Summer 2014

I love summer, but 2014 is going to be a big one!

This summertime, I am a bride, having the experience of a lifetime, surrounded by my family and friends and overwhelmed with the unconditional love that has been so prevalent during the wedding planning process.  

Our wedding is set for August and so far almost everything we've experienced has been fun - at least to some degree!  We're planning our wedding, one of the sweetest chapters in our love story, and looking toward the future.  Yes, wedding planning has been hard work, but life is full of hard work!  That's what makes us appreciate the fun times!  

Over the past 10 months of our engagement, Sam and I have done a lot of growing up.  We've really begun to make plans for our future together as our own little family unit and I am so excited to see what's in store for us!  

Cooking Class

I decided to take myself up on something I'd been thinking about for a while... a cooking class.  Sam and I have a lot of baking stuff on our registry and I would like to be able to make a really nice-looking cake to go with all of my awesome entrees (lasagna, stir fry, spaghetti and meatballs, salmon, etc.)

So I went ahead and signed myself up on a weekend he'll be out of town for a conference.  Just a little ME time.... and if I can come even remotely close to pulling off the magnificence that is pictured on the sign up page I will be THRILLED.  Ta-da!

Luscious Layer Cakes

What You Will Learn

Who can resist a decadent cake featuring layers of delicious frosting? Not us, that's for sure! Join our hands-on class as we cover the basics of cake making, from preparing perfect batter to proper layering techniques. Our instructor will show you simple steps for making incredible mousses and frostings from scratch. Plus, we'll share the surprisingly easy secrets for making ombre cakes, one of the culinary world's hottest trends. Prepare to wow friends and family at your next celebration.


What To Expect:

Great cooking isn't about recipes—it's about techniques. In our classes you'll work together with other students in a fun, hands-on environment led by our professional chef instructors.

• Learn fundamental skills for a lifetime of great cooking
• Work side-by-side with other students to prepare each dish
• Interact with classmates and the instructor for a rich learning experience
• Classes are 2 to 2 1/2 hours, unless otherwise noted above, and each student enjoys a generous taste of every dish
• Held in our professional teaching kitchens, each class is led by an experienced chef instructor
• Hands-on classes are limited to 16 participants
• Students receive a 10% discount coupon to use the week after the class

How Amazon's Warehouse Works

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/how-the-amazon-warehouse-works

If you have ever wondered how Amazon.com warehouses work, this is the video for you!

I just subscribed for Prime and I love it!  So easy to order anything I need - trash can liners for our SimplyHuman bathroom trashcan, face moisturizer from Clinique, nail polish from O.P.I. - I seriously love it!

Goleta Lemon Festival 2013

Tomorrow after work we're heading up to Santa Barbara to see some old friends and finally check out Kevin and Dylan's new house... we're only about a year late to the show on that one.  C'est la vie!

It will be fun to not have to worry about booking a DJ or officiant or ordering invitations for a weekend.  Wow, it's funny how much time and energy wedding planning takes.

While we're in town, Cortney got us passes into the Goleta Lemon Festival.  It should be interesting to check out the madness that I am sure will ensue with lemon-flavored beer and lemon-flavored foods.  I am looking forward to some lemon pie, myself.

We're also going to get to meet Conan, Kevin's puppy.  We're hoping that he and Hunter become BFFs so that all our future camping trips can include some doggy fun.  Conan will be a bigger guy than Hunter so it will be interesting to see how they get along - Hunter mostly gets to interact with dogs who are around the same size as he is.

My grandparents will be in town for Ali's home opener volleyball game this weekend, too.  So Sam and I are going to meet them for breakfast on Sunday morning and then drive back to Orange County in time for Sam's soccer game.  Nonna and Papa haven't gotten to see us since we got engaged, so I'm very excited to show off my beautiful ring (and give Sam lots of credit for designing it) and celebrate with them.

Ahhhhh I wish it were Friday afternoon already!

Birthday Week 2013

We kicked off my birthday week with a lot of drinking over the weekend.  In fact, I was actually hung over on Sunday.

