Munchkin Houses

Have I mentioned that we are living on a small mountain?  It is a rather famous little mountain in San Diego for several reasons, but the main one is because there is a huge white cross on the very top that is a Veterans Memorial.  I posted a picture here: http://frecklefacegirl.blogspot.com/2009/08/views-near-our-house.html. 

There is a lesser known attraction on the mountain as well.  It is more of an Urban Legend.  I first heard the story about four years ago, when I came out to La Jolla to visit my mom.  She told me all about the "Munchkin Houses."  According to the legend, several little people that starred in the Wizard of Oz used their earnings to build small houses on Mount Soledad.  I immediately liked the story.  It just sounds cool, but I was skeptical because I had read a story about how the little people didn't get paid very well from the movie.  She even took me to see the houses:

They really are cute houses with small doors, steps, and gates. Supposedly, according to the legend, there were four original houses, but a few of them have been renovated for regular sized people. I decided to look it up on the internet recently. I read that it is just an Urban Legend.

That is probably true, but there has to be more to the story. It also said that the houses don't have smaller features. That part of the fact finding is wrong. Perhaps, they were not built for little people, but the doors, steps, gate, and a few other things are definitely not normal sized. It also says that the houses sit down from the road making them look smaller. That isn't true either. In fact, the second picture definitely shows that this one is quite higher than the road. I took this picture sitting in my vehicle, which is a crossover and fairly high off the ground.

While the story is interesting, the best part about the houses is how unique they are. I happen to like architecture, but these houses are special. They have inspired a whole Urban Legend for heaven sakes.

Roots of Envy

Lately, quite a few friends have shared news with me that made me feel happy for them and GLAD it wasn’t me. Of course, my two recently divorced friends that got re-married were on the list. When one of them shared the news, the only thing that popped into my head was… “You actually have to plan a wedding for a second marriage? What a pain!” Thankfully, I kept that to myself.

The other bit of good news was from a friend that is pregnant and about to have her third. She has two sons, one six months younger than Lexi and the other one is a little younger than Jordan. I would have thought that this might bring about feelings of envy since I wanted three kids, but no. Mainly, I was glad not to be pregnant. That really is such a miserable and uncomfortable state. In the last year, I have come to realize that I am quite happy with my two kids. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids. I am just hoping that if I find a Mr. Right, that he will have a few young kids of his own.

Neither of these news flashes brought about feelings of envy, but there was some news from a friend about two months ago that hit hard. This friend had been offered a dream job with a ridiculously large salary in Italy. I would LOVE to live in Italy and quite a few other countries. I spent several days stuck in the pit of horrible envy (not the hateful kind, just the depressed & wished that was me kind).  Probably the worst part of it all was that the move wasn’t even wanted. How could that be? I just don’t get it.

To sum this up, marriage and pregnancy are not going to make me feel envious, but a life altering experience in a foreign country will. I guess some things never change.

Cold Blast

Tomorrow, I am taking the kids on a road trip. They have been asking to see snow for a while. There are a few places around here where it snows occasionally, but I decided to take them to a place where there is lots of snow …Utah.

I haven’t been there since 1998.  That was just for a weekend wedding. Actually, I haven’t spent any time there since I graduated in 1996. I still have quite a few friends and family members there.  Lastely, I have been chatting with a few of them on facebook and one asked me to come.  The offer was extra tempting since I am only about a 10 hour drive now.

It is going to be weird to see how much it has changed and how much all of my old friends have changed.  I think one of the strangest things will be seeing that most of my friends are parents to teenagers.  A lot of them got married young and had kids right away. 

Well, we are setting off to have fun in the cold.  I realized this past weekend that Southern California is NOT the place to buy winter gear.  We went to several places and felt lucky to get the kids coats and mittens.  I will have to shop for boots up there.  It should be interesting.

Remembering Haiti

Last week, most Americans probably couldn’t pick out Haiti on a map. Even fewer can actually say they have been there. I have.

Back in the summer of 2000, I worked for an engineering company that had a contract with Royal Caribbean. We were working on what they refer to as the “private island” they named “Labadee.” It is actually a strip of land on the northern coast of Haiti.

My company hired private planes to fly down almost every other week. Somehow, we were asked to assist them with a huge insurance evaluation. Someone from our firm needed to go down to take pictures and note everything on the “island.” Most people in the office did what they could to avoid going there. Since I love to travel ANYWHERE, always want another stamp in my passport, and would be crazy enough to do it… they asked me.  Of course, I was thrilled (and I would go again).

