Lisa Lisa Bo Bisa

Decision was made, and in September 2003 I found myself in Costa Rica! I arrived at night and ended up staying at a little hostel that I had found in my travel guide the first few nights.  The hostel was really the back room in this little old man's house, but it seemed legit, was very well recommended in the travel guide, and only cost me $17 a night.  I didn't know anything about the city, or where I was staying, but was fortunate that I ended up alright.  I was in the heart of the city and able to access everything on foot or by bus.  After a few nights I found an even better hostel run by some Quaker women and felt I had to say adios to the little old man. Those first few days I spent hours researching language schools and making phone calls at the pay phone on the corner.  I felt like a dweeb standing out there, but I didn't have my own phone so what was I to do?  It led me to a few prospects but no immediate work.  Si...

Back when I was a twenty-something, I had exciting adventures worthy of blogging.  Life nowadays is just...life.  Nothing terribly exciting.  So why didn't I blog back then when I had fun things to say? It was so foreign to me at that time, and always seemed like i t was for other more talented people, like my dear friend Alicia.  I remember sitting in the little internet café near my house in Costa Rica reading her new blog and loving that I had an outlet into her life that I was missing so much on.  We couldn't easily chat on the phone or meet up for coffee, but I could still feel connected - pretty awesome.  But I didn't realize I could have been doing the same thing, so I did not capture any of my great adventures as a twenty-something living abroad, aside from a few emails here and there to family and friends.  Though I'm 8+ years late and the experience is somewhat vague in my m...

This week I experienced a whole new side of the meaning of business trip, one that has left me utterly and completely exhausted.  I had had my fair share of business trips before now, your typical board room meeting(s) followed by a late dinner with the client and early morning flight home.  I have found those trips to be quite tiring as well, but mostly because I'm out of my routine and for some reason flying makes you tired.  Why is that?  All you do is sit. This trip, however, was a whole new experience.  I was fortunate enough to be able to attend one of our program events as staff, which is nothing like the corporate meetings I was so accustomed to.  It was in Florida, which couldn't be better during December for this Minnesota gal, and I was looking forward to a change of pace and a little time out of my dull office routine.  What I didn't realize was what I was in for.  I was on the go from sunrise to long after...

This year, we decided to partake in the Black Friday madness.  I'm not sure why, as we didn't really have anything specific we were hoping to buy or any huge deals we just had to have.  I suppose because many of the stores opened at midnight, we were more inclined to give it a try.  Who knew what kind of deals and/or Christmas gift ideas we'd find.  We spent the afternoon at Jon's grandma's house, browsing through ads and coming up with our game plan.  We knew we didn't want to deal with lines outside, so we caffeinated up and waited until midnight to hit the stores.  Our first stop was Best Buy, where we found decent deals on a couple of items but the checkout line was over an hour long and put a damper on our quick Black Friday trip.  In retrospect, we shouldn't have even bothered - we could have ordered it all online.  The crowd was insane and I was exhausted already.  But, we survived, made our purchas...

I am lazy.  I took last Thursday off to burn up some vacation time that I will otherwise lose, and I had anticipated all sorts of projects to be completed.  But instead, I spent the entire day on the couch watching TV.  No joke.  At least I have more vacation days coming to be a little more productive. My new favorite show is Gold Rush on TLC.  It's such a random thing to watch, but I find it so intriguing.  Pay no attention to the crazy long beards, mullets, and odd accents - it's addicting.  Who knew that people were still actively mining for gold in Alaska?  Not me.  Maybe I should get in on that.  I might have better odds than winning the lottery. I bought powerball tickets a couple of weeks ago at the request of my husband but alas, did not win.  Hence my brief entertainment of mining for gold.  They say money can't buy you happiness, but I can't imagine having extra money to relieve some financ...

Yesterday we buried my grandpa Ozzie.  And it was both a blessing and a plain, old sad, sad day.  He lived all 97 years of his life to his fullest, and though we never wanted to see him go, we knew it was his time.  My grandpa was one of the kindest human beings I ever knew.  He cared so much for his family and truly put everyone before himself.  He always loved a good laugh, a beautiful day on the golf course, and of course pie - any and all kinds.  (I am almost certain I get my sweet tooth from him).  He made sure all of his grandchildren had the means to get a great education, he spoiled us all with gifts, and he loved to hear everything we were up to.  He served as a cryptographer in Africa during WWII, which I think has to be the most interesting position ever.  He was a gentleman through and through, always holding the door open for everyone else and greeting people he both knew and didn't know.  I can't ...

Jon beat me at golf!   He has probably been waiting for this day since we met in 2008.   Actually, I know he has.   I knew it would happen someday, just wasn’t sure when.   After all, Jon has been taking lessons and practicing quite a bit, getting better and better, while I have done the opposite.   So logic would tell you this was to happen.   And truthfully, I was happy for him that it did! Admittedly, in the last few years I have taken pride in the fact that I could beat him, and his buddy, regularly on the golf course.   A woman, beating a man in a sport = awesome.   I’ve always enjoyed the compliments I have received and happy that all my years of hard work on the golf course have paid off.   Though I have had my share of bad shots, and Jon really good shots, somehow I still always managed to stay just below his score. Until last Saturday.   It was the most perfect day to golf.   We don’t get many sunny, 60+ degre...

