til my vacation!! I can't wait. I already booked my campsites and hotel for the trip. I can't go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon since the road to it won't be open til May 15th. Darn. I will have to save that for another trip. I also can't go to Cedar Breaks National Park since THAT road is closed too! Oh well. This is my planned itinerary:
Saturday - Leave here around 4 or 5 am. Drive from Bakersfield to Valley of Fire State Park (about 50 miles from Las Vegas). See the sights...take pictures. Camp there overnight.
Sunday -Leave Valley of Fire State Park and drive to Zion National Park. Have reservations for Watchman Campground for 3 nights. Check out the scenery. Take in a few hikes.
Monday - leave really early from Zion and drive to Monument Valley (about 253 miles from Zion) - more picture taking....scenic drive tour of the park. After plenty of pictures have been taken and souvenirs bought, drive to 4 Corners Monument. I have always wanted to be in 4 places at one time - hehe. (4 corners is about 1-2 hours from Monument Valley)... drive back to Zion (this will be the longest drive of the trip probably)
Tuesday - Zion National Park - more hiking, picture taking, souvenir shopping at the Visitor Center...and some relaxation!
Wednesday - drive to Bryce Canyon (about 86 miles from Zion) - Have reservations at Bryce View Lodge for Wed and Thurs night - sight seeing, picture taking and finally a shower!!!!!! (no showers at Watchman Campground - I will be smelly by then - lol)
Thursday - all day at Bryce Canyon - hiking, sight seeing, souvenir shopping and more relaxation!!
Friday - packing it up and calling it a trip. Heading back to Bake-O. This might not be as long a drive as it will be on Monday (but long enough! about 549 miles!) , but undoubtedly will be the most exhausting. I might have to overnight it somewhere along the way..... perhaps Mojave National Preserve??? It's all up in the air from this point on.
I will post pictures from my cell phone here from time to time. Will try to do it daily (unless I have no cell service - lol).
I am seriously excited!!!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Decisions, decisions!
I am debating on where I should go first on my vacation. My original plan was to go to Valley of Fire State Park then to Zion National Park, then Bryce Canyon NP then to Monument Valley, then to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (no not all in one day!). But now, I am thinking maybe about hitting the North Rim first, then Monument Valley, Bryce, Zion and then Valley of Fire. Hmmm....I want to hit all of those places (maybe throwing in Canyonlands NP or Grand Staircase NM if I have time and money - lol - I have my National Parks pass so at least I save money on the entrance fees - hehe). I dunno. We'll see which route I take. I have to figure this out by Friday, since I want to leave early Saturday morning. I am not normally a planning-out-my-trip kind of person. I am more of the play-it-by-ear type, but I have a week vacation, not 2 so I have to kind of plan it out. (I SHOULD have asked for 2 weeks!!!) I checked the weather, and it says it will be good, so I am crossing my fingers. I can't wait!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Once a nerd, always a nerd - hehe
You are a Brainy Girl! |
 Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books. You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more. For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests. A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either! |
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Eye Doctor Woes
So, I went to the eye doctor on Thursday to get a check up, since I hadn't been to the optometrist since 2004. I had to get a prescription for contact lenses to reorder them since I needed a current presciption to get them refilled. No big deal. I should have done it a long time ago anyway, but I go to the opthomologist every 6 months so I thought everything would be ok.
I was wrong.
Seems my eye doc found a cataract in my right eye. Now, my grandma had cataracts, but she was in her 80's when she had them. My dad has cataracts now, too, but he is in his 60's. I am freakin' 35 years old. I should not be getting cataracts at my age. F*cking A! The doctor even gave me this puzzled look, saying that it is not unheard of but not normal at all for someone my age to get cataracts, and that the opthomologist should have seen something when he examined my eyes last month. But he didn't mention anything to me about it. So what? Did it just pop up in the last few weeks? I hadn't noticed anything different about my eyes. But now that he told me, I do see a little bit of a reduction in sharpness in my right eye vs. my left. But maybe that is just cuz he brought it to my attention and that I am thinking of it all of the time. I don't know. He just told me that he wasn't going to do anything about it right now since my eyes are still 20/20 with contacts. Phew. I am just worried what it will be like down the road.
I know cataracts are common. Most people will eventually get them .... when they are 60 or 70. But it is just frustrating. I don't know if it has anything to do with medication or what not, but it is just one more problem to deal with. Grrrrr.
Anyway, I am still doing the happy dance over Stankaya getting kicked off of American Idol. At least that is one good thing that happened this week.
(have to think on thie brighter side of things, you know)
I was wrong.
Seems my eye doc found a cataract in my right eye. Now, my grandma had cataracts, but she was in her 80's when she had them. My dad has cataracts now, too, but he is in his 60's. I am freakin' 35 years old. I should not be getting cataracts at my age. F*cking A! The doctor even gave me this puzzled look, saying that it is not unheard of but not normal at all for someone my age to get cataracts, and that the opthomologist should have seen something when he examined my eyes last month. But he didn't mention anything to me about it. So what? Did it just pop up in the last few weeks? I hadn't noticed anything different about my eyes. But now that he told me, I do see a little bit of a reduction in sharpness in my right eye vs. my left. But maybe that is just cuz he brought it to my attention and that I am thinking of it all of the time. I don't know. He just told me that he wasn't going to do anything about it right now since my eyes are still 20/20 with contacts. Phew. I am just worried what it will be like down the road.
