a prague story, the finale

we made a few discoveries on this trip to Prague.  while on our boat cruise we sailed by this beautiful church on a hill.  netter wisely suggested a 'get out of the city' plan to view that church up close.  took a tram a little ways out of the city, climbed a hill and spent a blissful time in enjoying the gorgeousness that is Prague.  we saw the first Christian church and heard some beautiful church chimes.  loved our little trip within a trip.

church had an amazing graveyard

great view from church hill overlooking bridges and Castle

first Christian church in Prague

another fabulous discovery was gelato.  i know nothing can ever compare to the goodness found in Florence but "cream & dream" at least transported me back to italy.  must confess that netter and i indulged a couple of times.  (we were on vacation and did lots of walking)  

our final day in prague started out with a walking tour of the jewish history.  there are some amazing synagogues in the city and a very strong heritage.  it was very cool to see the history of the people through their architecture.  

we always seem to save the best for last on our european trips - shopping!   both netter and i increased our jewelry and prague crystal vase collections.  good thing i had the extra over the shoulder bag to fit all of my new goodies.

flight back to the usa was quite uneventful when compared to the flight from the usa.  one thing that was somewhat annoying was not obtaining a stamp in my passport from prague.  i got three from amsterdam (don't ask), one from france and the usa.  but not one from czech republic.  shoot.  guess i'll have to go back yet again.

all together it was a great experience to go back to prague and stay in a nice hotel while enjoying a chillax atmosphere.  i look forward to flying my way back to the other cities visited on central europe vacation 2006 - budapest and salzburg.

because i just can't stop myself from hugging a tree

view from Charles Bridge towards Castle - one word "stunning"

a prague story part 2

landed in Prague without incident and were whisked (quite scary to be whisked) to our lovely hotel on the banks of the Vltava. we dropped our bags and decided to head to Old Town for dinner. first night was pretty chill because netter and i were both exhausted from the sheer amount of traveling and time change.

day 2 consisted of making our all important reservation at Cantina. one of the best mexican restaurants EVER! once that was accomplished we headed out to find things we hadn't done or seen on central europe vacation 2006. grabbed our first pizza meal and then saw cool sights like the powder gate (below) and a shoe store. ahhh!

we walked around the square and found ourselves at the wharf where they have boat cruises. netter suggested taking a cruise before our dinner and because i trust her travel suggestions completely, i hopped on board. (hee hee) the cruise was an hour and one of the best parts of the whole trip. we had a great time on the open air upper deck because everyone else stayed below. we put our iPods in our ears and sang, rocked out, waved at tourists on bridges and laughed and laughed all while seeing the stunning architecture and scenary in prague. this is always when i began to perfect my jumping in front of cool scenary abilities. i give all the credit to my action photographer - netter.

Charles Bridge in background

notice the iPod earbuds

Prague Castle in background with beautiful clouds

we spent time exploring the Easter Markets in Old Town Square as well as enjoying the scrumptious breakfast provided each morning by our hotel. this trip was great because we didn't need to wake up at the crack of dawn to make sure we spent as much time as possible seeing everything we wanted. instead it was a "chillax" vacation.

part 3 up next...stay tuned.

...an amsterdam/prague story part 1

my last minute trip to Prague was a great success...once we got there. here's part 1 of the story.

arrived at JFK with plenty of time to check in, grab some grub and hit the toilets before our 7 hour flight. while standing in line at Czech Airlines ("CSA") we were informed by a fellow line waiter that out direct flight landing in Prague at 6:15am was CANCELLED. horror of horrors! the harried customer service rep booked us on a flight through KLM to Amsterdam and then a connecting CSA flight to Prague arriving at around 11am. At least that is what she told us she did. little did we suspect our plans were about to be changed...

walked about 100 feet to stand in line at KLM. as we were getting checked into the flight we asked again about when we would arrive in Prague. the nice lady innocently told us 4:40pm. Excuse me! the lovely CSA rep had booked us on the latest connection from Amsterdam to Prague giving us a 5 hour layover in the city of fabulous artists like Rembrandt and Vermeer. luckily Netter and i are pretty low key and embraced the opportunity to explore Amsterdam.

we arrived in Amsterdam looking a little worse for the wear but were able to pull out some essentials for our Amsterdam whirlwind prior to checking our luggage (but neither of us pulled our umbrellas - this will be to our detriment later). shoved our carry ons into a locker and headed for the train ride we were told would take 45 minutes. about 15 minutes after we boarded the train we were in Amsterdam. got a daily transit pass and headed on the tram toward the van gogh museum. stopped along the way for some food, bought a necessary and very expensive H&M parasol/umbrella, took some pics and realized that we wouldn't have time to enter any museum but simply gaze at them from the outside.

best part of amsterdam for me was the flower market. boothes and boothes of merchants selling all types of flowers, plants, seeds, etc. along a beautiful canal. my one souvenir from amsterdam was a small wooden painted pink tulip key chain. think i need to go back to stock up on the dutch shoes and pictures of me in front of windmills.

we said a fond farewell to amsterdam as we boarded our flight at 2:30pm to Prague. i hope to visit again soon.

