weatherjen.

Day 5: Happy New Year from Rome!

2010-12-31T15:40:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Rome! It has been a busy day! We woke up early, had breakfast, and then walked to the Vatican. This time, we were going inside St. Peter's.

Outside of St. Peter's.

The altar.

More interior photos.

The Pietà.

We also went donwstairs to explore the crypt where we saw lots of famous tombs, including where the remains of St. Peter are buried. Pretty incredible.

We left the Vatican and had a quick bite to eat at Aristocampo in the Campo. Then, we did a little shopping (Lesley was on a hunt for la befana ornaments). By mid-afternoon, our feet were tired, so we headed home for a rest.

We ate dinner again at Da Vittorio's, where we enjoyed a traditional Roman New Year's feast. (I tried to take photos, but the lighting was so low, I could not get them to come out. Any hints or advice? Other than I need to take a photo class, that is. :) )

After dinner, we did a bit of a passegiato to the Campo and then back to Trastevere.

Josh and I rang in 2011 in Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere with some champagne in plastic cups! The Italians do not seem to have many rules (if any) regarding discharging fireworks, and the city was ablaze with fireworks coming from all directions -- from the sky down to the grounds of the piazzas. It was very festive!

I must say, I am happy to see 2011 arrive. 2010 was a mixed bag -- many great things and a few rough spots. I am optimistic for what 2011 holds. Aren't prime numbers supposed to be lucky?

And so, Happy New Year to all of our friends and family back in the States and abroad! We wish you lots of love and happiness for you and yours in 2011.

Roma: Day 4

2010-12-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

We woke up bright and early this morning, ready to tackle Ancient Rome. After a light breakfast with Giorgio, we headed out.

We again passed through Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere, one of my very favorite piazzas. Since we walk through it so much, I kept forgetting to take a photo until this morning.

We walked passed Largo Argentina, a spot with ruins dating back to the third century BC. Now, it is home to the many stray cats of Rome.

We walked passed the Vittorio Emanuele monument...

...to Trajan's Market.

Next stop: the Colosseum.

This is my fourth time inside the Colosseum, and I was as awestruck as I was the first time.

Next stop: the Roman Forum.

Temple of Antoninus and Faustina.

We left the Roman Forum and headed out for a late lunch and then a nap. After a brief snooze and regrouping, we headed to dinner and then, of course, gelato. After walking around Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere a bit more, we headed home.

Tomorrow, the plan is to return to St. Peter's, and then maybe we will do a bit of shopping before the new year. But for now, bed. Buona Notte!

Roma: Day 3

2010-12-29T13:14:00.000-08:00

Wednesday morning, we woke up early and had another lovely breakfast with Giorgio. Then, we set out for the Vatican.

We were lucky to get tickets to a general audience with the Pope, which was really incredible. The Pope gave blessings and a homily in seven different languages. Cardinals from around the world introduced various groups from around the globe who were present in the audience. A few choral groups even sang for the Pope when their names were called. It was truly an international experience.

(Side note: I really should buy some new lenses, including a zoom...)

After the papal audience, we headed to the Vatican Museum. I made reservations a month or so ago, so we were lucky to bypass the massive line and walk right in.

Ric and Lesley admiring the incredibly ornate ceilings.

We walked through most of the Museum and then into the Sistine Chapel (sadly, no photos allowed). The Sistine Chapel, although extremely crowded, was as breathtaking as I remembered.

We left the Vatican Museums and had planned on visiting St. Peter's Basilica, but the line was wrapped in and around the piazza, and we decided not to wait the 2-3 hours to get in. We will return early Friday morning to visit St. Peter's to beat the line.

So, we headed back to the apartment, had a nap, and then ate some delicious pizza at a restaurant close to the B&B. We walked around after dinner, got some gelato, and took a nice stroll through Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Tomorrow, we are off to explore ancient Rome. But for now, time for a little reading and then bed. Buona notte!

Roma: Days 1 and 2

2010-12-28T10:42:00.001-08:00

As most of you know, we are lucky to be ringing in 2011 in one of my very favorite places. I have been on a blogging hiatus for a few months, but at the request of family and friends, I am reviving the blog (at least for this trip).

Josh's parents, Ric and Lesley, asked us if we would take a trip to Italy with them. They have always wanted to go and wanted travel companions who have been before to help show them around. As you may know, I cannot turn down a trip to Italy, so we booked tickets as soon as we found a good sale with the plan to visit Rome, Florence, and Venice.

We will spend most of our time in Rome. Rome has a special place in my heart. I lived here in college for a few months during a study abroad program in 2001, and I have been back a couple times since then, most recently in 2006 with my mom and sister for mom's 50th birthday. It does not take much convincing to get me to come back; it is one of my very favorite places.

So, onto the trip so far... We landed in the Rome Monday afternoon after a dramatic flight. The flight itself was on time and smooth, but the people sitting in front of us threw a holy fit when the people in front of them leaned their chairs back. Every hour or so, they would start screaming and get in a hollering match with the row in front. It was so loud and unnerving that most of the people in our section were standing and trying to separate them. At one point, about eight hours into the flight, the flight attendants warned them that the pilot was contemplating an emergency landing and then a call to the police. Luckily, this seemed to calm them down, and we made it safely to Fiumicino.

We landed on time and took the train to Trastevere, and then we took the tram a few more stops. We are staying in Trastevere in a tiny B&B with only two rooms. It is clean, central, and very reasonable. So far, so good.

Our room:

Ric and Lesley arrived later in the evening, and we had dinner at a lovely restaurant close by called Da Vittorio. I had spaghetti cacio e pepe, which was delicious. After, we had a bit of gelato and then headed to bed early, exhausted from our long day(s) of traveling.

This morning, we woke up and enjoyed a light breakfast prepared by Giorgio, the owner of the B&B. Then, we were off to begin my favorite walking route. We crossed the Tiber at Ponte Sisto and headed toward the center of Rome.

A view from the river, between Ponte Sisto and Ponte Garibaldi.

Our first stop: Campo de' Fiori, my old stomping grounds. An ancient market by day, and a bustling piazza by night, the Campo is one my favorite places in Rome.

My pal, Bruno, at the center of the Campo.

Josh & me.

Of course, we had to stop at Forno Campo de' Fiori for their famous pizza bianca.

A picture mid-bite (they will love me for this). Yum!

Next stop: Piazza Navonna, one of the most well-known piazzas in Rome. It is a little touristy, but I love the Bernini fountains.

After Piazza Navonna, we headed to the Pantheon. When I lived in Rome, we spent many nights with a bottle of wine, sitting on the steps of the Pantheon or by the fountain in that piazza.

Sadly, the exterior was obstructed slightly by some scaffolding, but I still think it is gorgeous.

The fountain outside the Pantheon.

One of the coolest things about the Pantheon is the big hole at the very top. When it rains, the water comes right through the hole and on to the floor inside. It is supposed to represent a sort of communion with nature.

Josh admiring the large hole in the ceiling.

From the Pantheon, we walked to the Trevi Fountain.

We each threw a coin in so we return to Rome. It has worked so far.

Josh and his dad.

From the Trevi Fountain, we went on to Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps.

Ric and Lesley climbing the steps.

Getting closer to the top...

A view from the top of the Spanish Steps.

From the Spanish Steps, we walked to Villa Borghese.

We had panini at a little cafe and then walked around the park. It is sort of like Rome's version of Central Park. We watched some dogs play, had a coffee, and then headed to Galleria Borghese.

Sadly, they make you check your cameras, so there are no photos of what we saw inside, but suffice to say I marveled at more Bernini sculptures.

After leaving Galleria Borghese, we headed to Santa Susanna church to pick up our tickets for a papal audience tomorrow. Then, we started the long walk home.

Luckily, we walked right past one of my favorite gelaterias, San Crispino. The people at San Crispino are very strict -- no coloring or flavoring -- just pure gelato. (For God's sake, do NOT ask these gelato purists for a cone as they will inform you it would contaminate the pureness of this perfect gelato!)

Josh ordered lime gelato which he said he would eat every day if he could. I ordered pear, and despite its slightly unappetizing beige color, it tasted like a real pear. Delicious.

On our long walk home, we passed the Trevi Fountain again. It is so pretty at night.

We arrived back in our little two-room B&B and rested for a few minutes. Then, we were off to dinner at a restaurant called Ivo down the street from the B&B. I had a delicious spaghetti carbonara and some red wine. Yum!

Tomorrow, we are headed to the Vatican which will require lost of energy, so for now, it is time for bed. Buona notte!

Julianne's Wedding!!!

2010-06-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

On April 17th, my little sis married the love of her life. I could not have imagined a more perfect wedding. It was beautiful and so much fun.

Their wedding was at Walnut Grove, a really unique outdoor spot that suited them perfectly.

Below are some photos taken by the wonderful Kimberlee Miller.

My gorgeous sis.

The ceremony ... about to begin.

Married!

Bug, Anthony, and their devilish dog, Pazzi, who came by for pictures.

Anthony cracks me up.

Dad + daughter. So sweet.

Bug and Anthony met in medical school at USC. Anthony also attended undergrad at USC, where he was in the marching band. Also, both of my parents are Trojans, so the crowd was dominated by Trojans (sorry, Bruin friends) and Huskies.

As a surprise, Bug and Anthony's brother arranged to have the USC marching band show up and play a few songs at the reception.

Someone brought a trombone for Anthony, and he jumped right in.

Then we danced the tarantella and threw Bug and Anthony up on some chairs.

Their exit. Love this photo.

It was truly a magical day. I adore my new brother-in-law; he is a great addition to our crazy family. And, I am so happy to see my baby sister so happy. I can't wait for the many adventures the four of us we will have in the years to come.

Bug's Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Weekend

2010-06-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

My sis got married in April, so March was full of wedding celebrations. I am so tardy blogging these parties, but better late than never.

First, the bridal shower. Bug really wanted to do a tea, and I hunted around for the perfect spot. I decided on the Langham Huntington Hotel (formerly the Ritz Carlton) in Pasadena.

Here is a shot of the table. We had about 25 guests.

One of the three centerpieces.

The food was absolutely delicious. Here is one of the scones with cream and jam.

Strawberries and cream

Sandwiches:
Prosciutto di Parma Ham on Squaw Bread with Buratta Mousse and Cantaloupe Caviar, Micro Basil;
Smoked Salmon Profiterole with Caramelized Shallot Caper Cream, Dill Sprig, and Lemon Zest;
Egg Wheel on Potato Peppercorn Bread with Garlic Herb Mouse, Chive and American Caviar; and
Watercress Pesto Marinated Caribbean Shrimp on Herb Garlic Bread with Tomato Cilantro Relish.

Desserts:
Passion Fruit Gateau;
Milk Chocolate Citrus Torte;
Lemon Raspberry Tart;
Almond Financier; and
Creme Brulee Tart.

We also had champagne, and, of course, tea!

After a few (hopefully painless) games, it was time for presents.

Bug opening the quilt I made her.

Then, we took a group shot outside in the garden.

Bug and her med school girls.

Family shot.

I went back to pick up the remaining favors (macarons from Paulette's -- I was not about to leave those delicious morsels behind), and I caught my family red-handed packing up the extra scones. (You may recall this it their M.O.)

Then, the next weekend, it was time for the bachelorette party! Bug wanted to go wine tasting in Santa Barbara, so it was more of a bachelorette weekend.

We stayed at the Canary Hotel, which was a gorgeous little boutique right off State Street.

A pic of our room.

Sadly, I didn't take photos of the best part of the hotel -- the rooftop pool. There are some pics on the website, if you're interested.

After checking in Friday night, it was time for happy hour.

Friday night, we went to the rooftop pool, ate pizza, and drank wine before heading out for a wild night on the town. There are lots of pictures, but none that are blog appropriate!

Saturday morning, we woke up early to meet the stretch Escalade limo to take us to the wineries!

Inside the limo.

First stop: Firestone Vineyards.

Second stop: Fess Parker.

My sis found a hat commemorating a new Fess Parker wine that she had to have.

Third stop: Foley Estates.

Yes, we were wearing matching Bachelorette shirts for wine tasting. Here is a sort of blurry shot of the back.

After wine tasting and a nap, we had a nice dinner at Coast Restaurant Saturday night.

Each girl brought Bug a pair of underwear, and she had to guess who gave her what. It was pretty entertaining.

Dental floss?

Granny panties!

From me

After dinner, it was more fun on the town. Again, nothing blog appropriate, but it was a lot of fun. Maybe too much fun. Let's just say we had a minor run in with the law and a jerky bartender, but it all worked out.

Sunday morning, we had breakfast and headed home to L.A., a little worse for the wear but with some great stories.

Phew. March was a busy month getting Bug ready for her big day. Now that this post is done, maybe I can finally post some wedding pictures!

Bug's Quilt.

2010-03-14T22:23:00.001-07:00

I do not profess to be crafty. (I can knit, but that's it.) I am not even terribly domestic. But, last May, I ordered a very basic sewing machine on a whim after being inspired by looking at some incredible quilts by Denyse Schmidt. After looking at her quilts, I felt the desire to create something. It was, perhaps, a reaction to the stress that I wanted to make something "pretty." Or, maybe I am nesting. Who knows.

So, the sewing machine came last spring, and I made my mom a quilt for Christmas. I also started a Block of the Month Club. (I have posted a few pictures here of one block, but, I confess, I am several months behind.) After I completed the quilt for my mom at Christmas, I decided I wanted to make my sister a quilt for her upcoming wedding.

I am in love with anything by Fig Tree Quilts and enrolled in their quarterly project club. When the October project came in -- a pattern called "Cobblestones" -- I thought it would be a great wedding quilt. It was a rush to make it in time for my sister's shower, which was yesterday, but I did finish it. This time, I remembered to take a few photos before wrapping it.

I gave it to Bug yesterday at her shower. I was so thrilled that she liked it. I am a little burnt out after the rush to complete this quilt, but I watched almost the entire third season of Mad Men while I worked on it, so maybe I will have to find a small project to work on while I watch the last few episodes.

Pictures of the shower to follow soon...

Paris, Day 6: Notre Dame, Saint-Séverin, Panthéon, and Jardin du Luxembourg.

2010-01-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

This was our last full day in Paris. We woke up, had breakfast, and then we headed to Notre Dame for 10:00am Mass. But, this was not just any Mass -- all of the singing and many of the prayers were done in Gregorian Chant. The Mass was conducted in Latin and French, but despite the language barrier, it was an incredibly moving hour spent. The music was absolutely beautiful, and I cannot imagine a more gorgeous setting. I thought of all of the people who had sat there and participated in the same ritual through the years. Pretty cool.

A picture of the interior of Notre Dame.

After Mass, we went to see Sainte-Chapelle, tied with Notre Dame in my book for most beautiful Parisian church. However, the line was over two blocks long. There was so much more to see, Josh suggested we keep moving, so we did. Next time. :)

Our next stop was Saint-Séverin, a lovely old church on the Left Bank.

We left Saint-Séverin and headed back toward our hotel on Rue de Carmes. This is the street of our hotel -- right next to my old apartment.

We passed our hotel and continued up the hill toward the Panthéon.

Inside the Panthéon.

This pendulum swings with the earth's rotation, and, as a result, reflects the time. Pretty smart.

We went down into the Crypt of the Panthéon to see some famous graves.

Voltaire.

Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo.

Marie and Pierre Curie.

Walking out of the Panthéon, you look directly across the small square at this lovely building, which is where the law courses were conducted when I studied here.

We left the Panthéon and started walking in the direction of the Luxembourg Gardens.

But first, lunch! I had the best crepe -- with "bacon" (which was really cured ham), cheese, potatoes, and onions. So good!

After lunch, we braved the cold and went to the Luxembourg Gardens and Palais de the Luxembourg, former home to Marie de' Medici and current home of the French Senate.

We decided we could get used to living there.

After the Luxembourg Gardens, we walked through shops in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Sadly, most shops were closed, including my absolute favorite -- a small vintage shop full of vintage Chanel, Hermès, and other lovely items I probably would have only admired and not purchased. I suppose it's for the best.

We took the Metro to the Champs-Élysées for a little more shopping and then headed back to the Latin Quarter for dinner. It will be an early night since we need to be up bright and early to catch our flight back to the States.

It has been a wonderful and memorable trip! I have loved blogging instead of writing in a travel journal like I used to do. (Partially because it's so much easier to paste pictures in with descriptions before I forget what we did when, and also because it's actually quicker to type this up than to write in a travel journal. Laziness wins the day, I guess.)

I wish we could stay another week, but reality awaits. Au revoir, Paris!

Paris, Days 4 and 5: A day of relaxation, Musée Rodin, Centre Georges Pompidou, Galeries Lafayette.

2010-01-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

Two more wonderful days in Paris down, and sadly, only one left to go.

There isn't much to report from New Year's Day. Most everything was closed, so we slept in after not getting to bed until after 5am. (These old bones are not used to such a late night.) We woke up, ate, wandered around the city, drank wine at a bistro and people watched, saw a movie, and went to bed. Not terribly exciting, but it was nice to have a relaxing, "vacation" day.

But, there's no time for any more lazy days, so we were up much earlier this morning. Our first stop was Musée Rodin, a small museum with many Rodin sculptures in the museum and the museum garden. The garden is, by far, the highlight of the museum.

Josh in front of Musée Rodin.

Beginning of the garden.

The Thinker.

I am not a huge Rodin fan (although I love the museum that houses his works), but I was moved by this bronze sculpture. It is supposed to be Eve when she first realizes she's naked, but I think we have all felt this way at one point or another.

Another sculpture in the garden.

View of the museum from the garden. (Yes, you are being mooned by the fountain.)

My second favorite.

We walked through the inside of the museum after the garden, and then through a temporary exhibit the museum had on Matisse and Rodin.

After Musée Rodin, the plan was to go to Musée Picasso. Sadly though, it is closed until 2012. It's too bad, as I remember it being wonderful. Maybe next time. :)

So, our next stop was Centre Georges Pompidou, the huge modern art museum in Paris. The modern building and fountain are stark contrasts to the old buildings that surround them.

The orange tubes are escalators, and look like tubes you would connect for a hamster to play in. We took the escalators to the top.

The view of Paris was stunning (even if the windows were a touch dirty).

Some of my favorite things we saw were paintings by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

Matisse.

Picasso.

