got out!

looking for nuts... too bad he's got to get through nearly 2 feet of snow before he reaches the ground that the nuts are under.

It was such the exciting day... I dug my car out yesterday and today my neighbor helped me put chains on my car and I drove 10 blocks to the store to get a few things... it was like one of the best days of my life! ha ha

I feel so lame - but really, after 3 days of not being able to get anywhere - it was huge to go 10 blocks... it was pretty interesting driving even with chains. Everyone out of the roads is being super nice and SLOW which is nice.

I decide last night that I wasn't even going to try to drive 60 plus miles to spend Christmas with my family. We are suppose to get 6in. more tomorrow and there just no way that I want to try and drive out there going like 10mph and hoping I don't end up in a ditch.

I got myself a fun TV dinner at the store today and that will be my Christmas dinner - lame I know, but it's the smart thing to do.

Merry Christmas!

Holy SNOW Batman!

P-town got dumped with a LOT of snow yesterday... 8-12in all around the city!

This morning I ventured out to take some pictures after I put on 10 layers of clothes.

Blogger is driving me crazy with the order of pictures, sorry!

anyone interested in a little frozen tomato?

(yes, that's my frozen snow covered tomato plant)

I thought this was a cool picture!

AFTER! I raked my front porch... yes, that's right I raked the snow.

Two year's ago when I moved into this house I wanted to buy a snow shovel and everyone told me I would NEVER need it... well weeks after I moved here I needed it and then again this weekend I needed one - should have let me just buy one.

Those trash cans are pretty much half way under snow...


Anyone want to sit and stay awhile?

Me breaking through the ice to get to the SNOW. We have about 8-12in of snow and then on top of that is a layer of ice.

See the layer of ice?!?!?!?!?

BEFORE! My front porch before I raked it clear, it's a covered porch mind you.

My car playing in the snow... silly car!

Snow piled up on the window ledge - OUTSIDE!

A view of the snow pile up on the window ledge - INSIDE!

I am trying to stay warm inside... most of the week we have had snow days, this is the worst. We are in a winter weather warning, whatever that means. Chains are required all over the city, which I have no desire to dig my car out of piles of snow, just to be chains on to look like all the other crazy people out there trying to get stuff done - just take a snow day people!

This is a bit TOO MUCH SNOW for me! It's super cold out and because of that there's lots of ice, so the cabin fever is really setting in... they are not sure when this snow will melt away because, it's suppose to stay super cold AND to make matters worse my house pretty much NEVER gets sun because I have the big red wood tree, so most people get their snow to melt away days before I do, urg!

Looks like it will be a white Christmas!

Great!

My Grown up Christmas List

Do you remember me?
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies
Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream
So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list
As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath our tree
Well heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list
What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth(there'd be)
No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end, oh
This is my grown up christmas list
This is my grown up christmas list

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxtluFgCRW8

Here we go again!

It seems like just yesterday that it was Christmas...

Last year, my mom and I headed up the community holiday project to ensure that 1500 children had a Christmas! We spent from Thanksgiving weekend until the first weekend in Jan. working on this amazing project. It's really the best way to spend the holidays. We weren't even half way through the project last year when we were already talking about the next year.

So, here we go again. We started even earlier this year - we made nearly 4000 tags in Oct and Nov. Starting writing letters to get someone to donate space for us to work and MONEY to buy toys. The tress with tags went up all around town over that thanksgiving weekend.

We have been a little worried about how the current economy situation is going to effect us this year. We already have requests in for over 2000 children and a huge donor ($5000) from last year, isn't able to come close to that donation this year, bummer.

While my mom and I were hanging tags on trees - we got a little hope for the season of giving. One lady came up and said - "tags, I am so excited - this is my most favorite part of Christmas, getting the toys on the tags" then the one that killed us both - another lady come up to get a tag and told us that her daughter has cancer and she doesn't want any toys this year, she just wants to get toys for other kids. My mom started crying on the spot.

When I am not packing up my house to move, you can find me at the "toy box" filling requests for the little ones. It really is the best way to spend the season!

