Kansas City, MO - Society of Women Engineers National Conference

I just spent the whole week in Kansas City... Missouri. I knew that there was a Kansas City, Missouri, and was pretty sure there was a Kansas City, Kansas, turns out they are actually one and the same. The only difference, which side of the river you are on. Who knew? Anyhow, I had a rental car so I ended up driving / getting lost all of the city. The maps that I'd gotten at the rental car place in the airport were virtually useless, I'd have paid good money for a GPS device! Especially during my 45 minute drive to the city's downtown area (and my hotel) when it was pouring down raining - and did I mention I'm a typical Californian who can't drive in the rain? Oy, what a mess... Anyhow, I finally arrived at my hotel with my snazzy new Diane Von Furstenburg luggage-- sopping wet, but content.

(A picture driving into the downtown area - on a rare moment it wasn't raining)


After settling in to my hotel room and discovering that the bathroom was covered in weird artwork (a fat Mona Lisa?)


I walk the 2 blocks to the Convention Center to do my Conference Registration and try to meet someone nice to have dinner with (I hate eating alone - the 1 major downfall of business trips). Despite finding everything still relatively quiet since most people won't be arriving until the next day, I decide to check out the city within walking distance of my hotel. While I'm walking I notice many types of "artwork" which I was later told was part of Kansas City's "1% for art" program. Basically it started as a way to try to keep their downtown area pretty (instead of just being a bunch of ridiculously large buildings) and meant all new construction had to include 1% for art - cool idea. I liked it, despite some of it being sort of odd (though I guess UCSD prepared me for odd art)!

(The top of the Convention Center:)


Day 2
I spent all day in the Conference, going from 1 outstanding session to another. It was so empowering to be around a bunch of other incredibly intelligent, impressive women in Engineering. I had many "I am Woman, Hear Me Roar" moments throughout the week, and met all kinds of neat people.

After freezing all day (as I hadn't bothered to check the weather info. before leaving and had packed for "California Fall"), I was told it was supposed to snow the next day. So, I figured before turning into a human icicle, I should head to their local shopping area (Crown Center Plaza) with the 1 spare hour I had and buy myself a coat. It wasn't until I'd gotten down there that I realized this was indeed the Ritz Carlton of shopping malls - they even had a Halls (the Department store of the Hallmark Card Company)! My snobby "Mercedes taste" side was in heaven, my wallet was crying. Nevertheless I found many gorgeous coats (not really the worst idea ever as you can't find that kind of coat in California), and bought a beautiful full length black pea coat, and love it immensely despite it's hefty price tag.

That evening I has gotten tickets to go on a "Taste of Kansas City" tour that was touted as "the BBQ places, best pubs and jazz halls". Right on! A little nerve wraking at first as everyone was already in groups of their friends they had come with, but after the first pub that wasn't really a problem =). I wasn't particularly impressed with where we had dinner (since KC is "famous" for their BBQ), but later in the week I tried BBQ at another spot that was superb, so it seems it was just that restaurant. The jazz bars were soooo much fun though! What a neat town for going out - every where you go there is live music.



Day 3:

Wednesday was the first day I had actual reponsibilities to represent Boeing at the Conference. There was a HUGE Career Fair, where Boeing and a few of the other companies were actually doing interviews and hiring - crazy, right? Anyhow, I got to help out move people around between HR screenings and talking to them / calming them down while they went through screenings with different managers and interviews. It was neat to talk to these college girls (and a few guys oddly enough -- since it is Society of WOMEN Engineers -- though they don't discriminate) about what I do for a living and what they are interested in. It really kicked on my Boeing pride badge, and my ego loved that these people were impressed by me! Woah! In my spare breaks, I headed out to check out the other booths (there were over 500) and talk to representatives from every Engineering Grad School in the country.

