Another Chance Ranch

Monterey Giveaway

I promised that I would pick a little something up in Monterey for one of you that left a suggestion on my Planning post.  After a random drawing this is what Maggii has won.

I had a hard time deciding what to bring home for this particular prize.  At first I thought about saltwater taffy, but then I decided that it wouldn't last very long.  Then I remember seeing a little shop called Sand to Glass.  Everything in their store is made locally, in Monterey, so what better prize could there be? 

I wish I had a whole bunch of different colored cloths to show the many different colors in this necklace.  I did try to put it up against different colored backgrounds to give a little better idea, but these photos really do not do this dichroic glass pendant any justice.  I hope that Maggii will be able to show even more photos on her blog after she receives it. 

This necklace looks really good on black as well, I just couldn't get a good shot of it.  I was in a bit of a hurry and didn't really think I needed to just add more photos. 

So, Maggii email me at anotherchanceranch at gmail dot com. 

Thanks for playing along everyone!  We are headed to Colorado in September and I already know what I am getting as a giveaway from that trip.  :) 

Seeing Stars in Monterey

Well, if you have ever been to Monterey, CA then you know that you do not typically see the stars at night.  Well, we didn't because it was always cloudy.  But, we did see one star. 

Thomas Gibson aka Aaron Hotchner aka Greg Montgomery husband to Dharma.

McD and I were walking down Cannery Row minding our own business when Hotch came out of no where.  Okay, he must have come from the parking lot, but he walked right in front of me on the sidewalk.  I looked at McD and said, "Hey, there is that guy from Criminal Minds."  McD kind of laughed it off until Mr. Gibson turned to look both ways before crossing the street.  When McD saw his face he had to agree.  We did what any normal person would do, we stalked him.  Okay, not really.  We did speed up our pace to make sure it was him.  We never said a word to him though.  Obviously he was on a mission.  He trotted across the street and then slowed his pace after reaching the sidewalk.  Then he went into the Monterey Bay Aquarium entrance, and he stood in line like an ordinary person.  :) 

I like to think that he had dropped his family off at the door and then went to park the car, just like a gentleman would do.  And unless his people contact my people, oh who am I kidding, unless his people contact me and tell me that no, it wasn't him - I am sticking to my story. 

Tomorrow be here or be square...I have a prize for one of you!

Country Roads

Take me home, to the place where I belong - Oklahoma!

Today we will be traveling back, and it couldn't be a moment too soon.  I am writing this long before (remember, I did not take my computer with me this trip).  McD and I both have gotten to where we miss this place before we even leave.  So, I know that we are going to be ready to come home.

Hope you all had a great week!  Be sure to come back next week to find out who wins the surprise from Monterey.  :) 

Leaving On a Jet Plane

Don't know when I'll be back again.

Okay, so really I do. We will be back Friday night, really, really late Friday night.  Oh goodness.  McD really needs to train his secretary a little better.  It seems like we are always getting back to Oklahoma at Midnight every.single.trip.  Then we have to find our vehicle in that humongous parking lot, because heaven forbid we write down the aisle and number of the parking space.  By then we are exhausted and still have to drive 2 hours to get home.  But we are very glad she arranges all of these trips for us and she always does a good job.  Except for this flight thing.  We will have to have a talk before the next trip.

Well, we are headed to Monterey.  I told you we would be going.  I have taken all of your advice to heart. 

I really wanted to go to Santa Cruz to the beach boardwalk, but if I do that then I will just be tempted to go on roller coasters and such.  I just don't think that is what my Cardiologist would want me to do.  So we may not do that.

We are going to take the 17 (not 18) mile drive.  :)  We don't want to confuse anyone here.  :)  And we will be going to Carmel.

There is also a new IMAX on Cannery Row and we will be going there. 

I will go to the Aquarium while McD is attending meetings.  He isn't in to that near as much as I am.  I will probably spend most of one day there.  I plan on taking my camera and just playing all day.  Muncy, if you are reading this...I might be calling you for some settings when I get the the jelly fish tank.  Your shot of the jellyfish at the Oklahoma Aquarium turned out so good I might need your settings.  :)  Oh and thanks for letting me use your little bag. 

I am trying something new on this trip.  I am not taking my computer.  GASP!!  I KNOW!!!  (Said in loud Monica voice.)  I will have some posts up though.  And when I get back in a week I will be posting another Me & McD. 

Have a great week!!!

Planning

As some of you know from past posts, McD and I go on several trips each year with his company. They are usually at great vacation spots, but our only problem is that he is in meetings all day and I am either running around by myself or with a group of other spouses.

We have a trip coming up, and this time we are going to Monterey, CA. The last time I posted about going somewhere (San Francisco) I asked for suggestions on where to go and what to do. You guys gave excellent advice. So, here I am asking again.

Monterey, CA

Have you been there? Do you live there? What should I see? Where should I eat? Where do the locals hang out? I like to do more of the local thing than the tourist thing.

What about Carmel? Been there? Live there? Hmm, wonder if I would have a chance to see Mayor Clint Eastwood. We are going to rent a car so I can pretty much go anywhere while McD is in his meetings, well as long as I am back for the evening functions. :)

What are your suggestions? Oh and a lucky commenter will get a bonus. Leave a suggestion and you could be the winner of something from Monterey. You know that is wine country, it could be some wine. There is also a good taffy shop there, it could be some taffy. Hmmm, the possibilities are endless.

