I Just Skipped Right Over September...and October...But Hello, November

Hello, hello! I join you again, fresh from several work trips and plentttty of Netflix. Can we talk about something for a hot minute? Revenge. Oh. Em. Gee. (Get it? “Em”? Emily? Unintentional, I assure you.) As per usual, I’m last to jump aboard the popular non-reality TV train, and so I stumbled upon this gem on my last trip to Taos, New Mexico. SO. GOOD. So forgive me for a second, while I get this out of my system: Victoria Greyson? Wicked Witch of 2012. (Also, she was in my favorite movie of all time, The Last of the Mohicans, so….this kind of weirds me out.) Declan Porter? Eric from Gossip Girl. And did anyone watch Greek? No, just me? (Another perk of this job—I go on Netflix binges and can’t stop.) Anyway. There’s a chick from Greek on this show, too! Argh! Add all this to the craaaaaaazy dramatic plot I can’t even follow (Emily? Amanda?), and you know what I’ll be doing for the next week. (It’s on while I’m typing this. I have a problem. Clearly.)

Okay, that’s out of my system. On to something more exciting—Taos, New Mexico! While on my unintentional blogging hiatus, I have traveled to several places (a la work, of course—no fun vacays or anything), but I was kind of getting sick about venting on the ol’ bloggity blog about Canada and this crazy job. (I’m sure anyone reading was, too.) So, let me tell you how refreshing this last trip was. I started training on a new product (after a year—but no, no, I’m being positive! Positive thoughts!), and with that comes traveling on your inaugural training trips with—wait for it—another person! Hooray! Finally, I had a companion to talk to and vent to and drink wine with (and oh yeah, train with) on a trip. My fellow trainer Brad and I had a successful trip in the pharmacy, and got to sneak in a few fun meals and sightseeing to boot.

Neither of us really knew what to expect of Taos, but were pleasantly surprised with the quaint little town and delish bistros. Here's part of the downtown…including the cutest bookstore, “Moby Dickens.”

The whale in the top hat? I die! Too cute!

Funny story about this pic...we ate at this super yummy wine bar, but it was freeeeezing. The hostess brought us over blankets, and Brad thought it was funny that I immediately wrapped mine around me. Hey, I'd rather be bundled up whilst I drink my vino, okay?

Ready for some food photos? I had the most delicious beet salad and sea bass at Lambert’s (thanks for the tip, Grandma! You did not disappoint!), and Brad chose the duck.

Our pharmacy we were training at was in an Indian Health Clinic on the Taos/Picuris reservation. We took advantage of our lunch break one day to go visit the last standing pueblo of the Taos tribe and the Royal Gorge. I have to say, while it was interesting to see these sites, seeing the reservation (and the packs of stray dogs) was a humbling experience.

Finally, we couldn’t get out of Taos without a few authentic New Mexican dishes, so we hit The Taos Inn for blue corn tortilla enchiladas and chile relleno. Soooooo good!

 

So glad I got to experience Taos and see its history (and try the cuisine!). Coming up this week—lots of celebrations, as Miss Nova turns the big TWO and our family comes together for Turkey Day. Have a great holiday week!

Adventures in British Columbia

Last week, I finally (finally!) got to visit a super fun town in Canada. I mean, as thrilling as the suburbs outside of Toronto and Calgary were, this place gave me a whole new view of our neighbors up north. I flew into Calgary (nothing new, nothing new) and then drove five and a half hours across two national parks, up through two mountain passes. It was pretty spectacular. While most of the pics I took were while driving (safety first, folks….I know, I know), those mountains were still breathtaking. The weather wasn’t too bad—I mean, it went from a chilly (and snowy) 1 degree when I landed to a balmy 12 degrees Celsius throughout the duration of the drive, and it was downright warm(ish) when I finally arrived at my destination of Revelstoke, BC. Since I had shown up to this party in jeans, a long-sleeved tee and flip-flops, I was thankful the snow that was flurrying throughout Calgary had not followed me into the mountains.

 

Are you ready for a TON of magnificent mountain pics? Here…we…go!

