Back from LA

So, I made it back from LA in one piece...though I'm not sure LA will be the same without me.

The worst part of the trip? The possibility of not getting out of Little Rock on time. We were all on the plane, ready to fly to Memphis, when the pilot mentioned a wee problem. Some light was on that shouldn't be on - a malfunction of sorts. We were already on the tarmac, so I figured someone could hit a button, get rid of the annoyance and we would be on our way. No such luck.

After idling for a while, we were sent back to the gate, b/c evidently this is a SPECIAL LIGHT that only the GROUND CREW can fix. Too bad they took away our hammers during the security screening, or I would have saved ground crew the trouble.

Those with connecting flights (yes, that's us) were told we might want to exit the aircraft. After dealing with a few people at the terminal who were NOT so gracious about rebooking our flight and/or getting us to LAX, I was about to lose it. Finally, we are back on the plane, with no way to make our connection from Memphis to LA. Can you believe that they couldn't even book a flight out of DFW to LAX? Not after 6PM? Yeah - they were just wielding their power. Luckily, the airline held our connection, since there were 14 of us they didn't want to buy hotels rooms for that night...and we made it to LAX, albeit a tad late.

It didn't matter to me at that point, b/c after our ordeal in Little Rock and we were FINALLY on a plane to LAX, I found some in flight therapy:

Yeah, that's four drinks. You know, the planes are LONG, and who knows when the flight attendant might be able to return with that magical cart of beverages? It could be an hour or more, and I was NOT going to run out of therapy.

One day, we made our way to Santa Monica Pier, and just HAPPENED to wander onto a movie set...and just HAPPENED to see Eddie Murphy:In all my trips to Southern California, I've NEVER been that close to a celebrity. I could have TOUCHED the man, if I had wanted to be escorted out of the area in handcuffs.

Oh, and yes, I got to hold hands with Matt Damon:And as an added bonus, I took a train from downtown LA to Laguna Beach to see my mom and dad on Father's Day:I'll have more to tell about my adventures in coming days...but now, I gotta catch up on work and REST!

LA Twitters

Well, the Tigger is headed to the West Coast - wish me luck as I join the rest of the crazies! At least I'll feel right at home. I know I have been a bad blogger, and one of my Mid-Year Resolutions is to start blogging more regularly. However, I CAN'T blog while in LA! There is a solution, for those who need their Tigger Fix, and that is TWITTER. See that in the sidebar? Yeah, instant updates. I plan to Twitter the entire time I'm on this trip. I'm traveling with five other women, one of whom has NEVER FLOWN BEFORE. And she's older than me - can you believe it? Should make for some GREAT Twitters!

So...if you miss me, check the sidebar, and I'll be twittering away while I'm gone. Feel free to run amuk in the comments, and respond to my twitters.

Off to LA, and Laguna Beach!

Fun Monday - and Five Words

The Nekked Lizard Clan is hosting this week's Fun Monday, which means we had to come up with five photos, and five words to describe each one. You will be happy to know that I totally followed the rules!

Dawg Tired on the Couch.
Always Ready for Some Football.
Snowman Hydrant Needs a Face.
Birds No Read So Good.
Baby Girl is Growing Up.Go visit the Lizards, and all the participants!

Fun Monday #2,153

MJD at Return of the White Robin is this week's hostess for Fun Monday. I honestly don't know how many Fun Mondays there have been - but I have enjoyed them ALL. Her challenge this week was as such: "I am asking that you show us something that hangs on your wall that is fun, interesting, endearing, sentimental, or otherwise enticing. Select the picture of Uncle Horace, Grandma Galt's needlepoint, or little Susie's first finger painting to show the blogging community." Her advice about how to take photos using the flash was good - and that's why some of these are taken from very low.

Of course, in true Tiggerlane-style, I couldn't pick just ONE favorite - but at least one item per member of our family. It's only fair.

