Flying home for Christmas...

# I take a look at the passenger next to me,
# He's just the same,
# Just the same.

So we are in Santa Barbara for the holidays. After a long flight we arrived on the 20th December. Actually, it was a really long flight for Erin because whenever she fell asleep I would set my watch back 20 minutes at a time. 6 hours into our 11 hour flight she thought we had only been flying for 4 hours! Poor girl.

Mid-flight - Quite the view (Can you see the curvature of the earth?)

4 x Rolls-Royce RB211s powering us across the
Atlantic with 60,000 lbf of thrust

First class baby!

Before anyone asks, no I did not buy us first class tickets coming home. $13,000 return EACH is a little beyond what my purse-strings can stretch to. $900 each already hurts enough. But we did get to enjoy all the perks of the first-class cabin thanks to my strategic seat selection. This is the plane we flew on:

Boeing 747-400

I got us into two of the 36 economy class seats in the upper deck which, even though its a little more cramped, offers you the ability to roam around the first-class cabin (only without the lie-flat beds). So we got to spend as much time as we wanted at the bar downstairs hoarding all the free organic chocolates and cocktails and champagne.

Check out this video for a real idea of how impressive this beast is. 400 people in this tube barreling forward at 600mph.

She is awfully happy to be here. It's great to be with family and this has been a very relaxed holiday. Our to-do list has been simple and enjoyable. Lots of sour patch kids, reeses, coffee bean vanilla lattes (I even bought the powder), Habit burgers, yogurtlands, stadiums at SBCC, tennis, beach volleyball etc.

We even launched a rocket from Cape Goleta. Check this thing out. Chief Engineer - Jon Dohm.

Launch site @ D.P.

Ground Control counting down to launch from Cape Goleta

Contact lost with the vessel

Astronauts recovered! Mission successful.

Jeeez! Santa Barbara is no place to write a blog!! See ya!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree...

Well I'm sure you've seen enough photos of our apartment in the last couple of posts, but I just had to put up one more shot because I rearranged our living room after Niall left for work yesterday morning.  It's kind of fun having a little change for awhile!

Yes, I was very surprised when I came home from volleyball.  Niall didn't really tell you the whole story-- we had already been out Christmas tree shopping before I went to practice... but we were so rushed because I didn't want to be late and we just couldn't find anything.  I was looking for a tiny little tree to put on top of our side table (I wasn't expecting to be able to get one this big).  Nothing seemed to look right and I was getting discouraged.  By the time Niall dropped me off at Queen's for training I was saddened by the fact that we were still treeless!  I walked home at 10 pm in the freezing cold, still a bit bummed.  It may sound like I'm making a big deal out of this, but for some reason having a Christmas tree means a lot to me.  I really, really wanted one!

So needless to say, Niall made my YEAR when I got home.  :)

Today is Friday... been working all week despite the fact that my throat has felt like it is on fire up until yesterday!  It's feeling a bit better this morning.  Tonight is my first night shift at Soul Food.  Jason put all the lights up in the cafe, I have to say it looks pretty darn cute.  Wish a few of you could pop in for a coffee!

I have lots to do today so I better go.  Niall is still super busy with everything-- another reason why I was so grateful that he did all the Christmas tree work!  He has a big assignment due before we leave, and Bombardier is keeping him nice and stressed as usual.  :)  just kidding... sort of.

Bye for now!
xox

'Tis the Season to be Freezin'

While Erin was out playing volleyball tonight I ran my most important errand of the year....instead of doing my assignment which is due next week. The best part is she didn't know. It was my top secret plan. In fact, she almost began to believe we weren't getting a tree at all. I play a good scrooge. She was getting pretty sad. I'm a big meanie. But it was for a good cause.

Because while she was at play, I drove all the way to get the tree, and a stocking, and the stand, and the lights (and they are not even LED's!). So I set to work over the next two hours:

Prep Work

Christmas trees and accessories are a RIP over here!

In progress

What a mess!

Almost done

HD fireplace is essential

Done! Now to wait for my lovely wife

A happy wife :)

And now ....