December: Holiday Happenings
December 6-8: Denver Visit
Since I didn't get my usual Halloween visit to Denver this year, Mr. E and I decided to take advantage of an early December opportunity to check in with A, R, F, & C. We got to see their new house and meet the new feline member of the family, Nugget. What a cute little stripey boy cat! And so patient with both F & C and their playing and snuggling. Our weekend time included going to get a Christmas tree and "supervising" as the family decorated, attending F's basketball game (so fun! and he scored 2 baskets!), watching the Badgers, and spending 4+ hours working on my CPCA grant project (oof -- hadn't expected that much time, but everyone was very understanding of the impending deadline). This trip also helped with my Southwest accrual towards A-List status! As usual, Mr. E traveled on United, but we were able to coordinate our schedules so that we could meet up at SMF after our return flights. And I had enough time before he arrived to claim my winter coat from the Jet Blue Lost & Found (I had left it on my return flight from JFK earlier in November when J and I did our NYC trip -- so glad it was found and I could reclaim it!).
December 21-26: Xmas in Austin
We headed to Austin for Xmas as has been our tradition ever since C was born in 2014. Mr. E and I once again traveled separately on our respective favorite airlines (United for him, Southwest for me), and this trip achieved my A-List eligibility for 2020. Yay! That's a first for me! I arrived around dinner time on Saturday, and Mr. E's later flight put him on the ground close to midnight.
Sunday started off with a group outing to church to watch C as the Star in the kid's Christmas Pageant. So cute! Mr. E and I left before communion to do some errands, and then we had a movie-going afternoon with Mr. E and B seeing the new "Star Wars" and J, C, Mom, and me opting instead for "Cats." Despite the rather poor reviews, I quite enjoyed the movie and particularly loved the effects off the twitching ears and tails. Mr. E and B picked up some pizzas from Austin Pizza Garden on the way home for dinner.
All of the adults except Mom had to work on Monday. B went in to the office, and J, Mr. E, and I scattered to various spots around the house to set up our remote work stations. Mr. E, Mom, and I took a pause to go to Whole Foods for lunch and to pick up the items for tomorrow's dinner. I was able to log off around 4pm CT, and then J and I went to nearby Shore Raw Bar & Grill to meet up with D and also J and M from Pollyanna Theatre Company. We enjoyed our drinks and snacks (gulf oysters for me!), and M very kindly treated the group. In the meantime, Mr. E made dinner for himself, B, C, and Mom, with a chicken and veggies dish. He left some veggies on the side so that J or I could eat them. Yum!
We didn't have much on the calendar for Christmas Eve day until the evening, when we repeated what's now become a tradition with J, B, C, and Mom going to church and Mr. E and I making dinner. Mr. E cooked up a different cut of beef this year and also took care of the salmon while I focused on the sides. We had shrimp to start as the group returned from church and the main meal was still being finished off, and then the evening wrapped up for C with a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" along with setting out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Once C was asleep, the presents came downstairs and were appropriately distributed under the tree and by the stockings. Merry Christmas!
Opening presents was set to begin around 10am on Christmas, so I had enough time to take Mom to Walgreen's for some film (and Xmas cards) before we gathered in the living room to watch C investigate the goodies and begin the unpacking. We were all done by about 11:30am, and we did a quick FaceTime with A, R, F, & C an hour later to show off some of the bounty at each household. We made sure to spend some time outside and then settled in with leftovers for both lunch and dinner.
Mr. E left in the late morning on Thursday for his early afternoon flight, but I was able to stay a bit longer and have more time with family before J took me to the airport for my early evening flight. Mr. E and I met up successfully at SMF and drove home together, where the kitties welcomed us with much scolding and snuggling.
December 29-31: Vancouver for NYE
Sunday 12/29: SMF > YVR
After a couple of days at home to do laundry, clean, reconnect with the kitties, and repack, Mr. E and I set off for Vancouver on the Air Canada direct flight from SMF on Sunday morning. The departure was a bit delayed until about noon, but we got through customs pretty quickly even though we had to claim our bags as we'd checked them at the gate in SMF. We made it to our hotel, the Westin Bayshore, in the early afternoon and set off for the nearby Whole Foods for some lunch after we checked in and dropped our bags in the room. We had a junior suite on the 3rd floor overlooking the outdoor pool (closed for the season) and Coal Harbour, with a partially obstructed view of Stanley Park as well. Despite the grey and cloudy weather, the view was still gorgeous and we definitely will keep this property in mind for a future visit during nicer weather so that we can truly enjoy the enormous lanai!
