Shopping Spree

I did some shopping today! I got a Apple Airport (this allows my computer to be plugged into the internet and then it turns it into a network wi-fi so others can use the internet also-I don't expect my older readers to have any idea what that means LOL). I got a new pair of Jeans at Nordstroms, never heard of the brand before but they are called Paige-I hear they are good. I am getting them hemmed so that picture will be later (tue I will add it to this post!) And some new makeup because mine is way to old to still go on my skin.

(jeans picture will be added when they are done on tue)
****added**** The alterations are free at Nordstrom for the basics!

First time in 2008

I wore a dress. I just got it and wore it out-since we hit the clubs at 1am on Sunday I thought it would count for today's post. I slept two hours then flew back to Des Plaines. Got an email from Troy today, he is done with the Zhoushan, China job-next assignment is Dalian, China. So I fly back there later this week.

My Favorite Free Vegas Show

My favorite free show in Las Vegas is The Sirens of TI (Treasure Island). This was my first time watching it during the day-it takes better pictures this way!

Only in Vegas

So I ran into a Rugby group that was touring the USA. They decided to get dressed up a little for the casino. Here is SOME of the group:
Now many times in my travels people will ask me to be in their pictures. I assumed this was because I am a blonde with blue eyes and that is something they don't see much. Well these rugby guys decided I needed to be in their pictures! I got pulled over to be in about 1,000 pictures with them. It was fun!

Rum Pong?

Well you have all heard of Beer Pong I hope. If not its a game in which you throw or bounce ping pong balls into cups full of beer. There are 10 cups on one end of the table and ten on the other side-usually placed in a pyramid position. This can be played as two people or as teams. If you get a ball in a cup the other team/player has to drink it. Well one of my favorite casinos on the strip is O'Sheas. They have beer pong tables there!!!! As most of you know I don't drink beer, so I played with rum and cokes! I met some great people while doing this, since a girl drinking shots while the boys drink beer apparently is a funny thing to see. The two strangers in the the bottom picture are some great guys we met and played with (I won LOL). Nick and Paul, Nick the taller of the two is from Loveland, CO!!! Small world huh.

Me playing Rum pong: (the person taking this photo was smoking HAHAHA)


Example of tables:

And the group is complete

Kat and Mike got into Las Vegas today! So now all 6 of us are here.
And all of us girls are ready to have some fun....watch out Vegas.

Pooltime

So we got home about 8-9am this morning and we decided to have a lazy day getting a tan and playing in the pool/hot tub. Here is a picture of our layout! The one closest to the me is the hot tub, the one with the fountains near the club house is the pool.

Freemont Street

Tonight we went down to the Original strip of Las Vegas..... Freemont Street. Total winnings for the group $400. (I only gamble the lose change from buying something-so I am out $6-ish). Here are some of the interesting people we met today.

Viva Las Vegas

Woke up this morning and was back on the plane again. This time to Las Vegas for a 30th birthday bash with some friends from High School. First stop liquor store. Me and Jonni felt right at home.

Good Old American Food!

HAMBURGER-YUMMY!

Summer Haircut

Well its that time of the year where I feel I should chop off some hair. And I had 4 inches taken off today. And my eyebrows waxed-no make up on today though LOL.

New roomates

I am staying with some friends while in Des Plaines. They have two dogs.....Bentley is the big one and Sasha is the little one. Its nice getting some dog time in.

Christmas in May?!

Well we have been overseas since Nov. 2006 and now that I am home I was able to open up my Christmas gifts from Troy's side of the family.
I got-a sleep mask, lotion, clothes, travel scale, water purifier, adapters, phone cards, gift cards, 2 Nintendo DS games, Photoshop computer program, and a Polaroid Camera with film! Here is a picture of my stash.

A 37 hr day.

Flew back to Chicago from Beijing today! Here is a picture out my window. I was in business class thank goodness. It was a 13 hr flight, and it started two hours late since we had a small engine fire. But finally I made it back. Hopefully Troy will be able to come back to the states soon to join me. I left at 7pm and landed at 6:30 pm.

Tombs, a Wall and Some Duck.

We woke up to yet another smog filled day (the norm we have now learned). We got a personal driver for the day and we were off.....
First stop this little thing known as The Great Wall. Found out its a MYTH that you can see if from outer space!

Second was the Ming Tombs.....we didn't see all 13 of them, just the most famous two. My favorite part was Spirit Path shown here.

