Disneyland Family Holiday Party

One of the many joys of working for Disney is the Employee Christmas Party at Disneyland each year. The picture above is Main Street. It was a wonderful year this year as it wasn't too cold (we'd just had 80 degree weather the day before) and it wasn't very crowded.

We enjoyed a lovely Mexican dinner and headed off to the rides. Captain EO (so outdated it was funny, gotta love MJ), Space Mountain, Indiana Jones (pictured below), and Haunted Mansion.

The picture quality isn't wonderful as I'm getting used to my new phone. But yeah, here is me and Pete waiting in line for Indiana Jones.

More holiday spirit posts to come...

Finally something good to talk about...

Life had been pretty uneventful there for a little while. (Ok, ok I did make an awesome turkey for Thanksgiving and play flag football that morning but I have no pictures.)

Last weekend though- prime action! Saturday I talked Pete, my trainer, and a couple of other people into doing this awesome 5k obstacle/ mud course run called the Gladiator Rock N Run. It was super, super fun. Nitro from American Gladiators put it on and it was really well organized. They had all kinds of great sponsors, great music, and food trucks there at the end. So that was part one - get really really dirty, work out, and have fun.

Part two of Saturday's activities was the LA Scavenger Hunt for the LA Union Rescue Mission and the LA Food Bank. The purpose of the race was to help gather material items (food, clothing, toys, etc.) for well you guessed it, the less fortunate. So you had to run around the city and pick up all these crazy things or do certain things and take a picture or a video of it. One of the bigger item scores was to have a teammate get a piercing. So, after a little encouraging from my team... I got my nose repierced. (I had done it back when I was 19 or so but got rid of it pretty quickly.) Ta dah! Yeah, I'm ballsy.

Then Sunday, I got a new phone. I left ATT and joined Verizon and got a fabulous new smart phone. Pity though, I'm still having troubles getting texts. But nonetheless I'm a happy girl.

He's all grown up!

Pete has re-entered the world of no roommates land. We moved him into a charming 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in the rancho-equestrian district of Burbank this weekend. His next door neighbors have ducks and horses (and dogs)! Its kind of fun to hear it. I'm very excited for him.
He's close to Griffith Park, which I love and he's also close to Baskin Robbins, which I secretly love but also wish it was further away. We had BR twice this weekend. :( How am I supposed to lose weight when Baskin Robbins is 40 feet away?

In other news, I got my little sister (BBBS) hooked on Harry Potter- oh yeah! She likes to read to me in the car when I drive her around. I thinks its adorable. She really needs work on her reading and writing skills. Poor thing's brother is in the mental hospital for at least the fourth time during this year.

I signed up for my first half Ironman. I'm excited to announce that after the 8 hour sweat fest and rest I'll be able to enjoy wine country in Sonoma afterwards.

Live Strong

So, I'm going to go ahead and it put it out there that I'm aiming to lose at least 10 pounds but I hate, hate the idea of dieting. I think I put on some LB's because I tend to overeat after a workout thinking, "hey I deserve to splurge" and then I just kept splurging more and more. Last year I paid for a site that counted my calories but now there is an even better one that is pretty much free!

www.livestrong.com

It will ask you first how much you weigh, what your height is, , what your normal activity level is, and then what your goal is. Goals could be "I want to maintain my weight", "I want to lose/ gain 1 lb. a week", "I want to lose/ gain 2lbs. per week." Then you enter in what you eat every day (MyPlate) and the activity that you do and it charts it out for you what you have left for the rest of the day. It tracks water consumption, fitness, sodium levels, etc.

That's it just passing on a little gem for the rest to enjoy.

Man Weekend

Yes, that's right I was invited to go to Man Weekend. Pete's younger brother organizes it with one of his best friends from growing up. Basically you go camping and do manly things all weekend but the whole family is invited. It's pretty much dedicated to Chuck Norris.

