Swiming This Morning... - Delray, WV - May 2011

In the early hours of Thursday morning morning...

this 14" rainbow trout was swimming in the cool waters of West Virginia. Thursday night he was broiled and on our dinner plates glazed with a thin layer of clarified butter, sitting along side a colorful vegetable melody and some tasty garlic bread.

However, there's one thing that must be pointed out. This was not an ordinary fish dinner. In true hunter gatherer fashion, Thursday morning the Hub set out to procure dinner for his family, and in particular his daughter, and as a result, the 14" rainbow trout he caught just after 10:00 in the morning became our little girl's first taste of meat.

How cool is it that one day we'll be able to tell her that the first meat that she ever ate was something that her dad went out and caught and prepared for her.

Till next time,

Bon Voyage!

People Mover - Baltimore, MD - April 2011

The Hub has again brought me blog material and for that, and many other reasons, I continue to believe

we are the perfect match.

Ever been on one of these...?

A People mover. Easy to operate, simple to understand, endless fun for children weather or not they are used in the proper direction. (You know you've done it!)

Well upon retrieving The Monkey and I from the airport, The Hub said that as he was crossing the sky bridge from the parking garage to the terminal he watched a gentleman place his suitcases on the "people mover" then walk alongside them toward the opposite end of the conveyor belt. The Hub boarded the people mover and continued walking, (he likes to do this because it more than doubles his speed of movement) and eventually had to step around this man's bags.

He passed him at the end of the belt and the man smiled at him and informed him that he'd never been in an airport. It was his first time flying and he thought the conveyor belts were designed to move bags, but moving bags and people makes a lot more since. Too cute!

So the next time your in route to your gate, go all out! Get crazy and jump on the "people mover" bags and all!

Till next time,

Bon Voyage!

Eat That Andrew Zimmern - Baltimore, MD - May 2010

I think I’ve mentioned on several occasions that there is one person’s job that the Hub would absolutely love to spend a day in the life of… It's this man Andrew Zimmern.

He has a show on the Food Network called Bizarre Foods where he travels all over the world in search of the world’s most “Bizarre Foods”. After watching the show countless times it’s obvious that Zimmern takes pride in being able to stomach foods that most people can’t even stand to be in the room with. This brings me to the Durian Fruit; a fruit that has been banished from certain hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia because of its odor. A fruit that to this day Zimmern has not been able to swallow. This video shows one of several of Zimmern’s attempts to beat this “King of Fruits”

Last Sunday, the Hub, on a mission to challenge his taste buds, acquired a single Durian fruit from the local H Mart. Now aside from being smart and funny and handsome, one of the Hub’s claims to fame is that he can “eat stuff that’d make a Billy goat sick”. Since finding the H Mart he’s been able to prove that by first stomaching blood sausage and now, the Durian fruit.

Note to Reader: I did make him take this spiky dude outside, because rumor has it that once cut, it emits an odor similar to rotting flesh. Yes, I know, I can only imagine what our neighbors would think once they got a nose full of this guy, but I was not having that in the house!

You do need a pretty sharp knife to cut through the tough exterior.

Once open I can honestly say that it didn't so much smell like rotting flesh, but more like a trash dumpster which comparatively isn't as bad.

Additional Note to Reader: the Hub swears that he couldn't smell what I smelled.

With out hesitation, the Hub dove right in.

After a bit of contemplation and a second and third bite...

HE LIKES IT!!!

Till Next time,
Bon Voyage!

Getting to Work - Baltimore, MD - March 2010

So I came home from work last Sunday to find that the Hub had been a busy man. He did this...

I guess one of us had to get to work on the baby's room. Thank you for being AWESOME J-Rod!

Walls Painted (Check)
Baby Bed Put Together (Check)

Tomorrow we're both off and even though I'm not sure if we're more productive together, we sure do have more fun!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Better Than TV - Baltimore, MD - Feb 2010

I spent a little bit of time on Saturday on the phone catching up with my good friend Sarah. I remember the Hub saying that he was going to go into the other room to watch some television. After A great conversation I went to join the Hub and found this...

