the nordic trio

not that i'm sad and want to go walking in the rain, i just really love this song. maybe i'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the music that i grew up with.

i love a-ha and one of my biggest disappointments living in new york was that i never got to see then perform live. they played a one off show at irving plaza in 2005 and no word of a lie, the intimate show was sold out. like, over sold out and fans were just not giving up their tickets. the last time they played in the states was 1986, so yeah, there were barely even any scalper tickets available.

so let me revel for days gone by and enjoy this better than the original cover of the everly brother's crying in the rain.


A-Ha - Crying In The Rain by zocomoro

and for the record, when i think of a-ha, take on me isn't the first song i think of. nor is it my favourite. and why yes, i do have the best of a-ha cd.

final thoughts on psp

palm springs pleasantly surprised me. i didn't think i was a desert girl, although for some reason lately, i just felt compelled to go walk through one. i don't hike in vancouver, but enthusiastically scaled canyons in california. whatever the reason on why i was intrigued by palm springs, i'm glad i went.

the people are really nice there. like bend over backwards nice.

there's free 2 hour parking downtown. what city offers that?

i had the best sandwich i've ever had and would recommend anyone to go check out cheeky's. heck, i would go back just for the food.

speaking of food, i wish i had more time so i could've checked out tyler's burgers, a cash-only burger joint in a refurbished circa 1936 bus station.

and if i had just one more day in palm springs, that would've been purr-fect. then i would've gotten to do everything i wanted to do. as it is, i didn't get a chance to go to the salton sea, 40 minutes south of joshua tree national park. i would've loved to check out one of the lowest spots on earth (-227 feet below seal level) and one of the world's largest inland seas. and the salt content in the salton sea is greater tan that of the pacific ocean. plus the mud volcanoes and the avian biodiversity. there are over 4M birds that visit salton sea during their winter migration.

and i would've explored the southern part of joshua tree national park, where the landscape is way different than the northern half. i had thought i'd be able to see all of the park in my afternoon there, but there was so much to see. you need a WHOLE day or more to really take in what the park has to offer. heck, driving non-stop through the whole park takes over 2 hours alone!

so would i go back? definitely. then i would also throw in a couple daytrips to the mojave desert and death valley. more deserts?! don't ask me why. i just feel like going. maybe i'm just going through a phase...

so here's what i saw in palm springs. press play on the slideshow or click here for my flickr.

a desert pilgrimage

last full day in palm springs, so i better make it count.

no matter how ambitious i want to be on vacation to do the touristy thing, waking up early is NOT my strong suit. i'm on vacation. i shouldn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn. so i've been waking up by 10 and then take my time getting ready. and added to that slow puttering is 2 back-to-back episodes of supernatural being played on tnt channel every morning.

i saved what i wanted to do all trip for today. i was planning on capping off my getaway with a drive to joshua tree national park, an hour away.

i didn't have time to sit in a restaurant to eat brunch, but i just had to try out cheeky's. even if that meant doing take-out in my car. can i say that i had the BEST sandwich i've ever had in recent memory? avocado, tons of cukes, grated white cheddar and slathered with aioli on lightly toasted buttered sourdough. now i wish i had more days left to sample more of their menu.

seriously, the best meal i've had my whole time in palm springs.

everyone i spoke to about going to joshua tree warned me that i must, must, must gas up before going because there's no gas stations in joshua tree. this led me to thinking that i was driving a barren wasteland. sean wanted me to be extra careful as he was picturing in his mind, "the hills have eyes" type of mutant hillbillies, hiding up in the canyon rocks, waiting to puncture my tires with a spike belt, before ratcheting up some torture porn action on me.

so armed with a full tank, 5 bottles of water and snacks a plenty, i felt confident that i was set. on the twentynine plams highway, i got to drive by rows and rows of majestic wind turbines erected in the mountain pass. apparently palm springs has not only the oldest commercial windpark, but the most comprehensive wind farm in america.