I flew down on a 10 passenger jet plane with a few of the guys overseeing construction from our firm and a couple of employees from Royal Caribbean. We landed in Cap-Haïtien, which is about 80 miles from Port-au-Prince (where the earthquake hit). It was a small airport that didn’t even have a paved runway.

 We stepped out of the plane and were ushered into a bullet proof passenger van by two armed guard that were hired to escort us around. To get out of the airport, we had to go through a security gate because the entire airport was surrounded by huge prison like barbed-wire fences. When we finally emerged, the van was swarmed by beggars. It was covered like flies. I was honestly scared that one would get run over. Of course, our driver was used to it and didn’t really care.

 I knew that Haiti is known for its extreme poverty and military upheavals, but you can never be prepared to witness it in person. I don’t have the words to clearly describe it, so I found some pictures on the internet (http://www.traveladventures.org). I didn’t take any of my own because we were in a van and because I felt like I would be another American gawking at them.

This week, all the news coverage has brought back memories of that trip and the sadness I felt just witnessing their daily lives. I can’t begin to imagine the added horror that the earthquake has brought upon them. I can only feel a sense of relief that two of my friends/former co-workers who moved back to Haiti (one in Port-au-Prince) are reported to be “fine.” As for the one in Port-au-Prince, I am guessing that means he and hopefully his wife and kids are alive.  I am hoping it means they still have a house and at least most of their friends and family are alive.

The Swine That Flew

We’re home and I think I should have seen the torrential rains that followed us from Fort Stockton all the way home as a bad omen. We were slip sliding our way across Texas with a few very scary hydroplaning incidents and times where we could only see a few feet in front of our vehicle. The rain didn’t even clear up once we arrived. It rained enough for severe flooding and school closures.

Now that the rain has subsided, the big issue in Texas is swine flu. Quite honestly, I’d heard the reports throughout our road trip, but figured that it wouldn’t come to our area in the suburbs. WRONG!

Yesterday afternoon, I took the kids for a walk right about the time school was letting out. There is a junior high about a block from our house. We have to pass by it to get out of our neighborhood. As we were rounding the corner, I saw news helicopters flying over the school. I thought that there must have been a car accident. We kept walking, but I didn’t see anything except kids excitedly leaving the school. I overheard one kid talking on the phone saying that the school was being closed because of Swine flu.

When we came home, I turned on the news to see if it was true & it was. I couldn’t believe it. Lexi decided that she wanted to break the news to her dad. She said, “Dad, the school is being closed because the swine flew.” She even added arm motions for effects. It is always nice to have a little laugh.

Unfortunately, my kids seem to be coming down with something. I don’t think it is the flu. I am guessing that Lexi has an ear infection and Jordan is getting a cold. Never the less, I’ll be keeping them away from everyone for a while until their immune systems are back to normal.

So, I am Crazy…Or Lucky, Probably Both

I just came back from a long weekend in Virginia. Before going, people thought the scenario was either humorous or a bit insane. I guess it isn’t very often that a pregnant chic drags herself and a toddler half way across the country to spend time with her husband’s relatives while he is stuck attending a work seminar. This was an important trip though because his dear sweet Granny was celebrating her 90th birthday. Plus, I happen to like his family. I would even venture to say that I feel closer to them then he does, at least his cousins (The Boss, The Crazy Bow Lady, & The Princess).

Unfortunately for me, I could not find a direct flight from Houston to DC for a reasonable price. We flew to Dallas, had a two hour layover, and then had a 3 hour flight to Dulles. I probably should have bought a separate ticket for Lexi, but the fact that she still qualifies as a lap baby means I don’t have to spend the extra money so I didn’t. We squished my big pregnant belly & her little body into a crammed aisle seat on each flight. I would bet that the people sitting around us cringed when they imagined how the flight would be. She did very well though. She had everyone eating out of the palm of her hand. Other than being extremely uncomfortable and struggling with my luggage before check-in, it was far from my worst nightmares about what it could have been.

Our two days in Virginia were great. Granny’s little town is so charming. I think there are a total of 2 stop lights. The streets are lined with houses that are at least 200 years old. Everyone knows everyone and is so neighborly and kind. I think it is the perfect place to have a vacation home. I would especially love to go during my favorite season, Fall. By the way, before leaving I saw that the county she lives in is ranked in the top 10 places to see fall leaves. We were a bit too early for that though.

