I Just Want Some Queso!

Being from Texas, I have a huge love for Mexican food- or should I say "Tex-Mex".  I love burritos, and quesadillas, and enchiladas, and chalupas, and of course, queso. I really love queso. For any of you uncultured people who don't know what queso is, it is divine melty cheesy goodness heaven with tortilla chips. Each restaurant's queso is different, but it's always there right at the top of the appetizers on the menu. Yesterday I was really wanting Mexican food, especially queso. None of my reliable Texas chains were in the area (disappointing California!) so I found a place that got good reviews on Urbanspoon and we decided to check it out. It has been way too long since I had had queso! We went to a local place called Los Portales. It is located in an unassuming strip mall and looks quite unimpressive from the outside- like you might get food poisoning. But on the inside, it was really nice. We were soon seated, I grabbed the menu, and...they didn't have queso!! I was really disappointed. I just wanted some queso! The food was good, but quite a bit different than the Tex-Mex I am used to eating. I guess the food is more true Mexican and isn't as spicy. They even had a live piano player which made the atmosphere really relaxing and enjoyable. I think we will definitely go back, but this time I won't get myself excited about eating queso. I'm hoping when we are home for Thanksgiving that I will get my fill of Tex Mex, and maybe even some of my aunt's delicious homemade queso (hint hint). 

Hollywood Hike!

This week was exhausting. Work has been pretty crazy lately, and both of us have been having trouble sleeping. Thankfully on the weekends we are able to catch up on our sleep! I can tell I am becoming more accustomed to being an "LA Driver" because I was driving in and out of all four lanes of traffic on my way to a work appointment. Driving in LA is definitely an experience- people are the meanest drivers! On Thursday night I was able to get off of work in time for us to head to Buffalo Wild Wings to catch the second half of the Baylor-Oklahoma game. We were the only ones in the bar cheering for Baylor, but it was so much fun! I am so proud of the bears- 8-0 and ranked 4th in the AP poll! Sic Em! On Friday we were able to go see Ender's Game in the theaters, which is a movie Braden really wanted to see. It was pretty good, but some things were kinda weird. I am excited for the next Hunger Games movie to come out later this month. Yesterday we slept for 12 hours (I did mention that we have been using our weekends to catch up on sleep) which was amazing, then in the afternoon went shopping and then out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse (yum!). 

Today we went to Griffith Park/Griffith Observatory in the mountains near Hollywood to hike. It is absolutely beautiful there. Unfortunately, after being crystal clear all week, the smog was back today so the pictures and views weren't exactly crystal clear. It was still a lot of fun, and the views were breathtaking. You could see absolutely everything. I can't imagine how amazing it would've been without the smog!

On the hike we walked by a guy in a guy in a cowboy hat who was excited about meeting another Texan (I was wearing my Texas flag shorts! Which people in LA don't seem to get..I keep getting compliments about how 'patriotic' I am), and a fellow Baylor grad who did a "sic em bears!" with me. While we were talking, another guy walked by and said "didn't Baylor lose the other night?" to which he replied "no, we don't do that anymore." Kinda made my day. I love running into other Baylor grads!

LA Skyline

Griffith Observatory

Hollywood sign

Much better picture with the Hollywood sign!

Panoramic of the view from the top of the lookout. on the right is the Hollywood sign, on the left is downtown LA!

Downtown LA and the Griffith Observatory

Unfortunately, Macie couldn't come with us because the hike would've been to hard for her and her little legs. I can't believe Thanksgiving is so soon! And Christmas is just around the corner :) I will have to get us a little Charlie Brown Christmas tree or something since all our decorations are in our POD! Tomorrow I am off work for Veteran's Day, and I am really glad for another day to sleep in. We might just hang around, or we might go to one of my favorite museums, The Getty!

"Don't Touch the Trophy!"

This week was Halloween, so things were a bit crazy at work. The kids really reacted to all the extra stimuli- sugar and all the candy.

Macie was very glad this Halloween that she got to snuggle in her bed and not have to wear her hot dog costume...it's in the POD!