This first item made me cry when I received it. When Amber was about 3 years old, we visited my parents in Laguna Beach, CA, and one of my uncles was selected as an exhibitor in the presitigous Festival of the Arts. A real estate broker by trade, he has always loved photography - and shot some very candid photos of Amber while we were in town. As a surprise, he sent us three portraits of her, complete with mats and frames. I was touched that he took the time and effort to send us this precious gift and that he down-played his talent by claiming it was just a "silly hobby." This is my absolute favorite, though all three hang on our dining room walls:This next photo was taken by a dear photographer friend (who is also now a dear friend of mine) and former roommate of my husband's, back in their wild and crazy days in New Smyrna Beach, FL. I'm not sure if he is dressing or undressing, but there was a nude beach involved. Before my parents met Roger, I wanted so desperately to send them this photo and say, "Hey - this is the dude I'm gonna marry!" It would have sent them into cardiac arrest. The little photo tucked in the corner was taken at a different time, but be assured, Roger IS naked in that one. Don't click it to big it, or report me to the authorities.Now, many people know I received my bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University, but they are sometimes puzzled as to why I have a picture of the school mascot on my wall. Well, my mother used to be a fabulous pastel portrait artist, and during one of my summers home from college, she talked me into attending a class with her. I'd always dabbled in art during my younger years but had never tried using pastels as a medium. I couldn't think of anything to draw, so I settled on our school mascot, Reveille IV. If you want an idea of how close I got to the photograph I was working from, check out this link, and scroll down a bit. I'm always proud when people tell me that they think my pastel work is a photograph. If you look closely at the bottom right corner, you can see my signature: "TGrant '87":
Last night, I got the pleasure of having a long visit with Arkansas Songbird after we attended a wedding together. She and I always talk about her job as a choir director and music teacher, and I'm impressed with the amount of love and care she places in her Choir Incentive Awards program. She also makes a special effort to customize the certificates achieved by her students to the particular tastes of each student. We were talking about the various point levels and The Offspring's current standing - just b/c I'm that kind of obsessive compulsive Type-A parent. I remembered that Amber achieved Level I this past year, and here is her certificate, which hangs proudly on our wall, next to the portrait I shared with you earlier:I hesitated to show you all this, since the full name of our dear blogger friend is displayed so prominently - but then, she has it displayed, along with her photograph, on her own public choir web site, so I figured it would be okay with her.

The list for this Fun Monday seems to be the longest EVER! So, it may take me a while to visit all of you - but be assured that I will start first thing in the morning! I can't wait to see what you all have hanging around!

Whale Tail, AKA Vacation Day Six

When I originally planned our vacation, I wanted us to participate in different activities than we had during our previous trips to Laguna Beach. Plus, Amber is a little too old (thank GOD) for Disneyland now, so the obligatory trip to that venue is no more. One of our activities this year was a Coastal Dinner Cruise, leaving the Dana Point Harbor at 6:00PM. As we were waiting to leave, these birds appeared as sentinels, ready to enforce the rules at any sign of disorder. As we were lining up to board the boat, there were about 40 passengers wearing the same blue shirt with "Smith Family Reunion" emblazed on them. While the three of us were at the front of the line, some of these pushy Smiths decided THEY needed to be at the front of the line (most likely worried that they were going to miss out getting the premiere seating at the top deck of the boat).I can't abide it when people cut in line. Especially grown people, over the age of 50. As we boarded, I was determined to also get those top seats, as they had tables for dining and offered a spectacular view. Each table arrangment could have easily sat 6 people - and there were 8 tables - but the Smiths decided that two people, one on each side of the table, was the perfect arrangement. I finally convinced one of the Smiths that this was a bit unfair, and managed to secure seats for the three of us on the top deck. Roger can get a little nervous when I assert myself, but I do it in my business all the time, so it's second nature to me. As the only non-Smiths in the section, I felt like we had managed a coup. A coup with a view!! The other poor passengers didn't dare challenge the Smith clan, and were forced to sit inside the cabin, with limited viewing options. Two great things about this harbor cruise (besides the food) were the live music, by Mike O'Bryan, and the alcohol! Mike entertained the crowd with classic favorites from the Eagles, Steely Dan, Jim Croce, etc. Most passengers knew every song, and after consuming a lot of alcohol - we were all singing along like drunken sailors by cruise-end. Roger especially enjoyed this, as he admired Mike's Taylor guitar and had a good chat with him after we docked.

