Posted in travel blog on 08/29/2010 05:24 am by Queenkv
MONTEREY BAY – Ten years ago, I visited Mark in Monterey Bay during his business trip. He was attending a conference at the Monterey Bay Conference Center.
This weekend, we’re celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary in Monterey Bay. This time, I’m writing lecture materials for my Russia trip inside the bar next to the conference center.
Both times, we managed to mix business and pleasure. I know I’m lucky to have a husband who understands my need to work on this special weekend. I know the importance of taking a break and enjoying the beautiful weather, wine and food in Monterey and beyond.
Ten years later, Mark is still surprising me. He set up a lovely anniversary dinner at Peppoli. It’s a classy Italian restaurant off 17 Mile Drive. We ended the evening with a decadent flourless chocolate cake and espresso gelato.
Less than two weeks to go before I’m flying to St. Petersburg. I still have a ton of editing and writing to finish. I also have to work on new subjects for new lectures.
I’m sure I will be working on these presentations on the plane. In the meantime, I’m trying to get a better idea of what to expect in St. Petersburg.
Some travel prep notes:
Travel Document Systems e-mailed my Russian Visa. Woot! It was an adventure trying to apply for a visa at the Russian Consulate in San Francisco. I’ll blog more about it – soon.
I bought a new battery for my MacBook at the Apple Store in San Francisco
I borrowed some international converter plugs from Suzanne. I guess I’ll see which one works in St. Petersburg.
I’m learning some Russian phrases thanks to the one-minute lesson podcasts by Radio Lingua.
My bedtime reading is the Lonely Planet Guide to St. Petersburg.
As for the voting….Both bears got NEW votes in my poll to see who get’s to go to Russia.
Andre: 2 votes
(Andre says Scott is the coolest bear in San Diego. Andre also thanks Aaron. Coolest bear in Sac Town)
Louie: 2 votes
(Louie wants to thank Mr. H and Faith)
Now…Andre wants to take his travel plans into his own paws….
ANDRE: THANK YOU SARA O FOR COOL BEAR IDEA. ALSO – LOUIE DOESN’T EAT DEER. GO FIG. ANDRE EAT DEER. ANDRE EAT STEAK. ANDRE EAT BEER.
ANDRE: HOWEVER, LOUIE LIKE BOOKS. LOUIE LIKE BOOKS A LOT.
I’m still trying to answer the question: “Who get’s to be my ‘Plus One’ on my St. Petersburg, Russian trip? Right now, it looks like I’m leaving Andre behind thanks to the new results of my informal poll.
Louie: 4 votes.
(Louie wants to thank Samantha, Mark, Sara and Dad.)
Andre: 3 votes
(Andre wants to thank Colin, Rink and Andrei.)
My blog poll has been extended to Twitter and Facebook friends as well as young readers offline.
Posted in travel blog on 08/03/2010 03:21 am by Queenkv
Today – I’m trying to figure out how to say ‘Hello’, ‘Thank You’ and ‘Good-bye’ in Russian.
Next month – I will step up to the lecture podium and teach a journalism class in St. Petersburg.
One of my co-workers said she didn’t understand why I would need a passport and visa to teach in that city. Then she realized I was talking about St. Petersburg, Russia.
If it’s not obvious on this blog and on my Twitter feed – I love to travel. I’m also thrilled to have the chance to follow in the footsteps of Tchaikovsky and sample Russian food and drinks in what some people call the ‘Venice of the North.’
My Kansas boss helped me get my foot in the door with this guest lecturer opportunity at the journalism school. My class will cover ‘Modern Internet Television Techniques.’
Now, I’m using my time outside of the newsroom to work my lectures and get up to speed on Russian news. It looks like the wildfires in the southern part of the country are more devastating than the ones I remember in Southern California.
I also have one more big decision to make for this trip. Who shall be my ‘Plus One’ on the plane ride?
