Countdown

I think I'm getting a little panicky over my Christmas knitting. I really really want to knit some hats for Josh and Tyler's teachers. The only problem is that Josh has a team of teachers and aides which number up to 10-12 people. Unfortunately there is no way I can knit hats for all those people and live my normal life. So I'll just try to knit for his primary class teacher and aides and hope for the best. I need to have them finished by Dec. 20th or whatever the last day of class is.

I did finish my MIL's vest so that is complete. I just need to finish the second sock and everyone else will have to wait. Ah, my intentions were very good but somehow time got away from me these last couple of months.

This weekend I do to need to gather all my pics for the calendar project that I put together for family and friends. Thankfully Costco is pretty fast at printing them but I want to get that out of the way to concentrate on knitting.

My wish list for Christmas this year is fairly simple (to me). My SIL Lupe always says that Hector and I are VERY difficult to shop for during the holidays. I will always be extremely happy with

1. itunes cards: I love being able to click on music and movies. Sure I can charge the amount to my credit card but it's nice to have an account with some $$ in it so I feel better about spending. Does that even make any sense?
2. iPod touch: I know, me of all people do not NEED another iPod but something about this one looks extremely cool without the phone feature. That way maybe I can start whittling down my iPod arsenal to someone who can use it. Hector does not have an iPod (the shuffle doesn't count).
3. Joann gift cards: I wish the Knitpicks had gift cards but Joanns will do. I always will find a reason to go to this store and see what I can score.
4. Gift cards to bookstores (Borders or Barnes and Noble): Knitting is fun but I am always on the lookout for books to help me. Believe me, books are my first love and they complement all the hobbies that I pick up along the way.
5. a Spa package: a massage and facial would be absolute heaven.
6. A macro or wide angle lens: something new to play around with when the shutterbug in me wakes up.

That's my list which ranges to the simple to the extravagant. Some of these may sound boring or a cop-out but I really appreciate a gift card even though it doesn't take much thought for the giver. Okay, gotta run and knit some more. It was raining nicely this morning and after a fun romp in the rain to school, I'm enjoying being inside listening to the rain. We need it desperately this year after the fires and now will come the mudslides. But rain is good today.

A funny thing happened on the way to the airport

Today I was reminded of this story when I saw a man at the park walk to a bench, bend down and pick up a pair of glasses, telling me that he found where he lost his glasses. That was fortunate.

On Thanksgiving morning, Hector was driving to the Long Beach airport to pick up Carlos. He was in the process of changing his glasses to his prescription sunglasses when his cell phone rang causing Hector to fumble for the phone and somehow his glasses flew out the open window onto the 405 freeway! Yeah...they're gone. So now he has to use his back up pair that aren't as sharp and clear. I thought that maybe on the off chance the glasses might still be okay but it wouldn't be smart to run out on the freeway looking for some glasses.

So maybe next time you're out on the 405 freeway in the South Bay and you hear a crunch...maybe you found Hector's glasses!!

Catching Up

I hope that your Thanksgiving weekend was filled with lots of food and joy. My weekend was nice and relaxing. I picked up all the fixings for our Thanksgiving feast on Wednesday plus and rib roast. All I had to do was heat everything up and put the roast in our rotisserie (set it and forget it) and make parmesan mashed potatoes (which was a great hit). Thanks to T for the recipe!

My cousin made all sorts of dessert goodies so we had plenty to choose from. Yum!

The rest of the weekend was spent lazing around eating leftovers and playing Guitar Hero 3. You Rock!! I did manage to go to Joanns on Black Friday to scoop some yarn for my MIL's vest which is 2/3 done. The shopping part was super easy (5 minutes) but the wait in line was super long. It probably took me 45 minutes to get to a register. Thank God for iPod...I just listened to K & B radio show on it and the time flew by! After that I didn't want to set foot in a store for a while.

