G'day Mate!!

Excuse the rather lengthy blog I'm sure this will be, but just want to get everything down so I don't forget anything:

I just got back from one of my favorite trips ever: to New Zealand and Australia. I was lucky to have gone w/2 of my really good friends, Misty and Alison. It was the perfect mix of amazing places w/awesome company.

So, here's a recap of our little adventure:

First stop, Auckland, New Zealand: We went to the top of the Sky Tower (the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere at 1,076 feet!) The views were beautiful and looking out we could see people being strapped in to bungee jump off the top, no thanks!! Seriously, no desire whatsoever. We also hopped on a city bus tour to see some of the sights. From Auckland, we drove out to Rotorua, went to a Maori Village and watched the guys perform the "Haka" dance. It was so cool to hear about some of their traditions, it's such a cool culture. On our way back we had the chance to do the funnest thing, we went on the Zorb. What it is is this gigantic ball with a smaller ball inside. Basically, you slide into the small ball, they spray some warm water inside and then push the ball down a very long, steep hill. Honestly, I was a little freaked out at first, but once we got going, it was so much fun!!

Next stop, Christchurch, New Zealand: I loved this town so much!! Hands down, it was our favorite of the whole trip. Everywhere you look: green! tons of parks, gardens and really cool architecture. Plus, overall in New Zealand, I just really, really loved the people. Everyone was so incredibly helpful and friendly. Having said that, I was this close to buying a book to translate all of their little expressions, seriously, there were times I had to ask 2,3 times for them to repeat what they had said :) We ended up going on this Lord of the Rings tour while we were there (a little crazy considering I've only seen the 1st movie and fell asleep before it ended). But it ended up being soooo cool! The scenery was so beautiful and it was cool to hear little secrets about the filming of it and how they chose locations.

Next Stop, Sydney, Australia: I was surprised at how huge Sydney is! I loved Darling Harbor and the area by the Opera House. It had some really beautiful parks and neighborhoods, but it was a little too big for my taste. One of our first plans when we booked our trip was to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge. I know I'm being a copy cat of the Amazing Race, but after I saw them do that, I was thinking, I have to do that. We had to put all of this gear on and attach to this cable to do it. The views were amazing from the top and it was really cool to hear the history of the bridge.

Last stop, Brisbane, Australia: Of the 2 towns, I liked Brisbane better. It seemed like a smaller, quieter more authentic Australian town, and the bonus is it's only about an hour and a half from the Gold Coast/Surfer's Paradise. We ended up taking a train there and we're able to do a little shopping and walk along the beach. Another favorite stop of our trip was going to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. We were able to hold a koala and feed the kangaroos. On our last day we went to church at the Brisbane ward, and then were able to see the temple since it's right next door.

Oh and by the way, have a new favorite airline: Qantas. Oh my gosh! The best customer service, the flight attendants were so stylish in their wrap dresses and the male stewards were really handsome and manly, so rare I know. The seats were so comfy and they had this feature called Seat Chat, where you could send text messages or talk to other passengers using your remote. Too bad the only other people I knew on the flight were right next to me :) So funny, b/c on our flight we were sitting right behind this huge group of kids from a dance group in Australia who were coming to perform at Disneyland. It was so cute to hear how excited they were about seeing America for the first time, probably how we were about flying into Australia. Classic quotable: one of the girls looked out the window and was like "oh look they have a Mcdonald's, we'll for sure have to go". I was thinking you're in luck chickadee b/c they're everywhere. Then another one of the girls was looking down at an aqueduct somewhere around Inglewood and was like "I think that's where they filmed Grease". I was trying so hard not to laugh!

Happy Birthday Millie and Janet!!

So, last week we celebrated a couple of my friends birthdays by going out for some Thai food and hanging out at my friend Millie's house. One of the reasons I think I love my job is the chance to work w/so many amazing people, and these guys happen to be 3 of them. I love it because they are always so willing to share ideas and they constantly crack me up. We always have such a great time together that we actually choose to hang out outside of work. Thanks for a great night you guys!!

On a side note, this is Millie's dog Kita. Isn't she the most beautiful dog? I know some of you are big on the little dogs, but I am a sucker for big dogs. She is so cute and playful and it's hilarious b/c even though she's huge, i don't think she realizes her own strength....my friend calls her baby huey. :)

Good music and a Good Read

So, I love a good c.d. and particularly if it's a soundtrack. Here's an oldie but a goodie that my friend Alison let me borrow. Who remember's this show? So, the theme song is by far the best, the other ones are a tad too instrumental for my taste. Maybe I'll put one of the songs on my playlist for old time's sake. Kim, this soundtrack will forever remind me of you!