After leaving Centre Pompidou, we had a late lunch at a cafe nearby and then hopped back on the metro to Galeries Lafayette, one of the most gorgeous department stores ever (second only, maybe, to Harrod's in London). I bought my very first suit at Galeries Lafayette right before I headed back to the States for OCI in 2004. (That feels like a lifetime ago.)

Galeries Lafayette was ridiculously packed. I managed a quick picture of the center of the store.

After fighting the shopping crowds, we headed back to our hotel to rest for a few minutes, and then headed to another of my favorite stores in Paris -- Shakespeare & Company, a small and ecclectic English-language book store in the Latin Quarter. (Stupidly, I did not bring my camera.) I loaded up on a few new books (they have such a unique selection), and then we headed to a late dinner at 10:00pm. (I was starving!)

One more day here in Paris, and still so much to see (and so much shopping to do)! But for now, bed.

Bonne nuit!

Bonne Année!

2010-01-01T04:06:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! Here is to a blessed and joyful 2010!

New Year's Eve was a blast, and incredibly memorable. After a quick nap, we headed out to dinner (I had the most delicious duck confit) and then took a taxi to the Eiffel Tower to watch the light show and countdown to the New Year. When I was here in the summer of 2004, we started our Bastille Day celebration at the Eiffel Tower fireworks display. The lawn outside the Eiffel Tower last night was just as packed as I remember it being in 2004. Luckily, we nabbed a prime spot on the street.

After staking out our spot, we broke out the champagne and toasted to 2010. At midnight, the Eiffel Tower glittered to announce the new year.

I adore this picture. Not only because it turned out cute of both of us and commemorates an awesome night, but also because of Technicolor Dreamcoat & Co. behind us.

Right after midnight, we decided to walk to the Champs-Elysées to enjoy the festivities there. The streets of Paris were packed.

And we were getting a little, er, silly. :)

The Champs-Elysées was incredibly gorgeous with the lights and all of the people hugging, drinking champagne, and shouting.

Kohl tried taking a picture of us, but a bunch of guys jumped into the photo, resulting in a pretty ridiculous set of photos. Here's one of my faves.

Finally. :)

Josh and Kohl.

We continued to walk along the Champs-Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe.

Then, we turned around and headed back to our neck of the woods. We stopped at The Highlander, a pub I remember from when I was here before. We had a few beers, danced, and had a little too much fun! By 3:30am, we decided to head back to our hotel so Jody and Kohl could catch their airport taxi at 4:15am!

It was a wonderful night, and a great way to welcome in a new year and a new decade. Although 2009 was a little touch and go, the past decade has been incredibly good to me. It started at a condo in Girdwood, Alaska and ended in Paris, France. Over the past ten years, I had an incredible college experience, studied abroad in Rome, moved from Seattle to Ithaca for law school and made more dear friends, studied abroad in Greece and Paris, graduated from law school, moved back to California, married my high school sweetheart, passed the bar, started working at my first firm, bought a house, made more wonderful friends, went to China, and switched firms. I have gained, lost, and regained more weight than I care to admit; I have been stretched, tried, and tested in ways I wouldn't have anticipated; I understand more now what I am made of, who I am, and who I am not. I would not trade the past ten years for anything.

Happy, Happy New Year to all of you! May the next year and decade bring much happiness, peace, and joy for us all!

Paris, Day 3: Musée d'Orsay, Montmatre, and Sacré Coeur.

2009-12-31T07:52:00.000-08:00

It's another gloriously gray day here in Paris. Our alarm actually worked properly this morning, and we were up drinking coffee and eating a croissant at 9am before meeting up with Aunt Jody and Kohl. After our quick breakfast, we headed to Musée d'Orsay.

Josh, Aunt Jody, and Kohl at the entrance.

We had some drama at the ticket counter and felt this sculpture represented our feelings well. :)

But we quickly recovered and started to explore.

The best stuff at the Musée d'Orsay, in my humble opinion, are the French Impressionist paintings. A few of my favorite things we saw. (I took a bunch more pictures, but I won't bore you with all of them.)

Paintings by Claude Monet.

Edgar Degas.

Vincent Van Gogh.

The red beard and blue eyes reminded me of someone. Although, the crazy look in the eyes isn't quite the same. :)

And some more...

Love her. Don't you wish we still wore hats like this?

Maybe this is random, but I was so impressed by the feet and toes of this sculpture!

My favorite sculpture at the museum.

I think the building itself, an old train station converted into a museum in 1986, is as pretty as the art it houses.

We spent a good portion of the morning and early afternoon at the Musée d'Orsay. After, we headed to a small bistro for lunch (a yummy croque madame pour moi), and then to Montmatre via the Metro.

Once in Montmatre, we stopped at the famous steps outside the Sacré Coeur.

Josh, striking a pose. :)

And a cute one.

A picture with me!

View from the top of the stairs.

Sacré Coeur.

Sadly, no cameras allowed inside, but we did take a small tour and lit a candle for our loved ones at home.

After such an action-packed day, we are back at the hotel taking a quick rest before the New Year's Eve festivities tonight.

Happy New Year's! Au revoir 2009 ... bienvenue 2010! :)

Paris, Day 2: The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.

2009-12-30T16:16:00.001-08:00

We set an alarm last night and had serious intentions of making an early start this morning. Too bad the alarm was still on California time. D'oh.

We woke up to Josh's Aunt Jody and cousin, Kohl, calling us from the lobby -- they had arrived! After a quick 15 minutes, we were downstairs and ready to go. But...Jody and Kohl were exhausted from their trip, so they decided to take a nap. While they slept, we headed back to the Louvre...this time to go inside!

The line was ridiculous, stretching all around the courtyard, but we decided to brave it anyway.

Sadly, I did not take any pictures inside the actual museum. I thought no cameras were allowed, but it turns out no flash photography allowed -- boo. Inside, we saw all the major stuff: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. We spent some time in the scuplture wing and in the History of the Louvre exhibit.

I did take some photos of the lobby. I know it's controversial, but I adore the glass pyramid in the center of the Louvre. It is stunning.

This picture would have been so cool if orange blazer weren't in the way. I will have to crop her out when I get home.

After spending the better part of the day at the Louvre, we headed back to meet up with Aunt Jody and Kohl at the hotel. From there, we grabbed crêpes and headed for the Metro, which we took the the Eiffel Tower.

We waited in another long line, but we finally made it to the elevators. The first time I came to Paris, my sister and I thought it would be "fun" to climb the stairs. Luckily, everyone seemed to be on board with taking the elevator this time!

Jody, Josh, and Kohl at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Some aerial shots of our view. It was rainy, but still a gorgeous sight!

Kohl took a few pictures of Josh and me at the top. Unfortunately, they were blurry, but here is the clearest one.

After the Eiffel Tower, we had a very late bite to eat (around 11pm) and some wine, and then headed back to our hotel. Tomorrow, we are headed to the Musée d'Orsay in the morning. In the evening, we are planning to head back to the Eiffel Tower for the countdown to 2010. Then, we will see where the night takes us.

As a side note, given this is my last post of 2009, I have to say that I am determined to make 2010 a great year. There were many things to be thankful for in 2009, but there were some bumpy spots. I have a good feeling about 2010.

With that, bonne nuit!

Paris, Day 1: Jardin Tuileries, the Champs-Élysées, and Notre Dame.

2009-12-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the City of Lights! Josh and I arrived in Paris last night after a loonng flight. Not surprisingly, Josh slept pretty much the whole time. I, well, did not. I read an entire book and watched three movies, and I was stir crazy and antsy by the halfway mark. (Patience has never been one of my virtues, I admit it.) At the eleventh hour (literally) we landed, hopped a connecting flight to Charles de Gaulle, and then took a quick taxi to our hotel in the Latin Quarter.

I have been to Paris twice before -- once with my Grandma Billie in junior high, and the second time I lived in a little apartment during the summer of 2004 and took a few classes at the Sorbonne after my first year of law school (a prerequisite for the LL.M. program, but as you can imagine, I did not complain). This is Josh's first trip, and Paris has been at the very top of his "must see" travel list.

We are staying at a tiny hotel in the same building as my old, tiny apartment. It is far from fancy, but it is inexpensive, clean, and central. I will post some pictures towards the end of our trip.

So, we arrived late Monday night. We took a short walk around the Latin Quarter, bought crêpes from a crêpe stand for dinner (ham and cheese for me, butter for Josh), and then walked along the River Seine. After that, we were tired and jet lagged, so we headed back to the hotel and fell right to sleep.

Today, we woke up mid-morning, slowly got ready, and then headed up the street to a small cafe for a quick coffee. We did not have big plans today, and Josh wanted to walk through the city and get oriented. So, we left the cafe, and headed toward the Seine, across Pont Neuf.

We walked past the Louvre, but it (like many other museums in Paris) is closed on Tuesdays.

As you can see, it was a lovely, gray day.

Since the Louvre was closed, we continued on through the Jardin Carrousel and the Jardin Tuileries.

We walked through the gardens, and then down the Champs-Élysées.

We stopped for a quick lunch: cheese crêpe for me (sensing a trend?) and pasta for Josh. We munched away while people watching.

Then, we were back on our way downt the Champs-Élysées.

We stopped at Laduree to buy some macarons.

Yum!

After that, we walked back along the Seine, soaking in the city. We got back to our hotel around 5, took a quick nap (still fighting a bit of jet lag), and headed to dinner.

We ended up at a little bistro in the Latin Quarter called Le Bistrot 30. Sadly, no pictures of dinner -- I did not have the guts to bust out my camera -- but we enjoyed french onion soup, beef bourguignon for me (a potato for Josh), fondue, and sorbet and crème brûlée for dessert.

After dessert, we took another stroll, and sat outside Notre Dame, admiring it and enjoying the beautiful night.

The view from our bench.

Josh took a (fuzzy) picture of me, since I am never in our travel pics. :)

Crossing the bridge on our way back, I couldn't resist snapping one more picture of Notre Dame.

We stopped at a small brasserie by our hotel for a few glasses of beaujolais and then headed back to our hotel to call it a night.

We didn't accomplish much today in terms of sightseeing (which is okay by me, since I have seen the major sites here), but we plan to have a big day tomorrow. Josh's Aunt Jody and her son Kohl are meeting up with us for two days, starting tomorrow. They have been in Italy and decided to take a detour to spend New Year's Eve with us, so we will be up bright and early to greet them.

With that, I am off to bed in our tiny room. Bonne nuit!

Breast Cancer 3-Day

2009-11-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my mom and I traveled to San Diego to participate in The Breast Cancer 3-Day, benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The 3-Day is a 60-mile walk, approximately 20 miles per day.

I had heard great things about the walk from Amber (who participated last year), and the cause is near and dear to my heart (no pun intended), so I talked my mom into signing up with me. My mom and both my grandmas have battled breast cancer. My mom was diagnosed right before my senior year of high school, went through aggressive chemotherapy and radiation, and, thank God, has been cancer-free ever since.

So, it was a pretty powerful weekend. Here's us right before the opening ceremony at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

We look so happy and energetic. The energy did not last. :)

They passed out pink bunny ears at the entrance. You will see them in lots of pictures to come...

The Opening Ceremony was very inspirational and powerful. My mom and I got a little emotional when they honored the survivors and those who had lost their lives to breast cancer.

Survivors' Circle.

And, we were off! (How cute is my mom?)

I have to say that one of the very best things about the walk is the people on the side of the road that come out to cheer the walkers on. Sometimes referred to as "Walker Stalkers," they show up in crazy outfits, with funny and inspirational signs, and blast music and cheer as you go. It is very motivating and makes the walk even more fun! I took a lot of pictures of the walker stalkers that I plan to post below. Sure enough, there were some awesome people waiting to cheer us on as we left the Opening Ceremony and started the walk.

My mom and Billy. :)

Also, there were a lot of boobs and boob puns on the walk.

Boob hats!

Another awesome part of the walk are the bikers and San Jose police officers who volunteer to direct traffic. Nothing like seeing a biker in leather ... and a pink tutu! :)

More cheering...

...and tutus!

Mom on the trail.

The route was absolutely stunning.

Some funny cars and sweep vans. Prepare yourself for boob puns.

Pirate-themed van.

There were also some crazy spirited outfits by some of the walkers. I took pictures of a few of my favorites...

Every few miles, there is a "pit stop," with food, drinks, and port-a-potties.

After some refueling, it's back on the road.

There are a ton of dogs on the route, too. These were my favorites.

Again, it was a gorgeous, gorgeous walk.

Bikers/cheerers outside of Pit Stop 2.

Walking into Pit Stop 2.

Walk on!

After that pit stop, we hiked up a long, long hill. It was tough. I took no pictures. Looking back through the pictures, I noticed our energy start to drop...

Ahh, lunch.

My feet were already hurting and blistering, despite the right socks, shoes, and blister shield. A little icing, and then we pressed on.

Walking through La Jolla, my mom recognized my Grandma's former neighbor and dear friend, Phyllis, sitting on the side of the road cheering the walkers on! It was a very cool coincidence.

We arrived at camp, and set up our tent and sleeping bags.

There aren't very many pictures from Day 2. We were both pretty tired and focused on powering through the day. However, I resolved to take more pictures on Day 3, and so there are a ton from our last day.

Here we are, about to leave camp. Next stop ... the finish line! (By way of lunch, of course.)

More amazing people cheering the walkers on.

Sort of wrong, but made me laugh.

I love this picture so much.

Boob helmet!

We picked up some buttons along the route.

As I said before, the San Jose Police were so amazing. And funny. There is apparently a waiting list for them to use their vacation time to come down to San Diego to volunteer for the walk. Pretty awesome.

Some had speakers hooked up to the back of their bikes that blasted lots of fun, girly music.

As we neared the end of the third day, we really pushed ourselves. I had a ton of blisters on both feet, but we were determined to finish.

I passed this dog about a mile from finishing, and I believe he felt what I was feeling...

So many people, cheering us on to finish.

And...we made it!!

Walkers got white victory shirts, and survivors were given pink ones. They then had the survivors gather on a hill so they could make a special entrance into the Closing Ceremony. There's my mom, front and center!

When the survivors paraded in, everyone took off one walking shoe and held it up as a tribute to the survivors. It made me tear up. It was very powerful.

I love this picture of my mom walking in with the other survivors.

The Closing Ceremony was awesome. They announced that our event raised $9.5 million for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Pretty awesome.

Overall, the Walk was an incredible experience. After the first day, my mom and I were exhausted and wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. But, by Day 3, we agreed that it was an amazing weekend and have been seriously considering signing up for 2010. (Maybe once those blisters heal!)

Many thanks to all of you who sponsored me, wished me luck, and supported me.

the last couple weeks of July: a quick and dirty rundown

2009-08-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, there's so much to catch up on. What a busy summer. Since I am so behind, here is the gist of what we have been up to around here ...

We have been lucky to have many out-of-town visitors the past few weeks. A dear friend of mine from high school, Peter, his lovely wife, Bree, and their three kids (!) are driving cross-country and decided to make a one-day stopover at our house. Unfortunately and fortunately, their transmission blew out in Burbank on the way to our house. I say "fortunately," because they ended up staying several days with us, and it was so wonderful to spend so much time with this awesome fam!

After Peter and Bree left, Josh's sister, Jenni, and her man arrived. Josh took them golfing and to the beach, and we all met up for a succulent dinner at Boa. We also took them to the Hollywood Bowl to see "Guys and Dolls," starring Jessica Biel (she can sing?), Scott Bakula (wow, haven't heard that name in awhile), and Brian Stokes Mitchell (love). I love the Bowl.

At the end of July, we also went to Taste of Camarillo with my dad, sis, and Anthony. I was impressed my once sleepy hometown had such a nice little event. It was held at the Camarillo house (a major soft spot in my heart because it was the site of our wedding reception and because of the Girl Scout sleepovers we used to have there before the City owned it and the Camarillo family still lived there).

There was lots of delicious wine.

And our little plates could barely hold all the food we wanted to try.

I have also been busy around here planning Bug's engagement party, shower, and bachelorette planning. Phew. I forgot how much work weddings are!

What else ... I am plowing through my summer reading list and have been doing a little sewing (God, that sounds old). I'll post some pics once there are good sewing projects to show.

I also have been looking at vacation sites like a teenaged boy looks at porn, but alas, I do not think it's in the cards this summer. But ... we do have a trip to Paris for New Year's planned. Watching Julie & Julia last night got me all excited to go back to the City of Lights. Must hang on until then.

One things I should be doing but have not been disciplined about is training for the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk coming up in November. My mom (a breast cancer survivor) and I are doing the 60-mike San Diego walk -- 20 miles per day for 3 days. I am proud to say I met my fundraising goal, now I just need to ensure I do not pass out on the side of the road. I bought the shoes, and now is the time to break those puppies in!

For now, though, we are off to my grandma's house where, inevitably, we will be stuffed with delicious, home cooked Italian food. Somewhat counterproductive to the above resolution to start training, but that is why tomorrow was invented, right?

Another weekend, come and gone.

2009-07-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Mondays just don't seem as bad after a really great weekend. My dear friend Taryn flew in from Seattle Wednesday and spent all weekend with us.

Here's the quick and dirty of the trip (unfortunately no pics -- I am currently in a no-photos-of-me phase): Wednesday night, we met up with Jackie and PJ at Salsa & Beer -- an amazing hole-in-the-wall Mexican food restaurant in the Valley. Thursday, she hung out by the pool while I was at work, and then we made dinner, drank some wine, and caught up. Friday brought Happy Hour after work and then some awesomely bad junk food. Saturday, we took a walk, went to see The Proposal (which was very cute), and then had a bbq at our house (of course) with margaritas and mojitos galore. Sadly, Taryn left for Seattle bright and early Sunday morning.

Sunday, my grandma helped me pick out a spot for Bug's bridal shower and then we had a delicious brunch at Marston's (my favorite grandma-and-me lunch spot). Sunday night, Josh and I saw Bruno. It was, in a word, "eh."

So far, I am still on the sewing kick, too. I have been working on a quilt for my mom using Moda's Gypsy Rose by Fig Tree Quilts.

I am so in love with this fabric, I ordered extra to make myself a quilt of my very own from it.

I also enrolled in this Mystery Block of the Month from Fat Quarter Shop. This is ideal since the limited commitment of one block a month may jive with my (sometimes unpredictably hectic) work schedule. Here is my first, completed block.