For my birthday dinner this year, I requested that we go to McGovern's, where we had our rehearsal dinner, so that I could get their Strawberry Chicken Salad.  Which, in my opinion, is the best. salad. ever.   We finally got a chance to go this week, after a super busy couple of weeks.  It's always fun to go back there and remember that wonderful evening we shared with our close family and friends.  I didn't really know what was in store for me that following day, but I knew that no matter what, it was the people in that room with me that night that mattered most.  (I have no pictures that night with family - oops!) So back to food (of course).  This salad is just so delicious.  The strawberries, the pecans, the bacon, perfectly grilled chicken, the vinagrette dressing...  Every time I inhale this dish like it's going out of style - no joke.  But, you see, I've learned that this salad is not always on the menu.  Because...

I was talking to a colleague of mine this morning, and after a few minutes of conversation, he furrowed his brow in a look of concern and asked, “Are you ok? You look…” and trailed off like he didn’t quite know how to say it.   Trying to avoid feeling incredibly awkward myself (or maybe hoping I wouldn't have to hear the end of his sentence), I quickly replied that I didn’t sleep well last night and was tired.   The answer appeared to explain it all and he was off to another subject.  Awkward moment mostly averted. Though I was in fact tired and indeed did not sleep well due both to a snoring monster next to me and too few blankets on the bed to keep me warm enough, I didn’t think it was transparent in my face.   But apparently I look awful today.   Maybe it’s my hoodie and jeans and hair pulled back with little makeup that makes me look sluggish/worn/whatever my colleague noticed.   Who knows.   I should maybe rethink my interpretation...

Bright and early on the morning I regretfully turned 31 we headed to the airport to travel out east for a bunch of festivities, namely my little sister's wedding.  I had been looking forward to this trip for months and did not mind spending my birthday getting there one bit.  It was a nice distraction, as it turns out turning 31 is not as easy as turning 30.  I have a feeling it's going to feel that way the rest of my life. Before we could get started on preparing for my sister's wedding festivities, we had another wedding to go to in the Poconos!  My cousin coincidentally planned his own wedding the weekend prior to my sister's, which turned out well for us and a few other family members that decided to make it a week's vacation.  Unfortunately the weather was cold and rainy that day, but my cousins made the most of it and the whole event was just beautiful.  We are so thrilled to have his wife part of our family now!  It was this trip tha...

Finally!  Something fun and interesting to blog about.  It's not to say that the month since I last blogged has been dull, exactly, but for whatever reason not enough to motivate me to write anything.  But we just recently returned from an amazing trip to Washington (State).  We were in Seattle for 3 days and George, Washington for another 3 (Funny, huh? George, Washington?) attending none other than the Dave Matthews Band Caravan at The Gorge.  Words may not do the trip justice, but I'll try, since I want to remember it. Thanks to the two-hour time difference, we arrived in Seattle at 8:30am last Thursday, checked into our hotel, and off we went to see the city.  And see it did we ever!  It was a bright sunny day and so great to be outdoors, and we had a long list of things to do.  First and foremost - a trip to the original first Starbucks!  It didn't taste any different, but I did fe...

I almost got another hole-in-one on Saturday.  Almost!  It was soooo close.  I'm talking less than a foot.  Crazy. Most golfers are lucky to get even one in their lifetime.  My dad has been playing for 45+ years and has yet to get one, though I'm sure he's come close many times before.  I got one when I was 26.  (He was slightly jealous I'm sure).  There is some skill to it, obviously, but also a lot of luck with the right circumstances.  Anyways, on Saturday Jon and I headed down to Red Wing to play at Mississippi National Golf Links.  It was our first time there (thanks to crowdcut deal), so we had no idea what was in store for us.  I was expecting some rolling hills with beautiful views of the Mississippi River.  Instead, we found ourselves in the deep woods with huge winding paths that were so steep I feared for my life a few times while riding the cart.  It didn't take us long to realize why golf carts were mandat...

The last week has been a whirlwind of activity, and I feel like I have so much to say.  (Ok, now the DMB song So Much to Say is running through my head - my hubby would be proud).  I can't believe how much I jammed into the last 7 days.  It all started with our first summer girls weekend - a tradition I hope we keep up.  We decided to meet up in the Wisconsin Dells for the weekend, which I think turned out to be a great decision (minus a few complaints about the resort and accommodations).  We headed out on Friday afternoon, enjoyed an uneventful trip there, and checked into a rather nice villa at Chula Vista.  We had a full kitchen and even enough beds for us all, though apparently not enough blankets and pillows to satisfy this group of girls...  :) That night we laughed so much over a game of Loaded Questions, per usual.  I'm talking serious belly laughs, with tears and all.  It was a refreshing change from the more se...

Last weekend for the holiday weekend we went camping.  Sort of.  Ok, so it really was camping, but not exactly the kind I've done before.  Back when I was younger, my family went camping just about every summer, always to a really cool state park somewhere.  From what I remember, we were always in these spacious wooded lots, barely visible to our neighbors, and very close to nature.  No electricity, no running water - all things natural.  We'd cook over the open fire (or maybe we had a tiny gas stove - I didn't pay much attention to cooking in those days) and make delicious pies and smores to our hearts' content.  We slept in a 4 person tent, on the ground or if we were lucky a thin foam mat.  We spent our days hiking, exploring the area, our nights around the bonfire... I actually don't remember what else we bided our time with, but I'm sure it was fun. Last weekend we went camping with Jon's family, but this was a littl...