Smorgasbord

How do I explain my Memorial Day weekend? Well, it was packed full of an assortment of activities and to do's. A little bit of everything really, a smorgasbord.

Our 3-day weekend consisted of shopping, lots of grilling out, yardwork, more bee killing, laundry, cleaning, friends, laying out, golf, cocktails, painting, bike riding, running errands, Jake time and relaxation!

A few of the highlights...

I went shopping with Heather on Friday afternoon and I must say, our attempt was VERY disappointing. We both had specific things we were looking for and both came up pretty unsuccessful. I actually ended the shopping excursion with more things for Brian than myself. How does that happen?? :)

Brian golfed on Sunday while I laid out with Heather, Walker, Matt, Ted and Cindy (Heather's mom). It was nice to just sit by the pool and relax. Great weather!

We went on a bike ride on Monday and it went very smooth! Twenty three miles! That's good for me.

Miscellaneous house to-do's started up again. We finished mulching and planting, started painting the trim again (ugh), and completed various projects we have been majorly procrastinating about.

South side of the house. The bushes are so small right now, but hopefully they will get big sooner than later!

Lilies on north side. Just bloomed!

North side. Love the hostas.

Hydrangeas. Almost bloomed. We have them in the back yard by the deck and on the north side.

Flower pots.

We grilled out A LOT. Chicken, steak and ribs. As much as we love grilling paired with wine or cocktails, we will probably be taking a little break:)

Friday: Chicken, veggies and red potatoes

Saturday: Steak, corn and pasta salad

Jakey Boy really wanted to snatch the steak off the table. He kept putting his nose as close as he could without getting in trouble:)

Looking after the yard while we eat. He always lays his head on the top railing.

Foot rub after dinner while enjoying the evening on the deck. What a nice hubby:)

Best Friends

Sunday night, we had Cole, Abby, Gabe and Denise over. We cooked ribs.

Cole said he brought a little surprise.

Little did I know...it was a video from back in college, 2004 to be exact, that included both Gabe and I in a KY Jelly wrestling tournament!! Bahaaaaaaaaaa! Here's a little reminiscing.

Not my proudest moment, but a college experience to remember:)

Lunch Date

I had a hot lunch date today. With Megan, who was in town from San Antonio, and Heather! Much needed catching up time with an out-of-town friend.

We went to one of my most favorite Kansas City lunch spots. Megan actually first introduced me to this place when she still lived here. The three of us used to have monthly lunch dates here.

We just love it.

Lulu's. If you haven't been there before, you must venture out. It's on Southwest Boulevard near Broadway. It's Thai cuisine, but better than some Thai places I have been. We all order the Khun Ma Pad Thai. Megan and I like it medium and Heather likes it mild. The spice gets to Heather. She just can't hang:). Oh, and the crab rangoons and the spring rolls are pretty delish as well.

We had a great time!

Heather had a little accident and spilled the sugar everywhere with her animated talking hands! Simmer down now girl. We needed a good laugh. The waitress thought we were absolutely crazy!

If it's not one thing...it's another

We are still without air conditioning. In fact, I am sitting here in the hotness right now. It sucks. The AC guy had to order a part and it won't be here until tomorrow. So we will be shackin' it up again tonight.

To top it all off, we have pesky, nasty carpenter bees!! And they are eating our deck!

Thanks to my web diagnosing nature and my ability to not procrastinate (ahem, brian), I found out we had them via the internet. We have actually had them for quite some time (they come out every summer), we just didn't know they were the type of bee that causes damage.

We truly thought they were just large bumble bees that were attracted to our sweet smelling hydrangea plants. Well, we were wrong...big time.

After jumping on the web and researching many different bees, it came to me. Crap, I think we have carpenter bees. I tell Brian and he just pretty much ignores me and acts like it's no big deal.

So, tonight after work I headed to Home Depot to get the weapon to kill these disgusting little insects. Notice, it's for termites too. Because these little sons of biatches eat wood just like termites. Don't worry we had those last year too. Good times.