It's funny how much satisfaction I got from making this little guy. It's nice to feel like I made something, completed a project, did something creative even. Turns out arts and crafts make for excellent stress relief.

my long absence, some news, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

2009-07-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

There's a lot to catch up on since my last post a hundred years ago. A lot happened. I kept meaning to post. And, I didn't. I guess I have writer's block. Lately, I have been feeling like I don't have anything interesting to post and am unsure the purpose this blog really serves. But, I guess for now, I've resolved to not caring if it's purposeless.

So, with that, on with today.

To kick off the three-day weekend, Josh and I decided to have date night on Thursday night. I have been craving grilled cheese forever, so we thought we'd check out Grilled Cheese Night at Campanille. I snapped a couple pics with my iPhone.

I ordered the Croquet Madame, a grilled ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top. It was delicious! The crunchy bread with the velvety egg yolk -- so good! That plus a stellar glass of red wine, I was a happy camper.

Josh ordered the regular grilled cheese with the onions and mustard. He was a little hesitant about adding the onions and mustard to a perfectly good grilled cheese sandwich, but after the first bite, he was converted.

Our sandwiches came with fries. Perfect texture and salty. Very good.

For dessert, we ordered a fruit cobbler. The ice cream was so creamy. It reminded me of the ice cream my Aunt in England used to buy that was all cream -- so rich and good.

Overall, we gave our experience at Campanille a big thumbs up.

In other news, I am on some sort of weird sewing kick all of a sudden. I have been learning to sew and have completed a few small projects. I may not seem like the domestic type (although, you may know that I love to knit), so I was as surprised as anyone with this new hobby. But, it's so fun! It's nice to be creative and make something that's actually useful! So, now you are prepared for some possible sewing posts in the near future.

Saving the best for last, the most exciting news as of lately is that my little sister, Bug, is engaged! Ajax popped the question last week, and my sis is already planning her spring wedding. I'm so thrilled for her and cannot wait for the big day!

With that, I'm out for now. I'll try not to disappear again for so long. ;)

Strollin' through the Strawberry Festival.

2009-05-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

After sleeping in and vegging out until the early afternoon, Josh and I decided to get our butts in gear and go do something. Josh suggested the California Strawberry Festival. I haven't been since I was little, and it sounded like fun, so off we went.

It was crowded. And dusty. Lots of little kids. And strawberries.

I was hungry. We weighed our options.

Strawberry pizza?

Strawberry nachos?

Hmm. I decided on a tri-tip sandwich.

While getting food, we saw an old friend of mine -- Strawberry Shortcake. Man, I loved her back in the day.

Also saw clowns on tricycles.

There was some live music in the form of a washed-up 70s cover band. Dude was into it.

We decided we couldn't come all the way to the strawberry festival and not eat strawberries. Behold, our delish dessert.

Mmmm...funnel cake...

We wandered around a little more, checking out some of the craft booths. Overall, it was a good event, although the admission ticket price was pretty steep considering it was essentially a strawberry-themed street fair on steroids. Still. It was a nice day.

(Grand)Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-15T23:53:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning of Josh's actual birthday having brunch with my grandma for Mother's Day. Sadly, both of our moms live far north (Josh's mom in Olympia, mine in Alaska), but luckily my grandma is close by, so we got to celebrate with her.

My grandma loves the brunch at the Embassy Suites by her house. No idea why. I thought the food was mediocre, at best. But, I kept my mouth shut. Whatever Grandma wants, right?

One plus -- lots of champagne.
Since it was his birthday, Josh was triple-fisting it.

My sis and Uncle Frank.

Bug and Ajax.

My grandma and grandpa. So cute.

Happy (belated) Mother's Day to my grandma, our moms, and all the other moms out there!

Craft Beer Fest L.A. + Chaya Happy Hour

2009-05-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

Josh's 29h birthday is Sunday, so to celebrate, he wanted to check out Craft Beer Fest L.A. happening in Echo Park this weekend and then maybe go out for some drinks. (I really feel like "Beerfest" should be one word ... anyone with me?)

Jackie and PJ were awesome and arrived to Beerfest (that's it, I'm making it one word) early. All of the tickets were sold out earlier this week, so we decided to take our chances at the door. Josh, Bug, Ajax, and I met up with Jackie and PJ in line.

Thankfully, because of Jackie and PJ, we were at the very front of the line, so it wasn't long before they let us in.

Beerfest was held in the Echoplex, a concert venue. Once inside, we were handed tasting glasses and 15 drink tickets each.

It was crowded and dark inside, so none of my pictures turned out -- everything was fuzzy like this.

(Any tips for taking pics in low lighting? The auto setting always makes everything in the background black.)

The inside had two bars set up for tasting and a bunch of food, including gourmet cheeses, pizza, burritos, and beer-flavored ice cream from Scoops (Guinness chocolate and Hefeweizen infused banana). Yum!

Some of the best beer we tried, in my humble opinion, was the Pizza Port Hefeweizen (tasted like coconut!), the Crafstman Scottish Isle, and some of the beers from Bruery. PJ loved the special release Pale Ale from Stone Brewing, and Josh was pretty much in heaven.

A (blurry) pic of my glass.

Josh and PJ -- who loves Beerfest? :)

Group pics (sans Jackie and me)

Next stop was Chaya downtown for their awesome Happy Hour.

Josh and PJ with chopsticks. I swear, I can never get a nice, not goofy picture of these two!

We ordered some apps and a few more drinks (Jackie and I stuck with water since we were the DDs). Chaya is delicious -- I occasionally will eat lunch here with co-workers -- and their Happy Hour is a terrific value for the quality of food. We ordered hummus, some sushi, the lamb and gorgonzola sliders, and the calamari (which was salty and scrumptious). Luckily, Chaya was a little dead, given that the rest of the kids had that loud, I-just-drank-a-bunch-of-beer-at-Beerfest-and-can't-control-my-volume thing going on. We were having fun, and luckily, we didn't spoil anyone's dinner! :)

After some beer, Josh decided to switch to sake. Speaking of trying to get a nice picture of Josh and PJ, sake and drunkenness sure did not help my cause. The next three pictures crack me up.

Sigh. :)

Josh's 29th Birthday is tomorrow! One more year until the big 3-0! Happy Birthday, sweetheart!

Wine tasting with Moos.

2009-04-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

My dear, dear friend, Moos, was in town this weekend visiting from DC. Moos was my law school war buddy. I swear, I would have never made it through those three years without her. After spending almost every waking minute together studying, procrastinating, or drinking wine, she became one of my very dear friends. (You may recall she was the friend with the beautiful Portland wedding.) Sadly, we now live on opposite coasts and don't get to see each other nearly enough. Lucky for me, she came to visit us this weekend!

After spending a summer studying in Paris and sampling French wines with our favorite oenophile, Maggie, Moos, Maggie, and I took a semester-long wine class with a few other friends. We then spent a lot of weekends 3L visiting wineries around the Finger Lakes.

So ... when Margaret suggested taking a day trip to Santa Barbara County to go wine tasting, I couldn't think of a more brilliant idea!!

Our first stop Sunday morning was the Summerland Beach Cafe for breakfast (Jackie's fave and the spot we took the Italians when they visited in the fall).

Mmmmm...omelette...

After breakfast, we hit the wine trail. Our first winery was Firestone Vineyard.

We showed up just in time to take a guided, historical tour of the winery.

Our group met by the cork tree. I touched it. It was squishy.

I was loitering in the back of the group, taking pictures and poking the squishy tree. Josh hollered for me to catch up!

More vines.

Big kegs. Just kidding. This is where the wine starts fermenting.

The owner's private tasting room, where a bottle of every wine the winery has ever produced is kept. Our guide informed us that it was uber-VIP. (The last person allowed in was Reagan when he was president.) Too bad.

Barrels and barrels of wine. Yum.

Next stop was Fess Parker. It was about this point in the trip we started talking about how we are starting our own winery after we win the lotto this weekend. Who wouldn't want to live surrounded by the beautiful hills and vineyards?

(The free wine wouldn't be so bad either.)

Inside Fess Parker.

Our wine pourer guy was extra nice and allowed us to sample a few more pinot noirs. Really delish. But the winner was definitely the Syrah. It was like butta.

Fess Parker was also premiering a wine called "The Last Frontier." Moos decided to channel Davy Crocket and try on some of the promo hats.

(She will love me for posting this, I'm sure.)

More pictures of Fess Parker's gorgeous vineyards.

Then, it was back on the road.

Our third winery was Foxen Winery. By far the cutest, most rustic winery we visited.

At this point, Josh started pouring all of his wine into Margaret's and my glasses (he was the DD), which caused us to be extra chatty with the girls behind the counter. Good times.

We thought we'd stop there, but Josh suggested we stop at one last winery, Tres Hermanas. Luckily for us, they had a special wine and food pairing deal. Food was an excellent idea.

Sadly, the pairing and the wine were somewhat underwhelming. They did give us Kit Kat bars at the end, which made up for the lackluster wine. But who are we kidding, I would have drunk anything by winery #4.

Four wineries. Time for dinner.

We decided to try the Hitching Post, made famous by that one wine movie.

Roasted garlic for appetizer. Delicious.

Blurry but tasty shrimp cocktail.

Salad.

My entree: filet mignon. The Hitching Post sprinkles what they call magic dust (more salt than psychedelic from what I could tell) which was delicious. (Moos had the ostrich which was also quite good.)

After a delicious meal, Josh piled two full and slightly tipsy girls into the car to head back home.

After a long drive home and a quick nap, we saw Moos off at LAX and then headed to bed. Despite being a little tired this morning, I couldn't help but be in a good mood. It was a wonderful weekend!

Another Saturday, Another BBQ.

2009-04-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

What can I say, we are not very exciting around here these days. This is the first day since mid-March I haven't worked, and the thought of doing anything other than vegging out was definitely not appealing. So, when Bug called and suggested we BBQ some salmon, I was more than game.

I slept in and woke up with no alarm (which was glorious) and then helped Josh clean our house before Bug and her med school pals arrived. My dad and Cathy also came over, and we cooked up a delicious meal of salmon (caught by my mom in Alaska), asparagus, and salad.

Bug's dog, Pazzi, contemplating taking a plunge. In the background, you can see our roses are starting to bloom. It's amazing to me they have managed to survive living with Josh and me. Scrappy little things.

Other than this, there's really not much to report. God, I have been terrible about keeping this blog up. I just feel like nothing "blogworthy" has happened over here in awhile. Too much work leads to not enough fun, I guess.

Actually, one exciting thing has happened since I posted last: Josh and I found amazing flight fares roundtrip from LAX to Paris for $500, so we booked tickets for a week over New Year's Eve! So exciting -- wish it weren't so far away and we could leave right now! But, alas, I am stuck going back to the grindstone tomorrow morning. However ... since it still IS Saturday, so I am going to go make myself a margarita and sit in the hot tub!

Bug's 26th Birthday.

2009-03-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my little baby sister is 26. Holy Lord.

To celebrate, she had a get together with her med school friends on Friday night. Josh and I drove out there after work and hung out with a bunch of her pals. There were a ton of people (duh, everyone loves Bug!), and my sis was mouthy and bouncy as ever.

Saturday, we had a family bbq to celebrate her birthday. The weather was beautiful. That, plus family and a fridge full of beer and wine, what more could we ask for?

Grandma making her famous stuffed mushrooms.

Grandpa, drinking a beer by the pool.

My little cousins came along with my aunt and uncle. They didn't leave the pool from 1pm until 8pm. They are so darn cute.

Hailey in her pink wayfarer knockoffs. So hip. :)

Vegging by the pool.

My dad and Uncle Frank were all over the bbq. They cooked up tri-tip and Italian sausage, which were so delicious.

Jackie and PJ.

Some excellent pool action shots by Jackie (featuring Josh in Hailey's glasses)

My grandpa and Ella, taking a break from the excitement.

Josh and PJ goofing off, as usual.

The Birthday Girl!

Grandma and Ella.

After dinner and birthday cake, the fam started packing up and heading back to their respective homes. Bug decided that she wanted to karaoke once the fam had left, so we loaded up in Jackie's minivan and headed to the best place we know of for karaoke.

Unfortunately, there was a cover band there instead. Boo. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, we finally found karaoke at the cheesiest dive bar (if you can even call it a bar) in the Valley: Canoga Bowl. Luckily (?) we were some of the only people, so Josh and Bug got to sing their hearts out. A few more drinks led to stellar performances by both. :)

We got home late and did a little night swimming before hitting the sack.

Today, I woke up and went to Connie's baby shower (I'm sure there will be a fabulous photo post from either Wan or WeeMo who were snapping away) and then to the mall with Bug and Josh. I have a little work to do tonight, and then time to turn in early -- it has been an action-packed weekend!

Happy Birthday to my fabulous baby sister -- I love you!

Monterey, Day Two.

2009-01-31T21:41:00.000-08:00

Our hotel is right on the beach, and I fell asleep last night to the sound of the ocean. It was so rhythmic and relaxing, it made me (almost) understand why people buy those cheesy noise machines from Brookstone. But, there's no substitution for the real thing, and I slept like a baby.

(Actually, truth be told, when we first got into bed, we heard drunken college kids laughing, screaming, and daring each other to get into the ocean. Bug and I, the two grumpy old ladies that we are, reported their drunk asses to the front desk, and the cops came and broke up their party while we giggled in bed. Haha, yes, we're total tattletale kill joys.)

I woke up this morning to this gorgeous view from our window.

God, I love the ocean. Driving along PCH yesterday and waking up to this today, I cannot imagine living anywhere else.

We were up at the crack of dawn to get Bug to her 8:30 a.m. presentation on time. She was presenting her research to the board of a medical journal, and they totally ate it up. She did a really, really good job.

I totally snapped a picture. I am turning into my mother, God help me.

I was so proud. She is such a genius. We sat through other presentations (none as good as Bug's, of course) and then skipped out during the break after running into a sorority sister of ours who was also at the conference.

We strolled around the shops in Carmel and then headed back to Monterey where we changed and then took a cab to Cannery Row to do a little wine tasting.

We found a few tasting rooms, but this one on the water was my favorite. It may have been the views, or maybe the young kid behind the counter with a heavy hand and a willingness to forget how many tastes we had drunk.

Two tasting rooms in, and we were starving for lunch (yes, we were drinking before lunch). We went to a restaurant called Fish Hopper.

We had each probably had about three glasses of wine each, and so our judgment must have been somewhat impaired because we decided a huge, flaming volcano bowl for two was a good idea.

Hmm. It was not. I'm pretty sure we ruined the ladies' lunch next to us with our cracking up.

Also, I didn't take pictures of the food, just of Bug cracking up.

I was also feeling pretty good. I decided to "draw a doggie" for our server on the receipt. I don't know.

As if that stupid volcano drink weren't enough, Bug decided our next stop was another winery. Man, oh man. Our poor wine pourer guy (what would you call them? Wine barista? Wine tour guide? Hmm.), "Rafael." We called him by name, and Bug hustled him for some free glasses, which we got. Hilarious.

After all that, we decided to take a nap. We came back to the hotel and, as you might imagine, crashed. We are going to try and rally to go do something tonight, but these old bones aren't used to this much fun (and alcohol)!

Makin' our way to Monterey.

2009-01-30T22:54:00.000-08:00

Another blogging drought, coming to a close. I still must catch up on my Google Reader -- which is like old take-out found in the back of the fridge -- I forgot about it for so long, I am afraid to open it ...

I have been looking forward to this weekend all. week. long. Bug has a medical conference in Monterey where she is presenting her research and invited me to join her for a sisters' weekend. I have never been one to turn down a free trip.

We left L.A. this afternoon (yes, I was actually able to leave in the afternoon), stopped in Camarillo for lunch, and made the long, beautiful drive north. The drive itself was relaxing. I am such a road trip junkie -- there are few things better than a nice, long drive -- and the weather was gorgeous, the hills green (by California standards, at least), and the ocean views divine.

As you can tell, I was happy to be outside. :)

We arrived in Monterey close to 9:00 p.m., checked into our hotel, and started our search for dinner. We decided on the Monterey Fish House.

We ordered scallops in a cream mushroom sauce for starters. This was my favorite thing we had. The scallops were tender and buttery. Delicious!

We each ordered Cioppino for dinner with garlic bread. It was very good.

Bug with a calamari.

For dessert, we had bananas flambe, made table side.

The final product -- so tasty!

After such a delicious meal, I am in a food coma. Tomorrow, Bug is presenting her research, I'll do a little work while she is in her conference, and then we are off to explore Monterey, Carmel, and hopefully do some wine tasting!

Merry Christmas from Oly.

2008-12-30T22:11:00.000-08:00

Merry (belated) Christmas! We spent Christmas this year with Josh's parents in Olympia, Washington. This post is a little delayed, but if I procrastinate it any longer, it'll never happen. So, because I am lazy, here are a few pictures from the day and some captions:

As usual, all of the family dogs were present, and Josh went crazy for them...

Josh and his parents' massive Airedale, Teddy.

Josh and Kitt and Arian's dog, Boutros. (Josh really wants a big dog ... can you tell?)

Josh and his mom prepping the Christmas feast.

Josh's grandparents showing off their Christmas present -- a trip with the kids. I love his grandparents so much. They are the sweetest people. And, they are such an inspiration to given they just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary!

Josh's brother, Kitt, and his wife, Arian.

Josh's nephew in a hamburger beret he won in the white elephant gift exchange. (I made away with a bunch of Lindt chocolate -- score!!)

Josh's cousin playing with his new toy -- a car with a balloon on top. He and his sister are so stinkin' cute, I swear.

After dinner, Josh and Jason decided to play ping pong in the garage. Josh found an old Viking hat with braids.

This picture makes me laugh so hard, my side hurts. What can I say, he's special. :)

I hope you all had wonderful holidays, full of family, friends, and good times. Here's to an even better 2009.

Snowy Seattle.

2008-12-21T15:12:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Seattle yesterday morning, bright and early, after missing our flight out Friday night. My saint of a friend, Jackie, drove us to the airport at the crack of dawn, and luckily second time is a charm -- we made our flight.

In case you have not heard, Mother Nature has decided to punish Seattle. She has dumped Upstate-New-York levels of snow on Jet City. Usually, if it snows in Seattle (which is not even an annual occurrence), it melts within a day or two. Apparently, there has been snow on the ground for a week now, and there's no sign of the snow stopping yet.

Josh's big bro, Kitt, and our nephew, Jason, picked us up from the airport and we slowly made our way along a snowy I-5 back to their house. The roads are a bit treacherous, especially considering Seattle doesn't have sufficient plowing equipments and Seattleites drive as well in the snow and Angelenos drive in the rain. (For example, see here.)