On Black Friday, 6 of us got to Wal-Mart at 5am to get the best deals $500 could buy. We had a donor give us $500 and we wanted to make sure we could get the most for the money. As we were standing in line our 3 carts full of toys caused a few comments, when people found out we weren't shopping for ourselves, they were touched.

I think the most fun I have ever had in my life is filling cart after cart full of toys, spending other people's money to give children simple toys to ensure there is still magic at Christmas. Last year, I went into Target one day - 5 carts later the bill was close to $2,000 bucks and barely fit in the car.

Here we are with our three carts of goodies from Wal-Mart!

some days are just like this, even in australia

Thanksgiving 2008, can pretty much be explained by this picture!


It was a weekend of things just not really going as planned. Oh, well - it gives us something to talk about and remember. Thanksgiving morning we had our traditional breakfast at my sister's. She (having just recently had knee surgery) wasn't really able to get around as much as she thought she would be able to and so things just didn't get done as she would have liked. For example she had promised us all home made apple fritters and her dough didn't work out, so we had to live without them fritters, darn.

We had our turkey day dinner on Sunday night, to allow everyone to be able to spend the day with all the other families who had needs to have them there. Our stuffing was pretty much mush, it tasted good - but it was like baby food (no we didn't give any to Elliott). My mom couldn't find the gravy spoon, so a measuring cup works just fine.

It's more about spending time with family and friends then things going perfect, right. RIGHT! As always baby Elliott is the hit of all family functions now, we do a pretty good job of sharing him - Nate and Dana are the most laid back, first time parents I have ever met.

the posh hotel

Okay, no matter what I do blogger wants these pictures in THIS order - mind you it's not the order I would like them to be in. But, you now have to wait until the VERY END of this post to see the posh hotel room... oh, the suspense!

Since, I am sure you all didn't think the link to the hotel I stayed in a few weeks ago in Tacoma and since I am still talking about this hotel with everyone I can. I thought I would share my pics!

I am all about rooms with views... and I seem to always have to take pictures out of windows (random fact about me)

I have wanted one of these ihome ipod docks for some time, but I didn't know how much I would love love love it until I got to play with the one in my hotel room... oh, and if you didn't have an ipod - you just had to call the front desk and tell them what kind of music you like and they would bring up an ipod for you to use while you were there - I told you they were posh.

Oh, and if anyone loves me enough to get my an ihome ipod dock for Christmas, you would be my new best friend forever more!

The bathroom - while it was overall very impressive, personally I would have liked a spa tub - I mean if you are going to be totally posh and all, why not have a spa tub.

Here you have it, my room! Polly (my mentor) had pretty much everything the same in her room expect the art (each floor had a different theme) and her lamps were red. The bed was super duper comfortable, I didn't want to get up - ever! They had a pillow menu, yes you read that right a pillow menu and got to pick out the kind of pillows that best suited you for your stay. I felt like a queen getting to pick out pillows that I would use for 2 nights.
The whole hotel was impressive... although if you ever stay here and you don't like nudes, avoid the 8th floor! HA HA! I am cracking up just thinking about the adventure that was the 8th floor!

Been Tagged

My Friend, Michelle tagged me!

8 IS GREAT!!!

8 TV Shows that I love to watch:
1. Samantha Who
2. Without a Trace
3. CSI (all of them)
4. Extreme Makeover Home Edition
5. ER (and no I haven’t watched it this whole time it’s been on)
6. Dancing with the Stars (but, I just started when my mom gave me the go ahead that all the horrible people were off – I can’t stand to watch people who can’t tell their right foot from their left try and dance.
7. So You Think You Can Dance (can’t wait for this SUMMER)
8. The Bachelor or The Bachelorette – I know they are horrible shows, but I can’t help myself.

