Pretty as a Postcard

You know how postcards are just pictures that someone took that turned out amazing?  Well Liz is a great photographer and this picture of her weekend in Paris is postcard worthy.  I love it and it makes me want to go there so bad and see all the wonderful things Paris has to offer.  Go check out Liz here I love following her blog!

{Photos © Liz Denfeld}

Weekend Wedding

So this past weekend Lincoln's sister got married and I am sure Connie (his mom) is saying AMEN with me!  This wedding has been a huge source of stress for Amber and Connie the past few weeks and then since his mom is stressed Lincoln gets aggravated because he doesn't understand the woman madness that comes along with weddings.  But all is well and all ended well.  I stayed the night with Amber in her hotel room Friday night and we just hung out, drank some wine and got mentally prepared for the big day.  Saturday was filled with bridesmaids, shoe catastrophes and the main event.  The wedding went off without a hitch and Mark and Amber were beyond happy and in love.  We all danced and drank the night away at Tankersly and even though it was hot I don't think anyone minded that much just because it was such a happy time. 

Me and Lincoln before we left the house.  I think we make a pretty attractive pair if I do say so myself.

Me and Amber before the wedding.  Ignore my mess I call hair.

I got to hang out with one of my besties and that always makes for a good night and I also got to meet a lot of Lincoln's extended family and get to know his best friend and his wife better.  Also, I caught the bouquet and Linc got the garter so.....I guess we will see what happens in the FAR FUTURE, I am pretty sure we have a lot of people rooting for us. LOL :)

Rachael and I...just last year we were all at her wedding. :)

Me, Lincoln, Christian, and Michelle

Sunday we slept in, til about noon, ;) and then decided we better get up before we wasted the entire day.  We loaded up the four-wheeler and headed out to the land behind my brother's house where Lincoln is putting his deer stand and feeder this year.  We got everything installed and then we were off to my Mom's to visit for a bit.  We ended our night at Christian and Michelle's playing guitar hero, playing with Michael who is adorable, and eating a few under cooked beans. LOL 

All in all it was a great weekend and we made some great memories. 

The next few months....

are going to be looking like this for me.  But since I will be in front of my computer pretty much nonstop then hopefully I can get some blogging done as well.  Wish me luck in my whopping 9 hours of school this semester plus taking care of my baby-dog Hercules and spending time with my honey.  Bring it on accounting, marketing, and statistics I'm going to kick your butt! :)

Look at how big my bebe has gotten! Hims a pretty baby

Wanted

Egypt Day 1

January 11th, 2011
After breakfast I met my tour guide, Mustafa and headed to Saqqara Pyramids. Right before we arrived at the Archeological site I had to ask the driver to stop the car. Mustafa said "Oh don’t worry we can take pictures on our way out" I was like I don’t want to take pictures I think I’m about to be sick. LOL I got out and took a few deep breaths got a piece of gum, and head to the site slowly and with the window down. I was lucky to do well the rest of the day but between the stop and go of the traffic in the city and then all the cars spewing out pollution and diesel fumes I had a headache from hell. Other than that my day was wonderful I experienced so many awesome things that are truly amazing and learned a lot about the Egyptian culture.

As I said earlier we started at the Saqqara Pyramids which is also called the step pyramid. It is the oldest pyramid in the world and thought to be the oldest stone structure in the world dating back to 3500 BC. I learned how the Egyptians built the pyramids and why. Egyptians believe that three powers: the sun, water, and mountains help them transition to heaven from death. Northern Egypt has the sun in the sky, water from the Nile but it didn’t have any mountains so the Northern Egyptians built pyramids (mountains). You won't see pyramids in Southern Egypt near Luxor because there are mountains there. That is why the Valley of Kings is made up of tombs in the side of a mountain just as Northern Egypt has tombs inside pyramids or their mountains. Also the people were always buried in the west of the city because the West represents death. The sun rises in the East representing life and set or dies out in the West. I thought the history of it all was very interesting so this trip was just as much as a pleasurable experience as it was a learning experience.

thought to be the very first pyramid

I took my very first picture with the oldest pyramid and I did the walk like an Egyptian stance...I of course had to do this and all the other cliché poses since I had been playing that song by the Bangles for months. LOL

After the Saqqara Pyramids we headed to a carpet school. We passed tons of these on our way in and Mustafa said that if I wanted we could stop on the way back out and I could visit one. A carpet school is a school for kids where they learn the regular curriculum like reading, math, and science but they also learn to make carpets because that is a major industry there. The tour was short but truly amazing. They have wool and pure silk carpets being made and depending on the type your working on it could take up to 6 weeks to finish just one meter of rug. After visiting and seeing the work stations down stairs the man took me upstairs to the show room where I got to browse many of the finished products, I ended up buying 2 small silk pieces that I won’t use as rugs but more as a souvenir.

