Last week Nathan took a flight home for the 4th, and stayed until the 8th. We wanted to get some wedding things out of the way, so it seemed like the perfect time (especially considering I had the days off of work!). After spending almost four hours at Crate & Barrel doing registry things, we decided to spring a trip to Atlantic City for a fun Friday night "getaway."
A few of my friends had stayed at the Borgata, so we booked a room and made the four-hour drive (which ended up as 5) to New Jersey... our first road trip!
We hadn't killed each other yet, so we checked in and made reservations at the sushi restaurant there, and sat down for a quick bite before heading out on the floor. The sushi wasn't the best I had ever had, and we were both a little sticker-shocked once we had the check, but overall I would give it a 3/5 (ambiance, maybe?).
The Borgata is very interesting, because you really can stay there without ever leaving the hotel. Not that there is much to see around the area (besides interesting crowds and strange, abandoned carnivals), but the hotel had everything you could possibly want during a casino getaway in the scorching middle of summer. We only stayed one night, and it suited us better. We aren't really "gambling" types, but to dress up fancy and play a little was pretty fun! Of course, we only played about an hour before deciding we would rather spend money on food :)
Overall, I would say the Borgata is definitely the place to go if you're trying to do the "casino thing" in New Jersey. It may be a bit pricey (but really, what isn't out there?) but is totally worth it. Just remember to cut yourself off before you gamble away your retirement!
Happy Summer Getaways!!
Love,
Brittanie
Monday, July 9, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Hearing those BELLS!
It's been a while since I've updated, mostly because the past few weeks have been a WHIRLWIND, to say the least!!
The biggest news since my last post - Nathan and I got ENGAGED!!!!
It was on June 6, and I had invited him to be my guest for a dinner that my work was hosting at the Mellon Auditorium. After the dinner, we walked through the monuments, which were all lit up at night. We stopped by the World War II memorial, and started to walk back to my car, and then he stopped and pulled out a ring!!! I was surprised but VERY excited. I couldn't wait to tell everyone!!
As you can imagine, things have been a little... crazy... since then. He is still stationed in Hawaii and I have a horse, so moving there right now is a little bit too far-fetched. Also, it is insanely difficult to plan a legitimate wedding while working with the ARMY. They have some crazy schedules and don't exactly allow for very much flexibility!! I'm pretty sure we're set on a December date, since he will be home for sure at that time. Time to start all the planning!!
Unfortunately I had to drop him off to catch a flight back to Oahu on the 10th, which happened to be 3 days before my birthday. What a bummer that was! I was still able to have a decent 25th.. which I told everyone was going to be the last birthday I want to celebrate.. all downhill from here... haha
ALSO, speaking of wedding bells, this past weekend I was able to celebrate with my oldest friend as she was married to a guy she had met in high school. It was a beautiful wedding and everyone was in great cheer. They picked a PERFECT location for the reception, and I was so happy to see them together!!! Of course, now I've started thinking about some ideas for my big day :D
Happy Wedding Season!!
Love,
Brittanie
The biggest news since my last post - Nathan and I got ENGAGED!!!!
It was on June 6, and I had invited him to be my guest for a dinner that my work was hosting at the Mellon Auditorium. After the dinner, we walked through the monuments, which were all lit up at night. We stopped by the World War II memorial, and started to walk back to my car, and then he stopped and pulled out a ring!!! I was surprised but VERY excited. I couldn't wait to tell everyone!!
As you can imagine, things have been a little... crazy... since then. He is still stationed in Hawaii and I have a horse, so moving there right now is a little bit too far-fetched. Also, it is insanely difficult to plan a legitimate wedding while working with the ARMY. They have some crazy schedules and don't exactly allow for very much flexibility!! I'm pretty sure we're set on a December date, since he will be home for sure at that time. Time to start all the planning!!
Unfortunately I had to drop him off to catch a flight back to Oahu on the 10th, which happened to be 3 days before my birthday. What a bummer that was! I was still able to have a decent 25th.. which I told everyone was going to be the last birthday I want to celebrate.. all downhill from here... haha
ALSO, speaking of wedding bells, this past weekend I was able to celebrate with my oldest friend as she was married to a guy she had met in high school. It was a beautiful wedding and everyone was in great cheer. They picked a PERFECT location for the reception, and I was so happy to see them together!!! Of course, now I've started thinking about some ideas for my big day :D
Happy Wedding Season!!
Love,
Brittanie
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Congratulations LU Grads!
I found it interesting that the president of the college, Jerry Falwell Jr., made it a point during his introduction of Romney that he was NOT endorsing Romney, and then proceeded to welcome him as, "Please welcome, the next President of the United States!"
Romney was actually fairly entertaining, and I can tell he has started to adapt his speaking skills to those of Obama. As much as I would like to lean-right from Obama, I can't deny the fact that he is a great public speaker. Anyway, Romney threw in a couple jokes amidst his religiously-political speech for the graduates. And he made sure to throw in the, "Marriage is between a man and a woman!" at one point, which brought on cheers from the crowd. Of course, LU is the PERFECT outlet for his anti-homosexual views (read: if I say this, all of these graduates will vote for me), but I won't get in to all of that :)
An honorary doctoral degree of the college was given to Truett Cathy Jr., the founder of Chik-Fil-A. He stood and spoke and I thought he was hilarious. "Raise your hands if you like chicken!" I have a lot of respect for the fact that he has kept Chik-Fil-A closed on Sundays. Of course, that respect is sometimes over-ridden by the fact that I am always craving Chik-Fil-A on Sundays!!!! Can't win them all :)
Besides the political part of the graduation ceremony, I got to enjoy the day with Nathan's family while watching his sister take the last walk of her undergraduate career. Watching her reminded me how crazy it is that my own graduation was three years ago! We had a fantastic dinner with the family post-graduation and it was neat to have the opportunity to celebrate with them. It was a different experience being so far away from the city, but it was refreshing, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with them over the next few weeks!