{Heading into Banff National Park.}



 

 

{This was the view from the restaurant at the base of the slopes.}

{The view from outside the hotel.}

Revelstoke was darling. It was nestled in between mountains and was a charming ski resort town of about 7,000 people. My pharmacy owner and his staff were so kind and so enthusiastic, and the owner and his wife even took me to dinner on the first night I was there. We went to the resort restaurant at the base of the mountain, and the views over dinner were spectacular. In other food news (you know that’s what I live for), I found a delish French café, aptly named Baguette, to eat lunch at each day and listen to the hipstery-hippies talk about their snow stories (the season had just ended). This little town reminded me a lot of Breckenridge—a super cute downtown area, unique (and appetizing—no fast food or Applebee’s on this trip, thank the LORD) restaurants, and friendly faces. This is one work destination that I would definitely go back to!

{Heading back to Calgary, I saw this fog just hovering over the peaks...it was so pretty....but...}

{The closer I got...}

{I realized it was a SNOWSTORM! Oh Canada...you love to throw your weather curveballs.}

My Buffalo Shuffle + St. Patty's Festivities

{The Falls}

Two weekends ago, I headed up north to Buffalo, New York for work. It was cold-cold-cold and snowy, which was not what my soul was needing. (My soul needs SUNSHINE, friends! And lots of it.) However, because my last two trips to Canada were such a bust in terms of exploration, I decided that despite the chilly temps and my lingering sinus infection, I would brave the cold and drive up to Niagara Falls. Let me mention that while I was not properly dressed for the freezing snow/sleet/mist coming off of the water, I will say it was a pretty spectacular sight.

{So...funny story. I had no idea where I was going or what Niagra would really look like. I just followed other cars into the National Park, then parked, then started walking. And it may have just been the Dayquill talkin', but I kept seeing mini waterfalls and I would think to myself, "Is this it? Surely this isn't it..." and I would keep on walking. Finally, FINALLY, I saw a big group of people gathered in the distance, and so I figured, "that MUST be it." But these two pics here? I was snapping pics at every swirling maelstrom, just in case....}

{Getting closer....}

{Finally!}

{Sooooo not dressed for that hike. Or the freezing spray coming off of the water. But aren't my new baby blue Nikes cute?}

Other Buffalo memories? The pharmacy I was at was located in a hospital, so I saw some pretty interesting characters throughout the course of my visit. I also got to eat my Subway sandwich opposite of a man in a hospital bed, complete with his IV and catheter, also eating a sandwich in the lobby-slash-hospital entryway-slash cafeteria seating. That was interesting. Also disgusting. And let’s see…I was also there for Daylight Saving Time, so I lost a full two hours after I arrived. If you know me, you know mornings aren’t really my thanng, so that was rough. Otherwise, Buffalo was pretty lowkey. I was so ready to get back in town and have some friend time.

 

Spring around KC is always a good time—between the Big 12 Tournament (which we shall not speak of, due to the poor showing of both Kansas teams) and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, March turns out to be a pretty fun month. I will say, last week was a little tough, as I am used to a Spring Break (24 years…and now it’s gone), but I made the most of last Monday night by celebrating my Irish blood and having a few green beers. Actually, I had a lot of green beers…and Bailey’s shots (I know, I KNOW…who orders Bailey’s shots? My coworker Brad. At my dubious look, he replied “it’s St. Patrick’s Day,” like that makes it okay to shoot Bailey’s)…and Fireballs…oof. Let’s just say last Tuesday was a little slow.

