were beautiful!!  We took the river cruise and spotted an osprey up in its nest.  We were followed/flocked by seagulls (partly because kids aboard were feeding them popcorn), which was actually fairly amusing (if not a little noisy).  Grabbed some lunch at the on-site cafe after the boat and continued wandering around the gardens.  Found a snake along the way, which wouldn't have been so bad if Mom wasn't terrified of them.  Made our way out and headed back to Grandpa's for the rest of the day.  More napping and porching.  Deli sammies for dinner.

Tuesday: Had breakfast at the local Waffle House (a true novelty for us Yanks) and then headed back toward Mobile to see the USS Alabama Battleship.  Dad and Hubby disappeared down some stairs, so Mom and I wandered the ship for awhile.  There were some interesting things to look at, but this trip was more for the guys (as Monday's trip was more for the girls).  Dad and Hubby also went down into the USS Drum submarine, but Mom and I have some issues with claustrophobia, so we stayed on deck (so to speak).  When they were done, we headed to Pascagoula to see what their beaches looked like.  They've cleaned things up quite a bit, but there's nowhere to park (and, as such, no one there).  We also grabbed lunch at Lucky Seafood, where we had some good po-boys (not quite the same as in New Orleans, but still good).  We headed back to Moss Point for a bit and checked out the swamp in Grandpa's back yard.  Saw some movement, but couldn't tell what was in there.  Went to dinner at Steve Barnhills, where they have a $5 all-you-can-eat buffet.  Food's actually pretty decent, too!  But they were out of hush puppies, which really saddened me.  I didn't get to have a damn hush puppy the whole trip!  Boo.

Wednesday: Same path back (Mobile to Memphis to MKE), and about the same times.  By a little after 5 we were already on our way to pick up Miss Maxine from the doggie dorms.  Boy was she happy to see us!!  We had a great time, and it was sad to leave Grandpa and the warm weather, but we definitely missed our puppers and our own bed.  Also, I'm still covered in bug bites that itch randomly like crazy.  Ugh.  Stupid noseeums (little black gnats that you can't necessarily see too well; thus "no see 'ums").         

Woohoo!

Not only is it Friday, but Hubby and I are getting ready for a mini-vacay with my family, and I am SO ready!  Sadly, we have to board Miss Maxine for the duration, but it won't be long, and hopefully she will enjoy the time with some other dogs (not likely, but not unheard of).  

In celebration and preparation of this little trip, here are some songs about getting away!

1) The Go Go's - "Vacation"  How could you NOT be pumped for vacation after listening to this song?  Oh, sure, it's about trying to get over an ex.  Who among us hasn't been there, am I right? 

2) Bowling for Soup - "Ohio (Come Back to Texas)"  So the singer of the song isn't going anywhere, but the subject is clearly on a bit of a break from the norm.  Although, if I was fleeing Texas, I'm not sure Ohio is really where I'd head...

3) Frank Sinatra - "Come Fly With Me" What girl wouldn't have taken Mr. Sinatra up on this offer?  Escaping reality with some booze in an exotic place with a gorgeous crooner?  Yep, count me in.

4) 33 West - "The Tijuana Song"  Oh, 33 West.  How I miss you.  Anywhoozles, this song's about the fun (and not-so fun) to be had in Tijuana.  An excellent song to dance to, and good for a bit of a laugh. 

5) Something Corporate - "I Woke Up In A Car"  Not exactly touring the most exciting places, but SC is definitely on the move in this song.  However, if you randomly wake up in a car, I'd suggest making sure you still have your wallet.  And your kidneys.

Enjoy the weekend, folks!  :-) 

What A Wonderful Weekend

Ok, so, morons aside, this Monday I also have to write about my weekend with my hubby.  

Normally, Zach and I like to try to get away a few weekends of the year.  It's a chance for us to get away from everything and just be us.  This is a little harder with Maxine in the picture, so the only getaway we've really had in the past year was our honeymoon.

So, rather than a trip to Door County or a weekend camping trip, we decided to have a date weekend in our own area.  Not only did this mean we didn't have to find arrangements for the puppers, but it also saved us some money since we weren't paying for a campsite or hotel room.  Huzzah!

The only "rule" was that we weren't allowed to go on the computer during the weekend.  A few exceptions presented themselves (I needed to re-order my meds and we had to check on a pints-to-cups conversion), but otherwise, we stayed offline and made each other our focus.

Saturday was pretty low key.  Maxi and I went to wake Zach up around 10:30 and ended up napping with him until about 11:30.  After getting some dishes done and looking up recipes, we headed to Milwaukee Public Market for lunch.  We got some great burritos (with chips and guac - yum!) and did some window shopping around the market.  We did end up buying a bag of Herbs de Provence for a recipe we intended to make for dinner, as well as a container in which to store it.

Then we headed out to do some fun shopping.  We went to World Market (because I could spend a lifetime in that store and never get enough of it), PetCo (to get some belated gifts for Miss Maxine's anniversary) and finally Sendik's to get things for that night's dinner.

As it turned out, we weren't able to do the recipe we had planned for because I'm an idiot and didn't notice that it needed to marinate for 8 hours before grilling.  Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.  Instead, we kind of winged the entree and I focused on the rest.  For those curious, our dinner consisted of the following:

• Grilled beef tenderloin, seasoned with dried garlic, dried onion, kosher salt, pepper and herbs de provence.  Complimented with a gorgonzola cream sauce.
• Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. 
• Alexia brand Oven Reds (Olive Oil, Parmesan & Roasted Garlic).
• A slice of chocolate orange dream cake from the Sendik's bakery.

Some quick notes on this dinner, if I may:

1. These were some seriously rich foods.  And while I love rich foods, this was a lot even for me.
2. In the past, we've used cream cheese (even light or fat free) in place of the Neufchatel for the asparagus.  It really doesn't make a huge difference, in my opinion, though the cream cheese probably makes it lighter.
3. The oven reds were good, but were more like steak fries than I had anticipated.  They also went great with the cream sauce.
4. Speaking of the cream sauce, we made a HALF recipe and still had tons of leftovers.  Also, it didn't reheat well, so next time we plan to make only a quarter recipe.  Should be more than enough.
5. The recipe we didn't get to make (but someday will) can be found here.  We're excited to try it when we have enough time and foresight.  As it was, the tenderloin was pretty awesome, AND the leftover meat was great in the morning for a makeshift "steak and eggs" type breakfast.

Anyway, we pretty much lounged for the rest of the evening.  We watched some episodes of Castle on DVD and watched Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian on TV (huzzah for cable!).  Then we went to sleep, full and happy.

Sunday we had a nice breakfast of leftover tenderloin and fried eggs.  Then we got dressed and headed out on an adventure.  We stopped at Fowler Lake in Oconomowoc, and then headed on to Astico County Park near Columbus.  Our final destination for the day was Day One Pizza in Columbus, an awesome pizza place we stumbled upon a few years ago that we make an annual mecca to just because it's just that good.

Once we made it home, we watched Knocked Up and then Zach caught up on his new zombie show (Walking Dead).  Overall, I'd say it was a successful weekend indeed.  :-)

Moronic Monday - You Don't Need To Be Smart To Travel

Seriously, check out some of these awesome questions people asked their travel agents.

My personal favorite is the very last one, but then again, I'm partial to hippos and anything even slightly related to them.  Like this, for instance.  Excellent.  ^_^