Bar Brothers & P90X

Chinatown in Washinton DC encompasses just a few blocks and compared to Chinatown in say – Honolulu – it is relatively small. We walked it in just a couple of hours and it would have taken a much shorter time had we not stopped and watched his young man hanging on some scaffolding. He stayed in this position for about 30 seconds.

Then he did this – abs and arms of steel…

Last week, I was looking for new inspiration for my work-out and on a whim, I purchased the P90X workout. I’m not working out until it arrives. No need to over-tax myself ahead of time.

This is a group of guys called Bar Brothers of DC. They apparently get together to climb on scaffolding.

It’s as good a reason as any to get together. Look at them…pretty cool.

This is their signature move – called the “muscle up.”

As we watched they had a contest to see who can do the most muscle ups.

They went down…

And up…

And down…my arms are starting to hurt…

And up…you get the point.

They did this until they dropped out one by one.

The muscle man was the winner and the last man standing – or hanging.

It was pretty incredible.

There’s a universal behavior among young males everywhere. They love to rough house and wrestle. I find it very endearing as long as no one breaks any dishes.

They have a website! http://www.barbrothersdc.com/. Check it out. There’s a tutorial on how to do a muscle up. I’ll meet you next week on H Street and we’ll do a couple ok?

Thoughts On Air Travel

We are blessed with the husband’s job and one of the benefits is free airfare. This summer of air travel was full of starts and stops – but the benefits of flying free almost over comes the challenges – almost.

I found the above little bag stuck in the back of my jewelry case as I packed for our vacation this summer. It got me thinking….

If I had something like this the stress of hopping an airplane wouldn’t be so bad. This is what passengers get when they fly Iceland Air.

What’s in it? Look and see.

I just love this. It’s a little travel kit for the passenger. Now this is service. Look at the eye guard – I should bring it with me on all airline flights.

There’s a toothpaste as well as a small tube of toothpaste.

This is a little jar of Glacial Moisturizing Gel. I love it – Glacial Moisturizing Gel. I feel pampered and I wasn’t even on the flight.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a pair of socks. Socks! I suppose it’s cold on the glacier in Iceland. How fantastic is that? Wish the husband’s airline would do this – just sayin’.

There’s lip balm for my chapped lips. I actually carry my own but the boy is always asking me for it and he doesn’t want the kind with color – not a good look for a teenage boy.

A couple of capsules of aspirin in the bag would be perfect.

I long for the day when traveling by air was romantic. Air travel should all be about getting up at midnight to check in, or rushing to get in line, or trying to find an empty seat next to the person least likely to talk to you. I suppose it all comes down to dollars and cents.

So the next time you are going to Reykjavik, Iceland, you too can have wonderful airline service reminiscent of days gone by. I would go just to experience the feeling of being pampered on a flight. Booking my flight now!

Around Prescott, Arizona In HDR

If you’ve never been to Prescott, Arizona, I want to encourage to visit – it’s fun. And the shopping is great, the girl and I can attest to that.

Here’s a look in HDR. It’s Topaz Tuesday after all.

Prescott’s weather is divine. It’s up in the highlands and the breeze blows all the time – or almost all the time.

The sun shines constantly – or almost constantly.

And there’s no humidity – or almost no humidity.

I’ll take it!

The Many Faces Of Thumb Butte

Last week, we dropped the boy off at his summer program and the husband, the girl and I, drove around the hosting college campus.

We came upon this sign and the girl asked from the back seat, “Thumb Butt?”

Lets just say we were not from around these parts. In her defense, the “e” is silent.

So that started an entire conversation about what buttes are and we had to educate the girl on some other Southwest terminology indigenous to that area like mesa and chimichanga. Actually she knew what chimichangas were.

We had the honor of being invited to stay the week at the home of our good friends, Myrna and Jack and saw this beautiful butte from their back deck. We all exclaimed, “What a view!” – almost simultaneously.

She said, “That’s Thumb Butte.”