A few things I am eagerly awaiting:

1. Dinner at Gabbi's on Wednesday night
2. My birthday cake from French's
3. Opening all my birthday cards

French's is apparently a great bakery and we've got friends who are going to use them for a wedding cake so I thought I'd give them a shot and order myself my first birthday cake since high school.  I mean honestly, I think my last store-bought, ordered birthday cake was in high school from either Mom or Papa Santi.  Very cool.  This is just one of the designs I really liked, but I went with something else... I will definitely post a photo after the big day.

Sam and I went to the gym tonight, and then he drove me down to the Kaiser hospital so I could pick up a prescription from the pharmacy.  He's got a sty and has been sitting here with a hot compress on his eye all night, and I'm on antibiotics.  Let's just say that we've got the whole "in sickness and in health" thing down tonight.  No worries about the rest of our lives!  

The only downside of my birthday weekend kick off was the atrocious Sunday Night Football performance of the 49ers.  I wanted to throw up after the game last night.  Ugh. 

Zombie Apocalypse on I-5

So this Sunday we drove back from NorCal where we had been for Dan & Tina's wedding.  Sam, Steve, Hunter and I made the road trip together, and boy was it a shitty drive back to Orange County.

Somewhere just after Buttonwillow, we got stuck in heinous traffic.  It was so bad we ended up pulling off the freeway and to the Chevron station.  I had to use the rest room so badly, and you would not believe it, but the stupid girls working shut the bathrooms down.  WTF!? Who does that?!  To say I was unhappy would be a serious understatement!

It was like a zombie apocalypse trying to get out of there.  The cars were coming over the curbs to get into the gas station.  People were streaming into the mini mart as if they were fleeing a herd of starving, blood thirsty undead.

I was dying.  We hopped in the car and drove to the opposite side of the freeway.  There we encountered a line 25 ladies long.  It was completely ridiculous.  We did use the time to stock up on snack supplies like corn nuts, starburst, some cool soda candy Steve found and other junk.

We left I-5 and headed for highway 99 to continue on our way over the grapevine.  On the way, we passed a Sonic and stopped to use the bathrooms.  Oh sweet baby Jesus, what a relief!!!

So we continued our journey South and once we got up into the grapevine we were surprised to find a huge patch of scorched land with patches of flames still burning.  Well, okay then, good reason for the backup.

By the time Sam and I dropped Steve off, and finally made it home it was 8 hours since we left my parents' house.  Oy.  Needless to say, it was good to have friends making the trip with us.

TGIF!!!

I could not agree more with this meme.  OMG this has been a crappy week.  Full disclosure, it's *that* time of the month so I have been a bit of a hormonal mess.  Let's just say that I spent Tuesday afternoon bursting into tears several times in my office.  Yes, it was that bad.  Plus, Sam got sick and obviously we're all cranky when we don't feel good.  Last night, we had two comforters on our bed- one on my side and one on his.  Dear Lord, please let him be recover by the time I see him Monday!

Yes, I will be out of town this weekend at Miss Jackie's Bridal Shower.  I have tonight to pack, spend some quality time with Hunter Puppy, write in Jackie's card, fill out the recipe card (we're all donating new recipes to her and Joe's collection) and prep Hunter's dog-sitter with notes for her visits on Sunday.

Sam and I will split up our nights with him so that we don't have to have the dog-sitter stay overnight or leave Hunter at the vet.  I am on duty tonight and Sunday night, Sam will be home mid-afternoon on Saturday and rest at home that night before reporting for call again on Sunday morning. 

This weekend kicks off the 2013 Wedding Season Madness for me.  And believe me, this homebody is already feeling elevated blood pressure just looking at her calendar.  I underestimated how stressful it would be to concurrently plan a reunion and a bachelorette party long-distance.  Not that I would give either of them up, I am having fun and am really excited about all the festivities, but it's all the little details that creep up on me 

We're going to be up in Tahoe during shoulder season, so the restaurants are not as responsive as I would like them to be, i.e. (I waited 2 weeks to actually get firm plans set up with the limo company and the restaurant).  If you know me, you know that I like to try to be prompt and organized with lots of advance planning. 