It was in this little town that the big Birthday Bash was held. Almost 150 people came to celebrate her life, friendship, and all the charity work she has accomplished. We were all involved in different ways. The Boss made a beautiful & very tasty cake that could rival any wedding cake I have seen. The Crazy Bow Lady did the best imitation of Granny. She had friends and family rolling on the floor. The Princess designed the invitations and was the MC for the night. I even participated by making the programs and reading a poem. The great grandkids greeted people and passed out the cake. Several of her friends mentioned that they hope their families will make such a big deal for their 90th birthdays. We all wish we could be so healthy and active for that long.

The whole visit was great. I felt spoiled with everyone helping me take care of Lexi and our bags. Plus, coming from a big family, you can bet that I love the commotion that ensues. The only thing I would have changed was how short the trip was and how many pictures I took. I had planned on taking a million and only ended up with a few. I didn’t even get pictures of everyone, so I guess I will have to beg the others for copies of theirs.

Basically, it was too fun, too short, and it will be too long until I see them again because I am done traveling for a while (until after the baby is born).

Flashback Friday (London)

Ten years ago, on my way back from Qatar, I stopped in London for a few weeks. The night I arrived, I heard the news that Princess Diana had been in a car accident. The next morning, I was hit with the news that she was dead. Like everyone else on the planet, I had always been fascinated by her. As a child, I remember watching her walk down the aisle. It was on a 13" black and white TV, but I was mesmerized. During my trip, I saw tributes to her everywhere. People cried, bought flowers, stood in lines to sign books, and were in a state of shock. I signed a book in Harrods, because I also felt sorry for her boyfriend's dad. I can't believe it has been 10 years. I am not surprised that she is still missed though.

**Posted a picture of one of the many flower gardens in London.

Funny How Things Happen

The way back from our wonderful vacation in San Diego was less than pleasant. Our day started at 4am, which is never a good beginning. I had booked an early flight thinking it would be nice to get back to our house in the early evening. We had a little hopper flight from San Diego to LA and were told that it wasn't necessary to get there really early, which is probably true most of the time.

My mom & sister dropped us off about 5:30am. We walked up to probably the longest line the airport had seen in a year. By the time we got to the front, we couldn't check luggage in time for our flight, so they booked us on the next one that was only a half hour later and still gave us plenty of time to catch our next flight. When we got to the very empty security line, the girl that looks at the IDs decided that I was a security threat because my driver's license still has my maiden name (I hate the local DMV) & my passport had expired recently. She made us go back to the airline counter. The airline people didn't understand why the security girl had a problem and they sent us back. We went back and forth and missed the next flight. Finally, the airline printed a boarding pass that said I needed to be patted down so she let us through. That took about 2 seconds.

The airline person at the gate told us we just might be able to catch our regular flight IF everything goes very smoothly. Fortunately, it did. We bolted across LAX and made our connecting flight. Lexi was asleep for the first hour and a half, which was great since I had bronchitis and was not feeling up to entertaining her. She woke up fussy and restless. The five hour plane ride was horrible from then on (for us and those around us). We tried walking her down the aisle, when we could. There was quite a bit of turbulence, which meant we had to sit with our seatbelts on (joy).

We finally got to MIA to discover our bags (all five, including Lexi's carseat) had not made it. While standing in the mile long line to fill out the paperwork, Lexi fell asleep. When I couldn't hold her any longer, I handed her to Steve. After about 2 minutes, he suddenly looked at me and said, "Take her, take her, take her!" He had a pee spot on his belly from her leaking diaper. I grabbed her and the diaper bag and headed for the bathroom.

That's where/when it happened...I had Lexi on the changing table and I heard a voice say, "You're Stephanie and that is Lexi, right?" It was the last thing I expected. She told me her name and it took me a while to jump back to reality. I actually had a real life encounter with a fellow Miami Beach blogger. Hi Sofi! Funny that this happened at the airport instead of anywhere on the beach.

I have to say that was the highlight of the day, because we ended up being in the baggage claim line FOREVER only to be told the bags might be on the next few flights that were in another hour. We ate airport pizza and waited to find that they weren't, so we headed home at 9pm (4 hours after we landed). Can you say Happy New Year's Eve? Our bags were located the next day, but 2006 ended with a day from Hell.

