Suds in the Bucket

Are bucket lists supposed to be full or empty? 

Buckets used to be for chicken (good) or mopping (no thanks). Now it seems people have them for everything. There's the travel bucket, career bucket, a bucket for every season - summer buckets of sandcastles, picnics and BBQs anyone? - and according to entertainment lately, a sexy bucket. No, not a bucket with lace panties, like... never have I ever, but I want to. That kind of thing. 

I guess we want to see and do so many things one bucket isn't enough. And these buckets can never empty. Pinterest is all about the buckets. I mean boards. Are boards the new buckets? 

Or are buckets the new New Year's resolutions? I mean, they're like goals without deadlines, right? I'm in! Bucket lists are a daydreamers, well, dream!

1. Visit all the National Parks. 
2. Run a 5K. Not walk or walk/run. Just run. 
3. Sleep until I'm not tired. 
4. Eat a croissant in Paris
5. Draft a book in a week
6. Learn to take a cute selfie
7. See every country at Epcot
8. Write a New York Times bestseller
9. Have a book made into a movie
10. Swim with dolphins
11. Airboat through the Everglades
12. Helicopter over the Grand Canyon
13. See the Northern Lights
14. Live in another country
15. Have a conversation in another language
16. Get Plow back
17. Fly first class
18. Enjoy a cross country road trip
19. Write a novel in Anguilla
20. Visit every state park in Oregon
21. Watch a meteor shower
22. Win the lottery
23. Stomp grapes
24. Take a spontaneous trip
25. Watch lava flow
26. Visit all 50 states
27. Be debt free
28. Feel seen
29. Stay at a working ranch
30. Go to a rodeo
31. See an iceberg
32. Read every book on my Kindle
33. Read every book on my bookshelves
34. Make every recipe in a cookbook
35. Leave $100 tip
36. Identify the Big Dipper
37. Stay in a penthouse
38. Spend 48 hours in silence
39. Release a floating lantern
40. See the pyramids
41. Stonehenge
42. Drink from a pineapple
43. Paint balloon darts
44. Get my hygge on in Denmark
45. Stay in an overwater bungalow
46. Niagra Falls
47. Soak in the blue lagoon in Iceland
48. Bubble Run
49. Aerial yoga
50. Be an extra in a movie
51. See the tulips in Holland
52. Be part of a live studio audience
53. See Hamilton
54. Ride the Orient Express
55. Have a pint at a pub in Ireland
56. Afternoon tea at Empress Hotel
57. Take the Haiku stairs
58. Machu Picchu
59. Ride a cable car in San Francisco
60. Henna tattoo


While thinking through those I realized I've done some pretty cool things

Out of the bucket

1. Write a book
2. Publish a book
3. Be on the jumbotron in Times Square
4. See a Broadway play
5. USA Today Bestseller
6. Go to Europe
7. Zipline
8. Stand under a waterfall
9. Order room service
10. Snowshoeing
11. Smithsonian (most of them)
12. Spend the night in a treehouse
13. Take a ghost tour in New Orleans
14. Empire State Building
15. Space Needle
16. Drink from a coconut
17. Color Run
18. Get my fortune told
19. Find a 4-leaf clover

What's on your bucket list?

A Little Lust In Translation

LUST IN TRANSLATION

by Jenna Bayley-Burke

"Cross a meandering playboy with a studious control freak driving cross country and you have a plot that is fresh, fun, and blatantly sexy!" 5 stars, Slick Reads at Guilty Pleasures 

**Blog Exclusive Excerpt**

The sky darkened and the storm that had been threatening for the past few hours loomed in the distance. Xavier must have sensed it too. He’d raised the roof of the convertible, closing them in the small space with no distractions from the conversation they needed to have. But even with over an hour of driving behind them, she still hadn’t figured out how to talk him into getting her to Oregon as fast as possible.

She turned in her seat and pulled out her travel folder, then placed it on her lap. Inside were the maps of three different routes they could take, with hotel stops marked along the way. She’d taken the drive so many times she barely needed them anymore, but it was always best to be prepared.

“What do you have there?” Xavier’s deep voice slid over her like molten chocolate over a truffle.

Truffles. Like the white chocolate version Allison had ordered for the wedding. Jaime blinked and steered her mind back to business.

“Driving directions. Since we got a late start and it looks like a storm up ahead, I think we should stop in Pittsburgh for the night. If the weather holds we might be able to make it to Ohio.”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. “How long were you thinking it would take us to get across the country?”

