I was just remembering today how we commemorated our last Christmas in California with Jess and Paul. We stayed with them at their home (aka church office) for the last couple of weeks before we moved in February, 2007. Their Christmas tree had been out on the porch for a month and half, getting completely dried out and brittle. Then one night, I realized there was a purpose …
The Last Bonfire … Good times!
PS: Don’t try this at home!
Well we’re getting ready to leave for California tomorrow. We’re headed to downtown L.A. first, for the Sushimasters competition on Sunday! The California Rice Commission (who hosts the event) is one of our clients and they hooked us up with free tickets.
Last month, our friend/client Steve came out to visit us again (he also came in June). Steve works for the International Agri-Center and we do all of their websites. We had a sushi-making party at our house and it was tons of fun! Steve really knows his way around the kitchen. Check out the photos if you haven’t already. (Did I mention how much we love sushi?) We’ll be sure to take lots of photos this weekend. We just got a new DSLR camera that we’ve been having a lot of fun with.
Monday morning we’ll head up to Sac to stay with family for the week. Hope we can find a way to see everyone!
This was sort of an impromptu – but much needed – trip, and we don’t have a whole lot planned other than relaxing and hanging out with our nephew’s belly.
We’ve been having lots of fun with the family this week. We spent Friday through Monday up at Mom and Dad Matthew’s in Foresthill, and got lots and lots of snow! We took a treacherous drive down the hill Monday morning. I love looking at snow but can do without the cold, thank you very much.
We’ve been staying at Shane and Shawna’s this week and helping take care of Ayden (it’s a rough job but someone’s go to do it!) I like to read him books in Spanish. He loves it!
He’s a very good baby and so stinkin’ adorable. Wednesday night we packed him up in his new outfit Auntie and Uncle got him for Christmas and took him up to Nevada City for their Victorian Christmas. He was snug as a bug inside Michael’s jacket. The rest of us, however, were freezing!
After some hot cider, we settled indoors and had Thai food with some of Shane’s friends.
Last night we met up with a few friends at Claimjumper. We also got to see our old friend Rachel (Jupin) Clark on Monday night. She’s expecting a boy at the beginning of February! We had our server take a picture of us but it did not turn out.
Tonight we’re meeting up with the extended family on my mom’s side for dinner. Tomorrow, we have Michael’s extended family Christmas. Then we’re off to spend a couple of days with the grandparents. Michael’s going to try to snowboard on Tuesday, then we’re headed back to Texas. Good times!
Well, interesting weather it has been. Highs in the 80s followed by a hard freeze overnight! Courtesy of the great state of Texas. Yesterday morning there was snow/ice on the ground and our rooftop.
This morning’s temp was a cool 28 degrees. We thought we’d escape to California to thaw out, only to find there’s a cold front blowing in there soon too! We are not cold weather people, people, what are you trying to do to us!
Nevertheless, we’re breaking out the thermals and mittens, and heading back to our CA home for the holidays. We fly out tomorrow morning and we’ll stay until Christmas Eve. Hope to see you sometime! Give us a call at 512-965-3481 or 3482 if you want to meet up. We plan our regular Claimjumper gathering next Thursday night.
We were afraid when we got home we’d be greeted by gale force winds and buckets of rain courtesy of Miss Hurricane Dolly. But it was quite uneventful. In fact, so far we’ve only seen a few sprinkles. Our flights were uneventful too, except for my run-in with the Worst Most Rudest Southwest Flight Attendant Ever. In fact, it seems I’ve really had bad luck with customer service lately. And I’m probably the nicest customer out there, having spent so much time in the service business myself! For example, the bank teller yesterday was quite peeved at me for withdrawing cash from her. And having it broken down into smaller bills. And “totally cleaning out her drawer.” I’m sorry, I thought I was at the bank? Where they have money? For their customers?
Anyway, after church on Sunday, we went up to Michael’s parents house and stayed the night until Tuesday. We took them and Michael’s grandparents out to dinner Monday night in Folsom. We forgot to take pictures though.
