Movie Reviews and Quotes

This post is made up of a bunch of movies I watched over a six week period.  I no longer remember which six period because it has been sitting in my drafts for so long.  These movies may be old news by now, but I will not let this post go wasted any longer.  I have a thing for movies and words. Each movie had a quote that really spoke to me.  I watch a lot of movies and like doing reviews so I made a handy dandy graphic with my grading scale and have another movie review post not far behind, that has also been sitting in my drafts for a little too long.

Imitation Game
Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.
That quote left me breathless.  This movie was AMAZING.  It was so, so good.  The story was a different side of World War II that I had never seen before.  I love Kiera Knightly-and she was amazing as always.  The story line was captivating, triumphant, inspirational and sad all at once.  A must see. *5 STARS

About Time
We're all traveling through time together everyday of our lives. All we can do is our best to relish this remarkable ride.
All I have to say is that it was about time I saw this movie.  It was so good and totally different than what I expected.  For some reason I thought it was going to be about star crossed lovers who couldn't be together because one of them was a time traveler.  I probably had this move mixed up with something else because it was not about that at all.  Instead it was the story of a man who is a time traveler, and wants more than anything to find his one true love.  I love this guys family and if I'm being honest, I kind of love this guy.  I love the relationship he had with his family, the relationship he had with his wife and the kind of father that he became.  I kept waiting for something terrible to happen to create a plot twist, but it just wasn't that kind of movie.  It was genuine and funny.  It really was about time...and love. *5 STARS

Laggies
A lot of the math they're teaching you that they swear you'll use in your life, you won't.  You're never gonna need parabolas and you really, really don't need to know shapes that have more than eight fuckin' sides.  You can't keep putting aside what you want for some imaginary future.  You've got to suck it up and go with your gut.
This was the story of a girl in her late twenties who refuses to grow up and randomly befriends a teenager outside of a liquor store one night.  I really like both lead actors, Kiera Knightly and Chloe Grace Moritz so I was drawn to this movie for that reason alone and they did not disappoint me.  I loved watching the relationship between unlikely friends grow.  All the characters were so chill.  I liked them all.  Definitely a good one to watch. *5 STARS

Skeleton Twins 
The rest of us are just walking around trying not to be disappointed with the way that our lives turned out.
I love Kristen Wiig as an actress and I usually love the characters that she plays because they are so flawed, endearing and real.  This movie was kind of morbid because it addresses suicide which may turn some people off but not me. I'm a ravenous movie watcher and not one to avoid a movie based on subject matter.  If it looks good, I'm going to watch it and even if I find out it sucks there is a good chance I'll finish watching it anyway.  This movie was mainly about the complicated relationship between two siblings and how it grew and changed over time. *4 STARS

Wild
My mother used to say something that drove me nuts. There is a sunrise and a sunset every day and you can choose to be there for it. You can put yourself in the way of beauty.
This was based on the true story of a woman in the midst of sabotaging her life after losing her mother.  She decides to set off alone to hike the Pacific Crest Trail which runs from the Mexico Border all the way up to Canada and typically takes about 3 months.  Crazy!  I'm way too chicken and hate being dirty way too much to do this, but it was interesting to watch the story of someone else with the guts to do it.  Alone no less.  Reese Witherspoon went au natural for the filming.  No make up, no deodorant and no razors.  She still looked good and I really liked her in this movie.  *4 STARS

Adult World
Not everybody can grow up to be Beyonce or the President.  Not everybody's talented okay? And fame doesn't meat shit.
A recent college graduate who wants to be a writer, tried to figure out what to do with her life.  I liked it.  I like Emma Roberts and I have liked John Cusack since The Sure Thing so that was the draw for me.  Not the most captivating, but good.  I don't regret spending the time watching it.
*3 STARS

Cake (Netflix Streaming)
Tell me a story where everything works out in the end for the evil witch.
A woman dealing with chronic pain investigates the suicide of a member of her support group.  I have never seen Jennifer Anniston look so rough.  She usually plays an it girl glossy character so it was interesting to see her in this role and nice to see that she has range as an actor and can do more than Rom Com's or comedy.  The movie takes its time answering a lot of the questions that you inevitably have as you watch which, keeps it interesting. *4 STARS