And then I made Brian get out there and kill them. Well, sure enough, underneath the deck he found tons of holes where they had built a colony.

Here's the holes with the white spray in them. 

 

Some of the holes were so deep that the red straw on the bottle went all the way inside the hole. Brian was worried.

The even crazier thing was that we could hear the bees inside the wood going nuts and flying all over. I have a feeling there are many more inside the wood than I really want to know about.

While he was taking action, he had the spray in one hand and a towel in the other. The spray to shoot up in the holes and a towel, to swat them with as they came flying out.

It was too funny watching him get all flustered and swat at them. He kept saying things like, "Ha Ha sucker!", "Got ya biatch" and "Come back and see what happens!"

See for yourself.

He was really getting into it. Hopefully they'll be gone after we fill the holes.

Shackers

I walk in the door yesterday evening to find a little surprise.

A hot, sticky, humid house at a whopping 88 degrees!

Damn, I think to myself, the AC isn't working. Well, tonight is going to be super comfortable.

Brian calls an HVAC guy, but of course, he can't come out until today. I was actually surprised he could make it that fast. I assumed this is the time of year everyone's AC isn't cooperating.

We open all the windows and start watching TV with high hopes of it cooling down. We uncomfortably sweat for two hours as we keep looking at each other trying to decide if we can handle this all night or not. Still no temperature change.

Needless to say, we shacked it up at the Bowens. We just packed our overnight bags and headed on down the street! I admit it, we are so spoiled and just couldn't handle it.

Jake didn't like it either. He wouldn't stop panting because he was so hot!

Hopefully, the AC will be fixed by tonight!

Daydreamin'

So here's some random thoughts I have at this very moment.

I'm excited for...
The Bachelorette! New season starts tonight featuring a guy from my highschool. Although, I talked to him on fb and he goes home the first night:( I'm still so excited for the show. Loved Ali last season!

I'm proud of...
My dear friend Hännah! She just found out TODAY that she is not going to get laid off. This is due in large part to her dedication, hard work and loyalty. To give you a better idea of how wonderful she is, of the 35 non-tenured teachers at her school, only 3 didn't get laid off. She is a great person, teacher and friend. Truly an inspiration and one of the most genuine people I have the pleasure of knowing.

I'm dreaming about...
Mexico! Boy do I miss waking up with a mimosa or bloody mary in my hand!

I'm pleased with...
My motivation to work out lately. I'm totally not a morning person, and I have successfully transformed into a morning worker-outer!

I'm missing...
All my out-of-town friends. This photo doesn't even begin to encompass nearly everyone, but this picture is great. Too bad it's not from the Iguana Mirage night club.

I can't wait for...
My girls trip to NY in August!

I'm not looking forward to...
Cleaning the house. It's been before Mexico that I even touched the floors or dusted. Ewwwwwww, I know. We have an out of town friend staying with us on Thursday, so the cleaning must happen. Boo.

I'm thankful for...
My boys! I don't take enough opportunities to tell my hubby how much I appreciate him. So here's to you baby! Thanks for being the greatest friend, listener, confidant, snuggler, supporter and motivator a girl could ever ask for.

I'm craving...
Ice cream! Or a strawberry slush cream pie shake from Sonic! According to Hip2Save (link below), Sonic has buy one, get one free shakes until June 27! Haven't been to Sonic to try it out yet, but tonight might be the night!

Hip2Save Sonic Deal

I'm nutty about...

Blogging! Is it bad that many of my thoughts during they day are now followed by ways I can turn them into blog posts? Yes, that's sad! Geez...get a life!

Case of the Mondays

Monday is here already!? I hate Mondays. The weekends are just never long enough.

And today is definitely one of those days where I just don't want to be bothered. Everything, I mean, everything, is just really getting to me.

I keep cringing every time someone stops in my cube to ask for something or chit chat, or my phone rings and I don't want to answer it. It is just one of those Mondays...

On a better note. We had a great weekend. Somewhat relaxing, but also very productive. Brian finished the mulch in the front and I planted a few day lilies and all my flower pots. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep all of them alive this year. We'll see.