On Halloween we dressed up at work. Since a costume wasn't on my list to bring with us, I made do with what we already had and was a football player

On Friday, things got a little bit crazy because there was a shooting at LAX airport. We don't live anywhere near LAX, so it didn't directly affect us except for the fact that my dad happened to be flying in that day. Luckily he flew into a different terminal than the one that the shooting happened at and arrived on time safely. However, the airport was completely closed and they weren't letting any traffic in or out so my dad had to walk about a mile to his hotel. When we were driving in there were people everywhere walking with all their luggage. It was pretty crazy. Luckily we didn't have any trouble picking Dad up, and sice we had some time to kill, we stopped at a Starbucks in Culver City, which is home to Sony Studios. It is really cute place with lots of little shops. We enjoyed sitting outside because the weather was beautiful and had a good time visiting.

After Starbucks, we headed to the Staples Center in downtown LA. The doors weren't open yet so we walked around a little bit and ended up in the Nokia Plaza where the Lakers had lots of promotioons going on.

Dad and me

Braden and me

This is the real deal! The Lakers' championship trophy from  2010. They had lots of security around and they kept saying "Don't touch the trophy!"

Braden and Dad

Since we went with my dad we got to watch the game in his company's suite. It was really awesome and the absolute best way to watch a sports game- great view, good food, and good drinks!

Braden and me in the suite

Dad and me

View from our seats

Celebrity sighting! Jason Sudeikis (blue hat) and Olivia Wilde!

Since we were in the suites we got the leave out the VIP exits and ended up like 10 feet from Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde. I am probably more excited about it than I should be, but it definitely crosses off "seeing a celebrity" off my LA bucket list. Oh LA life. I also think I might've seen a Jonas brother. There were lots of famous people but I couldn't tell who they were because they were walking away and I couldn't see their faces. The paparazzi were taking lots of pictures though! I am also really bad at spotting celebrities. Saturday I had a pretty bad fall but worked a half day anyway. Then I went shopping with two of the girls from our small group, which was a lot of fun except for the fact that I kept finding really great boots on sale for a good price and then the store would be out of my size. Lame. Since I wasn't feeling any better when I got home, we were worried I might have gotten a concussion so we ended up spending the better part of our evening in the urgent care clinic. Turns out I don't have a concussion but just probably have whip lash. I am feeling a little bit better, just really sore and have been taking it easy today. Hopefully this week will be a little bit more laid back than last week!

I Won't Go Hollywood

This week has been really great! Tuesday night we visited a young marrieds small group with the church we have been going to, and we really enjoyed it a lot. It was great to meet other couples since we don't have any family or know anyone in the area. Work went well this week too, and I was even able to spend some time on Friday developing the program I want to implement. Saturday was of course spent watching college football (Go bears! still undefeated and #5 in the AP rankings!) and then Saturday night we went to Downtown Disney with a couple that we met at our small group, and had a lot of fun. We ate at ESPN Zone which is a really cool sports bar type place with tons of TV's and games, and the food was pretty decent too. We were able to walk around, and even got to watch end of the fireworks from Disneyland! 

Today we drove down to Hollywood. It's kinda underwhelming to be honest and definitely not as glamourous as you would think. I had been before, but Braden had never been. Unfortunately it was really smoggy/hazy so the mountains Hollywood sign weren't very clear.

Us with the Hollywood sign in the background. I promise it's there!

Hollywood sign

El Capitan Theater

George Clooney's hand and footprints at the Chinese Theater. Taken specially for my recruiter Amy!

Harry Potter cast

There are lots of people on the street dressed as different characters who want to take pictures  with you for money. If you look closely, you can see Minnie and Mickey Mouse, Jack Sparrow, Wolverine, Bumble Bee, and Optimus Prime

Us with Hollywood Blvd in the background- Jimmy Kimmel Live building

Hollywood and Highland Center

It was really fun just walking around and seeing the Walk of Fame, Hollywood sign, and the Dolby Theater, where the Oscar's are hosted. In the entryway they have every Best Picture winner and the year it won. It is definitely a must see if you are in California!