Here are some pictures from our time in Amsterdam:

Flower Market booths along Canal

Such a cool art installation - love the kind you can climb on and around

a little Prague preview

things have been insanely busy lately so haven't had a chance to fully commit time to blogging about the trip to Prague a couple of weeks ago.

this will be a little preview until the full story can be gloriously detailed with pictures. i promise it will be worth the wait.

the dancing returns

so you think you can dance season 5 premieres on Thursday May 21st. very much excited to dive back into the dance pool. hopefully the audition portion won't be too horrific. the actual competition probably won't begin until the end of June. once again...time to develop that patience.

prague

leaving for Prague tomorrow. i'm very excited. i had a great time when i went 3 years ago and this time we're staying in a fabulous hotel. we also will enjoy a delectable dinner at Cantina one of the best Mexican restaurants ever. here's to hoping it won't be too cold.

blogging will be put on hold until i return to the states next week.

a weather rant

i'm very much done with the daily coat, gloves, scarf and hat wearing. as much as i love my coats it is definitely time to shove them in my big suitcase and push them under my bed.

the cold weather has definitely let its presence be felt and can now go far, far away until late October when i'm done with the warm weather.

crossing my fingers that april comes in with some lovely 60 degree temperatures. tired of keeping kleenex in my bag because my nose starts to run from being so cold. (although springtime allergies are much worse)

now my rant is done.

the "should be" list

i know i have a blessed life. each and every day i get to choose how to spend my time (except for occasionally at work). that agency is such a powerful tool. lately i've been evaluating how i use that gift of time. i don't think i'm doing anything wrong by my obsession with the Wicked lottery, Blu-ray shopping or Rock Band 2 playing; but a little self-evaluation is not such a bad thing.

i've come up with a list of "should be doing with my time" and would like your input on what item i should incorporate into my life first:

• Daily prayers & scripture study
• Go to the gym 4x week
• Eat at least one fruit and one vegetable serving daily
• Write in my journal at least once a week
• Attend the temple at least once a month
• Learn a new skill - you choose from dance (jazz or hip hop class), photography, watercolor or oil painting, guitar lessons, knitting/crocheting or cooking
• Finding community service opportunities & then committing to one
• Write in option: ________________________________________

you now have the power to determine the first thing that i commit to spending my precious time on rather than watching America's Next Top Model marathons on WE channel. please choose wisely.

friends and blogging

i'm way behind. many of my friends have some fun blogs that i have neglected to add to my list (only the public ones). it is great to keep up with each other via technology that isn't called facebook.

Photographer - if i still lived in the west i would pay her money to teach me skills from her talents as an artist

Crafty Coloradian - a mother of three girls and a Colorado devotee who also has a craft blog...how cool is that!

a little something to read, or else

while waiting in line for a movie at Kips Bay last summer with Claire and Netter i was chastised for not being a harry potter devotee. i made a bet with them that i would read all 7 books before the next movie was released (which at that point was still November 2008). if i didn't complete my task then i had to buy tickets, concessions and provide transportation home from the theater for both of them on opening night.

thankfully i was given a reprieve of about 8 months. yet, i have yet to finish book #2. i recently took it to CT to see Claire because i realized that July will be here before i know it and i really don't want to buy tickets, licorice, popcorn, water for netter, soda for claire as well as pay for a cab home. instead i want them to provide the ticket, treats and transportation for me. apparently i'm a taker not a giver.

now i'm on a quest to get all of the books completely well before the deadline. if only they weren't so big and bulky.

p.s. another motivation was the realization that robert pattinson stars in one of the potter movies that i haven't seen where harry fights a fire breathing dragon that used to be an evil queen while trying to reach hermoine who has cast a sleeping spell over herself...or something like that.

a little something new

had some time on my hands to make changes to the blog design. my friend professor has a cool blog with this fun background so i thought i would try and incorporate something new. we'll see how long it stays around.

let me know if you likey or think it is silly.

a little something to share...

let me just take a moment to say that there is a difference between DVD and Blu-ray.  i love and adore my Blu-ray.  now i just need to increase my collection from the one i currently own.

just wanted to take a moment to share.

now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

stimulating the economy

to help keep the consumer spending alive and kicking i went on a little electronics spending spree.  got the wii, rock band 2, wii fit, blu-ray player and a very pretty digital SLR camera.  my brother Flex is a fantastic photographer and i've been jealous of his camera and skills for quite some time.  i'm glad that i finally have my own tools to use when he takes me to his favorite spots to shoot while visiting the familia next month.

last saturday was an absolutely glorious day.  it was warm, sun was shining and walking across the park didn't include mud stains on my shoes or pants hem.  took my new camera to try and document the beauty.  i'm an extremely untutored and delicate photographer so please be gentle when viewing my pics.  

dancing with d wade

went to Phoenix with Big Mike to visit friends from my hometown as well as chill with our friend Master Bowler while he worked during all star weekend.  it was a great time.  we ate at the cheesecake factory, played tennis at my high school, went bowling for 99 cents a game, saw the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and enjoyed the glorious sunshine.