Endless Love
My first love was everything all at once  The kind that you never fall back from never try to never want to. A love so big so strong it never dies, never fades,  never loses it's electricity.  The kind of love you fight for.  The kind of boy you fight for.
First of all the Gabriella Wild who plays the lead character Jade Butterfield is gorgeous, and a really good actress.  I've not seen her in anything else and can only wonder why she isn't getting more work.  Her IMBD only has eight credits, none of which are anything I've really heard of.  I am a sucker for true love and romance so I loved this movie.  I loved how new intense young love was shown in contrast to her parent's lackluster and fading marriage. *4 STARS

The Duff
Yeah, I'm somebody's Duff, but guess what so are you, so is everybody.  There's always going to be somebody prettier, or more  talented or richer than you.   That shouldn't affect how you see yourself...I wouldn't want to be anybody else and I realize now that none of this matters to me, but it does to you.  It's your dream, and I totally support that but just don't tear me down for not giving a shit about your labels because in the end they're meaningless.
Do you know what DUFF stands for?  It's not nice.  I was not aware of that acronym until I heard about this movie.  It's a formula that has been repeated a million times over but people like it and it's entertaining, so here it is again.  Nerdy girl seeks out make over to get the guy and all the cliche characters in between including the mean popular girl and the hot football hunk.  It was slightly different in that the girl was not a total loser outcast and the make over bit was not overly dramatized.  I love coming of age stories and I always root for the underdog so I was very happy with the ending.  *3 STARS

Magic in The Moonlight
This movie was good but kind of boring if that makes any sense whatsoever.  I was attracted to it because of Emma Stone and I liked the story but I can't really rave about it that much.  It was just okay.  There was a lot of dialogue which is fine for me, but the movie just felt a little flat for me.  I would say skip it. *1 STAR

 
Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

Oh Snap!! What I Think About Snapchat

About three months ago I went to a work conference out of town.  I was holed up in my hotel room and bored so I decided to download snapchat.  I posted my snapcode on Instagram and wrote that I was bored and alone in my hotel room trying to figure out #snapchat.  Don't ever search that hashtag on Instagram.  You can, but you should know that what will come up is a whole lot of porn.  I had never seen that side of Instagram before and I was horrified by all the X rated photos and videos that popped up.  I reported a few as inappropriate, before realizing how futile it was.  Instagram probably can't remove and/or shut down accounts as fast as these photos are posted.  New material popped up every second and then it became clear to me why I gained three new followers, plus a snap of a bare chested man laying down within minutes of my Instagram post.  Little did I know that "bored and alone in a hotel room" is an open invitation for snapchat shenanigans that I want no part in.  Lesson learned.

Snapchat may have started out as a sexual media app, but it's grown into much more than that over the last few years.  Even the old folks are getting involved now.  That would be me. 

What I Like
There is an anonymity and lack of permanence that encourages real life and not the curated life that a lot of people present on Instagram. 

• Everything disappears after 24 hours.  When it first started it was only 10 seconds.  The ghost image for snapchat is totally appropriate and it is no wonder snapchat started out the way it did.  Friends can screenshot anything posted and save it to their phone, but there is still a disconnect between you and your picture that makes it different than any other social media app.  I am still only going to post things that I am comfortable offering up for public consumption, but the non permanent nature of posts means I put less thought into what I choose to share and don't have to consider if it is "worthy" of posting.  I'll post that goofy selfie that I might not post on Instagram.  There is no trail of posts over time so it won't live on my account forever and ever and all eternity.
• Everything is real time.  There are a few filters, but you can't upload stock images or pre-prepped photo shopped pics through the app.  There are outside apps that allow you to upload photos from your phone albums, but I tested one out and it sucked.  Plus, it's really too much trouble.  It seems most people just upload as is.
• It exists as an app only and does not live on the world wide web.  I wonder if that will change, but the internet is forever and it's nice to have a social media app with content that isn't.  I'm sure those snaps don't totally disappear.  They have to be somewhere.  Perhaps the cloud?  But it can't be googled and that's good enough for me.

