the after 30 part...

Tonight we are sitting around drinking red wine and enjoying pictures of our trip.  I finally uploaded everyones photos onto my lap top.  Here are a few more that we thought you would enjoy at home! On 5th avenue...   Marcos and I My scary twin sister... cuteness.. that's all! Sarah and I walking to the coast of Akumal. Georgia and Sarah enjoying a Mexican Margarita! mmmmmm!  (who is that guy behind them?!?)

Hola amigos y mi familia.... Que tal?!?  Marcos esta aqui en Playa!!!  (Marcos is here in Playa!)  On Superbowl Sunday I left Sarah and Ashley (who were making yummy foods and enjoying the football), to catch a bus and arrive at the airport in time to meet my new friend Marcos.  He got here safely, but on the way back we had some bus problems.  We missed the 7pm bus because he wasn't out of the customs yet, and then the 8:45pm bus never showed up.  So we had to wait til 10:15pm to finally get home.  He fell asleep in my lap.  After flying from Spain, it was 3 am to him.  Here is a picture! Is it already Thursday?!!?  What have I been up to?  Monday and Tuesday we enjoyed the sunny weather!!  Tuesday we tried super hard to rent bikes but Playa doesn't do that (well they do, but we didn't find a place until today, a small whole in the wall office with three bikes!)  Here are some pics of us just enjoying Playa! Marcos i...

So because of the winter storm, Marcos's flight was cancelled.  He was supposed to go through Philly and since they couldn't land or take off there, they put him on a direct flight to Cancun today.  Instead of going to Cancun yesterday to meet up with Robert McCracken, we waited for him here in Playa.  He rode his bike.... yes, that's right, rode his bike.  Robert has been in Mexico since November and his main mean of transportation is his bicycle.  He rides over 100 miles some days.  In heat, through mosquitos, thirsty, sweaty, but sometimes awesome and refreshing rides.  (ps. Robert is a friend from Skagway, AK) We basically just sat around and talked, then went down to the beach for some beers.  He is a silly man and gave us a lot of input on how to manage here in Mexico.  Like "Never buy a beer for more than $10 pesos", and "Drink lots of tequila".  hmmmmm... ok! Today we caught up on our tans, and in about twenty minutes I am goin...

Hello friends, family and strangers who read my blog :) Just letting you know, we are OKAY!  Mexico has been treating us nice.  Lots of rain and storms, but the sun seems to come out for a few hours a day to tan our bodies! We spend most of our time either at the beach, reading our books, playing Snertz (card game), at the gym or laying by the pool.  Here are a few pictures of the trip so far! Tiny restaurant called "Cactus".  Best food so far!  Only has 6 tables. Pink dog!!  um... who does this!?! How cute is this! Today we had a rain storm, but first came the wind. You can see the blue clear sea behind the really sandy waves crashing! We found some fabric in this park by my house.  It's perfect trapeze fabric!!  Even has two pieces, so of course I got excited and practiced climbing!!! Georgia showing me off! Tomorrow we are going to Cancun for the day and picking up my friend Marcos from Spain.  He has to fly through Philad...

Good Evening my fine friends (or morning depending on where you live in this great massive world!)  Today was a great first day, except for I was a bit grumpy.  I woke this morning to a man blowing a whistle and kids screaming. We apparently live right next door to an elementary school. It was 7 am, 5 am to me.  I couldn't get back to sleep so I went for a run.  BIG MISTAKE!  Have I mentioned how HOT it is here?  I was soaking wet within 3 minutes... ewwwwwww! Sarah, Georgia and I had some breakfast and went down to the beach.  Playa by far, hands down, no negotiating has the best sandy beaches in Mexico!  It's like powdered sugar.  It kind of mushes in your feet, but feels like soft satin, and it's white.... and the water, gorgeous aqua blue... you can see a shark coming for miles!  We sun bathed for about an hour.  Sarah and Georgia both are red, but me.... nothing really happened... just a little darker than what I was...

WE MADE IT!!  Sarah and I were up at 6 am and on our flight to Mexico.  We met Ashley, aka Georgia, at the airport and we were on our way.  Poor Georgia was up at 4 am and then had to wait for us in 90 degree weather at the airport for about 5 hours!!! Our landlord is awesome.  He is giving me a cell phone here so that I can call him if I need anything.  Our house extremely cool, decorated so pish posh, has everything we need!!  Two bed rooms, three bathrooms, laundry and full kitchen!! I love it!  Even a pool!  and very very safe Mom.  We have 24 hour security guards outside the building and we are in a locked gate!  Our first order of business was to find dinner.  We went to Las delicious on 5th Avenue, and enjoyed Chicken Fajitas and then took a stroll down on the beach!!  The water was WARM!!!  I mean, warm for me, so that means really really warm cause I think everything is too cold! On our way home we stopped at a OX...

Tonight was the first meeting for all the volunteers coordinating this years Get Hitched Give Hope!  The meeting was more of a "meet and greet!" and it was so nice meeting everyone and learning more about this years 2010 goals!!  Holly Kate, the president this year of GHGH, hosted the meeting with yummy snacks and great wine! What is GHGH?  It's a big swanky cocktail party that brings together the wedding industry to make money for a great cause.   Future bride and grooms, friends, and people who just want to have a good time, attend this event and bid on live & silent auctions items, buy raffle tickets and seek out awesome vendor information for their big day!  Here is what the website says: Get Hitched, Give Hope  is a 501(c)3 organization that raises money for a carefully chosen charity We throw a yearly event where brides can shop for wedding services and products We spread the word year round, fundraising for our organization and building awa...