Big Mike and i attended all star jam session on Saturday afternoon.  while we were there we took a moment to chill by sitting in front of a court filled with kids being taught skills by a former player.  that activity ended when a man came onto the court looking for contestants to dance with the Jabbawockeez.  Big Mike and i have some stellar dance moves and were over 21 years old so we volunteered.  

one by one we had to dance for the crowd and the Jabbawockeez.  after we all danced including the Jabbawockeez, Dwayne Wade from the Miami Heat showed up.  he did a little dance with the crew and then told the host that he wanted to see the contestants dance again.  i was the last contestant to dance.  started with my single turn and then slowly danced my way to Dwayne.  he got in the spirit of things and started grooving with me.  after it was over the host asked him what he thought of my moves and he said "she's like a spicy ballerina."  so i will now answer to pinky or spicy ballerina.

civic duty...check

got the jury summons about 2 months ago.  i went to the courthouse and tried to stay busy.  was chosen in a jury pool with about 34 others.  we had to fill out a questionnaire and on it i put everything possible to try to make myself a less desirable candidate.  after questioning each of us the lawyers made their choice of 8 and guess who was chosen...moi.

i appeared at the jury room early the next morning and got to sit around more until escorted into the jury box.  it reminded me of a childhood experience.

when i was in 5th grade we went to city hall and got to hold a mock trial.  the trial "characters" were pulled from a hat and i was chosen as the defense attorney.  i got to sit at the lawyer desk and "choose" the jury.  my best friend was a juror and i accidently told the "judge" that i wanted her removed.  she didn't speak to me for days because of what i did unintentionally.  oops.  

it was funny to sit in the jury box and have that memory come back.  amazing how things you have forgotten come back when you find yourself in a new situation.

got my "graduation" certificate from jury service in the mail.  therefore, civic duty...check.

a "wicked" lottery

love the musical Wicked. i saw it for the first time with Doc about five years ago just before she moved from the city. we were able to get decent seats and see the original cast including Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel. i cried during the final song "For Good" because i totally connected with the lyrics.

here at the NY broadway production they have a same day lottery for front row tickets at a very discounted rate of $26.25 each. the lottery happens 2 1/2 hours before each performance. people have a 1/2 hour to put their name and a request of up to 2 tickets on a green index card. then a guy puts them in the spinning wheel and pulls out names all while the anxious masses wait outside. he comes out and announces the winners while they gleefully line up next to him.

i have done the lottery countless times - at least 25+ - since the musical opened in 2003. i have NEVER won. once i was the recipient of my friend T being picked. almost everytime i put my name in the lottery it was for the benefit of someone else. i decided that enough is enough.

so now i'm out to beat the lottery - every Wednesday evening i go to the box office which is a short 7 minute walk from my office and attempt to beat the lottery. i don't necessarily have a burning desire to see the show again, but the fire burns to BEAT the lottery. tonight is the next attempt. i promise to blog the moment that my persistence and constancy is rewarded. wish me luck!

potty motivation

saw this on my facebook ad space and thought it might work wonders for my brothers to use when potty training their little stud muffins.

i'm sure cheering to the Cougar fight song would be the proper motivation for Blake and Kenny. just a friendly auntie suggestion.

time with Jimmy Eat World

Jimmy Eat World ("JEW") booked a 10 city tour in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the release of their magnificent album Clarity. they were going to play the album in its entirety. in all honesty, i became a devoted JEW supporter after Bleed American but will swipe my card to pay for tickets to any JEW concert. thankfully, claire, artiste & ca lady wanted to jump on the bandwagon also.

we spent a very cold evening at Terminal 5 enjoying the goodness of JEW and their rock anthems. a couple of pics with my camera phone. it was fantastic! can't wait for the 10th anniversary concert of Bleed American.

leaving on a jet plane...

it has been five years since my inaugural journey across the ocean to Europe. in those years i have visited and seen some amazing cities, countryside, and people. i told myself this year that i wouldn't plan a trip to Europe because of my mantra to be "fiscally responsible".

that decision went out the window a couple of fridays ago when i was searching on my travel agency website for prices on my 2010 trip to Greece. i came across a trip to Prague that they categorized as a "Luxury" vacation. the hotel in Prague was the Intercontinental, a beautiful 5 star hotel centrally located. cost for flights and 4 nights at the Intercontinental were DIRT CHEAP. now i just needed to convince someone to go with me. in my stealth way, i sent an email to Netter to show her the goodness that i had found. luckily she was game to spend time in the Czech Republic with her "use them or lose them" vacation days. we are heading back to Prague at the end of March after a 3 year absence. plan to enjoy great restaurants, culture and see things we didn't have time for in our first trip.

and i'm back...

...it has been quite some time since i updated the blog (although not as long as some people - you know who you are). thought i would give you a little run down on what has pulled me away from the blog-o-sphere.


i have become addicted to playing Rock Band on my brand new Wii. i am already to the "Medium" level on most songs. keep working hard to open up all the music that is currently locked away from me like The Middle by my boys from Jimmy Eat World.

i deeply apologize for my lack of posting because of my quest for rock superstardom. i promise to try harder.