We may have burst out laughing or we may have not -

It became a running joke all week but the view of Thumb Butte from their deck was no joke. It was downright fantastic.

I spent many hours on her deck chairs, just looking to the horizon. Miss Myrna would come back from her errands/walks/bike rides and there I would be, just as she left me – gazing at Thumb Butte with my water bottle/coffee cup/glass of wine in my hand.

I saw amazing color and light.

I decided to go a little wider on my lens.

Ahhh…better. I wanted to catch some of the sky.

Here it is – as wide as I can get it…I love the fiery clouds.

This is the height of color before the sun started to really set.

It’s God’s glory for all to see…

Here’s another interesting look at Thumb Butte on another day – I think.

I was watching the rain come in this photo. I’ve never been so excited about thunder and lighting before. It was truly a sight to behold.

As the kids would say, “Awesome.”

One last look of a typical evening before we say good-bye.

I’m moving in with Jack and Myrna…

For Outdoor Wednesday.
For Wordful Wednedsay.

Grrrrobert Slobbery Dog Toys

Do you have a pooch you love? And when you are on vacation, you like to purchase silly, wasteful toys for your dog because you feel badly that you have gone away and left her with total strangers? Poor thing.

Well, I have the perfect thing on which you can waste your money.

How about some doggie champagne? It’s probably illegal to give dogs alcohol so these are just harmless chew toys.

I thought they were clever. This one is called Killer Bite.

And since I”m a red wine drinker, this one is my favorite, the Drooler’s Selection, Grrobert Slobbery.

Can’t fathom giving your doggie beer or wine? How about some caffeine? Mountain Drool, really cute.

These have obnoxiously loud squeakers in them so make sure they play with it outside.

I couldn’t decide which to get and since we had a limited budget – we decided to pass. It would have been a waste of money. Besides, a dog would never know if you bought them a gift on your trip. They are just glad to see you come home.

Humans on the other hand, expect silly gifts. So we decided that our money was better spent on a bejeweled fish ring for the girl  instead.

It’s a much better use of our resources:)

Lack Of Guile

We live in a celebrity driven society. It’s a generalization but one I will own because though I don’t think I’m a rabid fan of any celebrity, I will crane my head if I ever pass someone of personal interest to me. I saw Sam Choy in a hotel hallway once and I almost tripped running after him. I think I scared him a little.

One a recent plane trip, we came across a NFL football player. He helped me retrieve my suitcase and though I knew he was a professional football player (notice the football in his hand) I didn’t pay much attention. I had to rush out to use the facilities so I thanked him and ran off the plane.

When I came out of the restroom, the husband met me and said, “You should get a picture of the football player. He’s a great guy.” Without asking how he would know, I pulled my camera from my purse.

I looked around and said, “Where is he?”

The husband, “In the bathroom.”

To which I replied, “I’m not going to take a picture of him in the bathroom.”

“No, he’s coming out.”

So when he came out, we spoke a little. And yes, he seemed intelligent, articulate and charming. Not quite what I pictured as the average football player. Another generalization.

His name is Richard Taylor and he plays corner for the NY Jets. The three of us spoke for quite a while about the player lockout and the NFL as an industry. I tried to sound intelligent about the subject but I was really interested in him as a person.

Recently someone said to me that he was always surprised by my lack of guile. I know what that means and though my ears heard “guile,” my ego heard “gullible.” It took a moment to process.

He would be wrong in this instance. I tried to find out about Richard Taylor’s personal life because I was curious (nosy) about how other people live and conduct their lives. Yes, nosy. But I didn’t want to be too obvious with my nosiness.

So I asked him, “Do you have a family?” Translation – “Are you married?”

No he’s not. At least he claimed a mother, father, and brother but no wife.

“Do you spend a lot of time in Florida?” Translation – “Where do you live?”

He didn’t say.

“Have I seen you play?” Translation – “Are you a starter?” The boy would want to know. And that was the first question the boy asked when the husband called to tell him about the meeting.

