May and July R-T Trips
Wow, what a week. I thought things would be less stressful when I got back from my 4th of July mini break, but I'm just as busy as ever. *sigh* Still, that's good for the firm and for me in the long run.
Like I said in my previous post, I haven't been writing much lately and I've neglected my journaling. It's really sad when I have a hobby I love (writing) and I was so uninspired to write. It's not even due to a dearth of material either because I am so behind with book reviews, life stories, musings, and observations. And there was so much family drama last month that it makes me enraged just thinking about it. That's a topic for another entry though. I feel that I need to address it to work off some of this residual resentment, but not now and not in a public entry.
I have some pictures that I want to share from my May and July trips to Lake Tahoe and the Reno-Tahoe area. The May excursion was a Mother's Day trip with my parents. The trip was a gift for my mom and my dad had to come along as well. The package I got for her included a massage, facial, and a swim and fitness pass for the entire duration. All the hotel guests have gym/pool access, but this included whirlpool, sauna, and other extras. My parents really enjoyed themselves, and it was great to have my mom relax. Her job is incredibly stressful.
We saw two shows: Nathan Owens & the Sounds of Mowtown and a Michael Jackson tribute show called Man in the Mirror. Both were great, but I especially enjoyed the MJ show which was filled pictures and clips from interviews that enhanced the music and dancing. The Thriller segment was the best, but that it is also one of his most iconic pieces.
[May Trip Pictures]May Trip Pictures
I have no idea who this person is, but this is one of my favorite spots along the banks and this is one of my favorite things to do when I come to this area: sprawl out along the artful river rocks and read and listen to music.
I just prefer a shadier spot like this person. The river water sounds are very soothing and it is very picturesque.
This reminds me of the whimsical little houses my friends and I used to create back in elementary school. We used twigs and other sticks and the structure of the "house" would be the exposed tree roots.
This is what the "house" looks like from farther back.
I was walking along the river when I stopped in the shade of a large potted flowering plant to take a picture. I was blissfully unaware of what was hiding amongst the leaves. There I was enjoying the view when I suddenly became aware of an incessant buzzing sound. I peeked into the plant and my jaw dropped when I saw the above. OMG! I'm not afraid of bees, but seeing that many up close was a little scary.
The 4th of July trip was and relaxing as well. It's about a four hour drive, or 30 minutes by plane from the Bay Area to Reno-Tahoe and we flew for both trips (actually all four since I was also there in January and March). After we got there and had a chance to settle in, I picked up the picnic food I pre-ordered and off we went to the park to spend the afternoon. It was crowded with people all doing the same thing, but was nice to be by the water. The area was in the middle of a heat wave at the time and the water helped to keep things cool.
We stayed well into the night so that we could see the fireworks. It was a wonderfully loud and sparkly display, but really short. As I said in previous posts, after seeing the Disney World fireworks show, nothing else seems to compare. That, however, doesn't mean that I don't enjoy watching the fireworks. The childlike glee is always there when I see them glittering in the night sky.
We were there for a few days and were able to attend the All American BBQ Festival they had downtown. I loved visiting the various booths and sampling the food. I had the ribs and a pulled pork sandwich; both excellent and satisfying. I also purchased corn on the cob and the vendor had a whole table arrayed with condiments and spices to enhance the corn. I prefer plain corn, but they slathered it with melted butter already. I decided to try a sprinkling of parmesan for something new and it was yummy. I was quite appalled to see other people piling on mayonaise on their ears. Ewww, I didn't know mayo was commonly eaten with corn. O_o Mayo is gross to me and I only eat it if it is mixed in as a binder for salad or something. Even then, I have to talk myself into eating the food.
[July Trip Pictures]July Trip Pictures
I love this pic I took of the moon and the wispy cover of clouds from my hotel balcony after we saw the fireworks.
This is my Shot Through the Heart pic and also one of my favorites. I was walking around town when I paused to answer my phone. In the shade of that tree, I noticed this pleasantly shaped heart cut and "scar tissue."