the scenery is way different than what i'm used to in the pacific northwest. i'm not use to so much rock and desert and taking it all in and concentrating on driving somewhere i've never been before, overwhelmed me for a few minutes. but in a good way.

driving up to joshua tree was not the wasteland that i feared, for i would hit morongo valley and yucca valley with its small town diners and motels and gas stations before getting to joshua tree. so yes, there are gas stations on the way to joshua tree - the very last place to make that pitstop, because yes, once you're enter the wilderess of joshua tree national park's 790,636 acres, you could be up sh*t creek if your car went kaput.

after getting my bearings at the joshua tree visitor centre, i headed into the park. the landscape is breathtaking. thousands of joshua trees, as far as the eye could see. and amazing rock formations, boulders and canyon trails. it's like you're travelled to a different planet. the park is so huge that you could drive for long stretches without encountering anyone. and then just when you think you're the last man on earth, you come across people mountain biking, camping, hiking or rock climbing. apparently "j-tree" is one of the best places to climb in california.


joshua tree or dr. suess-style giant agave plant?

the joshua tree was so named by the mormon settlers crossing the mojave desert in the 19th century. the distinctive tree branches' upward reach reminded them of the prophet, joshua reaching his hands up to the heavens in prayer. but to millions of music fans growing up in the late 80s, joshua trees are synonymous wih u2's album of the same name. apparently the tree is actually not in joshua tree, but in death valley. furthermore that particular lone joshua tree fell around 2000. in its place is a plaque reading "have you found what you're looking for?"

joshua tree is made up of 2 deserts: mojave and colorado. you can tell which part of the desert you're in by the plant that is thriving. when you see many joshua trees, one is in the mojave desert, which is the higher western section of the park. when you see ironwood, you're in the colorado desert, in the lower, eastern part.

i would only have time to experience the northern part of the park. so what did i see at joshua tree?



the massive boulders at hidden valley where i spied many rockclimbers. and signs warning people about aggressive bees in the area.


that dark line cutting through the middle of the picture? that's the san andreas fault line!

i drove up to keys view, 20 minutes drive off the main road. at an elevation of 5,185 feet, you're overlooking the coachella valley where you take in a stunning vista that extends beyond salton sea to mexico. and seeing the huge crack in the ground, the san andreas fault line, from where i was standing was amazing. i wonder how deep that crack goes.

the hall of horrors, a boulder for rock climbing. there are 4 climbing routes there, from easiest to most difficult with names such as right on, harlequin, walk on the wild side and a cheap way to die. i take it that's the most difficult one.



speaking of "the hills have eyes", there's actually a naturally weathered and supernatural looking rock formation at joshua tree, aptly named skull rock. the erosion from centuries of rain led to the rock looking like a skull with 2 hollowed out eye sockets. if there was anyone around, i would've climbed up into one of the sockets and have them take a picture of me.



although the weather was 23-25C everyday, the sun starts to set around 5pm everyday. for the magic hour, i made sure i was able to make it to indian cove campground. it is here that the famous 1997 picture of the hale-bopp comet was taken over the rock formations.



with the sun setting, the whole cove was flooded in an orange and red hue. and for a sec, i could see how it could be frightening if you were lost or stranded. the landscape looked slightly extraterrestrial. and the red tinge reminded me of that val kilmer movie, red planet.



while i was driving out of the cove, i glimpsed a roadrunner running beside my car! i've never seen a real life roadrunner before. i didn't even know what i was looking at. it wasn't until i got back to the resort that i found out the park has roadrunners as its inhabitants. and it was so darn cute! it bobs up and down as it run. and it's a quick little fella. i pulled the car over to see if i could capture it, but it darted back amongst the rocks.

by the time i got back on the highway, it was pitch black. and that made for a fun one and a half drive back to palm springs. like i said, street lamps are few and far between and you're driving in the black. for dinner, i got the traditional caesar salad topped with large chilled shrimp, fresh avocado, garnished with croutons, fresh tomato and parmesan cheese from guacamoles.

