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As I mentioned in my Month of Mondays post in January, my upcoming milestone birthday trip was set, and my travel buddy hubby’s was still in the planning stages. Well, he’d decided he wanted to go to the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater, just outside Denver Colorado. (If you're not familiar with it, l suggest you look it up.)
Tickets were purchased, hotels and an AirBnb were booked, for
us to enjoy a concert and a weeklong road trip through the state. Well,
as Canadians know, last Saturday night, all hell broke loose. This three-word
disaster is best known to the world as President Donald Trump!
By Monday morning our dollar was worth a whopping .49986
cents to the US dollar, and a conversation over lunch had my husband and I decided to sell our tickets,
cancel our lodging for refund, and scrap his bucket list trip.
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| Top - Proof of Purchase - screenshots Bottom - ZBB Budweiser Stage TAKEN: July 14th, 2023 |
Then, out of the blue, we discovered the Zac Brown Band was coming back to Ontario. I immediately got on the alerts list and registered to become a member of Zamily - a member of the the Zac Brown Family; to have a two day jump on the sale of the tickets.
When my husband called to remind me that tickets when on
sale at 10am this morning, I immediately confirmed my intent. “I’m going for the front
row, Baby!!”
Well, you can see by the photo, I was successful of snagging
two front row tickets. Which makes me think it is a little bit of karma playing
in our favour.
I have only ever been lucky enough to see one other amazing
artist at this venue and snag the front row.
It was Sheryl Crow.
The tickets I had to sell
that we were going to see perform at Red Rocks.
Though we had to restart planning for his 'Canadian' bucket list birthday trip, I can't help but think about the ticket thing.....
Kind of a full circle moment, wouldn’t you say?
It's that time of year again, where I look to the jar of nuts I have squirreled away all winter and decide how many of those precious gems I am going to spend on each venue, creating a great 2024 concert season.
Since starting my newest position two and half years ago, I have gotten into the habit of transferring the monies I am paid to do site visits and inspections into a savings account. Knowing full well, that those dollars/nuts will be earmarked for more bucket list tickets.
Because he is in such demand, and focuses primarily on playing football stadiums, my No Shoes Nation buddy won't be headed north of the boarder anytime soon. So, I knew eventually hopping a plane to see him perform was going to be a must.
Then, shortly after Jimmy Buffet passed, and he and fellow parrot head Zac Brown decided to join forces for their Sun Goes Down Tour. I immediately began making plans to head to into downtown Chicago for our wedding anniversary in June.
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| Though not a concert, the next tickets to be added here will be for my hubby. A 1pm start on June 14th at Wrigley Field (Cubs vs Braves) TAKEN: MARCH 21st, 2024 |
As the year comes to a close at midnight tonight, there is so much I am very thankful for. So much so, that I have no idea where to start.
What I will highlight is that our wee, four legged blondie/Oreo filling, simply stole the show (as well as at least a half dozen of my perfectly good slippers). And, that I can finally admit I have discovered a perfect work/life balance; solidifying the saying 'life is short' as my personal mantra.
Thanks for the memories 2023. They are truly respected and appreciated. I feel blessed that I have such great hope for an even better 2024.
All the best in the coming year everyone. Cheers to all, and thank you once again for reading.
~ Rhondi
PS: With the past year 99.9% in the rearview, as you reminisce with me electronically you can click links to journal offerings that you may have missed, or wish to revisit.
Most Memorable Moment (centre): The addition of the beautiful Katie Lulu, that arrived to her new home on January 31st, 2023. She has proven to be a much welcome thread to the newly reunited Oreo Gang and we love her very much. Thanks again @labradorables
(LINK TO RE-READ: NEVER, UNTIL NOW! )
January: The unexpected and shocking murder of my former coworker Ashley Milne (top left) in Collingwood. I have spent the year following this terrible and unnecessary tragedy in hopes her amazing spirit didn't die in vain. Please keep her and her young children in your thoughts and prayers.