Apparently watching all the coo coo's in our neighborhood digging out their cars and attempting to drive their front wheel drive cars in the 30+ inches of snow was significantly more interesting than watching TV.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Adventures in Grocery Shopping - Baltimore, MD - August 2009

So I have to preface this blog entry by saying that The Hub and I really LOVE sushi! On a couple of occasions The Hub has actually attempted to make it at home., so when a couple of The Hub’s new friends from work told him about H Mart, an Asian Grocery store that had sushi grade fish, trying again was only a matter of time till he tried again.

Today we made our way to the Catonsville, MD H Mart to check it out. We were a little worried when we got to the entrance and found this sign… In case you can’t read it it says “We are not responsible for sandal accidents”, but after a brief family conference we decided that we could handle any sort of sandal obstacles that the H Mart could throw at us, so in we went. I kid you not; it felt like we stepped directly into China.

Note to Reader: I’ve never been to China, but have had friends go there and the inside of this grocery store is exactly how I imagine it when they tell me stories. There were people EVERYWHERE!

There were men with hand trucks scooting through the crowds replenishing everything from produce to 80 lb bags of rice. There were kids running around eating samples of Asian candies and there were some of the most amazingly interesting foods I’ve ever seen. There was Kimchi, Stinky Tofu, Beef Tongue, Blood Sausage, whole entire fish with heads and eyeballs and every other fish body part still attached.

Additional Note to Reader: There’s something you should know about the hub. He secretly covets Andrew Zimmerman’s job. He is the host of the Food Network show Bizarre Foods. So he actually wants to eat all of the crazy foods listed above.

There were also live crabs that we affectionately called Chinese fighting crabs or Crabby Crabs(see video).

After wandering as much of the store as we could with all the people there, we returned with a bag of sushi rice, a bottle of rice vinegar, low sodium soy sauce, seaweed salad, two handmade wooden bowls, and sushi grade tuna and octopus.

After 50 minutes of tedious rice preparation, The Hub created THIS!!!

(Tuna and octopus sashimi, sushi rice, and seaweed salad)
So so so so Yummy!!!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Rumblings as We Settle In - Owings Mills MD - June 2009

The Hub: From the kitchen - “I need the colander.”

Wandering Lili: From amidst a pile of boxes in the bedroom - “Well than get it.”

The Hub: Still in the kitchen - “I don’t know where you put it.”

Wandering Lili: Still amidst a pile of boxes in the bedroom - “Look in the cabinet under the wine glasses.”

The Hub: Now turning circles in the kitchen - “Where’s that?”

Wandering Lili: Beginning to climb out of the pile of boxes in the bedroom - “Beside the stove.”

The Hub: Banging pots and pans (indicating he is on the wrong side of the stove) - “Not there.”

Wandering Lili: Still climbing out of the pile of boxes in the bedroom “The other cabinet beside the stove. The one on the….”

***BIG Crash as the wander falls inside… Yes, INSIDE a wardrobe box!***

The Hub: Looking up from the cabinet, still on the wrong side of the stove - “You okay?” – small pause - This is the one under the glasses and it’s not there:”

Wandering Lili: From inside the wardrobe box - “Wine glasses not regular glasses. Look on the other side of the stove!”

The Hub: Cabinets closing and opening - “Found it!”

Wandering Lili: Still inside the wardrobe box - “Glad to hear it.”

Note to Reader: I freaking LOVE moving!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Regalia - May 2009

Note To Reader: Merriam-Webster Defines this as

1: royal rights or prerogatives

2 a: the emblems, symbols, or paraphernalia indicative of royalty b: decorations or insignia indicative of an office or membership or

3: special dress

Additional Note to Reader: Definition #3 is the one we’ll be using today, except it’s not really a “dress”, but rather a special “outfit” for a special occasion.

Today the Hub added this to his wardrobe. He refused to model it for the blogesphere before the big day, but alas, those pictures will come soon enough, like it or not.