i wanted something light, something that would energize me as i hit the pedestrian-only street fair that takes place every thursday nights downtown. the main drag gets cordoned off and there is live music, food and craft vendors and farmer's market. it's apparently the thing to do whether you're resident or a tourist. i guess it could be fun, but i'm not one for crowds. i went down when it was an hour before closing to avoid most of the masses. another thing is that everything in palm springs closes down early. most restaurants are closed by 9pm.

and shopping? forget about it. palm springs is where garish and clashable clothes go to die. unless you want to dress like rue mccalahan's blanche character on golden girls or j.lo in denial that she's well past her prime. this is just downtown, where it's a tourist magnet. i'm sure there are stores/outlet malls elsewhere that sell wearable clothing. although i did not come to palm springs to seek out their shopping.

one more night. one more soak. and one more float. this little getaway has gone by way too fast. i never thought of myself as a desert, hiking in the sun girl, but it was just what the doctor ordered. literally. i'm going to miss the desert.

big cat in the watutu

have car, will travel. i knew that the desert riviera offers full concierge service, but i didn't expect their associate, anza car rental to deliver to my door a KIA hybrid car for $49/day. and they'll pick it up from me at the resort when i'm done.

can we say, exceptional customer service?

another day, another canyon. after breakfast at elmers down the street, (which if i closed my eyes would've had me thinking i was eating at a denny's), i drove to the nearby indian canyon, about 20 minutes from desert riviera.

at indian canyon there are 3 hiking canyons (andreas, palm and murray and by extension, tahquitz canyon) with trails ranging from moderate to challenging. i chose the 1 mile andreas canyon trail, where hikers would gain an elevation of 200 ft and it'd take less than an hour to complete the loop.

andreas canyon offers a leisurely hike along a quiet stream, on ledges of rocks. not only that, but there are magnificent fan palms on either side of the andreas creek, shading you from the hot sun. andreas canyon is considered the world's second largest california fan palm oasis. this lush oasis hardly felt like a desert. the trail itself passes unusual rock formations, bedrock mortars and metates used centuries ago for preparing food.



when you're at the halfway point of the trail, the loop brings you around, returning along the upper stream terrace and back to the parking lot. although unshaded, hikers are rewarded with spectacular views of sycamores, cottonwoods, willows and a birds eye view of the fan palms.

if i had more time in palm springs, i may have even hiked the murray canyon trail afterwards but nope, zoo animals were beckoning. ordinarily i don't hit up zoos when i travel but the living zoo is one of the top rated things to do in palm springs. more than just a zoo, it's also a nature preserve, protecting 1,080 acres of undisturbed sonoran desert and nature trails.

but with only half an afternoon left in the day, i knew i wasn't going to see all the aviaries, gardens and trails, so i went straight to see the animals in the african exhibit. first stop was the petting kraal where you can mingle with sicilian dwarf donkeys, jacob's sheep and nubian goats.



i got to see the baby giraffe that was born right before halloween. it's so teeny compared to its parents.

i had hoped to go on a camel ride but was disappointed to find out the feature was only offered seasonally.

in the village watutu, i waited in the alcove to see if the leopard would come up to the viewing glass. i think as i was the only one there at the time, the leopard felt more inclined to approach. and i sat on the other side of the glass, eye to eye with this magnificent creature. he was so at ease that he even ended up licking his fur in front of me, like a little kitty. that is until more families came into the alcove and that's when the leopard ran away.


leopard sussing me out


coming to sit with me at the reinforced glass


here kitty, kitty

i saw a striped hyena, addaxes, zebras, cheetah, cape rock hyrax, meerkats, bighorn sheep and a swift fox (who is really swift by the way)

i wish i had more time to enjoy the living zoo but as it is, the sun was setting and i had 5 minutes to make it back to the entrance. i didn't get a chance to see the walk through aviary, the cactus garden, butterfly garden, hummingbird garden or any of the other gardens. twenty in all. but i got to see animals that i would never see at the greater vancouver zoo.