The catch: my traveling buddy has to fit into my carry-on bag.
Nearly six years ago – my bears smuggled themselves into my luggage on my Eurotrip.
My cousin once said their butts have been to so many places. (Or was it too many places? Hard to tell. She was a little hesitant in hugging them when they made it back to the States)
One of the few pictures of me from our Vegas trip. I’m usually the gal behind the camera, silently shooting.
My long weekend in Sin City feels like a lifetime ago. After working on the weekend shows, I suspect I’m ready for another vacation. I’d love another getaway with island cocktails and a luau, like the one we attended at the Venetian.
In the meantime, I’m happy to watch other people add some spice to their ‘real lives’ by diving into a Bollywood musical. This music video put a smile on my face.
I’m quite happy to catch up with this Comic Con music video by the Guild. My hubby and I would love to check out this geekfest some day. Maybe I’ll dress up!
The Guild also plans on selling this song on iTunes tomorrow! Yup – I plan on adding it to my playlist
Posted in travel blog on 07/24/2010 10:45 am by Queenkv
I don’t think it’s hot enough in Cow Town. Time to spend our long weekend in a desert.
Later today, we’ll be sipping cocktails in some swanky lounge. Sometime during this trip, we’ll enjoy home cooking with my family.
Maybe Lady Luck will be my BFF as I visit the tables and slot machines. I wonder if she accepted my Facebook friend request. I also tried looking up her profile on Linkedin. No luck there.
Last Decemeber, we saw the Penn and Teller show off the strip. After breaking down the BS in magic tricks – they did a meet and greet in the lobby. If you know anything about this magic duo, you would understand why most of us were shocked when Teller started chatting with fans. When Penn put his arm around me for a photo, he called me ‘Boss.’
Anything is possible in Vegas….Except for beating the house.
Despite turning my back on the iPhone – I am still an Apple girl.
Before grad school, I feel in love with the iMac suitcase.
Now – I can’t live without my MacBook. Still, the devoted, quirky Mac culture is the target for plenty of nerd jokes. I think I’ve avoided being the punchline of Apple nerd jokes…so far.
Check out one of the last photos on my enV phone.
My hubby ordered a new Droid X for me last week – before the went on sale. We beat the hype and got our new smartphones the next day.
Joy!
I know we could have waited for Apple to deliver iPhones to Verizon either by the end of this year or next year. But why wait when you have an amazing gadget operating on Google’s operating system?
Some people think I’ve been blogging/tweeting with a smartphone all this time.
Nope.
Fooled yah!
I’ve simply been a wifi stalker via my iPod Touch and my Macbook. Plus – I maxed out the e-mail options when it came to photo uploads for Flickr and Twitpic. Thanks to hashtag options, I updated Facebook with my Twitter updates, photos and blog entries.
Believe me. I am giddy in this new world of nonstop connectivity thanks to Droid.
It even shoots in HD.
Speaking of videos…
I’ve launched a new video podcast over my Oral Fixations site. I call it ‘In My Belly.’ If it’s not obvious from the title, this online series is all about food, drinks and other tasty things that go into my belly.
What do you think? Any suggestions for future episodes?
Yah – I need to work on slimming that beer belly. Some day.
Folks are welcome to subscribe to the video podcast on iTunes.
The show covers the quirks, relationships and complications of a group of online gamers. Felicia Day plays Codex and she is brilliant as a producer, writer and actor. As I watch each episode, I’m always impressed with the slick production quality and the show’s talented ensemble of actors. With dialogue and comic timing that reminds me of Joss Whedon’s works, I keep clicking around for the next episode.
<br/><a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/season-4-trailer/y08waqri?fg=sharenoembed" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','www.bing.com']);" target="_new"title="Season 4 - Trailer">Video: Season 4 – Trailer</a>
I’m also looking forward to Wil Wheaton’s return to the Guild as the snarky, evil gaming rival, Fawkes.
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