Next, onto a great little book I just read. I've always loved Teddy Roosevelt. I think it was after hearing how he used to let his kids ride their pony through the White House that sold me. Anyway, it's a quick read (with big print :)and I really liked that it was a little peek into who he was as a person.

Guilty Pleasures......

O.k., so I'll admit while I would like to say that I spent 3 hours of last night doing more productive things, but would they have been as entertaining as my Bachelor marathon? The funny thing is, I know a lot of acting goes into their "falling in love" and I think a lot of people are just there for the exposure, but the way they built up the finale, I felt like I couldn't afford to miss "the most dramatic Bachelor finale in history".

So, the first 2 hours were dedicated to his final 2 picks meeting his fam and having one last big date. Oh and almost forgot to mention, in New Zealand, where each of the girls was put up in a beautiful home w/amazing views (geez, sign me up if that's part of the package). So, long story short, he chose Melissa, tried it out w/her for the 6 weeks after the show cut and realized that their chemistry had changed and called things off w/her "live" on the "After the Rose" show and then asked Molly if she would be willing to give him another chance, after he had already said he was in love w/someone else. She agreed and now they're going to give it another go.

I personally think he should've gone w/Jillian, totally felt like they were a better match. I don't know maybe it's the pride in me, but I don't think I could be as forgiving as Molly. I think I would be like "Nope, you had your chance and I've moved on".

For those fans out there, and I know there are many, don't be afraid to admit it, what did you guys think of the finale?

Tagged by Tay

So, compliments of my niece Taylor (Tay), I've been tagged. Tay you'll be happy to know I'm finally taking the time to respond to a tag:

So here goes:

1. if stranded on an island what three things would you bring other than food and water? um..... a good book, my camera and my ipod

2. What is your most prized possession? ooh that's a toughy, if we're talking non-material possessions, definitely my family, friends and my beliefs. for material things....probably my letters and random things saved from the past or my passport.

3.what is your motto? life is measured not by the number of breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away!

4.what different states have you lived in? Utah, Texas, California. Countries: Chile

5. Favorite song? I've always loved "The way you do the things you do" by UB40 and "Everything" by Michael Buble. Way too hard to limit it to just one!

i tag... (Kim, Kammy, Steph, Nat, Beck, Justin, Taryn, Kim A., Stacy, Melanie, Catherine) and anyone else who happens to stop by and see this post, i would love to see what you guys put down for your answers!

Happy Valentine's!!!

Can I just say I love Valentine's Day!! I know there are many Valentine's haters out there who disagree but to me it's more than romance, it's about showing your love to family, friends and all the other special people in your life. O.k., but I'll be honest, I am a sucker for all things romance: romantic comedies,letters, flowers and stories of how people met.

So this weekend was an unexpected one, but soooo fun. I had been dying to go and visit my friend Natalie and Dave and their kids in Vegas, plus I found out there was a Single's Conf. going on so figured why not? Nat and Dave were the perfect hosts as always and I love it because we just get going and could talk for hours without even noticing it. As for the conf., I'll admit, was a bit of a shocker to walk in and be one of the younger ones, since there was no age cap!! But there was a group closer to my age and I met some cool people and overall was really glad I went.

I guess the best surprise of the weekend was this:




You know who you are and thank you, thank you, now if I could just know who you are!! Seriously, you have no idea how these totally made my day, my week and just wanted you to know how much I appreciated them!

Am came out for a visit last weekend and we had such a great time! It went by way too quick. The thing I love best when family comes to visit is how easy it is. Seriously, we could sit around and do nothing and it would still be the greatest weekend. Luckily, we did get out a little. We went to a taping, wait make that 2 of the Bonnie Hunt Show in Culver City, (we were trying to score any additional freebies), we made out w/2 Superbowl tins of popcorn, they were no cruise to the Caribbean, but hey they were something. We were lucky to have such amazing weather while she was here. We also made it to the 3rd street promenade for a little shopping and to the beach, where we rented beach cruisers, which was so much fun, minus a couple of overzealous bikers w/horns. Thanks for the fun weekend Ambey!!