Later in the afternoon, I had signed up to go to the Sprint / Nextel Plant for a tour, and I was so excited. It was about a 45 minute drive from the downtown area, and it was a beautiful campus (shame I couldn't take pictures)! While they showed us all the new and upcoming technology (GPS in the phones - with capabilities that are a bit frightening actually; motion sensors in the phones - for dice like capabilities for games; the new ruggedized laptops, etc.), but there was so much they couldn't show us it was actually a bit disappointing. I later wished I'd chosen to go on the Hallmark tour instead - esp. since I heard it was incredible - boo!

Kansas City is very odd b/c it becomes almost a ghost town at night. The nightlife isn't in the downtown area (like almost every other big city I've ever been to), but actually has moved out to the suberbs. It is so bizarre since it's pretty busy during the day. Went out on the town that night with a couple of girls I'd met on the tour, and we discoved this awesome martini bar with something like 50 different types of martinis - loads of fun!

Day 4:

This morning I had to get up really early to help out with another Boeing Event - this one was a special seminar (AKA had an extra cost in addition to the Conference Fee), and was a 4 hour Lean Event. Before you groan (I know), I must say it was soooo entertaining! We taught the concepts of Lean through hands on building of 777 jets with Legos... oh yeah, it was really fun.

That night I'd picked up tickets to go to the Kansas City Ballet. Twila Tharp was doing some of the choreography so I was a bit apprehensive, but it was to be done to Beach Boys music, which I love, so I was looking forward to it. The company was superb. Most of the work they did was a very modern spin on classical ballet, but it was really cool. Then came the Twila Tharp stuff... wtf? Imagine Beach Boys on acid meets modern dance by dancers who just happen to be wearing pointe shoes. Yeah, not my idea of ballet... but then again I'm a traditionalist when it comes to ballet.

Baltimore, MD - Work Trip

So I've been there twice now over the last month for work (though I didn't get to enjoy it the first time because I was too busy working)! This time, however, I went out there by myself, and since I stayed over the weekend, I actually had a little bit of free time to check out the city, and make some great new friends!

1. Here is the city Skyline:

It is so pretty that everything is surrounded by water! I was also very lucky, the weather was pristine, about 82 degrees and very little humidity (apparently very rare for this time of year).

2. The saying there is "Balmer, hun"... apparently that was what all the old biddies say back in the day and it kinda stuck.

3. They have a tour around the city called the "Ducks of Baltimore".. It is this bus that also becomes a boat. They give everyone on the tour a "quacker" to use around the city... bizzare, but funny! Didn't get a chance to go on it, but perhaps when I return...


4. The trendy thing there right now is Vera Bradly purses, such as this:

Honestly, I don't get it, but then again there's a lot of "fashion" I don't get..

5. Obviously, the big food item there is Crabs...
-I discoved the best crab cakes in the universe: www.gandmcrabcakes.com
They ship them Fedex overnight uncooked wherever you want... shame the shipping is so expensive bcause they are incredible!
- However, I also found out (though I think they are tyring to keep it a secret), the famous soft shelled Crabs don't even come from Maryland anymore! Due to overfishing, most are coming from Florida and other areas then shipped to Maryland to meet the consumer demand..
- They put this spice powder on everything (crabs, fries, etc.).. I forgot what it was called, but it is yummy! Tastes a little bit like the spice from Red Robin...

6. It seems everyone there is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan.. this amuses me as thier record is terrible. However, since you have to drive right by the stadium to get into the city, it does make some sense that the locals would feel the commraderie.

7. I finally got to meet my friend Andrew's adorable wife, Terri. She is so fun, cute, and reminds me so much of myself (gosh that sounded cocky). Such a shame we live on opposite coasts! Anyhow, they made me feel so welcome and were so proud to show me around their city. We had dinner on friday night in the famous "little Italy". Great company, and excellent food! They were playing a movie on the side of a building where everyone could come out and watch... super neato. They also invited me to go with them to a block party (see picture below), which was such a blast.


8. I learned the meaning of "riding dirty" and the existance of Urban Dictionary!

9. I spent an afternoon down in Annapolis, MD which is about 30 min drive from where I was staying. In case you didn't know, it is the state capitol, as well as the home of the famous U.S. Naval Academy.

