Aloha continued...

Our first day on Kauai. Straight to the beach.

View of us from the helicopter!

The famous wild chickens of Kauai. According to our helicopter pilot, these chickens were all displaced during a hurricane in 92. Since then, thousands of them have been born and they just roam the island free.

The Na Pali coast seen from our helicopter

Aloha!!!!!!!!!

Steady hand with the camera in the car. Welcome to Poipu!

View of the pool at the hotel.

View from the beach at our hotel

Secluded beach we found when we got lost. No matter though, as Kauai is an island and the highway stops at one point so you just have to turn around and go back. =)

The world famous Waimea canyon. The Grand Canyon of the Pacific!

Mound of chicken at Olympic cafe in Kauai

Kauai 3pm 80 degrees surfs

Kauai surf 3:00 pm 80 degrees and sunny

weekend update

Recap: Friday we went to see Zohan. I loves me some Adam Sandler and it is always good to have a mindless movie going experience once in awhile. Especially since Tim and I have been on a serious drama Netflix kick for awhile. Listen, nobody can make kicking a cat like a hackey sack and calling it "cat sack" like Adam Sandler.
Saturday I had to work a bit in the morning but the shift was pretty easy so the time went by quickly. I came home and had a bit of a nap. I'm trying to break my napping habit since I know that it will be tough once Tim and I have a baby. Then, we had the gang over for dinner. I have to say, I think that last night was one of the best times I have had in a long time. We went to the park downstairs and played ball games and Frisbee. Then, we had BBQ and S'mores on the grill. Drinks were a'plenty and tasty (so I hear, I've given up alcohol while we're trying). We played Catchphrase and of course the conversation got dirtier and dirtier as the night went on. Thanks to the gang for being so awesome and making the night so memorable. I love your dirty minds and your blank blank blanks. =) (Cheri your clue giving skills were awesome)
Today we had our parents over for Father's Day. Delicious food was enjoyed by all and now Tim is playing Metal Gear. I want to go to the pool with him but he is being a bit of a slack Alice (English term for someone who mopes about and doesn't want to do much), but I might go by myself anyway. It's too nice to be inside I think =)

Summer fun! Baseball in the park.

Afternoon zen courtesy of my parent's back yard.

Into the Wild

Dear Sean Penn,
Your movie is boring, shallow and pedantic. I'm going for a bath.

Ballgame! Yummy magheritas!

Line for Indy 4. We are first!

Sexy alligator courtesy of Capers

This weekend's events....

The downside of maintaining a license. At least we are at hotel
Valencia.

Watch out food network! I'm on my way!

I am Iron Man

Tim and I went to see Iron Man last night. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time, by far. Of course it does help that Robert Downey Jr. is super hot and looks great in this movie. It made me think about the days he was on Ally McBeal and how much Sarah and I loved him. Then he went all druggie crazy and wound up getting fired. Boo. However, he seems to have made a nice recovery. Definitely a buy.

In other movie news, I have Gone Baby Gone sitting in our drawer. I've had it for several weeks now but I just can't seem to bring myself to watch it. I know that it's supposed to be such a great movie, however, I just don't seem to be in the mood for such a serious topic. I think that we'll have to watch it today though before Tim gets mad =) We just watched Sweeney Todd as well. I love musicals and found that the music in this movie was fantastically difficult. Those who know music and can read music will appreciate the complexity of the score. I know that some of you are thinking how could I watch this movie considering it is about throat slashing and gore etc. Please note, this is Tim Burton! I love his movies (strange) especially Corpse Bride. He is always over the top and super fake so it didn't bother me too much. I think however that this really is a broadway show and not really meant for a movie, so I'm adding it to my list of stage shows I'd like to see. I have to give props to Johnny Depp though as his singing was actually quite good considering he doesn't read music at all. =) I would recommend this movie for musical buffs mostly. I think most people might be put off by it. If you've seen it, let me know what you think!

facebook

I've given in. I'm over to the dark side. Come find me on Facebook.

