Allergies that are ongoing and never going to stop! Or so it seems. It feels as if they just kicked up in the last few minutes. Seriously, I am over it. I am ready to be able to breathe and see without taking an allergy pill. I tried to stop taking them when I felt better and that was a huge mistake. They came back and almost knocked me out. I wonder when or if they will stop. I am ready!
I am relaxing the next few days since I have the time off. I am sure ironing will be involved at some point, grocery shopping, reading and laundry. I have a wine lunch arranged tomorrow with Danielle, my old boss from Santa Fe. She is considering a relocation to Denver and is up here house hunting and familiarizing herself with the metro area. I will gladly be a tour guide and introduce her to some of my favorite spots in Denver for lunch. We are meeting in Cherry Creek. I figure I can walk up, maybe get a pedicure (much needed) and stop by a couple consignment stores on my way back. I want to utilize being outside by walking and trying to be healthy. I haven't committed to running outside of thinking that I should. I absolutely am ready to sign up for a race. I walked through Cheesman Park earlier today which was incredibly nostalgic. It is near my house and could make for a great route to run.
Next week, I am heading to Chicago. I don't want to overwhelm the itinerary with things I want to do and so I am trying to not account for every moment of the trip. It is challenging. There are so many places I want to eat in addition to wanting to go to a yoga class, do the architecture tour and a spa day. There is a Russian spa that seems ideal and I am interested in checking it out. I called today to arrange a platza for the WP and I. The receptionist told me that only male therapists would be available. It was fine with me but I knew that Maghan would not be happy about it. I was trying to figure out the best way to tell him.
In the meantime, I looked at the timeline and how it could best be improved. I mentioned to Maghan my desire to go to the spa and if he believed Friday would be a suitable option. We fly out late that night and could check our bags somewhere while enjoying the spa. I thought this might be the best use of time. He agreed and so I called the spa back to move our appointments. I had been trying to do too much. There is a yoga class at 9 on Wednesday with a yogi I know from Phoenix. I cannot wait to take her class. I made the spa appointment for 11:30 which would have made it extremely difficult to make it to the yoga class.
Thankfully, they agreed to move the appointments with the added bonus of having a male and female therapist available for the platza. I didn't even have to tell him that he almost had no choice in this decision. I am fine with therapists of either sex but acknowledge that the majority of men would prefer a female therapist to a male.
I bought post card stamps so that I can send a post card to my niece, Emma. In the past, if I don't have stamps readily available, I don't manage to send them. I know that Emma enjoys receiving cards from my trips.
I should read more. I have five or six books to occupy my time. I cleaned my house and ate left overs...so domestic. It is an odd feeling to be at home so often. I have two more days of this. All of my yoga students are either busy or out of town. I do want to make an effort to teach more often. It is a goal that I plan on achieving.
Days off can be productive. I intend on seeing some friends, doing a few barre classes and reading. Life is grand!
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
surrounded by eucalyptus
My trip to Palm Springs was lovely. There was the crystal bath meditation, beauty of the high desert and great food. I remember during the meditation having the slight irritation at the back of my throat. Prior to the healing beginning, it was advised to not snore or cough as the sounds would be amplified due to the structure of the building. I did snore (a little before being tapped to wake up) and I struggled to contain the coughing. I suppressed that urge by telling myself to not do it under any circumstance. I could taste the incense in the back of my throat, I remember.
The change in weather started affecting me on Sunday night. I remember waking up and being congested and needing to run to my bathroom to find some Kleenex. On Monday, I chose to inhale salsa and green chile as a way to combat the congestion. I went a little crazy with the salsa and almost immediately had acid reflux. I am not a fan of this and so I bought tums to remedy the situation. It helped or so I thought. I still had the irritation in my throat.
