Monthly Archives: November 2008
Thanksgiving Wrap Up
| November 30, 2008 | Posted by Angela under Family Stuff |
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Jason celebrated his first Thanksgiving with my family. We also made our first turkey.
My parents have everyone over to their house every Thanksgiving holiday. When I say everyone, I mean everyone! This year, they sat 60 people. Traditionally, the night before Thanksgiving, some family will come over to my parent’s house help set up. We make stuffing, pies, the giblet gravy, the table centerpieces and whatever else that needs to be done. The next day, everyone comes over to eat at 1pm. The ladies will play scrabble and gossip and the guys will watch football all day. A day to eat, relax and laugh.
This year, I was in charge of making one of the turkeys. We bought an 19 pound fresh turkey from Costco. That thing still had a few feathers on it. My mom needed the giblets and the neck for the gravy. I love to cook but I am not real big on cooking animals so this was going to be a challenge. The giblets. Hmm, where could those be. We couldn’t find them. I called my mom and she said that they were in a bag inside the turkey and we probably just needed to turn it over and grab from the buttocks side. Gross. Jason stuck his hand in there and pulled out a bag of giblets. Now if someone took the time to bag it, why put it back in? Can’t they just stick it to the outside of the turkey? Next, we needed to find the neck. The neck should be the easiest but for some darn reason, I couldn’t seem to find it. Finally, I grabbed something that was loose and pulled it out. It was a long neck…I was so grossed out that I threw it into the sink and started gagging. Phew, we were done with the gutting part.
We took the giblets and neck over to my parents house so my mom could make the gravy. We also made the stuffing. If you were to come over the night before Thanskgiving, it would look like chaos to you. Really, it was all under control.
That night I had to make the pumpkin pie and stuff the turkey. Jason did the pleasure of stuffing the turkey. I followed a simple recipe I found on allrecipes.com. We put the turkey in the bag and did all the needful. I also added some orange slices. I wanted to do everything I could to make sure our turkey was juicy. We woke up at 6:30 am to put the turkey in the oven. It was ready in 4.5 hours. I didn’t have a thermometer so we had to go by just looking at the turkey. It smelled so good! The aroma filled the house and it felt like the holidays. Getting the turkey from the pan to the platter was a challenge but we did it. There was something funny looking about our turkey. It honestly looked like crap. It was so messy looking with the skin falling off and pieces of meat falling off. I guess that meant it was juicy. We loaded into the car and took it over to my parents. I was so nervous because everyone was going to want to see my turkey since it was my first one. I didn’t want anyone to see it because it was so ugly. I just wanted to be judged on taste, not presentation. Well everyone said it look wonderful but I know they were lying.
We serve everything buffet style on my parents patio. We first join together in prayer. We then find a table setting, grab a plate and get in line. The first turkey went fast so it was time to cut my turkey. My dad cuts the turkey every year. When he was about to cut my turkey, he couldn’t find any meat. He kept looking at it and poking at it and realized that is was upside down! We served the turkey upside down. That is why it looked like crap, we didn’t turn it over. So my dad turned it over and it was actually a beautiful turkey. Since everyone was waiting to eat, we didn’t get a picture of our beautiful turkey so you will just have to take our word for it. It was tasty though!
The rest of the day fell into place. We ate, played scrabble, watched football and just enjoyed our time with family.
Northern Arizona Road Trip
| November 23, 2008 | Posted by Angela under My Travel Adventures |
 It’s been so busy and I haven’t had to chance to post about our wonderful get away weekend in Northern Arizona. Following my leadership conference in Scottsdale, Jason flew up to Phoenix on Thursday to meet up with me. He rented a car and drove to Scottsdale to pick me up.
Jason and I have always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. I took many family road trips through Arizona and New Mexico growing up but never made it to the Grand Canyon.