I predict 3-1 win!

Hairdo!!!!!

Finding a good hair person can be hard these days. I had a really good girl and then all of a sudden she upped and left for San Diego. No warning, No goodbye, Nothing! So, I had to get a new girl. I stayed at the same place and went to the girl that has been cutting my mom's hair. I needed to get my hair highlighted too, so needless to say I was nervous. It's always scary when someone new works on your hair, especially when they are working with chemicals that could cause blindness if spilled in your eye. Anyhoo, in the end, she did an awesome color job and gave me a great haircut. I'm quite excited. I will definitely be going back to her.

today

Tim and I met with our potential OB today. I really liked her and felt she was on the same page as me. She seems very relaxed and sees pregnancy not as a "medical" issue, but just as a great part of life. I'm looking forward to working with her. She said the average time to get pregnant is now 6-9 months. Hmm...maybe we need to start trying earlier? =) Tim will be happy to know this...

Musings on the future

I was thinking the other day that come Christmastime, the traditional O'Connor Disneyland trip will roll around and I will probably be pregnant. What does that mean? Am I relegated to Peter Pan and rides such as that? No more California Screamin? No more Indy? Hmm....My mum actually said "maybe we won't go". Blasphemy! Sacreligious! Can't even fathom it....=)

However, thinking about the future some more, I realize that I might be pregnant for Tim's sister's wedding (Early); but for sure for Mike's wedding and for the Christmas party and for New Year's. I will say that I'm excited to be the sober driver though as I'm expecting a great drunken dancing show performed by Tim while Mike takes more of Eric's clothes as Eric angrily argues with himself for hiccuping. Ahh good times!

Happy Friday Everyone! Beware of boogie woogie sheep!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone. I hope you all have a nice weekend and enjoy some time with your families. Wonder what they serve at Hooters for Easter? (B, any specials?) Can't wait to get some chicken strips.....mmmm...ranch dressing (or maybe blue/bleu cheese) Who's with me?

A bit of the motherland

I have a new love in the "girly" area of life. Boots No. 7 face wipes from Target are fantastic. For those of you who don't know, Boots is like the Target of England except we call it the "chemist". Anyway, Boots has a lot of products at Target now and I know that both my cousin and aunt use these face wipes and love them. I decided to give them a try as I had been using neutrogena wipes but felt they were hurting my eyes. The Boots wipes are very gentle and have a nice smell to them as well. They are great for using right before you fall into bed when you can't be bothered to take your makeup off. Try them. You won't be dissappointed. =)

Living in California

As I sit here at Panera on a Monday afternoon, it is quite clear that despite the high cost of living, crowding and pricey gas, California is a great place to live. I'm working outside, in the sun, in March! Some of the country still has snow! What???? God Bless, Podunk Wisconsin! Bring them some sun!

Not bad for 30 minutes

zzzzz........

This weekend I slept for a total of 22 hours from Friday night til Sunday night. I think that it was greatly needed. Tim is a little in shock that I can sleep so much but I really needed it and still could have slept more I think.

In between my sleeps, I got all of our bills organized. With this being a leap year and all I totally forgot that the mortgage was due etc.....Fortunately, we have until the 15th to pay our mortgage so a few days late is ok.

I have rediscovered my love for diet 7up. As most of you know, I've been trying to cut down on my caffeine intake so that when I get pregnant it won't be too hard to cut out. Also, there has been quite a bit of research lately about caffeine making it harder to get pregnant as well, so I think it's best to cut it out as much as I can. As far as soda goes, 7up seems to have the least chemical content and the most "natural" ingredients. It's also super refreshing. I recommend it as a great middle of the night parched mouth drink as well. Yum yum.

Good news everyone

We don't owe the taxman any money. Yipee. We are thinking of paying off Tim's cars with the money we are getting back and then buying a new car at the end of the year. This will allow us to save a little more for a down payment. So now comes the question of what type of car we should get. What do you think, loyal readers?

