Tuesday's Travel To Do- Maldives

A friend of mine recently got back from RR and he had visited the Maldives . A funny little story to go along…I emailed Wayne (so I don’t have to keep saying “my friend” like I only have one LOL) to see if he wanted to have lunch and I got a email back and it was he OUT OF OFFICE RESPONSE! I was totally shocked I had just talked to him the week before and he didn’t say anything about going on RR or anything SO I emailed his personal email. I got a response back from his sweet girlfriend, Janice, saying they were in the Maldives and it is paradise. Wayne was out on the water taking pictures but that he would talk to me when he got back to Iraq and that they both said hello. The email was really sweet especially since Janice is from the Philippines and her English is sometimes a bit broken. LOL I got a good laugh anyways and couldn't wait to hear all about their trip.

Meet Wayne

 

doesn't this look like a postcard?



Yes, this is their room or rather the back deck of their room

Meet Janice gazing at the crystal clear water on the hammock

OK so back to paradise, when Wayne got back we had our 2 week delayed lunch and he was telling me all about his trip to there and also the Congo. As promised a few days later he popped by my office to show me his wonderful pictures. I didn’t keep any of them but in the middle of me typing this I emailed him and told him to send me some of his faves. This place is indeed paradise just as Janice had said. They had a great time and even though I had already wanted to visit the Maldives now I know for sure it is a MUST SEE.

Wayne stayed in one of those lovely villas that sits over the water and has a glass floor in the sitting area. He said he even snorkeled under the villa and Janice was watching from inside. ISN’T THAT AMAZING? Ok so I am going to give you a few facts about the place and then overload you with pictures because really you need no convincing to visit this tropical paradise.

Where are the Maldives ?

The Maldives , officially Republic of Maldives , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching in a north-south direction off India 's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos Archipelago. It stands in the Laccadive Sea , about seven hundred kilometers (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka.

How is the climate?

PERFECT any time of the year only to skip the rain you need to head out during the dry season which is from December to about April.

What’s there to do?

Not much action but who needs that when you have the perfect set up to dive and see endless oceanic beauty & if you aren’t a diver the water is so clear then you can just sit above water or snorkel and see a great bit of the same. Also it is a tropical paradise so sit, relax, have a drink, do a few water sports, or take a nap on your hammock that is suspended out over the water form your villa.

Ok enough of all these boring words let’s get to the meat of this and see some pictures!

YES ALL THESE ARE REAL PICTURES!

Have a GREAT trip & a GREAT week day dreaming about PARADISE!

New 30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 14 A Non-Fictional Book

Outliers

About a week and a half ago one of my friends loaned me a book and said it was a must read.  I am a little skeptical of taking his advice and his literature at this point because I've been burned by past experiences. For example, A Clockwork Orange and Nine 1/2 Weeks both his suggestions and both SUCKED! I had watched the suggested movies before I started the book and I told him that he better hope the book was the redeemer of the sh!t movies he gave me. 

Well people, I am pleased to announce the book was awesome, for non-fiction.  As I have said before I am not a big reader of non-fiction, this is the ONLY the 3rd non-fiction book that I have read and I am so glad I liked it.  The overall concept is awesome and what keeps your interest is that it is consistently changing stories but staying on track at the same time.  You don't have the worn out 300 pages of the same war over and over. It is super interesting and I am highly recommending it to anyone who hasn't read it.  It makes me wonder what I was born into, what opportunities I have missed just by circumstance, and also what my life will turn out like in the end due to the opportunities that I have taken.  Outliers also makes me want to give my kids every opportunity there is and really have them stick with it because it seems that it's all about being in the right place at the right time.  

