The last few days I've been writing the story of my life before iKeith. Before I moved to Denver, I was married to Billy Joe and I lived on a 660 acre ranch. I recently found pictures from that life and I was going to write about it. The story is hard for me because it was full of such turmoil. When I moved to Denver, I was running away from a life that I thought I was stuck in. A life I didn't think I'd survive.
So...I started writing the story a few days ago, starting at the beginning and the day I met Billy Joe. This afternoon when I was googling the songs that were popular that day, I realized I hadn't googled his name in a while. I google his name occasionally because he has a bad habit of getting arrested for not having a drivers license and drinking while driving. Even though we've been divorced for 12 years I still worried about him hurting someone or himself.
I don't have to worry anymore. He did.
I googled his name this afternoon and saw that he died on June 10th from injuries sustained in a car accident. My heart practically stopped! This is what I'd been afraid of and never wanted to see! I read further and learned that he ran a stop sign on a country road and the man that hit him died too.
According to the obituary he has a wife and a son. I'd always hoped he would get his life together and not be a danger to himself and others. There was a time when I loved him so much and he was my whole life. In a way, I'm relieved that he can't hurt anyone else. And I guess this chapter of my life is finally over. I don't have to worry about him anymore.
RIP Billy Joe.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
San Francisco City Pass
The kids and I had four and a half days to fill while iKeith attended the WWDC Conference in San Francisco. We decided that we'd stay in Fisherman's Wharf and that he'd commute to the Moscone Center via Muni(bus) each day. The F bus stop was right outside of our hotel so it was very convenient! This left the kids and I right in the middle of all of the action.
When researching things to do, I was easily overwhelmed! San Francisco is an amazing city with museums and learning experiences everywhere you look. When I was researching how we'd be getting around, I stumbled upon the City Pass.
For the low price of $202 for the three of us, we got a 7 day Muni pass and admission to 4 attractions. I already knew that I wanted to take the kids on a boat tour and to the Academy of Science and they were both included. It seemed like a no brainer!
Day One~Aquarium of the Bay and Pier 39
We started off this day by finding a place to eat breakfast that wouldn't blow my budget. Food is ridiculously expensive and a kid's meal can run you $10. I found a great place where the kids could have pancakes and I could have Pho!
Next we walked over to Trader Joe's and saved $200 on food for our stay.
My little boy is all about the fishes! He loves the aquarium so much and loved all of the displays. At the end we got to touch a shark and manta rays. This is a small attraction and only takes about an hour to get through....less if one of your children suddenly develops an aversion to fish tanks and freaks out.
Aquarium of the Bay is on Pier 39 which doesn't look like much from the front but its a two layer mall with a Merry Go Round and the world famous Sea Lions. This takes about 2 hours to navigate but there are many restaurants (print coupons from home before you leave) scattered through out including the California Wine Bar where you can get a flight of Pinot Noir for $16.
Day Two~ Academy of Science and the Golden Gate Bridge
We traveled to the Golden Gate Bridge on the mass transit system which can be very confusing. Download an app that tells exactly which buses to get on and where. This is also helpful for figuring out when the next bus is arriving.
This bridge is really breath taking! And when you read all of the plaques about how and when it was built, you are just amazed that it is there at all. There are very affordable souvenirs here like cool pencils for $1. Just don't do what I did and leave them somewhere. There is also a little cafe where you can grab a drink and a pastry. The coffee is really good here!
The bus dropped us off on the outskirts of Golden Gate Park. There is one bus that will take you right to the front door of the Academy of Science but since we made a stop at the bridge we didn't take that one. But it's so fine because the park is beautiful and is worth walking through. We found ourselves in the middle of a rose garden.
The California Academy of Science is an amazing place. It has a natural history museum, an aquarium with African Penguins, a rainforest and an earth quake simulator. On the very top....is a living garden! It's almost too much to put under one roof and not be overwhelmed. Make sure to download their app so you can get more info about the events happening during your visit. We were able to be front row at the Penguin feeding (10:30am every morning) because I checked the app.
Day Three~The Exploratorium
The Exploratorium recently moved to a new building on Pier 15 between Fisherman's Wharf and The Ferry Building. This place is amazing! Give yourself a good two hours to navigate and be ready to use your brain a lot! Basically, you are about to do 400 science experiments in a short amount of time. There is so much to read and see and do. You will have to come back a second time to really see everything.
When researching things to do, I was easily overwhelmed! San Francisco is an amazing city with museums and learning experiences everywhere you look. When I was researching how we'd be getting around, I stumbled upon the City Pass.
For the low price of $202 for the three of us, we got a 7 day Muni pass and admission to 4 attractions. I already knew that I wanted to take the kids on a boat tour and to the Academy of Science and they were both included. It seemed like a no brainer!