Saturday, we went to my brothers for dinner. We had a great meal feast that could probably feed a family of 10. No joke. We had so much food I didn't know where to start. Italian sausages, pineapple brats, corn on the cob, stuffed mushrooms, regular salad, pasta salad, potato salad, and of course, wine and beer. Yes, I had both:)

We also played a fun bean bag yard game. I'm not sure what the official name of the game is, but we got beat by my brother and his girlfriend. And you know me. I hate losing. I think it's a Biddle thing because my brother is just as competitive as I am.

Hands down though, this weekend, Jake experienced the most exercise he has seen in a really long time. He went for a run on Friday night, played in the yard all day Saturday and with Tucker (my brother's dog) until about 11:30 that night, and then another run on Sunday morning. He was completely pooped. He even slept in with us, which never happens!

Most Recent Indulge

I think I just found my newest sweet obsession.
Check 'em out.

That's right. No Pudge! Fudge Brownie mix.

It might just be the greatest invention ever. You just add low fat vanilla yogurt.

These even beat my applesauce low-cal brownies. No fat, and just 110 calories per brownie (the box makes 12), so that's a big brownie! Well worth it in my mind. I had three the first day.

I found out about these from a co-worker. She used to live in St. Louis, where Trader Joe's exists. If you don't know what Trader Joe's is, I've heard it's awesome. I've never been, but apparently it's a grocery store comprised of great value natural food products where you can find impeccable prices.

Well, since I am the over-obsessive, sweet snatching, always prowling, sugar addict at the office, she brought me back a box. Couldn't. Be. Happier.

They were delish. The hubs loved them too. Not gonna lie, they definitely aren't the best brownie I've ever indulged, but very good for a low-cal brownie.

Guess it doesn't help when you eat damn near the whole pan though. Oops.

Only problem - where do you get them in KC since we don't have a Trader Joe's?

Well...ding ding ding, you're in luck! I found them at Wal-Mart. Not sure if every Wal-Mart has them, but the Shawnee Wal-Mart did. They were on the baking aisle and sort of hidden, so just look carefully!

Even though I absolutely despise hitting up Wal-Mart, especially after a long day of work, the hassle and annoyance of Wal-Mart is simply worth it for these.

Grey's Finale

How bout that Grey's Anatomy finale!? Wasn't it awesome!? I thoroughly enjoyed it while watching it with my girlfriends at Roback's house. We also made it a taco night.

ALERT! ALERT! Grey's SPOILER about to come. So if you haven't watched it yet, STOP reading!!

So every time that damn shooter would show up, we would all jump halfway across the room. Or somebody would scream. We were definitely those sissy girls that watched it while peeking through our hands. Well, some were watching it that way:) He was killing everyone!

Very intense episode, but I am SO glad that I can enjoy my summer without wondering if McDreamy is alive. Yay for Bad ASS Christina saving him. She is simply awesome. And thank goodness that Reed chick got popped. She was annoying. Sorry Reed fans, she just wasn't doing it for me. But really, I love that they ended the episode with no big what-ifs. I really thought they would end it leaving us to wonder all summer what happened. Thanks ABC for being kind to us.

I have to say, I'm a little sad that TV will be going away for the summer. I am a total TV junkie. I just love it. You name it, me and Brian probably watch it. I can't help it, I just really get into shows. I can't watch one show without watching the rest of the episodes because it would drive me crazy wondering what happened.

So long TV, I will miss you. At least I have The Bachelorette (I know it's corny, but I like it!) and So You Think You Can Dance to suffice me!!

Healthy Tips

With our walking challenge coming to an end at work, the wellness committee has been sending out interesting tips every day. Here's a few I thought were worthy of posting.

Tip #1: Drink Tea
Tea, especially green tea, is rich in antioxidants that have been proven to speed metabolism, explains Mark Ukra, author of The Ultimate Tea Diet. In fact, according to Swiss researchers, tea-drinking subjects burn a whopping 266 more calories per day than those who abstain. For consummate calorie-torching, skip bottled teas — processing has depleted them of slimming nutrients. Instead, put a tea bag in one cup of hot water for two minutes, then cool with ice cubes. Enjoy four cups daily.