Worse than flaky vendors, I have about three people I just want to punch in the face.  I realize that everyone is doing their best to be helpful; however, I wish that people would keep in mind that we're talking about big groups here and what is easiest may not be EXACTLY what you, the individual wants, but for the sake of the group (and my sanity) could you just go with the flow?  I am not going to friend 300 people on Facebook to make sure they get added to our reunion group- those folks who don't want to publicly associate their profiles with our high school can either a) get an emailed registration PDF from the folks they keep in touch with, or b) they can email me directly and I'm happy to hook them up.  And while I'm on the subject, if you join the group, please take the time to explore the information!  I can't tell you how irritating it is for me to explain the same 3 things over and over and over.  The location is listed, the registration fee is listed, and it clearly says MULTIPLE places that you cannot pay at the door.  Don't whine to me about that.  Just freakin' plan accordingly.

Can you tell my patience for morons is wearing thin ?  :-)  I should probably make this gem (at right) my anti-mantra for the next couple of months.  Actually, no joke, I should probably print it out (or order a few plaques somewhere online) and hang this up in my office at work and my office at home.  Sheesh.  I know I like things to be my way, but sometimes I honestly think my way is the best damn way to do it.

But seriously folks, I understand we all have our little preferences.  And I do want to accommodate them, if I didn't care I'd be WAY less stressed out!  Just keep in mind when you make some special request 2 weeks before the event that it may cause me to have a complete emotional breakdown, crying in my office at work. 

Wine

Last week felt like it would never end.  I had two work events, and the culmination of a couple of big projects I had been working on since the start of the year.  Needless to say, I was so thankful when the weekend arrived.

This week has been completely different.  It's like I have jetlag from all the energy I had to exert last week.  I have no motivation and all I want to do is lose myself in mindless forms of entertainment- TV, internet, reading other people's blogs, drinking wine every night with dinner (one glass), and playing Roller Coaster Tycoon (please don't judge me too harshly).  

I have not wanted to blog myself at all.  Why not?  Because I am trying to ESCAPE my life of course!

It's all I can do to handle myself and Hunter (let alone Sam, who thankfully has been on call a lot) let alone relive the stress and drama.  Part of my problem is that little Hunter hasn't been sleeping through the night very well over the last two weeks- probably my fault because our walks have not been as regular or long as they should have been.

I did find time to make the ortho department cupcakes on Sunday.  I drove up to the hospital and met with Sam for dinner, leaving the cupcakes with his very sweet nurses.  For our on-call date night, Sam took me to the fish place in the mall across from the hospital and it was fabulous.  It was also expensive, but seriously it was scrumptious.  I had butterflied panko crusted shrimp and cajun halibut.  Mmmmm.

I am also a little overwhelmed by the travel coming up- Jackie's got her bridal shower, her bachelorette and her wedding two weeks apart for the next six weeks.  OMG.  I am so excited but simultaneously so exhausted.  I may end up having to take a day off after the wedding is over to relax and recuperate.  Plus, Sam will be off the week after the wedding so it would be good for us to relax and spend some time without so much distraction.

In between the wedding and the bachelorette party (which I get to throw- OMG I am so excited!) we get to see Sam's family for his Great-Aunt's 80th Birthday Party.  We have lots of family coming into town, and Sam's folks generously offered to get us a hotel up in Palos Verdes to hang out with the family.  I wasn't in love with the idea of staying up there on the weekend before the wedding, but I was looking forward to getting to see Sue and Rich and all the cousins (who I hope are coming down.)

Anyway, Sam's parents are going to stay in Irvine now, which is super thoughtful of them and I'm even more excited about seeing them now that I don't have to stress about the dog and getting my shit together before the wedding.  I am so excited about wedding season though, Jackie kicks it off and then we have Monique's and Dan and Tina's.

I'm also really excited about our 10-year class reunion, which I am co-chairing, in June.  And Papa's big 80th birthday party in July.  So many wonderful things happening in the next couple of months!!!

Will This Ever Get Old?

