Videos

February 27, 2011 In Photos, Videos, Virginia

it’s official

As you all know, I had promised a surprise Blue Lollipop Road announcement/next project about a month ago. It was bit delayed because of a few good unplanned opportunities, and now we are ready.

BLUE LOLLIPOP ROAD ADVENTURES IS BORN!

After 16 years of my own adventure travels (50 states, several countries, delectable foods, interesting people, and thousands of miles and stories), it’s time to pass on the laundry list of resources and information I have, to all of you out there: I put together a plan that includes anything from a small local quick outing to a far off extensive journey, add a fantastic food and drink element, and there you have the perfect storm for fun, meeting like minded people, and getting out of your everyday grind.

Sounds pretty great right? I use my buckets of experience and do the “dirty” work. (Planning and figuring out all details.) You show up and have a blast. It’s so easy!

The 1st ever BLR Adventure happened yesterday. A group of incredibly fun and diverse people dove in to be my “test” case. (Thanks again guys!) We had a most fantastic 9 hours of road tripping, exploring, food and drink. No one from the group knew each other. (You know I love to watch worlds collide!) I laughed so hard my stomach hurt, heard “I haven’t had this much fun in forever!”, “When is the next one?!” and ended the day with a big fat smile on my face. As I drove home last night, I had a euphoric feeling, just as I had hoped I would. Nothing makes me happier than exploring outside of the regularly scheduled program, and encouraging other people to hop on the train to share that time. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

I truly believe that an adventure a day keeps the doctor away. That simply means doing anything that makes you feel alive and excited.

Yesterday, we were all very much alive and excited. A road trip to Virginia’s Wine Country with our first stop at Veritas Winery. We toasted to the launch of BLR Adventures:

…ordered a cheese plate snack:

… and had a glass of each of our favorite vino outside while enjoying the sunshine:

Here’s some of the happy crew:

After Veritas, we drove to our next winery reservation, but we had lounged at Veritas in the sun for so long we were too late. That ended up being perfect because the next portion of the adventure I had planned was to go to Mas Tapas in the Belmont Neighborhood in Charlotesville. There is always a wait at Mas. This place is slam-packed jam-packed every second it’s open and they don’t take reservations. We managed to score a table in no time because of our early arrival. Before we sat we met and chatted with a sweet and interesting couple. (Transplants from New Jersey to Charlottesville.) They were on a “date” for their 21st wedding anniversary, so cute. Talking to strangers fit in with the theme of our day.

The food was so delicious, I didn’t even have time to take any photos before our table was empty!

Clean plates = happy people.

Some of what we ordered:
*Pequeno Plato de Queso – sliced, aged raw-milk Manchego, local apples, on a slice of hearth-baked bread
*Queso cocido con alcachofa – warm artichoke and goat cheese spread w/ brick-oven bread
*CocaMAS – wood-fired flatbread w/ smoked tomatoes, Caromont Farm’s Chevre, Manchego, Basil on hand-crafted dough
*Carne asada – marinated hanging tenderloin -grilled rare w/ smoked tomato alioli
*Chuletillas de cordero – tender, young lamb chops w/ grilled flatbread and a mint-mojo sauce

Drooling yet? So, so delish.

Cafe’ con leche to end an amazing meal:

We are big fans of Mas, especially these funny tees the chefs were wearing:

The first BLR Adventure was a wild success!

I will announce yet another surprise this coming week. The big kahuna is the complete overhaul of this site. We will launch in the next few weeks. Thrilled isn’t a big enough word for how I’m feeling about a new full-on website to go with the next big phase of Blue Lollipop Road. The new site will have complete information on BLR Adventures and other projects we are working on so stay tuned.

To my test crew from yesterday~

Thank you for your support and participation! I can’t wait for our next one.

Here’s to exploring, eating, drinking and being merry!

February 18, 2011 In Videos

can you imagine?

It’s nice having people in my life that are 6,000 times smarter than I am. My hodge podge of friends keep me on my toes. One friend I have, who’s brain is on a different universe than mine (meaning on the brilliant universe)- works for Corning. He just sent me this video.

Possibilities with Corning Glass:

These are the kinds of things my friends work on during their days? Blows my mind.

With technology like this, soon enough I’ll be able to buy a robot that senses when I have a craving for chocolate chip cookies, it will insta-bake and deliver them to me with some icy cold milk. Now I think that would be the perfect addition to all this glass amazingness.