Day One~Aquarium of the Bay and Pier 39
We started off this day by finding a place to eat breakfast that wouldn't blow my budget. Food is ridiculously expensive and a kid's meal can run you $10. I found a great place where the kids could have pancakes and I could have Pho!
Next we walked over to Trader Joe's and saved $200 on food for our stay.
Aquarium of the Bay is on Pier 39 which doesn't look like much from the front but its a two layer mall with a Merry Go Round and the world famous Sea Lions. This takes about 2 hours to navigate but there are many restaurants (print coupons from home before you leave) scattered through out including the California Wine Bar where you can get a flight of Pinot Noir for $16.
Day Two~ Academy of Science and the Golden Gate Bridge
We traveled to the Golden Gate Bridge on the mass transit system which can be very confusing. Download an app that tells exactly which buses to get on and where. This is also helpful for figuring out when the next bus is arriving.
This bridge is really breath taking! And when you read all of the plaques about how and when it was built, you are just amazed that it is there at all. There are very affordable souvenirs here like cool pencils for $1. Just don't do what I did and leave them somewhere. There is also a little cafe where you can grab a drink and a pastry. The coffee is really good here!
The bus dropped us off on the outskirts of Golden Gate Park. There is one bus that will take you right to the front door of the Academy of Science but since we made a stop at the bridge we didn't take that one. But it's so fine because the park is beautiful and is worth walking through. We found ourselves in the middle of a rose garden.
The California Academy of Science is an amazing place. It has a natural history museum, an aquarium with African Penguins, a rainforest and an earth quake simulator. On the very top....is a living garden! It's almost too much to put under one roof and not be overwhelmed. Make sure to download their app so you can get more info about the events happening during your visit. We were able to be front row at the Penguin feeding (10:30am every morning) because I checked the app.
Day Three~The Exploratorium
The Exploratorium recently moved to a new building on Pier 15 between Fisherman's Wharf and The Ferry Building. This place is amazing! Give yourself a good two hours to navigate and be ready to use your brain a lot! Basically, you are about to do 400 science experiments in a short amount of time. There is so much to read and see and do. You will have to come back a second time to really see everything.
Day Four~Bay Tour
Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise does a great job of showing you the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. There is indoor seating if you don't want to stand or sit in the wind and you can buy drinks and snacks onboard. We loved hearing all of the history while sailing around the bay!
I was so pleased with the City Pass and would use it again in San Francisco or any other city that offers it. I figured out that we saved about $150 and all of the activities are worth seeing if you are visiting the city! Make sure to visit my food blog for info about where to eat while visiting the great city of San Francisco!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for writing about the City Pass. I just loved using it and wanted to share it with my readers and anyone else that comes across my blog while googling 'crap to do in San Fran'.
Friday, June 21, 2013
A Little Fun in Ventura Beach
It's so good to be home! Mostly, because I got sick a week ago and suffered through that last week. It's so much better to be sick in your own home with your own bed! Do you want to know how sick I am? (pausing...for How Sick Are You Connie?) I'm so sick....that I've had 5 beautiful chocolate truffles in my possession for a week and I have not eaten them. I'm so sick that I didn't drink the 4 bottles of wine that my father in law bought for me. I'm so sick that I haven't had a cup of coffee in 3 days! Also...I was at my in laws for 2 days and he expected me to drink 4 bottles of wine? Okay then.
Yesterday, I sat around coughing and peeing my pajamas and reflected on the trip. I also made a Apple photo book on my computer...can't wait to see it! It felt like a dream come true to take this trip. It was a last minute decision when iKeith actually did get a ticket to WWDC (they sold out in 2.5 minutes) and the only reason we tried is because his company would pay for the ticket. The Golden Ticket! There wasn't any other way we could afford for him to go.
Then we decided that we would all go and we'd drive (I love a good road trip) and we'd visit Keith's parents. Keith's brother and folks decided to buy us airline and train tickets and also took us to Ventura Beach for two days. It was so kind of them to make this trip happen for us!
Next week, I'm going to tell you more about our trip and the San Francisco City Pass that we used. But today, I'm going to share a moment of fun that we had at Ventura Beach! We had just had a great meal at Brophy Brothers (watch my food blog for more about that) and decided to walk over to an ice cream store. We found these funny cut outs and started snapping pictures of each other! So Fun!
Keith was such a good sport when I said....let's switch holes! Through clenched teeth he said....this is going on your blog isn't it? Well...yes, it is darling!
We played in the sand a little bit before sun set and played in the water as the tide came in. Alex, Keith and Uncle Andrew built a sandcastle and I chased a crab around. I posted some videos on vine.