8 Things that happened to me yesterday:
1. Went through my beading stuff and started a pile of stuff I wanted to get rid of
2. Went to Michaels to return some stuff
3. Sat on my couches talking with Kristen
4. Did some research about Etsy and Paypal
5. Got up at the crack of dawn to retrieve my trash cans before the wind took them away
6. Took a bunch of stuff to the recycle bin
7. SHOWERED (ask Ali, this is a BIG DEAL)
8. Can’t think of anything else

Favorite places to eat:
1. Quiznos
2. Red Bicycle Café – local joint
3. New York Bagel Café - local joint
4. Jamba Juice
5. Bugerville
6. Almost any place that serves PIZZA
7. East Burnside – local joint
8. Cup and Saucer – local joint

8 things I am looking forward to:
1. Christmas – its Elliott’s first!
2. Hopefully having reached a decision by Dec. 10th
3. Getting rid of stuff, call it fall cleaning
4. The rainy season to be done, ha ha – I live in Oregon the rain never really goes away
5. Figuring out plan XYZ
6. The Community Holiday Project – it’s a big job, but it’s the best way to spend the holidays!
7. Baking, it’s holiday time!
8. A new year and hope for better things to come

8 things on my wish list:
1. Find an amazing job
2. Find funders
3. Become a millionaire
4. Get my life more organized
5. World Peace
6. Cure for Brain Cancer
7. A new car
8. Stop having the police question me about crimes in the hood, a girl can wish!

8 people I tag!
1. I
2. Don’t
3. Think
4. 8
5. People
6. Read
7. My
8. Blog!

make up, skin care and the like

My sister is pretty much the expert in this department. If she wasn't my sister and willing to share her wonderful knowledge with me, then I would be at a total loss. REALLY!

This weekend, my sister and I spent some time reading about new products - WE LOVE IT! While we were reading over the costumer reviews, I was reminded how clueless most people can be. (did you like how I didn't call people stupid, cause that's really what I was thinking - me trying to be nice, go me)

A few things you should know about make up and skin care before you try something new or write a review.

1. When you try something new, give it at least a month. REALLY! It takes time for your skin to adjust to something new or a change. People often say, but I break out so I stop - BAD IDEA! Now, I am not saying that if you break out so bad you end up in the hospital that you should keep taking the stuff. Every thing I try, I break out! I have super duper sensitive skin. What I have learned over the years (and thanks to my sister) is that my skin gets worse before it gets better. If you are not willing to give something a whole 30 days, at least give it a week.

2. DON'T TRY A BUNCH OF NEW THINGS AT ONCE! Do I need to repeat that? How on earth will you ever know what if anything worked well or didn't or if you are allergic to it. Give your skin time to adjust, people - it's the largest living organ of you body.

3. A face cleanser is often NOT, I repeat NOT a make up remover! There's a reason people invented make up remover, and no it was not just to sell you another product. You remove make up and then you use a face cleanser. Please stop bashing face cleansers for not removing your make up, it's not what they were invented for nor do they promise to do just that - READ.

Now, here's my shameless plug for Bare Escentuals! My sister and I LOVE THIS STUFF!
I will admit, I did not like it one bit the first time I tried it. It took me going in a few times, letting them know what I liked and didn't like about what I had tried, etc. for me to get what was right for my skin. Even with my sister and I being related our skin is not the same - what works for her, does not work well for me. Ask questions, research and experiment.

Okay, getting off my soap box now. Thanks for listening.

posh

Today I arrived in Tacoma, WA to speak at a conference. I am staying in this totally posh hotel room. You all would have gotten a kick out of me. I literally didn't even put my bags down (all 5 of them) before grabbing my camera and taking pictures of my room. I can't post pictures because I didn't bring my connector cable. But you can check out the hotel for your self, Hotel Murano.

I did my presentation today and it went very well. As always I prepared way more than I had time for, but now I get to sit back and enjoy the rest of the conference. It's a nice benefit of speaking the first day.

The reason you ask for 5 bags. WAIT, it's 6! 1: my purse 2: my laptop bag 3: a bag full of handouts for my workshop 4: a bag with my overhead projector, toys and a baby doll (for my workshop) 5: clothes and personal items for the 3 days 6: some food

I'll have you know I did it all in one trip, although I did nearly take out 100 people in my attempt to only make one trip.

Oh, and I am sick again! I was worried my voice wouldn't make it through my workshop.