on the way home i hit up target and trader joe's in cathedral city. i almost forget that palm springs is in california because of the desert-y environment. feels more like i'm in arizona or nevada. so despite this teejay's being much smaller than others i've been to, i was happy as a clam buying some food to make use of my bungalow's kitchenette. and give my pocketbook a break too.

to end the day, a night time float in the pool and a soak in the hot tub. all to myself again.

it's pronounced talk-wish

after a good night's sleep, i woke up rested, refreshed and famished. for breakfast eats, i took judy's recommendation and walked to the nearby old creek house. it was near noon and breakfast was over, but i was able to get the lemon ricotta pancakes with 2 eggs over easy.



must say, it sounded so delicious on paper, but not so much on the plate. the pancakes are made with egg whites and mixed with ricotta cheese which meant that they didn't have that hearty flapjack consistency and taste. instead they were so runny, i couldn't even keep them on the fork. the waiter was so eager to please and wanting to get the cook to whip up some regular pancakes, that i didn't feel the need to accept. the day was waiting and i was sufficiently sated on the eggs and fruit plate.

the thing i'm learning is that everyone's idea of "a mile" here is way different. just like new yorkers saying, everything's "five minutes away", i get the feeling that folks in palm springs think a mile is actually a few walkable blocks. but man, are those blocks long!



by the time i got up the hill to the visitor's centre at tahquitz canyon, i was debating if i even had the energy to even continue hiking its 2 mile loop.

being "backyard" to desert riviera, i thought it would be a good idea to ease into all the hiking with tahquitz canyon, the fabled location with an incredible 60 ft waterfall used by director frank capra as his setting for shangri-la in the 1937 film, lost horizon.

i'm not a hiking kind of girl. i'm one of the rare birds in vancouver that have never hiked the grouse grind. the last time i hiked with friends was up the chief or lynn canyon. they wanted everybody to charge up that hill in a personal best sorta way, that i got completely turned off by hiking. but this time would be different, i would do it at my leisure and i would only tackle trails rated "moderate".



the tahquitz loop would take about 1-1 1/2 hours to complete and i would be gaining 350 feet in elevation. there's even an advisory warning hikers that there are many steep and rocky steps to climb and that they should be able to go up and down 12-15" rock steps. not a problem.

when i had arrived at the visitor's centre, i sat in with a tour group that had finished their walk with a ranger in the theatre room to watch a video that narrated the legend of tahquitz canyon.

problem!

in the video, they interviewed elders of the ague caliente cahuilla tribe about tahquitz, the first shaman who abused his power and brought harm to the cahuilla indians. they banished tahquitz to the canyon that would eventually bear his name. he made his home high in a secret cave in the san jacinto mountains, now known as tahquitz peak. and he would kidnap young cahuilla maidens and keep them hostage in his cave for years. when one maiden begged to be let go, he relented but only if she never told the tribe where she was kept or he would kill her. eventually she did tell and the very next day, she was found dead.

other have also been found dead on the trails. in unusual positions. not fallen over, but rather sitting upright on a rock. cross legged even.

legend has it that tahquitz's spirit still lives in this canyon and that he's seen as a large green fireball streaking across the nightsky. the strange rumblings and shaking of the ground as well as the crashing of boulders are all attributed to him stomping about the canyon.



the interviewees seemed genuinely terrified with their encounters with tahquitz. even though some people might dismiss this as superstition, it gave me the heebie jeebies. i scare easily when it comes to local lore. t'is the same reason why i didn't want to have a voodoo hex slapped on me when i was at mardi gras in new orleans years and years ago. and so i didn't upset anyone who may be a voodoo priest/ess. thanks 'true believers'.

i know the ranger was having a bit of a laugh when he saw the hesitancy on my face and said "as long as you hike with a good intentions, you'll be fine." but then another hiker got into it and told me that as he and his wife were coming back from the hike, he heard this eerie sound in the wind.

