Lily "Praise the Lard" A.'s Profile

Best. Experience. Ever.

Jenny B. : want to go to Albuquerque?
Me: What's going on in Albuquerque?
Jenny B.: The international hot air balloon.
Me: That sounds cool. Okay, I'm in. Lets book it.

I didn't realize that I would be waiting in a parking lot at 4:30am while it rained outside for some balloons! But it was completely worth it. Here's what I learned from my two days at the Balloon Fiesta:

* Weather plays an important factor. If it's too windy or too rainy there are no balloons that go up. However, some will still be blown up but not fly out.

* Be prepared for any kinda weather. Rain. Cold. Sunshine!

* Go early...like 4am early! The parking lot gets full and will cost about $10 a car. But don't fear, there are lots of little booths already open and they serve breakfast burritos. (Not the best BB, but whatevers)

* See the morning lift off. It's amazing, and allows you to view a beautiful sunrise.

* The character balloons are always a treat.

But when all the balloons go up at sunrise...it is truly truly amazing.

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I will definitely be returning to the balloon fiesta to see the nighttime part of it which I missed due to rain. And definitely I'll be more prepared. I know it sounds a bit dorky to be excited for a hot air balloon fiesta. But trust me, it is quite the experience.

Urban Solace....my forever love in San Diego, I went for an early brunch on a wonderful Sunday before heading to the Chargers game. We decided to eat at the bar since there was no wait.

I decided to order the grilled cheese because last time I only had a taste of it and it was amazing. So grilled cheese with bacon and a cup of tomato soup it was:

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and like last time it was absolutely amazing! The bacon was a nice thick cut:

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the fries were shoestring and well seasoned. The soup was tangy and made for great dipping fun! Everything about the meal was delicious, especially the bread of the sandwich, perfectly buttered and toasted. I loved it. And seriously it fills you up!

We also shared an order of oysters for an appetizer and it was also perfectly cooked:

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Oh...and my co-worker had the pork sandwich and she agreed that it was very delicious:

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So far...everything I have ordered has never disappointed. I will always make an effort to have a meal here whenever I come down to SD.

I had the pleasure of running into Dos Chinos and  couldn't resist trying something else at this truck. All i remember last time, was I really enjoyed the food ordered here last time.

I decided to order the Pork Belly Papas, and once again Dos Chinos did not disappoint. The order was a hefty size, and definitely really packed and filled with wonderful fatty pork belly. The green sauce on top was amazing, and went really well with the flavors of the pork belly, and of course the fries were nicely seasoned.

Definitely if I run into Dos Chinos again, I will surely try something new or stick with what I know I like...the pork belly papas:

http://www.yelp.com/bi...

Since the holidays are coming up and the weather outside is getting colder, it's really put me in a knitting mood. And so I needed some new yarn colors to inspire me! So I headed to Knit Schtick for some yarns, I figure that a specialty yarn shop is what I needed since yarn at Michael's and Tall Mouse just wasn't sufficing.

I was expecting tons of yarn, but actually the store is really small. There is a good amount of yarn, but just not what I expected. While I was there, they were having a class and it seemed really awkward for me. They have a huge table in the middle where the ladies were knitting and learning...I like the community aspect of the store. It would be a great way to get to know others that have a passion for knitting! But it just felt like I was invading their small space.

I looked around, felt all kinds of yarn that they had in every color and ended up with a great soft skien costing me $15 each! I think thats around average pricing for a high quality yarn. So I grabbed 2 skiens and left...but then the lady said that they will ball up my yarn for free, so I thought sure, why not...but then she said she had no time to do it tonight due to the class and I would have to come by the next day. Since I work nearby, I said that was fine.

The next day, I returned...the yarn was never balled up. So I had to wait for her to do it, which seriously took less then 8 minutes to do with this machine:
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So I didn't understand why she couldn't have just done it the night before when I bought the yarn!!

The store is cute, small and sweet. But it's definitely got some limitations to yarn selection compared to other yarn stores I've been to. However, my scarf is coming along quite nice:
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Overall, It's A-OK!!! and you must check out the knit print company car:
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cutest mini ever!

My ugly sweater had snowcapped sleeves and a snowy village circa 1990s!  All I really needed were some tights, high tops and waterfall bangs to complete the look! This event was all kinds of fun and adventure and who doesn't like to shop (or in this case window shop)!!

I was interested to see what Fred Segal was all about since I remember seeing it on Real Housewives of some city (I forget if it was OC or Beverly Hills) but I also pass by it all the time. So the first thing I picked up was a black cotton long sleeve shirt, cost was $110, even with 20% off, I'll pass...way pricey. But I think my favorite part of the Fred Segal's was the cosmetic/beauty section, where the photo booth was set up. It was bright and had a bunch of people doing makeup and facials of some sort. It was all kinds of glamorous going on there! Loved it!

My fault for arriving late (damn work and traffic) I didn't get any Umami burger, but I was able to try the double fried potato patties with a garlic mayo they were serving, which was sooooo good!
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I loved the wine.
I loved pink shutter self serve photobooth.
I loved yogurtland!!!

Then I went to the other side:

Holy crap there was a lot of people and boy were the sweaters ugly!! My favorite for the evening was a tall gentleman that had a christmas festive sweater with an elf like doll attached to his shoulder! A sweater with a cuddle buddy wins it for me!

I loved the music.
I loved the eyebrows of the man passing out menus to Benny's Tacos, they were beautifully shaped and so nice! I was in eyebrow envy.
I loved the cookies.
I loved the tacos.
I ate the sandwich.
I couldn't help but laugh at conversations going on, yelpers crack me up sometimes!