Congrats Graduates!!!!
Love,
Brittanie
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
DRPC Horse Trials & the Run for Justice 5k
Back to the fun of crazy weekends!
Saturday I volunteered at the Difficult Run Pony Club Horse Trials at Frying Pan Park as a jump judge. This is my last year with the pony club (I age out at the end of the year), so I'm trying to get back in with the club to start giving back what I've been given by them over the years! Unfortunately there were not many riders at the Horse Trials this year, which is not encouraging for the sport. I think it is partly a sign of the economy, and partly a sign that our event is fading from riders' interests. Either way, we need to gain more supporters if we're going to continue spending the money to hold an event over two days.
Anyway, Keana came with me and we baked in the sun all day, which was actually kind of nice. I haven't been able to spend very much time outside during the day (work, work, work), so the fresh air was great. Keana is a superstar around horses, and I'm so thankful that she and I got to know each other while I was at PD's barn for 8 months. She just watches them go by, sometimes not even bothering to pick up her head to watch them. Glad I did that training right!
Saturday night we had tacos at my parents' in honor of Cinco de Mayo. No Coronas for me, I had to get up at 6am on Sunday!
Sunday morning woke up early early to run on a team in the Fairfax Law Association's Run for Justice 5K in Tyson's Corner, VA. Mom's law practice was looking for a few runners to put together a team, so naturally my brother and I were signed up to run :) Our team consisted of my brother and I, Senator Chap Peterson, and two lawyers from my mom's firm in Fairfax, VA.
It had been a few weeks since I had run (I ran twice in the four weeks after my half marathon), so the hilly run around Tyson's was as hard as could be expected. I became winded around mile two, but then there was only one mile left, so nothing crazy. I was glad it was only a 5K.
Overall I think I could have done better if I had been running consistently, but my knee has been a recurring issue, so until I can get that figured out I think I've done pretty well! I placed 74th out of 169, putting me in the top 44%. I was 25th of the women, and 8th in the Women 20-30 age group. Not too shabby!
Now's the time to set up an Ortho appointment and get this knee figured out. The goal is to run another half marathon in the late fall (October/November), so we'll see how that works out!
ALSO, Wanda is back in action, and this past weekend I was able to start her back up with training. It'll be about 8 weeks before she's in working condition, but hopefully it'll go well enough that I can enter her in a novice or training in late August/September. Fingers crossed!
Lots of human running and horsey love,
Brittanie
Saturday I volunteered at the Difficult Run Pony Club Horse Trials at Frying Pan Park as a jump judge. This is my last year with the pony club (I age out at the end of the year), so I'm trying to get back in with the club to start giving back what I've been given by them over the years! Unfortunately there were not many riders at the Horse Trials this year, which is not encouraging for the sport. I think it is partly a sign of the economy, and partly a sign that our event is fading from riders' interests. Either way, we need to gain more supporters if we're going to continue spending the money to hold an event over two days.
Anyway, Keana came with me and we baked in the sun all day, which was actually kind of nice. I haven't been able to spend very much time outside during the day (work, work, work), so the fresh air was great. Keana is a superstar around horses, and I'm so thankful that she and I got to know each other while I was at PD's barn for 8 months. She just watches them go by, sometimes not even bothering to pick up her head to watch them. Glad I did that training right!
Saturday night we had tacos at my parents' in honor of Cinco de Mayo. No Coronas for me, I had to get up at 6am on Sunday!
Sunday morning woke up early early to run on a team in the Fairfax Law Association's Run for Justice 5K in Tyson's Corner, VA. Mom's law practice was looking for a few runners to put together a team, so naturally my brother and I were signed up to run :) Our team consisted of my brother and I, Senator Chap Peterson, and two lawyers from my mom's firm in Fairfax, VA.
It had been a few weeks since I had run (I ran twice in the four weeks after my half marathon), so the hilly run around Tyson's was as hard as could be expected. I became winded around mile two, but then there was only one mile left, so nothing crazy. I was glad it was only a 5K.
Overall I think I could have done better if I had been running consistently, but my knee has been a recurring issue, so until I can get that figured out I think I've done pretty well! I placed 74th out of 169, putting me in the top 44%. I was 25th of the women, and 8th in the Women 20-30 age group. Not too shabby!
Now's the time to set up an Ortho appointment and get this knee figured out. The goal is to run another half marathon in the late fall (October/November), so we'll see how that works out!
ALSO, Wanda is back in action, and this past weekend I was able to start her back up with training. It'll be about 8 weeks before she's in working condition, but hopefully it'll go well enough that I can enter her in a novice or training in late August/September. Fingers crossed!
Lots of human running and horsey love,
Brittanie
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
An Epic Hawaiian Vacation
After an exhausting week and a not-so-productive weekend, I think I have finally recovered from what was an EPIC 11-day trip to Hawaii. The weather was a perfect 80 degrees and sunny (until the last day), the trip was adventure-packed, and the scenery was beautiful. And in the end, I think I would fit in quite well there...