that got me feeling uneasy but was encouraged by the staff to go on the hike. about five minutes into it and with no one visible in front of me, i turned back. truth be told, what they said got to me. i didn't want to be found dead, sitting in some upright position. or gone missing, never to be seen again. course when the ranger asked why i was back, i told him and the cashier that i was thoroughly freaked. the cashier reassured me by promising me that nothing of the sort has ever happened. and that the ranger and previous hiker were just being dumb asses.

so i took her at her word and returned onto the trail. and i'm glad i did. for eventually i would come across other hikers, either going or returning. and the canyon was amazing. as was the view of the city. and after sweating in the hot sun and climbing 350 feet, the pay-off was the breathtakingly cool tahquitz falls.



definitely worth the trek and the scare. after i descended safe and sound, i did feel a little silly to be have sucked in like that.

i headed over to the air conditioned palm springs art museum downtown. i wasn't expected much, thinking it would all be turquoise and terracotta pots, but it surprised me. dare i say, it was even more interesting than the vancouver art gallery. (so not a fan of emily carr)


the last outpost. llyn foulkes combines a child's fantasies with his own ironic commentary on the corporate manipulation of a child's innocence. he uses the smiling, popular icons of the lone ranger and mickey mouse and a child acting out his fantasy. anger, nostalgia for the past, apprehension for the future and changing values are represented in this complex work.


clockwise from top left: apart x by anthony gormley, spider II by louise bourgeouis, nossis by anseml kiefer and american tan III by gary hume

aside from the andrew wyeth perspective, i was able to take pictures of their permanent collection. love when a museum lets you do that. *cough, cough vag* they even had an outdoor sculpture garden.

the museum closed at 5 which meant that it was still happy hour at trio restaurant. not only were they raved about on yelp, but nightly between 4pm-6pm, they offered a prix fixe menu of a starter, an entree and dessert for $19.



i ordered the caesar salad which was one of the best caesar salads i've had in recent memory. followed by fish and chips and then topped off with an ice cream sundae.

i was exhausted from walking all day and feet-weary and called on judy for a limo pick-up. even tipping the driver $5 for the complimentary service would've been way cheaper than taking a cab back to the resort. i could've taken the bus but i was facing a 3-4 block walk to the nearest bus stop.

such a princess, right? well, actually, rock star. cuz that's how i rolled tonight.

and then capped it off with a soak in the outdoor hot tub. with only 5 out of the 10 rooms occupied today, i had the whole outdoor courtyard all to myself. and as there's not a lot of street lights in palm springs, it's dark enough to see the stars. the purr-fect thing to see when one is having a float in the pool.

palm spring follies

the only thing that could get me up and at 'em at the ungodly hour of 545am would be a vacation. and the only thing that would make me look the other way would be a departure time of 830am, which means that being at the airport 2 hours earlier to go through blasted customs.

but that's what i did. with an ear-to-ear smile and slightly bloodshot eyes.

sean dropped me off at the airport and i made my way through security. note to self: don't travel on monday mornings as it's the busiest time of the week with the longest wait times.

once on the plane, it would take less than 3 hours before i'd find myself in sunny, balmy palm springs. disembarking the plane, i found out that the arrival/departure gates are sheltered. the other parts of the airport are exposed to the elements and reminded me of the grove in los angeles.

nice surprise #1 - the first 15 minutes for a local call is free!

i called desert riviera's office manager judy and informed her of my arrival, so she could send the stretch limo to pick me up. my driver, jay, gave me a quick tour of downtown while my room was being cleaned from a check-out.



the desert riviera looks even sweeter than it does in pictures. everything is so lush and green. the azure colour of the swimming pool was so inviting. and the sight of tall palm trees made me feel like i wasn't in kansas anymore.


spot the hummingbird. hint: it's in the middle of the picture

nice surprise #2 - the hotel with all its lushness is home to hummingbirds! one of the even "greeted" me when i came through the wrought iron gates. they're so teeny! and there is a huge tree at the other end of the hotel where all the hummingbirds flit in an out.