February 14, 2011 In Videos

look mom… i can run again!

I got exactly what I wanted for Valentines Day: Vibrams FiveFingers.

If you know me, you know I love to run. Running to me, is one of the best forms of therapy, zoning time and of course that thing which allows me to continually participate in my Oreo and Nutella habit. (By the way did you know that Oreos are vegan? Score! Something else I just thought of for the first time too: Oreo blue is the same shade of blue as Blue Lollipop Road blue. Can we blame the color twin as the reason for my addiction?)

Anyway, back to running:

As you will hear in my below video, I acquired some serious injuries after way over training for a marathon In 2004. 55 miles a week in traditional running shoes will do that to you. I used to run races regularly and I’ve only been able to run 3 miles at a time since then, which for someone like me feels like losing an arm. I love running about as much as I love traveling and chocolate. My horribly painful IT band issues have left what feels like a forever bump on the outside of my right knee. Fittings at various stores, long chat’s with “professionals”, Gait training, stretching practically every way including hanging from a chandelier, yoga, different shoes, new shorter stride, blah, blah, blah, you name it- I have done it and spent on it, I still have major pain and swelling when I wear traditional running shoes. The shoes have been the culprit.

A year and a half ago, I had one of those days and took off running, completely zoned out on the beach. When my brain broke free from my stress zone, it registered that I’d run about 6/7 miles. I stopped dead in my tracks and remember exclaiming “Holy sh*t! I just ran way over 3 miles barefoot and I have no swelling or pain?!” It’s as if a doctor had just told me I’d be able to walk again.

After that beach run, I started running barefoot whenever I could. When I was on rough surface and couldn’t go totally barefoot worrying about foot protection, I wore some ridiculous non-sport fashion-y shoes which were essentially flip flops that tied up. It scared the crap out of me to put on a regular running shoe. I ran like that 6 days a week for about 4 months. Even though I felt healthier and less swollen then I had in years, at some point I started doubting my research. I also think it was hard to permanently break my habit of those traditional shoes. So what did I do? Glutton for punishment, I went out and bought another pair of traditional running shoes. That was a mistake and like all the rest I had bought before, a waste of my money. The Nike Free is what I got. They were Ok, but still made my leg swell. That pair is now retired for zumba class only, never again for a run.

After all these years I have learned my lesson.

The only time I have no pain or swelling when I run, is when I’m barefoot. Makes sense right? Any shoe with cushion, arch, etc. whether it’s an everyday shoe, a heel, sneaker, whatever- throws off the alignment of your spine, forces your foot to do something it doesn’t do naturally. In the end makes you injured. There are many arguments as to whether or not running barefoot or like barefoot will ruin your body. Well, running is always going to wreak havoc on your legs. We all know that. It is what it is. All I know is that less pain while wreaking havoc on my body is better than excruciating pain. Vibrams might not work for everyone, but they sure work for me.

I wore them on a treadmill yesterday. No pain, no swelling. (YIPPEE!) Here are my before and after run videos from this morning. (Excuse the sideways shots and long winded 2nd video. I was very excited, the run was a success, and who needs to edit? These things are a one shot deal.)

Sorry Nike, Adidas, Reebok and other; I’ll reserve you for sports bras and soccer cleats only. Vibrams have given my feet protection from elements while allowing them to strike how nature intended. I have officially ditched your shoes and the pain and suffering that comes with them.

Anyone out there who has heartbreakingly given up a running hobby, career or race- try out some Vibrams. I’ll see you back out on the road!

January 24, 2011 In Photos, Vermont, Videos

“my legs are numb!”

We dress in ridiculous clothes, do the robot and jump in snow piles that are almost up to the roof to entertain ourselves around these parts when the temperatures are frigid. There is no time to be cute, so I am looking super hot in Dad’s big boots:

My sister likes jeans instead of snow pants:

I had to make some video:

It was pretty easy to convince her to jump back in the snow pile:

She was screeching that her legs were numb (it was her idea to jump in and take photos in the first place!) We laughed so hard we were crying. It’s too bad we are so boring and don’t know how to have fun.

No snow bank jumping this morning. It still says -15 on the thermometer outside at 9am. OUCH! I’m thinking Costa Rica or some other southern destination might be a good choice for next January…

January 12, 2011 In Photos, Videos

“it’ll be ok. we can go get a milkshake after!”