On Tuesday, still congested, I drank some lemon water. I felt okay and was mostly concerned with sleep during my 9 day work stretch. On Wednesday, I went into work and could feel the cold coming on. About 5 pm, the decline began. Rapidly. I went from normal speaking, to a lower grade and eventually no voice. It was insane how quickly it happened. I realized that I had not been hydrating properly which sped up my laryngitis. Oh, there was a fire alarm on Monday night which I sat through. It is one of the most intense fire alarms and for whatever reason instead of going outside for relief, I remained indoors. My ears rang for quite some time after the alarm. The reason I mention all of these factors--change in weather, fire alarm, acid reflux, little hydration, less sleep--I think, is how quickly I attained laryngitis. And once it took hold of me, I had no voice or choice but to alter my diet. Thankfully, I had cough drops at my house. And lemons, hot tea and essential oils. I could gargle eucalyptus salt water and rub eucalyptus oil on my chest. I had a necklace from Shari that held cloth which would absorb essential oils which would emanate the eucalyptus all day. I read up on laryngitis and found that apple cider vinegar was extremely useful, too. I had no idea how much I would rely on apple cider vinegar until I felt relief. I love the stuff. Well, with honey and cayenne. I found a thai restaurant that served this delicious hot and sour soup. I also utilized garlic and ginger. I must say, I am incredibly hydrated now.
It sucks. It is tiring to only hydrate and believe that you are sick. Eventually, you must return to what is normal. For me, that includes wine. I indulged in a hot toddy to relieve some of the irritation in my throat on Thursday and Friday. It helped. I've been sleeping more which further aids in my healing and returning to normal. I feel better, I do. I recognize that bathing in eucalyptus did, in fact, help me tremendously. I was grateful for being introduced to essential oils and that I love those particular scents--eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint.
I have the next few days off. I will continue my healing crusade and introduce some wine back into my diet. Danielle, my old boss from Santa Fe, is considering relocating to Denver. She is apartment hunting the next few days. We are planning on meeting up for a wine lunch on Thursday. Then it is cinco so there will be a silver coin or 3 in my future, Friday.
Life is grand~
The change in weather started affecting me on Sunday night. I remember waking up and being congested and needing to run to my bathroom to find some Kleenex. On Monday, I chose to inhale salsa and green chile as a way to combat the congestion. I went a little crazy with the salsa and almost immediately had acid reflux. I am not a fan of this and so I bought tums to remedy the situation. It helped or so I thought. I still had the irritation in my throat.
On Tuesday, still congested, I drank some lemon water. I felt okay and was mostly concerned with sleep during my 9 day work stretch. On Wednesday, I went into work and could feel the cold coming on. About 5 pm, the decline began. Rapidly. I went from normal speaking, to a lower grade and eventually no voice. It was insane how quickly it happened. I realized that I had not been hydrating properly which sped up my laryngitis. Oh, there was a fire alarm on Monday night which I sat through. It is one of the most intense fire alarms and for whatever reason instead of going outside for relief, I remained indoors. My ears rang for quite some time after the alarm. The reason I mention all of these factors--change in weather, fire alarm, acid reflux, little hydration, less sleep--I think, is how quickly I attained laryngitis. And once it took hold of me, I had no voice or choice but to alter my diet. Thankfully, I had cough drops at my house. And lemons, hot tea and essential oils. I could gargle eucalyptus salt water and rub eucalyptus oil on my chest. I had a necklace from Shari that held cloth which would absorb essential oils which would emanate the eucalyptus all day. I read up on laryngitis and found that apple cider vinegar was extremely useful, too. I had no idea how much I would rely on apple cider vinegar until I felt relief. I love the stuff. Well, with honey and cayenne. I found a thai restaurant that served this delicious hot and sour soup. I also utilized garlic and ginger. I must say, I am incredibly hydrated now.
It sucks. It is tiring to only hydrate and believe that you are sick. Eventually, you must return to what is normal. For me, that includes wine. I indulged in a hot toddy to relieve some of the irritation in my throat on Thursday and Friday. It helped. I've been sleeping more which further aids in my healing and returning to normal. I feel better, I do. I recognize that bathing in eucalyptus did, in fact, help me tremendously. I was grateful for being introduced to essential oils and that I love those particular scents--eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint.