So if you haven't read Outliers then go out and get it.  My copy was a borrowed copy but you better believe that when I get home I will be buying a used copy for my bookshelf or it would make a great Christmas gift. ;)  I could get it on my Kindle but it's so good and sort of philosophical I think I would like this in actual old fashion paper. Hehe

The Author- Malcom Gladwell

From Publishers Weekly

SignatureReviewed by Leslie ChangIn Outliers, Gladwell (The Tipping Point) once again proves masterful in a genre he essentially pioneered—the book that illuminates secret patterns behind everyday phenomena. His gift for spotting an intriguing mystery, luring the reader in, then gradually revealing his lessons in lucid prose, is on vivid display. Outliers begins with a provocative look at why certain five-year-old boys enjoy an advantage in ice hockey, and how these advantages accumulate over time. We learn what Bill Gates, the Beatles and Mozart had in common: along with talent and ambition, each enjoyed an unusual opportunity to intensively cultivate a skill that allowed them to rise above their peers. A detailed investigation of the unique culture and skills of Eastern European Jewish immigrants persuasively explains their rise in 20th-century New York, first in the garment trade and then in the legal profession. Through case studies ranging from Canadian junior hockey champions to the robber barons of the Gilded Age, from Asian math whizzes to software entrepreneurs to the rise of his own family in Jamaica, Gladwell tears down the myth of individual merit to explore how culture, circumstance, timing, birth and luck account for success—and how historical legacies can hold others back despite ample individual gifts. Even as we know how many of these stories end, Gladwell restores the suspense and serendipity to these narratives that make them fresh and surprising.One hazard of this genre is glibness. In seeking to understand why Asian children score higher on math tests, Gladwell explores the persistence and painstaking labor required to cultivate rice as it has been done in East Asia for thousands of years; though fascinating in its details, the study does not prove that a rice-growing heritage explains math prowess, as Gladwell asserts. Another pitfall is the urge to state the obvious: No one, Gladwell concludes in a chapter comparing a high-IQ failure named Chris Langan with the brilliantly successful J. Robert Oppenheimer, not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires and not even geniuses—ever makes it alone. But who in this day and age believes that a high intelligence quotient in itself promises success? In structuring his book against that assumption, Gladwell has set up a decidedly flimsy straw man. In the end it is the seemingly airtight nature of Gladwell's arguments that works against him. His conclusions are built almost exclusively on the findings of others—sociologists, psychologists, economists, historians—yet he rarely delves into the methodology behind those studies. And he is free to cherry-pick those cases that best illustrate his points; one is always left wondering about the data he evaluated and rejected because it did not support his argument, or perhaps contradicted it altogether. Real life is seldom as neat as it appears in a Malcolm Gladwell book.

New 30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 13 A Fictional Book

The Sookie Stackhouse Series

aka

Southern Vampire Series

I love True Blood and since the next season doesn't come out until SUMMER of 2011 then  I need something to hold me over until then.  I bought the Sookie Stahouse Series a couple weeks back on my Kindle and I haven't gotten to start them yet because I have so many others that I have to get through first.  Hopefully soon I will be able to dig in and see what they are all about.  I have read reviews and I don't think they are exactly like the TV show but they have similiar plots and events mainly focused around Sookie and not so much all the other characters.  As soon as I finish the non-fiction that I'm reading now (more on that tomorrow) I will finish up all the James Patterson books I have and then I'm off to Sookie. Who knows as much as I have I may not even get to them until I get home which is fine by me. 

HAVE A GREAT MONDAY!

Too Good!

OMG!

I really hope that my kid is this smart LOL!

BRILLIANT

I love it!

New 30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 12 Something Your OCD About

I am not really OCD on much but what I am OCD about I'm REALLY OCD about. Ha Ha

• The toilet paper MUST roll OVER the top- this is so bad that if I'm somewhere using a restroom and I notice that the toilet paper isn't right I will fix it. LOL So if I come to your house and adjust your toilet paper don't take offense!

• The pillows on my bed must have the pillow case opening facing OUT.  I don't know why this one is I just like it like that and think it looks neater.

• I really like to make sure things are full and stocked up.  I even buy in bulk a lot of times if things will keep just because I like to know there is always enough.
• I keep all my inboxes and outboxes and things like that cleaned out. I can't let old emails, texts, phone calls pile up I always keep everything cleaned up and organized

• I'm a tad OCD about having my things touched.  I don't really mind if people touch my things while I'm around but if I leave my desk and the next day come back I will be able to tell if anything was touched by someone other than me and it really aggravates me.  I know that sounds a little kid-ish but they are my things so leave them alone and everyone will be happy.

