Best of 2013

I shudder to think about writing this year in review. I pretty much hated this year and frankly, I can't wait for it to end and get a fresh start with 2014.  This is simply my raw, generalized opinion of the year as a whole. However, when I pause to consider events and activities as individual moments, there were some pretty good times. I'll try to focus on those.

So, in no particular order... my best memories of 2013: 

Best meal:  A crepe in a casino! I was absolutely sober, and it was mid-day, but damn that crepe from the Aria Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas was amazing! The raspberries were so fresh and flavourful you'd think they were photoshopped in your mouth! Karen & I had incredible meals that whole trip.

Where I should have sat to see the concert.  

Where I got to sit instead! 

Rod Stewart 12 feet away & singing my song! 

Best compliment: A concert usher, at Caesar's Palace said to me "you're too pretty to sit in the back row. Here, take these tickets and sit up front."  And that's how we saw the Rod Stewart concert from the good seats! Seriously, an unbelievably lucky moment.

Best song: Well, you see, Rod Stewart kinda sang "Some Guys Have All The Luck" to me, at the above mentioned concert. He was looking at me, winked, and was belting out his signature hit. So, yeah, that ROCKED!

Best bliss: Late January, on a heated patio, in Newport Beach California, I was sipping a raspberry lemon drop martini while the music of Simply Red quietly played in the background. My 7 year old son  was exhausted and completely enthralled with the events of the day. He drifted asleep next to me, telling me how much he loved being my travel buddy and just hanging out with me.

Best scream: I rode a roller coaster. It was California Screamin' at Disneyland, and boy did I scream!  And since I've spent a lifetime avoiding these types of rides and saying "I don't do roller coasters" it was a pretty big deal. I'm glad I did it. It's good to face your fears.

Best "why the hell not" moment:  I let my awesome hair dresser dip dye the ends of my blonde hair bright pink. What a great conversation starter and fun two weeks! It washed out and didn't stain my blonde hair. No harm at all.

Best silver lining. My 3 year old truck was damaged beyond your imagination during a routine oil change. The Titan needed a new transmission and a re-build on its engine. That was absolutely unbelievable and caused WEEKS of grief. During this time every man in my life and those associated with the issue talked down to me and did their best to make me feel like a stupid girl in a man's world. I hated that! Ultimately, the insurance of the dealership that destroyed my truck paid for all repairs, and in the end, I traded in the old truck for a brand new Titan. Of course there was 100% disclosure on the trade in. So, my "silver lining" in this experience was getting my first brand new vehicle ever. And it's silver. And I like it alot. Of course, I have to pay for it, and had to renegotiate my loan during this ordeal, but the dealership that sold me the new Titan was fantastic and really had my back in the process. Friends for life!

Best upgrade: $50 and a little Canadian charm got me upgraded from the basic room (read "cheapest room at the hotel") to the Bellagio Suite at the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas. The suite had 3 bathrooms, a living room, a dining room and just total overall awesomeness.  The robes were so awesome, I had to buy one! That robe makes me feel like a princess every time I put it on.

Best history experience:  Touching the space shuttle Adventure, as it was on display at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston Texas. Everything in that NASA museum was an incredible glimpse into history.... history that has pretty much happened in my parents' lifetime. That was cool. Really cool.

Best kid moment: When my little one took my hand and said "let's do this" and led me on stage to sing karaoke on our Disney cruise. We sang "our" song and did a heck of a job on it! I'd never ever sung karaoke before. That was another fear and check on the bucket list accomplished this year.

Best instant party: My son's hockey team won the championship and he hollers "free ice cream" in the locker room and invites everyone back to our diner for a celebration. Since it was only 9AM, I suggested we do pancakes instead. So, on about 20 minutes notice (about the time it takes the team to change out of their gear) we whipped up a championship pancake breakfast with bacon, yogurt, fruit and juice. Finally... having a restaurant comes in handy!

Best golf games: I golfed with my boys 3 times this year. That was fun. They are growing up so fast!

Us photo-bombing someone's cheesy
Vegas wedding pic! LOL

Best spontaneous trip: Vegas with Shelby! I think she casually asked over the counter at work, on a Thursday, and that very Monday we were on a plane. I really needed that escape. Gosh we had laughs! Even better than our "great" Grand Forks adventure of 2010.