(LINK TO RE-READ: A IS FOR ASHLEY)
February: With my sweet Puddin' passing in June of 2022, we thought for sure The Oreo Gang would be displaced for years. That said, with our addition of Katie, Family Furbaby Day was once again a great success.
(LINK TO RE-READ: OUR ANNUAL ADVENTURE)
March: After checking the Salvation Army Store in Gravenhurst for more than twenty years, I was ecstatic to find four more of my wonderful Petro Canada water glasses for the very first time. In a stinking blizzard no less!
April: I always look forward to my birthday trip and this year was no exception. We hit Vegas Baby! What do you do in Vegas if you have no desire to gamble? Guess you'll have to read to find out! (There are also other offering though my April A-Z posts.)
(LINK TO RE-READ: K IS FOR KNACK)
(LINK TO RE-READ: L IS FOR LOGISTICS)
May: For the first time in more than a decade, I moved to the cottage for the summer. I set up a satellite office and only commuted to work Monday mornings for meetings. I kept telling my husband that we should have named Katie '649'... Because that pup definitely won the lottery.
June: A milestone anniversary had us hop a plane to Montego Bay for the weekend to celebrate. My dad's birthday the 9th and our anniversary the 11th it made for a great reason to getaway. Though we stayed in a much smaller resort hotel than we usually do, we had a great time.
(LINK TO RE_READ: FROM FEAR TO FEARLESS)
July: July was an amazing weather month. I worked for most of it sitting at my desk in a bathing suit. The only thing I enjoyed more was spending time with Goob in the water. You know, it doesn't matter how old they get, I just love having them around.
August: As reminisce about the year gone by, I think it had to be the 'year of the concert'. I think there were seven in total, with four being my country quartet. From a bucket list perspective, Chris Stapleton won that prize. Man, Budweiser Stage is a great venue.
(LINK TO RE-READ: MY COUNTRY MUSIC QUARTET)
September: Per the work plan, we added another layer to our estimating team, a new project coordinator. I began her training right the first week of September, so I moved home to have a shorter commute. Labour Day Monday (Lab + Our Day as the photo shows) was my last day living at the cottage full time. Made no matter, it was a really great month!
October: This nod goes to spending Canadian Thanksgiving week in Nashville. Boy, did we cram as much in as possible before returning home. The Mother Church of Country Music left me speechless, as did almost everything about this amazing city - including the Opry.
(LINK TO RE-READ:SIMPLY, UNFORGETABLE
November: They say some of the best decisions you make are the ones you think about the least. Well, we bought another boat. A 20 foot Doral bowrider that gets delivered the first week of May (weather pending). Can't wait to load up the pups...
(LINK TO RE-READ:WE BOUGHT ANOTHER BOAT)
December: Well this month is crammed with memorable moments. It closed out another milestone year at work, had us spend valuable time with family and friends, and our home was filling with both birthday and holiday spirit. Not just the birthday on the 25th but the 5th, when Katie celebrated her very first birthday.
As I mentioned in my A-Z Challenge posts, my husband and I had a milestone anniversary to celebrate the first week of June, so I booked us into a boutique hotel close to the airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
In years past we had spent a week in Negril, and a couple of years later a week in Runaway Bay, both over an hour from the airport. The last thing we wanted to do on a romantic four-night getaway, was to spend time riding an overcrowded resort bus.
So, we both agreed Montego Bay was an experience we hadn’t had, and with our excellent flight times and the super cheap price tag, it was a travel no brainer.
Anyway, because we were staying at a 140 room hotel that offered very few resort-like activities, it would be on us to amuse ourselves.
Because we both love to snorkel that was an early morning given. I love kayaking so I was pumped, however, my husband had never had any desire to try... So he was left to sit on the beach.
