booooo hooooooo the vacation is over,  and my god the frigid mid west air hurts 3 times as bad after you’ve been sunning yourself on the beaches of California.   It really was a great vacation though even if it did start a little scary

This is our plane being sprayed with copious amounts of de-icer (I had no idea) I have to admit this freaked me out a little……..they do what?!!? Why?  to stop the engines seizing up in the cold……..oh…….are we sure this is safe? Oh our plane is going to be a little delayed……..why?  because the giant fleet of snow plows have to clear the runway…………hmmmmm ok.   Very, very odd stuff but it made leaving Chicago extra happy.

San Diego was of course brilliant we did the whale watching schooner trip.  Every year between December and March the gray whale migrates to warmer waters (smart whales)  and so you can see them on their trek  I got a few pics

It’s not so easy to get pics so I hope you are suitably impressed.  I love the 2nd pic as I think it looks like a comedy mustache.  But it’s not just whales you can spot,  dolphins swam with our boat for miles (I think I prefered them to the whales)  and sealions swam around trying to have a nosey at us.

We also went to Disneyland this trip I did all the scary rides (except space mountain, something about a rollercoaster in the dark freaks me out) I also was extremely excited about checking out the Tim Burton store

That store was cool, absolutely stuffed to the brim with Tim Burton related Disney crap……I had to get the Jack Skellington mickey mouse ears……so cool.  And I got some pics of my Disney idol

And discovered that Mickey’s closets look just like mine

We also went somewhere I’ve wanted to go for as long as I can remember

Recognise it?   I’ll give you a hint it’s located in…

Horray for Hollywood it’s the Graumann’s chinese theatre and I have always wanted to see the concrete hands and feet of the stars in it’s forecourt…..well one set more than any others (if i’m honest)

Sigh I love Marilyn,  and it was so great to put my hand in her handprint (we have the same size hand) It was also exciting to see that she had dotted her eye with one of her earings……I could have stayed there all day but it was easy to get distracted by the other greats…..I think I took a picture of every concrete slab I added some holiday pics to my flickr if you want to check them out.

So now we are back in the freezing Mid West (it snowed yesterday brrrrrrrr) and I guess it’s a good thing as we are broke and exhausted,  and I have lots of new critter ideas to get started on ……as well as a long overdue artomat update.  Better get to it.

on such a winter’s day…..I sure am.   Aaaaaah I can’t wait to be somewhere a little warmer,  with skies that are a little bluer,  and where I can have a relaxing couple of weeks hanging out on the beach……..sweeeet and while I am out there it’s our 10 year wedding anniversary…….anyone know what the 10 year gift is?  I am keeping my fingers crossed it’s diamonds……teeeheeee just kidding Markie.

I figuered I’d leave you with a new critter to enjoy (told you I’ve stuck to my resolution)  while I am gone,

his name is Blair and he is a very ambitious little critter.  He dreams of fame and fortune and believes he could make for a great spokesperson……..he actually got a toothpaste company’s endorsement but unfortunately he ate his manager……..it’s not Blair’s fault,  he was starving and the onsite catering at the shoot was not to Blair’s liking…….far too many vegetarian choices.   So while he looks for a new manager and campaign (he has his eye on being the Credit Lyonnais lion for the Tour de France)  care too look after him? 

I’m going to add Blair to the shop of course, but I won’t be shipping anything out till after I get back from San Diego……….not that I want to even think about coming back yet……….eeeeeek I can’t wait to be on holiday.

are crap!!!  I mean just in the time space of the 1st to now I’ve already broken most of mine,  so why bother?One that I didn’t break though was to make more critters and here is Bebe the little bear cub, officially the first critter of 09.  

He’s a real sweetheart although probably a little too soft for his own good.  He has one friend Goldie who constantly takes advantage of his gentle disposition,  you know the type….eats his porridge sleeps in his bed that kind of thing…….poor Bebe.

So I hope your new year is going well,  I can’t wait for my vacation although I do hope the critters will behave while I am gone.