Catching Up

We're still trying to catch up on TV shows after being gone (and watching no prime time shows) for 2 weeks. Not everything made it on to the DVR, so thank goodness for Hulu and other online viewing. But we're so behind.

The only shows we're up to date on (well, some of them aren't shows we watch together, so those would be just me) are Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, White Collar (because it's new!), Modern Family, The Good Wife, Bones and So You Think You Can Dance. At least I think that's it. Maybe Vampire Diaries. That's not much!

We just caught up on Modern Family today. I love that show. It's one of the best shows on TV and makes me so happy. That's really what I look for in TV these days - something enjoyable. Shows that are really dark (coughCBScough) just aren't working as well for me these days.

I think I have watched White Collar 4 times now. I love USA.

And in the last bit of TV comments, I'm really sad to hear that Billy Bell is sick and had to leave SYTYCD. He was one of our favorites, and it sounds really serious if he had to leave, so we really hope he gets well soon. Sad to hear that.

I can't believe it's already 11:30. Where did today go?!

HC: Bath Products

We spent two weeks in Maui this month for the wedding, and over the course of our time there, stayed at three different hotels/resorts: the Hyatt, Sheraton and Grand Wailea.

Since we compared different items at the hotels during our stay, the "HC" ("Hotel Comparison") series will be putting our thoughts into words. (And, for the things we haven't discussed at length, my thoughts.)

For most things (other than bugs - I'll explain another time), the Grand Wailea will probably win. It's a huge sprawling resort with an amazing spa and pool, and I don't think I've ever been to a place that can compare to it (yet). I suppose we could also make it a 4-way comparison with the hotel we stayed at during our first visit, the Kaanapali Shores, but it was a condo/hotel so it was fairly different in level and style to the other places, and probably wouldn't benefit from the comparison. You probably wouldn't hit Kaanapali Shores if you were looking for a place with a big spa or pools with lava slides.

For the first comparison, I'm going to discuss bath and body products. (Speaking of bath and body, if you go to Bath & Body Works right now, they are giving out Christmas guides with coupons with purchase and also have these "winter indulgence" lotions/creams that are awesome.) It doesn't sound like the most exciting topic, but I just got out of the shower, so it's on my mind.

First up, the Hyatt. The Hyatt's bath products come in these big 2 ounce tubes (big for a hotel size). They come in coco-mango and are the same as the spa (they say). They're usually pretty good about giving you extras even if you haven't finished the old ones, which is really good. They smell good and are pretty good quality. We stayed at the Hyatt twice (thanks, Priceline!) and were really happy with the bath products there (and ended up with so many extras during the first trip that we're still using them).

Next, the Sheraton. The Sheraton's products were made by bliss, and come in mandarin & mint (that's one type, not 2). I was expecting to like these more because they were made by bliss, but of the 3, I think these are my least favorite! They're the least "luxurious" feeling of the bunch, which surprised me since bliss makes spa quality products too. I didn't mind using it when we were there, but I think Hawaii shower water is better than New York water, and I don't think I like the products as much when I use them here.

Last, the Grand Wailea. Like the Hyatt, they also give you products from their spa line, Spa Grande, and they come in honey mango. It's the same exact stuff they sell in their spa store, and they refill your room shelf twice a day (awesome). The quality of these is really good too, and I'm not sure which I like better between this one and the Hyatt.

And I feel the need to mention something about an unrelated resort at this point since I just used the Ritz Carlton shower gel while in the shower. I think Ritz Carlton bath products are my favorite ever. This is a few years old (oops) from my trip to Puerto Rico, and it's still good (and the smell just reminds me of vacations). We went to their spa in Maui once, and they use the same products in the spa showers, and I love them.

I guess if I had to pick, I would pick Grand Wailea by an inch over the Hyatt, and then the Sheraton below it. I just asked A, and he had to think about it between the Grand Wailea and the Hyatt, but came out the same way. He doesn't remember much about the Sheraton's stuff, since we were there less than the Hyatt. And, well, we had other more important things on our minds. I guess it's easier for me to compare since I used Sheraton shampoo and Hyatt conditioner in my shower tonight.

Maybe the key to good products is using mango. :)

It's almost 3:45 and we're still awake... why...

Jet Lag II

I'm going backwards in my jet lag progress!

I was going to sleep at a (more) decent hour, but tonight, here I am at 2:30 am, wide awake! This is bad! The past two days, I had gotten myself asleep by now, but tonight, it's not happening. Annoyed.

And my ears are all clogged and really need to pop. It's been like this for the past 8 hours or so. Really annoyed.

How can I get over my jet lag? Help!

Jet Lag

Remember when I said I didn't know how we were going to adjust to the time when we got back?

Well, it's almost 4 am, and here I am.