We camped and rode around on ATV's all weekend in beautiful Marysvale, Utah. Others fished. There was even a chicken making competition where you had to cook over an open fire. In our camp site Pete and I won. I gave him the recipe idea and he did all the execution so technically- HE won. :) I'll share the basis for the recipe from the wonderful and extremely talented Bobby Flay:

Pomegranate-Black Pepper Glaze
½ cup pomegranate molasses
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 heaping tablespoon prepared horseradish, drained
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Whisk together all ingredients and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using.

Pan Roasted Chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (8-ounce) boneless chicken breasts, skin on
Pomegranate Glaze
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over high until almost smoking. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place chicken in the pan, skin-side down and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn chicken over, brush with some of the glaze and continue cooking, brushing with the glaze every minute, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes longer.

Triathlon Weekend

When we got back from Croatia (Labor Day Monday) we went straight back to work the next day and then after the work week we had our triathlons to do. Whew these races were rough for me because I hadn't slept well the whole week. Jet lag really effects me big time. I'd fall asleep at 8am and wake back up at 12am, 2am, and then finally I'd just get up at 4am. I let myself do it all week because I knew I'd need to wake up that early on Saturday for my first race.

So a little back story if you will. In May of 2009 I entered an Olympic distance triathlon race in Las Vegas. An Olympic distance race consists of about a mile swim, a 25 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run. I came out of the water strong during that race but crashed really really hard on the bike. I smacked my head hard- concussion, skinned my face down through my shin on my left side, and jammed my shoulder. An ambulance came for me and I was disqualified from the race because I couldn't finish the bike. (Yet I did run after the race crew dropped me back at the transition area).


Happy times. So in 2010 I needed to cross this distance race off my to do list. The Vegas race didn't hold an Olympic race this year so I did the Malibu Olympic distance race on Saturday. Every other year I've done the sprint distance race with the Disney Tri Team (the opus race of the season). So, when they needed fast relay swimmers for the Sunday race- I signed up for that two.

Well due to a million factors (but mostly lack of sleep and lack of training during my vacation) both of my races were pretty crappy this season. Oh well, just more incentive to hit it hard throughout this next year!

Vacation

Well, I'm getting bored with posting the activities day by day. So, instead I'll provide you with some of the best shots from the rest of the trip and be done with it all.




That took me a good hour to figure out how to do it. But it's so easy now that I know!

Now I'm happy to move on and tell you about other things that have happened since I've been back. Stay tuned for triathlons, man weekend in Utah, and our 2 year dating anniversary.

Day 3 - Split

On Day 3 we drove the rental car to Split and dropped it off. Rental car services are very different in Croatia. We just dropped the car off where we could and called up the owner and he had a friend come pick it up. Easy peasy.

In Split we visited Diocletian's palace (Roman Emperor from 284 to 305). He established the largest and most bureaucratic government in the history of the empire. He also lead the last, largest, and bloodiest official persecution of Christianity. All this information however was not found there at the site of the palace. In fact, the place is extremely beautiful but it is not well exhibited or explained. This is partly because they have so many visitors from all over they have to at least present the information in Croatian, Italian, German, and English.

We heard wonderful Klappa singers....



... and ate wonderful octopus salad, caprese salad, and proscuitto. Yum! And then explored the town a bit more.

Then we were off for our ferry to Hvar. It was extremely hot and crowded and there were too many people who hadn't showered on the thing. So, a bit of a headache. When we arrived in Hvar and got off the ferry we were immediately hounded by over 20 sobe owners who needed a last minute place to sleep. "Ne hvala" was our motto, meaning "no thanks".

When we arrived to our sobe, Anna was there to greet us. She loved that Pete was Croatian and told us all the local things to do. We fell in love witht the beach that she described- The Hula, Hula Beach. There were large padded chairs, a full bar and restaurant near by, beautiful sites, and beautiful people. Most Croatian beaches did not have sand though but painful pebbles but the beauty was worth it.





We stopped by a grocery store for supplies and then we nibbled as we watched the sunset from our sobe. Then we dined at a local restaurant for pizza and tried local liquor. I fell in love with Kruskovac, pear liquor, it tasted like banana laffy taffy. Pete tried Travarica, herb liquor, he didn't like it as well. Then we walked into town and had ice cream and saw the sites.