“Less than three days if we drive in shifts and get lucky with the weather. I don’t mind driving in the dark as long as it’s clear, but when it storms I’d rather be inside.”

“I don’t think we should get too caught up in the details, J’aime. It’s far too restricting.”

“It’s much more efficient this way.”

The muscles in his neck flexed as he swallowed. “I think we should stop sooner rather than later. That way we can get a few things straight before we head out tomorrow.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Such as?”

“I’m not driving three thousand miles to get somewhere; I actually want to see the country. I won’t be driving at night, or in a hurry. I want to enjoy the trip. You should too.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but wasn’t sure which argument to make. It wasn’t that she was against enjoying the trip. It just didn’t serve the purpose of getting to Oregon. 

She had to get there soon so she could start networking her way into a teaching position and find an apartment. She’d been on her own far too long to live at home for more than a couple weeks.

“This is an adventure. When was the last time you did something exciting? Something just to enjoy it?”

She couldn’t come up with a single instance, but would die before admitting it. “My life has plenty of excitement.”

He smirked. “Tell me about it.”

Clearing her throat, she offered up the graduation party she’d chaperoned, carefully omitting the fistfight that had broken out in the parking lot.

“That’s work. Do you ever enjoy yourself away from the kids?”

Again she felt like a fish, her mouth gaping open. “I run and I taught rock-climbing classes.” He looked thoroughly unconvinced she’d ever experienced elation. “Teaching is fun for me.”

“But what do you do for you, J’aime?”

Lightning flashed in the distance, illuminating angry clouds and a horizon blurred by driving rain. Electricity crackled in the atmosphere, the current flowing through the dense, humid air. She spied a road sign as they barreled down the freeway. Ten miles to Bedford. She checked her notes to see if they could stop there.

“What are you doing?” His voice held a mocking quality she didn’t appreciate.

“Looking to see if there is a Holiday Motel in Bedford. The weather looks pretty nasty up ahead.” The thunderous skies above them loomed ominously, waiting to release their fury.

“We’re not staying in a motel.”

“I have a preferred-customer account there. For every ten nights I stay, I get a night free.” Jaime rifled through the papers, looking for the list of participating motels along their route. “There isn’t a Holiday Motel in Bedford, so we’ll have to keep going. The closest one is in Mt. Pleasant, but that is barely an hour from Pittsburgh, so we might as well go all the way.”

“J’aime, can I see that folder?” He held out his large hand, never taking his attention from the road.

“While you’re driving?” To emphasize her point, large raindrops began to splatter on the windshield.

“I want a better look at that map on the top of the page.”

Reluctantly, she slipped the folder into his hand. He set it on his lap and pressed a button to lower the window. Before she could decide what he was up to, he’d slid her folder out the cracked window.

“Hey!” she yelled, the seatbelt cutting into her shoulder as she turned to watch the pages fluttering behind them. “That was mine. And littering is a huge fine, I’ll have you know.”

“Do you feel better?” A drum roll of thunder underscored his words.

“Better? I’m in a car with a crazy man who just dumped our itinerary in the middle of the road.”

Find out what happens now...

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That Time I Got Stabbed At My Brother's Wedding

We're just back from a trip to DC for my brother's wedding. The bride was gorgeous, the ceremony touching, the pictures full of personality & the reception was off the hook! Until I got stabbed.

By a pencil thin stiletto heel, in my toe. I may have disinfected it with a shot of vodka. It wasn't nice vodka, I wouldn't be so wasteful. But it did end my dancing early, even before my one-year-old niece stole the spotlight with her rendition of the hokey pokey.

I think my bridesmaid season is ending. My brothers are all married, as are many of my friends. Which is fine, because I am a dynamite wedding guest but kind of a lackadaisical bridesmaid. I'm the one trying to get everyone to have some champagne and cracking jokes. The MOH in this wedding was fierce! It was awesome to watch her in action. Reminded me of my own MOH :)

This wedding was doubly special for our family because we welcomed two new members into our brand of crazytown - the lovely bride and my too-cute-for-words nephew. He's only six-weeks and he made it into the family portrait! My mom was so excited. I hope I didn't pull a face in that pic, because I have a feeling it will be hanging in my parents living room forever.

Walking Tour

My girlfriends and I always get together to celebrate our birthdays kid-free. This year, we're trying to be more adventurous than the Cheesecake Factory. So we went on an Epicurian Excusion from Portland Walking Tours.

