Back to School Party

2nd Attempt

Okay...so everyone says "Skiing is easy to learn, hard to master. Snowboarding is hard to learn, easy to master." AND...you'll always HATE you're first couple of snowboarding attempts. Well, this was my 2nd time.

After my first awful let's-not-talk-about-it attempt, it took me a year to get the nurve to try it again. So, this last weekend I tried just that.

Thanks to the lovely Melissa - who left me her snowboard last year. I'm diggin' the random decals everywhere. :)




Strappin' on my board. I was very impressed with myself since I think I finally learned how to stop without having to fall! And I could FINALLY make it down the hill in about 15mins. with only 5 or so falls.....which is a HUGE step up for me! :) yayy!


All in all - I was very happy with my 2nd attempt. Sure, I'm sore as can be (with no bruises to show for it)...but I can't wait to try it again. Baby steps!

Yakiniku 焼肉

Yakiniku (焼肉) means "grilled meat" and is a Japanese term which can refer to a wide range of grilled meat dishes, including steak.

However, most commonly today, it refers to a Japanese style of cooking bite-sized meat and vegetables on a griddle, charcoal or gas burner -widely thought to have originated from Korean-style barbecued meats...thus, sometimes referred to as "Korean BBQ".

In a yakiniku restaurant, diners order several types of prepared raw ingredients (either individually or as a set) which are brought to the table. The ingredients are cooked on a grill built into the table throughout the duration of the meal, several pieces at a time. The ingredients are then dipped in a sauce known as tare before being eaten. The dips are usually soy-based and flavored with garlic and sesame. A garlic-and-shallot combination, or miso-based dips are sometimes used. The meat is sometimes eaten wrapped in lettuce leaves as in Korea, but this is uncommon in Japan.

Yakiniku is usually served with rice. Soup, kimchi, nameul, bulgogi and other sometimes Korean-influenced salads are other common side dishes.

25 Random Things on my 25th Birthday

I turn 25 today, and I thought I'd mark the day with a post of 25 Random things about me...Because, honestly folks, I'm nothing if not RANDOM!!!
So enjoy the odd, but true facts about myself. Most of these you’ll NEVER hear me say again.

1. I spent a tremendous amount of time at the pool when I was younger and always after swimming, my parents or a camp counselor would pour rubbing alcohol down both my ears to prevent infections. Because of that I came to detest cotton balls being shoved in my ears. To this day, I shiver a little when I see cotton balls.

2. When I was 10 years old I once opened up all my Christmas gifts under the tree very carefully by cutting off the tape. I played with everything and wrapped it all back up – none the wiser. I think my parents found out two year later and till this day they won’t let me look at or hold wrapped gifts without commenting on that time.

3. I broke a window at my home town church – TWICE!
Once when I was playing volleyball outside with a bunch of other kids and the ball flew right at the stained glass and another when I was closing an old window quickly and my hand went right through the glass pane – leaving blood and glass everyone. That was fun to explain!

4. My hometown in Texas is called Shiner and takes about 5 mins. to drive through and that’s IF you get stopped at our ONE traffic light. When we were in high school, my friends and I would drive up and down the town’s main drag FOR HOURS just passing each other and waving. We called it “bustin’ loops” Now, I look back and can’t believe I wasted all that gas.

5. The first time I remember anyone ever cussing in front of me was when I was in Elementary school. I was sick and my grandma had to come and pick me up. As we were leaving the school block, someone nearly dented my grandmother’s car and she belted out “You SOB.” I had NEVER heard anyone say that word out-loud before, let alone my grandmother. That day forever remains in my memory and I remember asking my Mom the next day – “At what age am I allowed to cuss?”

6. The Sunday afternoon I was born, my father left my mother and I at the hospital b/c he didn’t want to watch the 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals play in the Super Bowl XVI on the hospital’s black and white TV. I was known as the “Super Bowl” baby. And FYI – that was the highest rated Super Bowl of all time.

7. I tell people my favorite song is “Whenever, Where-ever” by Shakira, but honestly…it’s “Broken Arrow” by Rod Stewart. It’s a classic and my chosen singing-in-the-shower song!

8. I'm very close with my family. Even though they can drive me a little nuts at times, I'd be lost without them.

9. I "found" myself when I went to college. I also found beer, a love of low-lifes with athletic builds, and pilates. 2 out of three isn't bad, right??

10. I love pickles. When I get the munchies, sour dill pickles are my splurge of choice. Unfortunately, I can’t stop eatting them once I start and a gallon jar will be finished within days. Don’t believe me, ask my parents!

11. My most embarrassing story was when I fell off of Dennis Quaid’s BMW golf-cart at a golf charity event. Tons of people, tons of cameras, and Dennis Quaid himself asking if I was okay – I was MORTIFIED!!! (If you want the full story, ask me in person – preferably with a few drinks in me)

12. I haven't kept in touch with any friends from college - ouch... ??? (‘cept me ol’ roommate Velvet)

13. On the other hand, I have really good friends from high school that I’ve remained in contact with till this day.

14. My favorite flowers are English Roses, and when I was in college and couldn’t afford too much (groceries, bills, rent, etc.) – I would always buy fresh cut English Roses to keep in my apartment on a weekly basis no matter how poor I was.