I have the next few days off. I will continue my healing crusade and introduce some wine back into my diet. Danielle, my old boss from Santa Fe, is considering relocating to Denver. She is apartment hunting the next few days. We are planning on meeting up for a wine lunch on Thursday. Then it is cinco so there will be a silver coin or 3 in my future, Friday.
Life is grand~
Sunday, April 23, 2017
mini vacay to Cali
Welcome to the Palm Springs airport. I loved being greeted by a palm tree! Great way to begin this adventure with Sara Jo. I had been bugging her to do a girls' trip and wanted her to choose the destination. Typically, I lead the cause and determine the details of the trips. I wanted her to try this out.
She chose Palm Springs since I had not been there and her brother lives there. Seemed like a great way to achieve two goals--appease my desire for more trips and see her brother. I had met Wes in 2006. He has lived in Cali for the last 8 or 9 years. His girlfriend, Heather, and her daughter also live with him in the desert but in the high desert. We would spend time in Palm Springs and in the high desert with Heather and Kay. I knew that some family time would be involved and that we would also have time to explore the dining scene.
We met Wes and walked around the downtown area after a quick lunch. We discussed our options of the next few days. I told Wes and Heather that I was up for anything as long as food and drink were involved. They mentioned Joshua Tree and a music venue in the high desert that was worthwhile and something they would like to take us to. Of course, when we booked the trip, we did not factor in Coachella or how busy things would be due to that music festival.
Joshua Tree was awesome. Many other people were touring the national park. We chose a trail that led to water. Gorgeous. There was hieroglyphs and an easy trail to maneuver. We stopped at a few other spots while driving around the park. Toured the park that afternoon before returning to town for micheladas and chips and salsa. There were limited dining options in their town. We could choose between Chinese, greek or Mexican. I can rarely turn down chips and salsa so it was an easy choice for me. However, Kay really wanted Chinese and so we pondered that option. Mexican won. We stopped by a local market for street tacos before returning to their house
It was a lovely trip. More family centered than I thought it to be and worked out well. I saw cactus, became nostalgic for the desert and had some great food. It was a quick trip. Not too many options of flights on Saturday. The latest return was 1:30 pm so we made the most of it. Our final meal was at Spencer's. Delicious. One of my customers insisted that we should dine there. Even went as for as giving me money to pay for our lunch. Such a sweet guy! He kept raving about the shrimp cocktail. Of course, we had to try that. It was all about the mustard sauce and gigantic shrimp.
Great quick trip and fun to watch the family dynamics.
Upon returning to Denver, I am experiencing insane allergies and congestion., Something about the change of weather. I woke up at 3 and was unable to return to sleep. Super congested and irritated.
I will reflect more later. It was a lovely much needed venture to California.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Saturday woes
As much as I love the colors of spring, the allergies, well, leave a lot to be desired. I am going to have to buy more Claritin to keep evading them. I am not a fan of pills or medicating myself to avoid symptoms in my life. Allergies cannot be left alone, though.
I considered a yoga class before my barre class regimen on Saturdays. I like the instructor that is subbing the next month. He is an ashtangi and I understand the sequence of his classes. Plus, he encourages a yoga community by having the students talk to each other as well as do some adjustments in partner fashion which further aids in interaction and overall community. The class that he is teaching is busy and the woman has a following. I found this as I have encountered many of the people lingering around and blocking access to the studio for the barre class. It's insane the amount of time these people take up, chatting, after class with this instructor. They loiter in the studio and make it uncomfortable to enter and prepare for the barre class. I managed to arrange my mat one day and was trying to hurry them along by helping them put props away when I watched two of them step on my mat. I freaked out! I despise when people walk on my mat. I do not understand why people feel it is appropriate to walk on someone else's space. It is sacrilege!
So, I contemplated attending Mark's class. I could support him and get a good class out of it and endure some of the people that I have found annoying in the past. I know that Mark would call me out in his class. He would want to involve me in his community developed class. I opted to skip it. I will focus on the Barre class. My favorite instructor is in Palm Springs. I hope that her sub ramps up the music. I like Maggie and I like her sequence. I do not love her music selection. Sometimes, it is passable. Most times, it is sub par. However, I want to go to a class and of all of the potential subs, I know that Maggie is the best. I can overlook the music and sustain a great work out.