Meeting Baby Elliott!

This past weekend, I was finally feeling well enough to make the trip to meet my first Great Nephew Baby Elliot.

We had our weekly family dinner, it was Elliott's first time attending and it was also his 2 week birthday. He is such the little man. I am totally in love with him. He has this full head of dark hair. He is the most expressive and full of movement 2 week old I have ever meet.

My sister Karilyn holding baby Elliott

Khlia holding baby Elliott... this was all she wanted for her b-day was to get to hold him.

His full body including his cute little foot!

Ready for your close up, little man?

I love that he was wearing one of the millions of outfits I have gotten him. He's a little rock star baby! He pretty much slept the whole time he was at my mom's. I love that he thinks he lives in Australia and sleeps all day and is awake all night. If he was in Australia he would have it just right. He's totally related to me!

End of Summer Family Camp Out

I know it's been a month now since this trip... I am totally behind the times. Just before the last day of summer, we headed out for a family camp out to Cape Look Out. We had a BLAST! and it only rained the last night we were there and we stayed pretty dry considering.

We did get ambushed by Raccoons the first night and they got some of our food. The Mosquitoes were out of control. I mean we were at the ocean, running water - why did we have mosquitoes. Crazy bugs, don't they know they are suppose to like STILL water. Here are just a few picture from the trip... I'll post more at another time when I have more time. But, until then enjoy these few.

We are big babies in my family... Khlia, my mom and I all needed our own tents.

I pretty much showered in this every 5 minutes, even though it said you didn't need too. I came home with like 25 bites.

We took many long walks on the beach to discover what natura had in store for us to see. The first morning we discovered this star fish.

I love sunsets, this was the 2nd night. The first night Khlia and I read on the beach while the sunset, it was so relaxing.

Aeddan and Khlia making some yummies!

Random Fact of the Day

Even when you can't breath and therefore think you can't smell.... farts still smell.


In case you wanted to know.


I am cracking up at myself over this little piece of information I discoved today.

It's a BOY!

Welcome to the world baby, Elliott Dale Owens!

He was born last Sunday evening at about 7pm. I haven't seen the little guy yet and I had been planning to go visit this weekend, but I have both a cold and the flu, gross!

We are all so excited to have this new little one in the family. I can't wait to meet him.

Move.... are you for real?

My new job is about 10 miles from my house - a 15 minute drive pretty much at best and worst of times. I don't have to get on a freeway or anything. It's a VERY pleasant drive along the river.

A number of people have asked me if I am going to move closer to my job...

What?

Why?

I don't understand people some days. Don't they know that when I lived in CA I used to dive 60 miles ONE WAY to work and often have to give myself 3 hours to get there because LA traffic is not predictable.

I also have mentioned to people when they have been in the same section of town according to me, that they should have stopped by and when they ask where my work is they are like "oh, that's like forever away from where I was" it was no more than 20 blocks ever!

I don't think I will ever understand Oregonians ideas of far away or what's a decent commute time.

Off to work... yes on that REALLY long drive that puts me there long before you'll be able to read this and post.

something new about me!

On Monday I started a NEW JOB, a full time, stable, settling down type job. Which I am so looking forward to, because the last year as been full of many ups and downs and who knows what's going on and I just couldn't live like that forever.

I took a job as the director of a child development center here in Portland, it's pretty much all administration and supervising 40 people!

For awhile now, I might not be blogging much as I learn this new crazy schedule of mine 7am - 6pm with a LONG LUNCH every day. Crazy, I know but it has it's pros and cons.

Until then happy September days!

recpies

Sorry, but a word to the wise if you plan to someday make millions off your creations don't share them with everyone.

I don't share well anyways and since I want to either write a cook book or open a bakery or both one day - I don't share my creations other than you can eat them now and then when I make them, but as far as what I put in them - the secrets are forever safe within my HEAD, yes that's right I really hardly every write the stuff down.