{Friends! Complete with our Bailey's shots. Thanks, Bradley. Also, can everyone please note Ben's stylin' green sequined headband and beads? I told him, look sir, if you want to drink a beer with me on St. Patty's Day, you wear some green. So he took what I provided.}

{Some dude at Kelly's was wearing this saa-weet hat. So I stole it, and look who I found! Two little leprechauns!}

{Lotsa green, lotsa beer, lotsa friends. I love a holiday where really, all you do is drink and make merry. Cheers to my Irish clansmen!}

Adventures in Calgary

{Hello, mountains! My view of Calgary as we descended...}

I had high hopes for Calgary. First of all, I did a little research prior to booking travel and since I had that awful 6:00am flight, I figured I would do a few touristy things when I got into town at 11:30am. However, I did not account for all of the snow and frosty temps. It was COLD and super snowy, as in snowing pretty much every day I was there. And so, being the cultured Midwest girl that I am, I went and got a manicure. Because, hey—a lot of people are looking at my hands and fingers as I point and gesture during my training on the robot. And I think this shellac business has gotten me addicted—I never ever used to wear nail polish, unless it was clear, and now, I find myself choosing the most unpredictable colors (“Kiss Me, I’m Brazilian”? Yes, please. Also, does anyone else think OPI just recycles their colors and gives them new names? I feel like I have an awful lot of pinks that are suspiciously similar in shade…). So, yep, instead of climbing to the top of Calgary Tower, which is what I had planned to do, I instead stuck closer to the ground and drove fearlessly to the nail salon and then on down the road to my hotel, where I penned my oh-so-eloquent previous blog post and caught up on House of Cards. (Oh. My. Gosh. Addicted.)

{...And my view of Calgary when I landed. Snow, sleet, and cold. Boo. Would you want to climb up 1228 meters (however tall that is) above sea level in this weather? Yeah, me neither.}

{A little blurry, but check out the temp up there in the right corner. This is what I came out to each morning. Also, on my last day there, I finally asked the hotel clerk why there were outlets in front of the parking spots. She said sometimes it's so cold, you have to plug your car in to get juice for it to start. You have to plug your car into an outlet. That's COLD, friends.}

I actually stayed in a town outside of Calgary called Strathmore. It was kind of a small town and it reminded me of somewhere in central Kansas (the smell of cattle wafted through the air as I arrived). I don’t know if this is common knowledge, but Calgary was very proud to be known as the “Gateway to the NEW West,” and they also host a pretty serious rodeo apparently. I saw a lot of cowboy hats and big ol’ trucks, which is not what comes to mind when I picture Canada. So that was interesting. Otherwise, Strathmore was really snowy and cold and it had maybe the best restaurant I’ve found in my travels so far. It was a take-away Japanese place, but you could get a bento box with stir-fry, sushi and dumplings or a springroll for like $12. I ate there maybe three times in my three day stay (yeah, that’s every night). Edo Japan, please come to Kansas. You’d do well. I promise.

 

I also discovered Aero chocolates, which are ah-mazing. I think the Hershey’s Bubbles are a knockoff, but these are flavored chocolates and they’re in the shape of little balls. The orange were my fav. Let’s see…what else, what else? The accents in this part of Canada are waaaaaaay more noticeable, eh? The “oh” sound is much more pronounced, and “eh” really is part of their vernacular. They use it like “yeah?” or “okay?”. Pretty funny, but I have noticed that I have a habit of mimicking wherever I am. When I was down in the southern states before Christmas, my draaaawl came out. And up in Canada, I’m all about the “oot” sound. Although, up north, they all thought I had a southern accent. Ha!

{Candy pic? Check. Isn't my life on the road simply stimulating?}

My journey home was where the real adventure started. Because of a scheduling snafu, I ended up having to travel to Canada a day earlier than expected, and come home a day earlier as well. So…I got booked on the red-eye home. I left my pharmacy at 2pm (after working since 7am); drove to Calgary; flew to San Francisco at 6:30pm; flew to Houston at 1am; and finally flew home to KC at 8:30am. It was a lonnnnng day/night. Also, let me add to my previous list of People You Don’t Want To Sit Next To On An Airplane: Guy Who Never Stops Moving. First of all, I knew this guy was trouble when I sat down in my seat on the plane and I could smell his breath as I hugged the window. Halitosis? It’s real. It’s rough. Secondly, he picked his nose. Not just like, swipe and be done. I’m talking, he picked with his fingers, rutting it around in there consistently throughout the three hour flight. Picked and flicked. Barf. And he did. not. sit. still. He was moving his legs; he was rolling his head around; he was leaning forward in his seat and putting his head on the seat in front of him; he was hogging the armrest and moving into my territory, so I may have had to throw some ‘bows, if you know what I mean. It was annoying, to say the least. Let’s just say, I’m glad to be back Stateside and let’s all cross our fingers that the flight to Buffalo this weekend is uneventful and there is NO MORE SNOW.