it was not long before i could get into my poolside room, put away my stuff and kick up my heels. i walked across the street to the ace hotel and ate at the popular kings highway. it was after lunch hour and there was just one other person eating there besides me. or perhaps hipsters don't eat or wake up until closer to dinner?





the server was friendly and called me sweetie every time she talked to me. for my first meal in psp, i ordered an ALT sandwich. (avocado, butter lettuce and vine riped tomato sandwich with harissa aioli on wheat toast served with a side of jicama slaw).

after lunch, i walked around the neighbourhood to orient myself. but functioning on 4 hours of sleep and the early morning travel caught up to me and i had to get a nap in. for dinner, i stuck close to the hotel and walked up the street to red tomatoes for take-out pizza.

still feeling exhausted, i spent the evening at the hotel, watching complimentary movies from their massive dvd collections and taking a midnight soak in the 10 person outdoor hot tub. as only 5 out of their 10 rooms are currently occupied, i had the whole pool/hot tub to myself. and it was nice!

surprise #3.

ever since harrison hot springs, i enjoy sitting in a vat of hot/warm water, but only with the night air on my face and shoulders. and like harrison hot springs, there is not a lot of city lights where i am, which made for brilliant star-gazing while floating on my back. the quiet and the serenity. the desert riviera is indeed a garden oasis.

i couldn't muster up the energy for my usual go! go! go! tourist mode, so my first day was a bit of a write-off, but it sure ended heavenly.

harmonies slay me

i've always been partial to voices singing in harmony, which is why i love, love, love 60s music. i have spent hours, nay, years listening to the sounds of the beatles, beach boys, the byrds, chad and jeremy, peter and gordon, everly brothers, the turtles, the zombies and the associations singing in perfect, dreamy harmony.

which is why i love this cover of van mccoy's baby i'm yours by the arctic monkeys. yes, them again. you can find those monkeys mentioned in my blog but everywhere. they sure know how to cover songs.



and of course, violins. i've always been a sucker for string instruments in pop songs.

a walk in the desert

has it been 6 months? yes it has!

the last day of my EA contract was yesterday and as of today i'm on vacation for 18 days! i had asked for some time-off before rolling into another control because i'm burnt out, both mentally and physically. i couldn't even entertain the option of hanging on and continuing to work until december 24 whereby EA will shut down until january 2 for christmas holidays. i need to relax and recharge. now.

i haven't been on vacation since my trip to amsterdam and brussels in june 2010. a year and a half.

so for a quick getaway, i've decided to go to palm springs. never been there before but i know it's going to be warm and sunny, unlike san francisco, new york or anywhere north of the southern states. i want to go somewhere i've never been before. and for some reason, i feel like seeing the desert.

but with going someplace new, there was a certain amount of sweating decisions. do i go with one of the hotel packages with westjet airlines? or do i go the more expensive route and book the hotel a la carte?

there was the good on paper, erm i mean website, riviera palm springs that westjet packaged with their flights. a swanky and modern hotel. although a tad bit "vegas showy", based on their photo gallery, i nearly booked it.



but my gut told me to check out their reviews and i'm glad i listened. on both tripadvisor and yelp there were just too many scathing reviews.

i considered separately booking the simple and minimalist ace hotel palm springs. but again, it was almost split down the middle between good reviews and bad on tripadvisor and yelp.



now, i'd like to think i wouldn't be scared off by a few bad reviews, but when they're so many fails in the vein of poor customer service, loud parties, fist-pumping jersey shore type clientele, vomit outside doorways, pictures of piles of beer cans and overflowing ashtrays everywhere, i almost gave up on booking altogether. i believe the words, "cess-pool" and "incubator for an std" when describing the hotels' overly crowded swimming pools was the final nail in the coffin.

and i had really wanted to book at ace hotel, ever since i read about it on this photographer's website. it looks so hip and laid back.