It is spectacular, with all the historic brick buildings, and the waterways that are the backdrop for every "crew" type movie I have ever seen (think "Skulls").


The history is just amazing, and something you just don't see on the West Coast... cobblestone streets, and buildings with real history. Not to mention all the cute Navy guys in their white sailor suits!

(A view looking down on the city of Annpolis at the memorial)


All in all, it made me miss living in a big city SO badly! Despite the few dinners eating alone (though even in super fancy restaurants, is still majorly depressing), I had a wonderful time!

Florida Kays - Scuba Vacation w/ the Girls!

Day 1 – June 28, 2006
We arrived in Fort Lauderdale, FL, then took road trip down to Key Largo in the ugliest rental car known to man (a Chevy HHR), our "fugly-mobile".


On the way down we stopped in Miami for lunch and some shopping where seriously, noone speaks english, thank goodness my Spanish is good! Though it didn't matter, I later got nicknamed the "gringa" anyhow -- not my fault as Ammy is 100% Puerto Rican, and Sandra is half, so therefore, I was the white girl.. oh well! The drive down was very pretty and there was lots of singing and "serenading" between Ammy and Sandra, but it didn't stop me from being excited!




Not to mention, I was meant to be there...


We arrived at Ammy’s friend’s parents house, where we crammed into a small room with a bathroom and a little kitchenette. After getting settled into to our "cozy" house, we decided to head out to dinner. I discovered there was no way to keep my hair from becoming an afro, and I was warned I couldn’t primp, so I decided to just be in vacation mode! We went to this restaurant called Snooks, which was ideal with it’s amazing waterfront view, outdoor dining, and incredible food (though a bit pricey)!

Only problem, the worst service EVER! We entertained ourselves by dancing to the great music, but even on vacation a 3 hour meal (2 and a half waiting for our food) is a bit ridiculous!

Day 2 – June 29, 2006

We got up and decided to explore the gorgeous town of Key Largo. We discovered that Key Largo is a diver’s paradise, with practically every other shop being a dive shop! We got signed up for all our dive trips (our main plan for being there), bought some new dive gear (yay!). We wandered over to this pretty park across from the house we stayed at which had this little inlet with shallow water (with a crab that almost bit Sandra's butt!) where you could snorkel or just play in the water. We took our books, some Blue Hawaiians and enjoyed the gorgeous weather (85 degrees + 100% humidity) - hot, but somehow just right... vacation perfection. Only complaint, I didn't get pictures.

Day 3 - June 30, 2006

Day 3 began with an early rise, then our first day of diving.

We went to see the Christ of the Abyss, which is a statue donated to the US by Italy of Jesus with his arms outstretched to the skys, sunk in about 25 feet of water. It has a creepy dedication on it, saying to Dr. Michael Kevorkian! Apparently, it isn't the suicide one, but still, whoa, tripped me out! We also went to a dive site called Double North. I almost got attacked by a baracuda (those suckers are everywhere), and discovered why fire coral is so named (ouch!). It started to sprinkle before we got in, and the rain was cooler than the water! The water was a warm 82 degrees, with incredible visibility, absolutely to die for...
do I really have to go back to reality?

That night we went down to "the happening place in town", a bar called Hog Heaven. Apparently we weren't smart enough to figure out from the title, but needless to say that was an amusingly interesting evening. Every time I left Ammy alone there was another guy trying to make out with her – quite impressive!

Day 3 began with an early rise, then our first day of diving..

We went to see the Christ of the Abyss, which is a statue donated to the US by Italy of Jesus with his arms outstretched to the skys, sunk in about 25 feet of water. It has a creepy dedication on it, saying to Dr. Michael Kevorkian! Apparently, it isn't the suicide one, but still, whoa, tripped me out! We also went to a dive site called Double North. I almost got attacked by a baracuda - those suckers are everywhere, and discovered why fire coral is so named (ouch!). (Underwater pictures coming later - I don't have these pics yet).. It started to sprinkle before we got in, and the rain was cooler than the water! The water was a warm 82 degrees, with incredible visibility, absolutely to die for...
The inlet to where our boat left from... do I really have to go back to reality?