So now for the reveal of a big surprise and our BLR Saturday Team Building excursion:

A tattoo.

Long about the end of July when I left Madison Wisconsin and started blazing a fast trail through Canada, somewhere in the silence of my many hours alone driving, popped in my head from out of nowhere: I’m going to get a tattoo, yep, a blue lollipop and it’s going to be on my left arm on the inside of my wrist. I’ll do it when I finish this trip. Perfect.

And I never questioned my thought on the subject again. I also didn’t tell anyone for a couple months. Going into it, only 4 people total knew- including Intern Sarah who actually accompanied me to get branded for life and document it all. 5 months of me keeping a secret when I am excited about something is near monumental. Me getting a tattoo is really monumental. My response to the “Do you have any tattoos” in the past has been. “No way! They day I find something I want to have on my body for the rest of my life is the day I will get a tattoo. I doubt that’s ever going to happen.

Funny how things change eh?

So, after months of waiting, drawings made by a very special and significant person to the Blue Lollipop Road, 2 previous visits to scope the tattoo spot and chat with the artist, feeling like a preppy adolescent geek among older cool talented kids, lots of nausea when thinking about it, and a sleepless Friday night last week being totally freaked out and nervous about the whole thing- Sarah and I had our little field trip on Saturday. Us driving to my appointment feeling scared shitless:

Here’s my pure virgin wrist “before”:

Here’s me off in la la land because, um- yeah, it kinda hurts:

Here’s Sarah having fun filming me again and teasing me laughing: “Yeah- that’s blood Diane.” (Did I mention my head was in the clouds? It was all a bit surreal. I clearly wasn’t thinking straight, but yes- I was 110% sober!)

This is the final product. Whoa:

Naturally we had to get a milkshake after. Sarah had told me a few weeks ago when I was having a chicken moment: “It’ll be Ok, we can go get a milkshake after!” Who am I to argue that?

Chocolate milkshakes make me very, very happy. Of course Sarah had to get a treat too, but was grabbing the camera when I turned it back around on her:

As I stare at my wrist now, with my cool looking wound healing, I still can’t wrap my brain around it. I have had some freak-out moments, thoughts that it would come off in the water and feelings that an alien is tied to my body. Weird and odd are the two words that come to mind from these past 4 days. Not bad, just WHOA: like as in- forever? This was as far planned as it could’ve ever been, and I wanted it. You just never know how you’ll feel until it’s actually yours. I am risking moms out there rolling their eyes here, but the only thing I can think to compare the simultaneous feelings of permanence, pride, joy and fear when you finally “see” something that is so close to you, is what I would imagine having a baby would be like. A complete flood of emotions, then when the moment calms you say to yourself: “Ok, so now what the heck am I supposed to do with this thing?” When the roller coaster stops, you ease into normalcy and routine and it suddenly fits perfectly leaving you wondering what your life ever was without it before.

I didn’t need to get this tattoo to remind myself why I do what I do, or to remember anyone. Those things will always stick with me and be in my soul. I wanted to get this tattoo, because this particular blue lollipop has become part of my being, and now I’ll always be able to take one with me wherever I go. My weird/odd initial feelings have fast turned into giddy excitement- to a certain extent that is: I’m not planning my “next” one that’s for sure. Those already regular comments: “This is your first! Just wait, you will get addicted and want more!” – you must be kidding me. I’m laughing…

…or I could just punch myself in the face 100 times and call it a day right? That might hurt less. I think my one single tattoo and I are going to skip happily off into the sunset alone thankyouverymuch 🙂

WAHOO! I GOT MY BLUE LOLLIPOP TATTOO!!!

December 25, 2010 In Photos, Videos

good girls get magnum bottles of wine

In time for Christmas (I mean Santa is watching right?) I’ve been a good girl and gotten back into my regular running routine again:

So the irony of me mentioning my Napa wine diet this fall and getting back into good habits? After my run, FedEx Santa delivers this to me:

I guess I was such a good girl, Santa Swanson couldn’t resist sending me a big ol’ treat. YUM!

To my Swanson Sisters~

I love you! What a great surprise. Thank you, thank you. Miss you all tons and I will save this for a very special occasion. I have an idea what that occasion that will be, but you’ll have to wait to find out…

Bubbles to all and to all a good night!

December 7, 2010 In Videos

full circle: alaska or bust 2010

What’s in your dash?