It took me a while to gain my sea legs, but the Corona helped me a lot. Amber wandered around the boat like an old pro, shooting photos like mad. We got a special treat, as the captain spotted several humpbacked whales during our cruise. Whales do not usually swim so close to the Southern California Coast during the summer months - but due to exceptionally warm waters, we had unusual luck. The captain decided to detour and do some whale chasing, to our delight! I don't have a really fancy camera like Ree, so my shots lack a little something. But I managed to get two of the whale! A shot of the hump and his spray, plus the tail, right before he disappeared from view! (Don't ask me why I call the whale a "he" - I did not visually verify the sex!) Unfortunately, Blogger is not cooperating today. I have managed to upload two photos, but the whale photos have refused to post. So, for the hump with the spray, click here, and for the view of the tail, click here.

Shopping Laguna, AKA Vacation Day Five

One of the best things about having a daughter is that I have a "partner in crime." On every family vacation, we drag Roger along on at least one shopping spree. Poor thing - he ends up sitting on various benches with other men the entire time, rolling his eyes and trading traumatic stories with fellow victims. It is hysterical to observe how a man will perk up the second he sees his female clan emerging from a store. Even more amusing is his dejection as he realizes that they only exited long enough to pop into the store next door. Premature Eshopulation. I only had one shop in mind this trip - Fawn Memories. A must for buying the souvenir t-shirt. Somehow, I didn't end up with one, but Roger got three for himself (the only shop he got excited about).

Amber was a shopping fiend, insisting on getting surf-rat duds at Hobie and a store that had tons of Roxy apparel. After spending WAY too much on the kid (thank goodness I only have ONE), we delighted in Frappucinos from Starbucks and did some window-shopping. An entire day in downtown Laguna isn't enough time, IMHO!Laguna has some fantastic galleries, and as an avid collector of egg paperweights from The Glass Eye Studios, I was particularly interested in shopping for a new one to add to my collection. I didn't find "just the right one," but I DID stumble into The Crystal Image, which was AMAZING! My parents have always been rockhounds, and I caught the bug. This was the last stop on our shopping adventure, and it truly made my day. Rocks galore! And some dang pricey rocks, I might add. Why, you can own your own quartz sphere, with a diameter of 3 1/2 feet, for only $14,500! Needless to say, this was one store Roger made sure he escorted me thru - every step of the way, lest I give in to temptation.

Sand and Sawdust, AKA Vacation Day Four

Back to our vacation coverage. It was another day on the beach, as we felt obligated to take in the full Laguna Beach experience. We trekked out to Aliso, which had a beautiful pier the last time we visited in 2000. Roger was determined to rid himelf of the "farmer's tan" he usually sports. (He's not a farmer; he's a fisherman - but the tan is the same.) The Fabulous Resort provided us with beach chairs, boogie boards, etc. as part of our package. What they didn't provide was fur-penetrating sunscreen. When Roger decided (after about an hour) to apply the spray-on sunscreen (which played total havoc with the topcoat on my fingernails), he did so liberally. What he did NOT do was make sure the sunscreen reached the SKIN. A vast majority of it clung to the forest of his chest hair. At least, after 3 hours in the sun, his chest was a lovely red shade.

Though it was hard to even begin to top our experience at the Festival of the Arts and the Pageant of the Masters from the previous evening, we decided to meet up with my parents again later that day and check out one of the top art festivals in the country, the Sawdust Festival! I can say this about Amber, she just loves art. She has a very unique sense of style and taste, and going to these events were the highlight of her trip. It made me so proud to watch her discover artwork that struck her. At some booths she took a lot of time, flipping through the prints in order to examine the artist's work more closely. She was drawn to things that I would normally not give a second glance. To view the artwork thru her eyes was a real treat.