So back to the outfit…

This fancy robe will be his attire for pretty much the biggest event in our lives since we got married 4 years ago. Now as I sit with my laptop amidst the box fort we're building in the dining room I'm not quite sure where the time has gone. As a warning the next several posts will be full of heart felt goodbyes to my family and friends, because it's really not healthy to keep all that inside, but I digress...

For now, I find humor in the fact that on Friday my Hub will be, according to Merriam-Webster, wearing a "special dress" on his special day!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

My MD in MD - Baltimore, MD - April 2009

So to catch you all up, do you remember that letter I mentioned back on March 19th that would "change the course of our lives"? Well we opened that letter and in turn, a brand new chapter. This June, only a few weeks after he graduates from Medical school, the Hub and I will pack up all of our worldly belongings and the kitties and move over 1000 miles to make Baltimore, MD our new home.

This past weekend, we hopped a quick flight to BWI and found our new digs.

Note To Reader: Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is one of the least expensive airports on earth to fly into! We’re talking round trip fares for under $100.00!

After searching over 40 properties, we finally found a place that met not only our needs, but also a lot of our wants as well. We’ll have a 2bd /2bth with about 300 more square feet than we currently have. There’s a fire place vaulted ceilings, a garden tub in the master bath, big closets, a kitchen island, and a GIGANTIC laundry room, YAY!!! No pictures yet, but I’ll have a ton of moving in projects that I’ll be blogumenting as we go, so there will be a lot of pictures coming soon. In the mean time, here are a few quick shots from our weekend adventure.

Our first taste of Maryland Crab Cakes! Mmmmm!!! Goooood!!!

We met up with my aunt E and Uncle J who, unbeknownst to us live only an hour from said new digs. Yay!!! Love 'em!!! Love 'em!!! Love 'em!!!

Remember this guy from the Hub's tails from the road? Same Hotel... Same Corner... Same Window Washer!!! Oh and Yes, it was raining!

This is just my attempt at an artistic picture of the Baltimore World Trade Center.
In his spare time, the hub has dreams of being a crab fisherman. He had to be sure he could buy crab fisherman paraphernalia at the local XXX- Mart.
Additional Note To Reader: We’re still working on the self portrait thing, but I thought this one was cute. (That’s a GIANT Barns & Noble in the back ground, Yay!!!)
I honestly can’t believe that in less than 2 months this city will be home.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Ants in My Plants and the Contest is Heating Up!!! – March 2009

So I returned home late from work on Wednesday after a long action packed day, to find the Hub flooding my beloved Peace Lilly, conveniently named “Lilly”.

Note to Reader: Before I was married, I was able to successfully keep plants alive, however, since we’ve been married, the hub has become master of the plants and pretty much everything I attempt to grow ends up being in the plant ICU on life support and attached to all sorts of plant type monitors.

Upon seeing the hub with the giant watering can I’d actually thought that the stress of his career choice had finally gotten to him and he’d out right lost his mind. He looked up from what I thought was a massacre and said with a laugh, “Hey Babe! I got Ants in my plants!”

With a little more explanation I learned that during our brief week of warm weather Lilly spent two days and a night out on the patio. What a wild child! When the temperature started to drop, all the neighborhood ants that mistakenly thought it was spring found refuge in the warmth of my peace lilly’s pot. What a floozy! Talk about unwanted house guests!

So, being the great plant daddy he is, the Hub read on the Internet that aside from re potting, one of the only ways to get rid of the ants in your plants was to flood them out because…. Random of all facts…. Ants can’t swim! Who knew!?

CONTEST UPDATE!

Today’s the day!!! HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY!!!!

I can’t believe it’s only been a year. So there are 73 posts to choose from and only 5 days left to pick your favorite! We’ve gotten a few really good entries. I don’t envy the judges job at all! Oh and speaking of judges, I’ll be introducing you to them soon. Two of my Favorite people!

So keep the entries coming! Click HERE for more details

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

More Wandering Hubby - Baltimore MD - December 2008

This came to me by way of the hub's blackberry while he was on a tour of the facility. Enjoy!

"What are they studying at Hopkins anyway?"