WE LOVE HVAR!

Day 2

Woke up and had a cappucino at a coffee bar. It seemed no one ate any food at the restaurants but smoked a ton of cigarettes with their coffee and chatted with friends. Needless to say Pete and I were raring to get out of there.

We had our blue VW rental car dropped off to us during the peak of traffic in Trogir. Pete and I hadn't driven a stick shift in 10 years or so. Neither of us were eager to get behind the wheel. I won- Pete drove (he drives everywhere for me in the States so why would I change in Croatia?). We stopped at a gas station and neither of us could figure out how to open the gas tank. So Pete drove forward to go and park and get water and he stalled. Then he stalled again, and again. We had a nice crowd watching us stupid Americans try to operate the car. Funny to us now.

So we got moving on our way to Plivitce Lakes. (At one point we were driving up a windy hill and the truck in front of us came to a complete stop. Needless to say we stalled again.) The toll highway cost us $9 on the way up and nearly $17 on the way back. Yowza!

When we arrived at Plivitce Lakes we had some crappy sausages and fries which we continued to burp up all day. Then we hiked into the protected lake park. It was very hot and very crowded. There are all these funny little wooden paths with no handrails, lots of people, and you are not allowed to step into the water. I was amazed that we didn't see anyone fall off the path all day. But let me tell you, it was jaw droppingly beautiful! And totally worth it. If you are ever considering going to Plivitce I would recommend that you go in late September or later. But if you have to go in August like we did, it's worth the trip. And you might possibly get the best apple strudel of your life.

We drove back, showered, had a decent dinner but it certainly wasn't great. Again more smoking everywhere. The first thing they do when you arrive to your table is place an ashtray. Walked around the secret passageways of the city, had some ice cream (daily ritual), and finally had a wonderful good night's sleep.

Day 1 - Travel

This is me peaking behind our divider sitting in business class via British Airways on our way to London. We flew direct from LAX to LHR and it was quite lovely. We did one thing foolish on our way in. We ate at an airport restaurant before we went into the business class lounge. When we got into the business class lounge there was a ton of free food and drinks for all to enjoy. Rookie move on my part. How was I supposed to know?

Good start to flight. Pete asked me if I would be okay sitting backwards to which I replied, "Yeah, I have a strong stomach. No sweat." Throughout the flight I had one glass of champagne and two glasses of red and then napped out. The dinner was pretty good - four course meal, not bad, not bad. When I woke up it was hot, I was dehydrated due to the air and alcohol consumption, and then when we taxid into LHR I threw up. You were expecting that right? I totally had to eat my words.

In LHR we had to go through customs, get our bags, get on the subway, go to terminal 1, check in, go back through security, and then sit around for 4 more hours before our Croatian Airways flight. Flew to Zagreb to connect to Split. We were picked up promptly from the airport thanks to JayWay Travel hosts and dropped off in Trogir where our sobe* owner was coming out to greet us. The taxi guy dropped us off in nearly the middle of town and we had no clue which random person would be coming out to greet us. Sure enough a girl with a cute yellow dress, an oddly cool looking fanny pack, and a half shaved head introduced herself and led us to the center of town.

It was hot. So we pumped up the air conditioning, took a short shower, walked around town for a bit, got kunas out of the atm, and had some sladoled (ice cream). When we got back I couldn't sleep- I was too cold with the air conditioning (and it rattled), time difference bothered me, and there was an older woman yelling at her family all night in the courtyard below.

I was tired but very excited to begin my Croatian adventure.

*Sobe- Room in a local house (sometimes standalone apartments).

(Our Sobe) Kitchen & Balcony are behind the bed wall. Bathroom is to the left.

Trip Teaser

I saw London.

Not quite France.

But I did see lots of underpants!

Yes, that's right I am 4. :)

Best Boy Ever!