October 24, 2010 In California, Photos, Videos

i have a crush

As promised, here is my video of the crush some friends and I happened to walk into:

The guys that were managing the crush walked over and gave us some of the grapes to eat. Once you’re fortunate enough to nosh on some of these incredible little fruits fresh off the vine, you’ll never be satisfied with another grape again! This action was all happening last night at Merryvale in St. Helena, California. I snapped a photo of one of the many bins of grapes too. The photo didn’t come out great, but I wanted to give everyone an idea of what goes into those delish bottles of wine we all love:

I felt like jumping in!

While I type this I am sipping on some 2006 Petite Sirah from Swanson Vineyards. Yum. After my stay in the Napa Valley during harvest season, I will forever have a higher appreciation for wines I drink. I take a bow to the brilliant winemakers of the world. The devotion and patience it takes for them to make their magic is beyond impressive. What a fantastic experience it has been for me to be here during harvest season 2010!

September 1, 2010 In Alaska, Photos, Videos

look mom- it’s a glacier!

When people say things like ” You can hike a/to a glacier” you take it with sort of a grain of salt, thinking oh sure- that sounds awesome. Then you get to the glacier, stand in front of it and your jaw hits the ground. You keep blinking your eyes because you don’t think what you’re looking at could possibly be real:

It’s real! (Yes, that’s ice in the water close, near my feet that had broken off and floated the way to the sand I was standing on!)

Welcome to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska.

When talking with other travelers who were reveling in the gorgeousness like me, someone said that these glaciers looked like giant frozen tidal waves. I think that’s a pretty perfect description. It’s one thing to see these glaciers in photo books or on a typical chilly overcast day in Alaska, but if you’re lucky enough to have a sunny warm day with blue skies to experience something like this in person?! The brilliance is beyond explanation or that in which my poor little Nikon camera could ever capture. I hiked the east loop that day. Near the trail head got this photo. 200-plus years to travel 13.5 miles? Now that’s some slow and steady moving:

I regularly comment what I have said here before about the trees, green and general lushness. It’s like living in some fairy tale. I mean, Shrek almost popped his head out to say hi here:

Here’s a funky fungi of some kind; I enjoy the randomness of shots like these:

Video from mid-way up:

Broken off floating parts and pieces:

A view from near the top looking away from the glacier:

And one more from my way down that gives sort of a close up look. See? Doesn’t it look like a slightly dirty frozen tidal wave? Incredible:

I have a plethora of photos, I look forward to sitting with some of you to share more. Nature at it’s finest to say the least. This was a once in a lifetime hike for me, or at least that first time you see something like this the wow factor is simply mind boggling. I’m not usually a quiet person, but I spent so much speechless in awe time while in Alaska it was fantastic. Sometimes it’s a welcomed surprise to not be able to say a thing and just look. This day was one of those for me.

August 18, 2010 In Alaska, Photos, Videos

a promise

Right after recording this, I got in my car to watch it and it started to drizzle a little. (I had just barely commented on how gorgeous the weather was and 2 minutes later it’s raining?!) At the end of the video, I looked to my left at beams of sunlight through the clouds and no exaggeration the most brilliant and full rainbow I have ever seen. As in I jumped back out of the car at warp speed to get a photo. This one doesn’t do it near justice, it was so much better in person. Maybe I should’ve kept the moment all to myself, but I really felt like sharing it. Here’s my best attempt:

All this sounds perfectly hokey right? Drive all the way to Alaska from the east coast, make a video on the anniversary of the death of my friends that my blog is dedicated to, and as soon as I’m done recording, out of the sky appears a big fat gorgeous rainbow like a sign from the heavens?

So it might sound odd that I’m laughing right now, but I am. I know exactly what that rainbow was. See, Maria and Brandy had huge hearts, but both had these rough and tumble outer shells. There was never much of any sniffling or being all gushy and girly for them. Of the three of us, that was my job. I know that they saw me making this video today all teary-eyed and nostalgic, so they sent that rainbow to jokingly punch me in the arm like they did years ago when I’d be gushy and girly. That sign today was their way of saying to me; “Sheesh Peacock!, you’re such a freakin’ softie! We are just fine! Stop cryin’ over us ya fool and go have some fun for pete’s sakes!”

That’s exactly what that rainbow was.

As you wish ladies.

So, I left their lollipops for them, and drove down the road with a big fat smile on my face happily eating mine:

Thanks you two. How could I have expected anything less? 🙂