The Final Days

The last few days on the ship... we cruised home! It was a few days full of book-reading, good-food-eating, show-watching relaxation.


I got in some awesome workouts and some time in the steam room that was world changing...

(*Note: when I build my dream house. It will have a small gym and a steam shower. But more importantly - a steam shower.)

There were wonderful family dinners.

(Our table mates were crabby... but fortunately quit showing up after a macaroni and cheese incident on day 2... so we had the table and our friendly waiter to ourselves. What adult orders a kid's mac and cheese on a cruise ship anyway?!)

There were beautiful sunsets


Funny towel animals


and more beautiful sunsets
B and I spent lots of time in the hot tub in the evenings and it was a wonderful vacation with a wonderful family and I feel so blessed to have been a part of it and to be a part of his family.

It was kind of a shock jumping right back in to the real world where I can't just have fruit and green tea delivered to my room for a pre-workout snack... where no one makes my bed... and the beach is a 30 minute drive away.

But at least I can step out of the shower without banging my knee on the sink. :)

Hip Hip Hooray for Royal Carribian and the Mariner of the Seas for a memorable Christmas!

what day are we on again?...

Day... whatever. Puerto Vallarta!

Let me start by saying that if you ever need somewhere to funnel some money for "tax purposes" ... 'Anne Needs A Vacation' is an excellent cause and your funds will be well spent at a resort in Puerto Vallarta.

It. Was. Beautiful.

(after we got past the throngs of carnivorous tour companies, massage therapists and bartenders laying in wait at the end of the gang plank. I'm not kidding about the massage therapists.)


After a quick cab ride to the beach, we decided to head into the jungle! Santa showed up in board shorts and brought me a Zip Line tour!

Expecting to be shuttled to the Canopy site by van, we were a bit surprised and amused to be loaded into an Indiana-Jones Style 14-Passenger Jeep.


But 45 minutes and a lot of pot holes later- we arrived! At the set for the Predator Movie. You thought I was kidding, didn't you.


We weren't allowed to take pictures on the tour (apparently hanging 400 feet in the air with one hand on your camera's zoom button isn't safe?) ...

But suffice it to say that Santa. Did. Good. It was the most amazing experience of my life. We hiked UP and UP and UP to fly across huge expanses of jungle and rivers.


(in an attempt to liven things up, a Mexican in a Predator costume jumped out of the bushes every so often.

Said Chicano nearly got beaned in the head with my rather heavy zip-line pulley while I shrieked, "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" the third time this happened.)

We headed back to the beach after the tour and walked down the main drag to look at art


and the cathedral at the center of Old Town.

It was - far and away - my favorite stop and I can't wait to find the opportunity to go back and explore the town, the smaller beaches and jungle hikes that we missed.

After a good adrenaline rush and a great dinner ... we decided to to soak in the hot tub under the stars for a while before heading to bed - happy as could be.

Days... 5-6... CRUISIN' !

Cruise - Day 3

Mazatlan!

Skipped my workout on day 3 as we got in to port at 7 am and were breakfasted and off the boat by 9 am.

Pulling in to port in Cabo revealed craggy rocks and ocean vistas... Mazatlan was a little different. From the balcony of the parent's cabin, we could see the Corona/Pacifica Brewery and a lot of city.

The cruise ship from the top of a hill in our little cab!

We all piled into a cab and took off for a tour of the city! Honestly - it was not my favorite stop.

The city was overwhelmingly poor and I had a rather saddening sense of making a vacation spot out of other people's poverty.

The scenery from the city definitely beautiful, though and I got to use my mad Espanol skills (courtesy of Mr. Joe Bennett) with cabbie Ruben. Amy would be so proud...



My finest moment?

B asked Ruben whether they had earthquakes and poor Ruben's english gave out. "Que dice?" (what did he say?) I replied:

"uuuhhhh.... el quiere saber si tienes.... uhhhh... movimiento de la tierra?" (uhhhh... he wants to know if you have... uhhh... earth movements.)

We stopped at a lighthouse that had the city's first cannon.

Guns.

And an iguana named Wanda.

(the guy laughed when I told him "Mi hermana tiene un iguana que se llama "Bowser")

A lizard named Wanda.

Ruben dropped us off in the Golden Zone with a promise to return in 2 hours to take us back to the ship. We made good use of the time.

Lobster platters for the fam! ($13)


Margaritas and guacamole for me!

On the way back, we stopped at the Dolphin Memorial and watched a guy jump from a retardedly high tower into a very small space between the rocks.

(was too amazed to remember the camera in my hand.)


We headed back to the ship - feeling a bit ... borracho... from the margaritas and spent the rest of the waning afternoon the sun deck - looking out over the jungle and reading books. (and sleeping off the margaritas.)

Apparently, it was "Italian" night in the dining room that evening. Vegetarian meal option was sub par... 200 + waiters primarily from the east Indies singing an italian love song was priceless.

Tomorrow: Puerta Vallarta!

we interrupt this program...

We interrupt this program to bring you an important update on the current state of the union (or: 2010 goes out with a bang)

***

1. After a not-so-much-sleep night, yesterday I was almost late to my 6:30 am spin class as the car was almost out of gas. Not my favorite way start a day.

2. Managed to swing home for a quick nap... but the house was 20 degrees below zero (as measured by desert lizard heat standards) and sleep was not an option despite fire, heating pad and innumerable blankets.