Every year after the holidays, Mom makes the delicious and very famous turkey pies.  We use all the left overs from the holiday dinner and make the most wonderful pies in the world! (Seriously, my mother should open a pie shop in Ketchikan and serve these.... people would go NUTS!) This recipe was brought over from England from my Great Grandmother Flora, taught to my Grandma Joanne, who then taught my Mom, who just taught me :) I'm not going to tell you how it's done.... but we made four!!!  I am bringing a frozen one to Skagway this spring to enjoy, as it's the perfect reminder of home. One bite into this heavenly creation, and you would be hooked too!!  Here are some pictures!

About two years I got an x-ray at my Chiropractor's office to check out my back.  After reviewing the films, we found a little spot in my kidney area about the size of a pencil eraser.  I didn't do anything about it until this fall.  After doing an endoscopy for other reasons, my doctor told me I had a kidney stone about 7mm in size, like a small raisin.  Isn't it funny how doctors describe size by comparing them to fruit or nuts?!  So I went to visit a urologist who told me I needed to get the sucker out!! Today was the day.  I really didn't anticipate it being such a big deal, but um.... yeah, it was a big deal!! Here is how it went: No eating after midnight, no drinking past 10 am.  Dave picked me up at 11:30am, get to hospital, check in on first floor, to be directed to another check in on the 5th floor, to yet again go to another check in across the sky bridge.  Wait a moment, get checked in AGAIN in another office, wait some more.  F...

Sassy Sue, Crazy Sue, Vivacious Sue, my Aunt Sue, the older sister I never had Sue, the one I can tell my dirtiest secrets to and hide from my mother Sue.  The Sue I love, the Sue I adore, here is to Sue. Two days ago I had lunch with my "Crazy Aunt Sue".  When I was younger, she was the lady who would scream when she saw me, come running up to me, hug me.....no not hug.... more like SQUEEZE my guts out hug me, and kiss me all over my cheeks.  As an adult, nothing has changed!!  She's a woman who tells you how she feels right then and there, no hiding, no messing around, no bull shit, lay it all on the table kind of woman.  She is loud, but we love her loud.  Her laugh is contagious, and everything is funny. . . everything is funny when you are talking to Sue. She also has the biggest heart.  THE BIGGEST HEART!  She loves loves and loves some more.  The great thing about her love is she tells you.  Every time you see her...

i am i.  i try to be just me. i am part of some totality. i am 1st person singular. i rhyme with sky, why, hi and multi-ply. i am a living being. i was born. i learned to walk and talk & to ride a two-wheeler. i went to school. i learned stuff.  i made  friends.  once i made a tent. i hung out. i wanted to be in a band.  i sang to the radio. i danced in the mirror. i read hemingway. i made love.  i lost love. i wrote poetry once. i played a blue guitar. i opened my eyes.  i looked inside.  i saw.  i see.  i give. i take.  i feel.  i find meaning. (hence another poem) i vote.  i hope.  i work. i dream.  (i like black & white  movies).  i laugh.  i listen. i remember.  i forget.  i try to forgive.  i try to stand tall. i wonder.  i say.  i believe. i am part of a larger truth. i know i am part of the world. i am i.  i am you. i am...

After always saying "I want to write my Dad's story", I decided today, that in 2010, I will finally start the first steps of this project.  I went to the book store and bought three books on writing:  The Little Red Writing Book: 20 Powerful Principles of Structure, Style, & Readability ,  The Everything Guide to Writing Nonfiction,  &   Painless Grammar.   I just used the book  Painless Grammar   to remind myself that books are not surrounded by quotation marks, but rather underlined or Italicized.  Oh, how I wish I had focused more in English class!  I will talk to Grandpa Bonds, Dad, Grandma Sandy and all the others I can talk to about this. Maybe I will even go to the state pen where my "uncle" John Chandler is and interview him... scary!!  I am very nervous to write a book.  I am sure it will take a few years at least, and many many revisions.  I am not even sure what style I want to write it in, ...

I wrote this a while ago, but after seeing this article online  http://www.udreview.com/2.1980/twelve-steps-to-beat-chapstick-addiction-1.143742  I thought I would upload it on my blog just for fun: Addiction I'm addicted.  I hide stashes around the house.  In every drawer, under couch cushions, and in pillow cases.  I have a tube in every pocket of every jacket, and one or two always in my car.  I can't sleep with out tasting the tingle I get when it hits my lips… needing that last minute comfort.  I’ll search the house for hours looking for a fix so that I can sleep.  It started when I was young, and they say the younger you start the harder it is too quit.  I buy it in bulk and store it everywhere.  Burts, Wyeth, Carmex, Blistex, bonnie bell, balms, ointments, hell even Vaseline, cherry, plain, winter, tingly, whatever... just give me my CHAPSTICK! http://www.lipbalmanonymous.com/ Not that ...

After an amazing weekend in Madrid, I am finally back home to the states. I am exhausted, emotional and miss Spain already. What is it with me and Europe that makes me always want to stay when I am there. I think because I move so much I can make some place my home easily... of course, I get homesick, but Sweden, Spain, Costa Rica, where ever, I always feel like I leave part of my heart when I spend a month or more in places. When I got off the plane in New York and I heard english speaking people, I thought I was going to be excited, but instead I was unusually annoyed and missed Spanish. It's like I needed more time hearing Spanish, wanted to hear it longer, craved it, needed it, and got irritated because I left too soon. The rest of the week at school was great. Probably the best Spanish school I have attended based on my teachers. They teach fast, but well, and it makes you have to study to keep up. I will be on a strict schedule here in the states, every other day for at le...