Whistler 2015

February 26, 2015July 19, 20163 Comments

But first, let’s take a mome to address the fact that I have been skiing five times this year. FIVE. I’m pretty sure that’s worthy of the Guiness Book.

Anyways, if you can get over the fact that I am basically Lindsay Vonn then let’s move on. We had a wonderful long weekend in Whistler a few weeks ago and it is high time I write about it.

We went with our pals the Lipes (see Melissa’s post on the trip here) and it could not have been more fun. Well, maybe if you added in a couple a’ sassy gays and five rounds of tequila, but STILL. I love these three humans and the fact that we hadn’t hung in nearly 7 months made this reunion that much better.

This time around, we rented a two bedroom/two bathroom condo in Whistler Village with our own hot tub! Since we had a kidlet, this set-up was absolutely perfect and the hot tub was much-appreciated after a long day on the slopes.

After the Lipes’ arrival the first night, we were all hungry so we did what any Canadian would do – we went out and ordered POUTINE. French fries + cheese curds + gravy.

M’s voraciousness perfectly captured all of our feelings on the dish:

The next day, Kyle and Bryan hit the mountain early while Melissa, M and I scampered around Whistler Village. Watching this little girl grow up has been such a joy and her almost 3-year-old repartree is just too much. Example:

Me: “What do you think about skiing, M?”

M:”I CAN DOOOO IT!!!”

We mozied slowly toward the base of the mountain, pausing to gather tiny globs of snow, inspect snowboards and skis and pet doggies. We had lunch together and the combination of the sun, 2 pitchers of beer and burgers made for a wonderful afternoon.

That night, we went to a brew pub for dinner where Bryan’s artistic skills were tested at the demand of M’s requests for Anna and Elsa from Frozen. I have to say I was impressed at Bryan’s representation of the braids! Such a talent.

The next day was Bry and I’s ski day. We waited in line at the base of the gondola for about 30 minutes (ugh!) and the start of the morning included my usual problems and subsequent complaints. Boots too tight, boots to loose, my heel moving too much, my toes being numb – you get it. We had luncheon at the “fancy” restaurant Christine’s where we shared a salad and a burger on a pretzel bun. Two glasses of wine later and I was ready for a couple more runs.

We called it quits around 4 pm and immediately headed back to the condo for a hot-tub party.

The next day we said our goodbyes and while Bryan checked out I popped into the drugstore to obviously check out the cosmetics. As I was browsing, I was elated to see ONE solo bottle of BIODERMA on the shelves. I gasped and probably scared the people next to me. I paid $22 for this size and of course promptly went outside to take selfies with it. Hahahaaaa I’m so weird.

the eyebrows are soo bad

Then we made the 7 hour drive back to Portland. Per usual, Bryan drove home and I watched Netflix (a new show called The Fall! SO GOOD). These weekends in Whistler are NEVER long enough – maybe next year we’ll do week!

OH, CANADA.

Mt. Bachelor/Bend, OR Weekend Trip

February 1, 2015Leave a comment

Yo yo yo!

To kick off the new year, Bry and I decided to plan a mini-holiday ski vacay to Mt. Bachelor and here are the highlights.

We left around 10 am on Saturday morning and immediately encountered heavy monsoon-ish rain. I always feel bad when we do a road trip with horrible weather. Bryan always drives, grimacing and white-knuckling at the wheel, while I sit comfortably in the passenger side, seat-heater on high, with my pillow + blanket and usually a Starbucks. This time around, I had my new iPhone 6 (I am sooooo cool you guys) and new tablet! Of course I am addicted to a new show, The Walking Dead… anyone else? So I have my little earbuds in, warm and entertained by zombies, while Bry gets us safely to our destination with only minimal complaints – what a guy!

We arrived in Bend and stopped for lunch at Deschutes which was packed. We ordered soft pretzels because, duh – and I actually ordered a beer! I felt like a true Oregonian, drinking my craft brew in distressed denim. All I was missing was a forearm tattoo and flannel.

After lunch, we wandered around the town of Bend, making a couple pit-stops at Patagonia (or Patagooch as Bry and I say), Savory Spice and a store for real cowgirls called Desperado where I found some GEMS.