Saturday night, we had planned on attending my sorority sister Lindsay's wedding. There was a lot of question whether the roads even would be open, but I did not want to miss it (especially because I was worried that a lot of guests would be snowed in). So, we carefully made our way to the ceremony at Bastyr Chapel. The chapel is beautiful, and they had set up candles down the aisle and on the altar, which was especially cozy and romantic given the weather.

Some photos, courtesy of Taryn:

The altar.

Taryn and the beautiful bride.

After the wedding, the snow was coming down even harder. The word was that there would be additional road closures, 60 mph winds, and another 6-8 inches of snow in the next few hours.

Taryn gave us a lift to the reception at the Hotel Deca, my favorite hotel in Seattle (although I still call accidentally it the Edmund Meany). Because of the weather, we unfortunately had to cut out a little early, but the food, decor, and drinks were all top notch (not that I would expect anything less from Lindsay)!

Taryn drove us back toward her place, and then Kitt picked us up and took us home. The roads were scary, but we arrived safe and sound. We drank some wine, chatted, and then when the power went out due to the storm ... well, we lit a fire and poured some more wine.

I took some pics of the snow at Kitt & Arian's house ...

Kitt shoveling the driveway.

So, we are pretty much snowed in today. The snow keeps falling, and the roads by the house have not been plowed, so we are having a lazy day. I have been catching up on my Google Reader and blogging (as you have, no doubt, noticed) and the boys have been watching movies and playing video games. After this post, I am probably going to curl up with a book. Lazy feels good these days.

Birthday dinner: family, pasta, wine, and ... shaved bark?

2008-12-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

Josh and I arrived safely in Washington to spend the week with his family for Christmas. Vacation time means time to finally catch up on the blogging ...

So, here's a post I have been procrastinating writing for a few weeks...my birthday! The birthday was back a few weeks ago. To celebrate, we went to a restaurant I have been wanting to try: Trattoria Tre Venezie in Pasadena. Trattoria Tre Venezie, a Michelin star restaurant, specializes in traditional, Northern Italian food (no eggplant parmigiana or lasagna here).

By "we," I mean the usual cast of characters at these things: (clockwise: Josh, me, Bug, Anthony, Cathy, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Jackie, and PJ behind the camera.)

We piled in our cozy corner of the restaurant (the restaurant is small and has a warm, home-in-an-Italian-hilltown feel), ordered some delicious Montepulciano wine (a little Tuscan in with the Venetian) and had our slightly odd waiter give us a lesson on the menu. At first, this was appreciated. After awhile, it became a little condescending. The best exchange of the night:

Grandma (perhaps sounding a little skeptical): "This pasta is made with cinnamon?"
Snooty waiter: "Why yes. What is cinnamon but shaved bark?"

Jackie and I suppressed a major giggle fit. What is cinnamon but shaved bark? Deep thoughts, indeed.

It turns out the cinnamon pasta was delish. Some pics:

On the left, Bug and I shared Cjalsons for an appetizer, an ancient dish from Cania, Friuli. They are essentially savory and sweet raviolis, filled with up to eighteen combinations of ingredients, prepared for special occasions. This was, by far, my favorite dish of the night. Each little ravioli had so many flavors. The restaurant only serves Cjalsons every week or so, and if you have not been to Trattoria Tre Venezie and want to try it, be sure to be there on a day they are serving these little puppies. Truly delish!

For dinner, I ordered the special, Bigoli with crab (left). It was pretty tasty. Josh ordered the Casunziei all'Ampezzana, a ravioli filled with red beets with butter and poppy seeds. It was decent.

Jackie ordered the Tagliatelle alla Cannella (left), cinnamon-flavored tagiatelle with shitake mushroom sauce (a.k.a. the "cinnamon pasta"). I tried a bite of this and really liked it. On the right is the Ravioli al Ripeni d'Agnello, ravioli filled with shoulder of lamb.

For dessert, Josh ordered a cake from Susie Cakes (yum!).

It was marble cake with chocolate frosting, and it was a huge hit.

It was a pretty great birthday. My sweetheart of a husband did a great job planning the little get-together. Now, I am officially 28, which feels ... eh, the same. Two more years until the big 3-0 ...

Thankful.

2008-11-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! We had a whole mess of people over at our house to celebrate our day of gratitude and gluttony. Nineteen people, to be exact. This was especially ambitious given I had (very routine) surgery on Tuesday. Thank God for my mom who flew in from Alaska.

My grandma's first reaction was, of course, "Where are you going to put all of those people?!" Well, we cleared out our formal living room and rented some chairs. It ended up working out pefectly.

Some pics of our Thanksgiving table.

It was wonderful to have so many people in our home. It felt like the holidays when I was little with all of the family and friends piling in.

And, this was the first turkey I have ever cooked! Well, correction: We cooked two turkeys! (I couldn't risk running out of turkey!). Luckily, dinner turned out well, and I didn't burn anything or have any major snafus.

Per family tradition, we had holiday crackers. As usual, all of our holiday pictures are of us in those ridiculous paper crowns. (Remember last Christmas?)

Bug and Anthony.

Mom and Grandparents.

The whole fan-dam-ily (and some dear friends).

This Thanksgiving, I feel especially grateful for Josh, my sister, my parents, grandparents, and my dear friends. With all of the turmoil in our country and economy, I feel blessed to have my job (despite how stressful it might be at times) and especially blessed and hopeful for our new president.

And, now with Thanksgiving behind us, you know what that means... It's officially Christmastime! Let the present wrapping, light hanging, and carol singing begin!

Alive.

2008-11-30T10:58:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been almost six weeks since my last post and since I have opened my Google Reader. Wow, 1,800 posts to read. Hmm. (Please forgive the lack of comments.)

I have had writer's block. So much is going on, but it's sometimes hard to decide what is blogpropriate and what isn't. But, when life gets challenging, it's hard to blog about anything other than what's on your mind, so I guess I decided to just ... not.

Luckily, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. A picture-filled Thanksgiving post to follow soon.

Fires & Pumpkins.

2008-10-19T14:15:00.001-07:00

What a week. As you may have heard, there were some crazy fires in Southern California earlier this week. Monday morning, my commute looked like this:

Scary, right? The fire was about 10 miles away, but the winds picked up, and by Monday evening, there was concern that the fires would burn straight down to the coast. We got a call from the City on Monday evening, telling us to prepare to evacuate. We went outside, and our neighbors were packing their cars and leaving to stay with friends and family. It was very ... apocalyptic.

In case we were evacuated, Josh and I packed up our cars with family pictures and other sentimental stuff. After a long night of tossing and turning, I woke up Tuesday and got news mid-morning that our city was no longer threatened by the fire. Such a relief.

After that scare, the rest of the week seemed like no big thing.

On a brighter note, the weekend has been great. Saturday morning, we checked out the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival.

There was a little pumpkin patch at the entrance.

We are cheap, though, and didn't buy any pumpkins. Apparently, the grocery store by our house has pumpkins for $4 each, so we decided to hold off.

We met up with my dad and his lovely girlfriend Cathy.

Since it was game day, my dad was completely decked out. Can you guess for whom he roots?

The festival was filled with food booths, disastrous news for me since I am trying to lose the 4,327 pounds I've gained since starting at the Firm. Funnel cakes, sausages, and burritos galore. Tear.

I love fall in Southern California (yes, there are seasons here, they are just subtle, ok?). The weather Saturday was sunny and cool with a slight breeze. And the sky blue flecked with clouds. This may make me sound like an office rat, but it was so nice to be outside.

After looping through the Pumpkin Festival, we headed back to our cars. I really love my dad's girlfriend, Cathy. My dad has such a big heart and is kind of a goof, and in many ways, I think they work so well together.

Exhibit A: My dad and Cathy breaking out their dance moves on the way to the car. (Embarrasing yet adorable, no?)

After we left the Pumpkin Festival, we had lunch, and then headed back to our place. Dad and Josh watched football, and Cathy keep me company on a trip to Crate and Barrel to get some bookshelves. I spent all yesterday afternoon and evening unpacking the last few boxes of books, assembling the bookshelves, and cleaning out our home office. It looks like a totally new place.

Today, well, I should be working, but as you can see, I am procrastinating. Josh wants to go see W. this afternoon, so I should probably knock some work out here so I can go play later. More soon...

Beat the Sun Devils.

2008-10-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

Josh woke me up at eight o'clock this morning. Waking me up that early on a Saturday is usually unforgivable, but he had the most excited-little-boy smile. (It's hard to be mad at him when he is so cute.) Apparently, my dad had called and had four tickets to the USC football game and wanted to see if we wanted to go. Since Josh is obsessed with college football, and since USC is my second favorite team (sorry, Bruins friends) next to the Washington Huskies, we jumped in the shower and headed to the Coliseum.

Parking at USC is insane. Most of the event parking by the stadium is between $40 and $60 (!!!!), so we drove a little further away and finally found a sketchy vacant lot that was charging $20. But, that's not all. They would give you free parking if you paid them $25 to baby-sit your kid in the vacant lot while you enjoyed the game. Not sure if anyone took them up on the offer.

First stop once we were inside: food, of course. I got a rice bowl with tri-tip and chicken. Mmmm.

We found Bug and my dad, decked out in Trojan gear.

Our seats were pretty good. Actually, they were fantastic, considering they were free! And, it was a gorgeous autumn day in Southern California: 70 degrees, slight breeze, and sunny. Now this is why I moved back to L.A. after several cold years in Upstate New York! (Although, I must confess I miss the leaves this time of year, but I digress.)

Since both my parents are SC alums, and Bug is in medical school there, it has become my second favorite college football team. Now, the Huskies will always be my first and favorite. In fact, I hope they cream the Trojans in a couple of weeks. Unlikely, but a girl can hope.

Bug flashing victory. Fight on.

The game itself was pretty uneventful. The Trojans beat the ASU Sun Devils 28-0. Despite some messy fumbles, USC pretty much dominated.

Friday Night with Cio-Cio San.

2008-10-11T09:01:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh, the weekend again. This week was a little slower, which was a nice change. Monday, Bug and I met up with some friends for dinner at the Spring Street Smokehouse. The original plan had been french dips at Phillipe's, but the crowds were insane. (Awesome Monkey recap here.)

The rest of the week was just work and home. Josh had Yom Kippur off on Thursday, so he was a total angel and whipped our house in order. Such a nice surprise to come home to!

Friday, Josh met me downtown and we headed to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. We have season tickets to the L.A. Opera, and we had tickets last night to see Madama Butterfly.

Josh is actually a pretty big opera fan. Fun fact about Josh: He has an absolutely gorgeous voice. He was classically trained, and for awhile, sang in operas. However, he got bored with that, and now would rather start a 90s grunge cover band. I kind of wish he would have stuck with opera, because how many people can sing like that? I mean, if I opened my mouth and all those incredible sounds came out, you would not be able to pull me off stage. A side note to this side note: Josh is fantastically fun at karaoke.

(One more digression: This week, I dug out my old point and shoot camera, so I actually have pictures (I am often too lazy to tote around my big 'ole SLR), although they are a little fuzzy.)

Okay, back on track.

We arrived at the Music Center an hour before the show. I was hoping to have dinner at Pinot Grill, but it was completely packed. Josh and I decided to grab a quick bite at the Spotlight Cafe, a small cafe run by the Patina Group that has sandwiches and snacks.

We got a couple little bottles of wine, and I ordered the grilled portobello mushroom sandwich with arugula, which was quite tasty! (Extremely fuzzy pic below.)

We sat by the fountain, ate our food, sipped our wine, and enjoyed the water show.

After a quick bite to eat, it was time for the show.

Of course, no pictures were allowed or taken during the show. The music was gorgeous, and the set design was very modern and minimalist. It was beautiful -- the stage looked like a moving painting, and the singers would freeze and slowly walk it looked like they were gliding. The stage was a moving, breathing painting. (That said, the theater was quite warm and we had just had a delicious dinner. Some of the slower arias set against the minimal background seemed to drag a little.)

After the show, we trekked home. After the food, wine, and beautiful music, I made a beeline for bed and slept like a baby.

To Market, To Market.

2008-10-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, a two week blogging drought. You can probably guess why I have been MIA from the blogosphere lately. Yeah, I have been working a lot. I did escape my laptop for awhile last weekend to go to Bean's first birthday (awesome recaps here, here, and here) and had a wonderful dinner at Mastro's in Beverly Hills with some of my favorite girls from work last night.

After all the go, go, go, I was SO looking forward to sleeping in this morning. It has been over a month since I have had a free Saturday morning, so I was well overdue for a nice, long sleep. Giddy, I came home from dinner, slipped into my pajamas, and crawled into bed at 11 o'clock.

I woke up this morning, groggy, thinking it must be at least 1 p.m. I reached for my Blackberry to check the time (yes, it's on my nightstand -- sad, I know), and it was only 9 o'clock!! I used to be able to sleep well into the afternoon. Looks like I am losing the magic...

On the bright side, I felt well-rested and still had the whole day in front of me!

I got dressed, and Josh and I headed to the Calabasas Farmers' Market, our new Saturday morning tradition.

It's such a fabulously grey and drizzly day, so it almost felt like we were back in the Northwest.

I was really excited to find a bunch of baskets of different types of lettuce leaves.

We had to come home with a bag.

Everything was so fresh. I have never seen Josh so excited about vegetables. :)

And, of course, we loaded up on Josh's favorite food in the world: potatoes.

Mmmm...berries...

The Farmers' Market is a lot bigger than I thought it would be. It had little restaurant booths in addition to local produce.

Josh said it reminded him of Oly. It reminded me a little of the produce stands in the Campo where I lived in Rome. Either way, we both agreed that we would be back next weekend!

Strolling about Santa Barbara.

2008-09-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

This week has been long and trying. But, one thing that I have been looking forward to all week: spending today in Santa Barbara with my cousins from Italy!

I meant to get up early and get things done around my house before my grandparents arrived with Pino and Rosanna. I really did. Instead, the house phone rang at 8:15. Groggily, I answered. I didn't really sleep well because I kept waking up worrying I messed up something I served on Friday at work. (Maybe I should look into medication.) Anyway, when I heard my grandma's cheery voice saying they had just left the San Gabriel Valley, I knew it was time to get my butt in gear. I took a shower and picked up my house in record time. And, just as I was shoving the last random piece of scattered junk from my living room into the hall closet, there was a knock at the door.

My cousins and grandparents came in, and we gave them a little tour of our casa. After a quick shot of espresso (courtesy of the awesome espresso machine from Jackie), we were on the road, headed north.

Instead of taking the 101, we went down Malibu Canyon and drove up the Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu.

We stopped at Zuma Beach to take some pictures and a little stroll.

The weather was absolutely perfect today. And the water at the beach was a gorgeous, deep blue.

"The Italians."

You know these folks by now...

We said ciao to Malibu and continued north. About an hour later, we stopped for lunch at the Summerland Beach Cafe, a favorite of Jackie's that serves some pretty kick ass breakfast (the bacon, especially).

Josh and Pino each had una birra.

We sat outside and soaked in the gorgeous weather and the smell of the ocean.

I had a breakfast combo with eggs, bacon, and french toast. The bacon was, of course, outstanding. The french toast was a little gooey for my taste, but that didn't really stop me from eating it!

Rosanna really wanted to go to the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens. I had never been, but she really, really wanted to see a Redwood tree, so when she read in her guidebook that there were Redwoods at the Botanical Gardens, off we went.

I really liked this oak tree.

My grandma rounding the bend with Rosanna.

Finally, we found the Redwoods.

Pino and Rosanna were really excited to see cacti. Weird to us, but I suppose it makes sense since there really isn't much desert plant life in Italy.

Our last stop was the Santa Barbara Mission.

The fountain outside.

Padre Serra.

I love this chandelier.

Say formaggio.

Inside the mission.

I thought this sculpture was especially beautiful and powerful.

The mission garden.

The palm trees surrounding the mission. It was an incredibly beautiful day to be outside.

After touring the mission, the cousins and grandparents were pooped. They headed south on the 101, and Josh and I stayed to wander around State Street. We window shopped and then stumbled across this little wine and cheese shop. Wine and cheese? Yeah, you know we stopped.

After sampling some pairings of wine and cheese (only one small bite for Josh since he really shouldn't have cheese), we bought some of our favorite things we sampled and headed to the car.

It has been a long, but wonderful day. One of those days that all my worries about work and life dissipated and my mind was calm and present. Soaking in the sun, family, and a little sightseeing in our own backyard has got to be one of the best ways to spend a Saturday.

My Big Fat Italian Reunion.

2008-09-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

My lovely cousins, Pino and Rosanna, are here in Los Angeles for two weeks from Italy. This is their very first trip to the good 'ole U.S. of A., and the family has split up their trip to take them around and show them the sights.

When I was in Rome, Pino would pick me up on the weekends and take me to their house to spend time with him and his two kids who are roughly my age, Marco and Francesco. Pino and Rosanna live in Tuscany, in a town called Poggibonsi (seriously, that's what it's called -- I love it!) near Siena. They also have a beautiful farm house near a medieval city called San Gimignano. (Just typing that makes me wonder why the hell I live here and not in Italy. Hmm.) Since they have always been so good to me, I want to make sure they have a wonderful trip here.

Saturday, my grandma's entire family put together a brunch to welcome the Italians to America. Every person I am related to on my grandmother's side of the family was there. It was quite a scene.

Here is the room where the brunch took place, and my Uncle Anthony making a toast.

Josh's family and mine are so different in many ways. His quiet and polite Norwegian family is no match for my loud and boisterous Italian family. Most of the time, I think he loves them, but just for fun, I asked him to give me a I-have-to-hang-out-with-my-in-laws pose for the camera.

Ajax, Bug, and my cousin Leland (who is a total brain and just plain awesome)

Josh, my mom, and my cousins Hailey & Kelsey (you may recognize them as the flower girls in my wedding or the little devils who conned me into buying them Juicy Couture at the Camarillo Outlets).

Hailey, Mom, and Kelsey. It is so crazy to me that Hailey is a teenager now.

The guests of honor: Pino and Rosanna.

The head table with my grandma, her siblings, and the Italians.

The Italians wanted one group photo. Have you ever tried to assemble 50 tipsy, talkative Italians into a group photo? It took at least 15 minutes. Everyone talking, drinking, laughing, shouting to stand in 10 different places ...

But, finally, we managed. That is one, good-looking group!

My immediate family.

I love this picture of my Grandma and Josh.