so i did some further digging because i did not want to end up with westjet's chain accommodations. i did not envision myself unwinding at a westin, marriot, hyatt or best western hotel. and i wanted something more boutique. more intimate. i didn't fancy staying somewhere that had 400 rooms.

i considered the groovy 50s rat-pack stylings of orbit in, with their eames and noguchi furnishings.



or the del marco, a desert oasis throwback designed by architect william f. cody in 1947. they offer different theme rooms and included a schwackload of amenities with your stay.



the palm spring rendezvous also offered themed rooms, like pretty in pink which was actually marilyn monroe's home away from home. they even had a james dean tribute room called rebel without a cause. growing up a HUGE james dean fan and sharing the same birthday, i did have a think about staying here.



but asides from the rebel room, i was afraid, based on their website, palm springs rendezvous would skew older in terms of guests.

but then i found the desert riviera and as i cruised their website, i felt an immediate sense of relief. this is where i want to stay. this would help me relax. they had me at "desert riviera - a garden resort".



even on tripadvisor and yelp, no one had a bad thing to say about them. in fact, they're rated #1 in customer satisfaction on tripadvisor and consistent 5 stars from guests on yelp. all i kept reading was amazing service this, amazing service that.






the above 3 block of pictures were taken by guests!

and honestly, that's what i need.

upon making a reservation when the manager found out i was traveling by myself, she immediately upgraded me to a poolside room. and they're going to pick me up in a limo from the airport. and have a welcome basket of treats and drinks upon my arrival. and a 24 hour outdoor pool and jacuzzi. and at night i can float in the water and look at the stars in the sky.

i mean, holy crows, check out all the unmatched amenities that goes with your stay.

.

and there's only 10 bungalows. peace and quiet. incomparable hospitality. attention to detail. garden oasis.

folks, we have a winner!

doing the twist

someone tell me if they've ever seen a cat sleep in this position? cuz i've had 3 cats before and none of them have ever slept like that, in some sort of half-twist. i mean, his rear legs are facing topside while his front paws are facing down. i think it's both adorable and strange to see charlie sleep like this.



and then as he's slowly waking up, (while i'm surfing ebay), he likes to lie on his back with those bunny feet spread wide open.

my strange little peanut.

laptop kitty

a warm laptop proves too irresistible for charlie to pass up. his second favourite place to sleep.

magic hour

sean and i were driving back from an appointment a couple of weeks ago. we were both in our cars, him following, as we drive down kingsway. we stopped at a red light.

looking up, i was taken aback by the way the setting sun was just lighting up the clouds in the sky. i quickly grabbed my iphone to took a picture of the breathtaking colours.

i was just about to call sean to ask him if he was also seeing this when i looked in my rearview mirror, only to see him also taking a picture with his android phone.

and that is how i know that he's the guy for me.

daily cat bonding

however stressful a day at work i'm having, i'm comforted by the thought that once i get home, charlie will be there waiting for hugs from me. like literally. he's a needy and affectionate kitty. we were warned at the spca when we adopted him that this is his nature. (and it suits me fine)

our daily ritual since he came into my life is that when i get home, wash the day off my face, change into comfy clothes, i'd pick charlie up, turn on the tv, kick back onto the bed for a few minutes and have some human/kitty bonding time. he then proceeds to purr himself to sleep in my arms or on my chest. a limpy lump of kitty cuteness.



and then i'm trapped under 6 pounds of cat. and i have to wait until charlie wakes up before moving. good thing, i have a tv remote control. get myself nice and comfy. i ain't going anywhere...



but sometimes he'll just slide off me or get up in his sleepy daze only to lie back down and fall asleep by me.



so whatever the work day may throw my way, i know that once i get home, he'll have something to sleep on (me), and i get an instant de-stresser. i think i got the better end of the deal.

halloween extravaganza III

i think it's safe to say sean and i like halloween. this is our third halloween together and our third gutting of pumpkins.

halloween 2009:





halloween 2010:





halloween 2011:





looking forward to next year...