Ali helped create my brownie recipe hence why it's called "Ali and Kati Brownies" so she knows how to make them. I did ONCE share my chocolate strawberry cake recipe with someone so they could make it for Khlia (my niece) for her birthday while she was in Germany, but other than that, my brain is keeping them for that perfect time when I can use them for greatness!

I am not trying to be rude or anything, I would share the food with you all if you lived near by... motivation to come visit!

Not to brag or anything...

but I make the best zucchini bread in the world hands down!

YUM-O!

learn something new....

every day that is!

Yesterday I learned that I am not cut out to be a blue berry picker!

I went to help my friend Kristen pick some blue berries, we were out in the SUN (yes we have some sun for now that is) for like 2 hours and I was DEAD tired, my back was killing me and I was feeling super duper old! I used to think it would be a fun job to pick berries all day, NOT ANY MORE! I got a small taste and I didn't like it!

I am even more grateful for people who spend all day in the hot sun picking fruits and veggies for my enjoyment, it's hard work.

A new love affair with Jamba Juice!

Okay, so I have been a long time fan of Jamba Juice – but within the last few years I have had some issues with their use of Styrofoam cups, I hate that stuff and try to avoid going places that use it. In fact this past weekend I wanted to buy this hook thing and when I saw that it came in this huge box with what I knew would be filled with Styrofoam I almost didn’t buy it. I know it’s a silly little thing, but it’s my thing and I just don’t like that it’s not biodegradable and lives in land fields FOREVER – I mean hello people it’s 2008 and we know better. It’s just one of my crazy things in trying to be more green, I know it’s seem really insignificant if I personally just stop going to business that use Styrofoam but I think it the long run it makes a difference and since I most like won’t have kids for at least 5 years I want to make sure they have a healthy world when they come.

So, even as much as I love Jamba going there recently has been an issue for me because of the whole Styrofoam cup thing. Well, not that long ago I heard through the grape vine that they switched to paper cups (which FYI are biodegradable to some degree) and I had to see for myself so today I got one and low and behold they served it to me in a paper cup! Now, if I can just convince places to let me bring my own washable cup that can be reused a million and one times life will be grand!

THANK YOU JAMBA for being more GREEN, the planet thanks you!

Now, me the go green junky will be getting off her soapbox, thank you for listening.

I want my money back…

What kind of lame excuse for summer has this been? Really people I want my money back. We had a winter that would never end last year and it kept raining and raining and raining. I had been so looking forward to my trip to Budapest to get my fill of sunshine and it rained a lot while I was there – I had been prepared for SOME rain while I was there you know light summer sprinkles but what I got was pouring cats and dogs kind of rain. This past month of August here in Oregon is supposed to be the DRY month you know NO RAIN, well we have seen way to much rain in my opinion. They are now saying that summer is pretty much over and we are now entering into our rain season; excuse me, what is that you said? You are cheating me out of a decent summer, I don’t think so – give me my money back!

I haven’t even got to wear all my summer clothes – so not fair! I am just frustrated! Oh, and I think my tomatoes and veggies will never be ready to eat unless they see some MAJOR sunshine which I don’t think will happen – which will make me sad as my garden will be a total bust this year.

BABY DAYS!

I am playing catch up...

A few weeks ago our family had a little Baby Shower for Dana (my nephew Nate's wife) they are expecting their first some time between NOW and Oct. 10th - Most likely sooner than later.


We all can't wait for Baby Elliott to join the family, it's been almost 16 years since there was a baby in the family - and all I can say is for a child who's not even born he's pretty spoiled!

Pears, Pears and More Pears!

It's hard to tell but that's one huge basket FULL of pears from my own back yard... I know it's a little early to pick pears but they were falling off the tree in record numbers and I was determined to make lots of pear stuff this year so I wasn't going to let any more be sacrificed. There's still about 15-20 pears on the tree that I can't really reach - I am thinking with all my fruit trees it would be worth investing in one of those fruit tree picker things with the nets that catch the fruit from falling to the ground... I have no idea what they are called and I am sure when I give this description at the garden store I will get a funny look as always.