We picked up some provisions at Whole Foods as well as at the Safeway and BC Liquor Store just across the street. Back at the hotel, we unpacked the goodies and our bags before checking out all of the hotel facilities, including the Just Add Water yoga studio and Vida Spa, where we made massage appointments for tomorrow afternoon. Then Mr. E went to the Fitness Center and I headed to the H Lounge for the 5-7pm Happy Hour (the other restaurant, H2 Rotisserie & Bar, hosts Happy Hour from 3-5pm, so you could in theory spend an entire four hours in a progressive Happy Hour without leaving the hotel!). Mr. E joined me in the Lounge and we both enjoyed 1/2 dozen oysters each, shared the mini cheese & charcuterie plate, and drank some adult beverages. I also ordered the mini prawn cocktail from the HH menu.
For dinner, we split up to get to-go items from Pokerrito (me) and Viet Sub (Mr. E), which we then brought back to eat in the room while watching some Canadian TV. I also did some research for activities for the next few days and procured reservations for a holiday lights railway ride in Stanley Park as well as tickets for a show at the Arts Club Theatre on Granville Island.
Monday 12/30: Yoga, Massage, Bright Nights at Stanley Park
I got up around 6:30am to swim laps and had the pool all to myself. I braved the drizzly weather for a short walk to try to find a travel size bath wash but was unsuccessful in my quest. Back in the room, I did some work on Little Bucky and nudged Mr. E around 9am so that we could get our day started with the breakfast buffet in H2, which was included in our stay thanks to Mr. E's elite status with Bonvoy. The buffet was quite comprehensive (smoked salmon every day!) and included juice and coffee as well. Once we finished and got an Americano for Mr. E at the T & Co. coffee bar in the lobby area, we returned to the room for some 2020 travel planning.
I had paid for a first-timer two-week pass for Just Add Water so headed off for a noon Power Yoga class with Bryan. There was only one other student in the class, and the practice was definitely more active and challenging than my usual hatha and gentle classes here in Sac at the CAC. The other student was a former professional dancer and aerialist -- that explains his amazing handstands and super-pointed foot extension!!!
Neither Mr. E nor I was hungry for lunch after our morning buffet, so we took advantage of the non-rainy time for some browsing on Robson Street. We got a Vancouver patch for C to put on his new soccer backpack but nothing else, despite our extensive time in the Skechers store. I stocked up at the bulk candy store on the way back to the hotel, including four Lion bars to bring back to the States.
Mr. E went for a short work-out before our 4:30pm massage appointments. We relaxed a bit afterwards in the Spa and then returned to H Lounge for more HH oysters and drinks. Then we grabbed our umbrellas and managed to find our way in the dark to the Bright Nights display at Stanley Park, where we joined the crowd waiting for the 8-8:30pm mini train ride. So much fun! We didn't realize how many lights were tucked in and around the railway route, so I'm very glad we took the ride and didn't just stroll around the other part of the display area. Mr. E took some great photos of the holiday lights, including the huge red reindeer and Canadian flag.
Once we returned to the hotel (chilly, rainy walk), we ordered some food to go from H2 and ate a late dinner in the room while watching "Red 2" on TV.
Tuesday 12/31: Yoga, NYE Dinner
Unfortunately, the 8am morning yoga class was cancelled, so I made do with Zumba and YouTube yoga in the room before we once again enjoyed the breakfast buffet, this time with an omelette station. We could see the beginnings of the set-up for the NYE party at the hotel and witnessed more of the transformation throughout the day. Our post-breakfast planning this time focused on 2020 financial goals.
I attended the noon Ebb & Flow Express (45 minutes) class with instructor Krysty and just one other female student. We had a lovely view of the steady rain outside the studio windows. Rain all day today! Mr. E worked out in the early afternoon, and we then watched a few episodes of "Extraordinary Canadians" on the public television station.
Mr. E had made reservations at Showcase Restaurant for NYE dinner, so we braved the rainy conditions and set off on foot for the relatively short walk to the Marriott Pinnacle, where the restaurant is located. We began with drinks at the bar and were then able to get seated earlier than our reservation time since the venue was pretty quiet this early in the evening. Dinner was absolutely delicious, and the kitchen customized the prix-fixe menu to accommodate my dietary restrictions, even providing us with a second dessert for Mr. E at no additional cost. We started off with oysters (1 each), then shared the housemade sourdough that accompanied the duck confit salad for Mr. E and smoked sturgeon with caviar for me. Our mains were baked salmon (me) and steak (Mr. E) along with a variety of sides including roasted carrots, broccolini, and acorn squash. My non-dairy dessert was white peach sorbet, which I shared with Mr. E as he indulged in his flaming Baked Alaska.
Yummy! And also quite calm and peaceful at our table by the window with a view out to the street.
The rain had stopped by the time we finished dinner around 7:45pm, so our return walk to the hotel along the Seawall was even more enjoyable. We settled in with wine in the room and used the Little Bucky HDMI set-up to watch part of the original "Witchblade" movie before I decided to call it a night.
Happy 2020! Farewell 2019!