Baby Patagonia

$14K Swarovski Mirror

We checked into our room at Sunriver Lodge around 4 pm, cracked open a couple of beers, flipped on the fireplace and then headed out to the hot tub. That night we went to dinner at Zydeco and split the Swordfish with a side of truffle mac and cheese. It was incredibly delicious and the ambiance was great too.

The next day we woke up early and went to the little coffee shop in Sunriver Village, called Brewed Awakenings.

After that, we picked up some supplies for the upcoming Seahawks game and mentally prepared. And WHAT A GAME. I died. Then I came back from the dead. Then I died again. Too much Walking Dead perhaps? It was like nothing I’ve seen before.

First half

Right after THE WIN

After the game I started feeling sick and Bryan had been fighting a cold for over a week so…we did not ski the next day. We had all our gear and everything, but we simply opted out. It was sad, but Bryan is taking an avalanche training class this weekend so we wanted to make sure he would feel good enough to go to that (4 straight days on Mt.Hood in a yurt – ick).

Before heading out of town on Monday, we stopped at McKay’s Cottage for breakfast. It was super busy and for very good reason. During our 15 minute wait, we had complimentary coffee and coffee cake bites which were scrumptious. For breakfast, Bry ordered the Smith Rock Benny which was Applewood smoked bacon, fresh spinach, tomatoes & roasted red peppers with poached eggs on grilled focaccia topped with hollandaise sauce. I got pumpkin pancakes, which tasted MAJESTY.

The drive home was much less eventful and we got home in plenty of time for a couple loads of laundry and dinner. All in all, a wonderful weekend in the PacNW!

Palm Desert Trip

October 22, 20141 Comment

Hey friends!

Bry and I are back from our amazing 8-day holiday in Palm Desert!

And YOU GUYS. I played tennis. Like, for real. And I only hit one ball into a cactus garden. I feel very successful. Maybe I should start tweeting the Williams girls or Anna K or someone!?

We left early mornin two Saturdays ago and made it into Palm Springs around 4:30 pm. After we picked up a SASSY rental car we headed to Ralph’s for groceries. Our room had a pretty nice-sized kitchenette so we filled our cart and headed for our hotel.

We pulled in at the Westin Desert Villas and after checking in we sat down to a great dinner at the hotel restaurant, Agave. The hotel continued to amaze us all week, with really friendly staff, beautiful pools and delicious food+drinks. YAY.

Lots of our trip was spent laying by the pool, playing tennis, grilling burgers and watching Below Deck on Bravo (SO good). I also brought along the Steve Jobs book, by Walter Issacson and devoured the whole thing in 7 days. What a guy. An a-hole, yes. But a genius, and now I want a Mac laptop…

Flank Steak!

Highlinghts from our trip include firstly, a jaunt up to the top of Palm Desert’s popular (rotating) aerial tram. We decided to do a 5-mile loop once we got to the top and I am happy to report that I actually went FASTER than Bryan. I was SO Legolas. Also, we passed a troop of Army guys on the trail in full gear so baaaasically I think that makes me a Marine. Green beret.

image (4)

After our hike we did what any Californian would do.

We also drove the hour or so over to Joshua Tree! Unfortunately my allergies decided to flare up HARD so I was a complete mess the whole time we were there. I could only manage a quick 2-mile hike but lemme tell ya – it was absolutely beautiful. It’s amazing in a way that words cannot describe. The trees and plant-life are very Dr. Suessy which was completely fascinating too. Josh Tree, two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Feelin like crap

After two days of wilderness adventure I decided it was high time I drag Bryan along for a taste of MY kindof fun. The OUTLET MALL. Palm Desert’s Desert Hills Outlets were the ticket. The place is absolutely enourmous and a bit palatial. Plus, it’s a designer outlet mall so it had the big boys. Prada, Alexander McQueen, Carolina Herrara, Gucci – I was dyyyyying. The most exciting (for me) shops were Nieman Marcus Last Call, Barney’s Outlet, Saks Off 5th, Tory Burch, J.Crew Outlet and of course The Cosmetics Company.

I ended up with a couple things from J.Crew and 1 Mac Mineralized blush from The Cosmetics Company. Bry was a sport and studied for an upcoming exam he has to take for work at Starbucks. But you guys, I could have spent ALL DAY at this place.