This week is Halloween, and I am trying to figure out what I am going to be because I'm supposed to dress in costume for school. Halloween costumes weren't exactly on my packing list. I wanted to go as a three hole punched version of Melissa (The Office reference), but Braden told me I wasn't allowed to because kids wouldn't get it (they wouldn't). My second choice was Harry Potter, but Party City didn't have a costume for that! My dad will also be in town this week, and is taking us to a Lakers game in the company suite! Can't wait! We are also officially getting to go to back to Houston for Thanksgiving and I am so excited to get to see my family. 

Here's to a great week! I can't believe the countdown to holiday season is almost here! I love Christmas and Thanksgiving (Calories don't count on those days, so let's all agree to just have a good time)

Cali Lately

I have been a little bit delinquent in my posting! I am usually on top of updates, but have gotten a little behind. To be honest, not too much has happened since my last update except a lot of sleeping and watching football. I have actually been taking naps (!!!) on the weekend which if you know me you know is a super rare occurrence because my body doesn't typically like to sleep no matter how tired I am. Like now, I am currently typing this at 3:45 (Cali time) and have been awake for quite awhile and can't fall back asleep. My body hates me. Anyway, luckily I have been able to catch up on my sleep on the weekends, and watch a lot of football. I love college football season! So I try to watch as much as I can- Braden says I'm like a walking scoreboard. It has been a great football season for the bears (they are ranked 12 and still undefeated!)!  Not so great for the razorbacks, but I'm sure once Bielema settles in it will get better. 

I have settled in pretty well at my new job. It is quite a bit different in the cueing and approach to therapy but I'm getting more and more comfortable with it. You would think that there wouldn't be much in common with geriatrics and peds, but I have been surprised how much of my knowledge and skills do carryover. You never know what to expect working with autism, just like geriatrics! Every day is different and I am thankful for really great support from my coworkers. My contract has had really bad experiences with speech therapists- I mean really bad. I keep apologizing and saying I promise we aren't all like what you have experienced in the past! One of my projects here is actually to design and develop their speech program- it's a daunting task, but I am pretty excited about this huge opportunity!

Obviously things in Cali are different from Texas- there's the obvious like higher gas prices and just prices in general, but here are some of my non captain obvious observations:

1. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason  to traffic or lack of traffic. I actually don't usually run into traffic on my commute to and from work which is awesome, but when I do it doesn't make sense. There isn't a pattern on when there is or isn't traffic. There will just randomly be dead stop traffic at the most random times for no reason. 

2. People here don't understand the greatness that is Chick-Fil-A. I have had several people say "oh is that place good? I've never eaten there" WHAT? 

3. I have had to explain my obsession with Dr Pepper. When I bought a Dr Pepper at a gas station the attendant said "do you really like that stuff? I think it tastes like cough medicine" maybe Dr Pepper is more of a southern thing, but cough medicine, really?

4. The CRV really sucks. It's an extra tax that you pay on anything plastic. It's supposed to encourage you to recycle and when you do you get that money back. I really don't appreciate the extra 1.20 I have to pay whenever I buy a package of Smart Water at Costco. CRV should really stand for crafty revenue venture

5. I love the weather. It's perfect. Although I have been pretty cold because its quite a bit cooler than Texas. The best part is there is no humidity so 90 degrees on California feels a lot cooler than 90 degrees in Texas. The smog does take getting used to- some days it blocks out the mountains which is weird, and there are cancer warning signs posted everywhere. Yay!

This weekend is going to be pretty laid back. Braden is in Little Rock for a wedding so it's just Macie and I holding down the fort! 

We have been going to the church that is literally right next to our hotel, and next week we are hoping to visit a young marrieds small group. Hopefully we will be able to get plugged in and meet some great couples!

Here's to a great weekend of rest, relaxation, and college football!

Staycation Recap!

Last week I was off work so we spent the week exploring the area, catching up on sleep (a few nights of 11 hours of sleep!), and having a lot of fun! On Tuesday, we were able to go to my favorite place in LA- Santa Monica! We walked around the 3rd street promenade and ate at my favorite restaurant, Barney's Beanery. After lunch, we went down to the pier and walked around. It was a really pretty day, and the only negative was the bad traffic on the way home!