Best work moment: Hosting a charity milkshake event to raise money for a family whose dad is stricken with cancer. I have never seen a community come together like that day. And the staff were unbelievable! We accomplished more that day than we'd dreamt of. We put $2000 in the hands of a good family, for all the right reasons. That is my most proud teamwork moment for certain, maybe ever.  Thinking about that day brings a tear to my eye.

Reflecting back on a year is a good thing. I'm breathing better now for having reminisced and really thought about the individual events and moments. It's hard to grasp why I say I hated this year so much when it was, indeed, filled with much laughter and the company of friends. My loved ones are healthy and still with us. My children continue to grow and pursue their passions. I continue to travel and surprise myself with courage and strength. I've even had some fun writing about my travels. So... what do I really have to complain about? Not a damn thing.

Cheers! Here's to 2014. May our lives be blessed with good health, good friends and great adventures!

Fishing for a great hotel deal

So, if you're planning a trip, it's best to do it at least 6 weeks in advance. Between 6-8 weeks out is when you will find your best flight prices.

In getting a hotel deal, I think it's great to go fishing. Fishing? Visit the web sites and test the waters. For example, if you are thinking about a Disney vacation, visit their web site and sign up to receive their emails. Make a few searches for the dates and resorts you are looking for and then "walk away". Don't visit the web site for a couple days. Typically... an offer.... a sweeter deal will arrive in your e-mail inbox in just a few days.

This happened recently for me, on hotwire.com.  Same has happened with Delta Vacations and Air Canada at other times. The cookies your ip address leaves behind with your search, and your e-mail that you voluntarily give them to contact you with offers is all you need to nab a better bargain.

And while I'm not actually going to Newport Beach, Ca those dates, it is certainly helpful to get a baseline of prices so I CAN budget for it and plan for the future should the stars align.

Then again, they might send an offer so sweet I can't say no.

California Christmas?

Christmas travel can be expensive and stressful. But it can also be an amazing get away from tradition.

Typically, we have spent our Christmases doing the same thing... bouncing from house to house, doing the divorced family Christmas thing. Sharing time, splitting up days and trying to make sure everyone gets equal, or at least a satisfactory amount of time with the grandkids. It can be very hard. Hard on everyone. Bouncing the kids from place to place, trying to squeeze fun into a tight time frame.  Everyone is watching the clock, and celebrating on a schedule just so you can make your next scheduled appointment.

Then there's the gifts. Too many gifts. Too much pressure. Too much stuff you really don't need. All you really need is the company of your loved ones. That's truly all you really crave. Cookies are nice, but they don't replace the hugs and giggles with Grandpa or Uncle Earl or whomever you adore. Those visits can be any time. Any time of year at all. Equally wonderful on the 12th of the month, 24th or 29th.

So last year we tried things a little differently. We made sure to get our special visits in. Just on different days and in a different fashion. We had a gift ban with all friends and relatives. It was actually very liberating. Families that we typically exchange gifts with all agreed NO GIFTS, just casual evening visits in the "holiday season." It was like an invisible burden was lifted. We all shared the same sentiment.

We decorated the house very minimally. We saved our gift money etc and put it towards a family vacation. We happened to snag a bargain. (Are you surprised? LOL) We had 8 days in Maui. It was a gift to ourselves. We opted for surfing lessons on the 27th of Dec. and watched the sunset on the beach the same night. Instead of turkey, we had tacos. Instead of candy canes, we had macadamia nuts. And on New Year's eve, we went to a Luau. It was amazing. What an experience!

Did anyone miss Christmas? Nope. Did anyone miss the stress? Nope. But it's also not something you can do every year. It's a treat.

It can even work on a budget. West Jet looks like they still have some decent priced flights to California. Bypass LAX and use the SNA (Anaheim airport). And unless you are into crowds, I probably wouldn't make it my first or only visit to Disneyland. But what about Christmas in San Diego? Or Palm Springs?  California is a new destination for West Jet. There are still some bargains out there, more so than Florida at this time of the year.

West Jet package prices for a week at Christmas 2011 start around $1000 per person. However, airfare & hotel booked separately leads to increased opportunity to save money and tailor your hotel choice. Maybe the family wants to glide down a lazy river at a resort, rather than toboggan down a snow hill this Christmas? You never know unless you try it.

Christmas travel gets 4 thumbs up from my crew.