I know cataracts are common. Most people will eventually get them .... when they are 60 or 70. But it is just frustrating. I don't know if it has anything to do with medication or what not, but it is just one more problem to deal with. Grrrrr.
Anyway, I am still doing the happy dance over Stankaya getting kicked off of American Idol. At least that is one good thing that happened this week.
(have to think on thie brighter side of things, you know)
Friday, April 20, 2007
I love my macro lens
It was a little on the expensive side, but I love my macro lens. I just started playing around with it tonite, so this isn't the best example of what it can do, but oh well. I am just getting started. I focused on the rim on the candle in this picture, leaving the flame as a blur in the background. I love how the macro lens picks up the little details of the texture of the candle. It is just too cool. (By the way, this is one of those fabulous smelling Pier One Ginger Peach candles)
I can't wait to take more pics with it. Unfortunately, I didn't feel very well today and it was gloomy ouside anyway. But tomorrow it is supposed to be sunny ;)
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
And the results are in....
They finally voted right!!! Stankaya's going home! Stankaya's going home!! Praise the lord. Stankaya's going home!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Evil Dolls and Stankaya Sings Country
I watched a freaky movie tonite called Reincarnation. It was made by those Japanese dudes responsible for The Grudge. Oh good lord. It was definitely freaky. Not so scary, but definitely freaky. There were a few scenes that I will have nightmares over for weeks, and all of those scenes involve this freaky looking doll. Damn, I HATE scary movies with dolls in them. Ugh! Nightmare city!
But even the evil doll in the movie was not as scary as Stankaya singing country music. Yes, the Stank Man was up to his usual horrible singing this week on American Idol. While Haley was worse than him last week, there was no one worse than Stankaya this week. He was, to paraphrase Simon, "utterly horrendous." His rendition of "Something To Talk About" will definitely leave the voters with something to talk about. Just not anything positive to talk about. God he sucks. Please, for the love of all that is right and just, don't vote for him!
It was also a less than stellar night for Chris and Lakeisha. I normally like Lakeshia, but her rendition of "Jesus Take The Wheel" came out as more of a shouting match than a song. She can sing, but tonight she also proved that she can shout (which isn't good).
Jordin and Melinda were awesome (as usual). I didn't hear Phil sing (cuz I was watching the end of that freaky doll movie) but from what I caught at the end when the judges were talking, it must have been pretty good.
Blake was pretty good, but not his usual cool self.
My bottom 3 for this week: Stankaya, Chris and Lakeisha (surprise)
God, I hope Stankaya goes home!
On a unrelated note, damn, it is windy outside!
But even the evil doll in the movie was not as scary as Stankaya singing country music. Yes, the Stank Man was up to his usual horrible singing this week on American Idol. While Haley was worse than him last week, there was no one worse than Stankaya this week. He was, to paraphrase Simon, "utterly horrendous." His rendition of "Something To Talk About" will definitely leave the voters with something to talk about. Just not anything positive to talk about. God he sucks. Please, for the love of all that is right and just, don't vote for him!
It was also a less than stellar night for Chris and Lakeisha. I normally like Lakeshia, but her rendition of "Jesus Take The Wheel" came out as more of a shouting match than a song. She can sing, but tonight she also proved that she can shout (which isn't good).
Jordin and Melinda were awesome (as usual). I didn't hear Phil sing (cuz I was watching the end of that freaky doll movie) but from what I caught at the end when the judges were talking, it must have been pretty good.
Blake was pretty good, but not his usual cool self.
My bottom 3 for this week: Stankaya, Chris and Lakeisha (surprise)
God, I hope Stankaya goes home!
On a unrelated note, damn, it is windy outside!
Monday, April 16, 2007
One of the reasons I love a good telephoto lens
You can get up close pictures without actually being up close.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Let's go somewhere!
Your Travel Personality Is: The Adventurer |
 For you, travel is how you learn about the world. And you like to learn the stuff that's not in guidebooks. You truly have wanderlust. When you're not traveling, you're dreaming about where you'll go next. And your travels are truly legendary - they leave you with stories you'll be telling for the rest of your life! |
American Idol update
Once again, Stankaya stays. He wasn't even in the bottom 3 (again). But at least they sent Haley packing. She was almost as bad as Stankaya.
Hopefully, he will go away soon.
Mmmmm caramel
Caramel Frappuccino |
 Creative and expressive, you tend to match your Frappuccino flavor to your mood. And a flavored syrup is always a must! |
Monday, April 09, 2007
Busy (but fun) weekend - Very bad Monday
I LOVE my new camera. Holy sh*t. I would marry it if it were legal. Ok, well I wouldn't go THAT far, but I do love it.