Girl working on a carpet in its beginning stages

Finished Product

After finishing up at the carpet school we headed back into Giza. It was only around 10:30 a.m. and Mustafa wanted to visit the Giza Pyramids after lunch. He had planned on taking me to an essential oils shop after the pyramids but thought since we had extra time before we ate lunch we could go ahead and stop by. WOW is all I can say. The Flowers Temple is a shop with jars and jars of tons of different essential oils made by the company. This company is family owned and the shop opened in 1923. The grandson of the founder talked to me about the essential oils and told me how they were made. These are all natural and are amazing. He tested several on me and they smelled great. Usually perfumes and things like that give me really bad headaches but these didn’t. Well, I already had a headache but they didn’t make it worse. He said that perfumes and candles give headaches because of the alcohol and other chemicals it contains but the essential oils are made from flowers and are all natural. I ended up buying a set of three oils. One lotus, one peppermint, and one called Queen Cleopatra which is the equivalent of Dior’s perfume J’Adore minus all the chemicals of course. One little bottle will last me up to 12 months he said. It’s so concentrated that for use it only takes one or two drops, any more than that is over doing it. I also got a beautiful little blown glass container and then he gave me one as a gift for free. He was very nice and I highly recommend seeing this place and purchasing some healing oils for yourself. Compared to what we pay for essential oils at home I pretty much stole the stuff and he will tell you the same thing! LOL

After leaving the Flower Temple we headed to lunch. Mustafa took me to a great outdoor Egyptian restaurant called Andrea. I do have to admit that since I hadn’t tried Egyptian food before I was sort of worried what I might get but boy was I wrong after I took my first look and taste at the buffet of food the waiter sat in front of us. I had to ask Mustafa to explain what everything was it included kofta that had a few French fries with it, humus, pickles, some other dip that has left my memory, cold slaw and bread. Now let me mention that this was only our appetizer. For the main dish we received roasted chickens that were so good. I was so full from the entire appetizer that I couldn’t eat all my chicken but a tried. For a finishing touch the waiter brought us each the biggest orange I have ever seen. Truly this thing could have been a grapefruit.

YUM YUM

Inside the courtyard of the restaurant

Leaving after lunch

After lunch we were off to see the great Giza Pyramids. I had been warned by other travelers to not get my hopes up on the pyramids because they found them very overrated. I will admit that it is a definite tourist trap but not overrated. I think it is amazing how men built these huge structures and they are still there for us to look at. Of course there has been damage done by other countries back in the day who stole some of the bricks for building things in Cairo, the French used the Sphinx’s nose as a target and that’s why it’s missing but overall they have withstood a lot of sun, wind, and abuse and are still amazing. I went up close and climbed up on one of the pyramids and after that I asked to go into the desert to get away from the tourist so I could take some pictures that look story book. LOL I went into the desert all right but it was on a camel. It was awesome since I had never ridden a camel before but I did feel like a tourist. Out of all the things I did on my trip this was probably the really only touristy thing that I did. I try to be more a traveler and submerse myself in the culture or the place that I am visiting instead of staying on the beaten path but this was worth it.

After our camel trek into and out of the desert we headed down the hill to see the Sphinx. I do have to say that I was expecting it to me a bit bigger but unlike the pyramids which were built the Sphinx was carved out of a single piece of stone. Mustafa took some very touristy photos of me throughout the first day but I did get some non-touristy ones as well.

When we were outside the site waiting on our car Mustafa said “Look over there at that man with the TV camera, that is that show you know what is it with the race?” Of course I freak out and scream ITS THE AMAZING RACE! It was the same but different. It was a French television program were pairs raced but the catch is they are put in a country where no one knows their language and they have no money what-so-ever so they have to manage anyway they can to finish. We tried helping them and even got on camera. I was no good after finding out they knew no English but Mustafa knows French and was able to help them communicate and hopefully get to where they were going. On our way back to the hotel we saw several other pairs asking for help and even hitching a ride in an 18 wheeler. I think out of everything that made my day much better because I LOVE that show.

and they are off! LOL so cool

After the pyramids my tours were done for the day so I was dropped back off at the Oasis Hotel around 4 so I could prepare and rest of for the remainder of my trip.

Oasis Hotel

Pool at the Oasis

All the rooms were in a yard and your room looked out into a park like area...on my way to my room

outside my room

Tomorrow is a busy day in Cairo visiting mosques, museums, and souks. I had a great first day in Egypt and I really liked it. The people are as nice as can be and my guide is wonderful. Stay tuned because there is more to come.