I departed for the market to buy Claritin. I stopped by another market to pick up a breakfast sandwich and returned home. I parked my car and stepped out and twisted my ankle good. It was nuts. I stepped out of my car and somehow managed to completely jack up my foot. I limped up the stairs and eventually evened out. I still have no idea how I stepped down in such a way to create so much pain.
I went to Barre class and managed to do the sequence of plies and squats. I avoided the releve's as much as I could. I did not want to further aggravate my foot. There was a slight swelling, later, which I managed with some alleve and rest. Work was interesting. Mostly due to the onslaught of allergies. Midway through my shift, I couldn't see. I was struggling to not itch my eyes and see. Today, I will wear glasses and take some more allergy pills. One of my customers actually gave me some Zyrtek. It was funny!
Day of rest in terms of physical activity. I would love to attend a barre class. I just don't have time for it today. Work will consume the majority of my day. And dealing with allergies. Sounds fun, right?
Drink some bubbles and enjoy life!
I considered a yoga class before my barre class regimen on Saturdays. I like the instructor that is subbing the next month. He is an ashtangi and I understand the sequence of his classes. Plus, he encourages a yoga community by having the students talk to each other as well as do some adjustments in partner fashion which further aids in interaction and overall community. The class that he is teaching is busy and the woman has a following. I found this as I have encountered many of the people lingering around and blocking access to the studio for the barre class. It's insane the amount of time these people take up, chatting, after class with this instructor. They loiter in the studio and make it uncomfortable to enter and prepare for the barre class. I managed to arrange my mat one day and was trying to hurry them along by helping them put props away when I watched two of them step on my mat. I freaked out! I despise when people walk on my mat. I do not understand why people feel it is appropriate to walk on someone else's space. It is sacrilege!
So, I contemplated attending Mark's class. I could support him and get a good class out of it and endure some of the people that I have found annoying in the past. I know that Mark would call me out in his class. He would want to involve me in his community developed class. I opted to skip it. I will focus on the Barre class. My favorite instructor is in Palm Springs. I hope that her sub ramps up the music. I like Maggie and I like her sequence. I do not love her music selection. Sometimes, it is passable. Most times, it is sub par. However, I want to go to a class and of all of the potential subs, I know that Maggie is the best. I can overlook the music and sustain a great work out.
I departed for the market to buy Claritin. I stopped by another market to pick up a breakfast sandwich and returned home. I parked my car and stepped out and twisted my ankle good. It was nuts. I stepped out of my car and somehow managed to completely jack up my foot. I limped up the stairs and eventually evened out. I still have no idea how I stepped down in such a way to create so much pain.
I went to Barre class and managed to do the sequence of plies and squats. I avoided the releve's as much as I could. I did not want to further aggravate my foot. There was a slight swelling, later, which I managed with some alleve and rest. Work was interesting. Mostly due to the onslaught of allergies. Midway through my shift, I couldn't see. I was struggling to not itch my eyes and see. Today, I will wear glasses and take some more allergy pills. One of my customers actually gave me some Zyrtek. It was funny!
Day of rest in terms of physical activity. I would love to attend a barre class. I just don't have time for it today. Work will consume the majority of my day. And dealing with allergies. Sounds fun, right?
Drink some bubbles and enjoy life!
Friday, April 14, 2017
days off and plans
I've been battling allergies for the last five weeks. It started in my left eye only. Itching, irritation...eventually not being able to wear contacts. I bought an over the counter remedy to aid in my fighting the onslaught of allergies. It helped as long as I was taking the allergy pill. I ran out and have wanted to stop taking the pills. Yet, I can feel the irritation moving into my right eye. It's odd that it is a shift to my right eye now. I know that I will need to buy more Claritin to stop the irritation.