Just wanted to brag on my boy today. On Saturday night we had a wrap party for the new Tinker Bell film coming out. It was really lovely. Although it was hot they provided tons of shade and the atmosphere was just lovely. It felt like a real tea party.

Pity I felt a little sick afterwards. You know the pre-cold sore throat feeling? So, we went back to Pete's place and he watched the Seahawks game while I slept. Every so often he'd insist that I take a zinc lozenge or drink some tea or juice. He's a good man. That's just one of the many reasons why I love him...

Getting ready for vacation...

Plivitce Lakes is a little preview of what's to come to this blogspace in the near future. I'm going to Croatia next week for vacation and I'll be sure to snap tons of pictures for you.

Sorry I hadn't posted in a while before I'd been feeling guilty about not taking pictures which turned into no posting.

96 years is quite a feat!

I write this blog in tribute to Pete's grandma who passed away last Saturday. She had just turned 96 the weekend before. She was an really fun and humorous lady although I didn't talk with her much, as her hearing was bad. (I have an aversion to raising my voice). We had gone down to Vegas the weekend before July 4th and Pete's dad shared a funny story with us.


"Grandma" (as she liked me to call her) was hanging out over at Pete's parents' house and his dad was serving her lunch. He made her a delicious sandwich. (I'm sure it was delicious as his dad is a fabulous home cook). When he went to offer it to her she turned her nose up at it and demanded cake. "I'm 95 years old and I can eat cake if I want too." With a twinkle in her eye I'm sure...


If it had been my grandma she'd have said, "I'm __ years old and I can eat cake if I want too, dammit." See the picture below... that's her on the left.

So, here is to my cute and rascally grandmother who passed away in 2002.

And here is to my other "Grandma" and your inspiring, long life. I'll see you on Saturday at your services. May peace be with you.

Love,
Heather

Still no pictures... how about cupcakes galore?

Hmmm.... I may have to remind myself to take pictures of the awesome cupcakes my boyfriend made me for my birthday. The handsome man made me three different kinds: lemon-blueberry, malibu rum, and chocolate peanut butter. They were all wonderful but my favorite was definitely the lemon-blueberry. :) Delish. He doesn't use recipes but if he did I would have to ask him for it and post it.

It's been a big cupcake week in general. My boss bought me gourmet cupcakes from a special cupcake bakery called Yummy Cupcakes. Then he brought them in again for another girl in our office who is going on maternity leave.


It's a good thing I'm training for this triathlon. I'm maintaining but certainly not losing any weight.

It's mega-hot in Southern California right now - 105 degrees. (And some humidity but not like down in the Southeast).

Pre-Birthday Weekend

I'll be enjoying myself in beautiful San Luis Obispo for wine tasting this weekend. I hope to also make time for a lovely bike ride through the vineyard roads. We're staying in this unique hotel where every room has a unique and different decor. It's really gorgeous on the outside. It's called the Madonna Inn: http://www.madonnainn.com/ Pete might be sad to find out that we didn't get the "Caveman Room" or the "Fox and the Hound Room" but "Spring Flowers": http://www.madonnainn.com/rooms/207.php (Also sadly, this room does not include a rock shower, waterfall, balcony, or fireplace.) Hah! Oh well he made the reservation.

I'm just simply happy to make the trip. Gotta love CA!

Nothing specific to report...

What I SHOULD have done this weekend was take lots of pictures so that I might have something pretty for you to look at but I didn't. So, I'll tell you how my weekend went:

Saturday morning we did a lovely ocean swim out in Malibu (1/2 mile) and it was pretty cold. Reportedly the water temp was 58 but I think it was colder than that. Then we did a 18 mile bike ride. No falls this time guys! Oh and my eyes are healed finally from the black eye event. That felt like it took forever. :)

Saturday evening I needed a nap and then I turned into a dude and watched the UFC fight with some boys and my roommate.

Sunday was a nice 4 mile run up a mountain. It was gorgeous out! I hope the calories I burned offset the two parties we had to go to later that day. Good friends, good people, fireworks...