We did get a call from our friend Mark whose wife Nicki is expecting a baby boy next month. She wanted to know where Hector got a certain sandwich for her a few weeks ago because she was craving it desperately!! :) It is THE BEST SANDWICH IN THE WORLD...a Godmother at Bay Cities Deli. Being the nice guy he is, Hector went up to Santa Monica the next day and picked 3 sandwiches for Mark and Nicki and some for us too. Yum! So everyone was happy!!

I'm Back

I arrived about 90 minutes ago from a relaxing and fun trip to Vegas. I did manage to win about $300 overall so that made my stay enjoyable with plenty of money to bring back home. We took a quick peek into the Planet Hollywood Casino and it is very nicely done. It's nice to see that Vegas to coming back to the sleek, glamourous look instead of the cheesy, kitschy, theme hotels like Excalibur.

We stayed at the very nice Paris hotel and we pretty much hung out in the general area. The cafe there is a little pricey but everything I had was delicious especially the Cobb salad. The only awful part is the drive home and hitting traffic delays up to 90 minutes where we travelled about 5 miles.

Hector stayed home with the boys and now I have to gear up for the Thanksgiving festivities. Tomorrow will be a busy day so if I don't get back to post tomorrow...Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2nd Attempt

Okay, this is easier to see the watercolor effect which looks cool. Now I can add poseur artist to photoshop amateur.

Aritistic Attempts

Too bad it is hard to see the differences in the 2 pictures. The color adjustment is obvious but I used the dry brush along with pen & ink to make the photo look more like a watercolor. I don't know how to get a zoomed in close up but I like the results. I can make my blah flower pics look visually more interesting and vibrant. Ah, back to the drawing board....

Heat wave

My Gaawd, it was hotter today than it was yesterday. I was totally ready for winter or at least cooler temps and the weather had to flip flop to record heat! I'm trying to knit my Christmas presents and this totally ruins it for me (not really) but last week I did light a fire twice which put me in the mood. Right now I'm wearing a tank top and shorts with the ceiling fan on.

Enough of that bellyaching...Hector is on overnight call so I get the bed all to myself! At least until Josh wanders in sometime during the night. I had a fun Photoshop today so I'm off to practice. Maybe I'll create some cool examples for tomorrow....

Jedi Training Academy

Yesterday we headed on over to Disneyland and hung out in Tomorrowland for about 4 hours. The kids sat thru 2 showings of the Jedi Show where about 25 kids are picked to train to be a Jedi. The kids didn't get picked at the first show because we weren't very close to the front but I promised we would get to the next show earlier to get a better seat. Both boys were fascinated with the show and Tyler memorized the moves. The best part was watching all those kids fight either Darth Vader or Darth Maul and the look of these kids faces were priceless. Some of the kids had this look of shock but a Jedi was there to help them with their moves to win the battle.

Josh is really really into Star Wars so he was happy to go to another show and wouldn't you know it, he was picked! He wore his Jedi robe and was given his lightsaber. All the kids went through the moves then the bad guys arrived. The children divided up into 2 lines and either fought Darth Vader or Darth Maul. Josh fought Darth Vader and he did very good. My mom was impressed that he wasn't afraid! Tyler was a bit upset because he wasn't picked but I told him we have many other times to try (plus Tyler needs to wear a brighter shirt to get singled out).

Afterwards, the kids got their very own lightsabers so both were extremely happy. It was an unusually warm day so I was wiped out, the park was crowded so it was time to head home.

How Josh Would Look If He Was A Girl

CUTE!!!

My Quest

I hate my eyelashes. They are short, super fine and sparse. I avoided mascara for the longest time because it irritated my contact lenses/eyes. Lately, I found a nice mascara that wasn't clumpy and coated my lashes perfectly so that my lashes looked better and natural. That was okay for everyday use although I hated removing the mascara every night.

