San Diego Zoo

Wednesday Laura had to work so me and Aereal rented a car and went to the zoo. I had been before but missed a lot of it and we covered it ALL this time! I took TONS of pics here and 175 alone of just the polar bears! If you ever get a chance to go to the zoo you need to...its world famous for a reason!

my new camera is awesome! I get great actions shots!

Humping Humping Hippos

the grey one is a baby flamingo


this gorilla was hanging out on the glass...I really was this close to him!

Taco Tuesday

our group with Laura's friend Dan

Aereal tried to pick up a few flirt moves from Laura...not really the same : )

with the Irish boys

me and Aereal got a little bored

we met up with my Australian friend Rebecca

Balboa Park

Tuesday Laura's friend Matty took us to Balboa Park, this huge park in San Diego. We had lunch at this magnificent restaurant called Pravo or Prado (can't really remember) but it was the fanciest food I think I've ever had!

Matty eating sugar cane

entrance to Balboa

us at restaurant

huge Oak Tree

Aereal update

....so Miranda is still recovering from the events of last night, so I (Aereal) am updating...but no worries Brenda she is still alive! San Diego is incredible. We are having the best time. Yesterday we spent the day at the zoo, and then went to a "dinner club" meeting with Laura's roommate Mikey. Laura had to work so Mikey took us to a few local bars - Star Bar was pretty awesome, but nothing can compare to EN CAHOOTS (spelling?)....It was a TRUE country bar. Everyone there had on cowboy hats and boots...everyone was line dancing. Pretty comical. and of course Miranda got on a rant "THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT COUNTRY IS!!!!!!!!!!!" It was a great time for sure, although we are all paying today, and didn't do too much sight seeing. Tomorrow is Temecula Valley though. Check my (Aereal) blog because I did ACTUALLY update for once and i put a few different pictures up! :)


Our first night here

Miranda's poor luggage :( clearly just "wear and tear" right?!

Arriving in San Diego

So we arrived last night around 10:30 Cali time to John Wayne International Airport in Orange County. We had great flights. On our first flight we had exit row seats so we had TONS of leg room, next flight not so much but we got to watch tv. Well, we get there and Aereal's bag...no where to be found. The lady said it didn't even get scanned in Bham. We're loading mine into Laura's car and Laura's like does your bag have a hole in it...yep they ripped mine too. The lady told me it was normal wear and tear.

They told Aereal her bag would be delivered around noon today. So we went to Balboa park and the bag never came, then they said it would be by 6:00, no bag, then they said by 8:00. Thats when Aereal got mad...she called and let them have it! Her bag arrived about 45 min ago and it was hilarious! She gave the delivery man the biggest hug! I'm so happy she found her bag! We're about to go to Tues Taco...cheap tacos and cheap drinks.

Sorry no pics can't get them on here for some reason....

New Pics with the New Camera

So far I'm loving the new camera. I've only taken pics of people at work and Toto so we'll see how it does in San Diego. We're leaving at 6:00 tonight and we'll be back saturday night. I'll try to post pics while I'm out there...have a good week!

Toto Posing

With the new camera I can shoot pics continuously. I love this feature! That way if whatever I'm taking a pic of is moving I can eventually get a good pic!

I said "work it"...this is what I got...

Guess where I'm going next week???

Back to Cali!!!! Me and another girl are flying out on Monday to go see Laura in San Diego. I'm so excited! And I'm buying a new camera for the trip so I'll have GREAT pics in a few days!!!

Sarah's Wedding

Yesterday my friend Sarah from work got married. It was a gorgeous wedding and all of the ER group was there. Congrats Sarah!!!

us with the bride


the ER fam


Sarah showing off her wedding shoes

Floating the Cahaba (sorry no pics but good stories)

We wanted to spend the 4th on the water so our plan was to go and float the cahaba down in Montevallo and then come back and watch the fireworks downtown. We wanted to start the cahaba around 1100 so we would have plenty of time. The boys had done this before and they said it took about 3 hours, they also had "directions" to the place, which was in the middle of nowhere.

Well our plans got a little messed up when Carrie lost her purse and I lost my phone the night before. But we got up at 0800 that AM to go on the hunt for our stuff. We knew Carrie's purse was in Lindsey's car but I didn't know Lindsey's number without my phone. We searched through the phonebook for her possible number, but I didn't know her parents name and then we got online looking through old emails seeing if we had her number, nope.

So we went to Lindsey's house and rang the bell. Her dad answered and we went in and woke Lindsey up. Carrie's purse was right where she thought it was, my phone was not in her car and when we called it it went straight to voicemail.