If you ever have the chance to visit Laguna Beach, CA, please make sure it's during the time of these festivals. If you have any interest at all in art, jewelry, glass pieces, sculpture, etc., you will be so glad that you did!

Beginning of the Bloat, AKA Vacation Day Three

On Thursday, I'm not myself. I have peed maybe 3 times in 2 days. No excavation of the bowels, either. I attribute this to breakfasts at Denny's. Unless you order a la carte, the cheapest breakfast deal is $5.99. A HUGE serving of omelet, two pancakes, sausage and bacon. Our fabulous resort served a complete breakfast buffet, but at a cost of $12.99. We ate there on day two, but for day three - it was gorging at Denny's. I didn't even come close to finishing my meal, but Roger and Amber had no trouble.

BTW, remember when you learned how to drive? Most likely, your father taught you. Well, I was in a time warp, as my father rode in the passenger seat of our rented SUV, with me behind the wheel. I'm a great driver, but to my father, I'm still 15. Even at the ripe age of 37. So as we're traveling down PCH, I'm constantly peppered with comments such as:

"Slow down!"
"You're going to turn right up the road!!"
"Don't leave so much space between you and the next car!!"
"We don't run over pedestrians in California like they do in Arkansas. It's against the law here!"
Mind you, these are not gentle instructions, but more like demands. I kept my cool, and got us safely to our destination, which was the fabulous Festival of the Arts! The web site explains more, but not every area artist can partipate. There are all sort of exhibits of fine art, from oils, photography, jewelry, sculpture - you name it. The child was absolutely fascinated by the array of works. A premiere cultural experience, if you ever make it to Laguna Beach during this time of year. HOWEVER, the prime attraction for the Festival is the Pageant of the Masters! There are no cameras allowed, which is a total shame - since there is nothing I can say that would do justice to the experience. Basically, live people "re-enact" paintings and sculptures, and it is absolutely phenomenal. The show is narrated, and accompanied by a live orchestra - and the cast recreates art so faithful to the original work that it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to tell that LIVE PEOPLE are involved. Truly amazing. The recreation of some of Van Gogh's works, as well as "The Last Supper" were among the highlights. Attending this one event made the trip for me. Even if my father looked at my high heels and commented, "Those don't look like good walking shoes."

Sand Crack, AKA Vacation Day Two

Our first entire day in So. Cal. HAD to be spent at the ocean. Mom and Dad led us to a secluded beach across from the Montage Resort to gently initiate us into the experience (as seen in the view posted previously here). The beaches in Laguna are unforgiving - lots of rocks, and sheer cliffs above. Amber and Roger tentatively waded out, while I found a sunny spot to brown my skin. I'm NOT a swimmer. At most, I'm a flounderer. More of a sinker. And an astute panicker. I have no interest in putting myself thru any further humiliation in order to overcome this fault. I remember being forced at the age of 13 to take swimming lessons. They finally gave me a "Poliwog" certificate, just to get rid of me. When I was a baby, I used to scream when my mother would get water on my face. Scream to the point that my digestive system would revolt, causing me to vomit in the bathtub.

After seeing Amber pick sand out of her swim bottoms for the umpteenth time, I knew she had forgotten that with the fun of big waves come the not-so-fun sand. She was amazed at the sheer volume of sand and salt that was in her hair, her suit, her everywhere. When we returned to the hotel, we washed gobs of sand out of her bikini. She must have showered for an hour. After a thorough de-sanding, we finally met up with the parental units in Dana Point for much needed dinner (and drinks) at El Torito, as I'm a huge fan of Mexican Food! More about our fabulous resort in the next post...