We had some delicious meals and ended up utilizing the BBQ at our hotel 3 nights too. I learned to swim underwater kindof and do a tennis serve. Bryan learned that sunblock should always go on the back of your neck and why the clearance rack at Barney’s Outlet is something to squeal over.

All in all, an educational and wonderful desert holiday!

The Oregon Coast

August 28, 2014Leave a comment

There’s something about a trip to the ocean that makes me feel classy.

For the majority of this summer, Bryan and I have sought out many a lake and river, heck – we’ve even splashed around in a few streams. But last weekend, when we randomly decided to check out the coastline of this new state we live in, it dawned on me: the ocean is a different story completely.

First of all, there’s the outfit: where old Wal Mart $7 string bikini tops and faded board shorts work for lakes and rivers, this attire certainly does not fly ocean-side. I found myself scrounging around in my bureau for anything reminiscent of Ralph Lauren.

Next there’s the culinary aspect. Our usual line-up of BLL’s, pb&j’s and Gushers just wouldn’t cut it. At the ocean, it’s all about cheese, crackers, wine and strawberries. Rich people food, you know.

I think you get the picture. CLEARLY, the ocean is where I belong. And while I would prefer The Hamptons or Martha’s Vineyard, I suppose Cannon Beach will just have to do.

H-Moon Part 2: Lovina

July 28, 2014Leave a comment

G’day gents!

Let’s get right to it, shall we?

So. The last day in Seminyak I began to get a bit of a sore throat, but only mildly and in the AM. I thought nothing of it and just hoped it would go away. Well, it did not and cold symptoms began to progress.

The day we drove to Lovina was an uneventful one. I had gone through about 9829q8 Kleenex and now had to endure a 4-hour car ride through the INSANELY windy roads of Bali. We managed a quick stop off at another famous Balinese temple, called Ulun Danu which is situated on a lake. It’s breathtaking.

The gal on the left is FIERCE

Little Indonesian deer friend

Once we were up and over the mountain, we finally arrived at our destination, The Damai. To us, this felt like the real “Bali” experience. Unlike being in Seminyak (a city), The Damai offered a tranquil, lush, zen-like setting for the remaining 6 days of our honeymoon.

Entrance to our villa

Ocean views in the distance!

I was exhausted from the car ride and we were both famished so we immediately had his and hers lunches of club sandwiches and I hit the hay HARD until dinner time. I could have smacked myself for not bringing any cold medicenes. Y’all know I’m a self-confessed pill popper, so it would have been nice to have a little Sudafed, or at the very least some Nyquil. Luckily, I had some de-contestants which helped a little.

The next morning we made our way to breakie.

They grow their own herbs, a lot of produce and all the grass is hand cut

Breakfast was also included in the price we paid for the room and the spread was utterly fantastic.

To start, they brought coffee, juice and an array of local fruits. I was instantly repulsed at the banana (obvs) and that sliced open thing with gooey seeds in the middle? I couldn’t do it. Any of it.

But then. All of THIS came:

In addition to this smorgasbord was ALSO our full-sized entrees of food, my favorite being their pancakes…

Words cannot describe how much I loved these crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside discs of unadulterated buttery bliss. Our ~~glutton-fests~~ breakfasts each day EASILY tided us over through lunch and allowed me to look four months pregnant during our late-morning dips in the pool.

::cues Enya::

Before dinner that night, I drank an Asian Red Bull.

My face tho

At dinner, we ordered a bunch of seafood and my prawns still had their little exoskeletons and those gross little legs and also, they were spicy. It just wasn’t my night.

The next day, we decided to venture up to the “community” pool with the peasants. Hahaaaahhaaaaaaa. I put “community” in quotes because there are only like 15 villas in the whole place, so it’s not like it was a gross urine-infested cesspool like at Silverwood.

The next day we ventured into the little town of Lovina to watch the sunset.

Still not feeling 100%

Then we headed out for dinner.

Bry bein’ scurry

tee hee

i feel like I’m bushbaby in this pic

Bryan ordered some kind of curry and I decided on pizza after debating what would make me the least sick.

