Another Great Idea by another Blogger. this time it is to share how you and your beloved meet. So my blogger friends, get to writing and falling in love all over again. Thanks emily great idea.

Well, It was Friday June 13th 1997 I was at the Shoreline Amplitheater for BFD. The sun had set the music was pumping and the Cure was playing. I thought to myself Robert Smith really looks bad and sounded worse. (and i loved the cure for years before then) I turned to my friend and told her" I have to get away from this dieing cat I will catch up with you later." So there I was, wondering around looking at the faces of the drunks the stoned and everyone in between. And Then something happened, something shifted I looked up to see a guy sitting on a picnic table. He yelled out to me " hey you want a Blo Pop? " as being a hard candy freak I said "sure what flavor" It was strawberry, my favorite. We made small talk and exchanged numbers. I was thrilled to know he lived 5 miles from my house. hmm maybe he'll call I thought as I walked away and stuffed his number in my pocket. He called the next morning before 9am...

this is a photo of our original numbers and tickets. it sits next to our wedding invite and flowers


We were married October 16, 1999.
And now we are living a happy peaceful life. and who ever said don't take candy from strangers. Look where it got me. A terrific husband, a best-friend, and a bigger better family. mmmm. I can still taste the strawberry Blo Pop. okay maybe not. Maybe it's just my flavored chapstick but hey, a girl can pretend!

Dreams:
I don't know if you dream but I do. I dream in color in sound and in motion. Last night I had dreams of whales. Big whales, beautiful whales. I lived in a glass house and was with friends but, I could not peel myself away from the glass windows to visit with my friends. Chloe the dog was there too. She was outside of the house next to the whales trying to make her tail splash against the water like they were doing. The waves the whales created made me feel like I was on a boat. Moving up and down with the motion of the tides. I was not scared of the whales as maybe I would be in real life as they were springing out of the water and coming down in a big crash. The glass house was strong. It was also like an aquarium. I could see under the water too.



Do you ever look up your dreams? I do. Dreaming of the Sea is a symbol of female sexuality. Tides express the ebb and flow of sexual union. The sea represents the unconscious. according to Freud Dreaming of whales means, Symbol par excellence of the womb, the whale may swallow the dreamer in what for a Freud expressess a grand act of incest. (i was not swallowed) The whale may reguritate the dreamer as an express of resurrection or spiritual re birth. The glass house represents the fear of loosing self control, to have fear of what others may think of you.

I found all of this very exciting. I can't wait to dream tonight!

Happy Birthday Mom

On March 3 we chris myself Ron and Carrie jason and Liz headed for San Diego. We arrived to a beautiful ship. The Oosterdam Holland America. we spent a week together 3 Port of calls Too many meals and never enough laughs.
The guys enjoyed a little cigar in the cigar room
My favorite part was coffee on the deck outside our room. From our decks we saw Birds, Dolphins, and Whales. And a lot of water.
Just another beautiful couple

On March 4th we celebrated my Moms 60th Birthday. we ate at the little restaurant on the ship. We had 5 star service and 60 stars of fun.
the family
walking the steps of the ship. we did not have our sea legs yet.
She was humble, she was beautiful, she was lovely, she is our Mom! Happy Birthday!

Along the waters edge in Puerto Vallarta is art. A lot of Art painting, statues, artisits all waiting to sell all wanting to create.

the family. our Port of the day Mazatln
moms birthday is still going strong. She went to use the ladies room when her cake arrrived. The waiters at Senior Frogs just went in and got her. Thank god, she was finished and making her way out. Or else who knows how this photo would have looked.

Balloons? I don't see any balloons. What are you talking about?
jason mom and me

the beautiful Cabo San Lucas
Chris joined in on a spring break game. A drinking game. He had to run to the ocean have a shot then a beer then spin three times and run back. He did pretty good, came in third at 36 years old.

Ready for a swim
Sunset leaving San Diego

FIVE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME.. LISA PICKUP
(I did this as it is going around to all bloggers a chain blog sort of.)

1. My given birth name is Elenor Rebecca Newell > no just kidding, Elizabeth Anne Newell

2. I love magazines. I would say I am a junkie for them. I look at each page. I mostly love the advertisements. The models, the clothes, the set design, the colors, the texures.