I wanted to share some cool news articles published from the press release I set out on the wire Tuesday morning.  It's still so cool to see my name listed as the release contact!  I wonder when (if ever) that will get old?  Probably eventually.  I especially love that we get picked up by all my "hometown" newspapers from the San Francisco Bay Area.  And most interesting of all, I made it into the Contra Costa Times, my hometown county paper, for something other than water polo.  Wow, I feel so grown up!

(Disclaimer: all of these are pretty much the same article, don't feel the need to read them ALL unless you want to!)

Contra Costa Times

SF Gate (Chronicle Website) 

Sacramento Bee

LA Daily News

OC Register (This little blurb was written by an Acalanes grad who I have gotten to know fairly well- networking plus!)

Nashville

You know what show I absolutely love?  Nashville!  I mean I watch just about anything with Connie Britton in it- Friday Night Lights, American Horror Story (which was a little too weird for my taste) and now Nashville.

I was kind of into Heros at the beginning of that show, but I'm not a huge Hayden fan by any means.  Even still, I love her in this show too!

Then there are the cute songwriter couple- omg Scarlett & Gunner just make me die!  I actually started downloading music from this show, I haven't done that since American Idol (Adam Lambert) or Glee.  And I have already downloaded as many Nashville songs as I have downloaded from the other two shows put together!

Anyway, I am so pumped for tonight's episode!  I really want Deacon and Rayna to hurry up and get back together although I am sure I won't be able to count on that happening in season 1.  Grrr.

New Mac & Apple TV

So my personal laptop has been falling apart lately... I did get it back in 2007.  I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and buy a new MacBook Pro since I love my current one so much!  I did a lot of research and was debating between a solid state drive (SSD) and upgrading the memory on a ATA drive.  In the end I went with the ATA because I don't usually drop my laptops and they are relatively well taken care of.  Plus, I always seem to need more memory space, my poor iTunes couldn't even play movies I had such little hard drive and memory left.

So anyway, while I was in the store they were mentioning Apple TV and I had looked into getting it for Sam.   He hooked up the AirPlay device his Dad got us last year before we had cable so we could stream music wirelessly from our computers and iPhones to the living room stereo.  Unfortunately, we couldn't have cable TV and cable internet both in the living room because we didn't have enough cable output from the wall.  Oops.  

Apple TV is better anyway because you can steam movies, and rent movies, and basically access all of your movies, tv shows, and anything else through iTunes (like Sam's video games on his iPad).  So this is really much more versatile, and it's all through just power, an HDMI cord to the TV, and our wireless router in the guest room.  Very, very neat.  

Sam's been on call a lot the last week and he's pretty exhausted, but we did play around with the Apple TV a little bit last night and I think he was pretty impressed.  I'm excited for him to get home from being on call tomorrow- hopefully we can put on a movie and Sam can pass out on the couch while I work on some marketing collateral for the trade show we are attending in March.

I am in the process of downloading all my iTunes movies and it's amazing- I have been at it for over 24 hours and only 1/3 of the movies have downloaded!  Can you believe that?  Good lord, the Harry Potters are SO long to download.  This whole thing makes me want to buy faster upload and download internet speed!  

The other really freakin neat thing is that iCloud syncs all music, movies, calendar events, and reminders on my computer and phone.  So that means when I change something on my phone (add an event, an item to my grocery list, buy a song, etc.) it automatically syncs with my calendar, reminders, iTunes library on my computer.  So there is no need to constantly plug in the phone and update things via a cable.  This is going to make my OCD so much easier- and probably worse!

But seriously, the convenience of all the new technology is really, really amazing.  Even if it is expensive!  With all the bachelorette planning, and now I am heading up planning our 10-Year High School Reunion in June too, I am going to need a functional computer that IS NOT my work laptop.   

Rose Bowl Parade

Mom wanted lots of photos of the parade... especially of the flowers up close.  Here are some of my favorites from the 400+ photos taken New Year's Day!

Theme of the 2013 Rose Parade

Hawaiian Riders

Shriners Float (for Uncle Mark!)

Queen of the Roses and her court

Stanford Band- go Giants! 

B2 Bomber cruised the parade & the field before teh game

Organ Donation Float (for Denise!)

They got married during the parade!