Overall I had a jolly time at a place that sold beautiful clothes with a bunch of people wearing ugly ones! Thank you LA CMs!!

Zeela D: What to do on a Saturday night with friends coming from SD visiting?

Lily A:  The Discovery Children's museum is having a Star Wars exhibit if you wanna check it out?

Zeela D: YES!

I'm very grateful that I have friends that will go to children's museums with me even when none of us have kids!!!! But seriously folks, we couldn't resist going to a star wars exhibit...hey this is the same group of friends who went to watch Star Wars in Concert, twice!

If you are a Star Wars fan, then this is a must. They've got models and wardrobes and some interactive games. There's even a Millenium Falcon ride for $5 extra. Although by the time we got there the ride was sold out. Which just means we'll have to come back another time for the ride!

It's definitely not cheap for this little exhibit, but you do get to explore the rest of the discovery museum with your ticket, which is pretty cool. The ticket cost $25 but we bought it online for $23, I suggest you do the same and save a couple of bucks. Definitely if you do have kids, especially nerdy geeky kids, they will love it. They do incorporate some science into some of the star wars exhibit which I admire. And if your kids are not into Star Wars, the rest of the museum is so much fun! And if you are an adult going alone...I won't judge. It's awesome!

Also you can park at the museum for $4 or just park across the street at the mall and walk across for free. And don't forget to check out the Star Wars gift shop inside! Tons of star wars stuff for your delight!

Catch it before it ends in April.
May the force be with you.

A must visit when you come to Albuquerque!
It's about an hour drive from Albuquerque to Acoma and the Cultural Center where you will have to buy your tickets to go up to the pueblo. Tickets range from $13-16 depending on if you are a student or senior.  Then you'll take a bus up to the top of the pueblo and you'll take the tour.

The walking tour is about 2 hours and you'll learn tons about the Acoma people, their history and culture. It was so interesting and I loved the whole experience. Just remember that you can't take pictures of the Acoma Indians, you'd have to ask first. Also if you are looking to buy artwork and crafts buy from the Indians...instead of the stores. We were invited into one of the homes and it was interesting to see how they live inside, with no electricity and running water. There was an old heat stove that kept the room toasty warm, it was cool to see.

Some tips:

* When you pass the lady selling prune pies for $2 ... buy one! They are so good.
* On the way down...don't take the bus down, walk down the mesa. The views are just amazing! The landscape is so beautiful.
* bring a hanky or scarf to cover up your face...there will be some wind and sand flying into your face.

This was such a great experience!

Sorta reminds me of old town San Diego....but a lot smaller and not as historical. However I would drop by to check it out if you are visiting ABQ. There are some really nice little souvenir shops and they even had a rattlesnake museum (ewww).

Take a stroll around the plaza, take a gander at the artwork and crafts being sold on the sidewalks from the Indians. They are quite amazing, handmade crafts. You can bargain a bit and I would recommend buying straight from the source instead of buying at the shops.

There are some nice little restaurants to feed your hunger. Small coffee shops to keep you warm or ice cream shops to cool you down. There is live music in the middle of the grassy plaza and it gets pretty festive with everyone dancing and that sits right in front of an old beautiful church.

In the evening time it winds down, and it seems like a cool date spot. In the day time it is crazy busy with tourist so just prepare yourself for crowds. Parking seems limited, but you can do street parking if you don't mind walking a bit. Oh...and many of the shops have smashed penny machines, I'm just sayin' if you collect them...they can be found in any of those shops.

I have no complaints while our stay at the ClubHouse Inn & Suites. The prices were reasonable, about $100 a night during the Balloon Fiesta was a great deal! The lobby is very homey, with flat screen TVs and nice big comfy couches, it was very welcoming. The front desk people were so nice and friendly and gave us tips of getting to the balloon fiesta.

Onto the room...the room was nice and large, it was a one bedroom suite with a large King bed with a flat screen TV. The living area had a small dining table . There was also a small kitchenette area, which included a sink, microwave and coffee maker. There are cabinets with eating utensils. There was also a small couch with a coffee table and another flat screen TV.

Nothing special about the room, just it was nice and clean. As long as I don't feel creeped out by the room, then I am a happy camper! The only reason I took one star off was the location. Although it was right off the freeway, there was really nothing else around the area. Boring! so minus one star.

Other than that...I had a great stay and would definitely stay here again when in ABQ.

While visiting ABQ, we checked this place out for some BBQ. Found out it is a chain from Texas and I wish they would open one in LA because I would be going all the time!

So here's how it works:
1. Take a look at the menu, check out what cuts of meat you want, and order up at the counter.
2. Grab other stuff (cafeteria style) that you'd like to have with your meats, such as a drink, potato salad, slaw, bread, etc...
3. Find a seat at the tables, which are just long picnic style tables in rows.
4. Food comes to you. Grab your own utensils and napkins and ENJOY! The sauce is on the tables so help yourself!

The moist brisket is the most popular, and I had a taste and boy was it good! I ordered my baby back ribs and they were also finger lickin' good! The sauce is really good! The prices here are really cheap for some good quality meats.
I also tried the turkey joe taco because it sounded interesting:
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yeah, biggest taco I've ever seen...loved it though, the turkey was super moist and tasty and the ranch on top was good. I would never have thought of putting all that together, but it worked. I was just way too stuffed to eat all of it!

Plus the service was friendly and they helped us out on finding other good eats around town. I also saw they serve some ice cream too.

and with this review, I'd like to end with a nice pic of my ribs, it's too good to pass up:
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