3. I am a working Actor and Print Model. It has taken me years, to admit out loud that I am an Actor. I started acting in grade school. I continued through High School and College. In High School, I competed for 4 years at the Cal State Hayward Shakespeare Competition. I toured with children's theater in Livermore and Pleasanton during college. I currently work with a mystery dinner theater company. I play a variety of Characters. We preform in different restaurants in the East Bay. When called for print work I jump at the chance. I have worked with companies like, Adobe, Clorox, Kodak, Zavesca. I currently study acting with a private coach in San francisco. I meet with him for about 2 hours a week ,and then I also attend an improv group class. I hope to work in commercials soon.

4. I have always wanted to live in another country. I have traveled a little bit in this great big world. I wish as a school kid I had went away for a foreign exchange program. I would like for my 40th birthday to rent a villa in Italy for the summer and live there. I hope to have a child with me, My husband and any friends/family that could manage a week or two away.

5. I don't like desserts. I would much rather have a glass of wine or bread and cheese.

okay Maire your turn, tell us 5 things we don't know about you. www.wildlifeofmaireandmike.blogspot.com

Venezuela February 2007

Driving to the airport on our last morning, I looked out the cab window as we went speeding by. The ocean to the right of me, and the Mountains to the left. The pastel colored houses wedged into the mountain looked, like a crayon box dumped upside down. Each house so bright and so beautiful. The sun was coming up, and it was a fresh start to the day. I felt a little sad saying goodbye. But, I could not help from smiling as I knew were I had been, and were I was going. Venezuela. What a trip. We left January 31, 2007 and returned to San Francisco February 28th. We had sun, sand, rocks, mountains, oceans, lakes, rivers, hot springs and more. We saw birds, lizards, monkeys, cows, fresh water dolphins, crocodile, and more. We meet friends. We learned more, we taught more. We were and always will be travelers.............


Our last night in Venezuela. We stayed at Hotel Ole Caribe in Caracas. We lounged by the pool in the day and looked forward to tomorrow.

If you are one who knows the hoop. Well, you won't be surprised to see we travel with one. Here Chris works his moves.
Go Marcia, Get Going, Move your hips around.
not so great of me on the hoop but, it made it to the blog mainly due to the socks. It was cold in that house.
Who ever said Hooping was not a full contact sport was wrong. This was Ricks first time on the hoop. I swear, I never saw anything like it. He maybe, had the hoop for five seconds when it went soaring in the air across the room to land on the glass table. Yep, in his way was a good bottle of red and three glasses. A perfect 10

El Yaque is south of the airport on Isla Margarita. The waters are clear. The wind is steady. This makes it perfect for windsurfing and kite surfing. Not so good for sunbathing. But, there are many other baches for that.
a splash in the water. we are at El Agua beach
Super model Necklace

Looking out the giant house windows. Wow what a place. it was so nice to be invited to stay there. a private room. A beautiful big bathroom with hot water. a washing machine and dryer just like the one at home. ahhhh all the comforts of home sweet home.

Chris has this theory, when you say goodbye to one set of friends you bump into another. Meet Rick and Marcia. We meet them a few days prior to this photo at a bar. We had a few drinks and said good night. The next morning we left early and went out to drive the island we stayed a couple of night on the other side of the island. Tonight we had just come back to El Yaque with Elaine and her cousins to have a meal. We waved goodbye to the kids and went to look for a hotel when, Chris said, "Look I think that looks like Rick and Marcia the couple we met the other night." (Rick and Marcia are from San Francisco the only Americans we will meet in Venezuela) Sure enough it was. "hola amigos" we spoke up. They had heavy bags from shopping "let us help you" we said... Minutes later Marcia was mixing up Margaritas. They invited us to stay in their house. We did..
The sunset over the waters of El Yaque Isla Margarita
We had such a nice day at the mangroves with Elaine and her cousins. We figured sharing a dinner before we say goodbye, would be the perfect ending to our day. Over dinner we spoke about politics and careers. They each have big plans and dreams. Traveling without a set schedule allows you time to mingle with the locals and take it all in. They were so sweet, so gentle. They made Chris and I part of the family. We hope we did the same for them. We know when we return to Venezuela we have just the family to call.

Sun set across the lagoon
Our guide is fixing us a snack. These oysters were very warm, the were very fresh, they were very salty, they were not my favorite. I do prefer them cold with hog wash.
crabs, oysters, starfish, oh my!
landscape
Pelican taking off

A view from the boat. We are in the national park of laguna de la Restininga. A large lagoon filled with mangroves, it has narrow channels to weave in and out of. This is a habitat for birds, and many fish, crabs, starfish, oysters, and more.
our guide found us a seahorse to look at
Elaine meet up with us and brought her two cousins. we all spent the day together.
this is our rental car.