There are no profiles on Snapchat for selling yourself or trying to appear cool.  There is no bio or place for a web link that provides any indication as to who you are or where you came from. A photo can be added that will sit inside your ghost and be visible when someone adds you as a friend.  If it's not someone you know outside of snapchat the only thing you know about anyone beyond their username or dancing head pic is what is provided in snaps. 

There is no gigantic long feed to scroll through.  There is a list of snaps to view and I can pick and choose what I want to view when I want to view it.

More video and less pictures.  I know that you can post video on Instagram, but a lot of people mainly stick to photos including myself.  I'm finding mostly video clips on Snapchat.  It's interesting to see a different aspect of people and their life in 3D.  I have been following Faith's blog for about 6 years.  After that long, you kind of feel like you know people even though you have never met them.  I hope it's not weird to say this, but it was really cool to hear her voice in a snap.  So that's what she sounds like! It is another way of getting to know people I only know online.

It is 100% consumption.  It's social, but it doesn't encourage being social if that makes any sense.  You view a snap and that's it.  There is nothing further to do.  No liking, no commenting, no favoriting, no sharing.  There is no obligation to interact which means less time spent and I don't have to like or worry about being liked.  

Viewing my own snaps is kind of fun.  We had a good time laying in bed at night looking back on our day together while we were vacationing in Sedona.  If I want to download that "story" and save it to my phone to look back on later or show my mom I can.    

There are no follower counts, stats, comments or likes trying to tell me what I am worth.  In this numbers driven online world it's actually kind of nice.  Each user has a score and it's not even clear what that actually means but it seems to be more about participation than popularity.  According to Snapchat Your Snapchat score is a special equation combining the number of Snaps you've sent and received, Stories you've posted, and other factors.  I can tell how many people view each snap, but beyond that I don't know exactly how many friends I have, unless I count them out on my friend list.  The snapchat score is not on display and only shows up on friends I follow if I tap the username.  I still haven't figured out why some snapchat scores show up and others won't.

I finally know what I look like throwing up a rainbow.  I've always wanted to know. Just kidding, but the new updates are pretty fun.

Snapchat Live and Discover are interesting.  I found the Paris Fashion week Live snaps really fascinating. 

My Snapcode // Username:  MahoganyDrive

What I don't like
It's not very intuitive.  When I first went into the app I was convinced you had to be born in the 90's to figure it out. There were things I couldn't figure out just by playing around with it. Why is there a camera when I open the app?  What am I supposed to do?  How do I find friends?  How do I get those fun filters?  It's so weird.  I experienced similar confusion when I first started using Facebook, but Snapchat is much worse and the support page isn't even that helpful.  I did outside googling to get started and I was still confused.  It is very cryptic, so do not feel stupid if you can't figure it out right away.  The home screen is a camera and is built around what snapchat is all about, and once I followed a few people and figured out that I was doing all there is to be doing it made more sense.  Then, the next step was getting a few followers so I wasn't just snapping myself into the universe for no reason.

You have to hold the button down for the duration of every video snap.  This can make recording awkward at times.

Finding people to friend is difficult.  If I want to add someone I have to know their username.  There is no search feature.  If I am one digit off I might be following someone else entirely.  Friends can also be added by taking a screen shot of a snapcode or scanning a snapcode using the snapchat camera, but I don't see them posted anywhere very often.  It hasn't reached Instagram or Facebook levels.  Not everyone is using it.  Maybe nobody wants to admit to using it.  

Unless you are a celebrity, well known personality or big-time blogger this also makes it difficult to get people to follow you.  Snapchat is an app only and does not live on the world wide web so I can't hyperlink it on my blog.  No one is going to stumble upon my profile.  People have to make the effort to seek out my username.  I do not have a lot of followers.