4 AM wake-up call for a 5 AM pickup by my favorite driver, Younus. He drives for Dulles Flyer and has his own Town Car but runs the meter, so it's luxury travel for cab price. AND he has mints in the center console. He gave me his card once and now I never use anyone else. AND he texts. It's the little things...
8:18 AM 5-hour flight from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Los Angeles (LAX). I sat at the window next to a college student, but she was less-than-amused at me trying to have a conversation with her while she was studying. Hour layover in LA, so I had a quick bite and a drink to try and knock myself out for the next plane. FAIL.
12:45 PM 5-hour flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL). Sat next to an older woman sitting next to a big guy. They were not excited to get up every 30 minutes due to that drink I had earlier. She was friendly, though, and I found out she was there to visit her very first grandchild. Congrats! (.... sorry, can I get up again?) No sleep on this plane, but oh well, I got a lot of reading done.
3:36 PM arrival in Honolulu. (wait, did I just go back in time?!) Met up with Nathan in the baggage claim and we made our way to the Hale Koa in Honolulu. The place is gorgeous, though a little confusing (why would they have a revolving door in a place with no walls??), went out for appetizer-sized meals and drinks at Rum Fire at Waikiki Beach. The fish tacos were good, but they were the first ones of the trip (more later).
Up early for breakfast at the Koko Cafe in the Hale Koa, which has super deals for military. Ate our fill of the buffet breakfast and made our way out to enjoy a bit of beach time.
Lasted about 20 minutes before we decided to find some lunch, so we meandered through the shops (aka "stuff") and ended up having fish tacos (#2) at Duke's Waikiki (best fish tacos of the trip).
After lunch, rented some surfboards and hit the waves for a bit before getting beat up and exhausted. Back to the hotel to clean up, and then a fancy dinner at the Koa Lanai of the Outrigger Canoe Club, where we watched the sunset and enjoyed a huge dinner. It was still early, so Nathan called up some friends and we met up with them at the Modern. After lots of laughs and a random back flip (did he actually make it?!), we meandered back to get some much-needed sleep.
Another early morning with buffet breakfast at the Koko Cafe in the Hale Koa. Afterwards, we put on our sneakers and headed out to hike up the Koko Crater Summit (Puu Mai), which is a huge summit of more than 1100 "steps"! Apparently the "trail" we were on was actually an old abandoned trestle that used to transport military personnel and supplies to a lookout post up there. The cart doesn't run anymore, so people now hike up there for fun.
Took us about 30 minutes, and the entire time we would pass people running down backwards (crazies...). My fear of heights did not help me when we got to the part of the trail where the ground is no longer under the railroad ties, and you have to balance from one tie to the other. Thankfully Nathan and I are friends! The view from the top was AMAZING. This guy sums up the hike pretty well: Dan's Hiking Pages: Koko Head Crater
Finished the hike around noon and stopped at Wahoo's for some fish burritos. These things are massive. Delicious, but massive. You can not even imagine how gigantic they are. Nathan ate his AND the remaining fish out of mine. What a beast :) Rolled (literally, rolled) out of Wahoo's and headed over to the Honolulu Zoo, where we cracked up at the random awkward animals and I got to enjoy a particularly strange encounter between Nathan and a lucky goat. Unfortunately, they didn't set the zoo up very well for the public being able to see the shady parts (it's Hawaii.. you think the animals are supposed to stand in the sun?!), and it was hard to see a lot of the animals, but we still had a good time.
Done with the zoo and time to get ready for a sunset cruise on the catamaran, NaHoku II. It is a half rowdy, half relaxed crew with some strange backgrounds, but also an all-around good time with friends while getting to see Honolulu from the ocean. The views of the shore are amazing, especially when the sun goes down, and the breeze is refreshing. Back to shore and on to dinner at the Yardhouse, where we finished up the night with good food and some even better people.
Up at 6 for the buffet breakfast at the Koko Cafe and a few minutes of beach. Before long, we've rented paddle boards and are goofily (is that a word!?) paddling around the ocean. Luckily the surf was pretty calm, so it was nice to just float around for a bit. Of course it started raining and it was cold rain, so we stepped back on land and headed to lunch at Shokudo Sushi, which turned out to be the best sushi we had all week.
Back to the Hale Koa to get ready for the Wolfhounds Re-Deployment Ball at the Sheraton Waikiki. All the guys look so handsome and their dates all dressed up nice. They fed us well (chicken and steak... or chicken and chicken for me) and we got pictures taken before heading out to Rum Fire for a post-ball hangout with some of the guys. Exhausted by 9:30 (this was consistent for the trip), so we said goodbye (even got a "hurrah for Nate and his beautiful girlfriend!" as we passed) and headed in.
Up early for the buffet at the Koko Cafe (this is getting repetitive...) and a few minutes on the beach. Decided to pack up and check out so we could spend the day downtown, so after stopping by the craft market in the hotel lobby (more stuff!!) we jumped in the truck and headed toward "the city." After convincing Nathan he NEEDED it (yea, TONS of convincing...) we got massages at a spa in the city and then grabbed some tacos at a small place in the square. I had been DYING to see The Hunger Games, so he agreed to take me and we made our way to the Ward Stadium and walked around a bit before the movie. Enjoyed the movie and jumped in the car to head to the North Shore, which was about an hour drive along the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. At this point it felt like a dream!
