The last stop

So our last stop this season was South Lake Tahoe...my all time favorite place in the word...and it still lives up to that!

So we arrived on Wed morning and the weather was amazing! My room was lakeside and it had a jacuzzi in the room...absolutely amazing. Come Thurs the weather took a MASSIVE dip in temperature. It snowed overnight so when I opened my curtains...can we say AWESOME! Then my alma mater, UTPA, came up to the tournament. So I got to see Karen and Dave. YEA! They were staying in Reno for a UN-Reno tournament. Totally Random and cool! But the greatest thing about the day was IT SNOWED DURING MISTY'S MATCH! Oh yea...snow on the AVP tour. 1st time in 25 years! Just plain classic! After the tournament ended me and Misty headed down to watch UTPA play UN-Reno. Good times with Treanor! She is just plain classic!

At first I thought the snow would be the highlight of this trip...BUT NO! Stacy Millichap's parents invited a ton of players and staff over for a BBQ at their lake front vacation home. This was a PALACE! I can't wait for the pics from last night! It was FRICKIN BEAUTIFUL! And it was a great vb crowd. The top players, their families, some staff, and some friends. A great way to end the tour season!!

Viva Las Vegas

So let me finish my Vegas trip.....

From Wed night's dinner at Moni Game under the Eiffel Tower to the Caesar's Pool...can we say wow. And let's not forget our PURE experience (which included the Pussycat Lounge...which rocked)!! The one thing about Vegas that never changes is the fact that you can be anywhere you want to be in the world...and return to reality in less than an hour!

The Day That Changed America

9/11...5 years later. Being able to stay across the street from the WTC site less than a month ago (and actually next a WTC building that collasped) has brought an even deeper significance for me to that day...which is kinda scary because my own memoires haunt me from that day. Looking at pictures now I can place the actual locations, actual directions, etc. Kinda scary but honestly refreshing. We lost awesome people who were heroic and courageous. God Bless America.

Vegas Baby!

So these last few weeks have been a blur since Brooklyn. First it was Boulder, then home for two days...then off to Cincinnati (which is suprisingly a beautiful city), then home for two days...now we are in Vegas...AT CAESAR'S PALACE! Being someone who gets to visit this city a ton, I usually don't stay on the strip...so this is a treat!

Our trip today started with two stars on my plane...Kevin Dillion (Entourage) and Annabeth Gish (Mystic Pizza..an 80's movie queen). Kinda funny actually! Then off to lovely LV! I had my clinic tonight and now I am off to a dinner at Paris that overlooks the Belagio Water Fountains! Of course...it doesn't hurt that my dinner "date" is ms. May herself...hahaha! Not to break off on another subject...but this job has helped me and Misty get back on the same page in our friendship...so kudos to that!

So it is a wild and fun weekend ahead...hopefully some classic pics along with the blog! And MAYBE some pics from Brooklyn will make there way up here someday too! Hahaha!

NYC...a few more pics....

The tall ships at Pier 17

Times Square with Benne & Pace

My friend from Junior College, Gil, was in town working on a project

Times Square

MTV Studios

Rockafeller Center....Pace, Thomsen, & Benne

A view of the Cyclone

Another view of the Cyclone

Me and Marcia ready to go on the roller coaster

The Cyclone returning to the entrance

We rode the coaster...Benne, Marcia, Mary, and me!

The rest of NYC...There are no words!!!

As I state in the title...really, no words can describe how long our days were and how much fun we had! BUT I CAN TRY....

So Thurs morning we always have the qualifier, which I was in charge of...and i have amazing interns who check the people in...Anyways, talk about a very long day...first to be there and last to leave...gotta love my thursdays! Anyways, at the end of the day we had our clinic.It rocked! After that was over we headed back to the city in a trolley...yes, a trolley. Me, Dane, Kirston, and Anthony...the view once you were in the view of the statue was amazing. Once we got back to the hotel we decided where we were going to eat. Also, my friend flew into town that day so she joined us for dinner. We decided on Pier 17. GREAT DECISION! For those who have never been there...wow...really amazing at night! It is underneath the tall ships, next to the brooklyn brige, and has a backdrop of downtown behind it! We ate on the water too. I have never eaten at a prettier place! What a way to end the day!

Fri was a great day...but nothing too exciting happened...Sat on the other hand was awesome! On one our breaks, Me, Mary, Marcia, and Melissa went over to ride the infamous Cyclone! And let me tell you... it lives up to its name! It is the oldest wooden roller coaster in America. And where it lacks in height, it makes up in freakiness! You just don't know if you are going to stay on the track! Too much fun! And for the night..well, I had it off so we decided to get a group together and go out...NYC style! Me and my friend,Pepa, helped arrange a club where we could have an "unofficial" players party...CAN WE SAY TOO MUCH FUN! I have never had tht much fun ever I think. Talk to me personally I will tell you about it. So much fun!