This.....is American Idol

What is it about Ryan Seacrest that just ruins everything? =) Anyway, while American idol is on in the background, I thought I would do a quick post. Didn't get a chance to go to the gym today as I went up to see the mega mansion in Fremont (and the parentals too). Overall, I feel pretty good and I'm not sore. I'm not too out of shape, surprisingly enough. =)

Tomorrow Tim and I are going to see our tax guy. Fingers crossed we get money back this year instead of owing a buttload like last year....

back in the saddle again

Today was my first day back exercising after taking a break due to my prolonged lung/nose ickyness. It felt good to get back on the elliptical again. My legs are a bit sore but overall I feel pretty good. I think that a good nights sleep is in the air...=)

Oh yeah, I wanted to add to my list of non-resolutions from the beginning of the year:
-Take more weekend trips with my husband

Will keep you posted at we travel a bit more this year. =) First stop, hopefully, Tahoe.

iPhone v4

Yes, you read the title correct. I'm now on my 4th iPhone. On Thursday night, at La Fondue, i wanted to take some pictures. So, I turned on the camera and the screen turned green, like night vision. Bummer. When we got home, I made an appointment for the next day to talk to someone at the genius bar at Valley Fair. When I got there, the guy said "I have to talk to my lead repair guy." So, he disappears into the back for about 5 minutes and then comes back and says that they can't replace it because of "cosmetic damage". "You must have dropped it so many times that the leads to the camera are loose." That'll be $250 to fix it. UMMMMM No. Anyway, long story short, I got him to give me a new phone in the end. I think it might be a refurb but I don't care because the camera works. So yes, I'm now on my 4th phone. Let's all pray this is the last one.

Thanks to Tim

As per his blog, Tim is a great cook! It's true that our meals have been a little less than nutritious over the past few days (half a pint of S'mores Ben and Jerry's). I love that he does the shopping and most of the cooking though. But he's right, how can I work 2 jobs and cook as well? Plus, he is getting to be quite the "Jamie Oliver". (That's what I call him in the kitchen) What exactly is a "knob" of butter, anyway?

As a side note, we are going to La Fondue tomorrow. And yes, my taste has returned. =) I'm excited about celebrating Valentine's Day on the actual day. And yes, I know that it is an over-commercialized day, but I'm really looking forward to it. Melted chocolate, here I come!

Wild Kingdom

So, the hamsters have been fighting all night. We can't tell if they are playing or if they are really fighting. It all began when Tim put new food into their cage....Hmm....don't know if they are trying to establish dominance or what but it's a little be unnerving as they "scream" when they fight. Eek! They seem to have calmed down now as Tim scattered their food all over the cage. Let's hope this episode of Wild Kingdom was enough...

PS- this you tube video is not of our hamsters but this is what it looked like:

I did it!

Yes folks, the short hair has arrived. Now I told some people that I would cut my hair when I got pregnant, but let me go on the record to say that I am NOT pregnant (yet). I'm just too lazy to style long hair. There, I said it. A weight has been lifted (literally).

The O'Connor sickness, end of month 1

Yes it is true. We have been sick for 1 month now. I'm almost completely back to normal, I just can't taste or smell certain things. It's super frustrating as I love food! Eating is kinda frustrating when you can't taste it. It better be back by the 14th as we're going to La Fondue and I want to taste every pricey morsel! =)
On a side note, I've decided to cut my hair. I think that I have finally come to terms with the fact that I need to cut it as it is getting unmanageable now. I wanted to grow it out until I got pregnant but I don't think I can last any longer =) We shall see. I might lose my nerve!
I will update after I go to the hairdresser.........stay tuned!