It uses a crap ton of data.  I found this out the hard way.  Two months in a row we burned through data at an alarming rate and had to pay an overage charge.  MJ had just looked into how much data we were using before he changed our plan and we weren't even coming close to our limit so we couldn't figure out what was going on.  I had a hunch, so I went to google and discovered that Snapchat is a serious data drain.  I did two setting fixes that should help.  In the Snapchat App itself I turned on travel mode, which apparently is a new feature.  This stops stories from loading and using data until I tap on it.  On my phone settings for snapchat I turned off background app refresh to prevent snaps from loading and cellular data.  This means that I cannot login, view or upload new snaps unless I am connected to WiFi.  This means less snapchat for me, because it's not worth going over on data.  Hopefully this fixes our usage problem.

It is also a battery power killer.  I think it drains the battery more than any other app on my phone. 

It's just another social media time suck that I really don't need.  This is a big one.  I am reluctant to become any more involved in social media than I already am so this is the only new social media thing I've tried since Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  I held out for a while, but I kept hearing about it and curiosity got the best of me.  The concept is no different then any other social media app.  A lot of looking at other people and a lot of look at me!  And for what?  I try to be aware of how much I'm spending on social media and refuse to let it get ridiculous.  I don't want to be that person who can't get their head out of their phone, because there are far too many things in life that are far more important than social media. Which really isn't that important at all.  

My husband thinks I'm weird for using snapchat, and sometimes I am slightly embarrassed that I am even interested.  What am I doing with my life?  Why do I participate in any of this social media madness?  Why do I care and what does that say about me as a person?  I haven't snapped much lately as I ponder these questions.  I'm nosy by nature and have always had an interest in peeking into other peoples lives.  It's why I originally became interested in reality TV, before it got all crazy, and just one reason why I was interested in blogs.  In my opinion Snapchat is better for that than Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. 

This post went on way longer than I intended and despite this wall of text I'm still not sure how I feel about it!  I think the word is ambivalent.  How do you feel about Snapchat.  Yeah or Nay?

What I think About Facebook

 
Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

My Husband Makes me go to Buffalo

A small industrial town in the North West corner of New York so close to the edge you can drive to Canada in 30 minutes was never on my list of places I wanted to visit and yet, I've been twice in two years. My husband makes me go to Buffalo and we are those people who hop on a plane and fly cross country to watch a sporting event.   

I didn't realize it until I saw the team schedule in the program once we got to the stadium, but my husband had two choices for September games this year.  That is my Buffalo cut off point, because after that, this California girl would surely die of exposure.  It was to be the Colts or the Patriots, and he chose the Patriots.  We all know which team the Bills had a better chance of beating and if you fly thousands of miles for a game you'd like to see the win.  At that point, he had to admit that I wasn't the only one interested in seeing Tom Brady play.  MJ is not a fan, by any means but he wanted to see if he is really as good as all that.  I watched the Tom Brady deflate gate controversy closely.  It would make them harder to beat, but I was glad that he got his suspension overturned.  I'm no football fan, but hotness factor wasn't the only reason I wanted to see him play.

You see, in 2007 I set out to learn football.  I'm over here all excited about the World Gymnastics Championships, which half the time isn't even televised, but everyone else I know is obsessed with football.  Once football season hits that's all anyone talks about.  Football season this and fantasy football that.  I found myself going to a lot of parties to watch a sport I didn't even understand so I thought it might be nice to actually have some idea of what was going on.  That year I started paying attention and learning how many yards are in a down and how many downs you get to make a touchdown.  The Patriots were unbeatable that year and I watched with interest as they won game, after game, after game.  I was accustomed to seeing a throw followed by a huge dog pile of men and not really understanding what it was all about, but that didn't happen when Tom Brady threw the ball to Wes Welker.  When Tom Brady throws the ball, someone catches it and seeing the ball advanced down the field so quickly without all the dog piles, helped it all click for me.  It was like, "Oh, so that's what's supposed to happen."  I had never seen a team move the ball like that and not only did it help me understand the game, I was impressed.  I thought about becoming a Patriot's fan, but that would have been too easy and bandwagon like because they are so good.  Plus, I couldn't make my interest in football stick. I tried to watch it on TV for one season and even though I understood what was going on more or less, I just couldn't get into it and gave up. I settled for being a Tom Brady fan.

