Donkey Balls

Before you assume…please read on. While on many of the Hawaiian road trips that occurred when my dad swore he knew where we were going (only to be lost) we discovered Donkey Balls. We saw the sign at this little shop in the middle of nowhere and had to pull over to check it out. Unsure of what we were going to find...we were pleased to discover that they are in fact chocolate covered macadamia nuts! At that point we started to look around the balls store and that kindergarten laughter ensued when kids joke about farting…we could not stop laughing. It only got worse when we began to look more closely at the “types” of balls one could purchase.

Salty Balls: rolled in Hawaiian salt
Flaky Balls: Rolled in Coconut
Blue Balls: Dipped in white and dark chocolate



I mean seriously…you probably needed to be there but the jokes were too easy. My poor dad, I think he wanted to be anywhere else but trapped in a car with his 26 year old son, daughter in law, 30 year old daughter and her live in sin boyfriend. Especially when the mentioned daughter in law had to rip open the bag of blue balls for a taste. Thank goodness he is such a good sport. People seriously thought we had turrets because at various points of conversation the rest of the entire vacation one of us would have to blurt out “donkey balls”. If you know my family you can only imagine…but it was a highlight. It truly is the little moments that make life a fun trip.

Hurricane Vacation Anyone?

When planning a vacation to Hawaii I will now have to begin consulting Al Gore or Leonardo DeCaprio because I swear the gods of global trickery were messing with my only summer vacation. What originally started as a small family vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii turned into a much larger extended family trip. Low and behold there were 16 of us in the end.

I will of course blog separately about many of our adventures but this one is regarding the weather.

In the 8 days on the island I love so much we had 2 earthquakes, a hurricane (that ended up missing us at the last min), a Tsunami warning and a wild fire...HELLO? I think someone was telling us something. Some might have been frightened, but no we set up the lawn chairs on the lanai for a show, I mean really how "mandatory" is a "mandatory evacuation" after all right? I mean why not go golfing with 60 mile an hour winds...who doesn't? (see the trees in added pics for an idea on the wind)



I just love the "Hawaiian time" for updating you on the conditions. We turn on the TV after an earthquake at 7pm, and can't find out the size until the next morning! It was a vacation that none of us are likely to forget anytime soon.



Mai Tai anyone???

Sprinkles

The cupcake craze of Hollywood hit Dallas about 6 months ago in the form of a place called Sprinkles. Every kind of cupcake you can imagine, even one for your dog! If you only need a quick sugar fix you can order a shot of icing, and don’t forget the milk. I have been more times than I like to admit, but knew it would be a huge hit with my 2 favorite visitors from California. These ladies are spoiled and hard to please...but they are also 2 of the favorite things in my entire life. They have made me smile since birth, and the older they get the older I feel.



These little beauties are 9 and 12 years old and came for a special visit to Dallas in July. In total they were here 4 days and we went for cupcakes 2x. I thought this sweet (crack) factory would keep them visiting me for years to come...until they gleefully reported to me the other day a new Sprinkles was going to be coming to their home town of Palo Alto. Now all I have to offer is humidity and a million mosquitoes, and of course me.

Making memories of us

Sentimental title I know, but it's actually a song my other boyfriend Keith Urban wrote for his wife Nicole. He's lucky I'm not the jealous type! I personally like to say there is a Keith Urban song for anything.

Bad Break up: Tonight I wanna cry
Happy Mood in the car: Somebody like you
Cheesy wedding song: I wanna be your everything
Get it on tune: Raining on Sunday
The bad guy anthem: Stupid Boy



See I can go on and on...I am a true fan. So in 2006 when tickets went on sale for his tour I of course registered for his fan club to get the best possible seats. He was coming the weekend of Valentine's Day 2007 and Dallas was going to be his 1st stop! Being that was also my 30th birthday weekend...I thought it couldn't be more perfect. Ha...I failed to anticipate his apparent fall off the wagon and subsequent trip to rehab. So the concert that was to be in Feb didn't occur until July!

Well it was worth the wait. He played for over 2 hours strait, 4 different instruments and was even more gracious than he is talented. The seats I had were amazing as the photos here demonstrate. (Gretchen I will miss you being at the AAC) No Nicole Kidman sighting, but she probably heard I was going to be there. I think even Chris developed a bit of a man crush he was that good.

Airline Manners

I have been traveling a lot for work lately and on my last flight I had the trifecta of in flight entertainment.

*Fact: I am a very easy traveler…my luggage has been lost, flights cancelled and delayed, been with screaming children, had middle seats, and I don’t mind security checks.

The non-flyer: The teenage girl next to me…sweet child, dressed totally inappropriately so she of course was freezing and upset that there were no blankets. Well Miss Daisy Duke’s and spaghetti tank with flip flops…if you aren’t the last person (literally) to board, and sitting all the way in the back against the window perhaps you would be one of the few to acquire one of those covered with germs blankets. Add to that she actually talked on her cell phone DURING THE FLIGHT! Yes she kept her phone on, and used it during flight. Of course because she was by the engine we could all hear her conversation. I prefer not to mess with air traffic control, but she was new to flying.

The super sizer: The woman in front of me….god love the ACLU or whoever it is that fights for the rights of those who will give them press…I mean we all need someone to help us out once in a while. I am not a small girl, nor is my family tiny…but we do fit in the seats. Does anyone really like the comfort of airline seating? No, but I’m sorry I am a frequent flyer and if you can’t buckle a seat belt and are taking up half my seat…I have an ISSUE. I didn’t pay $1100 for my flight to be squished and completely uncomfortable. No platinum or gold status can save you from someone who refuses to acknowledge that seating might be an issue. I really truly believe that 2 seats need to be purchased, or drive.

The over sharer: The guy across the isle that for some reason thinks I love to talk, about where I’m from, where I am going, what for…you know the usually get to know a total stranger chat. I must have that face where I look interested because it happens to me all the time. While I am friendly and don’t mind chatter…at 7am on a 4 hour flight we have a lot of time to get to know one another. I prefer you wait until after my nap. Is he friendly, or bored, or is he one of those people on a plane dying to tell me; a total stranger; all about their personal life.

I love to travel, and I love people but sometimes traveling makes me wonder if I am a nice person at all. I feel evil that I find myself getting irritated by people’s personal phone conversations, or dealing with their screaming or ill behaved children, or that I just don’t feel like talking about myself. I just want to get from point A to B.