Tasted like a Totino’s party pizza with extra mozz on top

The next morning we woke up bright and early to go dolphin watching!

so pitty

We ended up seeing a ton of dolphins but they are hard to photograph! Quick little buggers…

The only semi-useable dolphin shot

Then I tried to commandeer the boat and it didn’t work…

darn ‘ttractive

Later on, we changed and shopped around before we headed back to our room for a two-man pool party.

Tropical drinks!

Whilst pool-partying, I asked Bryan if he enjoyed the Kelly Kapowski swimsuit butt and he did not know what that was. The horror!! So. I had to demo.

Bryan had fully caught my cold at this point and the next day it rained 😦 so obvs we laid on the couch all day and watched movies. Btw, The Count of Monte Cristo is SUCH a good revenge flick. So satisfying to watch.

Our last days were spent laying low because of Bryan’s worsening cold.

Our very last full day, we decided to go to Spice Beach Club and spend the day lounging under the umbrella.

And since we had sooo much fun during the day, we came back at night to watch the sunset and have dinner.

When we got back to our room that night, we had a special gift from The Damai for our honeymoon!

The next day, Bryan was still really sick with a horrible cough and we had the following ahead of us:

4 hour drive from Lovina to the airport
5 hour flight to Taipei
2 hour layover
12 hour flight to Seattle
2.5 hour drive to Portland

It was really joyous. The best part I’d say was the 12 hour flight for sure. Bryan woke himself up coughing every 20 minutes. We were directly across from the flight attendants little HQ and every meal was chicken + rice in a thick sauce By the time we got to Seattle, I was thoroughly thrown-off, hungry, and just haggard. We took turns driving and arrived around 10:30 PM.

I took a loooong, hot shower, used a ton of Lush, brushed my teeth with water FROM THE SINK and just soaked in all those comforts of home I had missed. By the time we fell into bed, it was near midnight and I gotta tell ya – climbing into bed that night had to be the most satisfying feeling EVER. You know the one. YOUR sheets, YOUR pillow. Before long, I drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Traveling to foreign lands is tiresome. It’s expensive, uncomfortable at times and it is never “easy”. People keep asking us if it’s what we expected or if we wished we’d just gone to Hawaii. And while I LOVE me some Maui, I also think it is important (for me, at least) to push myself and experience these amazing cultures. All the head-colds, lizards and typhoid-infested drinking water couldn’t stop me from seeing everything there is to see and having a partner who feels the same way is the icing on the cake.

Until next time Bali. Until next time.

H-Moon Part 1: Seminyak

July 25, 2014July 25, 2014Leave a comment

Hallo!

You would think that after a two-week stint in Indonesia I could greet y’all in the native language. But, no. I got nadda. In fact, on our layover in Taipei we both realized how little we knew about this big island we were about to inhabit. Ah. Well.

Thankfully in Taipei, we stumbled upon one of my favorite kitty-cats EVER on EARTH.

YOU KNOW I died.

And so. Armed with little knowledge of Bali, our plane touched down after a grueling 23 hours of solid travel to sticky-hot temps and absolutely bat-sh*t CRAY traffic. You see, in Bali there are no traffic regulations. Sure, there’s the odd stoplight. One would think the yellow and white lines on the asphalt should at the very least HINT to the illusion there is any kind of order – BUT NO. If driving on the left side wasn’t enough to kinda freak me out, surely the use of the horn was. Scooters whizzed by as bits of jungle and tiny shacks selling peanuts and Bintang quickly faded into a blur of people, buildings and noise.

Overwhelmed but excited, we checked in at our hotel in Seminyak, Le Jardin Villas. Upon arrival, we were given wonderfully fragrant leis and welcome drinks. Our breakfast came as part of our package so we made our selections for the following day and were escorted to our villa.

As per tradish, they washed our feet before entering… in a bowl with tons of flower petals. SO COOL. But also, I felt bad for the girl who had to touch my feet…

As soon as the tour of our villa was over and the door was shut – we both squealed with delight. Srsly, like little piggies. I mean, we were really THERE. In BALI. ‘Moonin it UP.

The first day or two were spent aboard the relaxi-taxi (name that show!) and I had my first run-in with a true Bali native:

Yes. I freaked out and started crying. Thank the baby Jesus I wasn’t ANYWHERE near this guy when I first spotted him in the bushes. After a few minutes, he decided to grace us with his presence atop our sundeck. Bryan was psyched and I was like “KILL IT, KILL IT!!!!” I was kidding though, I mean, he was just trying to catch a few rays I guess??