While it is more interesting to see it in person it makes it a little bit harder to follow without the TV graphics.  At last years game,  I tried and just couldn't get into it.  This year was totally different.  Tom Brady was there and everyone was really excited about their starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor.  The Guinness Book of World Records was there.  We had amazing seats and the weather that day was made for football.  Mid 60's and warmish, when it was raining just the day before.  Vanessa Williams was going to be there too for the national anthem. Buffalo Bills fans are freakin' awesome. They tailgate like crazy and then they take it into the stadium so don't expect to sit down much during the game. Their excitement and energy is contagious and I had the most fun I have ever had at a football game in my life.  I paid attention.  I watched the score board.  I did not understand all the technicalities and flags on the play--and there were a lot of them, mostly against the Bills--but I knew when to cheer and when to groan without waiting to see what everyone else did.  I knew when to yell Defense and I was even upset right along with everyone else that that the Bills just couldn't pull out a win.  What an amazing story that would have been, and even though I like Tom Brady my loyalty to my husband and his Bills is far greater.  I cheered for them as loud and as long as I could. The score was 40 to 32.  They put up a good fight.

A photo posted by Cece (@mahoganydrive) on Sep 20, 2015 at 8:37am PDT

Buffalo fans wanted Tom Brady's head on a stick.  Cries of cheater, cheater broke out at one point during the game and people can say mother-F** Tom Brady all they want, but the truth of the matter is that the guy is good.  He is exceptionally gifted at quarter backing.  Is that even a word?  Even me, not really a football fan kind of girl recognized it.  He is like a football god.  The Bills made some good plays, but for them and a lot of teams the only way they stand a chance is if Tom Brady messes up.  He is just that good.

Ralph Wilson Stadium

As for the Guinness Book of World Records.  I was told that a guy started a Go Fund Me account to raise the $9,000 to get them there.  It was never mentioned at the game, so I don't even know what the rules were.  Loudest at any point?  Loudest the whole time?  We heard on the radio the next day on the way to the airport that Bills fans did not beat the Kansas City fans record from last year.  Apparently it isn't likely that anyone ever will because their stadium is engineered for loudness. 

Toronto

Last year we went to Niagara Falls, a museum and then jetted off to New York City.  This year we spent a day in Toronto.  It rained.  It's a beautiful city, but there is a lot of traffic. We walked to dinner every night from our hotel on High St., but I still can't figure out where all the people are in Buffalo. We went to Gabriel's Gate twice. We loved it so much last year, we went back Mulberry Italian Ristorante, this time after the game. The restaurants in Buffalo are bustling. Well, the ones that are open, except for this one place that we walked past several times last year and this year and saw not a single customer inside. There was this girl wearing a crop top and spandex with holes and rips all up the front asking if we knew of a clothing store that was open.  Ha! I about died, because my first thought when I saw her is that she needs some more clothes (and lo and behold she actually was looking for some!). Most of the shops we passed were closed though.  At 7:30pm.  Downtown.  There was an unfortunate hilarious incident that we will forever laugh hysterically about involving big spiders and me being dragged screaming down an entire city block, but thankfully not a single soul was around to witness it. Ralph Wilson Stadium was obviously packed and the restaurants were bustling, but the downtown area of Buffalo has this deserted feel about it that is far different from what I'm used to at home that I can't quite put my finger on. People are there, but you don't see them.   

It is a vacation, but it isn't. He calls it a pilgrimage. He is a Bills fan through and through which I find adorable and his Bills cap is a conversation piece anywhere we go.  A Bills fan, in San Diego?  Growing up, he hoped that someday he would be in a position where he could attend a home game in the home town of his favorite sports team.  I love it that he gets to do something he dreamed of as a kid, but I kinda wish he had fallen in love with the Miami Dolphins. Do I really need to say why? I could go to any game of the season if only the weather were warmer! Or Dallas Cowboy's so I could watch the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, but there isn't anywhere that I wouldn't go with him. If it is important to him I'm there. If it is Buffalo, I'm there. If it's his team then it's my team too. We can make any place fun together, and I'm happy he wants to share the experience with me. 