I am super excited to make stuff with the pears - I LOVE PEARS!

new things in the garden

The side yard is no longer just a pile of weeds... believe it or not those plants were always there just hiding behind all the weeds - it looks so nice now, I don't even like to walk on the path in fear of messing it up.

There's somewhere to sit in the garden now! I just need to get some fun outdoor pillows and there will be many days of lazy reading.

Okay you can't see the sticks with the bird tape I mentioned in another post to keep away the birds but this was my attempt to show you them, oh well - you can just see my beautiful FIG tree instead.

HAPPY SUMMER GARDEN DAYS!

next best thing to the beach!

Yup you guessed it summers by the kiddo pool!

The main thing I have had trouble adjusting to living in Portland is that the beach isn't less than an hour away, it's like 2 hours away at least (with no traffic) and thankfully we don't have much of a summer so there are only a few days where I am dying to go to the beach and well I am trying to have this kiddo pool work for those days and to be honest it doesn't!

I am looking forward to the end of Sept. when we will be camping at the beach, hopefully we won't freeze like the last time we went camping in summer in Oregon.

making the birds mad

So for months I have been doing a great deal of research on a safe way to keep the birds from eating my fruit off my fruit trees (I have fig, pear and plum trees) everyone kept saying to use a net but I was worried with reports about birds or other animals get stuck in them as well as the effect they can have on the tree in preventing growth for future years. I discovered Mylar bird tape which you tie onto poles and put through out the trees. The wind blows the tape (like ribbon) and it keeps the birds away.

It seemed to be working very well... my backyard is SO PEACEFUL now... I had gotten so used to a yard full of birds that in a way it's kind of sad I don't get to watch the blue jays every morning outside my bathroom window while I get ready, but I will have fruit this year.

The other night it was so hot that I was trying to cool off by laying in the kiddie pool... the birds were all in the redwood tree (if you don't know about my hate hate relationship with the redwood tree, be thankful, very thankful!) and they were making lots of noise... I imagine they were complaining to each other about how they are going to starve this fall without my fruit trees to eat from, at one point I yelled at them that if they want to pay the water bills and spend the time pruning and thinning the fruit by all means they can share in the harvest but as they don't do anything to help they get nothing.

I do wonder if at some point the birds will out smart the tape and discover that it won't hurt them and start eating the fruit.



On another note - I got strawberries this year! I had planted them last year, but they didn't produce any fruit and I was worried... but this year I have gotten 3 little bitty strawberries, which are no where near enough berries for all my summer plans. This weekend alone I am making two desserts for parties both needing strawberries.
I did try to take a picture of the three little berries, but my camera is acting up and I think it's time for a new one.

new new new

I just posted a bunch of new stuff from my travels around the world... you might want to start at the first one about Budapest and work your way back up, but it's up to you.

ENJOY!

Seattle

The day after I got back from Budapest and got the wonderful pleasure of getting in my car and driving three hours to Seattle for four days to help with a training! Believe it or not I survived! There were moments during those four days that I really thought I was going to DIE! The first two nights I was there I had dinner meetings to attend to and it took everything in me not to fall asleep in my plate of food. Most people were pretty sympathetic and understanding with me, some were even impressed with my ability to function. I was pretty blessed to have a POSH hotel room (Ali think Westlake Inn, it was pretty close to that). It was a wonderful opportunity for me to network with some people and it is proven to be very good for business.

My adventure home!