15. At 5 years old I got my first “Cabbage Patch doll” which was an actual homemade doll with yellow curly yarn hair and lanky arms/legs. I remember she always wore this white baby dress that use to be mine and she had this brown’ish signature on her rear-end. Growing up I always thought the brown’ish sign was a tatoo and I guess that was the first time I really wanted to get one as well. Which I did 14 years later!

16. Did you know the first can of beer went on sale on January 24th, 1935?
I did and I think that’s darn cool!!!

17. I was stabbed by accident with a sharpened pencil when I was in JHS. The nurse who took the lead out said it was the deepest pencil stabbing she has even seen. Till this day you can see pencil lead still under my skin on my right hand. Thanks D!

18. I have two different favorite parts of the day: 1) At 10am when the sun is already risen but not directly over head. It’s a time when there’s a pure clean light – I love that. 2) At night when the moon is full and it’s so bright you can even see your shadow. I think I even like the latter of the two more.

19. When I was little, every time I "ran away from home" I'd pack a backpack with gum and a hairbrush - nothing else. I'd walk to my neighbors house - pout for a while, and call my grandpa who would come pick me up and drop me off next door. Weird, huh?

20. I got out of a speeding ticket once by telling a cop I really had to use the restroom. I actually phrased it another way and he made me walk into a VFW hall late one night (since he pulled me over right next to it) with someone’s family reunion going on inside. He told me to use the restroom in the hall and walk right back out to see if I was gutsy enough to do it. I did and got out of the ticket.

21. People of all ages tell me I look like Drew Barrymore. It’s the chin – I swear, but when I was in college I had this Science professor say she was the “ugliest women alive” right to my face. Now, every time someone says I look like DB – I flashback to that comment.

22. When I was a Junior in High School, I got grounded for 6 weeks straight – no TV, phone, radio, internet, or car privileges. I missed my 17th birthday party because of it and now I can’t even remember why I got grounded.

23. On my 22nd birthday, my friends and I went on a gambling boat down in Galveston, Texas. I lost $100 in like one hour, so I was flat broke and still had 5 hours to kill while out at sea. In order to get free drinks, you had to keep gambling. So, my friend and I borrowed a quarter from someone and pretended to play the slot machine in order to keep drinking White Russians. 5 hours later we could barely walk off the boat thanks to 25 cents!

24. When I was in the 3rd grade my friends nicknamed me “Johanna HATE Darilek” b/c I was so mean all the time. Well...it wasn’t that I was really mean, I was just a tom-boy and wasn’t afraid to get into fights. Till this day, every time I dress up to go out with my girlfriends from back then – they’ll call me by my nickname just for the hell of it.

25. Last night, on the eve of my 25th bday, I felt so incredibly thankful for having 25 years of life - I've been so blessed with the friends I’ve made/had/kept, all of my family, and where I’m at that I can't wait to see what the future has in store for me.

Yayy for a Quarter of a Century!!! Cheers 25!!!

The Day before my Birthday

So, I come to school this morning to find a rather big paper cake on my desk. It has four candles, white icing (white paper), some orange/red filling, and strawberries on top. Too cute!

I go on to find out that my 3-1 class made it for my birthday and that they expected me to wear it throughout the whole class today (honestly...this thing stands like a foot above my head). I honored them by wearing/balancing it for the first 10 mins. while they gave me birthday cards and took pictures. I didn't have to heart to tell them my birthday is tomorrow instead of today. Too cute!

Koh Lanta

Ko Lanta lies on the west coast of Andaman Sea in between Krabi and Phi Phi Island . It's a large sized Island about 6 km wide and over 30 kms long, 9 beaches lie from north to south along the sunset coast. It has stunning scenery, fantastic white sandy beaches, coastlines have more than 70 small islands and plenty of forests, coral reefs and under water life.
Exposed when the Tsunami hit southern Thailand , Koh Lanta got very little physical damage. She has been quietly recovering with most hotels operating normally.


We traveled by ferry from Phuket to Koh Lanta. Took us 5 hours since we had to stop half-way to drop of PhiPhi passengers. But, Koh Lanta is a destination unlike any other in Southern Thailand. It's not hugely populated with tourist sites and the island has a more "real Thailand" feel to it. We stayed at a family resort (which had about 90% Sweds) about a 10 min. walk from the beach. They resort was okay, we were within walking distance to many local places to eat/drink/and dance - plus the 7-11 where we made many trips of course.

We made it a tradition to go for a evening drink at this local tiki hut bar on the beach. We'd either watch the sunset or the moon rise while enjoying our Grasshoppers, beers, or pineapple mai-tais.

During one of our days we went kayaking in the Sea. We paddled along some of the small islands and explored tiny groves where we went swimming and a climbed a small cave.










We went to this tiny tiny island called Bu-Bu where we lounged around for the afternoon.







To go into the Port Town, you had to catch the local tuk-tuk. Unlike the Tuk-tuks you see in Bangkok, KohLanta's tuk-tuks made you sit right along with the driver. We had a girls night out in the town one night and had some amazing Hummus, strawberry milkshakes, ohh so much other yummy food! After 4 days is blissful days in Lanta, we headed off to PhiPhi for New Years...