I thought he was kidding when he first suggested we fly to Buffalo for a football game, but clearly he is very serious about this.  So serious that he's already talking about "next time."  It's a good thing Buffalo is starting to grow on me, but don't ever make me go in the winter.

Buffalo, NY 2014

Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

The Real Thunder Mountain and The Deep End

We've hiked in Idyllwild, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and at home in San Diego but Sedona was the first time I've ever felt like I was risking my life.  In Kauai, I worried about potentially getting lost because it was so rugged, but in Sedona there the concern was that if I mess up, I could really get hurt.  Hiking Cathedral Rock is probably the closest I will ever get to actual rock climbing, because I don't see myself doing that ever.  I'm way to scared to hang from a rock by a rope, but I will hike one.  It didn't take long to see how this hike was going to be.  We were barely getting started and already there was a giant rock sitting where I thought a trail was supposed to be.  

We were lucky enough to have some cloud cover that day, but it was hot.  Upper 80's.  I was already out of breath with a steady trickle of sweat rolling down my back just 20 minutes in.  I was enjoying the challenge and then we saw this deep crevice with a pretty steep incline.  That's when I got a little bit nervous.  I let MJ go first, and then started up carefully placing my feet and hands in whatever rock divots that felt sturdy enough to bear my weight.  I didn't even want to think about how we would get down.  There really wasn't a lot of margin for error.  If I lost my balance or grip I wouldn't die, but it would definitely be a nasty fall that I didn't want to take and that was the case at several points along the way.  Cathedral Rock is short, but it is steep.  It only took us about 50 minutes to get to the top with several stops along the way to check out the view.  It is only 1.5 miles round trip, but there is a 600 foot elevation change along the way.

We stopped for ice cream in town after that, all sweaty and gross, and since we obviously didn't get enough exercise on the first hike we did a second one.

Thunder Mountain

I was expecting Airport Loop to be short and sweet, but it was a long sweaty booby trapped trail of cactus and rocky road almost the whole way.  And I'm not talking about ice cream.  It was so late in the day that we had the whole trail to ourselves and only saw one other set of hikers.  Our guide pointed out Thunder Mountain on the jeep tour but we had an even better view of it from here.  I'm talking about the real Thunder Mountain.  The very same one the ride in Disneyland is named after.  I thought that was so cool, to be able to see it in person.  There wasn't a whole lot of incline or decline on this hike but it was still challenging.  It took us 1 1/2 hours of steady walking with no breaks to finish and then we checked the map at the trail head and found out it was 3.3 miles.

Needless to say, we were beat after that.   We picked up Filet Mignon the day before, so MJ threw those on the grill and we had us a nice meal of steak and 'taters on our patio.

Our only appointment on our last day was the Spa and dinner reservations.  We spent the morning at our favorite 21+ pool, where I had a serious break through.  I always talk about how I can't swim, so it was a really big deal that for the first time ever in my life I jumped into the deep end.  I've always been terrified of not being able to touch the bottom, but after much coaxing and practicing I finally did it.  I think it really helped that we had the entire pool to ourselves so I didn't have to worry about anyone staring at the grown ass woman who is afraid to jump into the pool.  I did not sink to the bottom like a stone.  I came to the top, swam towards the shallow end and then flipped over on my back and floated--which is also a newish move that I am mastering.  I may not ever be able to save my life in an ocean, but it is a big accomplishment for me to be able to get around in a pool without fear of the water so I was super excited.  I did it twice and I have both jumps on video for posterity.  This pic is a screen cap of it.