The last time I remembered having it we were at Leah's house and I was talking to Lee as I was standing outside the car. But I couldn't remember putting it back in my purse, I just knew it was in a million pieces somewhere on the ground. So we went to the bar parking lot and we didn't find nothing and then to Leah's house where again we didn't find nothing. This kinda made me think positive because we couldn't find any pieces of anything and those were the only 2 places where we had been. But it was time to go to the cahaba so I just forgot about it for the moment.

We got back to my house, got ready and went to meet 2 other guys, Daniel & David at Stephen's house. Let me just say this is almost our "spring break" group from forever ago. THAT was the funnest trip EVER!

We FINALLY got on the road towards Montevallo but we now had a Garmin telling us where to go. Well the garmin led us to this gravel road blocked by a gate. So we went back to the main road to start again. We ended up going asking a guy selling watermelons from the back of his truck where to go he told us to keep going down the road we were on and we would run into the place.

Sidenote...ALL the boys had done this before but all they could remember was an indian woman holding a canoe at the entrance (which was no help). And let me just tell you it is no fun driving 5 LOUD boys (2 of which were in the hatch of the SUV)around all in one car trying to find something that you're not sure where its at!

When we got to the end of this road we had to stop and get out and stretch when we did there was another car sitting there. They were lost too looking for the same thing. Lee flagged down another car and they told us where to go. We caravaned and found the place!!! We were so excited after such a long drive!!!

We stripped down to our barefeet and bathing suits and went and bought our intertubes. $10 for a person per raft, $5 for a cooler a raft. Then we piled in the back of a pickup with all 7 of us and 10 rafts. We road 1/2 mile down a cow pasture about bumping out several times. Then we got on our rafts and started floating the cahaba.

It was soo nice. The cahaba was very clean, water felt good and the sun was shining. I announced I was going to start doing this everyday and that I was already ready to come back the next day. An hour later I looked back and I could still see where we had put in at...

There was a rope swing on the side so we had to stop to play for awhile. There we had our first injury of the day. David took a hunk of skin off the bottom of his foot. We then came to the first "rapids". It was about a 2ft drop all the guys did it but me, Carrie, and Dustin chickened out. We decided to walk down the drop. Bad idea...it hurt our feet so bad...we decided we'd just float down the rest of them.

2nd & 3rd rapids...no big deal...no injuries. We have now been floating for at least 3 hours and the guys have had plenty of beer so they were even louder. Daniel had started "fishing" with a cooler. Me and Carrie started getting annoyed cause they were just messing around and we wanted to make it to watch fireworks. 4th rapids...I banged my right butt cheek on a rock, the bruise is huge and then banged my elbow on a stump. I then got stuck on a big tree. I was VERY irritated at this point. Psycho Miranda came out. I threw my raft at the tree and just started swimming screaming the whole time. I finally calmed, retrieved my raft and me and Carrie went on. Plus, it started raining during my little rant which made us cold.

We FINALLY got the end and got out. There was this nasty black stuff that we had to walk through to get out. I had lost my flip flops at the 2nd rapids but I was wearing Carrie's from when I was walking over rocks to try to get the boys to "come on". When you would walk through this black stuff your feet would sink probably a foot, I lost a shoe but some guy behind me dug it out for us. We got out and stood on the side waiting for the boys.

30 minutes later we finally hear them...then see them. It literally took them another 30 minutes to get out but then we had to watch David jump from this highdive they have set up. We FINALLY get to the car and on our way.

Our initial plan was to cook out on top of a parking deck and watch the fireworks but its already 7pm so we didn't even know if we'd make it for fireworks. I had to stop and feed the boys at the first restaurant we saw...KFC. New plan...we went to David's apartment and watched the fireworks. We made it right on time and the fireworks were gorgeous as always.

I recommend floating the cahaba it was very fun the first 3 hours but after that it was enough. Our injuries include: my butt and elbow, David's cut foot, Stphen has a scratched up back, Carrie has a bruise on her lower back, Lee scratched up his back. I think Daniel & Dustin were the only ones without any obvious injuries but I bet there sore today cause I am!!! I will definitely do it again but this time I will wear water shoes and I won't have anything planned to do afterwards and I'll take snacks cause we were starving by the end!

Hope everyone had a happy 4th!!!!

Derby Junction

Last night some of my old friends came down for the 4th weekend. We decided to try this new place called Derby Junction. Its close to the racetrack so we didn't really know what to expect...I was kinda expecting the same type of people at the track (if you've been you know what I'm talking bout) but it was really fun. It was karaoke night and we were the youngest ones in the crowd but we had a great time! I did however for the first time in my life lose my cell phone. At the end of the night I couldn't find it and dumped my entire purse out on the floor so we left thinking it was in Lindsey's car. This am we got up really early and went to Lindsey's house...we found Carrie's purse (which she had left also) but no Miranda phone. I went to another girl's house that we had been at and to the parking lot of Derby Junction...nothing so we went on with our 4th celebrations (which will come later I'm pooped...good stories). Good news though...I just got back from the bar and they had it there...I don't know HOW I lost it!!!

me and my BFF, Carrie


me and my boys...I love these guys! I've been friends with them since middle school and they are just the funniest people ever! I miss them alot!