Good news everyone

After breakfast this morning, Tim and I decided that we wanted to get new hamsters right away as the den is so empty without Cocoa. So....we trekked down to petsmart to check out our options. We narrowed the field down to a breed called robo hamsters and winter whites. (Tim wanted mice or a rat, but they just were a bit to ugly for my liking. Plus, one of them mooned me quite blatantly so....) They didn't have any russians in groups of 2 or more and we knew we wanted at least two so we had to pick something else. The robos were SUPER tiny and seemed a bit too feisty for us. It actually said on the cage that if they got loose you would never catch them.
So, winter whites for us. Evidently, if the weather is consistently dark, they turn white. Right now they a little grey with white tummies. So cute. Pictures to follow. Oh yeah, their names are nibbler and squeak. =)

Our fat little friend

Cocoa our hamster died last night/this morning. She was all snuggled up in her bedding with her eyes closed. =( Good way to go, I guess.

Don't make resolutions....set goals for 08

I read this quote today and liked it: "concrete goals don’t evaporate in the face of adversity, hardship or laziness. Resolutions are broken — and usually abandoned — with one misstep; goals are such a long journey that bad footwork days are to be expected. There have been goals that have taken several years to accomplish but that have been achieved over time."

What are your goals for 2008? Mine are as follows (in no particular order)
1) Be more efficient in my job so I don't have to work so hard
2) Continue my exercise/eating plan and lose 7 more pounds (10 lost already).
3) Read more non-fiction books
4) Break my habit of leaving piles of papers and bills on the kitchen counter
5) Limit procrastination of any kind in all aspects of my life (note I didn't say completely stop)
6) Enjoy my parents new house/mansion (pretend it's my summer home in the Hamptons)
7) Prepare (as much as possible) to get pregnant
and lastly just for Bee-
8) Feel great in the 08! =)

Happy New Year to you all. I hope that all of your hopes and dreams come true this year....

Christmas Party 2007...for all u peeps who couldn't make it!

The evening starts out well!

Please note Mike's Chevrolet headband, courtesy of the white elephant! Sexy!

If you fall asleep early, people will write on you!

Tea bag hat for life!

Angry manly dancing

Retirement

My dad is retiring from Varian on Friday. This day has been coming for a long time but it seems so surreal now. =) The timing is good, as their house is nearing completion with the construction and my dad needs to be there everyday. It has been a rocky road. The contractor actually boarded up the house one day and my parents had to call the police....Crazy! But, in the end, the house is almost done and it is so beautiful. I will post pictures when I get the chance. But really, it looks like a house on MTV Cribs. I think this time will be rough for my dad, as his identity is changing and his priorities will be different. But I think that it will be good, as a lot of stress will be taken off him. Anyway, just wanted to keep you all posted.

Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope u r all stuffing yourselves soundly. I already have my sweats on. =) Just wanted to let everyone know how thankful I am to have you in my life. Now, it's time for the dog show on TV. Love that dog show....

Pictures from SF Zoo

Pic of my cousin and I in front of the African Safari section

Madagascar reinactment. All hail the New York Giants!

I love these prairie dogs. They were all snuggled together for sleep. So sweet!

Here I am attempting to direct the goats away from me. I'm failing miserably. They tried to eat my shirt. Goat bastards.

update

Hello all,
I haven't written much about my recent exploits in exercise but I just wanted to share my success. I have lost 8 pounds in the past 6 weeks. My goal is another 9 pounds for a total of 17. Once I get to my goal weight, I will see where I am at and maybe I'll lose some more. But anyway, I'm excited as I haven't felt this good in a long time. I've been exercising and eating well, with good support from Tim (who is doing well himself) and a few other people. Anyway, I just wanted to update and like I said, share my success.

I'm still alive

Hello gentle readers,
I apologize for the lack of posting over the past few weeks. As always, work (both jobs) has gotten a little hectic. I have been covering for another girl at my second job so that has taken up a lot of my time.
I have pictures to post from last weekend when Tim and I went downtown for the rock and roll marathon and to see the Bodyworlds exhibit at the Tech. I promise, I will get them posted ASAP.
Sharks won last night. 49ers better win today. Woot.