I had free a Southwest Airlines ticket through Rapid Rewards and I was already going to be in Arizona so we decided to make it a Grand Canyon weekend. From Scottsdale, we drove straight up to Sedona. Initially, I was looking at places to stay at the Grand Canyon. They didn’t look too appealing so I looked for hotels in cities near the Grand Canyon. I then booked us a hotel in Flagstaff. Since we both had never been there, we really didn’t know what to expect. As I did some more research and asked others where they stayed, I heard Sedona was gorgeous and they wish they would have stayed there. Reading reviews, it did look amazing. So we booked at the Amara Resort and Spa located in uptown Sedona and I cancelled the Flagstaff reservation.
On our drive from Scottsdale to Sedona, the terrain changes from dessert to red rock country. Sedona is a small town. We drove down 89A and Amara is one of the last hotels on 89A before you leave towards Flagstaff. It was a nice hidden jewel on the Oak Creek canyon. We stayed in the first night. On Friday, we had a 2 hour Pink Jeep tour scheduled for 11am. It was called the “Broken Arrow†and it was suppose to be a real off road adventure. It definitely was! It was so much fun. We shared a jeep with a family from New Jersey. They had 3 kids and the purpose of their trip was to celebrate their eldest son’s last year of high school. It was cute because the dad had this huge case full of camera equipment. He wanted to take videos and pictures of his family and his kids kept getting mad and embarrassed. It so reminded me of our old family vacation days! That was my dad alright.
The jeep tour was so cool! We went through a preserved national park in Sedona. It had a forest and red rock terrain. The sky was blue and clear. It was breathtaking. We went down and up some crazy rock hills. There was one downhill that we were literally looking straight downward. I was so unsure how the tour guide was going to make it. Then I remembered he had done those more than a 100 times so we were really alright. He just kept us on edge.
We returned to the hotel and got into our car to drive down to the Chapel of the Holy Cross which is not far down the road. You take 89A South to 170 and it is to your left. This Chapel was built literally in between 2 rocks. The Cross looks like it is holding the 2 rocks beside it. The Chapel, built in the 1950’s, was started by a woman who had a vision for this Chapel. She got it funded and built. When you first drive to see it, you are looking up. It is so beautiful to see the Cross between the 2 red rocks against the blue sky. Then you drive up the hill to see the Chapel. You have to walk a little bit further up to meet the Chapel’s plaza and front doors. It is a very small Chapel. It is very peaceful inside. The sun lights shines through the front 2 windows where the Cross divides the light. It was very a perfect setting.
Following the Chapel, we did some window shopping at an outdoor shopping center. It was full of art galleries and jewelry shops. We saw absolutely beautiful artwork from wood carvings to blown glass to paintings and photography. I do have to say though, some things seemed very much overpriced. San Antonio offers similar artwork and jewelry selections and it is not nearly priced as high. I suppose it’s the location we were in. That evening, we went to eat at an authentic Oaxacan restaurant, Elote Cafe. So apparently, Elote Cafe used to be a fine dining restaurant in Scottsdale and it was relocated to Sedona. The food selections had been critiqued and recommended by the New York Times and others. Although fine dining selection, it is not fine dining attire. You can wear jeans and sweaters and fit right in. I had their special margarita which was made with Pomegranate tequila, organic apple cider and a splash of sweet n sour. Nice! I had the lamb and Jason had the red snapper. It was so awesome. We finished with lime creme brulee. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who goes to Sedona. It is located in an old 70’s looking hotel, I believe King’s hotel or something like that. Just ask for Elote Cafe and you will be pointed in the right direction.
The next day, we drove to the Grand Canyon, about 2 hours from Sedona. The drive from Sedona to Flagstaff is named one of the 10 most scenic drives in the US. It was gorgeous. The road was very curvy so you really had to pay good attention to the road. There were long stretches without the side lane for emergencies. Make sure you have gas!
On our way to the Grand Canyon, we stopped at Sunset Crater Volcanic National Park. At this national park, you will find ruins from a volcano eruption that occurred in 1040 and 1100. Following the eruption, Native American tribes settled here and built pueblos. The soil from the eruption was good for growing crops. The entire area looked as if the volcano erupted yesterday. The ground is still black and some trees had burnt limbs. As you drive through the park, the terrain changes from forestry to rock to dessert. There is a lookout stop where you can see a beutiful view of the dessert which they call “The Painted Dessert.” On the way out of the park, we stopped at the Wupatki ruins. Here you will find old pueblos where the Native Americans lived. It was unbelievable to see these pueblos still standing here.