People You Don’t Want To Sit Next To On An Airplane

{I think we were over Oklahoma, somewhere...}

And guess what? I’ve sat next to (or in the very, very close vicinity of) all of them. First of all, let me state that flying is soooo not what I used to think it was. It is not glamorous, it is not really exciting, and it’s definitely not that fun. I suppose if you’re headed to a tropical island or some really cool vacay, it might be slightly better. But still, you are trapped in a very small space with very weird people for usually a very long time. (Sidenote: I used to be slightly terrified of those really small planes, with only one seat, an aisle, and then two seats, but now I jump for joy if I see I don’t have to sit next to anyone at all.) I don’t hate flying; it’s better than driving for hours on end, but in the past five months, I have definitely learned who you don’t want to sit by (but you usually don’t have a choice, unless you’re flying Southwest, but I really prefer not to choose my own seat, since that presents its own set of problems I’ll discuss another day, another time).

Sweaty, Smelly Workout Guy
While in the Toronto airport, my coworker and I noticed a man in full workout gear (track suit, knit stocking cap and all…we were indoors…about to get on a plane…obviously) doing some full-tilt lunges, squats, running in place, etc. in a corner he had apparently deemed his personal gym for the afternoon. To quote Grace, “aw man, I totally should have snap-chatted that.” It was entertaining. Until we boarded the plane and workout guy sits down right next to me. I don’t know if you’ve flown anywhere recently, but if you ask me, the personal space in terms of seating is getting smaller and smaller. If you’re taller than 5 foot and you have two arms you’d like to rest without touching the person who is extremely close next to you, you’re out of luck. Anyway, this guy was smelly (like sweaty body odor smelly), super tall and broad, and also chose to eat the weirdest crap I have ever seen on an airplane (I’ll save that for my next point). People, I beg of you: if you can, shower before you fly anywhere, or at the very least wear a lot of deodorant, and under no circumstances should you work out and then board an aircraft. Also, you don’t need to continually get up and walk up and down the aisle every 15 minutes. People will hate you. I had to breathe through my mouth or into my sweater sleeve the whole three hour flight. Vom.

People Who Eat On Planes

Eating on planes, other than maybe the pretzels/peanuts (or cookies, if you’re flying Delta…delish) that are provided on the plane, SHOULD BE BANNED. Again, do you people not understand that you are boarding a twelve foot by seventy foot (guesstimating; I don’t like math) sealed space, full of at least 40 other people and recycled air? The entire plane of people will smell your food for the entire flight. Please don’t bring your Greek salad on board. Please don’t bring your McDonalds on board. And for all that is holy, please don’t bring a dried-apricot/fig-fruit cocktail thing that is so pungent it makes your seatmate gag. Also, if you can’t sit tight for a three hour flight without your powdered protein shake that smells like death/a warm diaper, then something may be wrong with you. (Any guesses on who this was??)

 

Children On Planes

Let me clarify; I know that kids have to fly. I get it. But hey parents, let’s be prepared for this long-ass trip with 40 other adults on the teeny tiny flying vessel. Perhaps your child could watch a movie (with headphones…not without headphones…because listening to Dora the Explorer will make me stare you down with no remorse) on your iPad or laptop. Maybe they could read a book or play a quiet game. (Quiet is the key word here.) Maybe they could sleep. I don’t know, but pack something quiet for your kid to do on the plane. Also, please inform your child that kicking a seat repeatedly is RUDE and NOT ACCEPTABLE. (Unless you, yourself, are the next kind of person on my list.) Also, letting your kid ask you twenty million times if “we’re up in the air? Are we up in the air Daddy?” and providing the indulgent, “yeah buddy, we sure are!” every. single. time. and then letting your kid pretend to shoot down other planes in the sky (“pew pewpew! Pew pewpewpewpewpewpew!”) in a high pitched keen, while kicking my seat, at 10 o’clock at night, on a three hour flight, is really, really, REALLY NOT ACCEPTABLE.