A dangerous trio

Proof that Cheri steals our iPhones (and other things)

A Ha! Cheri steals another iPhone...Please note Tim's new boat shoes. Thank you.

Picture from the reunion last weekend. Best party in a long time. Pic of Tim and I from the wedding we went to yesterday. I need new sunglasses.

Have you ever?

8 have you evers
1. Have you ever dated a best friend: yes, and I married him too
2. Have you ever skinny dipped: no, but I'd like to (with the right people)
3. Have you ever kissed somebody and regretted it: yes, and I've also regretted not kissing someone too.
4. Have you ever lost someone you loved: sure
5. Have you ever been dumped: no
6. Have you ever been lost: not recently
7. Have you ever run away: No, but I've walked away
8. Have you ever lied: yes

Random pics

When are we going? My blood levels of cherry limeade are drastically low.

See you November 15th Mickey! I'm ready for my snow.

One year from this Christmas, Tim and I are going to start working on our family. Hopefully he/she won't look like this composite photo from Dave and Busters mommy what will I look like?

Spider pig, Spider pig

Today Tim and I went to Burke Williams spa for facials and massages to celebrate our anniversary. I love it there. Both therapists told Tim he needed to have a massage and a facial every month. What? Will they be paying the bill too? =) This is a luxury people!
Anyway, after our excellent morning we went to see the Simpsons movie. Tim and I of course are huge Simpsons fans and were really looking forward to this movie. It was pretty funny and they really took advantage of the PG-13 rating...as an example, they do a big scene about Bart getting naked and skateboarding through the town and they do a great job of covering up his bits and pieces. Of course, just when you think it's over they show everything. Nothing spruces up your Saturday like animated balls. =)
Oh yeah, in regards to the title of this post, go onto iTunes and look up the soundtrack to the Simpsons movie and play the track called "Spider pig". Enjoy!

Two happy years in 9 days

Boo

We had to have our hamster honey put down last night. We think she fell and broke her back. When we got home she was all curled up in a ball and not moving. We took her to the vet and they said it was best to just help her go to sleep. Sad times in the O'Connor household.

rat-patootie

Tim and I went to see Ratatouille today. It was very cute although not the best Pixar/Disney combo as of late. Tim and I went to lunch after and spent the whole time talking about old vs new Disney cartoons. I miss the old Disney films like Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, where you knew all the words to the songs. I think that Pixar and Disney now make movies that try to appeal too much to the parents to keep them interested and that they pride themselves on having clever and witty dialogue rather than a good basic story and great music. It also seems to be about how many famous people they can have in their movies. How is it that all of us at 28 years old can sing the words to "part of your world" from The Little Mermaid? Beacuse it was a great movie with great music. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the new Pixar movies. But nothing will ever replace classic Disney for me. And just in case you are wondering, my favorite Disney movie is the Hunchback of Notre Dame (I know, obscure right =))

December 1963 (Oh what a night)

So I went to see Jersey Boys in the city today with my parents. I grew up listening to Frankie Valli so I was excited to see the interpretation of the life of the Four Seasons. So....Jersey Boys is one of the best musicals I have ever seen and I've seen a lot: Cats, Les Miz (2x), Phantom (3x), We will rock you, Lion King...this one is rapidly becoming one of my favorites. The actors were all wonderful. The singing was unbelievable. The guy that played Frankie had a falsetto just like him. It was a really great show and so much fun to listen to. I'm for sure buying the soundtrack!
Now, if I can only stop going round the house singing..Sheeeeeeeeeerrrrrrry baby! (Sherry baby)

Jesus phone is here

iPhone has arrived. It is everything I hoped it would be. So exciting to use and so easy! I can't say enough good things about it. Rush out now and buy one! =)

Age of Love

Are you watching Age of Love on NBC? It's fabulous! The 40 year olds vs. the 20 year olds. The best thing about the show is the fact that they keep mentioning the ages..and one chick is only 39...last time I checked, 39 was not 40. =) Anyhoo, it's a greatly trashy show. Two thumbs up. Set your Tivo!