3. When I showed up to my 2nd spin class 15 minutes early, I panicked as my iPod wasn't in my backpack.

Not to worry! I have a back up CD! Which choked after the first song.

So I taught the class with my OTHER back up CD... which happened to be power yoga. At least I didn't sing.

4. Thank god I got to go home and take a hot shower!

Where I promptly flayed my shin while shaving (thank god no sharks live in my tub which doesn't drain and looked like a scene from Jaws.)

I then tore a frightening amount of hair out when my brush caught on a tangle.

B got up at noon (yes. noon. yes I was up at 5:30 am.) and put me on the couch with a mug of peppermint tea and Young Victoria on Netflix so that he could go for a run without fearing for my safety.

Despite his efforts, foul mood brought on my morning madness lasted through bed time.


I'm happy to report: today was much better.

iPod was at the Country Club (in the iPod dock where I had left it) waiting for my 9:30 spin class and I ran to Golds after to work on Kettlebell Military Presses and Pull Ups!

Made a spice "cake" which Brian only ate after I doused his in cinnamon-orange powdered sugar glaze. Apparently whole wheat flour, flax egg-replacement, stevia and pumpkin does not a fluffy cake make?

Got the upstairs office under control and tackled most of the laundry mountain - and brought you this lovely update!

***

You will now (well... tomorrow) be returned to your regularly scheduled Christmas vacation recap.

Cruise - Day 1 and 2!

Hello and almost Happy New Year!

This week: Recapping our Christmas vacation as I plow through 4 spin classes, business accounting, waiting for the Mountain View City Hall to open so I can get my business license (CLOSED!? Dec 24-Jan 3!?) and getting myself ready for 2011!

SO - without further ado...

***

B's wonderful family took us on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera for Christmas this year.

A cruise virgin... I found it all stupid exciting (especially the fitness center!) I didn't take nearly enough photos, but loved every minute of it.

We left from San Pedro - Los Angeles on Sunday... It was rainy and nasty - but we were looking forward to sunnier weather!

San Pedro Dock

Poked around a bit that evening, goofed off and did PUB QUIZ! at the Piano Bar...


We lost by 3 points - but I'm giving myself bonus points for remembering that the legendary founders of Rome were Romulus and Remus and for inappropriate and hilarious photos of ... well.. you get it.

First day of cruising (Monday) was spent:

• Investigating the Ship
• Eating.
• Climbing the Rock Wall
• Hitting up the Fitness Center for a dirty sweaty workout
• Eating.
• Reading my book, curled up on a lounge chair!
• Eating.
  
• Watching a terrible comedian
• Watching other people eat...

Quite relaxing and all around very happy!

Day 2 was Cabo San Lucas!

We put in to port at about 10 am and - after a brutal workout and yummy breakfast of oatmeal with dates and walnuts - we piled off the boat to check out the beach!



We had beers at the Mango Deck Laid around and watched a glass bottom boat nearly capsize (were too stunned to take photos, but imagine three guys bailing water out with a large cooler while a terrified tourist in a life jacket is man handled into another glass bottom boat.

Apparently this first boat capsizing wasn't going to stop HER from her tour!)


In other news... a college aged couple was given free margaritas for trading swimsuit bottoms in less than 30 seconds while being pummeled by waves.

Dude did not get her bikini bottoms on "all the way" before exiting the surf and I saw ... ahem... a lot.

15 minutes later, a girl jumped rope sans bikini top for a free shot of tequila.

Other than that: Cabo was beautiful.


Dinner was fancy shmancy that night!

and entertainment for the evening was a ventriloquist. Kinda creepy.

And even creepier that B has taken a fancy to the craft...

***

Day 3... Mazatlan! Coming up tomorrow, so stay tuned!

I'll Be (am) Back.

Highlights of my Mexican Riviera Cruise

1. Nearly braining the Predator with a relatively heavy Zip Line Pulley when he jumped out of the selva at me during a jungle excursion on the original Predator Set in Puerta Vallarta...

2. Showing off Arnold-Worthy arms in Cabo...
3. Spending Christmas with a beautiful family aboard a beautiful ship in the middle of the beautiful ocean...

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo!!!

(detailed posts coming up!)

VACACION!

That's "vacation" in Spanish - As la Navidad will be spent soaking up some sun!

(There's a flag on the play - garbage disposal backed up smelly black water into our kitchen sink at T-Minus 1 hour to Departure - but the maintenance man is doing his thang as I type.)

Other exciting events this week:

• Locking my keys in my car 5 minutes before a kickboxing class while it's raining and cold.
  
• Said kickboxing class scaring the sh*t out of me. - I can honestly say I have never been allowed to put on gloves and wail on something the size of a human while a big man yells at me.
• Me realizing that I REALLY need to take pictures of this kind of thing for this blog or you will all probably give up on me...
• Finding a two-for-one Mystic Tan coupon and obtaining said melanoma-free color without incident.
  

In any event - I didn't have the a) time b) presence of mind or c) mental capacity to get guest posters for BOTH of my blogs... so run by and check out Zen Pulse for your fun fix this week!

Featuring: Recipes, workouts and possessed dolls!

I PROMISE to take lots of pictures while we're away. I can't tell you guys how much I need this vacation. While a blessing, this has been one of the most difficult months in my *ahem* twenty.....three years.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!