Snakes on a Plane, AKA Vacation Day One

It's been almost a year since our last flight, so I was anxious to see what might have changed security-wise. I was hustled to the side with my "suspicious" bag on my last trip, so I was pleased that the little airport in Fort Smith didn't put us thru much hassle. One flight to DFW, then another to John Wayne in Orange County for 4 hours of total flying time. No sweat. A couple of airline safety talks were the highlight, as the announcement of what actions to take in case of a "water landing" always crack us up. Roger turned to me during this portion of the airline spiel and asked, "Did you see any pontoons on this plane?" I also enjoy their euphemistic reference to your seat cushion as a "flotation aid." I prefer, "The Oh-Shit Pillow."

We did have one minor incident on our last leg of the flight. Roger had to visit the facilities while the flight attendants were serving drinks. On his way back to his seat, an attendant was backing down the aisle in front of him, oblivious to his repeated verbalizations of, "Excuse me." When it appeared she was about to back over him and trip, he gently placed his hand on her back and repeated his line. She whipped around and said, "Don't touch me!! After 9/11, we are extremely sensitive to people coming up behind us and touching us!" I barely heard this, as I was getting up to let Roger back into our row. She started babbling to me about how inconsiderate people can be, and how flight attendants have to deal with so much these days - semi-apologizing for her outburst. All I could focus on was Roger seething with embarrassment. He felt she was inappropriate, and I agree. And has anyone noticed that the flight attendants aren't as hot as they used to be? I calmed Roger down by noting that the attendant who had committed the heinous act was old, fat, ugly, and had over-bleached hair.

After picking up the rental and checking into our kick-ass resort in Dana Point, we followed Mom and Dad back to their house in Laguna Beach (5 minutes up the road) for some of the largest hamburgers I have seen in my entire life. I wish I had a photo of THAT to share! Watch for the photos on my
fickr site!

Vacating

Well, I'll be back, folks. I will have NO INTERNET ACCESS for a WEEK!! My dad's computer is down, and I don't have a laptop. So, unless I stumble into a 'net cafe on the beach, I'll be MIA...I'm sure to have withdrawals.

OH! And we got the photos back! So enjoy this photo of the Lane clan, and pray for our safe return from the wilds of Southern California!

Pre-Vacation Headaches

Just an innocent suggestion such as, "Why don't you come to visit us?" by the parental units has caused me endless hours of online research and late night/early morning grief. If the parental units lived, let's say, in Tennessee - this might be as simple as hopping in the car and showing up. No, the parental units have chosen the beautiful California area of South Laguna Beach as their retirement haven, meaning that I have to trek across the country to see them.

Before you ask, I love my parents dearly. I am their only child, and our daughter is their only grandchild. I haven't been to visit them in six years - and yes, that makes me a horrible person. But you have to understand my reluctance to travel such a distance on VACATION. The stress of the airports, the lugging of luggage (I just now figured out why they call it that), the hotel rooms, the rental car - all the work involved in keeping everything running smoothly for the husband and child. It's exhausting. This, after working the entire week before. It's worse than work.

The parental units? Happily retired. But you know, at the ages of 65 and 70 - much too frail to travel (?), and let's not forget the thought of leaving the dog for a week (Precious). Not gonna happen. Much easier for the daughter to lug her clan across the country - and what exactly IS there to do in Arkansas? Besides, don't you wanna stay at a cool place like this?

At least I have chosen my flight and booked the hotel room. We're staying at a lovely resort, if you'd like to come visit. It's apparently one of the only hotels in the state of California that does not crucify smokers on the gates of the entrance. (At 1:30AM on Saturday morning, after spending hours online looking for hotels that welcome cancer-stick addicts, I briefly thought of asking Roger not to smoke during the trip. Then I came to what senses I had left. He was going to see the IN-LAWS, for goodness sakes. What was I thinking?)

Wanna come smoke it up with us? Here is the link to our fabulous hotel. Oh, and it's not just breathtaking because of the views...don't even talk to me about the PRICE. That will literally take your breath away!