I thought tea was bad for you, because of the caffeine. Good to know.

Tip # 2: Eat dark chocolate
After following about 20,000 adults for at least 10 years, European researchers reported those who included as little as a small square (7.5 gms) of chocolate daily had lower blood pressure and were 38% less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who rarely ate chocolate. Dark chocolate is teeming with potent antioxidants called flavanols. Flavanols work their magic by improving the function of the cells that line arteries. This provides numerous benefits including lower blood pressure and better blood flow.

Awesome! Chocolate is good for me!

Tip #3: Turn off the TV
Compelling science has recently revealed that TV viewing is the most powerful behavioral predictor of obesity. A person who watches an average of two hours of TV daily has a 25% greater chance of being obese! According to experts at Harvard’s School of Public Health, the association between TV viewing and obesity is nearly as strong as the relationship between smoking and lung cancer.

Damn, I'm screwed on this one. I have 2 hours a day in the bag - easily.

Tip #4: Healthy Foods to Eat 
Dr. Ann Kulze, nutrition guru, rates the following foods as her “Top 10 Healthiest Foods.” She acknowledges it’s difficult to pick because we are blessed with so many nutritional superstars, but if she had to choose, they would be...

1. Kale
2. Spinach
3. Blueberries
4. Almonds
5. Lentils
6. Wild Alaskan Salmon
7. Oranges
8. Whole Oats
9. Broccoli
10. Extra virgin olive oil

Good to know! Eat your broccoli!

Tip # 5: Moderate Activity
Moderately intense activity, like a brisk walk, can supply you with the same health benefits as more intense forms of exercise. Scientific studies have proven the modern adage, “no pain no gain,” to be a myth. Moderate physical activity is equivalent to burning approximately 150 calories a day, or about 1,000 calories a week. Getting a moderate amount of exercise doesn’t have to be a drudge. In fact, you can easily build it into your everyday life. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, common examples of moderate activity are:

Washing and waxing a car, 45-60 minutes
Washing windows, 45-60 minutes
Gardening, 35-40 minutes
Pushing a stroller, 1 mile in 30 minutes
Raking leaves, 30 minutes
Walking 2 miles in 30 minutes
Shoveling snow, 15 minutes
Stair walking, 15 minutes
Playing volleyball, 45-60 minutes
Shooting baskets, 30 minutes
Swimming laps, 30 minutes
Jumping rope, 15 minutes
Bicycling 5 miles in 30 minutes

Washing windows? Sweet, I do this plenty with Jake around:).

Tip #6: Early morning Workouts
Early morning is the ideal time to exercise for weight loss purposes. After an overnight fast, your blood and body glucose stores are at their lowest; this means that you will have a greater chance of using and burning your fat stores. If early morning exercise is impossible, don’t eat for several hours before your workout.

Interesting... 

Tip #7: Dump the liquid calories.
Drink pure, clean water as your primary beverage. Have a goal of drinking six or more 9-ounce glasses a day. Avoid sodas, fruit juices, fruit drinks, sports drinks, chocolate milk, sugar-sweetened tea and any other sweet tasting liquids. Why avoid juices? While 100 percent fruit juices can certainly offer a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals, unfortunately, they also provide a concentrated source of sugar and calories. One cup of orange juice typically contains the sugar from three or more oranges, and sugar in liquid form will zoom right into your bloodstream without hesitation. The exceptions – tomato juice or low-sodium V8 are both great nutritional choices.

Brian and I bought juice for a long time thinking it was healthy for us. A nutrition professional that presented at my work said to only eat one fruit serving a day. A glass of OJ is well over that.

Crash

I debated on whether to do this post or not. But I decided to swallow my pride and do what I do - write my life experiences.