Lee & Dustin singing some Brooks & Dunn

Blow the whistle!!!

Friday night we went out for Sarah's bachlorette party. We ate at Olive Garden then went to Twist & Shout. Very fun!!! We even got Sarah on stage!

Sarah, me, Kelley


Sarah, Allison, me


Sarah getting serenaded


We blew the whistle for these guys!!!


Oh...and then the strip show...HA!

My Flower Bed

I'm so proud!!! I love my fountain in the middle...just needs water!

I'm a Gardener!!!

This morning I woke up and my plan was to plant some flowers in the back of my yard along my fence. I went out got my hoe, and started hoeing. No luck, my ground is like rock! I tried another spot...again rock...I think I made an indention in the ground and thats it. So I came inside and did what I always do when I don't what to do...called Mama.

Mama is out of school for the summer so she came down here to help. We first went to Lowes. Our plan started out as just getting potted plants and putting the pots along the fence. Pots are expensive!!! So we just remembered what all was at Lowe's and went to Walmart. (This was after a phone call to Donnie to find out which plants will come back year after year). I wanted bright colored pots but they didn't have any, I ended up with these ugly silver ones. No plants at Walmart so back to Lowes.

While trying to find plants that will live in pots a guy that works there tells us that plants will not live outside in pots through winter. At this point I'm ready to just have an ugly backyard.

Mama comes up with a new plan...we'll plant the plants and just put mounds of soil around them. Now we have to pick out plants. After much walking around we finally leave with hydrangeas (I had to have these cause they remind me of my Granny), crape myrtles, 5 different green bushes, some other little smaller perenial flowers, and daylilies.

Then back to Walmart to return the pots and get cheaper planting soil. But for all you future gardeners: Lowe's is not that much more expensive than Walmart and the workers are much more knowledgeable. I'll be sticking to Lowe's for all my future gardening needs.

We get home around 10:00pm and go to work! Mama now notices a helicopter flying around with a spotlight. So we go in to watch the news to make sure there's no criminal on the loose. We see nothing...30 min later its still flying. So Mama calls the police station. The lady is very rude and mama's like "well I'm a taxpayer and I deserve to know why they are flying around spending my taxdollars." We're still not sure what was going on.

Back to gardening...I'm outside and Mama comes in to turn on the lights. She closes the door then realizes it locked. The fence gate is padlocked with the key inside the house. I have an extra key (from the last time I locked myself out) in front but we're fenced in now!!! Laura, its a good thing you made me go rock climbing...I climbed that fence like a pro. I sat on top and then jumped the 8ft down. So I ran around, got the key, and we go back to work.

We finally finished around midnight and my flower bed is the cutest thing ever!!! I'm so proud of it! I'm gonna take pictures of it tomorrow and post on here. I still need something in the center...I'm thinking some kind of fountain...let me know if you have any ideas!

Another Day of Kayaking

A few days later I went out again with Steve (who lives on the boat). It was always warmer inside my apartment complex but then when you started walking along the water it would be cold because of the wind but Steve said it wouldn't be bad once we got out there. Uh no...it was fine kayaking down the bay and then we went around Coast Guard Island and the waves started. They were like 2 ft tall and just kept crashing on us (well me). I was in front cause the person in back is the one who steers the boat. So I was wet and freezing! I know I was getting on Steve's nerves. I don't think I helped peddle at all once we went around the island. I kept screaming everytime a wave would hit me. But it was a fun adventure! Then this new tallship, Lynx, came sailing in. We rode right beside it...it was very cool!

excuse my bad hair...I was soaked!!!


this was how you got the boat to move


the tallship, Lynx sailing in. Notice the whitecapping waves...we had just came through that. Right after this pic was taken the tallship had to take its sails down and come in by motor cause the wind was so bad!

Old Pics from CA

Most of you know our apartment complex was right on the bay and people parked their boats right down the sidewalk from us. One of our friends had a peddle kayak so me and Laura took it out one day. I had been wanting to do it since we got to Cali and it was awesome! I took these pics with a water proof camera so I just got them developed and thats why they are not great quality. The water was very calm this day...

gettin ready to go out


me paddling with the oar...it was much easier to peddle



our apartment complex from the water


The way the buildings were we could go under them. This was a restaurant we went right under. People that were eating above could see us and didn't know what we were doing!