Since I didn't get my usual Halloween visit to Denver this year, Mr. E and I decided to take advantage of an early December opportunity to check in with A, R, F, & C. We got to see their new house and meet the new feline member of the family, Nugget. What a cute little stripey boy cat! And so patient with both F & C and their playing and snuggling. Our weekend time included going to get a Christmas tree and "supervising" as the family decorated, attending F's basketball game (so fun! and he scored 2 baskets!), watching the Badgers, and spending 4+ hours working on my CPCA grant project (oof -- hadn't expected that much time, but everyone was very understanding of the impending deadline). This trip also helped with my Southwest accrual towards A-List status! As usual, Mr. E traveled on United, but we were able to coordinate our schedules so that we could meet up at SMF after our return flights. And I had enough time before he arrived to claim my winter coat from the Jet Blue Lost & Found (I had left it on my return flight from JFK earlier in November when J and I did our NYC trip -- so glad it was found and I could reclaim it!).
December 21-26: Xmas in Austin
We headed to Austin for Xmas as has been our tradition ever since C was born in 2014. Mr. E and I once again traveled separately on our respective favorite airlines (United for him, Southwest for me), and this trip achieved my A-List eligibility for 2020. Yay! That's a first for me! I arrived around dinner time on Saturday, and Mr. E's later flight put him on the ground close to midnight.
Sunday started off with a group outing to church to watch C as the Star in the kid's Christmas Pageant. So cute! Mr. E and I left before communion to do some errands, and then we had a movie-going afternoon with Mr. E and B seeing the new "Star Wars" and J, C, Mom, and me opting instead for "Cats." Despite the rather poor reviews, I quite enjoyed the movie and particularly loved the effects off the twitching ears and tails. Mr. E and B picked up some pizzas from Austin Pizza Garden on the way home for dinner.
All of the adults except Mom had to work on Monday. B went in to the office, and J, Mr. E, and I scattered to various spots around the house to set up our remote work stations. Mr. E, Mom, and I took a pause to go to Whole Foods for lunch and to pick up the items for tomorrow's dinner. I was able to log off around 4pm CT, and then J and I went to nearby Shore Raw Bar & Grill to meet up with D and also J and M from Pollyanna Theatre Company. We enjoyed our drinks and snacks (gulf oysters for me!), and M very kindly treated the group. In the meantime, Mr. E made dinner for himself, B, C, and Mom, with a chicken and veggies dish. He left some veggies on the side so that J or I could eat them. Yum!
We didn't have much on the calendar for Christmas Eve day until the evening, when we repeated what's now become a tradition with J, B, C, and Mom going to church and Mr. E and I making dinner. Mr. E cooked up a different cut of beef this year and also took care of the salmon while I focused on the sides. We had shrimp to start as the group returned from church and the main meal was still being finished off, and then the evening wrapped up for C with a reading of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" along with setting out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Once C was asleep, the presents came downstairs and were appropriately distributed under the tree and by the stockings. Merry Christmas!
Opening presents was set to begin around 10am on Christmas, so I had enough time to take Mom to Walgreen's for some film (and Xmas cards) before we gathered in the living room to watch C investigate the goodies and begin the unpacking. We were all done by about 11:30am, and we did a quick FaceTime with A, R, F, & C an hour later to show off some of the bounty at each household. We made sure to spend some time outside and then settled in with leftovers for both lunch and dinner.
Mr. E left in the late morning on Thursday for his early afternoon flight, but I was able to stay a bit longer and have more time with family before J took me to the airport for my early evening flight. Mr. E and I met up successfully at SMF and drove home together, where the kitties welcomed us with much scolding and snuggling.
December 29-31: Vancouver for NYE
Sunday 12/29: SMF > YVR
After a couple of days at home to do laundry, clean, reconnect with the kitties, and repack, Mr. E and I set off for Vancouver on the Air Canada direct flight from SMF on Sunday morning. The departure was a bit delayed until about noon, but we got through customs pretty quickly even though we had to claim our bags as we'd checked them at the gate in SMF. We made it to our hotel, the Westin Bayshore, in the early afternoon and set off for the nearby Whole Foods for some lunch after we checked in and dropped our bags in the room. We had a junior suite on the 3rd floor overlooking the outdoor pool (closed for the season) and Coal Harbour, with a partially obstructed view of Stanley Park as well. Despite the grey and cloudy weather, the view was still gorgeous and we definitely will keep this property in mind for a future visit during nicer weather so that we can truly enjoy the enormous lanai!