A little bit about my guide
My tour guide’s name is Mustafa and he is wonderful. He is young, 27, and is very knowledgeable on everything and anything I would want to know about Egypt and its culture. Plus it is just me and him so we get to have fun as well like eating lunch together and talking about our different lifestyles and cultures.

Leaving Iraq...Arriving in Egypt

Last time leavig BIAP

In the air leaving Iraq, flying over the base

Bright and early on January 10th, I left Baghdad for the last time in my life.  We arrived in Dubai and of course its late January but still it is hot.  A friend that I worked with was on his way home also so we decided to eat Indian before we left to go our separate ways.  We only had a short time and I had a few things I needed to get done before heading back to the airport. I had gotten a great suggestion for an Indian restaurant before I left Iraq so Wayne and I set out on foot to go eat Indian for the first time ever.  We found Akbar’s very easy and since it was a late lunch Wayne and I were the only ones in the restaurant.  I had a great experience with the food and I will be eating Indian again. 

Wayne studying the menu, acting goofy

Excited to check out the menu and try Indian for the first time.

This is what they bring to the table before your meal.  Very good!

Chicken dish that was so good and packed full of flavor.  I'm sorry but I can't remember the name.

Some spinach dish that had chicken in it, very creamy (can't remember the official name)

On our way back to the hotel to get our gear and head to the airport I had to stop and buy a new suit case at the market because I was terrified mine was going to bust open due to being extremely full. I knew I would want to buy a few souvenirs along the way and that bag wasn’t even going to hold another sock. LOL

After saying our goodbyes I went to the airport and left for Kuwait then on to Cairo.  Of course all the flights were delayed.  I should have known that when my flight out of BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) was delayed it would set the tune for every flight. And just a handy tip NEVER, I repeat NEVER think if visiting or flying through Kuwait....It is TERRIBLE.  After much agony I arrived in Cairo around midnight.  After wondering around looking for my tour guide for what seemed like forever I found him and headed for hotel.  A high note was when I got off the plane I actually had someone holding one of those little boards with my name on it...LOL I felt so fancy. 

My first stay in Cairo was about an hour away from the airport at the Oasis Hotel.  After taking long, hot, very needed bath I hopped into bed and slept for a about 5 hours before getting up to get ready for the day.  Looking back, this first day of travel pretty much set my tone for the whole trip.  It was a wonderful time and I am so glad I did it but it was very fast pace and not a lot of down time.

More of my Egyptian travels to come!!!

An itch I can't scratch

Ok so you all know how much I love traveling and how bad I want to continue traveling...WELL since I have been home I haven't got to go anywhere.  And I don't mean anywhere exotic I mean NO WHERE at all.  Right now my funds are prioritized differently because they just aren't as abundant anymore plus having a regular job like most Americans doesn't permit much time for traveling.  I opened a safe deposit box and I almost had a mental break when I had to lock away my passport. :( It made me so sad looking through it and remembering all the good traveling I have done and knowing that I wouldn't be doing any of that over the next few months.  I haven't been out of this country in 6 months and it is killing me.  I want to go somewhere, anywhere I don't care.  I would even settle for Louisiana LOL now that's saying something. LOL I have plenty of Marriott reward points so I plan on making a weekend trip somewhere when I don't have to work a Saturday, no where exotic but maybe New Orleans or somewhere cool that I haven't been that isn't too far away.  I just need to get out and wonder and discover something new.  In the mean time I will just envy my fellow bloggers who get to use their passports.  Who says you can't live through others LOL

I'm Alive and Doing GREAT!!

Hello, I am alive and well not that you would be able to tell since I haven't been posting.... Anyways blogging is constantly on my mind so I am going to try to catch up and get going with this online scrapbook of mine.  I have been home now for about 6 1/2 months and WOW has the time flown.  So much has gone on.  I will try to do a brief catch up post now but I really want to get back into blogging the here and now. LOL  I have to post on Egypt and that is weighing heavily on me it's not that I don't want to do it but there is just so many pictures and typing involved.  But I promise now that I am done with summer school and have a break I will get on it.  So without further ado...I am back and ready to rock!!!

Catch up-

February- snow, went to PBR in Fort Worth with Matt and Heather

March- found job, made some awesome cookies with Avery, Mom's birthday, and added on to my back porch making a patio

April- nothing exciting here just work and a lot of play, started talking to a friend and anxious to see where it will go

May- Rangers game with Lincoln, Amber, and Mark

June- lake and summer fun....also Lincoln and me became an OFFICIAL couple LOL :) which I am thrilled about

July- celebrated the 4th, and started Summer 2 online classes

August- finished up summer school the first week and so far that's it

So those are the milestones so to speak over the past few months.  I promise I will be back on a regular basis from now on.