An Experience I could have lived without

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6/19/2021

 I have thought about how to write this post over and over again. Started it over and over again.  No matter how I start I keep coming up short on portraying the experience I had. 

This isn’t a post that will have my normal snark in it. It’s not a bright and fun experience. My attempts to make it more light hearted or riddled with quips and other such thing don’t really help it out. 

I was already not feeling good. Having issues keeping food down. The first couple days was water and crackers.  As nauseous as I was, those two things still seemed to stay down. The third … read more...

Whale Watching and so much more!

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For my Partners birthday we took advantage of having friends staying with us and spent a weekend in California. It was a fantastic weekend and so many firsts! It was great being able to experience all of this with him.

I’ve always thought whale watching was 5,000% out of my league. I’d never have a chance at seeing a whale. I grew up in the center of the North American continent. When I don’t think I’d see the ocean, the idea of ever being able to see a whale was laughable. 

My first chance at seeing a whale was part of Don’s birthday weekend.

I did not get a picture … read more...

Grasshoppers

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These babies may not look all that appetizing (apart from the bacon!) but they are fantastic. I could
eat 20 of them in a sitting if I was my pre-keto self. They are the “pringles” of snacks! Once you pop – you can’t stop!


You might know these by another name but I’ve always heard them called ‘Grasshoppers’.  Bacon wrapped, cream cheese filled jalapeno poppers!
They are extremely easy to make and the crunchier you get the bacon the better these taste! I missed the beer battered deep fried version of jalapeno poppers, but these quickly took over my hear!


Ingredients:

  • 5 jalapenos sliced in half lengthwise and gutted
    • Make
… read more...

Forage for Mushrooms

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I’ve always loved the idea of foraging for your own food. I envy the people that can tell which plants are what with great confidence. I could have a book in one hand and the plant in the other and I still would be second guessing myself. 

Luckily, we have some more seasoned people with us on this excursion. Our friends back in Wisconsin took us out hunting while we were visiting. Apart from the humidity and the blood thirsty mosquitos, it was very enjoyable. It was great to get outside in nature without melting in 110 degrees. We had the dogs with, they both did very well on their … read more...

Ride on a Paddle Boat

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 One of my bosses has a huge obsession over river boats.

It was neat to see the childlike grins he would get in the pictures he shared with us. Like a kid in a candy store. He was always super proud of his boat/ship adventures. I am not sure I will understand the obsession with the ships. I’m assuming its a kin to my obsession with animals. 

Needless to say, I always had a fascination with those paddle boats. I blame Willy Wonka. The Boat scene in the movie was great.  

NO! I did not think riding a paddle boat would bring hallucinogenlike experiences. 

I have no idea what was … read more...

Participate in a Clinical Study

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I’ve seen clinical studies on T.V. shows. The bits I’ve seen are always portrayed as a shit show or a joke.  I’m sure it has to do a lot with my choices in shows, but, regardless. This was my exposure to these kind of studies.

I don’t know that this would have originally been on my bucket list. But, when you are strapped for cash, then I guess you will do all kinds of things to ensure you can pay the bills or get to the place you are wanting to go.

I remember donating plasma when I was younger. I have permanent craters in my arms from donating so … read more...

Hold a Monkey

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Unless its in a zoo, I’ll never get to hold a monkey. I mean, where else would I encounter a monkey right? Especially being in the United States? And I know I’m NEVER going to get to go out of the country. I can’t afford flights like that. 

Fast Forward MANY Years…. Here I am in the Dominican Republic, AMAZED that I have a monkey standing on me and feeling bad that the poor thing is having to perform. 

I seen them on the beach a couple times but didn’t want to pester the monkey. So many people want to be just like me – Please let me hold the … read more...

Snorkeling – (Kind of)

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I have been fascinated by water for as long as I can remember. From the shimmer of light on the surface or rippling water to the bottom of the oceans. It’s amazing the life that lives in water. Aaaaaand Terrifying. 

If you have read any of the other posts, its possible you came across me talking about my fear of water. Well, this is where I started to embrace my fear.  I have quite a few things about me that I would love to change. The fact that I’m stuck in my head 90% of the time is definitely one of them. Being stuck in my head has impacted my … read more...

Try Coconut Water – from an actual coconut

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 Like I said – I got to mark a lot of firsts off my list on this trip to the Dominican Republic. There’s things I didn’t even know should have been on my list that need to get added. 

This, I’ve wanted to do for quite a while. My husband and I watch a lot of those ‘Alone’ type shows where they have to survive on their own. (supposedly, but either way its still interesting). 

Coconut water is frequently used for hydration on those shows when they cant get their fire working. So, naturally, I had to try this. Sure, we have coconut water in stores, but that’s different. I … read more...

Leave the Country

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The beginning of 2020 started out pretty decent. No Covid yet, a trip to the Dominican Republic, experiencing going through customs (that was very anticlimactic lol). I practices quite a bit of Spanish in the Dominican and was happy to get some pointers and do pretty decent as well. 

Leaving the country brought quite a few new experiences. I’m sure you will be able to review them as I get them all posted. 

Things certainly work differently in different countries. Granted – I’ve not been to a plethora of countries to compare it to anything. On arrival to the DR, we exited the plane on stairs. Walk down, jump on … read more...