 

People Who Kick Seats/Recline Their Seats

As I’ve clarified, there is no room on a plane for anyone. Unless you are in first class or business seating, where I feel like the accommodations are bearable (I wouldn’t go so far to say comfortable), you have about a foot in front of you from the knees up—from the knees down, you are literally squished against the seat in front of you. So why, oh why, do you think it’s okay to A) repeatedly kick and punch my back, or B) recline your chair into my knees? The only reason it is acceptable to kick someone in the back is if they have reclined. I think it is so rude and yes, you definitely deserve a few extra knee thrusts in your lower back because Sweet Jesus sir, your bald spot is now literally under my nose. And hey, if I’m not reclining my seat into your face, then please don’t punch me in the back. We’re all uncomfortable, and the irony is, we all paid several hundred dollars to be uncomfortable, so let’s all sit up straight and try not to make eye contact.

 

The Chatterbox

I consider myself an outgoing person. I love to meet new people; I enjoy making new connections. However, unless I engage in a conversation with you, please don’t tell me your life story. At 7:00am. For a three hour flight. I don’t know what it is about planes, but some people want to not only get to know you, but really bond with you. I get it; we’re in tight quarters, we’re all in this together,but please, don’t tell me about how you breed horses in nowhere Texas and your husband left you for another woman and aren’t men scum? (Headphones didn’t stop this lady! Sheesh!)

 

The Mom With The Two-Month-Old Baby

Actually, this wasn’t as bad as I originally thought it would be. (As soon as the lady boarded with that tiny little bundle, the plane gave a collective groan/sigh.) The mom was nice enough and left me alone, and the baby was pretty good…until he peed through his diaper and started crying for the final 15 minutes as we descended on Shreveport. I know for babies there’s not much you can do…and I will say this: at least babies can’t help it when they cry and make noise on a plane. They don’t understand what’s happening. The adults who recline in my face and talk my ear off, however, know better.

 

{Welcome to my personal hell.}

People Who Stand Up As Soon As The Plane Comes To A Stop

If you have a weird leg condition, I’ll give you a free pass. However, to the rest of the world: you don’t need to stand as soon as the plane comes to a stop and the seatbelt sign is off. If you are in the front two rows, please, by all means, stand up, grab your stuff and get the heck off the plane. However, you in the row two rows behind me who now has your crotch in my face, you can wait. There are no less than 23 rows in front of us, and you standing in the aisle will not make it go faster. In fact, it will probably make it go slower because you are blocking the aisle for people who are actually next in line to leave. So sit tight for 10 freaking more minutes, and we will all make it off the plane alive. Oh, and can your cell phone call really not wait until we get in the airport? Really? I don’t think the rest of the plane wants to hear your call your mom/spouse/boss/whoever and let them know you arrived, literally, right this minute. That is what texting is for, my friends.

 

And finally…

 

The Lady Who Wears Every Piece of Jewelry She Owns Through Security

I don’t know if you’ve been under a rock for the past twelve years, but unless you have the Frequent Traveler’s Pass or whatever, you have to take off your shoes, your belt, your coat, your hat and all of your chunky jewelry when you walk through security. You may want to look super cute in your cowboy boots, dress with a wide belt and huge buckle, eighty-thousand necklaces, cuff bracelets and cocktail rings, but honey, it all has to come off before you walk through those gates and you’ve got over a hundred people behind you at Dallas Fort Worth. I know, it totally sucks, but everyone knows it sucks and everyone still does it, so please, think about your ensemble before you cross into security, because at the security line, it’s the point of no return and yes, you will get death stares if you try and breeze through, bracelets clinking, only to come back and cut everyone who is ready to rock-n-roll on through the scanner so you can remove the articles those signs told you to remove 30 feet back. You've been warned!