The bands were surprisingly good and I loved the food and vibe of the festival.
I met up with my parents for dinner on one of the nights we were there.
Like I said in my previous post, I haven't been writing much lately and I've neglected my journaling. It's really sad when I have a hobby I love (writing) and I was so uninspired to write. It's not even due to a dearth of material either because I am so behind with book reviews, life stories, musings, and observations. And there was so much family drama last month that it makes me enraged just thinking about it. That's a topic for another entry though. I feel that I need to address it to work off some of this residual resentment, but not now and not in a public entry.
I have some pictures that I want to share from my May and July trips to Lake Tahoe and the Reno-Tahoe area. The May excursion was a Mother's Day trip with my parents. The trip was a gift for my mom and my dad had to come along as well. The package I got for her included a massage, facial, and a swim and fitness pass for the entire duration. All the hotel guests have gym/pool access, but this included whirlpool, sauna, and other extras. My parents really enjoyed themselves, and it was great to have my mom relax. Her job is incredibly stressful.
We saw two shows: Nathan Owens & the Sounds of Mowtown and a Michael Jackson tribute show called Man in the Mirror. Both were great, but I especially enjoyed the MJ show which was filled pictures and clips from interviews that enhanced the music and dancing. The Thriller segment was the best, but that it is also one of his most iconic pieces.
[May Trip Pictures]May Trip Pictures
I have no idea who this person is, but this is one of my favorite spots along the banks and this is one of my favorite things to do when I come to this area: sprawl out along the artful river rocks and read and listen to music.
I just prefer a shadier spot like this person. The river water sounds are very soothing and it is very picturesque.
This reminds me of the whimsical little houses my friends and I used to create back in elementary school. We used twigs and other sticks and the structure of the "house" would be the exposed tree roots.
This is what the "house" looks like from farther back.
I was walking along the river when I stopped in the shade of a large potted flowering plant to take a picture. I was blissfully unaware of what was hiding amongst the leaves. There I was enjoying the view when I suddenly became aware of an incessant buzzing sound. I peeked into the plant and my jaw dropped when I saw the above. OMG! I'm not afraid of bees, but seeing that many up close was a little scary.
The 4th of July trip was and relaxing as well. It's about a four hour drive, or 30 minutes by plane from the Bay Area to Reno-Tahoe and we flew for both trips (actually all four since I was also there in January and March). After we got there and had a chance to settle in, I picked up the picnic food I pre-ordered and off we went to the park to spend the afternoon. It was crowded with people all doing the same thing, but was nice to be by the water. The area was in the middle of a heat wave at the time and the water helped to keep things cool.
We stayed well into the night so that we could see the fireworks. It was a wonderfully loud and sparkly display, but really short. As I said in previous posts, after seeing the Disney World fireworks show, nothing else seems to compare. That, however, doesn't mean that I don't enjoy watching the fireworks. The childlike glee is always there when I see them glittering in the night sky.
We were there for a few days and were able to attend the All American BBQ Festival they had downtown. I loved visiting the various booths and sampling the food. I had the ribs and a pulled pork sandwich; both excellent and satisfying. I also purchased corn on the cob and the vendor had a whole table arrayed with condiments and spices to enhance the corn. I prefer plain corn, but they slathered it with melted butter already. I decided to try a sprinkling of parmesan for something new and it was yummy. I was quite appalled to see other people piling on mayonaise on their ears. Ewww, I didn't know mayo was commonly eaten with corn. O_o Mayo is gross to me and I only eat it if it is mixed in as a binder for salad or something. Even then, I have to talk myself into eating the food.
[July Trip Pictures]July Trip Pictures
I love this pic I took of the moon and the wispy cover of clouds from my hotel balcony after we saw the fireworks.
This is my Shot Through the Heart pic and also one of my favorites. I was walking around town when I paused to answer my phone. In the shade of that tree, I noticed this pleasantly shaped heart cut and "scar tissue."
The bands were surprisingly good and I loved the food and vibe of the festival.
I met up with my parents for dinner on one of the nights we were there.