Why else would I drive allllll the way up to Willows, CA (which is 372 miles from Bakersfield, by the way) just to take pictures??? Ok, maybe I didn't go up there just to take pictures. Everyone knows I am a nature buff. I love nature, wildlife and birdwatching. And what better excuse can there be to take a road trip than to go see some wildlife and take some pictures? I left the house on Saturday just before 7 am and got back home around 12:20 am on Sunday morning. Am I crazy? Perhaps. But I got some pictures and I saw some animals and birds I had never seen before. I will post some pictures eventually. I already posted a few in the "Things I have seen" album. But since I was sick today and hadn't felt well until now, I didn't get a chance to post very many.
I don't know what made me sick. Maybe it was the orange chicken I had at Panda Express last night. Maybe it was the combination of being exhausted beyond reason from driving over 800 miles in one day all by myself along with the very little food I had to eat over the last few days (I didn't eat anything until like 3 pm yesterday and that was just a bag of chips). I don't know what it was, but holy hell, I was sick today. My stomach was racked by cramps and nausea and I was shaking all over. And then there was the "other" thing which I won't discuss right here. Trust me, it was gross. I feel better now, but I still have a headache and my tummy is still feeling a little icky. No more orange chicken for me for a while!
Now, I must go to bed so I can go to work tomorrow. I don't like waking up early for work, but I would rather go to work than to go thru another day like today! Phooey to being sick. Phooey!!!
Why else would I drive allllll the way up to Willows, CA (which is 372 miles from Bakersfield, by the way) just to take pictures??? Ok, maybe I didn't go up there just to take pictures. Everyone knows I am a nature buff. I love nature, wildlife and birdwatching. And what better excuse can there be to take a road trip than to go see some wildlife and take some pictures? I left the house on Saturday just before 7 am and got back home around 12:20 am on Sunday morning. Am I crazy? Perhaps. But I got some pictures and I saw some animals and birds I had never seen before. I will post some pictures eventually. I already posted a few in the "Things I have seen" album. But since I was sick today and hadn't felt well until now, I didn't get a chance to post very many.
I don't know what made me sick. Maybe it was the orange chicken I had at Panda Express last night. Maybe it was the combination of being exhausted beyond reason from driving over 800 miles in one day all by myself along with the very little food I had to eat over the last few days (I didn't eat anything until like 3 pm yesterday and that was just a bag of chips). I don't know what it was, but holy hell, I was sick today. My stomach was racked by cramps and nausea and I was shaking all over. And then there was the "other" thing which I won't discuss right here. Trust me, it was gross. I feel better now, but I still have a headache and my tummy is still feeling a little icky. No more orange chicken for me for a while!
Now, I must go to bed so I can go to work tomorrow. I don't like waking up early for work, but I would rather go to work than to go thru another day like today! Phooey to being sick. Phooey!!!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
New camera - woo hoo!!!!!!!!
I bought myself a birthday present today. I got me a new digital SLR camera....
It is a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi - I have been playing around with it for a little while and already LOVE it. I also got a 75-300 mm lens and a 18-55 mm lens and a shutter release remote control. I spent a pretty penny on it, but hell. I am worth it I want a macro lens too, but that is gonna cost me another $400-$500. Maybe in a month or two....but I MUST have it - lol. I am such a nerd.
I smell a road trip coming on..... hehe
It is a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi - I have been playing around with it for a little while and already LOVE it. I also got a 75-300 mm lens and a 18-55 mm lens and a shutter release remote control. I spent a pretty penny on it, but hell. I am worth it I want a macro lens too, but that is gonna cost me another $400-$500. Maybe in a month or two....but I MUST have it - lol. I am such a nerd.
I smell a road trip coming on..... hehe
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
American Idol Night
In summary: Melinda rocked. Lakisha and Jordin were awesome. Blake and Chris were good. Gina was not bad. Haley and Phil were so-so. Sanjaya SUCKED.
My bottom 3: Phil, Haley and Sanjaya.
Who's going home: Phil. (Who SHOULD go home and should have gone home a long ass time ago: Stankaya)
I am turning 35 tomorrow, and the only thing that can take the sting out of having another birthday is to see Stankaya take his whiny voice and go the hell home already.
Please, make my birthday wish come true.
My bottom 3: Phil, Haley and Sanjaya.
Who's going home: Phil. (Who SHOULD go home and should have gone home a long ass time ago: Stankaya)
I am turning 35 tomorrow, and the only thing that can take the sting out of having another birthday is to see Stankaya take his whiny voice and go the hell home already.
Please, make my birthday wish come true.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Hop hop hoppity
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A Day in the Bay Area
I went on a day trip up to the Bay Area on Friday. You can see more pictures by checking out my other blog (click HERE).
Easter time!
My little guys are all ready for Easter!
Peanut's got his bunny ears on.
Peanut and Lil Oreo have found a lot of Easter eggs.
Peanut's surrounded by eggs.
Peanut's got his bunny ears on.
Peanut and Lil Oreo have found a lot of Easter eggs.
Peanut's surrounded by eggs.
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