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| For 90% of our visit the sky was overcast, and it was perfect. (As we ran 40+C with the humidity without direct sunshine.) TAKEN: JUNE 9th, 2023 |
Day one, out I went. It is hard to describe how amazing it was with the planes flying over me while I paddled. When I returned in, I asked if he wanted to try and he worried he would lose his new glasses. (Lamest excuse ever but I respected his decision.)
Day two, out I went again. When I returned, he commented on how
fast I was paddling and how far I was going (code for me to tell him more so he would have the confidence to try). I explained that they weren’t tipsy at all. If he kept
his core in the centre of the floating plastic entertainment center, he wouldn’t fall
out.
Day three, he decided to try. By now, I knew when most of the planes were overhead to offer him the best experience. I brought my phone in my waterproof camera case that morn, as I knew this was a pretty big milestone for him. Before we knew it, over an hour had passed.
I don't know about you, but I love trying new things (except when it comes to food). I won't put myself in harms way but I definitely like living in the travel moment. So as silly as this may read, I am proud of my husband for going out of his comfort zone.
Kayaking may not be a big deal to most... But I love that we both had a blast touring around in the clear waters of Montego Bay!
I planned our most recent road trip to the Outer Banks using only Google Maps, AirBnB and Hotels.com; and I was generally surprised at how much effort and research it actually took.
Suffice it to say, my husband was so disconnected from the party planning process that his only action item was to type the address of where we were spending our first night into the GPS the morning we left. That said, our ten-day trip, like all our adventures was a whirlwind.
The first day was a very long one, especially for my Annie and her anxiety. So much so, that by the time we pulled into the parking lot in the Hampton Inn in Hagerstown Maryland, she bolted out of the car. Good thing we’d finally arrived... Because she was NOT getting back in!!
Next day we travelled to where we anchored with food and fixings at our house in Nags Head North Carolina. The pups settled in much better there, and their first trip along the ocean beach was truly a sight to see. Definitely worth the headache of taking longer to arrive than it would have, had we left them at home.
The one thing I will admit is that because we could only get the house within our budget for four nights, I decided to extend our coastal stay by heading up to Ocean City (via the 28.4km Chesapeake bridge and tunnels) for that Friday night and then heading to Mansfield Pennsylvania the next morning.
In hindsight, this was a tad too ambitious and far more costly than originally expected. Changing our original intent almost doubled the cost of our trip, and that path saw us hit with a whopping $400+ for the only pet friendly room I could find on the interstate; on a Saturday night.
Our only saving grace was that the pups were so exhausted from their ‘Outer Banks Shenanigans’ that they literally slept those two days home - allowing us to zoom zoom north and stop less frequently.
Once home, my husband was having trouble visualizing the trip I had planned, and what geography we'd actually covered. So, I poured us a glass of wine and we sat down at my home office computer.
With all of my receipts containing proper addresses, I produced this killer 'Google de Milo' map offering him a visual, which perfectly illustrated the many more than two thousand miles we travelled.
What a ride!
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| If travel is truly art, then my Google deMilo road map proves it! TAKEN: OCTOBER 2022 |
Got up to let the pups out this morn, flicked several light switches on and off to ensure there wasn’t a resident skunk passing through; when the harsh reality set in.
As I stepped onto the back deck I cursed aloud at the pitch-black sky. By the glow of the exterior lights, I could see my breath. With both angst and authority, "FECK" (inserting a different vowel) was all I said.
This is the time of year where I
cherish every single ray of light until the time change. I really do love
Fall but absolutely hate the short days and long nights that remain when the beauty expires.
Pre-pandemic, the status quo had us hop a late November plane to a sunny destination and regroup in the vitamin D
department. This year, respecting my husband’s health and not wanting to venture
too far from our health care system, we decided it would be the year of the
road trip.
A series of shorter long weekend jaunts
to destinations we’ve always wanted to go at least once. Using fewer vacation
days, essentially experiencing more.