We went on a 16 mile bike ride last night. At about 10 miles in, I crashed. Big Time. Don't worry, I'm ok, but it was really, really scary.

We were riding east down 83rd street about a mile from Monticello when we come up on construction. Down to one lane and no bike lane. Traffic was a little heavy and we were cruising at about 17-18 mph. I come up on a long line of pot holes as I gasp. I knew I wasn't going to be able to veer around these easily with the fear of going too far out into the street and having the one-lane traffic hit me from behind.

And these weren't your average pot holes. They were pot holes mixed with an entire separation of the black pavement from the curb seam that went on and on and on. It wasn't just a small area of the road. Not sure if I am making any sense, but basically it was a pothole crevice that a bike tire could easily get stuck in, and would be hard to get out of. Well, that's exactly what happened.

Luckily, when my tire got stuck in the hole and knocked me to the right - I ate grass and not pavement. Thank God. I can't imagine what would have happened if I fell to the left...I only have a few minor cuts from the grass blades on my arms, but it was SO freakin' scary. A lady saw it happen and stopped to ask if we needed help. She offered to put her van seats down and take me and my bike home:(. She was really sweet. I'm sure the fall looked terrible...how embarrassing. I wasn't hurt, just a bad headache from hitting the grass so hard. And really shaken up. My bike's ok too. Just a few minor scratches.

So there it is. Another bike catastrophe for me. I keep wondering how many more of these I am going to have? Although this is the first big one...

Is it supposed to be easier than this or does this happen to all first timers? It doesn't help that I have a husband that zooms past me continually and takes me on crappy, high-traffic roads. He was really sweet when I fell though. As he should have been!

I'm thanking my lucky stars and God for being with me on my first official bike crash.

The Reunion

We were finally reunited with Jake this weekend! Momma K was so generous to watch him for 2 whole weeks while we took a week vacation to Mexico and took a week to recover:). And she even went home everyday at lunch to let him out. Spoiled dog.

We were both really excited to see him. This was the longest we have ever left him. When you don't have kids (not yet at least, but soon:), your dog pretty much consumes your life and you take pictures of him and talk about him like he's your kid. Well, let's just say the reunion wasn't exactly what we expected.

We drove to Madison (where grandma lives) to meet Momma K and Jakey Boy. We walk in the house and Jake greets us with excitement. However, it wasn't quite the excitement we hoped for. Remember...this dog is the most needy being I have ever met. He whines when you leave him outside alone for 5 minutes. I really thought he was going to go crazy. Nope.

So, we have dinner and go about the night. After awhile, we begin to think that Jake may have forgotten who his owners are. Let's just say that he wasn't his typical all over Brian like syrup on waffles. He was definitely attached to Grandma K (aka Momma K). He would run in the kitchen if he heard her voice from the other room, lay down beside her, and wouldn't really leave her side:).

It was quite humorous. It drove Brian crazy! You should have heard him yelling, "Jake, come here! I'm your owner!" And Jake would just ignore him and continue to sit by Grandma K:). Bri was pretty sad:)

Well, I'm happy to report that he is now home and back to normal. He loves Brian again. And me too, but he is definitely a daddy's boy. He is back on his daily schedule of waking us up at 5:30 every morning and loves staring out the windows at birds, squirrels, cats, people...you name it.

Aside from the reunion, Jake's vacation in Wichita confirmed my thoughts of his bladder mishaps. Momma K informed us that Jake had a few accidents:(. Here's the thing with him - if he has to go, he doesn't like to hold it. Therefore, you leave him alone in the house for more than 5 hours, he will go. Even though he is fully capable of holding it I'm sure. If you leave the bedroom door open at night, he will walk out and pee somewhere if there is no one to let him out. He's just a weird dog like that. I've accepted it.

Now why Brian continues to make excuses for him and insists that he doesn't have a problem...I don't know. He always comes up with some lame excuse for Jake...he had too much water late into the night, he didn't get let out right before bedtime, blah blah blah. Why a dog can't hold his pee for 5 hours is unknown to me!

