213: The Old Episode
Another great review on Apple Podcasts!
5 star rating!!
“The friends you wish you had: These two are so cool and funny. But the magic is in their natural banter. They are immediately likable and you’ll wish they were your besties bringing over the wine on a Wednesday…”
Check out our newest video series!! WHISKEY, WATER & WINE!
Need a 10 minute jolt of joy for your day? Well, then you should subscribe to our other podcast, The Daily Happy! It’s our daily 10-minute ‘wake you up, wind you down’ session that reflects our #whatsyourhappy affirmation - there is something to be happy about every day, and while we are not here for ignoring the world around us, we are here for bringing the inspiration and the joy!
AND WAIT FOR IT…..
We have a website for our web series, Live from [Blank]! Check out our latest episode from Kansas, Missouri, and follow along! And if you’re up for a great laugh, watch Lulu and Alison on their Curateur Unboxing video!
No, it’s not inspired by the recent TikTok craze, but Alison is currently obsessed with Sea Shanties! One auditioner came in and sang a Sea Shanty for her then was followed by another kid wanting to sing one too! She has become obsessed with the beats and harmonies. If you’re not familiar with the new rise in sea shanties popularity, take a listen to Wellerman by Nathan Evans. The question is…will Alison create a Sea Shanty about her 10K day??? Stay tuned on our social media and find out.
Staying at a hotel with a fireplace in North Carolina, Lulu is loving the luxury and coziness of a fireplace. It feels like bringing a little bit of the woods inside for our city mouse in a NC house. She has a pre-formed log and a candle that smells like a pine tree that serves as her very own little bonfire while she watches Star Trek.
Alison wishes to be a morning person. Not one by nature, but she has to do it for the next 10 years while her youngest is still in school. I’m right there with you, Alison! I need a really good reason to WANT to get up early!
For the past 3 days, Lulu has woken at 5AM and can’t get back to bed. She hates it and with working nights, it makes it difficult to sustain…up at 5, ready to go, but with not enough sleep. So, she wishes that her sleep schedule would regulate.
Newly inspired by this week’s 10K word, Alison chose to go the route of old as in ‘age.’ She took her inspiration all the way to the beautiful and luxurious Inn of the Five Graces in Santa Fe, New Mexico for a 2 night’s stay that took up most of her budget, but sounds more than worth it! She chose the Luminaria Villa which includes:
The three-bedroom, three-bathroom villa encompasses 2,000 square feet of pure opulence.
The villa boasts five wood-burning fireplaces, inside and out, patios and balconies facing south and north.
Each master suite is on its own floor and features plush king beds, large closets, and Kiva fireplaces.
Mosaic tile found in the bathrooms has been collected from around the world and from the Seret family’s personal collection.
Hand-carved cabinetry and colorful hand painted tile adorn the chef’s kitchen and breakfast nook.
A cathedral ceiling crowns the living room with accents of silk embroidery, hand-painted Tibetan ceilings, and 18th century carved wood.
After a luxurious 1st night in the villa, Alison chose to break her fast at Tia Sophia’s for a classic New Mexico styled diner experience with huevos rancheros and a massive burrito. Fully fortified, she then went to play some golf at the Marty Sanchez Links. There she took in the 360-degree panoramic mountain views that surround the Sangre de Cristos, Jemez, Ortiz and Sandia mountains, scenic high-desert landscape while getting the senior discount and a bucket o’ balls! Although, out of the 3 of us, I’m the only one with an AARP card. So, I call foul on that senior discount!
Next was an open-air experience with the Santa Fe Opera, where she opted for the Saturday subscription and enjoyed an outdoor performance of Carmen. Fresh off the scandalous immorality of the opera’s theme, she visited the oldest church in the United States, San Miguel Chapel. Then it was on to dinner at El Farol for some luxurious tapas style delights like Flash Fried Avocado with Pico de Gallo and Lime Crema and sangria! Sounds good to me!