Arrived to the North Shore and grabbed dinner in Hale'iwa at Pizza Bob's (guess what we ate..), stopped for a few groceries at the store near there, and ended at Nathan's house in Waialua. The guy pretty much lives in paradise, because his house is huge, all the guys have their own space, and it sits right on the edge of the shore. You can literally walk out the back door and be standing on the beach within 2 minutes. And they never need a/c, because there is a nonstop breeze from the ocean. Every day is 81 degrees with or without a light shower at some point during the day, and every day is shorts and t-shirt weather. What a life :)
Nathan had to go to work in the morning, so I took a run to Haleiwa, got lost on the way back, then spent some time reading on the beach. He got home around 11, so we headed to Banzai Sushi with a Groupon, and had a huge lunch. After stuffing our faces with raw fish, it was back in the car to Skydive Hawaii, where we tandem jumped with instructors from 12,000 feet (mmm fish...). Surprisingly I wasn't nervous at all until we were literally stepping out of the plane, at which point it was too late anyway. So, I jumped (literally and figuratively in this case). AND IT WAS AWESOME!!! There is no feeling like it in the world. One minute you're having a mini heart attack as you realize your worst nightmare is actually happening, and the next you are giving the thumbs up to the camera guy who is also hurtling towards the ground with you, and the next you are flying a parachute while the guy strapped behind you is adjusting your life straps, and the next you are being landed on by the same guy as you hit the ground (oh, that's not supposed to happen?!). It is such a RUSH.
Back to the house in the afternoon to cook out chicken and vegetables with Nathan's roommate out back. The night is perfect and the food great, and all I can think about is falling out of the sky. Naturally, asleep by 10pm.
Again with the work thing. Nathan was taking a hike with his guys for PT and I had quite a bit of work to do myself, so spent most of the morning answering emails, sending invoices, etc. He got home around 10:30 and made breakfast, which consisted of eggs, bacon, and potatoes, NATURALLY shaped like smiley faces.
After breakfast grabbed the short board and headed for Laniakea Beach (aka Turtle Beach, aka "Lani's") so Nathan could catch a few waves while I caught up on my tan. On the beach I saw a HUGE turtle, which had crawled out to lay some eggs. AND, I saw the only crab of the entire trip as it burrowed in to the sand to catch the next wave. Of course, as I was taking a picture that next wave DID come, which sent me frantic in the other direction so as not to interfere with the crab's master plan. A fin came loose on the board, so we headed back to the truck to meander along the North Shore beaches, and ended up at Waimea Beach, where the goal was to jump off this giant 30-foot rock. The rock was ridiculously packed of people and the water murky, so we played in the waves like the ridiculous kids we are and went back to the house.
Dinner was at Luibueno's, but the fish tacos still weren't as good as Duke's.
After dinner, Nathan, his roommate and I started a fire in the pit behind the house, and through some crazy stories and silly jokes, we just generally enjoyed the night.
Nathan had PT again, I slept in until around 8:30. Woke up, did a little work, started to make some breakfast and he got home, so we grabbed some Thai food at Haleiwa Thai and then rented snorkeling gear at Shark's Cove. With the fear of burning to a crisp from forgetting suntan lotion, we threw on our gear and floated around the cove for a good hour. The water was chilly but the fish were beautiful, and with Nathan's GoPro we were able to take a few.. interesting... videos!
A stop at Surf N' Sea for some Haleiwa tshirts and "stuff," and back to the house to change for dinner. Dinner was great at the Shack in Mililani with a bunch of the guys and their wives. Of course Nathan always runs in to friends at these restaurants, so we stopped to say hello and I was able to re-live my "falling out of the sky" moment with guys who were going for the first time the next day. Back to the house to pack, and bed at 10.
Woke up EARLY to beat the traffic and catch a flight out of Honolulu to the island of Kauai. Had breakfast at a diner near the airport, and caught our 30-minute flight around 9am. Landed in Kauai, rented a car, and drove the windy road to Waimea Canyon, which is absolutely gorgeous. They call it the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific," and I believe it (though I've never seen the REAL Grand Canyon). So we took a bunch of pictures, roped in some other tourists to take a bunch of pictures of us, and jumped back in the car to head to our condo in Princeville, which is the North Shore of Kauai. Stopped at a burrito place for fuel, and made our way up to Sealodge G9, which is this gorgeous condo overlooking the ocean and the shore of Kauai, with the Kilauea Lighthouse in the distance.
Took in the views of the condo and headed out to explore the town, look at "stuff" and find some dinner, which we grabbed at the grocery store and took back to the condo for a bit of a relaxing break. A lizard in the coffee pot, a small bean explosion, and Nathan finally taking over the cooking, and we were loving life. Dinner was delicious and sitting out on the lanai was beautiful. AND, the condo had a telescope, so we could look out at the boats in the water or see the stars. It was very peaceful. Asleep by 9:30.
Up around 8:30 and high-fiving each other for buying cereal and eggs for a cheap and easy breakfast. Plan out our trip, pack up some things, and drive over to hike the Kalalau Trail to Hanakapi'ai Falls. The trail is crazy, and I'm surprised seeing some little ones climbing over some of the boulders and narrow trails. Nathan saved some lady's life (he carried her over a stream so her feet wouldn't get wet!) and we reached the Falls after about 2 hours.
After eating our packed sandwiches, we attempted to jump in to swim around the falls, but the water was FREEZING. Nathan jumped in (naturally) and swam around under the water fall while I took pictures of the scenery and gripped my phone for Nathan-throwing-me-in security. Left the falls and hiked back, then spent some time at Kee Beach (where I had no phone for safety) and drenched, found our way back to the car.