Yes, so we all (or most) have a little quirks that make us weird but that's ok with me because my world runs smoother if these things are happening my way.  LOL I just feel better.  Most of my OCD behaviors come from me being one of the most organized people you will ever meet in your life. I like when things are organized and in order.  I just feel better all around.  Maybe I should go work for that show Hoarders.  I could help those people get rid of all that crap I am sure of it.

Off Season

New30 Day Blog Challenge- Days 9, 10, & 11

Ok so I have been slacking so I am playing catch up with 3 posts in one. I also didn’t make the good ole Happy Thanksgiving post but I think day 10 will take care of all that. So without further procrastination….

Day 9- A Perfect Day

There are so many variations of what I would classify a perfect day but I’m going to go with, since I’m in Iraq what my perfect day would consist of.

My perfect day would be waking up in MY OWN bed after sleeping in late and for the rest of the day doing NOTHING except the things I want to do.

I can probably tell you that would probably be a lot of lounging while watching Lifetime, taking a very long, hot bath, cooking a bunch of homey comfort foods, and just enjoying my day.

I wouldn’t mind if people stopped by or called but I wouldn’t be leaving the house.

After not having 1 full weekend off in almost 3 years I am so exhausted and it’s going to be a big adjustment going back to 40 hours and weekends off rather than 84 hours and NO time off.

It’s amazing what we take for granted and really don’t understand how much those short weekends help us through life’s everyday stresses, I mean even if you're busy AT LEAST YOU'RE NOT AT WORK.

Day 10- 10 Things Your Thankful For

• Family
• Friends
• The great opportunities that I have had so far
• Bathtubs
• Cell phones and modern technology that lets me stay in touch with my family even though I’m thousands of miles away
• My education past and future
• A Safe and free country
• My passport so I can go anywhere I want
• Chances at true love and the hope of finding it
• God’s and the blessings he continues to give me

Day 11- Your pets

Drum roll please……………………………….

I have been waiting for the perfect time to share this news and the perfect time and opportunity has finally come.

I have BIG BIG news!

I have a puppy waiting back home from me and he is adorable.

He was born October 10, 2010 and is staying with my friend until I get home.

He is an all white boxer and I am very excited to meet him in person and take him home with me in a couple months. I have already named him.

I wanted a very masculine and strong name since he is a male and he is all white so I wanted something almost regal. I decided on Heracles and will be calling him Herc for short. I really like Greek mythology and thought this name fit him great.

 I get weekly updates from my friend and he sends me the cutest pictures. From what he tells me Herc has quite the personality. The below pictures are from a week or so ago when Herc was 5 weeks old and my friend took him by my Mom’s.

Isn’t he so cute?

New 30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 8 A Photo of a Vacation You Went On

Vienna, Austria May 2009

Lavender Fields

There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden, or even your bathtub.

                           Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Oh How I Love...

Thailand- it's so pretty and the relaxed lifestyle there is amazing.  This was the Bing background yesterday. I wish I was there!

New 30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 7 A Photo That Makes Your Heart Melt

Tuesday's Travel To Do- Turkey

Since this is the week we, Americans, celebrate Thanksgiving I thought I would get clever and make this week’s post about Turkey . Ha ha (I know I’m a complete dork)

 

One of my friends went to Turkey on his last RR and said that it is THE MOST beautiful country that he’s been to yet. As I looked through some of his pictures I can see why. There are mountains surrounding the cities and things are lush and then sparse depending on where you are at…and let us not forget that you also have the Mediterranean Sea at your toes in the south, Aegean Sea to the west, and the Black Sea to the north. In my opinion the top site is Istanbul , the largest city in Turkey formerly known as Constantinople , which holds the famous blue mosque and other treasures. Of course there is much more Turkey to explore so don’t forget about Fethiye where you can take a 12 island boat tour, Kas for all you adventure buffs, where you can canoe, mountain bike, sea kayak, paraglide and this is only a few of the activities. I have had the chance to taste a bit of the Turkish food here in Iraq and I have to say that I was not impressed but it was also in Iraq . I am sure that Turkish food in actual Turkey is great. It would be a lot of fun to take a Turkish cooking class which can certainly be found in Istanbul and probably a few of the other main cities throughout the country.

