Sprizee :: A simple girl replete with complications

C'mon, baby don't you wanna go?

I'm headed to Chicago in a couple weeks. I've never been before and I'm totally excited. This will be the first year in the last five than I haven't left the country. Okay, I left the country in May to cheer on my friends who were participating in the Vancouver Marathon but I barely think Canada counts seeing as how it's a mere 3 hours away. Don't argue with me!

View Chicago Scoop in a larger map (and to see what I've mapped so far)

My point is I spent the morning mapping out sights to see. But have you been before? Do you have some recommendations for me? Even if you haven't been, what have you heard? I've already got tickets to see U2, the Cubs at Wrigley Field and a whole lot of places to stuff my face. But I could always use more suggestions. I know there's at least one monkey out there that could teach me a thing or two. Now's your chance. Get bossy!

It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, and the major lift.

What do you get when you combine the lyrics of Leonard Cohen and the voice of Tyler Stenson?

Tyler Stenson - Hallelujah on Acoustic Conversations

Last week I found out Tyler Stenson is moving to Nashville, Tennessee. What? No! I had always planned on seeing him live in Portland, Oregon. I mean he plays a show at least once a week. But the last time I was down there in April I missed his set because other plans got in the way. Plus, it was easy to rationalize I could just catch another show on another trip. But now he's leaving, soon. I'd go to his final PDX show in a few weeks, but I'll be in Chicago (to see U2). Luckily there's also a few other sets between then and now.

Which means, there's a road trip in a my future. Who drives 3 hours one way just to catch a live show? I mean, I like lots of bands but won't go out of my way to see them live. I had a ticket to Interpol once that I just gave away to another friend because I couldn't be bothered to drive 3 miles. And I really like Interpol! But it probably has more do with the type of crowd and the venue. I don't enjoy having to fight my way to the front, avoid having beer spilled on me and my toes stepped on. I know. Strange.

There's a small list of bands I'd go out of my way to see: Blind Pilot, David Gray, OK GO, and obviously, Tyler Stenson. Notice how U2 didn't make the list? Yeah, that's because standing in line all day just to get pushed out of a good spot right before the concert starts isn't exactly my idea of a fun. For some bands I'll go out of my way. Mostly mellow, wistful bands. But not all the way to Nashville.

Anyways, my point is I can't wait to dine at the Waffle Windown! (And catch a live Tyler Stenson set.)

A heavy dusting of powered sugar over nearly every flat surface.

It took me 3 months but I finally wrote a little bit more about my trip to New Orleans back in March. Cafe Du Monde to be specific. I'm telling you, that town is magical. I found a place in Seattle last week that had beignets on the menu. They were good, but no comparison. None.

Vancouver is for victors.

M is for Moda., originally uploaded by sprizee.

Last Saturday me along with 5 lovely friends headed up to Vancouver, BC to cheer on 4 other lovely friends as they competed in the Vancouver Half Marathon. But before that we ate. And after that we ate. And drank. And ate some more. And there was karaoke in there somewhere too. And shopping. And walking, lots of walking all over town. Ah, good times.

Taken on Monday outside that antique store I couldn't locate come Friday.

Last week I was in New Orleans on business. I want to go back.

Task list for next week.

• Eat dim sum (even though it will mostly likely make me feel lethargic and generally awful) because it is so delicious!
• Eat ceviche! 
• Read lots of books, or just one, or just part of one.  Depending on how things go. 
• Listen to TBTL, This American Life, and Speaking of Faith podcasts along with some awesome music pool/beachside while soaking up the sun. 
• Go on a hike. Or ten.
• Take some photos. 
• Swim with the fishes. (Not be murdered by a mobster, just to clarify.) 
• Get sand in my bikini. 
• Stop worrying that my toes haven't seen a fresh coat of polish in over 3 weeks.
• Visit Pearl Harbor.
• Get Lost!
• Eat a ridiculous amount of fresh pineapple.  
• Pick up a zip pack at Zippy's. 
• Track down Rainbow Drive Inn and eat some more. 
• Don't get sunburnt.  
• Jump up and down that Obama is the President Elect while vacationing in the state which he was born! 

I'm off to Oahu Monday. I feel like I'm forgetting something. Anyone, anyone? Bueller?