The other day when I was in the drugstore and I found a lash extension kit. These are individual lashes that you glue to your eyelashes and should last for weeks. I tried professional lash extension over a year ago and I loved the results but they didn't last the 4-6 weeks as stated. Mine lasted about 1-2 weeks and once they start falling out, it starts looking funny especially on me. So I was excited about the do-it-yourself kit for $12.99 versus $120 and up. I sat down one night and applied the lashes to my right eye. At first I was dropping lashes every time I tried picking them up with tweezers but soon got the hang of gluing the lash on once I switched tweezers. The result was nice. My lashes were super long and to me they looked fake but maybe it was just me. My gripe was the glue which dried clumpy and since I'm right handed, my right eye looke good while my left eye looked a little off. I decided to sleep on it and the next morning, the lashes on the left eye looked really droopy (maybe because I sleep on that side). I had a to use adhesive remover to get the lashes off and put them aside. Plus I was concerned that the adhesive would pull out what little lashes I had left. Too abrasive and semi-permanent I decided that since I had the patience to glue on individual lashes, I should try false eyelashes again.

Back to the drugstore....I found a pair that looked nice and not too gaudy. I put them on for our anniversary night and enjoyed how they turned out. Btw, Hector doesn't understand my eyelash envy at all but he is wise not to make any mean comments. :) So on special occasions, I'll bring out my falsies and bat my eyelashes coyly.

Knitting project

I finished this hat a while ago and it will be given to my niece in Maryland. She and her family will benefit the most of my knitted hats and I'm glad someone will enjoy them. I used a fuzzy bulky yarn which really shows the pattern well and I'm about halfway the same hat in a worsted weight but I'm not feeling it. It just doesn't have the same heft and softness so I'm setting it aside to decide its future.

At the beginning of my knitting frenzy, I was determined to make hats for all my friends and family. It's now November and that goal has been cut down dramatically. My top priority is to finish the second sock and knit a vest for my MIL. The sock is fine but the needles are so small and fine so I'm definitely procrastinating on that project. Plus I think it'll be easier to bring on my trip to Vegas this weekend.

I did start the vest and so far I like how it is turning out. Here is a picture of the yarn which looks pretty and calming. I hope she likes it.

11th Anniversary

Yesterday was our 11th wedding anniversary and it was a very nice day. Hector went in to work later than usual so he gave me part 1 of my present which was a Montblanc pen. Yeah! I really love pens...I usually had a nice variety for pharmacy work. I was forever using a pen to write prescriptions or initialling off prescriptions. Hector gave me a Montblanc before which I lost so I'm determined to keep this pen for a long time.

I gave Hector some tools (always a safe gift)...this time it was a bunch of drill bits. After he went to work I went to Target and found a travel duffle for Hector to replace his old one. It has served him for many years but it's time for a new one.

Later in the afternoon, Hector came home with part 2 of my gift. It was a gorgeous pair of diamond hoop earrings. I realized that I had pointed out the earrings to Hector a few weeks ago and he remembered! Well, it helps to let him know what jewelry I like or else no one is happy. :)
I took a picture of them but diamonds are extraordinarily difficult to photograph so you'll have to trust me that these are beautiful. Yay.

We had dinner at Arnie Morton's which was wonderful as usual. I had the Caesar salad, cajun ribeye, asparagus and creme brule. I have my leftover ribeye to enjoy tomorrow. :) After dinner we headed over to Hollywood Park for some horse racing and the concert afterwards featuring English Beat. We arrived right after the 6th race and I decided to place a bet on the 7th race. The race only had about 6 horses running but the information given began to confuse me so I chose the horse based on the jockey's name....Tyler. The odds were 8-1 but I bet $5 for the horse to win. And the horse won!! It was really exciting and I won $40. The concert afterwards was cool since only about 100 people hung around. We didn't stay very long but we heard I Confess so that was pretty cool. I really wanted to hear Save It For Later but we had to get home. Overall, we had a really fun anniversary and enjoyed our night out together.

Latest Trick

Today I decided to try out the latest Photoshop skill I learned and you can be the judge. Which is the original picture? I selected the outline of the boys and plopped it onto another picture. I can even adjust the scale to suit the picture.

Okay you probably picked the waterfall pic as the original and you would be right. That photo would not make sense if the kids weren't there in the corner but if you didn't see the original photo and saw my autumn leaves photo, it looks convincing doesn't it?

wednesday

I can't believe it! I went to the drugstore to buy a specific item and while shopping found all sorts of other necessary items too and then when I get home I realize that I forgot the original item I wanted. Ugh. I hate that when that happens.