Tuesday morning we met Bob Sherwood Sr. (one of our favorite dads ever) for breakfast at Edelweiss in Auburn. Oh, the memories at this place. We just love it! Ayden got to check it out for his first time ever. He gave it a thumb’s up. Up his mouth, that is.
Well, this morning Michael caught Paul and I blogging together. I woke up at the crack of dawn, no, actually before the crack of dawn, even earlier than Paul. He’s been wanting to set up a blog to chronicle his and Jess’ trip to Texas, and their experience there. So we started it early in the am, and Michael was more than happy to see it going on when he got up. Anyway, I’ll post the link to Paul’s blog when he gives me the ok, you know, after I finish showing him how it’s done.
This weekend is Jess & Paul’s last Sunday at One Life. Michael and I are playing in the band, so it should be quite a memorable albeit emotional event for all of us. If you’d like to come, church is at 9:30 am in Lincoln. Here’s location information. I hope you can make it.
We’re continuing to enjoy our trip here. We’ve been staying at Jess & Paul’s all week. Tuesday night was rehearsal for Sunday. Wednesday, we took a trip to Nevada City with Jess & Paul, Shawna & Ayden. Michael got to carry Ayden around in the Snuggly. Oh. My. Goodness. Heart. Melting. Can’t. Take. It.
That night we met up with Michael’s Nana & Carroll for dinner. We got to spend some time with them afterward and catch up. Wednesday pictures are at the gallery.
Thursday we went and saw some of our favorite clients at Westside Christian Church. After a million errands and more work that afternoon, we met the usual suspects at Claimjumper for happy hour. It wouldn’t be a real trip home otherwise. Claimjumper pics online too. The other adorable baby besides Ayden is Rory’s little girl Izzie (Isadora). She’s three and a half months.
Ok, enough updates for now. We’re off to Foresthill tonight to spend time with Michael’s parents. Who just happen to be babysitting Ayden. Happy times.
Ah, the smoke has cleared and we find ourselves back in our beloved surroundings. We’re having a great time, but working too hard to try to fit everything in, as usual. I think next time we visit we’ll need a minimum of three weeks … maybe a month!
We got to spend lots of good quality time with Michael’s sister, her husband and our perfect nephew Ayden last week. There is nothing quite like morning snuggle time with a 4-month old cutie patootie, I’ve learned. I’m completely addicted.
Saturday we got to see my mom’s side of the family, then went to a surprise party for our friend Eric, turning 30. Sunday we visited our grandparents (now great-grandparents, though they were always great anyway). Ayden and Shawna came with me to my friend Jenee’s daughter’s birthday party that afternoon, and that evening we hit the lake again. Ayden is such a trooper. He held up better than I did!
We’re now up at Jess & Paul’s in Grass Valley. We’re working during the day at Michael’s boss’ house across the way, and we seem to have plans each night. Last night we had dinner in Grass Valley at a cute little Italian place. And then Jess gave me a foot massage. I am not kidding. It was so fabulous. Now if that is not sisterly love, I don’t know what is. I know my parents must be smiling inside hearing that. ;)
Anyway, I’ll keep posting pics at the gallery as much as possible. Hope you enjoy.
One fun aspect of being in LA is the chance that you may see a celebrity in person. That’s just cool, no matter who you are.
At the hockey game last week, they showed Snoop Dogg on the Jumbotron. He was in a box with the first African American to play for the NHL, which is pretty cool. You can see him to the left on the screen.
Last night we got to go the Clippers (NBA) game at the legendary Staples Center. The guys at Michael’s work often get tickets from their suppliers, so we got to go for free ($100 a seat otherwise!). They were the best seats I’ve ever had at a game, but we again didn’t get good pics to show you. We were on the first level above the floor, in the front row with just glass in front of us, so the view couldn’t have been better.
What was a little disheartening was that the players all looked so young! Then I realized we’re so much older than most of them now. That’s so sad.
But what was cool was seeing Frankie Muniz in the front row (aka Malcolm in the Middle). Ok, ok, so he never turned all the way around, but it was definitely him. I looked it up, he’s a big Clippers fan.