A photo posted by Cece (@mahoganydrive) on Sep 8, 2015 at 2:19pm PDT

Later on, we stopped at the Javelina Leap Vineyard & Winery and did one tasting flight each.  MJ was not impressed, but I do not discriminate against wine in any way and it was all good to me.  I almost booked a winery tour, but I didn't want to commit and I'm so glad I didn't. I did not want to over schedule our trip and it turns out we needed a nap after just the one.  Since Sedona is all about relaxing and rejuvenation we could not leave without going to a spa.  We got amazing massages for our tired muscles at New Day Spa and then went to dinner at El Rincon in the Tlaquepaque Shopping center.

We have had a lot of really great vacations, but I have to say Sedona was one of my favorites.  I fell in love with the town and it felt so good being there together.  I liked that we didn't have too much to do.  I loved our little condo and the relaxing and casual vibe of the whole place.  Sedona is my kind of town.  Half the people run around in Uptown Sedona wearing gym clothes and I shouldn't have even bothered to bring make-up because I didn't use any of it.  I loved the warm nights and that we didn't have to get on a long flight to get there.

Simply put, I loved Sedona.  It's a really special place and I definitely want to go back.

Sedona:  Rough Rider

 
Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

Rough Ride

We spent Labor Day weekend in Sedona and it was AMAZING from the moment we checked into our hotel until the moment we had to leave.  The drive there took about seven hours including a Cracker Barrel stop for breakfast.  I am very grateful to MJ for driving us the entire way there and back.  I really try to be a good road-trip partner and I only fell asleep one time.  It was raining when we got there, but we didn't see a drop after that.   We had four nights there and it should have been plenty, but I got a bad case of red rock fever and didn't want to go home.  Then again, I never want my vacations to be over.

I have to include multiple pictures of where we stayed because the place was just so nice to look at.  I was in awe as soon as I flung open the door.  We've stayed in nice places before, but the attention to detail at Sedona Summit is exquisite.  In the bathroom, the water closet was behind a heavy wooden sliding pocket door with a dark bronze handle.  The shower was enormous, the tiling intricate and the super deep textured sink was the color of a brand new shiny penny.  There wasn't a typical stand alone closet in the bedroom, but there were a total of three wall cabinets to hang clothes.  To compensate, the wooden bed was designed so that larger items like shoes and luggage could be stored underneath.

The kitchen and living room were equally gorgeous.  Granite, stainless steel, stone tile everything and pretty wooden cabinetry.  In the living room, the wooden ceiling beams, ceiling fan, fireplace, unique wall art and wood trim details were amazing.  Even the window coverings in each room were nice to look at.  This place really had it all.  More important than aesthetics, the place was clean and spotless.  I was so impressed and we hadn't even gotten to the mountains yet.

The town itself is positively quaint and idyllic.  There is a city ordinance that requires every building to fit the theme and look of Sedona right down to the McDonald's arches.  They are green instead of yellow in Sedona.  The town is nestled in the foothills of gorgeous red rock mountains which loom majestically in the background and are visible from every location.

The mountains are stunning.  They are dry as a bone, but just as relaxing and calming to look at as the ocean in their own way.

On our first full day there we did the Rough Rider Canyon tour with Earth Wisdom along Broken Arrow Trail.  The off-roading section.  It was rough and rugged as promised.  On the way there, we gained some elevation on a paved road until it abruptly ran out and things got bumpy pretty quickly.  We were the only ones on this tour so we had the whole jeep to ourselves to bounce around in.  The pink jeeps are cute and all, but I found a Groupon for a much better price and didn't lack for anything on the tour.  The red jeep got us where we needed to go and our guide Zac was very friendly and informative.  He took us to the very tip top of the trail beyond a gate where a lot of tours end and the views were amazing.  I was a little bit nervous about just how rough the ride would be, but it was fine.  I held onto the cross bar almost the whole time, caught air a few times and managed to hit my elbow on something which only hurt for a few hours.  Other than that it wasn't anything too crazy.  It is definitely not something I would recommend for anyone who is fragile for any reason.