My younger cousins decided that, since the camera was out, it was time to do a photo shoot. So, they dragged me into the hallway, despite my protests, and decided to show me their posing. Tyra would be proud of them, I think.

My grandparents are first generation here in the U.S. and never had a lot of money. My great-grandpa was a barber, and my grandma says they used to count quarters every Sunday night (a haircut was 25 cents) before paying the bills. She started working full-time at a department store after school at the age of 12, and she bought my great-grandparents their first set of end tables and their first TV.

Understandably, they are pretty much the thriftiest (and most generous) people you could ever meet. But, despite their improved financial situation, old habits die hard. And, it can be funny and endearing. For example, whenever we eat out, they usually get a to-go box and box up every remaining morsel of food, including every bread roll and the contents of the chip basket (I have even witnessed them ask for containers for sauce and salsa).

So, whereas most families probably eat at the banquet and go home, my family makes sure the leftovers are packaged up. Every single morsel.

Isn't she lovely?

2008-09-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we drove north and spent the weekend in Ventura County for Missy's rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Saturday and her "big and special day" on Sunday.

A little background: Missy is more family than friend. Bug, Missy, and I grew up together and have spent almost all major holidays together since we were about seven years old. Bug and Missy are the same age and have been bff since first grade. Growing up, Missy always said that, when she got married, Bug would be here Maid of Honor, and I would perform the ceremony.

After getting engaged last year, she called and asked me to officiate the wedding. I have never officiated, but this has always been her plan, so I was honored and said yes (even though I was, admittedly, a little nervous about messing up the wedding ceremony of one of my nearest and dearest friends, but hey, no pressure).

The wedding took place at the Mandalay Beach Resort on the ocean. I stole a quick shot of the girls, getting ready for their close-ups.

Bug in her Maid of Honor dress. She's so stinkin' cute.

Since I was officiating, Josh took some photos. However, I deleted the pictures of me officiating. I am telling myself that Josh was just taking the photos from a bad angle and not that I am the size of an elephant. I know, I am being that girl, but well ... the pictures were too depressing to post.

The ceremony went really well. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous at all. I felt good about the way it went, and everyone was really complimentary, which was sweet. Missy was happy with it, which is all that mattered to me.

I almost got a little choked up when I pronounced them Mr. and Mrs., but I kept it in check.

The happy couple!

With the ceremony done, I was ready for the party. The ballroom, all set up for the reception.

Centerpieces. My entire, immediate family was invited as well as Jackie and PJ, and we were all seated together at Table 10. How...perfect? :)

The cake.

Mom and grandma.

Bug and Anthony.

Dad and Cathy

Our table was, hmm, how should I say this ... a little rowdy? We are fun when we all get together, what can I say. Plus, my Uncle Paul flew in from St. Louis, and he is an absolute riot, so needless to say we were having our own little party over at Table 10. (Yes, that's my Uncle with the napkin on his face. No, I don't know why.)

Someone thought it would be a good idea to take a group picture. My uncle, sans date, decided to ask one of the servers if he would stand by him during the picture. This photo was taken right as he asked the server to bear his children. Again, don't ask.

It's a funny picture though, no?

My sister's maid-of-honor speech was awesome!

First dance!

The wedding was such a blast. I busted my tipsy, uncoordinated moves out on the dance floor, saw a bunch of old family friends, and did not check my Blackberry once. It was such a blast!

Congrats, Missy and Ray!! Oh, and Happy One Weekaversary today!

It's my firmiversary, firmiversary.

2008-09-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today, I was a fresh-faced first year associate starting my very first day at the Firm. I am celebrating by working late, eating Indian food in my office, and humming "It's my Firmiversary" to the tune of Tony! Toni! Tone!'s "Anniversary."

I think that about says it all...

Blinds!

2008-09-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

Just in time, right before the Italians arrive this week, the blinds have arrived!

Being impatient, I begged Josh to put these bad boys up.

Surprisingly, it only took Saturday morning to finish hanging all of the windows in the house.

One day, when my house is clean, I will post some "after" pictures. The blinds make the house so much homier, and I didn't wake up at the crack of dawn Sunday with sun streaming through my window, heating me up like a bug under a magnifying glass. Ah, sweet darkened room.

The weekend was great, and Missy's wedding was a blast! Pics and a recap of that coming soon. In the meantime, I am trying to calm down after this fool...

...informed me that the world is going to begin to end tomorrow. Death by Black Hole is not how I envisioned going out ...

On that pleasant note, off to make dinner.

Yawnfest.

2008-09-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Bah, I am so behind on my blogging. I'm going to tackle the last week or so in one post so I can blog about this weekend later. I guess the one good thing about having a not-so-exciting couple of weeks is that it makes a recap post a little easier!

Okay, so the highlights ...

Last week, we saw Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl with Jackie and PJ! Josh took the Metro downtown and met up with me after work. Sadly, he left his new phone on the train, and once he had realized it, the train had already rocketed through the tunnel. Sad. Good thing we have phone insurance, I guess.

The Bowl was packed. I almost felt old. People there were in their concert gear: black, ripped tights, piercings, etc. I was in my work gear wondering if these people have jobs (such a crotchety old lady I've become). Also, I thought the crowd would be a bit older since the band has been popular for over a decade, but I guess I thought wrong. Maybe all the kids my age were still at work.

Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed. (I really have to get a camera phone next time for situations like this.)

The show was awesome. Lived up to my expectations, for sure. They played a good mix of the old and new stuff, but they didn't play "Creep," which was a little weird.

The rest of the week was filled with work (so busy right now) and catching the recaps of the Democratic National Convention at night.

Labor Day Weekend was a snoozer. I worked all day Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, I procrastinated and Josh and I caught up on Season Two of Heroes. Not as good as Season One, but still. Good. I'm excited for all the fall TV to start. (I need to remember to set up my DVR ...)

This week was busy, busy, busy. I am on a new class action, so there is a ton to do. My department is just slammed right now, which given the state of the economy, is a good thing. I have that overwhelmed feeling like I am going to miss something or drop the ball, but at least we are busy. The same cannot be said for some of my other lawyer friends.

So, it's been work, work, work, come home, and watch recaps of the Republican National Convention while I'm logged in doing some last minute work.

I told you. My life has been boring these past couple of weeks. If you didn't believe me before and you actually made it to the end of this snoozer of a post, then you probably believe me now.

This weekend, though, should lend to more exciting posting. Missy's wedding (my sister's bff) is Sunday, and the Rehearsal Dinner is tonight. Bug is the Maid of Honor, and I am officiating. Should be interesting. More on that later. For now, I have to finish an angry letter to opposing counsel and get ready for the rehearsal...

Weekend Recap: Wine, Movie, and the Getty.

2008-08-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

How is it already Sunday? I swear, the weekend just flies by.

A quick recap: Friday, Jackie and PJ came over, we drank some wine, and discussed more trip plans. Hopefully we will have our tickets booked soon, and then I will post what where we finally decided to go!

Saturday, Josh and I ate breakfast, and then I worked a little. In the evening, we saw Tropic Thunder. I was pretty opposed to seeing this movie at first, but after seeing the good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes (my movie-going Bible), I was convinced. It was pretty good, but I can definitely understand why it's inspired some protests. Also, Tom Cruise was pretty ridiculous in it. I used to think he was a good actor, but now I just think he is crazy, and the camera manages to capture his antics at the right time. Still, he has a pretty good dance scene at the end.

This morning, Josh and I met my sister and her boyfriend at the Getty Museum. Bug and I had been planning on seeing the Bernini exhibit. We both lived in Rome for awhile (and it is still my favorite place), so we have a soft spot for Bernini, who designed many of the incredible fountains and piazzas throughout the city.

We took the tram up to the museum from the parking lot. The Getty itself is worth seeing, even absent all of the incredible works of art it houses: the view and architecture are just stunning.

Bug and Ajax.

Our first stop was the Bernini exhibit. Sadly, no photos are allowed, but here is Bug modeling the entrance sign.

The exhibit was pretty good. It was mostly busts and a few paintings. It, of course, cannot even compare to the incredible works at the Galleria Borghese in Rome (Bug and I found pictures of our favorite Bernini sculptures for Josh and Anthony in the gift shop), but the busts were still pretty cool. All of the subjects of Bernini's sculpted "portraits" seem as though they are about to start speaking. Each bust looked as if Bernini sculpted the person mid-sentence or mid-thought, with the person's face muscles and expression frozen. Pretty impressive. It made me wish I had an ounce of artistic talent.

After leaving the Bernini exhibit, we strolled a bit throughout the Getty.

We started getting a little loopy, so ... it was time for lunch!

We headed to the museum cafe. Bug ordered a chili cheese dog with sweet potato fries. (It's so unfair that she's so skinny. Boo.)

Ajax and I ordered the Getty Burger with sweet potato fries.

The burger was great! The bun was made of potato bread, and the burger tasted as if it had come off a backyard bbq.

Josh ordered pizza ... of course!

It looked better in real life, I swear. This picture makes it look like cardboard.

After our delicious lunch, we were all pretty much in food coma. I snapped this picture of Josh. Isn't he cute?

After lunch and walking around a little more, we headed to our car and fought traffic out of the parking garage and headed back to our house.

This evening, I have some work that needs to be tackled. I had planned on working late tomorrow night, but then I remembered that we have tickets to tomorrow's Radiohead show at the Hollywood Bowl with Jackie and PJ! Woo hoo! So, there's some motivation for me not to procrastinate, as usual.

Coffee, tea, and no more naked me.

2008-08-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Progress over here on the house. We have been living for ten months with no window coverings -- none -- in our house. Finally, yesterday, we ordered wood blinds for every window in this house. No more changing in the bathroom for fear our-sweet-but-nosey-neighbor will accidentally get a free peak of naked me. No more waking up at 7 a.m. on weekend mornings because the sun is up. No more wondering if some freaky escape con is staring in at me from our dark back yard (okay, this may be a bit paranoid, but I'm sure you're picking up what I'm laying down).

My sister's and Jackie's response to my "We ordered window coverings!" exclamation is "Finally!!! Geez!" Was it really that bad, guys?

They should arrive in two weeks. Just in time for the arrival of "The Italians." Two of my cousins are coming to visit for two weeks in September, so we have been trying to get the house in a little better shape (i.e., actually find some furniture and other basics like, er, blinds). The list is still long, but we did cross off another item today:

Coffee table for the formal living room! It's so cute in-person. (If you don't like it, I don't mind a little lying in the comments.) That room actually is technically furnished now, although it still looks so bare because there is nothing on the walls. Maybe I will tell the Italians we are going for the minimalist look? Hmm.

Kitchen Dreams.

2008-08-20T20:52:00.001-07:00

For our anniversary, Josh and I kept with our two traditions from last year: a fabulously fancy dinner and a champagne toast using our wedding toasting flutes.

Last year, we ate a multi-course meal at the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena (now the Dining Room at the Langham Huntington Hotel). This year, we decided to make reservations at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at the London Hotel.

Josh is a huge Gordon Ramsay fan. Well before Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen, Josh religiously watched Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and The "F" Word, both on the BBC America.

Walking into the hotel and restaurant is like dying and going to modern art deco heaven. The hotel and restaurant were designed by David Collins. When I win the lottery, we are hiring him to help with the design of our Malibu beach house.

We ordered the chef's seven-course menu. They were very accommodating and did a vegetarian version for Josh. The sommelier paired different wines with each course. Such a treat!

Bread basket! (Josh was in love with the goat cheese cracker bread.)

Course #1: Smoked Mushroom and Foie Gras Chawanmushi
Wine #1: 2004 Baumard, Coteaux du Layon, Carte d'Or

Course #2: Pacific Yellow Fin Tuna with Pickled Daikon, Crab Beignets, Sesame Soy Dressing
Wine #2: Eiko Fuji Junmai Ginjo (sake)

Course #3: Burrata Mozzarella with Heirloom Tomatoes, Cape Gooseberries, Basil Pesto
Wine #3: 2007 Kurt Angerer, Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria

(The tomatoes were probably the most delicious tomatoes I have ever had. So fresh and sweet but still firm. Even Josh liked them, and he's not a fan of tomatoes.)

Course #4: Hand-Dived Sea Scallops, Cauliflower Puree, and Sherry Vinegar Wine Reduction
Wine #4: 2006 Saintsburg Chardonnay, Carneros, CA

Course #5: Rack of Sonoma Lamb and Confit Shoulder, Pearl Onions, Pomme Puree
Wine #5: 1999 Rioja, Lopez de Heredia

Course #6: Cara Cara Orange Three Ways, Cinnamon Ice Cream, and Rose Water Sabayon
Wine #6: Scagliola Moscato d'Asti

(This was the "pre-dessert," and Josh's favorite wine pairing. The sparkling wine plus the dessert tasted like like creamsicle. Delish.)

Course #7: Confit Bing Cherries, Valrhona Chocolate Sponge, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Banyuls
Wine #7: Doke Monestralle

Our server brought us out a scoop of plum ice cream to congratulate us on our anniversary. The ice cream tasted like an actual, tart plum.

We talked with our server, Cooper, a bit throughout the night, and after learning Josh was a fan of Gordon Ramsay, he offered to take us on a tour of the kitchen. Of course, we said yes!

Each glass is hand polished. For each course, we got a fresh wine glass and fresh flatware. So, someone hand polished 14 glasses just for us. Pretty crazy.

My favorite stop ... the cellar!

Gordon Ramsay was great. I would definitely go back again for a special occasion. The service was friendly and everyone was extremely attentive. Plus, the food and wine were truly spectacular -- well paired, flavorful, and interesting.

After dinner, we were completely stuffed. We waddled to the car and headed back to our house.

Josh broke out the champagne and our wedding toasting flutes, and we toasted to our two wonderful years together ... and hopefully many more to come!

Two years!

2008-08-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today ...

I married my high school sweetheart, one and only love, and best friend.

Awww. Happy Anniversary, Josh!!

Tonight, we are going out to a nice dinner to celebrate! I will try and sneak my camera in so I can do a full-picture post of what will hopefully be a fabulous dinner!

Fabulous weekend!

2008-08-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

Phew, what a whirlwind of a weekend!!

Friday, I met my dad, Josh, and dad's friends at King's Fish in the Commons. The food was good going down, but as soon as I'd had the last bite of my sea bass, I was making a bee line for the ladies' room. It didn't get better after that. Let's just say ... it was a long, gross night. I finally fell asleep Saturday morning. Boo.

Josh woke me up Saturday early afternoon just in time to take a quick shower and madly dash to Beverly Hills for the SFAMily Baby Shower at the Peninsula Hotel. Seriously, what a gorgeous venue!

WeeMo did a fabulously-picture-filled post here. Check it out. It was, hands down, one of the classiest showers I've attended.

Oh, and I stole a group shot of "the girls" from WeeMo.

So much fun. And, the moms-to-be? Cute as buttons!

After the shower, I met up with Josh, Jackie, and PJ, and we headed to the Hollywood Bowl for "A Night in Old Havana -- Mambo Style!" I love the Bowl so much. It has been a family tradition for us since I was a little girl, and I love that Josh and I are carrying it on.

Sunday, we drove up to Camarillo to attend Missy's bridal shower (hosted by my sister, who is also the Maid of Honor). Bug did such a great job putting the shower together, and everyone seemed to have a great time.

Sunday evening, Josh made a fabulous pasta dinner for two, and we lounged around and watched the Olympics until midnight. It was the perfect way to end such a nice weekend!

Alaskan Bonfires & Josh's Reunion

2008-08-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

We are back in Los Angeles after a wonderful week in Alaska. Here is a recap of our last few days.

Thursday evening, we had a bonfire in my mom’s backyard by the river.

PJ and Makenzie came over, and we ate s’mores, drank some local microbrew, and relaxed.

Friday was a fabulously lazy day. Josh and I went by Short Stop again for joe joes and ice cream, and I vegged around the house with my book.

My mom’s house is like a cozy cabin. I took a couple of photos of the exterior:

She had the most gorgeous hanging plants on the porch.

Friday afternoon, we ate lunch at Veronica’s with Makenzie and Ashley. Veronica's is even more charming than it was when we were in high school. We sat there for almost three hours, munched on soup and sandwiches, and caught up.

Friday evening was the first of the reunion events: a bonfire on the Kenai beach. Since there isn’t much to do in Kenai except enjoy the beauty of one’s surroundings and drink, bonfires at the beach were very popular in our high school days. Actually, the first time I hung out with Josh was at an end-of-the-year bonfire he and PJ were putting on at the end of my freshman year of high school.

The beaches in Kenai are are spectacularly beautiful. My mom and I used to walk the beach in the evenings after dinner. That is one of the things I miss most about Alaska.

As we walked toward the bonfire, the sun was starting to go down (at about 10:30 p.m.).

The pebbles on the beach were glowing and so gorgeous. I really like this picture.

The bonfire was pretty mellow. Josh brought a growler of brew from Kassicks which was fabulous. Makenzie and I broke away from the group for awhile to stroll the beach and catch up.

Saturday, Doug took us on a ride on their new boat up and down the river. It reminded me of the many summers we spent at the cottage on the lake in Canada swimming and taking day trips in the boat. Those were good days.

After, we came back to the house to hang out a bit before the reunion dinner in the evening.

A cute candid shot of mom and Josh.

The reunion was in the evening at a restaurant called Paradisos. The food was mediocre, and the event itself was somewhat anticlimactic, but again, it was nice to sit with Mak and Ashley since we never see each other.

Also, I think we are some of the few people in Josh’s class without kids. Many of Josh’s classmates have three to four kids by now! So, the babies were passed around …

I snapped only a couple of pics of the event …

Makenzie and Josh.

Zak, PJ, and Josh.

After the reunion dinner, we went out to some local bars where we saw even more classmates. Crazy. Josh and I finally made it home at 3 a.m.!

Sunday, we ate breakfast at my favorite breakfast spot, Louie’s. I had reindeer sausage and eggs, which is so unbelievably delicious. It was the best sausage I have ever had. Ever.

Our flight was smooth, Bug and Ajax picked us up and brought us home to our house and puppies.

And today, it was back to the grindstone. Le sigh.

Day trip to Homer.

2008-08-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

In case you're curious where, exactly, Kenai is on the map, it is located on the Kenai Peninsula in "south central" Alaska.