A trip down memory lane

For Bee

Our Disney Adventure

When Califoria Adventure first opened, it was kind of the ugly stepsister of the Disneyland Resort. However, it has turned into a really fun place to go. The roller coaster is so much fun and I have actually become a fan of the sunwheel that you see in the picture below.

We went on the cars that don't swing so I was happy. For those who haven't been to this park, this ferris wheel has three kinds of cars. The non-swinging types (good for me), mildly swinging and super swinging. The moving ones slide and rock back and forth. Yuck =(
Here is the roller coaster taken from the car of the ferris wheel. High up!
A nice clear shot of the new submarines. Detailed description to follow! =)

Year of a million dreams

As you can see, the Big Thunder Railroad mountain is perfectly set against the beautiful sky. Mind you, this picture was taken at 9:30 in the morning. Gotta love California.

I couldn't resist taking this picture of Tim in A Bug's Life land. I loved Dennis Leary as the ladybug and I thought this pose was perfect!

In this Bug's Life area in California Adventure, they have a lot of free running water to help you cool off. I really liked this garden hose and wound up running underneath it to get soaked. It's so much fun to watch all the kids go crazy. Although, the best part was watching some "cool" teenage kid try to duck the shooting water only to be hit squarely in the crotch. Love that Disney magic!

The groundskeeping staff never fails to amaze me.

Here is the new Monorail paint job to advertise the new subs. Snazzy!

Yo Ho Yo Ho!

Hello all! We have returned from Disneyland. I have ruined my feet and can barely walk but it was totally worth it. The weather was scorching but gorgeous. I will be adding more pictures in a bit so just bear with me! =)
Here Tim and I are in line for the Finding Nemo submarines. We waited 2 hours for this ride, but we just couldn't leave without going on it. I must say, it is a very cool ride. The beginning section is just like the old ride, with lots of fake fish and divers floating around. However, when you go through the cave, it gets really dark and there are scenes from Nemo being projected on screens underwater. It is so cool. I couldn't figure out how they did it, but I guess that is part of the Disney magic.
For those of you who haven't seen the lagoon in awhile, this is what it looks like now overhead from the Monorail!

The nose plays

Today B, Tim and i went to see Ocean's 13. I think I liked this one the best. The first one was fun because of the plot but this one was written better and had more subtle comedy. The title of this blog post comes from some witty dialogue regarding the fake nose that Matt Damon wears to con someone. Anyway, I highly recommend this movie. It is much better than the second one so don't let that one put you off this series. Go out and see it.

For Password and Threenuts: Here is your update!

This weekend was really great. I had a great dinner on Saturday night and then had a very sucessful day of shopping on Sunday. Sarah and I went to Gilroy. I haven't been there for yonx so it was really fun to go. Oh, I should back up though. Before going to Gilroy, Sarah and I went to a designer denim sale. I went along even though I knew I wouldn't be able to fit into any of the womens jeans. However, I did find success in the mens section. I have taken to wearing mens jeans lately as they seem to be the only pants that actually have a rise. Anyhoo, I bought a pair of Paper Cloth and Denim (I know Bee, I know) jeans that were originally $250 but sold for $50. Steal! After trying on these pants, I now know why these jeans cost so much. They are so soft and feel totally worn in already. I love a good bargain! Ok, so back to Gilroy. I bought two pairs of new flip flops from J Crew that are totally prepster, but I love them. Then, I found a great Coach purse. I've never been to the Coach outlet there, but it's awesome! People were buying 4 or 5 purses at a time, but I just got one. I also bought Tim a new wallet. I think my shopping day was a great success!