Stopped at Bouchon's for lunch, and realized how nice it was to just sit for a bit, then looked at "stuff" for a while, and finally headed back to the condo to recover. Dinner was done at home again (another high-five) and consisted of guacamole with chips and pizza, which we devoured. Started storming outside, so we watched some "Shark Tank" on tv and passed out around 9:30 listening to the rain.
Woke up around 9 and made ourselves breakfast, then wandered down a trail behind the Sealodge condos to a private, reef-protected beach to snorkel. The fish were sub-par compared to Shark's Cove, so we packed it up and drove to Queen's Bath, which is this ridiculously scary area of lava shelf where people sometimes swim. When I reference the scary part, I mean, when you get to the bottom, there is a board with a warning that is carved with tally marks for the deaths that have been caused there. Awesome.
You can tell it's dangerous by watching the ocean pound against the shelf, sending sea spray shooting up and over the rocks. Nature at its finest. Took lots of pictures but didn't swim, though some people were in a small, calmer-looking pool of water. It was too cold.
Left Queen's Bath and drove to lunch at the Lighthouse Bistro, appropriately named for its location. Wasn't the best food but it did the trick, so we continued on our journey to the Kilauea Lighthouse, which is the northernmost tip of the main Hawaiian Islands. You have to pay $5 to go through the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, which is a small area of land they've designated for the birds there (it was a little odd) to get to the lighthouse, and I got a few good pictures from it.
Got to be about time to leave, so we started toward the airport, stopping at Starbucks to refuel and grab some "stuff" next door. Dropped off the rental, had an easy 30 minute flight back to Honolulu, and drove back to Waialua so I could pack up the rest of my things for my flight back to the mainland. Once packed we wanted crabs, so we picked a place semi near the airport (Sam Choy's BLC) for a final dinner together.
Of course my flight back to San Francisco was delayed 2 hours until 1 AM, so we napped in the truck and headed to get me checked in about 12:15. The airline was nothing but nice about everything, and even gave Nathan a gate pass so he could go back with me. My bag was over 50 pounds, and they let me go with a normal bag fee, so I can't complain there. But, the farewell was no fun, and since we were both up wayyy past our bed times, we were exhausted.
Made it to San Francisco around 9 AM but had missed my connecting flight, so had to stand in line for a reschedule. The reschedule got delayed 2 hours, so I ended up hanging out in the airport for about 4 hours. Had to call the kennel to add an extra day to Keana's board since I wasn't going to make it to closing time, which was a bummer. Came time to board the final flight and no one was around, so I checked the screen and it had been moved, so I ran to the gate and was boarded right before the doors locked. Almost missed it! Slept most of the flight and arrived at Dulles around 10 PM.
Grabbed a taxi ($60 later) to my parents' house, walked inside, and the house was EMPTY. My parents were on vacation and the floors were being redone, so there was no furniture, the kitchen was all taped up, the heat was off, and all the doors upstairs locked. So I dragged my suitcase upstairs and used a paper clip to get in the bedroom so I could just sit and mope for a bit. (Funny side note: My parents had a camera set and it recorded my entire time in the house, which included about 20 different times of me trying to set the thermostat, and one hilarious video when I found the camera.. whoops!).
All-in-all it was a fantastic trip, and I'm excited to try and make it back there soon! We had a great time, and if anyone is interested in some suggestions I would be happy to help. Nathan will be back on the mainland next month, so I'm going to have to start coming up with some fun things to do in DC!
Aloha and Mahalo,
Brittanie
Honolulu on Dwellable
Thursday, April 12
4 AM wake-up call for a 5 AM pickup by my favorite driver, Younus. He drives for Dulles Flyer and has his own Town Car but runs the meter, so it's luxury travel for cab price. AND he has mints in the center console. He gave me his card once and now I never use anyone else. AND he texts. It's the little things...
 |
| Dulles has futuristic trains |
12:45 PM 5-hour flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL). Sat next to an older woman sitting next to a big guy. They were not excited to get up every 30 minutes due to that drink I had earlier. She was friendly, though, and I found out she was there to visit her very first grandchild. Congrats! (.... sorry, can I get up again?) No sleep on this plane, but oh well, I got a lot of reading done.
3:36 PM arrival in Honolulu. (wait, did I just go back in time?!) Met up with Nathan in the baggage claim and we made our way to the Hale Koa in Honolulu. The place is gorgeous, though a little confusing (why would they have a revolving door in a place with no walls??), went out for appetizer-sized meals and drinks at Rum Fire at Waikiki Beach. The fish tacos were good, but they were the first ones of the trip (more later).
Friday, April 13
 |
| Hale Koa Breakfast |
Lasted about 20 minutes before we decided to find some lunch, so we meandered through the shops (aka "stuff") and ended up having fish tacos (#2) at Duke's Waikiki (best fish tacos of the trip).
After lunch, rented some surfboards and hit the waves for a bit before getting beat up and exhausted. Back to the hotel to clean up, and then a fancy dinner at the Koa Lanai of the Outrigger Canoe Club, where we watched the sunset and enjoyed a huge dinner. It was still early, so Nathan called up some friends and we met up with them at the Modern. After lots of laughs and a random back flip (did he actually make it?!), we meandered back to get some much-needed sleep.