I couldn’t tell by his answer.

I will attest that this guy was incredibly nice and extremely accommodating to speak to two complete strangers in an airport. I’m not a NY Jets fan, rather the NY Giants are my team. But I most definitely am a Richard Taylor fan.

Anyway, I’m not sure what the point is of this post except that it should probably be titled “I Saw Richard Taylor of the NY Jets on an Airplane.”

On a photography note – the photo is SOOC. Back to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

Vera’s At White Sands In HDR

I was not initially enamored by the use of HDR techniques in photography but have since learned to love the intense vibrancy and hue. With the urging of Bob Towery and a 10% discount, I am the proud owner of Topaz Adjust and I love how it makes a photo pop.

We boated to an establishment on the Patuxent River last Memorial Day, to a place called Vera’s White Sands Beach Club. It was great fun and a great diversion on a hot day. Vera’s was a place popular with the movie star crowd ages ago when Vera Freeman was the proprietor. It’s now a great lunch stop for families and the boating crowd.

Below is a view of Vera’s in HDR.

And finally the Grand Dame herself.

What a fun and colorful place. I hope to see it return to its glory days.

Do you do any HDR? Show me!

Posted on Sweet Shot Tuesday.

The Hyatt Regency At Orlando Airport

The husband and I are married for 19 years. Since it’s only the 19th – not the self-assuming importance of the 10th, the 20th, or the 50th, we decided we would do it on the cheap – or cheaper as it were.

We scoured the the US – or rather only the destinations of the husband’s airline because though we wanted to get away we didn’t want to pay for airfare. Then we decided we didn’t want to pay for any transportation, i.e. a rental car. Then we decided that though we wanted to stay at an upscale hotel, we didn’t want to pay full price for said hotel.

So voila – our destination was the Hyatt Regency at Orland airport. I know it seems like a – shall we say – discounted anniversary celebration but I was very happy with our choice. We were walking off the plane with another airline pilot who asked us what we were planning on doing on our anniversary. The husband said, “We’re staying here at the airport.”

The look on the captain’s face was priceless. He stuttered and said, “There’s lots to do in Orlando.” The husband said later that he felt like a clod.

I had to bail the husband out. “We don’t want to do anything,” I said. “We just want to relax.”

There was judgement all over his face but he probably didn’t know this . . .

The Hyatt at Orlando Airport is gorgeous.

The amenities are nice.

The restaurants are good.

Particularly the sushi at Hiro’s restaurant. We’re sushi lovers and this didn’t disappoint.

It’s also really convenient. One can disembark from one’s plane, take a short rail ride and end up at the hotel. The commute is fantastic!

It’s against FAA regulations to take a photo of security so therefore the blur. Once again, I’m walking a fine line. This is the downstairs lounge of the hotel with security beyond, just a few steps away. No rushing to get to your flight, just step off the elevator and you are there. The logistics are so uncomplicated that it makes vacation planning a snap.

Stores that rival any major mall are steps away from the escalator.

The husband and I have an advantage since most stores gave us an airline discount of 25%. We had a lot of shopping to do for the multitude of people who were helping us watch our kids.

We spent the majority of our time here. Though it’s not reflected in this photo, there were quite a few people at the pool when we arrived. I was looking for some privacy so that was a little disconcerting but we can’t have it all!

We had a great view of the rail connecting the airline gates to the main terminal from the roof top pool. I bet many of you have already taken this ride if you have ever been to the ultimate destination – Mickey’s Place.

I was quite impressed with the restaurants. This is the more casual McCoy’s Restaurant. We stayed at the sushi bar almost the entire weekend. It has a tin ceiling. I love tin ceilings. And the sushi was delicious.

This sushi dish has the unfortunately name of “Spider” but it was my favorite thing on the menu. It is a sushi roll with  fried softshell crab and spicy aioli. We would stay at the hotel again just to order it. I wish I had some right now!

