A little bit of nature

We had a little getaway. It was fun even though we were rained on most of the weekend. We learned some things. One, our tent is waterproof. (YAY!). Two, Dottie prefers sleeping with me in my sleeping bag. (Note to self, bring extra blanket to cover Dottie.) Three, we own a ridiculous amount of camping gear. Four, our companions like to take LOTS of photos, but never share. (You know who you are.) Lastly, we need to get out of town more often.

Here are a few photos that Rob snapped.


The rain cleared and he snapped these.

No place like home

I go home to Virginia Beach quite frequently. I plan a visit about once every 3-4 months. I do it for several reasons. The most important of which is to see my family. As independent as I am, I miss bonding with them and spending time with them.

I also go back because I miss home. Long before I was Anne K. in L.A., I was Anne K. in VA. Choosing to go home because I miss the place is a huge leap for me. When I moved 5 years ago, I could not leave Virginia fast enough. Living in Virginia Beach was like squeezing into a sweater that's been washed too many times. It no longer fit and was no longer comfortable. I had a job that was going nowhere and an on again, off again boyfriend that couldn't commit to anything more than dinner.
Flash forward to the present, going home gives me perspective. I enjoy the contrast between Virginia Beach and Los Angeles. Virginia Beach is by no means a small town with one stoplight. It is, however, much smaller than L.A. The differences are more than just size. I adore the Southern sensibilities that are present in Virginia Beach. People are generally more helpful and friendlier than what you would find here in L.A. The cost of living is so much less. Premium gas was a whopping $3.05 a gallon. I don't even want to get started about real estate prices in L.A. versus Virginia Beach. The pace is also a lot slower. The hustle and bustle of the city is not there. Traffic is non-existent. Priorities are different.

Don't get me wrong. I won't be moving back to VA anytime soon. I just need a break from my L.A. life. After a while, the slowness is stifling and I'm bored. So, I'll stick to my 4 day jaunts. It keeps the romance fresh.

Home again , home again

I'm off for a trip to Virginia. I'm overdue for a visit with my family. I'll be back in a few days.

Here's a shot of Virginia Beach's boardwalk.

Hopefully, the weather will be as nice as it looks in this picture.

Houston Weekend Summary

Saturday

I slept in until 11AM. It was beautiful. Because it was so late, we had lunch instead of breakfast. Since Cicely knows me so well, we went to one of my favorite fast food places. I have a fried food addiction. We went to... Chick-fil-a! I love the waffle fries.

Photo by J.Reed

Photo by J.Reed

Afterwards, we did some shopping. I love Marshalls. I guess it's a suburban thing. I bought the cutest Tahari Gunmetal Peep-toe Platform Shoes. We then took a short drive to their new house.

I would show photos of the inside, but I think Cicely would be upset because all the photos I have are of the house unfurnished. It's small for Texas standards, but I think it's the perfect starter home.

We then went to Sushi at Ichibon to celebrate their moving into their new house. Gary and I shared most of the Sushi since Cicely has a fish allergy. She was able to enjoy some Ebi.

Lemon Roll - Salmon, Toro, and Spicy Tuna

Cicely's Ebi Nigiri
Our Shared Sashimi Platter

After dinner, we had some wine and watched movies like we did in college. Our wine escapades produced these photos.

Believe me when I say that Willie loved the attention and loved wearing the hat. Who knew a $5 hat would provide so much joy?

Sunday
We had lunch at Reggae Hut, an authentic Jamaican food establishment. It was a good hole-in-the wall. Gary's cousin Sheri joined us. After lunch, we went to the Houston Galleria. I was desperate need of some new make-up. We hit up Sephora and I was able to buy some Nars make-up. Being a true sugar fiend, we went to Dylan's Candy Bar. We took these pictures before going in.

I was sugar crashing so badly that I wanted to nap with this Chocolate Bunny

This concludes my weekend summary. Stay tuned for next weekend's adventures.

A short getaway - part 1

Image from Boeing website

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go...

Perhaps, "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by John Denver is a bit dramatic. For one, I knew when I'll be back again. I was only gone for 2 days, 2 nights. Secondly, I can't say that I hated to go to out of town without Rob. I'm of the school that a little absence makes the heart grow fonder. Or in my case, a little absence saves your sanity.

I took another trip to Houston to visit Cicely & Gary. I hadn't seen them since the wedding. They bought a new house and I was anxious to see it. My agenda was simple. I wanted a little shopping and relaxation.

Friday Night
The flight was fairly uneventful except for the whiny toddlers sitting behind me. Thankfully, they were unconscious after the 1st hour. The in-flight movie was "Daddy Day Camp". It's movies like that that make me glad that I like to read. I spent the entirety of my flight reading "The Time Traveler's Wife". The book was so engrossing that I read nearly half of it. Not bad for a 3.5 hour flight.

I arrived at 10:30pm, which did not leave us many options for food. Poor Gary was exhausted from work and was unusually silent. We stopped at Sonic near their apartment. I grabbed a burger, tater tots and a cherry limeade from Sonic. I love their ice. They used granulated ice cubes. I swear that they make the drinks colder faster. Gary went promptly to bed. Cicely and I spent the rest of the evening watching trashy Reality TV. I don't normally watch it on my own, but somehow I find it entertaining when I'm hanging out with her. I have no idea who comes up with these shows, but I always wonder where in the world they find the participants. I fell asleep watching that drivel. I wonder if it lowered my IQ.