I never would have found myself doing a salt tasting if not for the tour. The Spice & Tea Exchange let us try different salts on cucumber slices. I even had my mom buy some smoked salt so my BBQ contest loving brother could experiment with it. 

 At this point...we wanted food! Thank goodness Chez Joly was so generous with their samples. Crostini, crepe, and French onion soup. We spied a $25 price fixe dinner on their menu (salad, entree, dessert & wine) so may be returning.

We spent a lot of time at the next stop, The Park Kitchen...but didn't eat much. The garbanzo bean fries & squash ketchup were tasty, and the idea of making your restaurant as sustainable as possible is great...it just went on a little long. It would have been more interesting if the explanations were illustrated by the samples they served...which is probably easier for them to do in the summer.

Next, we went to the EcoTrust building for Hot Lips Pizza to sample the seasonal variety - a squash sauce with broccoli & hazelnuts. I really like the juice sodas they make.

Finally, we got dessert :) Cool Moon ice cream served chocolate sorbet & trail blazer swirl and let us taste whatever else we wanted. Then, it was a quick hop on the street car back to the hotel we started at.

I had a great time, but I wouldn't take the tour again until the summer. Maybe things would have changed more by then. Is it worth the money? We got it on a special, which helps. If you know your way around Portland, you could get much more food for less money. But then, if you know your way around Portland, you might not be interested in the tour!

Spring Broke!

After squabbling about whether or not to take the kiddos to Disneyland for Spring Break, we compromised by taking them to Seattle. Our theory was, if BabyGirl truly decides to not sleep, we could always throw in the towel and drive home.

We researched the city online and asked friends who live there and who've visited and came up with a rough outline of our itenerary. Nothing is set in stone when traveling with a two-year-old. The dog got shipped off to Grandma's and we headed north.

Things started well, we managed to get the kids to Rainforest Cafe in time for lunch. They'd never been, so we knew it would be a treat. What we didn't know was that BabyGirl would be skerred of the thunderstorms and animals, the very things that make the place special.

We spirited her out of there and caught the next tour of Ride the Ducks. All the kids were thrilled by the land and water ride in the WW2 replica amphibious vehicle. I think BabyGirl was doubly happy since she didn't have to ride in a car seat!

The next day we headed down to the waterfront and explored Pike's Place Market. We didn't get to see anyone throw fish (they only do that when someone buys something) but we loved it just the same. After the market, we went to the Seattle Aquarium. I think the highlight was the seal feeding, but the boys would probably only recall the self-pleasuring otter.

After a crab boil lunch at The Crab Pot, we took a short harbor cruise. I took more pictures than anyone would ever care to see, while the kids enjoyed the wind and the rocking of the boat. I think they win.

With daylight still left, we headed up to the Fremont neighborhood to check out the Fremont Troll which lives under a bridge and explore Gasworks Park. The kids really liked the chance to climb and play freely. TallBoy said it was the best part of the trip, and considering we saw Star Wars stuff the next day, that's saying something!

The next day we opted to go to the Seattle Center, starting our day with a trip up the Space Needle. Then it was on to the Star Wars exhibit and butterfly gardens at the Pacific Science Center. After lunch we decided to check out the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum. This was our let down of the trip, since over half the place is closed due to construction. Don't bother with it until they reopen everyting in the summer.

Every evening we took the kids swimming and they all think of it is a highlight of the trip. HubbaBubba got to see what a good swimmer TallBoy has become and what a fish BabyGirl has turned into. Excuse me, mermaid. She'll correct you. Which is funny considering all her swimming happens while someone else glides her through the water!

Our final day in Seattle we spent the morning at the zoo. Our zoo is faboo, so we have high expectations. Thankfully, Woodland Park is a great zoo with lots of ways for the kids to explore. SmallBoy says it was the highlight of his trip.

After lunch we headed south to the Museum of Flight. We were really impressed with the collection, as well as the kids exploration area. I think TallBoy could have stood there and landed the lunar module all day. But, I do think Grace was a bit bothered that the planes she got to sit in didn't actually fly!

The Seattle trip was more of an adventure than a vacation. We learned the diva likes to be cuddled to sleep, but wants her own space once she is actually asleep. The second night was OK, but the last night she decided she wanted to sleep in my bed. Just not with me in it. Grrreat!

Even with her non-sleeping issues, we had a great time. Maybe we'll do a similar excursion to Boise or Vancouver.