Saturday, April 14
 | |
| The hike up Koko Crater |
 |
| The top of Koko Crater |
Finished the hike around noon and stopped at Wahoo's for some fish burritos. These things are massive. Delicious, but massive. You can not even imagine how gigantic they are. Nathan ate his AND the remaining fish out of mine. What a beast :) Rolled (literally, rolled) out of Wahoo's and headed over to the Honolulu Zoo, where we cracked up at the random awkward animals and I got to enjoy a particularly strange encounter between Nathan and a lucky goat. Unfortunately, they didn't set the zoo up very well for the public being able to see the shady parts (it's Hawaii.. you think the animals are supposed to stand in the sun?!), and it was hard to see a lot of the animals, but we still had a good time.
Done with the zoo and time to get ready for a sunset cruise on the catamaran, NaHoku II. It is a half rowdy, half relaxed crew with some strange backgrounds, but also an all-around good time with friends while getting to see Honolulu from the ocean. The views of the shore are amazing, especially when the sun goes down, and the breeze is refreshing. Back to shore and on to dinner at the Yardhouse, where we finished up the night with good food and some even better people.
Sunday, April 15
 |
| Wolfhounds Ball |
Back to the Hale Koa to get ready for the Wolfhounds Re-Deployment Ball at the Sheraton Waikiki. All the guys look so handsome and their dates all dressed up nice. They fed us well (chicken and steak... or chicken and chicken for me) and we got pictures taken before heading out to Rum Fire for a post-ball hangout with some of the guys. Exhausted by 9:30 (this was consistent for the trip), so we said goodbye (even got a "hurrah for Nate and his beautiful girlfriend!" as we passed) and headed in.
Monday, April 16
Up early for the buffet at the Koko Cafe (this is getting repetitive...) and a few minutes on the beach. Decided to pack up and check out so we could spend the day downtown, so after stopping by the craft market in the hotel lobby (more stuff!!) we jumped in the truck and headed toward "the city." After convincing Nathan he NEEDED it (yea, TONS of convincing...) we got massages at a spa in the city and then grabbed some tacos at a small place in the square. I had been DYING to see The Hunger Games, so he agreed to take me and we made our way to the Ward Stadium and walked around a bit before the movie. Enjoyed the movie and jumped in the car to head to the North Shore, which was about an hour drive along the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. At this point it felt like a dream! |
| Nathan's room in Waialua |
Tuesday, April 17
 |
| Getting ready to jump! |
Back to the house in the afternoon to cook out chicken and vegetables with Nathan's roommate out back. The night is perfect and the food great, and all I can think about is falling out of the sky. Naturally, asleep by 10pm.
Wednesday, April 18
Again with the work thing. Nathan was taking a hike with his guys for PT and I had quite a bit of work to do myself, so spent most of the morning answering emails, sending invoices, etc. He got home around 10:30 and made breakfast, which consisted of eggs, bacon, and potatoes, NATURALLY shaped like smiley faces. | |
| Turtle at Laniakea Beach |
After breakfast grabbed the short board and headed for Laniakea Beach (aka Turtle Beach, aka "Lani's") so Nathan could catch a few waves while I caught up on my tan. On the beach I saw a HUGE turtle, which had crawled out to lay some eggs. AND, I saw the only crab of the entire trip as it burrowed in to the sand to catch the next wave. Of course, as I was taking a picture that next wave DID come, which sent me frantic in the other direction so as not to interfere with the crab's master plan. A fin came loose on the board, so we headed back to the truck to meander along the North Shore beaches, and ended up at Waimea Beach, where the goal was to jump off this giant 30-foot rock. The rock was ridiculously packed of people and the water murky, so we played in the waves like the ridiculous kids we are and went back to the house.Dinner was at Luibueno's, but the fish tacos still weren't as good as Duke's.
After dinner, Nathan, his roommate and I started a fire in the pit behind the house, and through some crazy stories and silly jokes, we just generally enjoyed the night.
Thursday, April 19
Nathan had PT again, I slept in until around 8:30. Woke up, did a little work, started to make some breakfast and he got home, so we grabbed some Thai food at Haleiwa Thai and then rented snorkeling gear at Shark's Cove. With the fear of burning to a crisp from forgetting suntan lotion, we threw on our gear and floated around the cove for a good hour. The water was chilly but the fish were beautiful, and with Nathan's GoPro we were able to take a few.. interesting... videos!
A stop at Surf N' Sea for some Haleiwa tshirts and "stuff," and back to the house to change for dinner. Dinner was great at the Shack in Mililani with a bunch of the guys and their wives. Of course Nathan always runs in to friends at these restaurants, so we stopped to say hello and I was able to re-live my "falling out of the sky" moment with guys who were going for the first time the next day. Back to the house to pack, and bed at 10.
Friday, April 20
 | |
| Waimea Canyon, Kauai |
 |
| Dinner in the condo |
 |
| lizard in a coffee pot! |
Saturday, April 21
 |
| Hiking the Kalalu Trail |
 |
| Hanakapa'ai Falls |
After eating our packed sandwiches, we attempted to jump in to swim around the falls, but the water was FREEZING. Nathan jumped in (naturally) and swam around under the water fall while I took pictures of the scenery and gripped my phone for Nathan-throwing-me-in security. Left the falls and hiked back, then spent some time at Kee Beach (where I had no phone for safety) and drenched, found our way back to the car.