I have had a few days off which enables errands, working out, shopping and planning more trips. I have a mini vacay to Palm Springs next week with Sara Jo. Ironically, my Barre instructor and her husband are also in Palm Springs next week. I might meet up with them for a drink while in the desert. I asked Shannon where she will be working out while on vacation. She responded that she will run, lift at their resort and use P90X. I think I will do some yoga and maybe run. I would like to return to running so that I can run along Lakeshore Drive while in Chicago next month. Must start somewhere. One step at a time, right?
I met Tiffany for lunch yesterday. We met at a new restaurant that is whisky driven. Huge selection of spirits with an emphasis on mixology. Reminded me of my brief stint at the mixology bar in Santa Fe. And completed by the bartender. He was a mixologist. Could speak the spirit talk and about their shrubs, handmade ice and cocktails; but, had little emphasis on the service or communication department. I ordered a bottle of wine which he opened but did not chill and then never poured us more wine to drink. It was disappointing in all honesty. The food was okay. Could have used a little seasoning but adequate.
Afterwards, we met my friend, Janna and her mother. Janna and I met while in Phoenix and hit it off talking about Denver and finding out that we both were from Kansas. Both of us lived in the desert for a stint before returning to Denver. Currently, she works across the street from my job and so I see her intermittently or when are schedules align as they did yesterday. Her mom from Kansas was meeting her for the weekend and so we met Janna and her mom for happy hour. Her mom lives in Manhattan and so I questioned where and that my sister lives in Manhattan as well. We continued gabbing and her mom mentioned that she had heard of my sister who is an aestitician in Manhattan. Had not received services from Jasmin but knew of her. I thought that was cute and again, small world. As I continue to travel and meet people, I do find that my worlds collide in the most positive way. I love that!
Today, I am hoping to attend a yoga class, clean my house and iron my work clothes. Maybe meet the WP later for lunch. I am in desperate need of new running shoes and casual shoes. I flirt with the return of plantar fasciitis on a daily basis due to my love of barre classes and beating up my calves. If only I could pay more heed to my calves and foam rolling them. I do have a foam roller and another tool to aid my feet. I need to add this to the regimen in the a.m. which includes coffee, brushing teeth and taking vitamins. I cannot stop going to barre classes. I won't. Although, I do not enjoy plantar fasciitis. It hurts and debilitates me and my ability to walk, work, enjoy life. I should be more kind to my calves.
Yoga helps and inspires. Off to greet the day!
I have had a few days off which enables errands, working out, shopping and planning more trips. I have a mini vacay to Palm Springs next week with Sara Jo. Ironically, my Barre instructor and her husband are also in Palm Springs next week. I might meet up with them for a drink while in the desert. I asked Shannon where she will be working out while on vacation. She responded that she will run, lift at their resort and use P90X. I think I will do some yoga and maybe run. I would like to return to running so that I can run along Lakeshore Drive while in Chicago next month. Must start somewhere. One step at a time, right?
I met Tiffany for lunch yesterday. We met at a new restaurant that is whisky driven. Huge selection of spirits with an emphasis on mixology. Reminded me of my brief stint at the mixology bar in Santa Fe. And completed by the bartender. He was a mixologist. Could speak the spirit talk and about their shrubs, handmade ice and cocktails; but, had little emphasis on the service or communication department. I ordered a bottle of wine which he opened but did not chill and then never poured us more wine to drink. It was disappointing in all honesty. The food was okay. Could have used a little seasoning but adequate.
Afterwards, we met my friend, Janna and her mother. Janna and I met while in Phoenix and hit it off talking about Denver and finding out that we both were from Kansas. Both of us lived in the desert for a stint before returning to Denver. Currently, she works across the street from my job and so I see her intermittently or when are schedules align as they did yesterday. Her mom from Kansas was meeting her for the weekend and so we met Janna and her mom for happy hour. Her mom lives in Manhattan and so I questioned where and that my sister lives in Manhattan as well. We continued gabbing and her mom mentioned that she had heard of my sister who is an aestitician in Manhattan. Had not received services from Jasmin but knew of her. I thought that was cute and again, small world. As I continue to travel and meet people, I do find that my worlds collide in the most positive way. I love that!