Here's the Kenai Peninsula. See that little road connecting Anchorage to Kenai/Soldotna to Homer? So, when we first moved to Alaska, I was informed by our high school counselor that we were "lucky" to have moved to the "bigger cities" (Kenai and Soldotna each have between 6,000 and 7,000 people) that have roads in and out. True enough, you have to fly in and out of many towns in Alaska. So yeah, yay for the highway!

But, I digress. Yesterday was such a pretty day. The sun was out and the air was cool and crisp (about 60 degrees). Since the weather was so pretty, we decided to drive to Homer, hometown of Jewel and my co-worker Ryan.

On our way out of town, we stopped at the most incredible bakery in Soldotna called The Moose is Loose. It has the most amazing cinnamon pastries.

The drive to Homer is a little over two hours. Mom, Josh, and I piled into Doug's truck, since Mom's car is still parked somewhere in Old Town Kenai, waiting for the tow truck.

I think Homer may be the prettiest city on the Peninsula. It has the most spectacular mountain and lake views, and during certain times of the year, there are as many bald eagles around as sea gulls on a California beach.

There was a fog on the lake around the mountains. Pictures just do not do it justice.

Josh and me.

This time of year, there is fireweed, a purply wildflower, everywhere. Supposedly, once all the little buds have fallen off, winter will begin. Looks like we have a little time left ...

We stopped at Fat Olives for lunch. Lunch was absolutely outstanding! We started with the fondue as an appetizer.

Then, we ordered the Mediterranean Pizza (pesto, mozzarella, kalamata olives, tomatoes, capers) which was delicious!

I think Josh could eat pizza for every meal.

Yum!

Our next stop was the Homer Spit, a long boardwalk with little shops and restaurants. One of the most famous stops is the Salty Dawg Saloon.

My mom in front of the Salty Dawg.

A fishing charter that had just come back. (Side note: If you're wondering why you haven't seen any pictures of me fishing yet, well that's because after working in a fish cannery, I cannot imagine catching and cleaning a fish "for fun." I mean, I will float in the boat and drink a beer, but I do not even want to see another fish gut as long as I live.)

Our last stop was the Homer Brewing Co.

This bear + banjo greet you as you walk in.

We tried all six of their beers and walked out with a growler for later.

This bumper sticker made me laugh.

We got home and called Makenzie and Ashley, two of my very dear friends from high school. Stupidly, I didn't take any pictures, but I'm sure I will see them today or tomorrow. We went to Ashley's house, met her little boy, Ben, (who is absolutely adorable!) and dog Annie (whom I want to steal).

This morning, I was on a conference call, but now that that's done, I think it's time to get dressed and go do something fun.

Kaptivating Kenai

2008-08-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

(Yes, I know "captivating" is not spelled with a "K." Our high school spelled everything with a "K" to match "Kenai." For example, our mascot? The Kardinals.)

So, it is such a pretty day here, and I am sipping coffee and looking out at the beautiful Kenai River while typing this from my parents' office. I could get used to this.

Here's what we have been up to ...

Monday morning, I woke up, did a little work, blogged a little, and then got dressed for the day. My mom and I went to the Soldotna Mall to get pedicures at a new mani/pedi shop that has opened up, and Josh took Doug's truck into town to meet up with PJ and his brother, Bryce, at Short Stop. Short Stop is essentially a gas station in the middle of Soldotna, but it has a very small, indoor miniature golf area and some video games. Josh and I spent countless hours here in high school. Josh was always trying to beat some kung fu video game and held the high score for who knows how long (he reported, sadly, that it is no longer there), and eating a ridiculous amount of joe joe potatoes. What can I say ... there's wasn't a lot to do around here. :)

Mom and I arrived at the Soldotna Mall. Now, "mall" might be generous. The Soldotna Mall is more like an indoor strip mall attached to a grocery store and a Gottschalks (the only department store on the Kenai Peninsula).

Um, so ... I saw this shirt in the mall. I remember seeing it after 9/11 in the Soldotna Mall, and I was equally shocked and appalled to see it again. Seriously?

The pedicure was great. Although, my mom, in typical pushy-Italian-mom fashion, insisted the lady sanitize her tools (not that I blame her) and then wear gloves. The lady scrubbed the hell out of her feet (my mom is pretty ticklish), and I cracked up, later telling her it was revenge.

Our pretty toes.

The rest of Monday was pretty low key. My mom cooked the most amazing salmon for dinner. Then, we met up with PJ, went to Dairy Queen (also a staple from back in the day), and then back to our house.

Tuesday, we got up, got dressed, and headed into Kenai to pick up Doug's truck (he is at work until Friday). Josh wanted to drive around Old Town Kenai for a bit, so we did.

Here's a picture of Kenai Joes, one of the oldest bars in town. It's for sale. Josh wants to buy it. Haha.

We walked along the bluff for awhile. It was so pretty, and I took a gazillion pictures. Here are a few ...

Mom and Josh.

The next stop on our walk was the Russian Orthodox Church. It is a Kenai landmark and as pretty and quaint as I remembered it.

We walked from the church toward Veronica's, the coffeehouse we used to go to and my favorite hang-out spot.

Flowers in front of Veronica's.

The outside of Veronica's. We used to go for the live music where local musicians played acoustic guitars and sang what probably could best be described as folksy indie music.

As we continued our walk, we passed this law office. My mom joked that I should work there. There was a time I would have been annoyed at the thought, but it doesn't sound so bad lately.

Further along the bluff.

Flowers.

Josh.

We stopped at a little pottery shop/art gallery in Old Town and poked around. We got ready to leave, and the car died in the middle of the parking lot. Josh volunteered to walk to the pick-up truck (yes, Kenai is that small).

Mom and I stayed behind, and she called Doug to see if she could fix it. But, no luck.

Josh arrived with our ride, and we were off.

We headed back to Soldotna and ate dinner at a new restaurant called The Crossing that opened up since we were last here. It's owned by the parents of our friend from high school, and my mom and Doug gave it raving reviews, so we were excited to try it. I had the bacon-wrapped filet, and it was terrific! I think it is, by far, the best restaurant in Kenai and Soldotna! Two big thumbs up!

Back at the house, I lazed around, read a book, and vegged out. Josh and PJ went out to Hooligan's, and I stayed home to spend time with my mom. It was very relaxing.

Today, we are headed to Homer. I am supposed to be ready in 45 minutes, so I should probably get it in gear. More soon.

Hello again, Alaska.

2008-08-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

We are in Alaska for a week for Josh's 10-year high school reunion. Already, this trip has sent me down memory lane. So, a little personal background before I launch into our trip: I grew up in Camarillo, CA. My parents are divorced. When I was in eighth grade, my step-dad's job transferred him to Alaska. My mom, sister, and I moved to Kenai, Alaska about a week before I started high school. I lived in Kenai for four years and spent the summers with my dad in Camarillo. Josh and I went to high school together (he was a year ahead of me). Our friend PJ (who now lives in L.A. also) was Josh's best friend in junior high and high school. PJ's mom and my mom became best friends, so we spent a lot of time with PJ and his family in the high school days.

We arrived in Anchorage at around two in the morning on Sunday. My mom was in baggage claim waiting for us with both of her Yorkies, one in each hand. We hugged, gathered our luggage, and went outside to find Doug who had pulled their new camper around outside baggage claim. Now, I had mocked the camper when they bought it (I'm not exactly the camper type), but I must admit, it was a very comfy three-hour ride back to Kenai. My mom brought two bottles of wine and snacks, and we drank wine and chatted while Josh snoozed.

We pulled into my mom's driveway at five in the morning, and Josh and I headed to bed. We woke up at 11:00 a.m., got dressed, and headed out to pick up PJ who got into town Wednesday.

Doug let us borrow his pick-up truck. The "Anyone Can Become An American, But You Have To Be Born a Texan" bumper sticker has since been replaced with "Bush/Cheney '04" stickers. When I said I needed to borrow some Goo Gone to remove them, I was told that he would bring me a magic marker to change the 'o4 to '08. Scared at the thought, we peeled out of the driveway and headed "for town."

Mom and Doug now live in Soldotna, but when I lived here, we lived in Kenai by PJ's parents. We drove through Soldotna into Kenai, and both Josh and I could not get over how everything was pretty much exactly the same. It was ... surreal.

We arrived in my old neighborhood. I have always been very nostalgic for the house we lived in during high school. Josh and I even had our first kiss in the garage of that place. Bug and I were devastated when mom and Doug decided to sell it. We're sappy like that.

We arrived at PJ's house and met his mom's new puppy, Bonita. She is half Chihuahua, half Poodle. PJ calls her a Beanie Baby. She really does look like one.

PJ in tow, we drove past Josh's old house and then north to Nikiski where a new brewery has sprung up since we were last here: Kassiks. PJ has raved about the beer after his last trip to Alaska, so of course, it was one of our first stops.

And, the verdict was ... two thumbs up!! We tasted all of their beers on tap, and then selected growlers of our favorites for the bbq we were having at PJ's house in the evening. We are apparently not the only fans. The place was packed!! We ended up having to wait awhile to get our beer. I passed the time by taking some candids of PJ and Josh.

I captured Josh in the middle of a rant about beer. This picture cracks me up!

We left Kassiks and headed to Carrs, the main grocery store in Kenai. To call Carrs a grocery store is really inaccurate. It is more like town square. This is the place where you will inevitably run into people you know (or who know you) and where high schoolers come to hang out (or at least did "in our day"). There is no mall in Kenai, so if you were an aspiring mallrat in the 1990s, Carrs was your place.

Luckily, we escaped Carrs without seeing a soul we knew, stopped by the liquor store, and then headed back to PJ's house where we had dinner, played Wii, and then played a card game called "Screw Your Neighbor." I suck at this game.

Around 10 p.m., we started to fade, and headed back to my mom's house to sleep. It was still light outside, which was pretty wild.

This morning, I was up early to log in and do a little work while everyone is sleeping. My mom's new house is on the Kenai River, and the office is on the second floor with a gorgeous view. Somehow, it made work feel less work-like.

While I was working, Josh dug through my closet and found his old football sweatshirt he gave me when we started dating.

Yes, that says 1994. Jesus.

I am going to crank out a little more work this morning, and then start the day. More soon ...

I'm baaack: Work, Hollywood Bowl, and St. Louis.

2008-07-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a long time since I have blogged. When we got back from China, things got very, very busy. Work has really picked up lately and has been taking up a lot of time. July has seen my largest billable day so far ... and then the billable day to beat that billable day! Phew. (Also, I haven't touched my Google Reader in three weeks. I will definitely read each and every post of my pals, but I apologize for the lack of comments from me. I am back on the bandwagon, though, so you should be hearing from me regularly again!)

Despite work, there have been a lot of fun things happening over here. Last weekend, Josh and I took Bug and Ajax to the Hollywood Bowl to see Julie Andrews. Julie Andrews was Bug's childhood hero, and we watched Sound of Music countless times as little girls.

We packed a picnic in our new picnic basket.

Sandwiches from Gelson's.

Josh, excited about the pasta salad. (He is such a ham.)

Josh, Bug, and Ajax.

The picnic basket made an excellent table!

Bug + Ajax.

Some blurry pics of the Bowl.

Some big, tall dude sat directly in front of me, so this was my view.

(Luckily, I leaned on Josh most of the night.)

The concert opened with the opening scene from the movie, with a young Julie Andrews singing "Sound of Music." The real, live, senior Julie Andrews came onstage at the end and picked up, and Bug and I both got a little teary.

We saw The Dark Knight the next day with Jackie and PJ at the IMAX. It was awesome. After, we had dinner at Salsa and Beer, which was actually really good, and spent the evening hanging out at our place and talking about our trip (still no decision on where we're going, but stay tuned).

The week was long. Friday morning, I left for St. Louis to attend the Volunteer Training Conference for my sorority. I have been involved with my sorority since graduating, and after this weekend, I remember why. My new position can be summed up as risk management for the "western territory" (about 23 chapters).

The weekend was jam-packed (8:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. each day). I roomed with Schwee, and it was so great to spend time with her and with H and meet a ton of new sisters. Sadly, I didn't have time to see my friend, Peter, who is sort of local, but my Uncle Paul did pick me up from the hotel and drove Schwee and me to the airport (after a brief detour for lunch). I have cousins and other relatives in St. Louis I would have loved to see, but the weekend was a complete whirlwind!

Now, it's back to the grindstone. Josh and I leave for Alaska Saturday, so it will probably be a hectic few days. I'm sure there will be some Alaska posts soon, though ...

Days 8 and 9: Shanghai

2008-07-04T05:48:00.000-07:00

This post will be short and sweet, and surprisingly (and even sadly) devoid of pictures.

Friday was our last full day in China and the only day we did not have a single thing planned! After running all day and night each day we've been here, Josh and I took our last and only free day as a luxury to be savored. We slept in, ate breakfast, poked around shops, ate lunch, and soaked in the overall ambiance of the city. Sadly, I forgot to charge my camera, but I have taken over 1,000 pictures in a little more than a week, so that should last me. :)

This morning, we were up early to catch our flight back home to the United States. I am writing this on my Blackberry while we wait for our flight. I cannot believe we have only been gone a week. It seems as though we have seen several weeks' worth of amazing sights! Although, China is such a huge, tremendously diverse country, and so I'm sure we've only had a small taste of all that is here to experience.

That said, although I am sad to leave and go back to the grindstone, I am looking forward to seeing my dogs, house, and eating some In 'N' Out stateside. Of course, I'm sure my normal activities will not make nearly as interesting posts. Good thing we are already brainstorming for the next trip!

A few random reflections on the trip as it comes to a close:

Although I have wanted to go to China for a long time, I must say it surpassed my expectations. The people were so friendly and the history and sights went far beyond my expectations. Sadly, I'm sure my camera captured only a fraction of the beauty of the gardens, water villages, and cityscapes we saw. Suffice to say that, if you are considering a trip to China, go and see all this in person!

Many people looked at me like we were crazy when I said we weren't going to travel with a group, but it was the best decision, in my opinion. We got to see what we wanted to see at our own pace, avoid many crowds, and have a truly custom and intimate travel experience. A private guide is the way to go. The Chinese government licenses guides after they have passed several tests (including national history, foreign language, and foreign cultures/cultural sensitivity), so the guides we encountered were knowledgeable and professional. Also, they are relatively inexpensive if you book them directly (as opposed to through an American travel company). We paid approximately $45 per day for our guides. If you are going to Beijing, we highly recommend Mary. She was, by far, our favorite guide.

Even when we weren't with a guide, it was relatively easy to get around. I printed out the names and addresses of our hotels in Chinese and carried them with us. Most taxis were able to get us back to our hotel after we handed them this paper. If we wanted to go somewhere, we just had the bell hop at the hotel tell the driver the name and address of our destination.

Despite the friendliness, we did get a lot of local people staring at us like we were aliens. Mary told us that many of these people were domestic tourists and had likely never seen a foreigner. It was pretty wild being the only westerners in a large crowd and having multiple sets of eyes taking you in. At times, it was a bit unnerving, to be honest.

Chinese people are teeny tiny compared to us, so I felt like a giant whale next to many of the 80-pound women! Definitely good motivation to work out when we get home.

I loved blogging about the trip as it happened. Before we left, I wondered if blogging would become a hassle or a burden on the trip, but it did not. Rather, I looked forward to organizing our pictures from the day and putting together a recap instead of writing in a travel journal, which is what I usually do. The blog was great because it became an interactive travel journal of sorts, and I loved sharing our experiences with our family and friends as they happened! Technology is so amazing!

Alright, off to wait for the plane. Get this: our flight leaves from Shanghai at 4 p.m. on Saturday, and we arrive in Los Angeles at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday . . . gotta love the time change! Next time you hear from me, we'll be back in the good 'ole U.S. of A.

再見中國 (Goodbye China)!

Day 7: Shanghai (Day trip to Tongli and Zhouzhuang)

2008-07-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

The wake-up call Thursday morning came about three hours too early, in my opinion! Josh had to wake me up and shake me a bunch of times before I was finally semi-conscious. A little tea did the trick to perk me up, and we were downstairs to meet Neil at a little after 8:00 a.m.

We hired a car today to take us on a day trip to the "water villages."

Our first stop was Tongli.

On the way, we stopped to have some dumplings for breakfast!

(The pictures are a little hazy because of the grease cloud around the stand.)

Yum!

The drive was about two hours long, and the scenery was incredible: acres of green farmland and local farmers. Just gorgeous!

We arrived in Tongli and the first thing we saw was this gentleman playing some traditional music in the park.

I love him!

The main street into the city.

There are little waterways all through the city and many locals use boats as a way to get around.

Rickshaw!

It was hotter than hell (and maybe even more humid). I stripped down to a tank top (and I never roll around in a tank top) and I was still completely drenched. Josh's entire back was soaked. I almost took a picture to prove the point, but I thought that would be gross.

So, when I saw this guy, I wanted to grab his watermelon and run for it!

These birds are trained to catch fish and drop them back in the boat! Pretty good trick!

More pics of Tongli.

So incredibly serene and beautiful!

We said goodbye to Tongli and piled back in the car to drive to another water village called Zhouzhuang, a city known as "Venice of the East."

To get in, you walk over a long bridge to the city, located on a little island.

Flowers at the end of the bridge.

Our first stop was Quanfu Temple. Quanfu Temple is a Taoist temple, built in the eleventh century, that is completely surrounded by water (Nanhu Lake).

It may be my favorite temple on our trip so far. The water surrounding the temple makes for a tremendously serene and spiritual scene.

Prayer tree.

There were turtles all around the temple. Some of the temples we visited had turtles you can buy to set free!

Turtle porn!

Incense burner.

Just spectacular! After leaving the temple, we started in toward the main part of the city. In both Tongli and Zhouzhuang, there were a ton of shops and stands selling a very famous delicacy in the water villages: pig hoof/leg! Apparently, it was a favorite snack of several emperors.

Zhouzhuang is so picturesque.

Zhouzhuang is famous for its bridges. This one was built so that the reflection in the water is always a straight line. Pretty clever!

After we left Zhouzhuang, we piled back in the car and headed back to Shanghai. We were so exhausted. I must have sweat a gallon of water (we joked that we were our own water villages) and we were both sunburned and dehydrated (although happy to have spent the day in such gorgeous towns). We got to the hotel a little after 7:00 and immediately took long, cold showers.

Since this is technically a vacation, we decided to take the night off. I headed to the spa for an incredible Chinese-style massage. It was the best massage I have ever had! (At least, the first 45 minutes were. After that, I fell asleep!)