I named him Professor McGonickle

The third day we decided to head to our very first official temple for sunset. This particular one has been in the background of various movies and has probably graced the background of many screensavers as well.

I give you, Tanah Lot! The temple was originally built to worship Balinese sea gods and of course has heavy Hindu influence. It is literally IN the ocean during high-tide and provides one AMAZING backdrop for a killa sunset.

After our cultural experience for the day, ’twas time for dinner. And since we had heard rave reviews for Sarong, back in Seminyak, we decided to go there. The restaurant was beautiful, the ice consumable and all the people were white. Haha. Dinner was fantastic, too.

The next day we knew we wanted a little beach time, so we selected to visit one of Bali’s many beaches, Padang Padang. The entrance to the beach itself was CRAY. For a couple’a trees like Bryan and I, wriggling down the set of stairs which lay right up against a giant STONE WALL was intimidating, to say the least.

The beach was SWELTERING and it finally dawned on me that we were basically sitting on top of the mothereffing equator. Bryan took shelter under an umbrella and drank from coconuts (I think they taste like armpit sweat) while I slathered on the 70. Yes, apparently such staggering levels of SPF can be attained.

After a few hours of sun, we headed back to the hotel and quickly changed so we could do sunset drinks at another white-man’s haven Khu De Ta. Cocktails were ‘murican prices but oh well, it was swankers and the real estate was PERFECT to watch the sun sink into the horizon.

The following day Bry and I hired a driver/tour-guide for 10 hours, which cost all of about $55, so that we could check off a bunch of the “to-dos” we had left on our list. Our first stop was to watch the Barong & Rangda, a Balinese Hindu dance. I confess I know little about the Hindu religion, our driver, Iwan, tried explaining some of the ideologies to us, but mostly I was flummoxed. From what I gathered, Hinduism focuses on balance. In this particular dance, the Barong and Rangda symbolize good and evil. The costumes are considered very sacred as well as the dance itself.

Here we are all-American and sh*t.

Had to

Making the offerings

The dance was beautiful and even though the dialogues were in Balinese, it didn’t matter because the message was clear: There will always be an ongoing struggle inside each of us with good and evil…or at least I hope that’s what the point was. If not, I WANT MY MONEY BACK. hee hee jk.

One other cultural display I found interesting and a bit repulsive was a group of tourists who continued to walk around the arena and noisily snap pictures, during the show. At one point nearing the end, a woman rose from her seat to stand right IN FRONT of the stage and had her ENTIRE family take her pic as the actors were just feet away. The fervency in which this woman insisted on hundred of pictures OF HERSELF no less, truly baffled me. Have you no respect, woman!? GEEEEEZ.

After that, we stopped off at another Balinese temple and we had to wear SARONGS. Tres cool.

After that, we decided to head further into Ubud to try a Balinese delicacy: Luwak Coffee, or as I like to call it – “poop coffee”.

I had heard of “the most expensive coffee in the world” when I worked at Elevated Grounds and turns out, it comes from Bali. Essentially a little animal called a civet eats the coffee berry and then after it passes the fruit (I am being SO P.C right now) the coffee-makers collect it, clean it, roast it and serve it up to caffeine-crazed folks all over the world.

the civet

the poops

processed

roasted

ground

We tried an array of their other coffees and teas (not made with poop) and then of course ordered a $5 cup of the LEGIT stuff before leaving. End result: DELICIOUS! Smooth and perfectly balanced, the Luwak coffee captured both of our hearts…and taste-buds.

the good stuff

Once we arrived in Ubud I was positively TICKLED at the prospect of visiting Monkey Forest, a small bit of forest (jungle, really) inhabited by TINY BABY MONKEYS. Oh yes. Being a lover of any small mammal, I was simply in awe. Little monkeys, old and young, just roaming freely around a few acres of land, bein’ cute. You could buy mini bananas (MINI) and feed them but I sustained, as I didn’t want a baby monkey bite.

I didn’t want to leave Monkey Forest. At all. I wanted one. I wanted one SO BAD. I mean ROSS had one!?