That night we went down to "the happening place in town", a bar called Hog Heaven. Apparently we weren't smart enough to figure out from the title, but needless to say that was an amusingly interesting evening. Plenty of stories if you're curious, but I'm not going to go into detail here.

Day 4 – July 1, 2006

Saturday we slept in, then went and got pedicures and decided to take a road trip down to Key West (about a two hour drive b/c it's only 2 lane roads all the way down there). The girls had told me about the most amazing desert in the world, Key Lime Pie on a Stick.

It is frozen and covered in dark chocolate – absolutely the most amazing thing in the whole world, or “joy-gasmic”, as Sandra says. Therefore, it was the first thing we went in search of upon arrival.

We took a stroll down Duvall (though didn't get to enjoy an infamous "Duvall Crawl"), and saw a bunch of Drag Queens, and lots of t-shirts and items making me thing Key West is famous for crude boys and pot?

We had to stop in at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, and had dinner at a place called Willie T's (I highly recommend it), where the girls even convinced me to buy a t-shirt!

We then headed over to the Southernmost point (yes, as it sounds, that is the southernmost point of the US). We couldn't see Cuba (though supposedly you can in the day time - it's only 45 miles away)... but we saw some other bizarre things that were good for a laugh!

Yes, we know we are immature... =)

Look, it's the crazy bunny from Monty Python!

Then we headed back up to Key Largo b/c we had another early day of diving on Sunday!

Day 5 – July 2, 2006

We got the chance to dive the USS Speigel Grove (a boat sunk by the Navy off of Key Largo to create an artificial reef), which had originally sunk on it's starboard side. Luckily for us, it was blown upright in a hurricane last year, so we were able to go through it. It was my first wreck dive (it's about 85-130 feet deep) - an advanced dive, due to the depth and the surge, but I got to do it with a guide! Incredible - I'm hooked!

After our dive, we went out to lunch with some Ammy's friends from Florida that we went diving with. Since we were in the best place for fresh seafood, we had all made a plan to eat seafood for every meal (minus breakfast). I even tried fish tacos!

My goal was to eat seafood for every meal since we were on the water. I even tried fish tacos! This was bacon wrapped scallops - YUM-O!

We spent the rest of the day enjoying the hammock at the house.

Day 6 – July 3, 2006

The next day we got to enjoy another day of diving! We went to Elbow Reef, a site called City Of Washington. WOW! My best dive to date, I think... we got to dive with Nurse sharks (This one was about 4 feet long, and look this one has a baby too!)

and a big jewfish (AKA grouper) named Bob? Don't be fooled by the picture, as he was bout 15 feet behind me and 10 feet above, this baby is about 300 pounds -- freaking huge, but gentle as a lamb...

We also saw trumpetfish, pufferfish (though tempted as I was, I didn't make one puff up), and lots of gorgeous angelfish.

Our second dive was at another site where there had been hammerhead sightings (a 9 foot, and a 14 foot!), but I'm secretly glad we didn't see either of those...

That afternoon we decided to check out parasailing! I got quite sunburned.




It was kind of a let down in terms of "thrill" factor (yes, I know I'm an adrenaline junky), but the views were spectacular!

We ended our trip with one last amazing meal with our hosts.

It was one of our host's birthday, check out her "birthday cake"

I got caught enjoying one last piece of Key Lime Pie (hey, when in Rome, but it is so time for me to diet now!)

Day 7 – July 4, 2006

The next morning, we headed back to Fort Lauderdale to catch our respective flights (they were headed back to Cali, and I was headed to Baltimore, Maryland for work), but even though we were sad to leave, it'd been a perfect trip!

So next year the plan is either Cozumel or Hawaii... who knows! Hope you enjoyed my LONG blog!