Today, I am hoping to attend a yoga class, clean my house and iron my work clothes. Maybe meet the WP later for lunch. I am in desperate need of new running shoes and casual shoes. I flirt with the return of plantar fasciitis on a daily basis due to my love of barre classes and beating up my calves. If only I could pay more heed to my calves and foam rolling them. I do have a foam roller and another tool to aid my feet. I need to add this to the regimen in the a.m. which includes coffee, brushing teeth and taking vitamins. I cannot stop going to barre classes. I won't. Although, I do not enjoy plantar fasciitis. It hurts and debilitates me and my ability to walk, work, enjoy life. I should be more kind to my calves.
Yoga helps and inspires. Off to greet the day!
Saturday, April 8, 2017
events and my love of carrot cake
That race was fun. I sort of dreaded it since I had not been running for almost a year. Still after we began I remembered how much I do, in fact, enjoy running. Plus, after the race, they treated us to two beers at the Expo which was nice and necessary.
Of course while running that event, my friends and I contemplated other races we could participate in. A 10k is probably the best event in my opinion. It is the ideal distance and time. I enjoy half marathons but they require a little more of a commitment. A full marathon is a beast which I do not know that I will ever take on again. I have not yet performed a 5k and do not know if I ever will. So, we considered other events this year. I want to sign up for a half or a 10k to motivate me to begin another running regime.
In the meantime, I discovered an event and have signed up for it. The Lemon Climb is our next event. The goddess and I are participating in a non running event. Or, actually, we could try to run some of the flights of stairs. I doubt we will run 43 flights of stairs. I don't want to do it, haha! We are fundraising as well. This is a really great cause and I love how it evolved. I love that a little girl came up with a lemon stand as a way to raise money to fight cancer. Her determination and efforts created the lemon climb events which are held, annually, in cities around the U.S.
It was good. I prefer a little more frosting. I liked the presentation and it was moist. I don't love that word but it is appropriate it this case. It was a great conclusion to our meal there.
I am off to hit a Barre class (further way to combat the sugars I ingest). I will not cut wine out of my diet. Or carrot cake for that matter. So, I invest time and energy into barre and yoga classes. I am teaching the mini tomorrow at my house. I am finding more instructors at my gym that I like. Thankfully. And they have offered more classes during the day which are inspiring me to attend more of the classes. It's finally coming together! Or, I suppose, I am making more of an effort to go to the gym. I want to find TRX classes nearby my house. That would be the ultimate workout. More and more studios are offering these classes. I took my first TRX class in Santa Fe. I wish that studio was here. I loved the energy, the music and it was a kick ass class! I might venture down, again, to take another class at Temple and Tribe. Epic workout.
Off to begin my day. Cheers!
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
friends and connections
Yesterday, I taught my sous chef yoga. We have been practicing together for six weeks or thereabouts. It is fun to work with him and see how his practice is growing. A novice to yoga it's been inspiring me to work on my cues and language. When I work with Brie or Matt, I can say the posture and they know what it is. I do not need to cue them to get them where I would like. So it is a nice to work with a mix of people with different levels of yoga experience. And, working with Ernesto enables me to cue the headstand or incorporate some of the astanga postures into my flow. I do enjoy that very much.
After our session, he treated me to brunch. Fewer options are available during the week but we managed to enjoy some creole fare. I was a little shocked that Ernesto opted to drink a Sazerac to start the brunch sequence. I mean, that is fierce. I chose a grapefruit mimosa. Seemed more my speed and safer to start my day off. I did laundry, took a nap, read my book before meeting Hung for some afternoon Pho. My former manager and friend, he and I meet every few months to catch up and enjoy some Vietnamese food. Eventually, we will move onto a banh mi but for now, traditionally, we find a different noodle shop in the metro area. Yesterday, it was perfect as it was rainy and an eat soup kind of day. I enjoyed the pho but have had better in other restaurants. I always look forward to my lunch dates with Hung.