A few facts about Turkey :

• Capital- Ankara
• Religion- 97% Islam
• Most popular sport- Football, as in soccer not American football
• Turkey is one of the founding members of the United Nations.

For now I will leave you with an array of pictures of this lovely country because I am feeling a bit under the weather and don’t really feel like doing much more talking typing.


Istanbul

Istanbul

Blue Mosque in Istanbul

Kas

Kas

Ankara

Ankara Mosque

Ankara in the winter



Kethiye



Kethiye

Enjoy your trip to Turkey and have a great Turkey Day!

Stuffed Peppers Mole Recipe

It's been a while since I have posted a recipe and honestly I sort of forget since I am not cooking much these days.  I really don't know how I forget because ALL I think about is what I'm going to cook when I get home and what I'm having for lunch today...etc.  I am surprised I don't weigh 500 lbs as much as I love food. LOL  Anyways, this morning I was surfing Yahoo and came across this recipe and thought I would post it.  I love stuffed bell peppers and my mom has been making them for years.  Her version is sort of like a ricey meat loaf inside a bell pepper and it's really good.  I have only made that version as well but have been toying with the idea of making different versions of the same recipe to spice things up.  Yahoo must have read my mind because they had a recipe for stuffed peppers with mole.  Pretty much it's a Mexican variety of stuffed peppers.  MMMM MMMM No one loves Mexican food more than Texans.  I am loving this recipe and will for sure revisit this post later on to make my very own.  For now, I will leave you drooling over the lovely picture and recipe.  If you make this let me know how it is I am sure it's to die for. 

Ingredients

4 small or 2 large sweet peppers
1 8.8 oz. pouch cooked Spanish-style rice or long grain&wild rice
10 to 12 oz. cooked ground beef crumbles, or 2 cups cooked ground beef
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
3 Tbsp. purchased mole sauce*
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz.)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro

Directions

1.Cut tops off small peppers or halve large peppers lengthwise. Remove membranes and seeds. In a 4-quart Dutch oven immerse peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove; drain peppers, cut sides down, on paper towels.

2.For filling, in a saucepan combine rice, beef, corn, mole sauce, and water. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until heated through, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Place peppers, cut sides up, on platter. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Spoon filling into peppers. Sprinkle with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

3.*Test KItchen Tip: If you can't find mole sauce, substitute 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and omit the 2 tablespoons water.

Recipe from Yahoo Shine and submitted to Yahoo by Better Homes & Gardens

New 30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 6 20 of My Favorite Things

As I have mentioned many times before I am a girl of simple pleasures. The smallest things REALLY REALLY excite me and make me happy. Some people call me a weirdo because of this but I say I am just stopping to smell the roses. I mean really, if you can only get excited about really big things in life then you are missing out on a lot of excitement! I love so many things but this list of 20 favorite things is going to be my 20 simple favorite things. Hope everyone enjoys and has a GREAT Monday!

1. Taking hot baths
2. The smell of fresh cut hay
3. Cooking my own dinner
4. Catching up with friends
5. Looking at the stars
6. Getting on an airplane and just knowing that you are going somewhere
7. Driving…I really like driving
8. Marking days off a calendar or things off a list
9. Checking the mail
10. Paying my bills (No joke I get GREAT pleasure from doing this)
11. First kisses
12. Lounging in sweats all day long and watching Lifetime
13. The smell of a baby
14. Dancing alone in my room
15. Working cows or any sort of farm work…it’s in my blood and I LOVE IT
16. Christmas decorations and the holiday season
17. Cuddling with someone you love
18. Getting my back rubbed…aaawww so relaxing!
19. When life gets stressed just putting on my running shoes, grabbing my iPod, and hitting the road or treadmill until I can’t go any further
20. Knowing that no matter what my Mom and God are there for me and I am so blessed

New 30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 5 Your Favorite Quote

My favorite quote is from the Bible and is more verse than quote but either way it's my fave.  I always remember my Grandpa saying this to my cousins and my brothers when we were acting out.  It holds a dear spot in my heart and I get choked up when I hear it in sermens or whatever now that he is gone.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8


Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

New 30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 4 Your Favorite Book

Oh where to start, pretty much every book I have read so far has been great.  I have no clue how to choose between Harry Potter, Twilight, and the Women's Murder Club and because of this I'm going to go in a completely different direction. 
I just finished the 3rd book in a trilogy that I came across back in the summer and I can't be more excited about it.  These books are a little adventure, a lot of romance, and a bit of danger all rolled into one and having sexy cowboys living on a Montana ranch doesn't hurt either.  I got so hooked on this trilogy that after flying through the first two books I had to wait months to read the last one because it hadn't even been published yet!  I read the last book yesterday.
YES ALL IN ONE DAY because it was that good.  I don't really know how to explain them to you without spilling all the secrets so I will leave you with the brief publication synopsis and let you make up your own mind but I promise they are definitely worth the time.

 

Montana Legacy

They're the McCords...three rugged, sexy cowboy cousins who'll inherit the family range--if they seek the treasure hidden on it. But even more precious are the women who can tame their wild hearts...

She was the one person who shook Jesse McCord's quiet determination. She was the only one he ever let in, body and soul. Then suddenly Amy Parrish was gone and the oldest McCord cousin devoted his life to the family ranch. Now Amy is back, offering help to Jesse find the McCord gold. Yet Jesse's not about to give her a second chance, and he hopes his pride will protect him from her irresistible charms. But under the wide prairie skies a dangerous, unseen enemy is fast closing in, threatening Amy and Jesse's very lives and the promise of their ...

Montana Destiny

They're the McCords...three rugged, sexy cowboy cousins who'll inherit the family range--if they seek the treasure hidden on it. But even more precious are the women who can tame their wild hearts...

Emergency medic Marilee Trainor likes her freedom and lives for trouble. But when she stumbles upon a clue to the legendary McCord gold, she 's suddenly in a mysterious killer's sights--and the arms of irresistible playboy Wyatt McCord. This McCord cousin has been everywhere, yet the ranch is the only place he feels at home. Now Marilee's courage and independence make him want to protect her, win her heart, and finally settle down. But trust is the one thing Wyatt and Marilee can't easily give. And their survival and everything they cherish depends on whether they can surrender to each other--to fight for their...

Montana Glory

The last thing in the world Zane McCord wants is a wife. But after returning home to the family ranch in Montana to help his cousins search for the lost treasure that is their legacy, Zane can't help notice that love and marriage seem to be contagious. Both his cousins have succumbed, but he refuses. Determined to stay a bachelor till he dies, Zane wants to devote his time to filming documentaries and taking care of the ranch...and then Riley Mason walks into his life.

The last thing on Riley Mason's mind is romance. Sent to the McCord ranch to save the family's accounting problems, she only wants to impress her firm in Helena and be on her way. Life as a single mother isn't easy and she needs to impress her bosses for a raise. But when Zane McCord opens the door, her breath catches in her throat and a desire she's never experienced before takes over her. When the McCords insist that she and her daughter, Summer stay at the ranch, she's forced to give in and before long, she's pulled into their search for the long lost treasure. But she absolutely draws the line at getting involved with Zane McCord, playboy and heartbreaker extraordinaire. But as they all get closer to finding Coot's lost treasure, a dangerous series of accidents target Riley and her daughter Summer. Can Zane keep her safe while trying to win her heart?

New 30 Day Blog Challenge- Day 3 Your Favorite Teacher

Out of all the teachers I had, and I had some really great ones, the one that always sticks out in my mind as being my best teacher because of their actual teaching abilities is Coach Taylor by far.  I love math and I just got his teaching methods and always enjoyed his allgebra classes.  He was always so encouraging and helpful no matter if it was math or track...he was there.  Besides me just being a total organizational freak, loving numbers and definite outcomes Coach Taylor was a lot of the reason I decided to be major in accounting.  I think if I would have had a bad teacher even though I was good at math I wouldn't have gone into a field like accounting.  So Mrs. Taylor, I know you sometimes read my blog, tell Robert he's still my fave.  :)

If You're a Bird Then I'm a Bird