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Top: Miami, via Islamorda, to Key West FLA Bottom: First stop Bethel NY, then to Woodstock NY for the Midnight Ramble TAKEN: APRIL & JULY 2022 |
April was a mid week flight into Miami then we hit the road to Key West. July felt like we were in the summer of ’69 when we landed in Bethel New York (the site of where the Woodstock Festival was held) then headed to the town of Woodstock to celebrate the life of Levon Helm and my husband’s favourite group - The Band.
We have two left before the year is out and our next one is planned for the week of Canadian Thanksgiving. Much farther in distance, this time we are taking the pups. We have rented a house on the ocean and will spend the week embracing the dunes and beautiful scenery of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
From the OBX 4x4 highway in Corolla to see the wild horses along the beach, to the ferry ride to cross to the southern banks at Ocracoke, to a simple photo op at the house used as a movie set (Night in Rodanthe - starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane) in Hatteras.
I am truly grateful my chauffeur has the same sense of Wanderlust as I.
We are always on the same page when it comes to jamming as much as possible into any given day. So much so that when we hit the hay, at the end of the day, we know we have given it 120% in the experience department.
For the most part, we both agree that resort trips are a thing of the past. In, are us exploring the areas where we can see ourselves spending our winters as snowbirds.
We haven't decided exactly where our two weeks at Christmas will take us with our fur babies. What I do know, is that no matter where the four of us land, we're going to have a blast. Simply because...
That's how we roll!!
After a whirlwind long weekend, I
am back in Canada, browsing the bazillion photos I took and realizing how
much I loved staying in Islamorada.
One never knows what to expect when planning a road trip with Google Chrome and Trip Advisor. In this instance, both those knocked our first night stay out of the freaking ballpark.
The Chesapeake Beach Resort was a total shot in the dark for us and we got lucky!
Our least expensive night of the lot and we had a blast!!
Not because of the night life or five-star restaurants in the area, but simply because of the vibe. Completely laid back, which was exactly what we were hoping for.
... Because regardless of everything we did and enjoyed on this bucket list trip, Islamorada was by far (most unexpectedly) the high point in the overall experience department.
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| Made it through the car rental process and we are on our way down Hwy 1! TAKEN: APRIL 6th, 2022 |
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| Checked into the hotel and over to Wahoo's for some seafood! TAKEN: APRIL 6th, 2022 |
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| Our view as the incoming boats settle in for the night. TAKEN: APRIL 6th, 2022 |
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| Chilaxin' by the pool which is where we stayed until it closed. TAKEN: APRIL 6th, 2022 |
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| Enjoying our 8am sunrise as we prepare to head to to Margaritaville TAKEN: APRIL 7th, 2022 |
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| Louisiana times two! The right 2017 the right 2019 TAKEN: APRIL 2017 & MAY 2019 |
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| Downtown Toronto... MY ULTIMATE LOVE TAKEN: AUGUST 3rd, 2018 |
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| Best Concert: Definitely, Prince. Last time he was in Toronto before he died. TAKEN: NOVEMBER 2011 |
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| Most expensive ticket: Front row for P!nk TAKEN: MARCH 2013 |
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| Best last minute ticket purchase: Garth Brooks TAKEN: MARCH 2016 |
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| Dream ticket: Row 10 Eagles tickets before Glenn Fry died TAKEN: |
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| Most disappointing: Alice Cooper (only because he needs to retire) TAKEN: MARCH 2018 |
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| Best Music Festival: French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, LA TAKEN: APRIL 2017 |
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| (Left) Sunday night in Toronto playing Orlando (Right) Wednesday night in Miami against the Heat. #torontoraptors #wethenorth #northoveryerthing #playoffbound TAKEN: APRIL 2018 |
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| You can NEVER go wrong with a great book and a hammock! TAKEN: SOUTH BEACH MIAMI, APRIL 2018 |
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| Two Toronto Raptor games, a killer oceanfront suite at the Grand Beach Hotel, & evening dining in South Beach, Miami. Giddy UP! TICKET PICS TAKEN: MARCH 10th, 2018 |