Finally dinner at Bianyifang....the birth place of the Beijing Duck (peking duck you may also know it as.....peking means Beijing....the people here sometimes call Beijing-Peking). This resturant opened in 1855. The duck is the best I have ever had. This picture is of the duck cut up and served with thin pancakes/buns/duck sauce/onions and cumbers. You take a pancake put the duck in the sauce place it on the pancake with cucumber and onion, roll it up and eat!

The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square

Today we woke up early and first thing we noticed was the amount of smog in the air! Its so thick it looks almost cloudy! (you will notice this in the pictures-its was hard on our lungs)
We decided to go to The Great Wall tomorrow and hope its clearer then. Our main two events for today..... headed to The Forbidden City, spent 6 hours there, its really the size of a city! Who knew?! After that we went on over and looked at Tiananmen Square area where the "incident" in 1989 took place...can't talk about it or I will get in trouble. (may later though hehehe)

Beijing Olympics-start in AUGUST?!

We made it to Beijing today! Checked into our Marriott (right next to The Forbidden City) and then grabbed a taxi to go see the Olympics Village. WOW they are no where near done building it! It starts this summer...they better pick up the pace.

Not even sure what this will be:

This will be where the Olympic Torch will be lit:
This is done on the outside, its really a very cool building-the smog is so bad that you can't tell much but this is a shiny blue water looking outside-it glows at night they say. This building will hold the Olympic pools:
This final building is the track and field and main events building. Its being called the birds nest for obvious reasons LOL. There is a fence all around the grounds so these pictures were taken through the fence-thats why they are so far away. But this building will look amazing during the Olympics!

How about right here!

Opps I was off a day on my notice. Still in Zhoushan, China today-leave tomorrow.

So for my final Zhoushan picture I just thought I would show you a EVERY day typical safety issue. This is two men working on something in the sewer system, they just opened a manhole and went to work-in the middle of a major street with NO cones/signs/flags...anything to notify drivers they are working there or that there is a big hole in the road!

Godmother

Why don't godmother's get a day! Here is a picture of 3/5 of my Godchildren. Oldest Aaron (right), middle girl Leola (left), and newest addition (a year ago LOL) Stori Rose Marie....marie after yours truly. I also have Paige (my second oldest) and Shawn (my first oldest-whom unfortunately I have not heard anything from/about since 1yrs old :( )


PS-I am leaving for Beijing tomorrow and will be back in the states on Monday. I may not get internet access to add to my blog till then.

7.9 Earthquake

Earthquake news article
There was a huge earthquake here in China today. Even though the city next to us did feel it, we being on a island did not! We are all fine and safe. Here is the view from my hotel room to show out nice safe and sound location.

Happy Mother's Day!

"Happy Mother's Day" means more
Than have a happy day.
Within those words lie lots of things
We never get to say.

It means I love you first of all,
Then thanks for all you do.
It means you mean a lot to me,
And that I honor you.

But most of all, I guess it means
That I am thinking of
Your happiness on this, your day,
With pleasure and with love.

-------Happy Mother's Day Mom,

Love Always,

Troy & Angela

Pain and Pleasure

So we decided to take a mini-vacation from our hotel this weekend. We went to the Sheraton here in town. They have a wonderful gym there and since our current hotel has no gym (or anything else) we worked out till we literally couldn't move. Here is the gym room and a picture of the inside of the ladies locker room (sorry guys no naked girls in this one LOL). The locker room has 8 showers a hot tub and a cold tub, steam room, sauna room plus your locker/bathroom area. Its very nice! There is even a room that you can just sit in and listen to relaxing music (currently Christmas songs-hahahaha and they don't even know thats what they are).

I remember you!

We ran into some close friends of ours today......our shadows!!!! We haven't seen them in months so we thought we better take a picture!

One more year!

We have a new tenant for the house! So for one more year someone else will pay our mortgage!
Here is a picture of my house before I bought it on 4/8/04!
Notice the porch in this picture-because its getting replaced as we speak! (hopefully I will get a new picture of that!)

Lost in translation

The local men's underwear (see they are called that on the front of the package)?! Check out the directions on how to wear them..??? Interesting.

Toilet?

Some people have asked me for this picture! Its a picture of a typical toilet in China. (its like this in many other countries as well) Well this is the dirtest one we could find for you! Notice there no toilet paper rolls in the stale you do need to have your own if you want to use some. Here has been the first country with this type of toilet with no sprayer to rinse your bottom.

Cino De Mayo

Happy cino de mayo everyone! Its was a beautiful sunny day here so I thought I would show some of our wonderful flowers off.