Monday was house stuff and then I cooked dinner for two friends of mine that are recently engaged.

Now its back to a busy week at work!

A little perspective

So as you know last week I had a little injury. And in my worried and swollen state I had a few moments of despair. Aside from eventually being able to laugh at myself, I realized my problems were very selfish and small by watching a documentary about orphanages in Haiti.
I'm sure you've all seen the news coverages and I have no new insights to add but I'll tell you a portion of this paycheck will surely go to that cause this week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z9WqniipQA

Anyone else have a favorite new charity?

Why I Love L.A.

Just another beautiful hike in sunny southern California.

Let me explain a little...

So if you know me it all I'm sure you understand why I call myself a klutz. Well, because I am a bonafide klutz.

Dance growing up- I once accidentally stood in the way while Molly was doing her tumbling pass (warming up on stage). That was one was bad for I believe she was rushed out to an emergency room. I couldn't live with myself for months after that. Or the time that I accidentally walked on Kelly Henderson's calf and tore her muscle. Hated myself for that one too. Does anyone remember the time that I burnt my lips with a curling iron?

My new one happened on Wednesday night. I fell off my bike face forward and directly onto my sunglasses. I feel fine but I don't look so good. U.G.L.Y. It's embarassing but I'll post it for your amusement.

More Running News

Spent the weekend cheering my boyfriend's brother on during his first marathon in beautiful San Diego. Very rewarding. He did well minus some ankle pain. I got a friggin awesome farmers tan.

Last night my friend & soon to be ex-coworker, Leah, coached her last Team Disney track workout. You see when I first moved out to California I was still dating my boyfriend from college (we'll call him Tall Twin boy). Tall Twin and I would often be lethargic by eating bad food and watching TV as soon as we got home every night. (I was struggling with not having dance in my life anymore.) So, Leah was a big part of the Tri Team and coached me off the couch and into running shoes. I went from never having run over 2 miles before to finishing a half marathon in 3 months. Now I've completed 4 triathlons, 4 half marathons, and a full marathon. It was sad to see Leah go. Although the last workout included speed drills around a track and my hamstrings are as tight as rocks. I'm going to miss her pushing me.

Wish me luck as now the baton has been passed for me to carry on in her shoes as she leaves for non-Disney adventures.

Day 2

During the last 6 weeks I was rocking and rolling on a triathlon schedule- I worked out every day at least once if not twice. However, Memorial Day weekend really threw me off. I couldn't get my booty back into gear. I'd even set my alarm for 6am but instead of waking up to go to the pool, I'd watch an old episode of Grey's Anatomy.

So last night I went to the library and rented an audio book to import onto my Ipod. I listened to an audiobook this morning while I ran. I kinda dug it. I wasn't counting the streetlights as I passed by like normal. I'm not sure if I ran as fast as I normally do but it felt good to escape while I worked out. So, if you think it might work for you when you're in a bit of a lull try it out.

"Reading" The Know It All by A.J. Jacobs.

Day One

Its that time in my life when all of my girlfriends are married, are getting married, are pregnant, or have children. I have come to love reading their blogs to hear their stories and feeling like I'm still somewhat in their lives. I'm shamed to say that I don't often send personal notes, letters, or emails. But I think of them often.

Anyhow... I'm from the South and I live in a big city so this phenomenon is fairly common. Is it time this single lady shares some of her own adventures? I mean I live in LA there's gotta be tons of stuff for me to get off my chest.

Like, the time I ran into Mr. T at Subway where he proceeded to buy all the cookies from the store. Or the all the amazing hikes there are out here in California. Or the time I beat Jennifer Lopez in the triathlon. Or how about how I've lived in a different house every year since I left NC in 2005? Or the great rescue of 2010 when Pete killed the rat in my attic for me. (That's my boyfriend Pete chilling on the top of the Sydney bridge with me.)

This is also another good reason for me to start taking more pictures. Right now I'm totally the friend that will copy everyone else's pictures and put them on my facebook updates.

So thanks for joining me. I hope I won't bore ya!