Thursday, January 21, 2010

ARuba Part 2

Well its, been a long time coming.  It's been a crazy couple weeks.  Once we got back from Aruba on Sunday, I found out (pretty much upon arrival at my house) that I was going to Jacksonville on Wednesday for work.  So, I was home for two days, then off to Jacksonville until Friday. (the 15th).  That was Scott's birthday, so I had told him that he could have people over to play poker...and I wanted to give him his day...and I was exahsted!!!!!  So, I went into the guest room (have I mentioned how much I love having a guest room) and caught up on Gray's, Private Practice, and Hotel Babalon....SEASON 3!!!!  WHOHOOOOO!!!!  Who knew there was a Season 3.  Take that Brittish guys who said my show is rubbish. 

Anyways, Saturday (the 16th) was a crazy day as well...filled with Brithday lunches, Creighton basketball and surprise birthday drinks....and Sunday I went to a bridal expo...thats a whole other blog.  And that is my blog about why I havent added a second blog about Aruba.

So, Let's go back, shall we, to January 8th.  I woke up from a great nights sleep (it's sooo nice to sleep when its chili....it's never chilli in our apartment, and I love being a little cold....or at least not hot.

Friday we got up and ate breakfast again and then went to the beach.  We had until around 2:30 and then we needed to head to the "high rise district" for our Pirate Cruise.  We went to the hotel lunch place at 1:30 for lunch and ordered (I had a burger, Scott had a fish sandwich), we also had a margarita....

Then it was 1:45....no food

2:00....no food
2:15...no food

Now, I can live on island time like anyone...and Scott pretty much lives on island time all the time...but seriously....waiting 45 minutes for lunch...so we flagged down our waitress and told her we needed our lunches to go, and the check....NOW. 

But here is the good part


Our pirate ship!!!!! 




Me snorkling in 60 feet of water...I was VERY proud of myself...as I was a bit afraid of sharks.



Scott on the rope swing!



It was a bit windy on the boat....but here we are....


We met some friends on the boat (Marcia and Adrian) and we went for drinks on the pier to see the sunset....How beautiful is this.


Saturday, January 9th
Saturday was our last day...and we had nothing planned...on purpose.

We went to the hotel next door to have breakfast.  They had the coolest chairs ever.



We just laid around, read our books, soaked up the sun and RODE THE WAVES!!!!

I love the water.  I love playing in it, how great my skin feels in ocean water, how thick my hair gets when it's full of salt, the way sand sticks to all your creavises for days and days, so you are always taking a part of the beach back with you.

I LOVE the beach, I love the ocean...you get the picture.

So, one of my favorite parts of the ocean, is the waves.  I love catching the wave at just the right time so you can ride it in almost all the way to the shore.  I (secreatly) love it more when you dont catch it quite right, and you hold on for dear life to your nose and your swimsuit,,,,as the wave crashes above your head and takes you for a ride!


We found out earlier in the week that Aruban's Carnival was Saturday night.  so we had planned on going to downtown to watch it.  But by the time we got around to going, we were too late, so we went back to the high rise district.  We walked around...forever....to buy our souveners, and then ate at this cool place called "Mr. Jazz".  It was a steakhouse...and they had plantains...that was really all that mattered.. oh, and the live band



And that, my friends, is Aruba....
I hightly recommend it!  Beatuful island, wonderful people.


Sunday, January 17, 2010

Aruba Part One- Arrival, Day One and Two

As most of you know, last year, Scott surprized me with a trip to ARUBA.  We parted on January 6th, bright and early.  We left the apartment to get to the airport in plenty of time for all the enhanced security (thanks alot mr. failed christmas day bomber).  Our flight was at 5:30 to miami.  We were to arrive in Miami at 9:00 and then we were to leave for Aruba at 11:30.