Nothing like a little Burning of Zozobra to top your 10K day in Santa Fe, New Mexico! Alison has been inspired to add this festivity to her bucket list where she can witness the parading and burning of one of the world’s tallest fully functioning marionettes (50 ft.) Zozobra’s bones are made of wood and wire shrouded in endless yards of cotton cloth, and is stuffed with shredded paper. Tucked inside his enormous body are slips of paper inscribed with “a year’s worth of gloomy thoughts and disappointments, destined to go up in smoke when he is set alight in a fiery extravaganza culminating in the city’s finest fireworks display.” Next year’s burning will be September 2, 2022, but if Alison gets her way, she’ll have enough saved up to go to the 100th one in 2 yrs. where she can enjoy the Ultimate Zozobra Experience of a “laid-back dinner in downtown Santa Fe, a police escort to the venue, and a superb viewing spot practically at Zozobra’s feet. And there’s even more –– the unparalleled opportunity to roast marshmallows on Zozobra’s embers after he’s gone, gone, gone!”
Lulu’s search for a city based on the 10K word of the week (Old) took her to Bishop, California where she heard about Methuselah, the oldest tree in the world! In 1957, it was sampled as being 4,789 years old by Edmund Schulman and Tom Harlan. Unable to view the actual tree, Lulu opted for some other nature adventuring, but let’s begin with her hotel and breakfast, shall we? She stayed at the modestly priced Creekside Inn and had a de-lish brekky at the Pupfish Cafe that included some scrummy smoked salmon toast and a McTavish, which is a 12-oz latte with a heaping spoonful of Nutella stirred in! Nutty Nummers! Count me in!
In preparation for her long day of mountain adventuring, Lulu stopped by the ERICK SCHAT’S BAKKERŸ where she stocked up on a Hot pastrami on caraway rye bread and a loaf of their Sheepherder bread. They have reportedly produced this Original Sheepherder’s Bread continuously since 1907, although no trademarks exist until 1938. But, hey…WE believe them! Bring on the bread, I say! Fun fact: This Dutch bakery produces approximately 25,000 loaves of bread per day, outnumbering the population of Bishop by 6 times. Woah! #holycarbs
Now, remembering that Lulu can’t actually get to Methuselah, she decided to go ‘bouldering!’ Bouldering is climbing in its simplest form, sans ropes, harnesses and hardware on rock faces that are shorter than the walls at cragging areas. She had to get some supplies, so she opted for the:
La Sportiva Solution with molded heel cups and no laces
Black Diamond mondo crash pad with 5 inches of foam, backpack straps and a hip belt
Unicorn dust (super fine), Gorilla grip (chunky), bam bam (super chunky)
Once Lulu was set with all her bouldering supplies, she was sure she would need some extra motivation and inspiration to complete the task, so she at first looked into Larry Weaver, a motivational speaker based in Las Vegas. And although he’s more than qualified, Lulu decided that I could also do that for her, so she opted to pay him $500 for inspiring the thought. That’s our sweet Hufflepuff! She then flew me in from Cincinnati, OH, paid me $3500 (thank you, imaginary fee!) and I, in my Solbari holiday sun hat cheered her on as she bouldered her way through the crags of the Bishop rock formations.
After all that cheering and climbing, Lulu and I hopped in our ‘rented’ Subaru Crosstrek to make our way to Whiskey Creek as we both needed some whiskey, beer, hot steaming spinach dip and steak! She even figured in extra beer for me! Aww…she knows me!
Alison is happy about her new workout, Spenga, a combination of spinning, strength and yoga (20 min. each). She loves the variety and the competitive nature of staying ‘in the green!’ It’s a fitness game and Alison loves games! She also loves that it feels super bougie as everything is already set up for you in stations.
Well, you can tell by Lulu’s ‘happy’ that we batched these episodes to get ahead. But, her happy is seeing Christmas lights in Raleigh, NC where radio stations are coordinated to the lights.
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
HEY, FRIEND! IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY, FOLLOW US!:
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. For a full understanding of how we use affiliate links on our site, please visit our Policy Disclosures page. Thank you!