It was an early night for us. Friday is our last full day in China, and it is the first day we have no set plans. I think we will probably just poke around, shop, and maybe try out the night life! More soon . . .

Technical difficulties.

2008-07-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

I hear the picture posts from Day 6 were a little faulty. I think they're fixed now! Day 7 coming soon . . .

Day 6: Shanghai (Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, Tian Zi Fang, French Concession, the Bund)

2008-07-02T02:01:00.000-07:00

Day two of Shanghai has been incredible! Shanghai is such a magnificent city -- truly cosmopolitan and, for lack of a better word, sparkly! There are so many lights, so much art and fashion, and so many people!

My only minor complaint so far on this trip has been the weather. Not that we didn't know it would be hot in China in the summer, but the humidity is truly a killer. And, we have apparently had "cool" weather while we've been here. Note to self: stay away from the "hot" weather here!

Our day started at 9:00 a.m. when we met our guide, Neil, and headed to our first stop: the Shanghai Museum. The Shanghai Museum is located right across from our hotel next to People's Square.

The location of the museum and People's Square are surrounded by gorgeous high rises. Here are a few pics:

It was hot and humid in line, and a few people decided to cut in front of us. I have been known to say a thing or two in a situation like this, but the combination of the language barrier and not wanting to appear like an ugly American prevented me from opening my big trap. However, I did manage to give one woman the stink eye. I must have a pretty effective nasty glare because she decided to cover up her face. Hehe.

The entrance to the museum. A "modern" lion? I love him.

The museum is seven levels high. I snapped a few pictures of my favorite things.

Grumpy pants.

Itchy lion.

Vases from the Ming Dynasty.

I love this vase from the Qing Dynasty.

Chamber pot from 265 A.D.

The calligraphy exhibit was definitely my favorite.

Poem dating back to the Song Dynasty.

Also from the Song Dynasty (this guy was a little stamp happy, no?).

My favorite. "Ode to Peony" by Zhu Yunming (1460-1546). Even if I could read Chinese, I think I would be SOL trying to read this guy's handwriting. But, it's so pretty!

My second favorite. "Poem" by Liu Jue (1410-1472).

I think the museum has every major coin ever used in China. Pretty impressive.

Next to the calligraphy exhibit, the traditional clothing exhibit was my favorite.

Last but not least, there was a furniture exhibit. I had to snap a picture of these Ming Dynasty chairs because they look like our dining room chairs!

After leaving the museum, we went to the Yu Garden. However, before getting to the actual garden, we passed through a very lively shopping and restaurant area right outside the park.

We went up to a rooftop to get a better view.

Skyline!

Rooftops!

After window shopping and making our way through the crowds, it was time to go into Yu Garden. Yu Garden was "built" during the Ming Dynasty, and it took eighteen years to complete (1559 to 1577). It is my favorite garden so far.

Loved the doorways!

Lion!

So beautiful.

More great doorways.

LOVE this tree.

Round doorway.

Dragon on the wall! Love it.

The fattest fish I have ever seen.

After finishing up at the gardens, we headed to the Tian Zi Fang art street, full of designers, artists, and hipsters, to wander around, take in some of the ambience, and have some lunch.

Our guide suggested a place called Kommune, which is apparently a popular cafe among cafes in this area.

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that we weren't going to have some traditional Chinese food, but lunch was still very good.

I had a salad.

Josh had potato wedges with chili sauce.

We sat out in this little courtyard and people watched while we ate.

The chairs and tables in the courtyard were so funky and cool.

We walked around Tu Zi Fang a little more and soaked in some of its charm. There were so many interesting shops and designers there, and the clientele was oh-so-fashionable. We also stopped in to see the workshop of the late artist Chen Yifei, which was very cool.

We came across several tables of men gambling, too, which was pretty random but fun.

Our next stop was the French Concession. Sadly, it started to rain a bit then, so I was only able to snap a couple of pictures for fear of my camera becoming completely drenched.

A few minutes after arriving in the French Concession and strolling along the shops on Xin Le Road, the wind began to blow so hard, it was moving vases on the sidewalk. Then, the sky opened and it began to POUR! Luckily, we made it in a cab just in time!

We said goodbye to our guide and rested for a bit back at the hotel. I took the Monkey's advice and took a few pictures of our view at night.

Left.

Center.

Right.

As we were in our hotel, it continued to rain and there was even some thunder and lightning. I managed to catch a picture of the lightning as it moved across the skyline! I was pretty proud of this shot.

After resting up a little, we decided to walk to the Bund. We walked along Nanjing Road where there are a ton of lights, people, and amazing shops.

It was so pretty because the streets were still wet, so it looked like the light was bleeding on to the sidewalk.

Nanjing Road intersects with the Bund, a long street that borders the Huangpu River that boasts buildings representing over 50 architectural styles. Also, it has an amazing view of the skyline in the Pudong district and the Oriental Pearl Tower.

Pudong skyline.

Spectacular!

After our walk, it was time for a late dinner. We went to a little restaurant on the Bund (cannot remember the name) with a good view for people watching.

We ordered fried noodles.

(Josh was especially excited about the noodles ... hahaha, I love this picture.)

Mmmm ... dumplings ...

And some green beans.

So delicious!

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel to call it a night! We have a big day tomorrow, so time to get some rest! More soon ... Night!

Day 5: Shanghai (travel day plus a little shopping)

2008-07-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Shanghai! We arrived here in one piece early this afternoon after catching a flight from Xi'an. The flight was very, very turbulent, and Josh and I were squeezing each other's hands so tightly that I had indentations on the sides of my fingers from his grip and wedding ring! We half-joked that it must have been the pilot's maiden flight. Also, I had to laugh when, as we were landing and bouncing on and off the runway, Josh suddenly exclaimed, "Figure it out, dude!" I couldn't have said it better myself!

Grateful to be alive, we gathered our luggage and found a taxi to take us to our hotel. It took about 45 minutes to get where we are staying (near the Bund), and there was a little TV in the backseat giving English lessons to passengers. I learned that Americans call "elevators" "'vators" for short. Who knew? :)

We arrived at our hotel, and I have to say, it's out-of-this-world gorgeous! It's foggy/smoggy here, so I stole an exterior picture from the website:

The lobby (also a stolen photo from the website).

The hotel is a combination of art deco glam and modern. I am absolutely in love with it (as you will see from the gazillion pictures that are about to follow.

Hallway.

Our door.

Josh was really jazzed about the shower. It faces this huge window that has an amazing view of the city.

The room.

Okay, my favorite part. We are on the 40th floor with an absolutely killer view!

Josh was also super jazzed on the view.

Next, it was time to eat! We found this fabulous buffet close by. I was starving (hence the massive plate). The best things? A four-way tie between the crab, the Peking duck, the noodles, and the little salmon cake.

So, after we dropped off our bags, it was time to venture out!

Shanghai is absolutely incredible! I have heard it described as "Art Deco meets The Jetson's . . . on speed." It's much more condensed than Beijing, with tons of skyscrapers and flashing lights. It's absolutely spectacular!

Since we only had a few hours left in the day, we set out to do some of the famous Shanghainese shopping I had heard so much about!

First stop: Raffles. It is a seven-storey high mall with tons of little shops and clothing stores. I snapped this one picture, but then a guard came by and scolded me and told me "No photo!" Whoops.

We didn't buy anything and spent only a few minutes wandering. Then, we were back on the street, headed for Plaza 66.

A quick snapshot of the street (another foggy/smoggy day in China).

Our hotel peaking out from behind an old church.

So, like I said, our next stop was Plaza 66. Plaza 66 is an absolutely decadent shopping mall, complete with every major designer you can imagine (Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney, YSL, Chanel, etc.). We strolled and did some people watching.

After, we just kind of wandered around, poking in some shops and enjoying the slightly cooler weather (although, I was still dripping it was so humid).

Getting closer to our hotel and right by People's Plaza.

Back at the hotel, we rested our tired feet and I did a little bathtub laundry. We just ordered some room service, and I am currently looking out at the most spectacular scene. I tried to take a picture of our view at night, but I can't seem to get a clear photo through the glass at night. It is like something out of a movie: a thousand sparkly lights, flashing banners, huge television screens mounted to the sides of skyscrapers, and the glitter of hundreds of cars zipping around the city. I could sit here and stare all night.

But, I need my beauty rest. We are meeting our guide tomorrow morning to do a full-day tour of Shanghai. Tomorrow should be a bit more action-packed (and, therefore, more photos)! More updates to follow soon!

Day 4: Xi'an (Terracotta Warriors and Wild Goose Pagoda)

2008-06-30T00:07:00.000-07:00

The wake-up call came far too early this morning: 4:30 a.m., to be exact. As we know, I am not exactly a morning person, so I was practically comatose when the phone started ringing. Josh sprung out of bed, and I groggily mumbled to myself and stumbled to get ready.

We jumped in a cab and arrived at the Beijing airport at 6:00 a.m. to catch a flight to Xi'an. With some time to kill and grumbly stomachs, we made our way to a noodle shop that was completely packed with people looking for breakfast (turns out noodles are a common Chinese breakfast food).

I ordered spicy pork noodles. They were unbelievably delicious and although this is something I would usually consider a lunch or dinner food, they surprisingly hit the spot.

Josh ordered veggie noodles. Also very delicious.

Our flight took off at 7:15 a.m., and we arrived in Xi'an a little after 9:00 a.m. We were met by a driver to take us to the Terracotta Warriors. The Terracotta Warriors are about 8,000 warriors made out of clay that guard the tomb of Qi Shi Huang, the self-titled "First Emperor of China." Before Qi Shi Huang, China was a bunch of city-states. He came along and unified the city-states in 221 B.C. This guy was quite a character to say the least. Among his list of accomplishments, he commissioned what would become the beginnings of the Great Wall of China, commissioned the Terracotta Warriors, and unified China. The bad news? He killed hundreds of thousands of the laborers who built both the Great Wall and the Warriors.

The Terracotta Warriors were only "recently" discovered in 1974 by a local farmer who discovered pieces of one of the soldiers while at his well. This farmer now hangs out in the gift shop signing programs. Josh and I saw him, but they won't let you take pictures with him. Apparently, some of the elderly Chinese are superstitious when it comes to cameras -- they believe they bring bad luck. (I hate having my picture taken, so I am considering adopting this philosophy.)

Josh outside the museum that houses "Pit 1" of the Terracotta Warriors.

One row of the warriors. Sorry it's so blurry. The lighting was low and no flash photography allowed. I wanted to get down there and take pictures with the soldiers, but unfortunately, it's all roped off.

More of the army. One very cool thing that you cannot tell from my blurry photos: each soldier is different from the others. They have unique clothing, hair styles, and facial expressions. Also, you can tell the rank of the soldier by his hairstyle and how pointy his shoes are! (The pointier, the more powerful, of course!)

The building that houses the soldiers is HUGE!

More (blurry) pictures.

After finishing at the museum, we headed back to our car and our driver took us back into the city of Xi'an which is a little over an hour away. The combinations of the air conditioned car, the vibrations of the road, and the lightning speed at which we have been traveling started to make Josh and I realize how tired we were. We both started to drift in and out of sleep.

That is, until we arrived at our next destination: the Wild Goose Pagoda. The Wild Goose Pagoda is a Buddhist pagoda dating back to the Seventh Century.

Outside the gate was this little boy who appeared to love the lions as much as I do!

Here is the pagoda. Isn't it magnificent?

We walked all around the pagoda. Again, no pictures of the Buddha allowed, but it was spectacular and golden, of course.

More pictures of the gorgeous pagoda.

As we were walking out of the pagoda, it started to rain. By the time we got to our hotel, it was pouring. Honestly, it's probably a good thing as I want to go out and explore, but we should probably go to bed early tonight. There hasn't been much sleep on this trip (we can sleep at home -- too many other, better things to do in China!), and I feel myself starting to get snappy. I had to hold in some rage when the woman at the front desk of the Sheraton Xi'an started to make things difficult. However, it turns out that it is hard to get mad at a woman named Smile Li.

Back in our hotel in the early evening, we realized we were starving. Did you notice that there weren't any pictures of lunch? Yeah, that's because we were so busy darting around, we didn't have any!

So, in a grumpy and hungry haze, we stumbled down to the lobby, borrowed a couple of umbrellas, and walked to a dumpling restaurant close by. (Xi'an is apparently famous for its dumplings.)

The server recommended this noodly spinachy concoction soaked in chili oil. It was one of the most delicious things I've eaten here so far!

We also ordered pork dumplings (for me) and vegetarian dumplings (for Josh).

We asked for napkins, and they brought us these cute little packets with scented napkins (smelling kind of like old lady perfume).

After dinner, we hit up a small convenience store so Josh could buy some candy. Now, we are back in our room. Although it's pretty early, I think it may be time to take advantage of the bad weather and get a good night's sleep! We have to be up early tomorrow to catch a flight to Shanghai.

Before signing off, though, two quick non-China-related items. First, I have been reading a bit of news on my Blackberry and came across this article. Although I love politics, I usually stray away from discussing political topics on this blog as it's not really the proper forum, in my opinion. However, suffice to say that if we go to war with Iran, I am moving. Italy sounds nice. Even Canada.

Second, today is my Grandma's birthday! Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Okay, time for bed. Next time you hear from me, we will (hopefully) be in Shanghai!

Day 3: Beijing (Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Drum Tower, Hutong, Beihai Park, Beijing Opera ... phew!)

2008-06-29T02:37:00.000-07:00

Today was our third and last day here in Beijing. Again, we were up around 8:00 so we were ready to meet Mary at 9:00. This morning, we had breakfast food from our grocery trip yesterday. I had what appeared to be apple milk in a juice box but tasted more like an apple creamsicle! So delicious!

Our first stop this morning was the Summer Palace, once the emperor's summer home, it is now a lakeside park with the living areas preserved and turned into exhibits.

When we walked in through the gate, there were many locals dancing and singing. It was such an amazing sight! Americans don't exactly gather in parks to sing and dance together, and so it was a beautiful thing to witness.

People with red fans.

More dancing (with something resembling but far surpassing the beauty of a ribbon wand).

In the building behind the ribbon dancers, there was a large group of people singing what sounded like an anthem at the top of their lungs. Although I couldn't understand the words, the sound of the song was very powerful and sung with tremendous passion. The singers surrounded several women who were dancing to the music.

Mary told us the song is a very famous anthem to Mao, praising him and saying, in essence, that their hearts beat for him. Out of the crowd, this guy was definitely my favorite. He was rocking out. When I passed him, he smiled, pumped his fists in the air, and exclaimed: "Ni hao!! Welcome to China!!" People here are so, so nice.

The Summer Palace surrounds Kunming Lake.

The bridge is lined with lions. Can you tell I am a little obsessed with the lions here? I'm sure they're supposed to be fierce, but I just think they're cute!

To get to the living quarters of the royal family, we took one of these boats across the lake.

On the other side of the lake is the Marble Boat. Seems weird to make a boat out of marble, no? Well, first off, it doesn't float. It is anchored to the bottom of the lake. Secondly, it was symbolic of the emperor's strong family. According to Mary, the emperor was superstitious that if his boat were capsize, then the people would revolt and remove his dynasty from power. So, since the marble boat cannot be capsized, the emperor believed it to represent the longevity of his dynasty.

So, what do you do with a marble boat you cannot sail, you might ask? Well, apparently the emperors often took tea there. Sounds like the life to me.

So, at the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, the streets have pebbly paths along the smooth part. The concubines' shoes were thin, so the pebbles provided a foot massage. How clever is that?!

The Long Corridor. The Qianlong Emperor commissioned this for his mom's 60th birthday so she could walk along the lake in the shade or when it was raining.

More pictures of the Summer Palace.

So pretty. I think I liked the people watching at the Summer Palace as much as the historical sites.

Next stop? The Lama Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Beijing.

Outside of the temple, there are many shops to buy incense before going in to pray.

The gate.

The first building. The "temple" is more like a series of buildings. Each has incense burning in front and at least one Buddha inside. You walk through one building and there is a slightly larger one behind with the same set up.

Prayer tablet.

Unfortunately, it is forbidden to take pictures of the Buddhas, which is too bad because they are spectacular. I thought about trying to sneak a photo, but most people there were there to pray and not sight see, so I decided to be respectful.

The last building. There is a huge Buddha inside here that is as high as the ceiling! In fact, this building was built around the statue.

After the temple, it was time for lunch. Guess what Josh had to drink? You got it, a new type of Chinese beer he had yet to try!

Fried potatoes and eggplant in the most delicious sauce.

"Pancakes." (Not sure what these actually are called, but that was the translation on the menu. They were very bready and delicious.)

Josh ordered some broth and noodles. I had a taste, and it was amazing!

Mary and I split spicy white fish, recommended by our very friendly server. It was bony but tasty.

After lunch, we went to the Drum Tower. During imperial times, the emperor would let the people know the time by ringing the bells in the daytime and sounding the drums at night.

This picture is blurry but I wanted you to see the steep hike up to the top of the Drum Tower!

We got there just in time to see a drum demonstration.

The Bell Tower across the way (it is closed for renovations).

We carefully climbed down the Drum Tower and walked around some hutongs. Hutongs are narrow streets, no wider than "twelve steps," that represent "the Real Beijing" according to Mary, where people have lived and worked for centuries. With the Olympics coming, many of the hutongs have been destroyed to build newer, modern buildings. The general consensus seems to be that this is a big loss.

This sign made me laugh.

I wanted to steal this little girl and bring her home with us, but Josh told me I couldn't.

Rickshaws!

We walked through the hutongs to Beihai Park, an imperial garden dating back to the tenth century.

Nine Dragon Wall.

Cat on a hot tile roof.

One of the five dragon pagodas.

A few more shots.

White Pagoda.

By the time we had walked through Beihai Park, it was almost 5:00 p.m. We said goodbye to our amazing tourguide, Mary. Here she is.

Mary was a wonderful guide, and we felt so lucky to have found her! If you know of anyone considering a trip to Beijing, I highly recommend her. Her website is here.

We got back to the hotel around 5:30 p.m. and had just enough time to clean up and head out the the Beijing Opera. Although I was pretty exhausted, our tickets to the opera confirmed that we were doing the right thing by venturing out instead of sleeping.

We got to see some of the actors putting on traditional make-up.

Then, the show began. The first act featured two incredible acrobats.

The second act was a goddess picking flowers and praising Buddha. If you have not heard traditional opera in China, let's just say it's much more nasaly than western opera. And, this lady had lungs on her.