We arrived to the Grand Canyon North Rim about mid day. It is a $25 entrance fee per vehicle. We drove in on the Dessert View side. We stopped here here to get a few good photos. This is the only side that you can get a view of the Colorado river. There is also watch tower here that you can go to the top to get a better view. There were so many people! Tourists from all over the world.
We got back into our car and drove through the park towards the other side of North Rim where Grand Canyon village is located. On the drive, there are multiple stops where you can get good views of the Grand Canyon. We stopped at two before arriving at Grand Canyon village. Grand Canyon village is where all the lodges and restaurants are located. Our last stop was at the Bright Angel Lodge. We were so hungry so we stopped at their cafe to eat. I don’t think that lodge had been updated since the 70’s and the food was so terrible! I guess they know they aren’t known for their food, just the view. The smell was also really bad. A combination of campers that hadn’t bathed a few days. I was just happy we decided NOT to stay at the Grand Canyon. We got a few more pics from this view and that was it! We spent about 2 hours the park. It’s a great national park for campers, hikers, bikers and other recreational activities but we just wanted to see the canyon, for now at least. We may return further down the road to do more while there.
We drove back and returned back in time to have dinner. Everything closes around 8pm so there is not much else to do but go star gazing.
The next day, we had to pack up and get ready to head back to Phoenix to catch the 8:55pm flight. I wanted to stop at the spa, which didn’t open until 11am, so we waited until then. I did do an 8 mile run down 89A which was hilly but a beautiful run!. The spa was not impressive. I guess I was spoiled from being at the Fairmont Hotel 5 star spa earlier that week. I got my steam room craving out of the way and we were ready to hit the road.
The concierge at Fairmont had recommend a town called Jerome to go shopping. It was a town located on the way back to Phoenix so we went on that way. Jerome is located on a hill. You drive up and don’t see anything until you get the top. We really had no idea what to expect. Once you get to the top, you drive into an old neighborhood road with old Victorian homes that looked liked they had been sitting there untouched since the early 1900’s. Very interesting. We got down and started walking up and down the roads stopping at each store. After walking through a few of the stores, I realized we had landed in a “hippie†town. Vintage stores, urban clothes, very unique artwork. I, of course, purchased a few items. The town was very small. The police station had one car and it was shared with the fire station. Jerome was founded in the late 1800’s as a copper town. It once flourished with 15,000 residents. Then when all the money was spent, the town shrunk down to less than 100 residents. Hence why it is called “Ghost Town.†Very cool. I would recommend checking it out.
We drove back to Phoenix to find that our flight was 3 hours delayed and we were 2 hours early already. So 5 hours we spent at the airport. Yuck! We arrived in San Antonio at 2:30am.
Overall a great trip to Northern Arizona.
San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon 2008 – Completed
| November 18, 2008 | Posted by Angela under Family Stuff, Health & Fitness, Local Places & Events, Why I like San Antonio |
I have officially completed my 2nd marathon. It was the inaugural Rock n Roll marathon in San Antonio, Texas with 33,000 entries, the largest number of entries for an inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon yet. Way to go San Antonio! We woke up to cold weather so we all had to layer up. An hour into the race, the sun came out and gave us warmth. Clear blue skies, warm sun and cool climate. Perfect running weather.
Besides the pain, it was a blast! Running in your hometown makes the world of a difference. I had so much support from family and friends. I had family about every 3 miles if I averaged it out. Jason, my parents and my siblings rode their bikes to meet me at different mile markers. They first saw me start and then raced to mile 6 and then further out to my long stretch. Jason’s family cheered me on at 2 locations between mile 11 and 22, the long stretch. Jason rode his bike with me from mile 22 to the end. It was so unbelievably helpful!