Fun Times in Canada

{This is actually at the Minneapolis airport, en route to Canada. Yes, I am a huge nerd.
But isn't my sweater cute? And no, I did not ask a random stranger to take my pic...
my travel buddy Grace helped me out. It was also at her suggestion
that I make antlers, so thank you, Grace. I'm always up for looking like an idiot.}


So. Canada. Canada is pretty much the same as anywhere in the US, except that it’s slightly different. It’s all about kilometers. And Celsius. Which means that at any given point in my trip, I did not know how warm or cold it was, and I did not know how far away anything was. And I definitely caved in and bought an international data plan, because paper maps? So 10 years ago. Thank you, iPhone maps, for talking out loud and telling me directly where to go and when to turn. Also, thank you for using miles, because does anyone know just how long a kilometer is? I have no sense of direction or distance as it is, let alone trying to convert on the metric scale as I’m driving 120 km/hour (which is not as fast as it sounds.) Anyway…the trip went okay. We ended up getting in to Toronto later than planned, at about 6:00pm, so it was already dark and snowing and we didn’t have time to explore the city. Also, I had to go through Customs upon arriving in Canada, because you know, I totally look like a suspicious crook who is coming in to wreak havoc on their snowy streets. But it wasn’t bad. I had to answer a few questions (“Robots? You’re training on a…robot?” "Yes sir, it's a robot.") and walk through a few of those maze walkway things, but otherwise, I made it through unscathed. My work at the pharmacy went fine, but what I was most concerned about was the snack food. (Of course…I am remembering all of my travels based on what snacks and candy I can consume while there.)

{I will say the snow is really pretty in Canada. And they got those roads clear right away, which was much appreciated after I came back to KC and slid home down I-29. Also, their bus system is called "Züm." I thought that was cute.}

First of all, the restaurant food in Canada is pretty much the same as in the US. I even asked the girls at the pharmacy if there were any good restaurants I should go to while I was in town. Most of their suggestions were similar to what we have in the states, but when I persisted and asked, surely there is something Canada is known for, right? A staple or signature dish? Their answer? Poutine. Oh, what is poutine, you may ask (I certainly did)? It’s French fries with gravy and curdled cheese. Um, no thanks. (They also told me the best place to get it is at KFC. WHAT?) Sorry Canada, but that’s all you have to offer? Sick. I did not try the poutine…although it seems to be pretty popular up there. Apparently, they even have poutine flavored potato chips, along with “Roastin’ Chicken” and “All Dressed.” And KETCHUP. They have ketchup flavored chips. I bought a bag, just for fun, and good Lord, they were disgusting. I ate two chips and had to toss the rest. Who in their right mind, other than three-year-olds going through that “I just want to suck ketchup off my French fries” phase, would want ketchup flavored chips?? It kind of still makes me gag a little when I think about them. (Also, my gals at the pharmacy couldn't believe that ketchup chips were not such a hit in the states.)

 

{Also, everything is in French on their labels, as well as English.}

 

{So gross.}

I decided to give the candy selection a chance to make up for the weird chips. Other than a few "bubble chocolates," their selection looked pretty close to what we have here. Until I found wine-flavored gummies. What?! Canada, way to go! Candy and wine, mixed together! I thought it was genius. Then I tried one. Also disgusting. The yogurt gummies were okay. The monster Twizzlers (“Twizzelators”…awesome) were the best out of all the weird stuff I bought. The last thing I will say about Canada’s food (since it looks like the majority of my post is about it) is I could definitely get behind their drink selection. Canada Dry Ginger Ale is a staple there, and sold pretty much everywhere. I love me some ginger ale. Also, orange Fanta was also everywhere I looked. So you get a point for soft drinks, Canada, but it still doesn’t really make up for the ketchup chips.

I’m actually heading back to Canada this weekend, but I’ll be flying into Calgary this time. Since the only available flight out of Kansas City is at 6:00am, I’m thinking I’ll have plenty of time to explore the city in the afternoon before driving to Strathmore. I’m hoping to report my travels next time with more than just pics of junk food and me acting like a moose in the Minneapolis airport. Here’s hoping. Happy Monday, friends!