Adventure is Out There!

During my ultrasound two months ago to check the size and condition of the tumor on my kidney (for more information on that story see my other post), the technician also did a scan of my bladder. Apparently this is routine but it was news to me and I was unsure why this radiology tech was probing further south than I knew my kidneys or liver to be.  The doctor flagged the ultrasound as "abnormal with suspected ovarian cysts" and ordered a follow up scan of my uterus and ovaries. The next ultrasound came back "inconclusive" due to the images being "unclear". Flashforward to 6 weeks later (yesterday) and I got another ultrasound done because the last two had gone so swimmingly. My doctor called me in the afternoon and told me that I have several cysts, one specifically that needs to be surgically removed soon. There is the potential that my ovary will have to be removed completely. Bobby and I had no plans for children, even in the distant future. Also, I k...

This past weekend I turned 27. I got to spend the entire weekend with my family, not out drinking and partying as most of my friends spend their special day. Our engagement party is this coming weekend and since my grandma is sweet enough to let us borrow her house to host the event, it was only fair that we help her scrub the house and tidy the yard. It was 95°, the lawn needed to be mowed, the carport and siding of the house both needed to be physically scrubbed. Bobby tore his meniscus so he now wears a brace and had to take periodic breaks to ice his knee. I lectured him like any good future wife would and treated him like an invalid, much to his embarrassment and frustration. We spent the better part of Saturday scrubbing until our arms were sore but you could truly tell the difference and I know at the end of the day, my grandma was grateful. It was a hot, tiring day but we sprayed each other with the hose and had a good time while getting things DONE. My family is unfortun...

We started off our day at Ruby's Diner; it has drive up ordering speakers and food is delivered on skates to your car if you order during lunch hours.  The atmosphere was fun and there were plenty of options for everyone. After breakfast, we headed off to the LA Zoo! Our zoo visit did not exactly go smoothly... One of the otters in the enclosure was bleeding and when we finally tracked down a worker to inform them, they seemed less than concerned.  The picture with my stepdad and the tapir was taken right before the tapir turned around and tried to pee on him through the plexiglass.  The leopard threw up a hairball and the giraffe got its tongue stuck on the fence.  Bottom line, the LA Zoo is terrible and don't waste your money.  We headed to the Griffith Observatory before it closed early for the holiday.  We arrived at sunset and the view was all the more impressive for it.  Traffic was at a compl...

When I was a child there was a Disney sing-along video that was set in Disneyland and I watched it religiously.  It featured the rope drop and rides they don't have in Florida.  I had my heart set on visiting Disneyland one day and it finally happened!   The castle, in all of it's festive glory, was magnificent and regal.  The Haunted Mansion, set on the Louisiana bayou, was Nightmare Before Christmas themed and we had some tasty beignets in the "French Quarter".  It's A Small World was a free standing building and it was also dripping in sparkling icicles, silver and gold.   Pirate of the Caribbean had a sudden, almost immediate drop in the pitch black that I was NOT expecting and I almost lost my ears!  I definitely prefer Disney World's Pirates but there are so many aspects of this park that are fun and different from Florida.  This was not nearly the disappointment that California Adventure was, but it was just as crowded! ...

My family and I agree that the highlight of our Cali trip was by far our tour of the Tournament of Roses Parade float barns and learning/observing how the floats are decorated.  Each year there is a theme to the parade, and this year it was "Making A Difference".  Each group that participates is free to develop its own style and design, however every inch of visible float must be covered in only natural and organic materials.  Sometimes it's rose petals or sunflower seeds, sometimes it is orange slices and marigold pollen. There are rows of shelves, all covered in bins, trays and boxes of material.  The sheer magnitude of this operation is overwhelming  The floats are built months ahead of time, but aren't moved into the barns until the week prior to the parade.  The decorating begins so far in advance to the actual parade, they have to come up with solutions to keep the flowers and buds looking great until the big day!  ...