Stopped at Bouchon's for lunch, and realized how nice it was to just sit for a bit, then looked at "stuff" for a while, and finally headed back to the condo to recover. Dinner was done at home again (another high-five) and consisted of guacamole with chips and pizza, which we devoured. Started storming outside, so we watched some "Shark Tank" on tv and passed out around 9:30 listening to the rain.
Sunday, April 22
 |
| Queen's Bath, Kauai |
Woke up around 9 and made ourselves breakfast, then wandered down a trail behind the Sealodge condos to a private, reef-protected beach to snorkel. The fish were sub-par compared to Shark's Cove, so we packed it up and drove to Queen's Bath, which is this ridiculously scary area of lava shelf where people sometimes swim. When I reference the scary part, I mean, when you get to the bottom, there is a board with a warning that is carved with tally marks for the deaths that have been caused there. Awesome.
 | |
| Nathan at Queen's Bath |
You can tell it's dangerous by watching the ocean pound against the shelf, sending sea spray shooting up and over the rocks. Nature at its finest. Took lots of pictures but didn't swim, though some people were in a small, calmer-looking pool of water. It was too cold.
 |
| The Nene, State Bird of Hawaii |
 | |
| Kilauea Lighthouse |
Of course my flight back to San Francisco was delayed 2 hours until 1 AM, so we napped in the truck and headed to get me checked in about 12:15. The airline was nothing but nice about everything, and even gave Nathan a gate pass so he could go back with me. My bag was over 50 pounds, and they let me go with a normal bag fee, so I can't complain there. But, the farewell was no fun, and since we were both up wayyy past our bed times, we were exhausted.
Monday, April 23
Made it to San Francisco around 9 AM but had missed my connecting flight, so had to stand in line for a reschedule. The reschedule got delayed 2 hours, so I ended up hanging out in the airport for about 4 hours. Had to call the kennel to add an extra day to Keana's board since I wasn't going to make it to closing time, which was a bummer. Came time to board the final flight and no one was around, so I checked the screen and it had been moved, so I ran to the gate and was boarded right before the doors locked. Almost missed it! Slept most of the flight and arrived at Dulles around 10 PM.
Grabbed a taxi ($60 later) to my parents' house, walked inside, and the house was EMPTY. My parents were on vacation and the floors were being redone, so there was no furniture, the kitchen was all taped up, the heat was off, and all the doors upstairs locked. So I dragged my suitcase upstairs and used a paper clip to get in the bedroom so I could just sit and mope for a bit. (Funny side note: My parents had a camera set and it recorded my entire time in the house, which included about 20 different times of me trying to set the thermostat, and one hilarious video when I found the camera.. whoops!).
All-in-all it was a fantastic trip, and I'm excited to try and make it back there soon! We had a great time, and if anyone is interested in some suggestions I would be happy to help. Nathan will be back on the mainland next month, so I'm going to have to start coming up with some fun things to do in DC!
Aloha and Mahalo,
Brittanie
Honolulu on Dwellable
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
13.1: You have been owned!!!
DONE friends, DONE.
This past weekend was the Charlottesville Marathon/Half Marathon/8K/Kids Mile in the downtown area of Charlottesville, Virginia. My running partner and I have been training for about 4 months for the Half Marathon, which is 13.1 miles of rolling Charlottesville terrain.
Friday I was lucky enough to have work close early for Easter weekend (3pm), so we jumped in my car and made the 3 hour trek to Charlottesville. We picked up our packets and checked in to the Sleep Inn & Suites Monticello, which was about 1.5 miles from the race start.
Mom had made us a delicious spaghetti bake, so we ate well the night before!
After dinner, we collected all of our supplements for the race and hit the hay at 9pm.
The race started at 6:30am, so we woke up at 4:30, took showers, and headed to the Arena to start mentally preparing for the journey that was to come!
The weather was COLD when we started. I was wearing shorts with tall socks and a running tank top, so I ended up adding my lightweight running jacket, gloves, and headband to the outfit. My running partner and I started the first two miles together, and then he took off to try and beat my brother's time :)
At about mile 2.5, I developed a horrible stitch in my right side, which was really frustrating considering I had never gotten one in all the training I had been doing. It lasted until about mile 5, so I had to compensate for the pain and run slower, which definitely impacted my overall time. At mile 3 there was a water/gatorade/orange stop, so I grabbed all three to try and get the vitamins I was lacking for that side stitch. At mile 5 I started seeing the really fast runners on their way back (they were on mile 10 or so) and that gave me a little motivation to step it up. At mile 6 there was a water/gatorade/orange/bathroom stop and then a HUGE hill, which was crazy difficult, and then mile 7 was the turn-around point, which felt AWESOME.
After the hill and before the turnaround I saw my running partner coming in the other direction, and we high-fived and cheered each other on, which was a little extra motivation! Once I had reached mile 10, I started feeling just generally tired and really hungry, and the energy jelly beans I had been eating just weren't cutting it. There was another hydration stop, and it was mostly downhill or flat, so that was good. At mile 11, I started coming down a hill and spotted my brother and two other friends cheering me on, so I picked it up again and ran out the last two miles. It was also very cool seeing my running partner standing at the final turn before the finish line to cheer me on through the finish, and WOW that finish line felt SO GOOD. I wanted to cry, mostly from being so tired but also because my knee was in ridiculous pain. But, I had just finished my first ever half marathon, something I thought I could never accomplish.
And, since the race was being "live broadcasted" on the internet, my parents got to see me cross the finish line!!