We picked up some provisions at Whole Foods as well as at the Safeway and BC Liquor Store just across the street. Back at the hotel, we unpacked the goodies and our bags before checking out all of the hotel facilities, including the Just Add Water yoga studio and Vida Spa, where we made massage appointments for tomorrow afternoon. Then Mr. E went to the Fitness Center and I headed to the H Lounge for the 5-7pm Happy Hour (the other restaurant, H2 Rotisserie & Bar, hosts Happy Hour from 3-5pm, so you could in theory spend an entire four hours in a progressive Happy Hour without leaving the hotel!). Mr. E joined me in the Lounge and we both enjoyed 1/2 dozen oysters each, shared the mini cheese & charcuterie plate, and drank some adult beverages. I also ordered the mini prawn cocktail from the HH menu.
For dinner, we split up to get to-go items from Pokerrito (me) and Viet Sub (Mr. E), which we then brought back to eat in the room while watching some Canadian TV. I also did some research for activities for the next few days and procured reservations for a holiday lights railway ride in Stanley Park as well as tickets for a show at the Arts Club Theatre on Granville Island.
Monday 12/30: Yoga, Massage, Bright Nights at Stanley Park
I got up around 6:30am to swim laps and had the pool all to myself. I braved the drizzly weather for a short walk to try to find a travel size bath wash but was unsuccessful in my quest. Back in the room, I did some work on Little Bucky and nudged Mr. E around 9am so that we could get our day started with the breakfast buffet in H2, which was included in our stay thanks to Mr. E's elite status with Bonvoy. The buffet was quite comprehensive (smoked salmon every day!) and included juice and coffee as well. Once we finished and got an Americano for Mr. E at the T & Co. coffee bar in the lobby area, we returned to the room for some 2020 travel planning.
I had paid for a first-timer two-week pass for Just Add Water so headed off for a noon Power Yoga class with Bryan. There was only one other student in the class, and the practice was definitely more active and challenging than my usual hatha and gentle classes here in Sac at the CAC. The other student was a former professional dancer and aerialist -- that explains his amazing handstands and super-pointed foot extension!!!
Neither Mr. E nor I was hungry for lunch after our morning buffet, so we took advantage of the non-rainy time for some browsing on Robson Street. We got a Vancouver patch for C to put on his new soccer backpack but nothing else, despite our extensive time in the Skechers store. I stocked up at the bulk candy store on the way back to the hotel, including four Lion bars to bring back to the States.
Mr. E went for a short work-out before our 4:30pm massage appointments. We relaxed a bit afterwards in the Spa and then returned to H Lounge for more HH oysters and drinks. Then we grabbed our umbrellas and managed to find our way in the dark to the Bright Nights display at Stanley Park, where we joined the crowd waiting for the 8-8:30pm mini train ride. So much fun! We didn't realize how many lights were tucked in and around the railway route, so I'm very glad we took the ride and didn't just stroll around the other part of the display area. Mr. E took some great photos of the holiday lights, including the huge red reindeer and Canadian flag.
Once we returned to the hotel (chilly, rainy walk), we ordered some food to go from H2 and ate a late dinner in the room while watching "Red 2" on TV.
Tuesday 12/31: Yoga, NYE Dinner
Unfortunately, the 8am morning yoga class was cancelled, so I made do with Zumba and YouTube yoga in the room before we once again enjoyed the breakfast buffet, this time with an omelette station. We could see the beginnings of the set-up for the NYE party at the hotel and witnessed more of the transformation throughout the day. Our post-breakfast planning this time focused on 2020 financial goals.
I attended the noon Ebb & Flow Express (45 minutes) class with instructor Krysty and just one other female student. We had a lovely view of the steady rain outside the studio windows. Rain all day today! Mr. E worked out in the early afternoon, and we then watched a few episodes of "Extraordinary Canadians" on the public television station.
Mr. E had made reservations at Showcase Restaurant for NYE dinner, so we braved the rainy conditions and set off on foot for the relatively short walk to the Marriott Pinnacle, where the restaurant is located. We began with drinks at the bar and were then able to get seated earlier than our reservation time since the venue was pretty quiet this early in the evening. Dinner was absolutely delicious, and the kitchen customized the prix-fixe menu to accommodate my dietary restrictions, even providing us with a second dessert for Mr. E at no additional cost. We started off with oysters (1 each), then shared the housemade sourdough that accompanied the duck confit salad for Mr. E and smoked sturgeon with caviar for me. Our mains were baked salmon (me) and steak (Mr. E) along with a variety of sides including roasted carrots, broccolini, and acorn squash. My non-dairy dessert was white peach sorbet, which I shared with Mr. E as he indulged in his flaming Baked Alaska.
Yummy! And also quite calm and peaceful at our table by the window with a view out to the street.
The rain had stopped by the time we finished dinner around 7:45pm, so our return walk to the hotel along the Seawall was even more enjoyable. We settled in with wine in the room and used the Little Bucky HDMI set-up to watch part of the original "Witchblade" movie before I decided to call it a night.
Happy 2020! Farewell 2019!
posted by jms | 12:02 PM
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