This is Hemisphere Restaurant, the fine dining establishment at the hotel summit. The huge two story windows overlooked the runway. Kids would love to watch the airplanes airplanes take off and land.

It was fun for adults too!

And if you happen to have too much to eat at the restaurants, you can work out in this well equipped fitness center. I was really impressed. It was clean and well maintained. For fair weather fitness buffs like myself, that’s quite important.

The treadmills had built in televisions. I am unable to workout in any conditions other than in a climate controlled environment with HGTV on the tele.

A signature and a favorite feature of this hotel is the architecture and the indoor tropical gardens. The balcony inexplicably reminds me of Hawaii Five-O. Perhaps it’s reminiscent of 70’s architecture.

Here is the view out our front door. So pretty.

We were literally steps away from the pool. The morning light is gorgeous.

And here is the view to the opposite end of the hallway. It’s definitely Florida living!

I can say with total confidence that I will stay here again. I hope that this time it will be longer and we will have the kids with us. Even if there is no discounted rate available to you, it’s worth checking out (pun intended.)

I love Florida!

What Could Possibly Happen?

I thought long and hard before I decided to share with you the events surrounding my anniversary trip with my husband. Of course it would be with my husband. It would be weird to have our anniversary trip with anyone other than my husband.

Anyway…

I was afraid to appear irresponsible and lacking in judgement if I shared the story. All parents in the entire world would question my decision and therefore come to the conclusion that I was a bad mother. After much reflection, I decided to share the story as a lesson for other parents and since no permanent affliction was brought to bear on any party involved in the situation – it would be alright to put it out there in the world wide web.

I think -

The husband and I took a short trip to Orlando for our anniversary. We were to be gone exactly 48 hours. What could happen in two days?

We lined up the following people for care of our children and pets, Neighbor Carrie, Neighbor Yvonne, and Neighbor Robin. Alicia-girl was to stay over night with the kids one of the two nights. I would have preferred both nights but she couldn’t work it out due to her schedule. We then asked Jackie-girl and Matt, our other favorite boy who-could-be-our son but doesn’t live with us. Neither could do it. But we figured, what could happen in one night? The Neighbors were literally across the street.

I fretted a little bit but the kids insisted they can handle being home one night by themselves. After all, our plane left at 3 pm and all they had to do was go to bed and get up for school the next day – piece of cake. “Go mom and dad,” they said, “Don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine.”

So we flew to Orlando with confidence.

I was so happy when we landed. I love a change of scenery and a change of pace. My temperament dictates that I change my surroundings often in order to not feel stress – and I find that to be true. In any case, we called the kids when we landed. So far so good.

We checked into our room and it was beautiful. We checked out the pool and I pictured myself lounging all day on the beach chairs. We checked out the menu at the restaurants and I was looking forward to a dinner of sushi – and plenty of it. I was definitely in vacation mode.

We spoke to the kids again and I asked if the Neighbors have been over yet. He said it was like Halloween, the door bell kept ringing every five minutes.

We kept receiving weird texts from the boy – it is how we know all is well.

“Me and (the girl) are taking the van out for a joyride is that ok?”

We said no.

“OK well can we have a bonfire in the house?”

We said to go to bed. Love you.

“Ok fine. . . but where’s the booze and the shotgun? All the guests want to know where the liquor is.”

The husband, “This is the last time we leave you alone.”

The boy, “Ok, going to bed, love you! You kids have fun down there.”

It may sound odd but getting texts of this nature from the boy was comforting. It’s how we know everything is fine. Silence would be worse.

Then the girl calls the husband. He listens and hands the phone to me.

“Mommeeeee  . . . I’m sick.”

Oh snap.

I stared at my sushi. I resisted the urge to say, “No you’re not.”

How could this be possible? We just left that very afternoon. After a summary of symptoms we told her to take two Motrin and go immediately to bed.

At 6 am the next morning my phone rings. “Mommeeee, I’m still sick, I want to stay home from school.”