I have a very busy day. I have my photo editing class then pick up Tyler and whisk him to swim class, rush home to get Josh off the bus then out the door for Tyler's soccer practice (which has been cancelled for the final 2 weeks on account of total darkness).

Our 11th wedding anniversary is Friday. Last year was more exciting because it was 10 years and I was anticipating my eternity band. This year is just eh, another year. :) Not sure what Hector has up his sleeve but I'm sure it includes a delicious dinner at Mortons. He is driving me crazy with his ability to tease me about my gifts while giving away no hints. Bah.

I agreed to have Thanksgiving dinner at our house since the kitchen is finished. We are going to order the dinner from Whole Foods again so all I have to do is heat it up. My aunt and her family will come so that is always lots of fun and maybe we can expect Carlos (Hector's brother) too. My only dilemma is that we have no dining table. We have a couple of folding tables that might get called into use or maybe I can wheedle one out of Hector very soon.

I will be heading out to Vegas next weekend with Kat and her parents for some fun. I can't wait. I should practice my video poker skills.

The picture above is Tyler as Simpson character. Pretty funny.

Smorgasbord

Who doesn't love some giant candy corn??

It has cooled off a bit here and I'm enjoying it. It feels good to curl up on the sofa and knit or take a nice brisk walk and enjoy the crisp air.

Profiteroles...a dollop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between a puff pastry swimming in chocolate sauce. YUM!!

Montmorency Falls

Okay, sorry for the lack of updates but I'm back and ready to get back to my routine. I didn't finish our Canada trip so this post will be about Quebec and our outing to Montmorency Falls. When we arrived in Quebec, we were given several brochures on various tours. I read that the falls was only about 7 miles from the city so I thought everyone would enjoy it. The brochures had the falls included but other destinations were included over a 4 hour period. Tours are nice but I don't like feeling rushed and the kids can get squirrelly too. The only tour offered with the falls was $120 for a family of four but Hector said he would be able to find an affordable way to the falls and cut out the other stuff. The concierge looked shocked that we wanted to find a bus and head up there on our own but Hector made some calls and found out what bus we needed to take.

So the next morning we headed out and managed to find the correct bus stop. We bought bus tickets at a convenience shop and got on the bus. Even though the falls aren't too far, the bus was crowded but started to thin out as we drove further than the city. Josh fell asleep so that was nice he would be refreshed once we got there. After 45 minutes we arrived at the falls and walked to the park with beautiful autumn foliage that led to a bridge that spanned the beginning of the falls. We stood on the bridge looking out and seeing all the water flow over the edge. Btw, the Montmorency falls boasts the fact that it is 90 meters taller than Niagra. Okay, true although I've never been to Niagra. There is several view points of the falls. a couple of lookouts at the side of the falls and another huge concrete lookout that is at the base of the falls which is constantly wet from the spray. To access this area from we were we had to walk through the park and reach the stairs and walk down. The only thing is there are about 500 steps....good thing we were heading down and not up! The kids were having a great time running around and checking out the waterfall. Tyler and Hector decided to go to the observation deck at the base so they walked down another set of stairs while Josh and I watched and took pictures. Hector brought an umbrella which shielded them from the spray but they still managed to get very damp. Once we joined them at the bottom we walked to the main building where cable cars carry people back up to the other side of the falls and we rode the cable car up. Once we got to the top, there is a hotel with a cafe so we stopped for a nice leisurely lunch (I don't think is such a thing as a fast lunch in Quebec). We calculated how much we spent on our do-it-yourself tour: the entrance to the falls = FREE, bus tickets (rountrip) = $18, cable car (one way) = $15 and lunch (food is pricey overall) = $70. Sure we spent almost as much as the tour but we spent 4 hours just at the falls taking out time and that alone was worth it.

The sun began to peek out later in the day but I must have took over a hundred pictures that day. We even saw rainbows!