This month being March I´m really into...

...long mostly incoherent rants about travel delays, complaining about how much American Airlines customer service sucks, making it to LAX only to find out that our flight to Costa Rica was overbooked and fuming at offer of a $700 travel vouch (no gracias), finally arriving in Costa Rica early Thursday morning,  The Kite Runner, Volcano Arenal, La Fortuna, all things Costa Rica, hiking, sun, monkeys, rain, Internet access from the hotel and cafe con leche.

Don't mess with Texas.

6 PM Pack a few things and then procrastinate
8 PM Make reservation for town car
9 PM Avoid packing
10 PM Avoid packing
11 PM Decide to get up early to finish packing
5 AM Wake up and finish packing, take shower, get ready
7 AM Town car arrives and we head to the airport.  Hand the driver $50.
8 AM We've made it through security and grab some breakfast and lunch for on the plane.  Hand the Starbucks barista $20.
9 AM Sitting at our gate 50 minutes before our flight leaves it gets canceled and then we find out all flights into Dallas/Fort Worth have been canceled due to tornadoes and thunderstorms

So we get back into the American Airlines line and call the 800 number they handed out for re-booking.  The 800 number is useless for the first 30 minutes as it rings busy.  Keep dialing until I get through.  Get disconnected once I get through.  Start calling again.  Move approximately 20 feet in the two hours we're standing in line.  Finally get through to an agent who re-books us onto a flight leaving at 11:15 on Alaska to Dallas/Fort Worth.  When I inquire why Alaska is still flying into the same airport that American has canceled all flights to I get a lot of attitude and little help.  So we wander over to the Alaska counter.

Once we get to the Alaska counter, with less than an hour to go BACK through security and catch our flight, we find out that flight is now delayed and it won't work since that now means we'll miss our connecting flight to Costa Rica.  The Alaska rep is nice but tells us we have to get back in the American Airlines line since that's who we booked our original flight with.

Luckily we made friends with the guy in front of us when we were in the American Airlines line and when we walk back over there, he's only moved about 2 feet.  We get back in line and I get back on my cell to call the American support line to get our flight re-booked AGAIN.  40 more minutes on hold before I talk to someone else who explains she can't find a flight on any airlines before tomorrow evening.  Seriously consider asking for our money back and flying to Hawaii instead. 

1 PM Catch a cab back home and hand the driver $50.

So guess what?  We're not in Costa Rica yet.  Our flight doesn't leave until tomorrow night which gets us to our final destination 2 days later than we had originally planned.  We're out the money we spent on our accommodations for the first two nights plus the money we spent to get to the airport and back today but luckily we were able change our rental car reservations. 

This is what I get for bragging in my out of office.  Fucking hell. 

I've got a new motto.

Taking care of business.

I'm back in Seattle and about ready to hop on another plane bound for Central America, but I'm not packed yet.  I did, however, manage to take care of my pesky out of office message at work.  Priorities, right?

I will be out of the office on vacation in Costa Rica until Friday, April 4th. During this time, I will have no access to email.

1. Customers, partners and emergencies: Please contact Sally at sally@mycompany.com.  If your issue is urgent, feel free to panic.

2. Jason: I'm not sure who would win in a fight between a bear and horse. Can I get back to you?

3. People that are annoyed that I mentioned I'm on vacation in Costa Rica: I'd be annoyed too if I wasn't ON VACATION IN COSTA RICA.

4. Spammers: UNSUBSCRIBE

Hey, if you want to help me out, how about you remind me of the things I should pack in the comments?  This is what I have so far:

bikini
tank top
sunglasses
shorts
books
bandana
flipflops
cameras
smile
appetite

Greetings from Florida!

I flew down here to get the Obama campaign energized!  Oh, how I kid.  I'm here on business.

I've been in Orlando since Sunday.   There's free food every 5 steps.  It's sunny outside.  Sure I had to get up at 6 AM this morning (that's 2 AM if you recall we just adjusted for daily light savings time.)  Still, I can't complain.  I fly back to Seattle on Saturday and then next week it's off to Costa Rica for 3 weeks.  Things could be worse.

It still weirds me out though.  You step into a metal room, and five hour laters you step outside to sunshine and palm trees.  Technology is strange.