Speaking of Vietnam and food....in 2011, I met Shari in Belize for our annual trip. My flight arrived a day before hers and so I took the water taxi from Belize City to Caye Caulker. The boat was jammed with other people also trying to get to the islands. I started talking to these two couples and found out that they, too, were mid western and planning on spending 9 days in Belize. I mentioned that Shari was meeting me and so they invited me to dinner that first night.
Fast forward to now, I keep in touch with one of the couples--Jackie and Brian. They visited me in Phoenix when I lived there. They visited for spring training and met me for dinner. Again, we had a pleasant time--great food, conversation and a few beers. We are friends on facebook and so I see where they travel and likewise.
Last year, I spent three weeks in Southeast Asia with Shari. We toured northern Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. I arranged travel through another friend of mine, Shana, since she had recently spent time in these countries. From Shana's connections, I had a tuk tuk driver in Siem Reap and a place to stay in Hanoi. And, Shari and I formed a friendship with a server we met in Hoi An. Jackie contacted me last August inquiring about my Vietnam adventure. I put her in touch with Luan and Bao, immediately, after she mentioned that she and her husband were heading to Vietnam for a vacation. Thankfully they were able to meet Luan and Bao on facebook. On Sunday, Jackie sent me a photo of her and Brian with Bao and his wife enjoying lunch in Hoi An. It made me so happy to have been able to connect these amazing people. And all due to random conversations and travel. I love travel!
I look forward to hearing about their trip at some point in the near future. Maybe they will visit me in Denver. Or, maybe I will see them in Mexico sometime soon. It was awesome! I am off to celebrate another day off. It is gloomy here. Green chile sounds delicious or perhaps another bowl of Pho.....
After our session, he treated me to brunch. Fewer options are available during the week but we managed to enjoy some creole fare. I was a little shocked that Ernesto opted to drink a Sazerac to start the brunch sequence. I mean, that is fierce. I chose a grapefruit mimosa. Seemed more my speed and safer to start my day off. I did laundry, took a nap, read my book before meeting Hung for some afternoon Pho. My former manager and friend, he and I meet every few months to catch up and enjoy some Vietnamese food. Eventually, we will move onto a banh mi but for now, traditionally, we find a different noodle shop in the metro area. Yesterday, it was perfect as it was rainy and an eat soup kind of day. I enjoyed the pho but have had better in other restaurants. I always look forward to my lunch dates with Hung.
Speaking of Vietnam and food....in 2011, I met Shari in Belize for our annual trip. My flight arrived a day before hers and so I took the water taxi from Belize City to Caye Caulker. The boat was jammed with other people also trying to get to the islands. I started talking to these two couples and found out that they, too, were mid western and planning on spending 9 days in Belize. I mentioned that Shari was meeting me and so they invited me to dinner that first night.
Fast forward to now, I keep in touch with one of the couples--Jackie and Brian. They visited me in Phoenix when I lived there. They visited for spring training and met me for dinner. Again, we had a pleasant time--great food, conversation and a few beers. We are friends on facebook and so I see where they travel and likewise.
Last year, I spent three weeks in Southeast Asia with Shari. We toured northern Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. I arranged travel through another friend of mine, Shana, since she had recently spent time in these countries. From Shana's connections, I had a tuk tuk driver in Siem Reap and a place to stay in Hanoi. And, Shari and I formed a friendship with a server we met in Hoi An. Jackie contacted me last August inquiring about my Vietnam adventure. I put her in touch with Luan and Bao, immediately, after she mentioned that she and her husband were heading to Vietnam for a vacation. Thankfully they were able to meet Luan and Bao on facebook. On Sunday, Jackie sent me a photo of her and Brian with Bao and his wife enjoying lunch in Hoi An. It made me so happy to have been able to connect these amazing people. And all due to random conversations and travel. I love travel!
I look forward to hearing about their trip at some point in the near future. Maybe they will visit me in Denver. Or, maybe I will see them in Mexico sometime soon. It was awesome! I am off to celebrate another day off. It is gloomy here. Green chile sounds delicious or perhaps another bowl of Pho.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)