I admit I was in a fog – a 6 am haze. I tried to gather my thoughts and get a grip on the situation. They were at home alone. I was in Florida, 1000 miles away and my girl was sick with no one there to take care of her.

I repeated everything she said to me, “I’m sick.” “You’re sick.”

“I want to stay home.” “You want to say home.”

“I have a fever.” “You have a fever.”

The husband heard me and called from across the room. “She has to go to school, she’s missed too many days already.”

I wanted her to stay home because I was afraid that she would go to school and there would be no one to pick her up. Well – there was. But I didn’t plan for this contingency so really – there wasn’t.

The fog got the best of me and I handed the phone over to the husband, “Here, talk to your daughter.”

He spent some time on the line with her but the bottom line is – she went to school.

Three hours later, I get a call. It was the school nurse.

Oh snap.

I didn’t say it – but we are all thinking it right now aren’t we? I TOLD YOU SO!

In the event of a parent’s life, the one person who can get all of us in a lot of hot water is the school nurse. She was the last person I wanted to know that we were gone. She’s a part of the “authorities” the ones who will put you into the clinker as fast as they can look at you.

I started shaking in my slippers. Nurse Ratched said, “She’s not feeling well and she has a low grade fever. I understand you are away, is there someone who can pick her up?”

No there’s not – this was not supposed to happen.

“Of course. Someone will come by – but they may not be on the list (the authorized list for pickup.)” I couldn’t even remember who was on the list.

Nurse Ratched, “As long as I know you authorized it, it will be fine.”

“Ok, Nurse Ratched.”

“Ok, Mrs. Miller.”

I called Neighbor Robin. I explained the situation. She said she was at work (I didn’t know she was working) but she could leave. I said no, it was alright. I called Alicia-girl. She was a part of my church family so I knew that – well, I hoped anyway. She went to pick up the girl and assured me she was fine, not to worry, she can handle it, she would make sure the girl was fine.

I still worried.

Then I called Miss Shannon. Miss Shannon said she would come check on her, she would bring her soup if she needed it, she would be fine.

I still worried.

I called Neighbor Yvonne and asked her to come later on that night and take the girl’s temperature. She said she would, don’t worry, have the girl call them if she needed anything.

I still worried.

Then we started looking for flights to come home. We had been gone a little more than 12 hours at this point.

This is very long and I know that you have better things to do but listen to (read) my cathartic story, but it really does make me feel better writing it. In retrospect, I can see that it really was alright, just a the moment everything seemed quite emergency-like.

So this is the ending -

- The girl’s fever went away that evening. 24 hours after it started.
- In spite of all the nurse’s questions, when did your parents leave? when will they be back? who is watching you? are you staying at their house?, the husband and I are still in custody of our own children.
- We couldn’t get a flight out and came home the next day exactly 48 hours from when we left.
- I had a stiff Bloody Mary and was able to get some sun in my new bathing suit at the pool.

So as you can see, it all turned out well but it was still a failed experiment. We didn’t want to burdened my parents with the job since they were just down to visit a couple of weeks before – as it turned out, it was a wrong decision.

That evening the husband and I prayed in gratitude for all of the friends and neighbors who stepped up to help. In spite of it all, it was truly a blessing.

The end – finally.

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

A Two Day Tour

I’ve been away for a couple of days. To where the beautiful hibiscus (plural?) grow.

And where exotic plants climb as high as the sky – inside as well as outside.

Here’s another hint to where I was . . .

There were palm trees swaying in the wind.

I wasn’t in Kansas anymore, nor was I in Maryland either.

You’ll guess for sure. There was a control tower there – alright not so easy a clue.

Still don’t know where this was?

Here’s a final clue – you’ll never guess.

Anyway – we had a nice time away, the husband and I. But as much as I would like to write about the hotel, shopping tips, food, working out, restaurant reviews and traveling in general, the real story was back at home. And once I’m certain that child protective services will not come and take us away, I will write about it. Right now, I’m enjoying being back and getting my heart rate back to normal.

Always something . . .

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