Another couple of days in the best city in the world...

So on Wed morning I knew I had to get work done and some sightseeing thrown in at the same time! So I started off with some work and then ventured outside...our hotel was located on the Hudson River to the west and the WTC site to the east. I started off by going to WTC site. It just takes the wind out of you....LITERALLY. They have finally decided what they are going to build on the site and actually broke ground last weekend. It is going to be quite impressive! Nothing can replace what we lost on that day...but this is doing a great job trying. From there I walked past Trinity to go to Wall Street and the Exchange...so much power down there. It is just amazing feeling to know you are just outside the stock exchanges! Then I had to go the "Bull". Now, for those who don't know what the Bull is...no worries...I didn't either! It has to do with stocks...the bull is good and the bear is bad (I think it is bad...hahaha). And I had to take this pic because there was someone who stood below the bulls butt...enough said....I hoped on a subway from there to venture on down to Coney Island. Pretty much the subways take around an hour from the hotel to the site and vise versa. After a little beach action at our site I jumped on the N train back to Union Square. AND WHO KNEW THAT THE SUBWAY WENT OVER THE MANHATTAN BRIDGE! Talk about an amazing view! I was stunned! Anyways, I got off at Union Square and walked there Farmer's Market. It totally rocked too. So after my walk I hoped back on the subway and headed up to Columbus Circle. As I got off I saw Central Park and noticed a Kinkos across the street...which rocked since I had to do a bunch of things for the Qualifier. I hoped back on the subway back down to my hotel...but had to make a final stop in the village. GREY DOG'S! Oh yea...i got my fave coffee...YEA!! When I got to the hotel, I walked across the street to battery park and the Hudson River. So beautiful! You could see the Statue of Liberty from there. TOTALLY AWESOME! When I turned around I was looking down the street where the twin towers would have cast a shadow at this time...totally humbled me. Anyways, another great day...with more to come!

Planes, Trains, And Automobiles...Day 1 NYC style

So I arrived into JFK, on no sleep mind you and jetting to the trains..from the Airtran to the LIRR to the NJ Transit...I was heading to meet Kristen in her town of Madison, New Jersey. First of all...TRAINS & SUBWAYS ARE NOT TRAVELER FRIENDLY. Hahaha. With that in mind I just had to grin and bear it. Madison was a 35 minute train ride from Penn Station, which was not bad at all. Madison is a cute little town that is old school cute!
It was awesome to see Kris! And I got to meet her baby..AUGIE ...The cutest little boy (besides my baby boy)! Me and Augie were intstant friends...fancy that right? We went on a hike with Augie and then drove around the country. It was gorgeous! There is a place called the Great Swamp
too...oh yea...in New Jersey! We then went home and had some fun with my lovely Mac computer! Hilarious! And we ended the day with dinner at the Firehouse with kris and her hubby, Danny.
I headed back into the city (Penn Station) and jumped into a cab (because I was done lugging around town). That was my first NYC taxi ride! That was awesome too. And then we pulled up to our hotel...caddy corner from the World Trade Center. Oh yea. CRAZY!

From Manhattan Beach to Dana Point

So this weekend was the Grand daddy of all beach volleyball tournaments...the Manhattan Beach Open. For those who have not been to MB...it is a cute,upscale beach community that is the home of beach volleyball. Everyone likes to win titles...but EVERYONE wants to win the MB open title. If you win, your team is placed on a plaque on the pier. And of course celebrities come out too. From Adrian Bellini (Passions) to Rachel Hunter (model) there were some hot people out on the sand! Others who came out included Laird Hamilton (World Famous Surfer), Galen Gerring (Passions), Kristina Loken (T3), Ali Landry (Ms. USA/Doritos Girl), Antonio Sabato Jr (Calvin Klein model/TV star), and Jim Caviziel
(Passion of the Christ, Count of Monte Christo), who I did not even realize I handed VIP bands to (since I focused on another customer). Nice huh! Hahaha! The tourney was awesome...great weather, great vball...who can ask for more!

My good friend Cristy also got married on Sat in South County. Her and her new hubby are the Santa Margarita high school volleyball coaches. The reception was at the Dana Point Yacht club, which was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!! And of course Chapman looked beautiful!
Her dress was the prettiest dress I have ever seen too!