Then we headed into Ubud to go to the market. Our driver warned us that we MUST negotiate prices if we bought anything at the market…. so basically yer telling me it’s TIME TO HAGGLE B*ITCHES.

And haggle I did. I procured five or six random chochkies and spent the equivalent of about $17, so job well done by me!!

The next day we left for the second half of our honey-mizzle – to Lovina in north Bali!

Stay tuned my precious gems!

Mini Portland Trip

April 25, 2014Leave a comment

That’s right!

Last weekend, we paid a little visit to the city we will soon call home.

Source

And yeah, I WISH it was where Bry and I were going to retire, as the song on Portlandia playfully suggests. But no.

In fact, we ventured down to the state of Oregon last weekend so that Bryan and I could get a sneak peak of this brand new-to-us city and he could see his new digs at work.

We arrived in Portland around 8 am on Good Friday and quickly grabbed a coffee before Bryan had an 8:30 am meeting. Without even thinking about it, we sought out a Starbucks. SO funny you guys. I love me some local coffee shops but if you’re like us, Starbucks kinda feels like home. Anytime Bry and I are in a strange city, we always end up at Starbucks. To pee. To send a quick email. Maybe a chonga bagel, I don’t know.

After Bry gulped down a misto, he headed into the office while I (barely awake at this point) ho-hummed around the city, waiting for things to open. I stumbled upon an urban T.J Maxx and was elated when I discovered they were open at 8:30 in the mornin! The inside was pristine and all the staffers said hi to me. Like when do the people at T.J Maxx EVER say hi to you?

When I got back to the car, I realized we were totally out of gas so I pulled into a 76 and leaned over to the passenger seat to grab my credit card. When I turned back around there was a middle aged man standing right in front of my window.

OH YEAH. They pump your gas for you in Oregon. I rolled down my window and tried to share an “oops-Washingtonian over here” moment with the guy – but realized I wasn’t gettin’ an inch. So he and his deadpan proceeded to fill ‘er up without an iota of humor.

Well SAAAAHHH-RREY.

After that, I checked into our hotel and changed for a quick work out. Yes, I am working out regularly. These thighs aren’t going to gap themselves.

After working out and a quick shower, it was time for lunch with Bryan and his boss. We went to a really cool restaurant called Grüner where I acted like a regular asshat and spilled an entire glass of wine on my lap.

After lunch, I had 2 blissful hours of shopping sans Bryan. Surprisingly, I didn’t get anything exciting. I think it was the tax-free pressure (does this happen to anyone else?). After Bryan got off work, we walked over to the townhouse we are thinking of renting (pictured on the water, below):

Source

The operative word here, is WALK. And oh, how excited we are!

portland-mid-rise-flats-with-controlled-access-parking

Here’s a shot of the area

Our current his and hers commutes, upwards of 40 minutes each way, are gettin’ darn annoying. We are relishing the fact that it looks like we will be renting this townhouse and it is WALKING DISTANCE to the city.

You heard me right. I will be walking distance to Nordstrom Rack and the cool, urban T.J Maxx. Heart palpitations FO’ REAL.

After we saw the townhouse, we unknowingly started our own little “pub crawl”. We kicked it off at our hotel, The Heathman, sharing a cheese plate, wine and a cocktail. We then headed to Red Star Tavern and had bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. I literally felt them jiggle down my gullet and rest softly on my thighs, they were that fattening.

After that, we decided to check out this restaurant and rooftop bar we heard about called Departure. It was kickin and I felt like I was redeeming myself from lunch because clearly, this is where the cool kids were hanging out.

We had an awesome dinner at Portland City Grill – appetizers, crab cakes, molten lava cake THE WORKS. We then shuffled back to the hotel in the brisk cold and fell asleep with our food babies.

The next morning we decided that we should probably go ahead and eat another large meal. So, we walked over to Mother’s Bistro (which is like, so adorbs) and had a belgian waffle and crunchy french toast <- brioche coated in batter and dipped in crushed corn flakes. It was stupid good and filling. We waddled (haha, waddled) back to the car and 3 hours later, were back home!

And if that wasn’t enough gluttony for one trip, we definitely made pizza that night for dinner.

So much for my thigh gap.