Santa Monica pier!

CA coastline

On Thursday, we were able to go to the happiest place on earth, Disneyland! I love Disneyland and was so excited to be back. I think I was more excited than most of the kids, and Braden told me if I didn't stop skipping he wouldn't walk with me. Sorry I'm not sorry I was so excited!

On the tram to go to Disney!

Disney had all their halloween decorations up

Since we went on a weekday mid-week, the lines weren't long at all, with the exception of a few rides. We were able to ride some rides multiple times! Since we got Hopper tickets where we could go to both parks (the way to go!), we went to both Disneyland and California Adventure.

Happiest place on earth!

Our picture from Space Mountain

It's a Small World

Braden's favorite ride was the Star Wars simulation ride

My favorite ride is Tower of Terror. We are in the back row!

Next up was Cars Land! It is really cool. When you turn down the street, you really feel like you're in the movie! The cars roller coaster was the ride we waited the longest for, but it was really fun and so well done. I love how Disney rides are so elaborate.

After the rides, we watched some of the Disney parade. It is quite a production.

Simba!

Mickey and Minnie

After the parade, we went back to California Adventure for the show "World of Color". It is an amazing water and lights show to music and clips from different Disney movies. The pictures don't do it justice, it was really incredible and even Braden liked it!

It was a long day, but so much fun! We are still trying to get used to looking out our back window and seeing mountains (and smog!) but it's something we don't mind getting used to!

Macie is loving California! She especially likes that it really sunny, the bigger room (all the more room to run around!) and the bigger bed (all the more room to stretch her little legs!). I have successfully survived 3 days of peds therapy- while I felt a little like a fish out of water the first day, I am starting to get the hang of it and get into the new routine. My dad was in town last night and we were able to go out to dinner with him. It's nice that he has so much work in the area and we will get to see him often. Here's to finishing out the week strong!

San Antonio Top 10

Flashback! As my mom says, you can cry until you leave but once you close the door it's time to look forward to what's ahead instead of what you're leaving behind. I know it's a little late, but I need to look back at our top 10 favorite things we did while we were in San Antonio!

1. Hiking Enchanted Rock- the view was absolutely breathtaking! It was definitely worth the drive. I wish we would've had enough time to hike the trail around the rock and explore the caves.

2. Tower of the Americas- The views are simply amazing. Going to eat dinner is a really incredible experience.

3. Sporting events- We were able to go to two San Antonio Scorpions soccer games (a really great value and fun environment) and a Baylor football game. While Baylor is technically not in San Antonio, San Antonio is close to lots of other fun places in Texas.

4. Riverwalk/Alamo/The Guenther House- I lumped these together because they are all pretty much in the same place. If you are in San Antonio you have to go to the Riverwalk and the Alamo. We didn't get to go in and read all the history and stuff, but I highly recommend it. The Guenther House has the best breakfast and cinnamon rolls!

5. Schlitterbahn- The water park is the best I've been to. We waited to go in September when they weren't as busy. It was still pretty busy, so I can't imagine how terrible the lines would have been if we had gone in June or July!

6. Fredericksburg- Walking around main street and going to all the cute shops is really fun. They have some really good restaurants and a lot of the store fronts/buildings still have the original architecture. I wish we would have had time to visit the National Museum of the Pacific War.

7. Shopping- One of our favorite things was getting to go to the outlet mall in San Marcos. La Cantera is also a really great outdoor mall that's really pretty.

8. Retama Park- I love horses, and getting to watch horse racing is always fun. The local racetrack has really good drink and food deals on certain days, so its a really cheap and fun date night, even if you don't like to gamble!

9. Port Aransas- again, this isn't in San Antonio, but you can't beat a beach 2.5 hours away! We have been going to PA for years, and it's always lots of fun.

10. James Avery/Kerrville- If you're in the area you need to go to the James Avery headquarters! Also in Kerrville is a replica of Stonhenge, which is so random but really fun to visit!

One thing we didn't get to do was going to a bat preserve to watch 7 million bats fly out of their cave. It sounds pretty creepy but also really cool at the same time.

We loved our time in San Antonio!