I waited and waited for the sun to slip behind the mountains but it just sat there and I had to pee so we left, this is the closest I got to a sun set on the beach!
I can't wait to tell you more!
Yesterday, I sat around coughing and peeing my pajamas and reflected on the trip. I also made a Apple photo book on my computer...can't wait to see it! It felt like a dream come true to take this trip. It was a last minute decision when iKeith actually did get a ticket to WWDC (they sold out in 2.5 minutes) and the only reason we tried is because his company would pay for the ticket. The Golden Ticket! There wasn't any other way we could afford for him to go.
Then we decided that we would all go and we'd drive (I love a good road trip) and we'd visit Keith's parents. Keith's brother and folks decided to buy us airline and train tickets and also took us to Ventura Beach for two days. It was so kind of them to make this trip happen for us!
Next week, I'm going to tell you more about our trip and the San Francisco City Pass that we used. But today, I'm going to share a moment of fun that we had at Ventura Beach! We had just had a great meal at Brophy Brothers (watch my food blog for more about that) and decided to walk over to an ice cream store. We found these funny cut outs and started snapping pictures of each other! So Fun!
Keith was such a good sport when I said....let's switch holes! Through clenched teeth he said....this is going on your blog isn't it? Well...yes, it is darling!
We played in the sand a little bit before sun set and played in the water as the tide came in. Alex, Keith and Uncle Andrew built a sandcastle and I chased a crab around. I posted some videos on vine.
I waited and waited for the sun to slip behind the mountains but it just sat there and I had to pee so we left, this is the closest I got to a sun set on the beach!
I can't wait to tell you more!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Ten Ways iKeith and I are Different
We're headed home from our vacation today and I'm anxious to get back, sleep in my own bed and eat some healthy food. I'm been sick for the last 5 days but Keith's been pumping me full of pills like I'm Anna Nichole Smith!
I've decided to copy The Pioneer Woman's post today because there are many ways that me and iKeith are different. Let me count the ways.
1.) He snores.
I talk in my sleep.
2.) He likes to fly by the seat of his pants.
I like to plan every last detail.
3.). He doesn't think I'm very funny.
I think I'm hilarious.
4.). He likes movies with violence.
I like movies that make me laugh.
5.). He likes danger.
I like playing it safe.
6.). He likes bringing the entire contents of our bathroom on vacation.
I like packing light.
7.). He likes putting things where he can see them.
I like everything to have a place, preferably in a drawer or box.
8.). He likes white chocolate.
I like milk chocolate.
9.). He likes being a few minutes late.
I'm always 10 minutes early.
10.) He likes the window seat.
I like the aisle seat. ( it's closer to the bathroom)
Please pray for our safe trip home today. There were tornadoes in Colorado and at DIA yesterday. And please don't tell the papperazzi that I'll be at LAX at 3:05pm today.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Liquor
We were walking back to the hotel from dinner when I saw this funny sign. I asked Mallory to take my picture. She did....while yelling LIQUOR! LIQUOR! The tourists walking by we're laughing and egging her on, while I asked her through clenched teeth to stop saying LIQUOR!
Gosh it's great that she's learned to read!
In other news, it's so hard for Keith to find a hat that looks good on him.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
I've Still Got It
The kids and I had a super busy day traveling all over San Francisco seeing the sights. If you follow me on Instagram, you know what fun we had!
So much happened that I can't wait to tell you about but I didn't bring my lap top and I'm attempting this update from my iMini.
We met iKeith at the WWDC conference after seeing Epic at the AMC IMAX and we were on our way to dinner when a nice 40's-ish Asian hipster started hitting on me. I was wearing my favorite coat....the 2011 WWDC version so I might have looked like a hottie girl programmer ( a rarity) instead of a hottie PTA Mom. Bless his heart, I had to explain that I was on my way to dinner with my husband and kids walking ahead of me.
Speaking of hipsters....I love how many of them are here! The skinny jeans rolled up and the cute shoes! I should start taking pictures of them to show you!
I'm sorry to report that there won't be a Bachelorette recap this week and probably not next week. I will share my thoughts here and on my Facebook page.
It was rather upsetting to learn that Brian is a cad that mistreats single mothers. Lets hope that enough people saw this and he'll never date again.
I'm not convinced that Ben is a bad guy. He's just not here to make friends and he's right....this is not called the let's make friends show! I think he is cute and is really into Des. It'll be interesting to see how far he goes.
I love Zack K.
I'm not surprised to see Brandon go. He is too serious/needy/broken and it killed any chemistry they could have had together. The guy needs to let his past go or it will continue to haunt his future.
Goodbye Dan, we barely knew you.
I'm wondering where the helicopters are? Three episodes in and no one has flown anywhere.
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