Camping Season

The weather has warmed up a touch and I have started to to think about going camping.  I love camping.  My parents used to take us camping a lot when we were kids.  Camping back then was completely different than the way we camp now. 

Back in the day we would camp out at the lake and a lot of the time we would sleep in our car, but we didn't really care because we had so much fun at the lake.  I still love the lake.  Speed boats.  Coconut tanning oil.  Inner tubes.  Campfires.  You name it, if it has to do with camping I love it.  I really love the bug spray!  The way the freezing cold spray hits your steaming skin.  The way it tastes when it hits your lips.  The lovely fragrance that fills the air.  Mmm, bug spray. 

Then we started using a tent.  Oh I loved to help put the tent up in the yard a few days before we left so it could air out.  I remember Dad rolling the tent out and us sweeping it off, then he would unfold it in another spot and we would sweep some more.  We swept it out and then usually spent the night in it right there in the yard. 

Our destinations were the lake, Blue River and Sulphur.  The weather was always really warm at the lake and a bit cooler at Blue River.  Sulphur was hot but then you got in the freezing water.  The only bad thing about Sulphur was that it stunk to high heaven.  If you know what sulfa smells like, then you know what it smelled like at Sulphur. 

Later Mom & Dad bought a camper trailer, you know the ones that went on the back of a pick-up truck.  That is when we hit the road.  We went to Nashville, TN.  Oh my, Tennessee is such a beautiful state.  We stayed in the camper at different campgrounds all along the way.  We had a minor issue with a water pump, it kind of broke and flooded stuff.  Then we were trying to turn around and we pulled into a parking lot to turn around.  It just so happened to be an Insane Asylum.  We found out how they got their patients.  There was an entrance but not an exit.  So with all four of us crammed in the cab of the pick-up laughing like crazy people, we hauled butt out the entrance.  We still laugh about it.  We loved that camper.  We would have camp outs in our own backyard in that thing. 

McD and I have had our fair share of adventures when camping.  Those stories will come another day.

What great memories!

The Golden Gate Bridge & Stuff

The Golden Gate Bridge is an awesome bridge.  If you have not seen it you should make plans right now to go to San Francisco to see it.  Really! 

The only thing I have ever heard about San Francisco is that it is full of gays and there are lots of hills.  Well, I saw more hills than I saw gays, that I know of anyway.  Believe me, I have nothing against gay people.  I have a few gay friends myself.  Shoot, half of my graduating class was gay.  I am just telling you what I have heard, not wanting to offend anyone.  Several cab drivers would flat out tell you they weren't gay without anyone asking them.  I would say they have some kind of phobia.

I wanted to go and sit on the dock of the bay and call Swampy to sing her a song.  Can you guess what I would have sang to her?  Anyway, it was so flippin' cold that the one afternoon I had the opportunity to do it, I said I would rather go to Saks and Neiman Marcus.  I guess you could say I am a fair-weather dock sitter. 

Saks Fifth Ave and Neiman Marcus were fun stops in San Francisco.  I took McD with me for support.  HA!  I am not a big shopper, I would rather shop from the comfort of my own home and send it back if it doesn't fit.  So when I walked into NM I was instantly uncomfortable.  I tried not to show it.  I tried to look and act like I shopped there all the time.  My mouth did not gape when I saw the tank top for $95 or for the $950 shoes.  I touched everything.  Why did I touch everything?  Because every time I touched something the nearest sales clerk's ears would perk up and their eyes would follow my every move.  I did find a sports coat for McD; occasionally he has to wear one for work.   It was only $1495.  I loved the Prada purses, oh and there was a nice Fendi one as well. 

We didn't stay in Saks very long.  We went down to the shoe dept. and fondled a few Jimmy Choos.  But again, we were watched like hawks.  It was really irritating, so we left.  I wanted to go to Tiffany's next, but McD didn't want to go in there.

Oh and I went to Sausalito.  If you are ever over that way you must go to Lappert's Ice Cream to have some ice cream.  It was delish!

Doggone It!

Yesterday I came home and this face wasn't there.  Neither was Mia's face, but she just won't sit still for me to take a good shot of her.  We normally board the canine and feline family members while we are off on a trip, but this time Mordecai wanted to stay home.  Really, he always likes to stay home.  He is spoiled! 

It just isn't the same coming home to a dogless house, it was really kind of sad.  But they will be back home Friday, YEAH!!!

Just look at that face!  How could you not love that face? 

We Hit the Road Jack...

but we'll be back.  We are in Little Rock, AR looking at new furniture.  What a whirlwind of a day it will be.  We have to be back home for a special concert tonight at 7pm.  I think we can make it.

Everybody have a great weekend.  Hopefully I will have some photos of the furniture we choose. 

There's No Place Like Home

It is time to pack and hit the road.  We are so ready to be home.  It was nice to be away for a bit, but we are more than ready to get home. 

Lake Tahoe was awesome, as always.  We will look forward to joining our friends here again in a few years. 

I did get an update on our house from my friend Muncy.  She went out and took photos to show me while I was gone.  Our windows are in and the front door is in.  I can't wait to get home and see what all we find.  Slick went out yesterday to check on things and said they had started putting the roof on the storage building.  YEAH! 

I will post a house update soon. 

Right now, I am headed down to the casino to play a few slots before I leave...I haven't gambled at all yet.