It was a cross between Mad Max and the Wild Wild West out there on the trail.  Tom Cars, ATV's, dirt bikes, motorcycles, SUV's, bicyclists and pedestrians converged in an organized dusty cloud of chaos that I would want no part of driving myself in.  This area is open to private vehicles, and our tour guide has seen sedans and mini-vans trying to make it up there which sounds positively insane to me.  There are some serious boulders along that trail and vehicles moving every which way.  MJ says he'd be game to drive it, but I would probably manage to drive myself off the mountain if I were behind the wheel so I was happy to leave the driving to the professionals.

The tour was just a little bit over one hour and thirty minutes but felt like much longer.  It was plenty of time to enjoy the experience and we both had a great time.  My body felt a little worn out from all the hanging on and bracing. 

I went from having gone to Whole Foods once in my life to going three times in one day.  We went once in the morning to pick up something for breakfast.  Another time on the way home from our jeep ride to get water and a third because after the pool we were hungry but didn't want to go out to eat. We sat outside on our patio and pigged out on the goodness that is Whole Foods before settling in on our cozy couch like two bookends to watch a movie.

Our Sedona vacation was off to an excellent start. 

Hiking Sedona.

Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram

Finally, a Wedding

I think it's important that couples be able to do their own thing.  I never wanted to be that girl who can't do anything without her man and I'm not, but whaaaaaa I missed MJ when I went away and I miss him since he's been away all weekend.  He does not miss me, in the same way that I miss him and I'm okay with that because I'm a little on the dramatic side and I know he loves me.

I traveled alone.  Again, with the drama but it's the first flight I've taken on my own since I met MJ in Barcelona all those years ago for our epic European vacation.  That was international, this was domestic.  Very domestic.  Only an hour and a half flight with no layover to San Jose.  I successfully navigated my way there and back.  I only follow him around like a lost puppy when we travel together because I know that I can.

There just aren't very many weddings in my life these days.  Everyone has moved onto baby showers and kid's birthday parties so this was the first wedding I've been to in far too long and I was really looking forward to it.  It has also been far too long since I've seen my little sister and it was really awesome to be able to meet up with my whole family (minus big sis). 

My cousin looked beautiful.  I honestly can't recall the last time I saw her.  It has to have been at least ten years ago.  Probably longer.  I saw aunts and uncles that I haven't seen since my wedding and others that I haven't in way longer than that.  It's so strange to be that person saying the last time I saw you--you were just a little toddler running around.  I remember how I used to roll my eyes a little at the shock and disbelief on their faces when adults used to say that to me and stand around acting like it's a miracle that I am no longer two feet tall.  Surely, they didn't expect me to be the same size all these years later?   Well, now I get it.  Time passes so fast.  You know that you are getting older, but it's jarring when you see the manifestation of that passage of time standing in front of you with a drink in their hand.  It's mind blowing.

The wedding was beautiful and very well done from the tasty buffet to the decorations.

I don't see my extended family very often so this wedding was a good excuse to find the time and the money to get on that plane and make it happen.  It was a short, but really sweet weekend.  Friday to Sunday went so fast.  We coordinated our arrival/departure times, stayed in hotel rooms a few doors apart and ate at Olive Garden once and Denny's twice.  Olive Garden because my little sister lives in San Francisco and the closest one is hard to get to on public transportation.  It was a good choice because I can go any time I want, but rarely do.  I almost forgot how much I love Lasagna Classico.  And Denny's because our hotel was near the airport and there really wasn't much of anything else around.  We went to two different locations but I ate the same thing both times.  Their french toast is the bomb.  Maybe I need to go back to dining in chain restaurants more often.  I already know MJ will not go along with it.

I was thinking that my next wedding would be my little sister's but now I'm not so sure.  Somewhere between the cake cutting, the bridal bouquet toss, and the groom's hunt for the garter belt she became overwhelmed.  We were chatting about it before we went to bed that night and she said, "There is so much to do.  I'm eloping."  Hopefully I can convince her that her wedding day will be one of the most magical days ever and that she must.  My wedding day was absolutely one of the best day's of my life and I wouldn't want her to miss out on that if that's what she really wants. 

As if you couldn't tell.  I really like weddings.

 
Bloglovin' // Twitter // Facebook // Instagram