So there you have it, our two mediocre celebrity sightings ;)
We started Saturday with breakfast at the Original Pancake House in Redondo Beach where I gorged on a childhood favorite, Dutch Babies. There is just no other breakfast concoction quite like it.
We walked around our old favorite beach, then had dinner at our other favorite, Hennessy’s Irish Pub (what else?). After that, it was more Rock Band at Jer & Roseanne’s place. Rock Band makes Guitar Hero feel like its roadie. GH wants to be as cool, but it just can’t be. You can play drums, sing and play guitar all together – like a real band! It’s so much fun.
On Sunday, we were taken to the Beverly Center mall, an experience all it’s own. Everyone is there to be seen, just as much as to shop, it seems. People wear their wealth on their bodies, since they can’t afford to own homes around here. It’s a beautiful place though, even if I did lose count of all the Uggs by noon. The smog had cleared just enough for us to see the Hollywood sign, and almost all the way to down town, as we road the escalator down the mall’s four flights of decadence.
The real highlight of the day was our first Brazilian BBQ experience in Beverly Hills. Jer had been trying to explain the sheer delight of this one-of-a-kind dining event, but even he couldn’t do it justice. I’ll borrow from the website of Fogo de Chao to describe it, as they do quite well:
“The dinner menu features unlimited servings of 15 different delectable cuts of fire-roasted meats, a sumptuous buffet of gourmet salads and fresh-cut vegetables, and a variety of Brazilian side dishes.
Each guest uses a two-sided disk to control the pace of their meal. The green side signals the Gaucho chefs to bring out skewers of sizzling fire-roasted meats to carve at the table. The red side indicates a stopping point. Turning back to green lets the Gaucho chefs know to start offering the meats again.
The traditional side dishes of warm cheese bread, fried bananas, crispy hot polenta and seasoned mashed potatoes are automatically brought to each table and replenished throughout the meal.”
So basically, yeah, their chefs walk around with sizzling meats they slice fresh for you, whenever you want, and it’s all-you-can-eat. Everything from filet mignon, to parmesan-crusted pork loin, to lamb chops. The “salad bar” rivaled any I’ve ever seen, and the flavors of everything were unique and delicious!
We were so deliriously enjoying everything we forgot to take many pictures. But anyway, look them up, it’s something you should try at least once (and probably only once, since it is quite expensive!).
This was our birthday celebration for both Michael and Jer. (Jer turned 31 yesterday). What more could two boys ask for than unlimited fire-roasted meats! I mean seriously. It was crazy good.
Check out all the pics from this weekend. And yes, I’m sure you’re wondering, we did each gain 10 pounds after feasting the way we did. But it was worth it.
We arrived in Los Angeles at about 11:30 pm Sunday night. I think I’m just now caught up on my sleep. Michael’s been working at his office here, and I’ve joined him the last two days. I’ve even got my own desk!
Garmin Electra has been faithfully guiding us around the city in all her British charm. She’s so wonderful. I think I will write an Ode to Electra when the mood strikes. But for now, I’m too busy looking up all the cool information she has to share. And finding all of the nearby Starbucks at a moment’s notice, just because I can. And because the number of Starbucks in a 10 mile radius is roughly 37 times that in Austin.
Unlike the past few times we’ve come down here during the winter, it is freezing this time! And to add to our already chilly disposition, we went to our first hockey game on Wednesday night. Hockey is such a peculiar sport! It is an usual combination of grace (gliding around the ice) and manliness (macho men repeatedly slamming one another against the glass, etc). Twice we saw players actually throw down their gloves before brawling – a timeless indication of an ensuing fight. Needless to say, it was totally entertaining.
We went to the Duck’s game for Michael’s work Christmas party. We got to hang out with the office staff and their spouses, and treat ourselves to endless snack bar concessions – after driving through an hour and a half of traffic on the 405 to get there, of course.
O, Los Angeles, how I’ve missed you. Your endless palm trees. Your sunny skies. Your rolling hills and dramatic elevations. Your shining beaches. Your glistening purple haze and smog. Your honking drivers. Your girls in Uggs of every color. Your guys in skinny rocker jeans and girlish haircuts.
Believe it or not, I love it all!
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