Tags: MIA, lost bags, airports

San Diego-ite vs San Dieg-ON

Last week, I complained (prematurely) about everyone in my family gathering at my mom's house in San Diego for Christmas. I pouted about my husband and I having no time off to go. The more I thought about the trip, the more I wanted to go. When I really set my mind on something, I start to go INSANE if I don't get what I want. I decided to ask if I had any time off.

That was when the first Christmas Miracle happened... I have 4 vacation days & 2.5 personal days. I was completely shocked. They were carried over from the year before. Then, I started NAGGING my husband to ask if he could get one day. He was very resistant because he thought there was no way. Then, the second (and more amazing) Christmas Miracle happened. He actually has 5.5 days of vacation time. Now, let me tell you that it is simply impossible. He has only been there 7 months and had to take off LOTS of time. Apparently, they have many grieving days and didn't count some days when they told him to go home early.

We have plane tickets and a plan to go to San Diego for over a week. Yippee!

Unfortunately, I need one more Christmas miracle. Miss Lexi has not been doing well. As soon as her antibiotics were finished on Friday, she started running a fever. By Sunday, we had to take her to Urgent Care. Her fever was 104 degrees and she had double ear infections. They prescribed a different antibiotic. Yesterday, she had an allergic reaction to it and I had to take her to the hospital. She is doing much better now, but I am taking her to an ENT in hopes that she'll be feeling wonderful for the holidays.

Tags: Christmas miracles, San Diego, family time, ear infections

More Flights and Family Time

As we were walking through the door carrying suit cases and Lexi on Sunday, my phone rang. On the caller ID, I could see that it was my mom. She asked how our Thanksgiving trip went and then proceeded to tell me that all of my siblings and their entourages will be visiting her in San Diego for Christmas. That made me a little sad that we wouldn't be going. Then, she stabbed the sad dagger in my chest. She offered to buy our plane tickets. She already checked the flights and we could go Wednesday to Wednesday. Unfortunately, this isn't a matter of paying for the tickets.

We have 2 issues keeping us from going. One (main reason): we both have negative hours of vacation and sick time. This has never happened to me before. I usually get money back at the end of the year for not taking all of my time. This year, however, we had to take many days off for Steve's mom (death bed, funeral, and burial). Given the fact that we can't take time off, flights to California are just too long to only spend a short time there. Two: Steve's dad should NOT be left home alone for his first Christmas without his wife. This isn't such a big deal, because my mom said he could come along. I am guessing he would also have problem getting the time off because of issue #1. Of course, those days off were put to good use, but now I want extra days. We deserve that right? When you have a difficult year because of parents dieing, companies should double the amount of time off they give you. Just a thought. My company would probably let me, but Steve hasn't even been at his job for a year yet.

It looks like we'll be stuck in Miami knowing that we are missing out on an amazing Christmas.

Tags: Christmas Trips, Family Time, Vacation

Vacation Mode

With our trip quickly approaching and hearing that others have already started the fun, my mind is slipping away into vacation mode. I am so excited about the trip that I can hardly let 2 little downers keep me from looking forward to it. The first (and most serious) is the descent into Dulles. With a baby that just started taking antibiotics yesterday for an earache, this could be a near hellish experience. I have Tylenol and will definitely have the pacifier ready, but I'm praying that she will not end up with a popped eardrum. This is one of those times when you just don't know how it will go. Perhaps, everything will kick in and the landing will be uneventful (crossing fingers). On the other hand, 15 minutes of screeching out in pain and terror would be hell and make us hated on the plane. Last night, we warned her Granddad that he might want to sit far away from us. One great thing about Southwest is that he has that option.

The other downer has to do with my lack of preparation. Remember last week when I mentioned the lists? Well, some of them were created. All those ones pertaining to Lexi were created. This morning with the temperature dip (into the 50s), I went into my closet to get dressed. I couldn't find my cute little gloves (only mega warm ones for skiing). I also realized that I am terribly lacking in realistic cold weather shoes. I have a few pairs of tennis shoes and a pair of cutesy boots, but no real shoes. All I have are slip-ons, sandals, and flops. It looks like I'll be wearing tennis shoes or slip-ons quite often. Oh well...the trip is still going to be AMAZING!

Tags: ear aches, planes, lack of winter shoes