The third act was a woman who was trying to steal an herb from the eternal mountain to help her dying husband. Although it may sound heavy, the translation was a little funny. In the middle of the sad part, our protaganist exclaimed out of nowhere: "On the Dragon Boat, I drank too much." Well, hey, who hasn't drunk too much on a dragon boat before?

Despite the fact that she was so sad her "tears were weeping," she managed to kick some major butt. At one point, she was sword fighting five guys and showed them who was boss. My kind of girl.

The opera finished, and we wearily made it back to our comfy hotel. I am so beat. We have been going a mile a minute, but I can't imagine skipping any of the sites we've seen. So far, this has been a truly amazing trip!

Tomorrow morning, we fly to Xi'an to see the Terrcotta Warriors. But for now . . . sleep.

Day 2: Beijing (Great Wall of China, Donghuamen Night Market)

2008-06-28T02:06:00.001-07:00

So, I reread my post from yesterday. Despite my disclaimer at the end, I am still a bit embarrassed by a couple of the funny typos (calling my hotel an airport, etc.). After not sleeping plus the time change and long day, it's amazing it wasn't worse!

Ah, but I slept like a rock last night. This morning, we were downstairs at 9:00 to meet Mary and her husband to drive to the Great Wall of China! Mary's husband is also a guide and was just as wonderful as Mary: friendly and very knowledgeable.

We went to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, which is slightly less touristy than Badaling section where the tour buses go. It's about a two hour drive from Beijing, so we had some time to chat with our friendly tour guides.

We arrived at about 11:00 a.m. and walked up past some souvenir stalls to the ticket desk. To get up to the top, you take a "cable car." Actually, it looked more like a ski lift to me.

I was not quick enough to hop on with Josh, so the lift scooped him up, and off he went!

So pretty, right?

Many of the Chinese people are so friendly! This nice couple passed me, waving, and exclaimed, "Hello! Welcome to China!" How sweet is that?

Approaching the Great Wall . . .

And, we made it to the bottom of the wall. Just a small flight of stairs left to go.

The "cable cars" coming up to the wall.

The Great Wall!

We started our walk . . .

Photo op!

More critters on rooftops! So pretty!

Chinese graffiti. Looks prettier than graffiti at home. Points for anyone who can translate.

More pictures. I took over 100 photos. Turns out I am turning into my mother with the camera. Sigh. :)

We went inside the rooms where the guards used to sleep. Here was someone's view back in the day. I guess it'll do.

The doorway out of the guards' quarters.

Josh and the Wall.

So, to get down from the wall, you take a toboggan. No pictures were allowed, but I managed to snap some photos of people whooshing down from my "cable car" on the way up.

After climbing all over the wall, we had worked up quite an appetite! Time for lunch!

I cannot remember what these things are called (even if I could, Lord knows I could not spell it), but I think they may be Josh's new favorite food. Made out of flour, they taste like white bread squished up into a firm ball and then boiled. Some are then deep fried. The dipping sauce in the middle tasted like butter and sugar. Josh ordered a second plate all for himself.

Pork dumplings (which tasted much better than this picture looks).

Beef stew.

This whole meal for three people was only about $11! Amazing!

Oh, and of course, Josh tried a new beer.

After lunch, we went to the supermarket to pick up some snacks and breakfast food. We haven't eaten breakfast the past few days because the hotel is so expensive ($4 for a croissant!) and we have slept too late to go to a restaurant or cafe.

Maybe this is weird, but I love grocery stores in foreign countries! So many fun new foods to try!

First thing's first: Diet Coke!!

Milk . . . in bags!

Fresh noodles.
How cute are these?

We managed to buy all of this for the price of 2 croissants in our hotel!

After the supermarket, we arrived back at the hotel so Josh could take a nap at about 5:00 p.m. By 7:00, we were back on our feet, headed out to Wangfujing and the Donghuamen Night Market.

The streets were pretty crowded. (Apparently, we were not the only people with this idea.)

We briefly set foot in the Oriental Square mall, the upscale mall in town. It looked like any old mall at home, so we turned around and headed back out to the street.

There is a KFC on almost every block in Beijing. It is more common than McDonald's.

Our next stop was Donghuamen Night Market for a little street food. The night market stretches down one side of the street for approximately two blocks. It was packed with mostly locals and is a place to hang out and get some interesting grub.

Candied fruits on a skewer. (Note: almost everything in the market is on a skewer!)

On the way to the Great Wall today, Mary's husband joked that "we Chinese people will cook and eat anything and everything!" I can't back that statement up, but I will say there are many more options, and they seem to be far more adventurous eaters! Here is some of what we saw:

Silk worms on a skewer, ready to munch on while you walk.

Stinky tofu (which is fermented tofu and definitely lives up to its name).

Dumplings.

Fried seahorses.

Squid, ready to be cooked and eaten.

(Not actually sure what this is, but it looked good!)

Some kind of crabby lobstery crustacean on a skewer.

Twisty bread with sugar (not sure what it's actually called) that a lot of people here have for breakfast.

Snake (!!)

Scorpions.

More insects, waiting to be eaten right off the stick.

Silk worms and centipedes. ("Hello! Lady! You want centipede? Delicious centipede?")

Urchins.

Noodles and chicken.

Corn.

More noodles.

And starfish.

Here's the end of the market.

Josh and I opted for vegetable dumplings, noodles cooked in chili oil, corn, and fruit. All of it was delicious, especially the noodles! (Sorry, no snake or scorpions today. I am not ruling it out for tomorrow, but I think I need to psych myself up.)

If some of this food seems a bit out of the ordinary to you, listen to this. Earlier, Mary's husband was telling us that the following items are extreme delicacies in China and only the very rich can afford to indulge in them: monkey brain (half alive, which made me think of Indiana Jones), camel foot, and bear paw. (I think I would actually like to try bear paw.)

After all this, we're pretty beat. It's almost 10:00 p.m. here, so I think it's time to call it a night and rest up for tomorrow. For our last day in Beijing, we are going to Beihai Park, Summer Palace, Lama Temple and the opera in the evening. More soon.

晚安,再見 ("Goodnight.")

China Day 1: Beijing (Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven)

2008-06-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

We made it! Our flight left LAX Thursday morning at 1:40 a.m., and we arrived this morning at 5:00 a.m. (The flight was a direct flight and twelve hours long, but China is fifteen hours ahead of Los Angeles which explains why we lost a day.) The flight was smooth and uneventful. I actually slept eight of the twelve hours (I usually cannot sleep on planes), which was just what I needed after a night of very little sleep on Tuesday and all the stress of trying to get out of town in one piece!

So, not only was our flight a breeze, but getting out of the Beijing airport was quick and smooth. The international terminal is brand new for the Olympics and is beautiful and modern (and air conditioned!). It makes LAX look like the Quasimodo of airports.

We collected our bags, and found the taxi line. I had printed out our hotel address and name in Chinese from the website, but our cab driver was still confused. Eventually, he pulled off on a median and decided to phone a friend. Just when I thought we may have lucked out with the worst driver in Beijing, I see a driver throw his car in reverse and back up on the freeway!!

Against the odds, we managed to make it to our hotel -- the Westin, Financial Street -- at about 6:00 a.m. Our good luck streak continued, and they were able to check us in early, so we headed up to our room to shower and have a quick nap.

The room is very comfy.

I thought the fresh flowers in the bathroom were a nice touch.

Of course, Josh decided to raid the mini bar. The most interesting item available? One condom for about 40 CNY (about $6).

Ah, but at least there was Diet Coke!

After a long shower and a two-hour nap, we met Mary, our fantastic guide, in the lobby of our hotel. Our first stop: the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is located in the dead center of Beijing and was the home of the emperors (and their wives and concubines) in China for almost five hundred years. The Last Emperor (yes, like the movie), Puyi, was the last royal family member to live there until he abdicated his throne in 1912.

Walking around the Forbidden City, I could not believe how huge it was. Also, there were so many amazing things we learned from Mary: how concubines were selected, eccentricities of the emperors, scandals, affairs, and muurrrder.

Here's a picture of Josh standing outside the moat that surrounds the Forbidden City.

Josh and me in front of the North Gate (the only gate the women were allowed through, back in the day). I'm not sure whose hat that is . . .

The door of the gate. The number nine is considered lucky and was the royal number, so each door in the Forbidden City has nine rows of nine gold spheres.

Pretty cool, huh? I'm thinking we need one of these for our front door . . .

Inside the Forbidden City.

On many of the rooftops, there was a procession of sculpted animals.

Josh in a pretty doorway.

Josh and Mary walking ahead of me. I'm telling you, this place is huge. We walked all around it, and it took over three hours! It could easily take longer to see everything.

I'm in love with the lion sculptures. This is actually a lioness, according to Mary, because it has a little lion cub under its left paw.

As you can probably tell, it's pretty foggy/cloudy/smoggy today. (In fact, it started raining on our way home tonight.) Fortunately, it made for a "cooler" day (I was still dying of heat and humidity). Unfortunately, my pictures look a little gloomy.

Josh.

Huge carving of dragons.

The Opera House in the Forbidden City.

More pictures of the Forbidden City. It turns out I took 188 pictures today, most at the Forbidden City. It was just so gorgeous!

Our next stop was Tiananmen Square.

Josh, me, and Chairman Mao in Tiananmen Square.

After Tiananmen Square, it was time for lunch! Mary took us to one of her favorite places that is well-known for their Peking Duck!

Josh ordered a bowl of noodles . . .

And, of course, beer!

I decided on the Peking Duck.

Which was excellent!

After lunch, we headed to the Temple of Heaven, a site used by the Ming and Qing dynasties to pray and make sacrifices to the gods in the hopes of a good harvest.

The Temple of Heaven is surrounded by a huge park frequented by locals for morning tai chi or to get some fresh air in the polluted city. (As a side note, I cannot get over how green Beijing is! Not what I was expecting at all.)

The Circular Mound Altar.

Josh in front of the Imperial Vault of Heaven. A circular "echo" wall wraps around this building, and you can hear someone speaking to you on the other side of the building.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. This entire thing is made of wood. Oh, and not a single nail was used. Just wood. Pretty impressive, right?

There is a long, outdoor "hallway" as Mary described it (reminded me of the frescoes in Rome) that the animal sacrifices used to be brought down before the ceremony. Now, it's a big gathering place for locals to sing, dance, and play cards and chess. When we walked in, we saw a large choir practicing while an older couple plucked out a different tune on some instruments I have never seen.

More musicians.

A group of men playing a game that is similar to chess.

As we were walking out, we say this gentleman. He has a bucket of water and a big brush, and he is practicing his calligraphy by writing out an ancient poem.

Pretty cool.

We also saw this guy flying a string of kites. Too bad it's such a gloomy day as this would have been a cool picture.

One of my favorite things about Beijing is how the bicyclists and cars coexist. There are a ton of bicycles, and they have their own lane of the freeway.

It's that blend of ancient and modern that makes Beijing so cool. Check this guy out -- hauling wood on his bike next to a major highway.

We did a little shopping, too, including stops at the Silk Market, the Pearl Market, and some other market with every type of gadget and electronic thingamajig you could want.

Well, this has been quite a post! I have to admit, I am pretty exhausted, so I am going to stop here. Tomorrow we are off to the Great Wall! More to follow soon . . .

(P.S. Please excuse any typos or formatting inconsistencies. Frankly, blogger is driving me crazy, and I am too tired to revise as my brain is mush.)

Tomorrow, tomorrow . . .

2008-06-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well, there has been a bit of a blogging drought, no? Stuff has been happening: lots of work trips to exotic destinations such as Chula Vista, Sacramento, Dixon, and Fontana and a lazy weekend where I watched the entire first season of Heroes (and am now totally hooked). Despite all this "excitement," I have just felt like my life is too boring to post about.

But, not boring for long because tomorrow night . . .

We leave for China!!!

Ahh! I'm so excited!! (Although, trying to get everything done for work has been a pain.) Assuming that blogger is not blocked in China, I plan to post updates, so stay tuned . . .

Me Mosaic.

2008-06-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Sarah's blog and thought it was pretty neat.

Instructions:
1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page of results, pick one image.

3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

Questions:

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food? right now?

3. What high school did you go to?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. What is your favourite drink?

7. What is your dream vacation?

8. What is your favorite dessert?

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. What is one word that describes you?

12. What is your flickr name?

Mojitos, Martinis, and SATC.

2008-06-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

And so, another week has started, and I am already ready for the weekend . . .

Friday, we had a "team meeting" with Jackie and PJ to narrow down locations we can all agree on for a potential trip in March. They came over, we poured some wine, and then we all compared lists. There were two spots that ended up on all four of our lists: Thailand and Argentina. So, now we need to pick between the two. Where should we go?

Saturday, I slept until the late morning (oh, sweet, luxurious sleep). Josh was the best husband ever and grabbed me a breakfast burrito (my fave!) from a little cafe by our house, and we vegged, ate breakfast, and watched TV. So relaxing.

In the evening, we went to a firm party at Elevate in downtown. We ended up sitting with a couple good friends of mine instead of mingling all night like a good associate. (Hey, it was Saturday.) We had a B-list celebrity spotting: Nicole Linkletter, the winner of Cycle 5 of America's Next Top Model.

I had a couple delicious mojitos and some amazing sushi. After a couple of hours, some good food and drinks, and making the rounds, Josh and I escaped out the side door to meet up with Bug and Ajax at Arclight.

Bug and I are both huge Sex and the City fans, and we had purchased tickets for the 21 and over show over a week ago. Actually, we got the last of the tickets . . . a week ago! Apparently, there are other obsessive fans. We dragged Josh and Ajax, and they were pretty much the only men there. Since it was a 21+ showing, all the women there were, well, tipsy. (We definitely had a cosmo in honor of the occasion.) There was lots of cheering, booing, and gasping throughout the show. It was pretty fantastic.

As for the movie, I have to say I totally loved it. Actually, I want to see it again.

Sunday, I slept in . . . again. It was a fabulously lazy day. I left the house only to get a pedicure with Jackie and then grab fro yo with Jackie and PJ. It was lovely!

Time to watch the Bachelorette. I know. I can't believe I watch it either, but I can't seem to look away!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2008-05-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

My dad's birthday is not until next Thursday, but we thought we'd celebrate this weekend since he and Cathy will be on vacation the following weekend. Cathy put together a really nice party: a bbq with family and friends. Oh, and a little bit of karaoke.

I made the birthday cake. My dad wanted yellow cake with chocolate frosting (my favorite!). I decided to try and make it from scratch. You know, in all my spare time. ;) It turned out pretty well . . .

Yellow cake batter.

The finished product: three-layer yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting.

We headed out to Camarillo after going to the travel clinic to get shots, health insurance, and a prescription for antibiotics for our trip to China. The antibiotics prescription may sound weird, but I have decided it's a good precaution after suffering through the nasty sickness that knocked us out halfway through the honeymoon. If you haven't heard that story, suffice to say it is both comedy and tragedy.

We arrived in Cam around 4:00 p.m. with birthday cake and birthday hats in tow.

The birthday boy!

Bug and our wire fox terrier, Woody. He's such a grumpy old man, but he'll still cuddle sometimes.

Bug and Ajax. This pic is a bit awkward, no? Haha.

Speaking of awkward . . . My husband is a spaz. :)

Self-photo! I am never in these party pics since I am always the one taking the pictures (go figure).

Bug and Dad.

Dad was trying to convince me to reverse the number candles so that it said he is 35. Nice try.

Yes, 53. There we go, dad...

Dad and his girlfriend Cathy. She's the best.

The birthday cake . . .

Ajax and Ella crashed on the couch . . .

It was a good birthday, I think. Josh and Bug spent most of the day in the pool. In fact, when we decided to call it a night around 11 p.m., Josh was still in the pool!

I crashed as soon as we got home, around midnight. I probably could have slept all through today, but Josh finally woke me up a little before 1 p.m. I haven't slept that late in awhile, and it felt amazing!

Not sure what the plans are for today. Josh mentioned seeing Indiana Jones, which I think sounds like a fabulous idea. The grey weather here (which I adore!) makes me was to just poke around town and be lazy today.

Marvelous Monday.

2008-05-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

So . . . despite some scares that a looming trial date may alter our plans, I received official word from the partner on our case today that I do not need to move our trip! China here we come!!!!!!!! (Um, now we actually need to plan this trip since we leave in a month. Details, details.) Woo hoo!

If that weren't enough to make the day great, I actually had a pretty fun day at work. (Yes, I said "fun.") I helped prepare one of our witnesses for her deposition by doing a mock deposition while the senior attorney defended. I am always happy when I get to spend my day arguing, what can I say?

I came home to find . . . a clean kitchen! (It's all about the little things in my life, ok?) My dear little husband had scrubbed the entire kitchen down. He even had Comet out!

And, there's something fun to look forward to tomorrow. A few of my co-workers are big Pliates fans. A new studio just opened downtown, so we decided to sign up together and take evening courses a couple of times a week together. I love yoga, so I am hoping I will dig Pilates, too. Actually, my goals are not that lofty: I am just hoping I do not die or embarrass myself.

So yeah, life is good. :)

Hot, hot heat.

2008-05-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

Where has this weekend gone? It's hard to believe tomorrow is already Monday. Again. Bluh. This was the first scorcher of a weekend we've had this spring/summer. I wish I had spent it in the pool or at the beach, but alas, there were other things in store for me. Namely, work.

There's not much to report over here. Let's see . . .

Friday, PJ came out our way and the three of us went to see Baby Mama. (I know I said I was going to go last week, but riiiight after I posted, I got a work email that required me to work all night.) The movie was very cute. I <3 Tina Fey. Although, I hate it when "they" put so many jokes in the trailers that the movie just feels like an extended trailer that ties together all the scenes you've already seen. Even so, there were still some new, funny bits.

Saturday, I woke up bright and early and headed to the DMV to (finally) get my California driver's license. I have been here almost two years to the day, so needless to say, it was time! I got home and worked until about 9 (although, the heat made it hard to concentrate). Josh and PJ brewed a new batch of beer and then went swimming. Jerks. In the evening, we went to dinner at Sagebrush Cantina, and then back to the casa.

Sunday, I worked most of the day, except for a quick break to have dinner with my grandparents, Josh, and sis. Grandpa grilled tri-tip, and it was ah-MA-zing! Josh went grocery shopping while I plugged away at a deposition outline. Good times.

Well, hmm, that's about it. A dull weekend filled with work and heat. Hope you all managed to keep cool!