Many have asked for details about my return to the US because I have hinted at it being a horrible ordeal and it was… Do you remember me mentioning in my blog about Budapest and arriving and not really having my passport check? Yeah, well apparently I was NEVER on my flight from Frankfurt to Budapest and therefore Hungary has no record of me entering the country, great! I get pulled aside to speak with the police, three of them in fact. They are asking me all sorts of questions about how I got into Budapest, how long I have been there, where I have been, what I have been doing, etc. etc. etc. I then have to have a (best way to describe it) stripe search… basically it was a groping session. I then got to take everything one by one out of my suit case and show it off to the police, everything! I did have my boarding pass for my flight from Frankfurt to Budapest which I think is the only reason they didn’t detain me for days, weeks or even years. The whole time I was trying to not take it personally – I knew it had nothing to do with me personally; it was simply because I was an American and sadly our country has not been all that great to Hungary… there are still a lot of hard feelings and I totally give them that. If I was Hungarian I would hate us too… let me be more correct it’s not so much your standard American people, but the American Government that gets their feathers flying. They have a right to try and protect themselves and while in my heart I know I come in peace… no one else can ever be too sure. If you don’t understand this point of view you might want to educate yourself before you make a stupid comment. I am just saying… while I value many different options I think as Americans we don’t often think what it might feel like to be on the other side of a boarder… to have gone through what other countries have. I am not interested in getting into a huge political debate here – if you know me, you know where I stand on things of this nature and therefore you can take my ideas or just leave them here, end of discussion.
Once I was cleared from this and allowed to proceed to my gate, it was about 5 minutes before my plane was to board and I hear my name over the speaker, great – what now was all I could think. I went to where they told me to go and there was something wrong with my checked bag, so again the police escorted me off to a little room… and again I got to pull everything out and show it off to the police.
I wasn’t allowed to get a boarding pass for my flight from Frankfurt to Portland because according to the crew in Budapest “Frankfurt would have to decide for themselves if they would let me on any flights”… I arrived in Frankfurt about 5 minutes before my flight was to start boarding and after running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get a boarding pass I got stand by… yes that’s right stand by. At this point I was in tears and had been since my stripe search in Budapest (I just felt beyond violated, gross and dirty) the nice lady in Frankfurt ask what was wrong and I was like “I don’t understand why I have to go stand-by I just want to get home after everything that has happened” I had reached my max of what I could deal with in one day. She asked me what happened and I gave her the cliff notes version of what happened in Budapest and she within 5 minutes had me with a seat for the flight. THANK HEAVENS! I had no time to pee or get anything to eat I had to board right then and there. I even got extra leg room which is GREAT on a 10 plus hour flight. Although I did have a really annoying lady next to me who complained about everything under the sun… I went for shock value at one point and asked her if she had been striped searched during her travels when she said no I asked her kindly to keep her opinions to herself… for the rest of the flight she just mumbled under her breath to what I am sure was horrible things about me and frankly I don’t care – I just wanted the rest of my trip to be peaceful and as harmonious as possible.

Oh Vienna! (as Bridget always refers to it)

I think we were there like maybe 36 hours… hold on let me count. Okay maybe like 33 hours! But, it still amazes me all that we did! We were on our feet walking all around the city for pretty much all of those 33 hours… we did take a little bit of time to sleep in our cute little apartment and the Happy Hostel, a place for happy people and we were happy to be there. I was the lucky one that good the BIG bed (maybe because I had a broken bed back in Budapest). The high light of Vienna for me was the FOOD, big surprise I know. I love food and I love good food even more! We had apple strudel every chance we could we even went to a strudel demo, it was awesome! I have lots of videos of Peter the strudel maker! There is something about old city’s that can take your breath away… nothing in America even comes close. I mean I love the character my 50 plus year old house has, but really how much charterer does it really have compared to places like Budapest and Vienna!?!?!?! One really cool thing we did while we were there was Sunday morning we went to Mass at this amazing Cathedral in GERMAN! I didn’t understand about 99% of what was going on, but it was beautiful and amazing anyways. We really loved the House of Music and the Freud Museum and who couldn’t love the Palace! And the Garden’s… really I could go on all day about how much I loved Vienna… I would love to go back and spend some more time there. But until then I will just have to enjoy my pictures… there’s a lot!

there were sunflower fields all along the way to Vienna

oh look it's me in Vienna!

this cute little wooden toy shop that I wanted to go into but we were there on the weekend and everything was closed, sad day!

cute little coffee house we had out first meal in

my bed at the Happy Hostel!

for my sister... she loves doors!




we had to stop for a little bit of FUN!

where we went to mass on Sunday morning.

not only is it pink so I had to get a picture, but it's like the old and new!

the best meal of my life and our last meal in Vienna - the food was amazing!

I hope you enjoyed them... there are MANY more if you ever want to see them!