So, we were discussing Jake's bladder habits on the way back to KC. When I say to Brian, "You can't seriously tell me you don't think he has an issue."

What I got back was, "He can't defend himself honey, so I will for him. He's our kid."

Really? :) Dogs are not humans but whatev. Jake has bladder issues.

PIZZA Par-tay!!

Friday night was spent at the Ledbetters with pizza making skillz and good friends. Kelly and Ryan were in town from New York, so it was great to see them! Miss you guys!!

Ted was the pizza topping-build-guru and Heather and I helped out with the dicing of toppings. We made all kinds of delicious pizzas. Meat lovers, pepperoni and mushroom, Hawaiian, sausage and green pepper, spicy mania with hot sausage and jalapenos, and some other random fixins' we came up with. For dessert, we had surprise cupcakes. Yum!

Heather cutting up the pineapple

Hawaiian pizza

Ted topping it with cheese

 

Ted & Jeremy

Jeremy, Josh & Matt

Playa del Carmen

Sorry it has taken me this long to do a post about Mexico, but my life has been pretty out of whack this week. It was pretty hard to get back into the swing of things:) I'll go ahead and apologize for the long post, I couldn't just pick a few photos:) you know me.

Hmmm...what do I blog about Mexico? Other than beautiful sunshine and the beach, great food, yummy drinks, mingling with interesting people from all over the world, and total relaxation, there's not much more to say.

We had an absolute blast. It was a great vacation. Much different than any vacation we have ever been on...not that we have been on very many:). And since I'm a rambler and can always come up with random things to talk about, here's a few things I can tell you about our vacation.

 Gotta love the camera timer:) We used it the entire trip!!

On the beach after a little too much to drink. ha ha.

RESORTS
The two resorts we stayed at were both wonderful. Yes, I admit it, the switch ended up working out fine:). It wasn't ideal to pack up our stuff in the middle of the trip, but it wasn't too bad. There were things that were better about each of the resorts, but both were very luxurious.

The Royal (our intended resort) was newer and more modern with better rooms. The entire resort was open-air, with beautiful landscaping all throughout. The air conditioning was like sleeping in a meat locker. We loved it! The air was so good that the camera kept fogging up when we walked outside in the heat and couldn't take a picture for about 30 minutes:). There were no reservations required for dinner and it was right in the town of Playa del Carmen, so no cabs were needed when going into town. Service was great for the most part. Each night they would leave these delicious chocolate Bon Bon's on our pillows. Ah, the little things that get me! And it was an adults only resort. Last, the 24-hour lounge with snacks and drinks was better at this one. Brian couldn't get enough of the jalapeno poppers!

Hammocks were on every balcony. It was a very nice spot to take an afternoon nap:)

The RIU Palace Riviera Maya was less new, but still very nice. The decor was a little old looking for my taste. However, the pool was so great! It was huge with lots of shade. The Royal's pool lacked shaded areas, so it was nice at this one. The restaurants and pool entertainment were the same quality at both. However, the nightly entertainment was better. They had better shows with awesome dancers and a fun terrace area where everyone would gather and drink. The air conditioning was horrible here. So much that we had to call to get it serviced. It helped a little, but not too much. There was also one other mishap at this resort, but keep reading to find out.

  View from our balcony

 Mayan dancers for the nightly entertainment

WEATHER
We had great weather the entire trip. It never rained and was sunny every single day. I have to say though, the weather was much hotter than I expected. You pretty much had to be in the water or you were sweating your butt off. Very, very humid.

Check out that blue water! So pretty!

ALL INCLUSIVE
Having all inclusive at both resorts was absolutely awesome. It was nice to be able to order anything you wanted without worrying about the money. With that said, we experienced some amazing food. There were five specialty restaurants at each resort and several buffet restaurants to choose from. Some were just ok, but for the most part, all the specialty restaurants at both resorts were very good. I even tried sushi! And it was actually good! I was so proud of myself.

Liquor dispenser in our room that was unlimited.

Brazilian restaurant with really fun server. I have Chinese eyes:).