I literally laughed out loud. The funniest part to me is that over half of the name / number slips are torn away! What's up with that? Hmmmm...???

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Wandering Hubby – Baltimore, MD – December 2008

Got a text from the Hub today with the below message. It made me laugh out loud!!! I couldn’t help but share. I honestly think this is more fun than Gossip Girl!!! (Not that I watch it… ummm… yeah… =)…)

“Baltimorians are so nice. Here is a nice man offering to wash windows for pennies outside my hotel window. “ – The Hub

The cool part about the Hub being on the watch for great blog material is that it's like being in two places at one time. Plus, I really think he’s better at this than I am.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

The Things Kids Say – Raleigh, NC - November 2008

Note to Reader: Another installment of fantastic material gathering. You again have the Hub to thank for this little golden nugget. I’m just the story teller.

So there he was, on the shuttle from the airport, quietly minding his own business. He is very much a people watcher, as am I, so I am imagining that he is happily taking in the people on board the bus, business travelers, families, couples, and generally folks from all walks of life, when from the back of the bus he hears the voice of a teenage boy.

Boy: “Dad do you have a dollar?”

The Hub didn’t think too much about it because kids ask their parents for money all the time. The conversation continues…

Dad: “What do you need a dollar for??"
Boy: “To tip the driver for carrying our bags.”

The Hub was surprised, and thought to himself, these parents are doing a good job, but as always, the conversation continues…

Dad: “No!”
Boy: “Why not?”
Dad: “Because this is a FREE service. It’s his job to carry our crap!”
Boy: (said loud enough for the whole bus to hear) “Why are you such an A&% HOLE? You haven’t tipped anyone the whole time we’ve been gone!”

I can only imagine that there was a swift pop to the back of this kids head for what he said, but I’ll never know because I wasn’t there.

But, in all seriousness, this kid had a point. When someone carries your bag, ESPECIALLY when they look like they are eighty-five years old and just might crumble under the weight of your souvenirs, shopping, and eight extra pairs of shoes (because you couldn’t bare to leave any behind… just in case!) Don’t forget to tip, because he DOESN’T have to carry your CRAP!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

No kids allowed!!! - Atlanta, GA - October 2008

Note to Reader: I have achieved total success in this “keeping your ear to the ground” for good blog material stuff. My hubby called me while he waited in the Atlanta Airport with this little nugget of FUN!!!



So there he was, chillin’ at his gate waiting on his flight home, when from across the way, the gate attendant from the adjacent terminal (which was bound for good old ORLANDO, FL!!!!) came over the loud speaker with an announcement that rocked their world…

…”Ladies and gentlemen, I want to welcome you to flight # 1234 with nonstop service to Orlando, FL. I wanted to make a quick announcement so that you can prepare accordingly.” …short pause for suspense… “Due to the nature of Orlando being a family oriented destination, we have elected to not board children on this flight.”

Well, according to my hub, it only took a moment for a look of shock to roll over the faces of all the little ones that had visions of gigantic characters, Space Mountain, and plastic ears that for one week’s time will be permanently attached to the tops of their precious little heads. Then just a moment before the children began to revolt, he said that you could see the parents faces as they first almost jumped for joy at the thought of having to send their small ones to grandma’s house while they went off and relived to their childhood, and then second, watched the terror of the situation at hand set in.

The buzz in the gate area grew from a mumble to a thunder. Then two angry soccer moms (or hockey moms) stormed the counter with their lawyer looking husbands in toe. In less than a minute, a frightened looking woman, voice shaking through her forced laughter, came back over the loud speaker and issued the following correction…

“Ladies and gentlemen, my sincere apologies for the previous announcement. What I meant to say was, we have elected to not PRE board children on this flight.” A massive cheer and a throng of laughter broke through the tension in the air and the woman behind the counter breathed a deep sigh of relief.

The Hub and I don’t think she could possibly have realized how close she was to a scene out of Lord of the Flies. According to the Hub the grown ups were totally out numbered and those little monsters could have totally taken over and with their video gaming experience could have flown the plane down there to meet “The Mouse” all on their own.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!