I intended to try to "right" my schedule today since I took tomorrow off to get things done and have to be back in the office bright and early on Tuesday (ugh). After spending two weeks in a time zone 6 hours behind, this is going to take some adjustment. Especially when I seamlessly adjusted to that time zone, and experienced no jet lag whatsoever going westward. Going east is so difficult.

So I'm sitting in the dark staring at the computer screen, hoping that this will make me more tired. (It seems to be working, I think.) The best way to adjust would have been to stay awake for the entire second flight from San Francisco, since that would have been from about 10:30 NYC time until 4 NYC time, but I slept through most of that flight. I tried to stay awake and failed miserably, but I guess I didn't really try that hard. Without an in-seat TV, what else is there to do but sleep?

I'm in such a relaxed state of mind that it's so difficult being back, thinking about having to run errands, clean the apartment, do post-wedding stuff and go back to work. I want to spend the day at the spa, the pool, the beach! I think I have post-vacation blues. I read some article before we left about the way most people adjust to post-vacation blues - planning another vacation. Maybe I'll try that. I have research to do. I haven't really been to Los Angeles in almost 20 years (hard to believe it's been so long).

For now, my most immediate goal - wake up at a decent hour! Sigh.

Strange

It's been SO strange watching "Wake Up With Al" on the Weather Channel when going to sleep everyday. People on the East Coast are waking up and the sun is rising and I'm going to bed. So strange.

Also strange that it's snowing at home and we spent part of the afternoon going on water slides and hanging out in the pool. I don't know how we're going to adjust to time or weather when we get home.

Almost There

I don't know if I ever mentioned on here the difficulties with booking our reception for the wedding. We had initially wanted to do it at the same place as the ceremony; it would be convenient and went along with our ideas of a "wedding." However, dealing with the people at the site was like pulling teeth (maybe worse) and their contract was one of the worst I have ever read in my entire life.

So it should be no surprise that when I'm reading the "all about the hotel" book on the coffee "table" here, and it said that their convention services and catering people "have made creativity and efficiency a habit," I burst out laughing.

Creativity? Not seeing any creativity when the answer to your wedding ceremony is "either you pick A or B or you have to go through an intermediary wedding coordinator." (And that's just awesome when A and B are each over $15,000, for the ceremony.) Efficiency? If so, I'm not sure that word means what they think it means.

Anyway, we're here at the hotel where the ceremony will be, and we just moved over today from another hotel that we absolutely love (but didn't know that until after everything was reserved, and we probably would have ditched this room block if not for the hefty deposits). Perhaps I'm a little biased because I love the other hotel, but I think it still wins. I'll do a more detailed assessment later after the wedding, when I have thought about it more, but I suppose they could be reading this right now if they really wanted to spy on people. If so, I would like to tell them to revise their book because "snorkleing" isn't a word.

Everything's really moving now. Tonight we had a "parents' dinner" and tomorrow the wedding weekend events officially start. Crazy how quickly the time has flown by.

Candy

"Can giving your kids too much candy set them up for a life of crime?"

I'm watching last night's Numb3rs and that was the teaser for the 11:00 news. Seriously?! Eating candy can make you a criminal?

Onions

We got home and our apartment smelled like garbage. Apparently the cover blew off this old plastic container of onions in the fridge, and once we opened the fridge, the whole apartment smelled like onions. The air neutralizer can't work quickly enough!

Ugh

A few more days until we leave.

As should be expected, that means we are a little crazy!

Not on the outside, though. On the outside, we seem rather calm. I think my stress is at such a buried level that it's causing me other problems though. For example, I usually sleep like a rock through the night. Lately, I can't sleep. I stay up just zoning out or thinking about nothing in particular, and then wake up multiple times during the night. Last night, I woke up so itchy over and over again and nothing I could do would relieve it. At least I had to get up a little earlier for a meeting, so I was able to get up, but still annoying. Now it's about 3:45 am, but I only finished doing work at 3:15, so it makes sense (sadly) that I'm still awake.

That's another thing about leaving soon. So much to do at work! This is the longest vacation I have ever taken (2 weeks) and there just seems to be so many things to do!

So, forget about working out.

Mostly because I want to run and it gets dark early now, and I can't get out of work early enough to go. And forget mornings, because not only can I not usually get up early, but see above.

I was supposed to be super-diligent about working out because, um, strapless dress and big audience coming up soon, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Once we're there, I want to run, swim and go to the gym every day, but I wonder if I'll be able to keep that up. If I can, I should hopefully sleep really well!

Anyway. I think I'm going to stop listening to 80s music and complaining, and will try to fall asleep watching QVC. Of course, tomorrow will be a really long day at work (since we're running out of time) and I will have gotten very little sleep. I'm thinking wedding planning + intense job = bad for your health.

I think I'll do some yoga stretching and then go to sleep. Sounds like a plan.