My time wasn't all that great, and I ended at about 2 hours and 23 minutes, which was about 700th out of 900 runners. Really though, considering I have never been a 'runner' and this was my second race ever, I wasn't too disappointed with the results! AND, my knee held up for the most part, which was a HUGE relief. I was worried it would start hurting like it had in our training, which caused debilitating pain that I couldn't run on, but that never really happened until the last mile or so.
13.1 miles DONE!
Now I'm wondering... what's next?!
Love,
Brittanie
This past weekend was the Charlottesville Marathon/Half Marathon/8K/Kids Mile in the downtown area of Charlottesville, Virginia. My running partner and I have been training for about 4 months for the Half Marathon, which is 13.1 miles of rolling Charlottesville terrain.
Friday I was lucky enough to have work close early for Easter weekend (3pm), so we jumped in my car and made the 3 hour trek to Charlottesville. We picked up our packets and checked in to the Sleep Inn & Suites Monticello, which was about 1.5 miles from the race start.
Mom had made us a delicious spaghetti bake, so we ate well the night before!
After dinner, we collected all of our supplements for the race and hit the hay at 9pm.
The race started at 6:30am, so we woke up at 4:30, took showers, and headed to the Arena to start mentally preparing for the journey that was to come!
The weather was COLD when we started. I was wearing shorts with tall socks and a running tank top, so I ended up adding my lightweight running jacket, gloves, and headband to the outfit. My running partner and I started the first two miles together, and then he took off to try and beat my brother's time :)
At about mile 2.5, I developed a horrible stitch in my right side, which was really frustrating considering I had never gotten one in all the training I had been doing. It lasted until about mile 5, so I had to compensate for the pain and run slower, which definitely impacted my overall time. At mile 3 there was a water/gatorade/orange stop, so I grabbed all three to try and get the vitamins I was lacking for that side stitch. At mile 5 I started seeing the really fast runners on their way back (they were on mile 10 or so) and that gave me a little motivation to step it up. At mile 6 there was a water/gatorade/orange/bathroom stop and then a HUGE hill, which was crazy difficult, and then mile 7 was the turn-around point, which felt AWESOME.
 | |
| Team Noob-A-Roo Fan Club! |
And, since the race was being "live broadcasted" on the internet, my parents got to see me cross the finish line!!
My time wasn't all that great, and I ended at about 2 hours and 23 minutes, which was about 700th out of 900 runners. Really though, considering I have never been a 'runner' and this was my second race ever, I wasn't too disappointed with the results! AND, my knee held up for the most part, which was a HUGE relief. I was worried it would start hurting like it had in our training, which caused debilitating pain that I couldn't run on, but that never really happened until the last mile or so.
13.1 miles DONE!
Now I'm wondering... what's next?!
Love,
Brittanie
Monday, March 26, 2012
The First 10 Mile Run
Despite the rainy weather this weekend, my running mate and I decided to tough it out and run our longest run before the half in two weeks. Since the half is 13.1 miles, our goal was to do 12 this weekend, then 8-10 next weekend, and then rest until the race. Unfortunately, at about mile 7 my knee started acting up, and by mile 9 I could hardly even walk on it, so we only made it to 10. This is a little disconcerting considering we only made it 10 miles, and it was so painful I am now really nervous about the last 3 that I will have to grit out during the real thing.
I went to the orthopedist a few weeks ago, and he had diagnosed me with ITBS (Ileotibial band syndrome) which is pretty much labeled "Runner's Knee" for the exact reason I have it now. The IT Band runs from your hip to your knee, and is like a piece of leather that doesn't stretch very well. The problem comes when that band gets repeatedly stretched to its max, and the friction against the bones in your knee causes it to start this kind of horrible pain. You can't really tell exactly where it's coming from, but if you touch the bony part of the outside of your knee and then move toward your thigh about an inch or so, you can push and make the pain. Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot you can do for it except ice it, rest it, stretch it, and take NSAIDs (which I'm on) daily to try and combat the pain. Further down the road there is the possibility of injections in the bursa of your knee if it becomes inflamed, but that is more of a last minute type of resort.
I had been doing well with it the last couple of runs, even our 9 mile long run last week, but this week wasn't so lucky. AND of course, my orthopedist is on vacation this week! I'm hoping I can just take these two weeks to rest WELL, run a few short runs (3-4 miles) and hopefully it will rally for the race on April 7th.
Dreaming of a happy knee...
Love,
Brittanie
I went to the orthopedist a few weeks ago, and he had diagnosed me with ITBS (Ileotibial band syndrome) which is pretty much labeled "Runner's Knee" for the exact reason I have it now. The IT Band runs from your hip to your knee, and is like a piece of leather that doesn't stretch very well. The problem comes when that band gets repeatedly stretched to its max, and the friction against the bones in your knee causes it to start this kind of horrible pain. You can't really tell exactly where it's coming from, but if you touch the bony part of the outside of your knee and then move toward your thigh about an inch or so, you can push and make the pain. Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot you can do for it except ice it, rest it, stretch it, and take NSAIDs (which I'm on) daily to try and combat the pain. Further down the road there is the possibility of injections in the bursa of your knee if it becomes inflamed, but that is more of a last minute type of resort.
I had been doing well with it the last couple of runs, even our 9 mile long run last week, but this week wasn't so lucky. AND of course, my orthopedist is on vacation this week! I'm hoping I can just take these two weeks to rest WELL, run a few short runs (3-4 miles) and hopefully it will rally for the race on April 7th.
Dreaming of a happy knee...
Love,
Brittanie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)