We board the plane....everything is great, it is not full so I got a whole row of three chairs all to myself (yeah for sleeping).  and I promptly fell asleep as the plane wasnt moving.  I was rudely awaken by Scott tapping my head about an hour later asking what time it was....we had not left yet...and it appeared the engine was "frozen" so the maintenance guys were coming BACK with thier tools....evidently it is silly to just bring your tools with you.  Well Scott is freaking out, cuz if we are any later we are NOT going to make our connection (and we wanted to get to Aruba.)  Well we finally left (and I slept until again...another tap on my head...Scott wanted us to move forward in the cabinso we could get off the plane early.  WE moved forward and were talking to lots of other people who were also dangeriously close to missing thier flights.  we landed at 11:05 and ran through the Miami airport...only to find out our plane was now delayed until 12:45.  Well, the reason the plane was delayed was becuase they were getting us a different plane that required everyone to be resat.....awesome.  The only good thing to come of this was the Miami airport has Presidente (a Dominican Beer I am VERY fond of).

WE get to Aruba, get to our hotel, and are finally happy.
We enjoyed our first happy hour beverage

Passion Fruit Daquari and Polar (Venezualian Ale)

The sun was setting on our first day, we were hungry (I had breadsticks from Pizza Hut, Scott had nothing) and we had been up since 2:30 our time.  We walked around the area by our hotel (Manchebo Beach Resort and Spa) and found a cute little resteurant called Elliot's (it was Italian and FABULOUS!) I was falling asleep on my dinner, so i called it a night (Scott went down to the bar and had some more Polar's).

End of Day One


Day Two (Thursday January 7th)
We woke up and enjoyed a breakfast at the resort.  We did not get all inclusive, though it was an option, because we knew we would want to try other areas.

We had 11am massages, which were amazing,  There is nothing like a thatch building massage when you are ON THE OCEAN....no fake "wave sounds" here.  The spa was great.  I could have had a massage every day, but alas...we had other things to do.

We spend most of this day on the beach, lathering up and not getting sunburned....This is amazing for Scott and I, as we are both PALE.


Here I am getting all set up for the day.  Don't you love my sun hat.  It kept me from getting burnt and getting wrinkles...Im getting married folks...can't have wrinkles!













Can you find the iguana?












And this begins the 360 view from our hotel room.










I have a rough life...I know.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Aruba

I will be in Aruba in 36 hours...
I just thought you would all like to know.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Nine: A review

Last night, my friend Micki, her friend Kerry, and I went to go see Nine.  Now, I love a movie musical almost as much as the next person, and though I had very few idea's of what this movie was about, and I knew who was in it.  So, I was very excited to go.

The show opens with Daniel Day-Lewis (a director in a rut) looking at an empty set and suddenly all the "women" in his life appear.  Let's pause a moment and talk about Mr. Day Lewis.  Quite possibly one of the best actors out there.  He is a chameleon on stage, a true genius.  He is one of those actors that I know is in a movie yet I can never pick him out.  He always looks, sounds, acts so different, in every part.  There was no trace of the "My two left feed" guy or "There will be Blood" guy.  He is amazing. 

Anyways, we see that Mr. Day-Lewis is a bit conflicted.  He has a wife (Marion Cotillard), and mistress (Penelope Cruz), both who play intregral parts in his life, not to mention his muse (Nicole Kidman- whose very small part reminds us of how outstanding she was in Moulin Rouge).  It also shows four other women, his long-term costume designer (Dame Judy Dench- amazing), his mother (Sophia Loren- beautiful, classy, captivating as always), Fergie who plays a strong, almost greek Goddess of sex type charactor and a journalist with whom he has limited contact, but obviously left quite the impression.

You automatically love Marion Cotillard (for those of you who aren't familiar with her work, she is a French Actress that worked along side Johnny Depp in Public Enemies.  She is beautiful, elegant, charismatic, lovely.  She is our generations Audrey Hepburn.  She is there, beside her husband, though you learn she knows os his mis-comings.  She has given up a lot to be with him, and she is begining to question if she made the right choices, and if those choices are still correct.

Penelope Cruz, poor lady, she is in love with Daniel Day Lewis, and she cant get over being second place.  However, let's talk a little about her dance/song number.  Hello...I am thinking about making Penelope MY mistress.  She is HOT, SEXY, FLEXIBLE, DARING. 