And we definitely did sake bombs at the Japenese/Asian restaurants. However, they do them slightly different in Mexico than what we are used to in the states. Rather than us hitting the table (Sake, sake, sake, BOMB!), the server hits the table for you. It was different. So, here's how it went down. We're sitting there at a nice dinner as we order the sake bombs. As the server brings everything out and she is setting them up, everyone in the restaurant starts looking at us like, "what are they doing?". Well, the server then hits the table so hard that it sounds like a large glass vase hits the floor. It was SO loud! The whole restaurant gets extremely quiet as everyone turns to look at us as we chugg sake bombs. Sweet. We are that couple. She also hit the table so hard that it splashed all over us. Not sure why it was necessary to hit it that hard, but it was fun. We know everyone in the restaurant was secretly wanting to do one too:).

sake bombs

  It got all over his shirt

SMELL
The smell of the tropics was interesting. I had never been to Mexico, so this was new to me. It wasn't a bad smell, just different. There is so much moisture in the air that if there is no air circulation, it can smell kind of musty. Hence, the open-air design at the Royal. We had to wash everything in our suitcases, even if we didn't wear it.

SURPRISE IN MY SUITCASE
So we come back from dinner/going out at the second resort (our first night there) as we find a few friendly beetle/cockroach looking bugs crawling across the floor. I freak out a little, but stay calm because I understand we are in the tropics. Brian kills them with a flip flop. I go about unpacking my suitcase, cursing this resort as it was already tainted from the whole mix-up with the travel agent. Then, I see a nasty beetle bug dash across one of my shirts in my suitcase!! I FREAK out! Brian has to ransack my entire suitcase, taking out everything to find the little critter. We go to bed that night as I have this thought that a bug is going to crawl across my face. Sick. The resort staff fumigated our room the next day, so it got better. But still, bugs equal not good.

"I REALLY LIKE THOSE SHOES"
It was our last night at the The Royal (the first resort) and we decided to take a walk on the beach. The patio to our room faced the walkway out to the beach, so we decided to ditch our shoes on the patio before we headed out to the sand. Well, I had on some really cute heels, ones that I really like:) So, I hid them behind the plant on the patio so nobody would steal them:) Brian made major fun of me for hiding them as he just chucked his flip flops on the patio. Well, as we checked into the second resort and I was taking my shoes out of my suitcase, I realize I had left my shoes behind the plant and forgot them! I was extremely mad because I really like those shoes! Brian tried to talk me out of trying to get them back, but I insisted that they would still be there. So, I spend about 20 minutes on the dang phone trying to talk to the hotel staff about my shoes. I explain to about 10 different people - that don't speak great English - that I left my zapatos on el patio, behind la planta. I know I studied Spanish in college, but when you are upset and just trying to get your shoes back, it was pretty much not existent in my vocabulary.

They transferred me to the front desk, to the concierge to guest services and I tried to explain the situation. After all my effort, I have no clue if somebody was going to check on them, if they found them, or if they even freakin' understood me. Well, we decided to just go back to the hotel that evening and see if they found them. Needless to say, they didn't know what I was talking about when we first arrived. So, we just checked behind the plant ourselves and sure enough, they were still there! Score!

XPLOR
We took an awesome day excursion to XPlor, an adventure park with ziplines, amphibians (motorized water and land vehicles), and rafting/swimming through caves. We had a blast. It was a nice day away from basking in the sun and drinking your life away (surprisingly).

hammock ziplining

CHICHEN ITZA
We also took a day trip to Chichen Itza, also called Chicken Pizza for the people who can't pronounce it:). They are the Mayan ruins that were added to the list of the Seven Wonders of the World to see. It was really cool to see, but so freakin' hot! 110 degrees to be exact! Not to mention we had to spend 2 and half hours on a bus to get there. Thank goodness it was air conditioned with comfortable seats. We also met a really cool Canadian family that we hung out with. We did stop off at a cenote (fresh water sink hole), that was 150 ft deep to take a dip in.

Ok, that's it! Longest post ever.