I have to give major thanks to my running buddy and neighbor, Eddie (middle). This dude runs 3:30 marathons but he was running this one for me and our other running friend, Daniel, who ran the 1/2. I wanted to break 4 hours so he said he was going to stay with me along the way. And he did! Every time I complained about the pain, he would say “if it’s just pain in your legs, you’re fine.†He was right. I wasn’t the only one in pain. There were thousands of others feeling the same thing. When he saw that I wasn’t going to break 4 hours, he still stayed with me and made sure I broke 4 hrs 17 min, my last marathon time. The course started in Brackenridge Park, through downtown San Antonio, near the Alamo, through the historic King William neighborhood, out to the Missions and back to the Alamodome. The longest stretch went out to the Missions of San Antonio which was FAR!!! You have to run out and then run back in. Running back in took forever it seemed. I kept asking Eddie, “When am I going to see the city again?†Finally, when you see downtown San Antonio, you know the end is coming near. So near, but felt so far away. The last mile ended at the Alamodome. But the last .2 miles required that you run up a hill! I was ready to sprint to the end until I saw that damn hill! I stopped and almost broke down there. Eddie and the rest of the crowd kept yelling at me that I could do it and the end was near. So I finished it up at 4 hours and 13 min. Not what I was shooting for but was my personal best. My legs felt like they just couldn’t go anymore. It was done, I was happy.
I was so surprised to see how many volunteers were out there cheering runners on. The support was overwhelming. When you are feeling like crap and doubting yourself, one yell “ You can do it†is all you need to keep yourself going. I was extremely grateful for the volunteers, my personal support from family and friends, and then my running buddies. I have to also congratulate my family that ran the full and 1/2: Carina Alderete, Aunt Yvonne Ramirez, Aunt Ruby Montalvo, Joe Alderete and Karina Cardona. Way to go!!!!
You might have recalled my post about the desire to do 26 miles and I had posted 13 reasons why I wanted to do it. I honestly couldn’t think of 13 more reasons so I just didn’t post. It is very difficult to come up with reasons why to run a marathon because it is such a long damn time to be running. It is extremely painful. Completing a marathon is a huge accomplishment for anyone, whether it’s your 1st or your 20th. It’s not for everyone and trust me, I know why it’s not for everyone. However, I think about all those people that didn’t have the chance to run a marathon but would have if they were with us today. I run it for them because they didn’t have the opportunity. I don’t need to name any names but it was well worth the extra 13 miles.
Reflection on Leadership
| November 8, 2008 | Posted by Angela under Words of Inspiration & Motivation |
I attended the PEER 1 Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona this past week. We stayed at the 5 star resort, Fairmont Princess. It was quite a treat and I am so appreciative to work for a company that invests in their employees the way PEER 1 does. Over the course of 2 days, we had time to reflect and engage in discussions with team members regarding leadership.
Tuesday evening we had a chili cook off contest by the pool and that was exciting! Tuesday evening was also the Presidential Election. It was hard to concentrate on the task at hand because we were all thinking about who was going to be our next President. All of us, including our Canadian colleagues, were so engaged and anxious. It was the first time some of our Canadian colleagues actually wanted to be an American. They wanted to be able to vote in one of the most important elections in history yet. When the numbers presented themselves and Obama won, we cheered. I couldn’t believe it! I had to go back to my hotel room to watch the speech because I wanted to be fully focused on what Obama was going to say. Seeing him and his family come out was so beautiful and his speech was more than what I was expecting, it was moving. To see all the people gathered in Grant Park, all the people march in front of the White House, all the parties held across the world made me feel so proud to be an American. I actually felt, for the first time in years, that we could be a united country. We do have people that care and share the same passion. We just needed someone to lead the way.
I watched the news until I fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up to the New York Times paper at my hotel room door. Front cover story was Obama’s Presidential Election win. I am keeping this paper forever! In conjunction on what I was able to learn from our leadership conference, I actually learned a great deal on leadership from Obama’s win. Obama has taught us that if you have a goal or a dream in life, you can obtain it even if it is against all odds. Excuses are not acceptable. He has also taught us that you can’t do it alone and need the support of others.
I will never forget this day. What I was doing and where I was will remain in my memory forever. I was able to hear stories from my grandparents about World War II, the Great Depression, JFK and MLK and now I will have a story to tell my children and grandchildren. A beautiful story on one of the most historic events in US history.
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