Dame Judi Dench- I really feel you must begin her name with Dame, as she is one.  She has become Daniel Day Lewis's confidant, and almost a motherly figure.  He ofter crawls into the fetal position when he is having a rough spell in order to gain her full attention.  She doesn't pressure him like everyone else for a script of the new show, and does this FANTASTIC number on Folies Bergere, just an homage to the folies of the past, in beautiful show girl costumes.  We also are introduced to Guido (Daniel Day-Lewis) as a young child. 

Whenever Guido is lost, doesn't know where to turn, is sinking further into himself, he sees his mother.  The lovely, always elegant, Sophia Loren.  The perfect portrayal of Ms. Loren is at the end, during credits, they show all the ladies practicing and dancing.  They all are in thier sweats, yoga pants, etc...except Ms. Loren, who is still in her pearls, of course.

Kate Hudson and Fergie also do stand out numbers, Katie in her go -go boots, american journalist number.  Fergie in her straight up and tough advice to young Guido and his childhood friends to "Be Italian", playing into the whole "Italian Stallion" stereotype.

I would highly recommend this movie.  It will make you leave wanting to take dancing and Italian lessons.  It serves as a good reminder of why Italians (men and women) are so damn sexy.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

wax on, wax off

So, T- 4 days until Aruba...and I had some "cleaning" to do, so I made an appointment at my favorite salon "Spacio" for 9am this morning....whew,  what a wake up call.

#1- It's FREEZING outside.  I'm talking - windchill, 5 degrees regular....too cold for this old girl. 
#2- well, the whole, procedure itself was a bit awakening! I've had it done several times before, but it's been a while...and well, it's winter...so my razers tend to take a backseat until someone actually sees my legs, etc.

So, Spacio...it's a great all service spa and salon.  One day I will go in there for one of their variety of other treatments.  It's a gorgeous building and everyone I have ever encountered there has been fabulous.  You go in and sit in the "women's lounge" where they have my favorite infused water and granola bars.  Nice relaxing music so you forget why you are there and just start to enjoy it.  My girl  then arrived and took me back to my room.  I love when you go to salons and the rooms are warm.  We had massages in California at our B&B and the room was cold.  You cant relax when the room is cold, and I never got warmed up.  This room temperature was perfect, and Margaret, (my girl) was perfectly chatty.  When someone is spreading hot wax around your hoohaa, i personally want them to talk to me, so my attention is at answering questions, talking about my trip, my newly found sparkly thing on my finger, etc. 

The first rip is the worst...that's what I always think...and then they get the more sensitive areas...whoohoo!  But there is nothing like walking out fresh and cleaning and knowing you are now bathing suit ready.  I don't have to worry about shaving that lovely area while in Aruba.

So thank you Margaret for my new look!

Friday, January 1, 2010

"Ring"ing in the new year

New Years Eve...hasn't always been my favorite holiday.  I mean, it's fun and all, but growing up and through college I never really had a boyfriend, so it was pretty much just me kissing the air on new years...wishing and hoping that my knight would come save me at some point in my life.  Enter 2004. The scene- Applebee's in Auburn, Maine.  I met him...and you know what...I knew it then.  I could feel it in my heart that I had met someone special...even if two of his good friends went to Southern Illinois (Creighton's rival).

Many of you know Scott, you know our story, I dont have to share it with you. 

Fast forward 6 years -note- we were not dating for 6 years....just 3.

Last night, we decided to stay in.  It was nice.  The last few years have been either bouncing from party to party or celebrating weddings (Happy Anniversary Dobbers).  So, this year, I decided against driving to weather-plagued Omaha, and stayed in Chicago.

It was great.  We ate pizza rolls, and tatertots with cheese.  We had champaign chilled and popped the bottle at 11pm to say Happy New Year to our East Coast Friends.  Then around 11:30 Scott starts acting WIERD.  He is getting up and sitting down, pacing back and forth in the apartment.  I finally said something like , "sit down, you are driving me crazy".  So, instead of sitting down, he got down on one knee, and asked the question that I wasnt really planning on for another week.    And then he pulled this beautiful ring out from under the couch.

I, of course, said yes...and then we kissed, poured some champaign and rang in 2010!

What I love is that we were doing what we usually do...sitting in our pajama's, relaxing, sipping on some wine...just enjoying being with eachother.  It was truly perfect and magical!


Cheers to everyone!  Happy 2010!