(Hoodie (Prairie Underground), dress (Banana Republic), boots (Frye))
September 2010
- September 02, 2010
The Babymoon
On Saturday we are heading out for our Babymoon Vacation! We've got our tent (and Aerobed) ready, Newman's Ginger-O's packed, Harry Potter books on CD set to go and a new knitting project to begin!
Here's our plan:
We'll spend the first night in Ellensburg, WA celebrating our good friends' joint birthday party Puerto Rican style, including mucho rum, a roasted pig and wonderful friends.
The Birthday Boy Alfonso "Why is the rum gone?" Gonzalez
The Birthday Girl, Nina "I don't want to snuggle" Gonzalez
From there we are heading straight to the Oregon coast!
Oregon Coast (Photo by Kyle)
We'll spend the night camping in Astoria and then make our way leisurely to Newport. After that, it's off to the Redwoods! I am so excited to see this magnificent area of California. I can't believe I've never been to the Redwoods.
From the Redwoods we'll head into Santa Rosa to visit Uncle Craig...although I don't think Kyle's let him know we're coming yet...hmmm. Then, we're considering a stop in Napa although I'm afraid that being close to all that amazing wine might be tortorous...water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. Then we'll be in San Francisco for four days staying with Kyle's Aunt. I'm so excited to explore this culturally rich, artistic city and to eat amazing food!
For the second half of our trip we'll head into Yosemite National Park for a couple of nights of camping and relaxing since the next couple of days will be spent working our way back up to Pendelton, OR for the Round Up! For those of you who don't know about the Round Up...how do I explain this event...the Round Up is a fantistically fun, crazy, let 'er buck rodeo that we attend nearly every year. As it happens, this year happens to be the Centenial celebration for this rodeo so it should be extra fun. We always stay with Uncle Grey (not really our Uncle, he's Marion's Uncle) and Tina. We relax with my best friend Marion and her family (the previously mentioned Birthday Boy and Girl).
Action at the Roundup.
Dad doing his photography.
Uncle Grey and his dogs.
Uncle Grey sitting in his "thoughful spot" as Whinnie the Pooh would say.
Party central.
At the Roundup with my Dad and Stepmom a few years back.
Dad with Dean Clark a member of the fence crew and all around great man.
Poor Daddy getting run over by a bull last year. For the record, although he does appear to walk straight into the bull's path for no reason...he actually got clipped by the bull earlier and was disoriented.
Poor Daddy icing his injuries after the rodeo ended for the day.
Enjoying the Roundup last Summer.
Then, at last, we will be returning home to our disgruntled cat...
We're so excited to head out on the road and explore the coast. We'd love any recommendations you have from places to check out, stops to make, great restaurants to eat at, your favorite things in San Francisco and anything else! Most of these places are new to us so we'd love any advice you've got for us! I'll try and post a few blogs along the way, but it may end up just being one long post when we get back!
- September 13, 2010
The Babymoon: Part One
It's been such a great first week of our Babymoon and we still have a full week left! Here's a look at our trip so far...
Day 1: Ellensburg, WA
We started off our trip in Ellensburg to celebrate Alfonso and Nina's birthdays with friends, beer hot chocolate and a pig roast. The wind was icy cold and whipping through Ellensburg so we were all bundled up but that didn't stop the music and fun!
Kyle testing out the impromptu driving range.
Jake turning the pig.
The "Rotisserie" Crew
Maria and her pup.
Pilot.
Adrian playing the drums.
My best friend Marion (on the right) and her sister, Crystal.
Marion's Dad carving the pig with a machete.
Bundled up.
Kyle about to dig in.
Day 2: Astoria, OR
Early in the morning we packed up out of Ellensburg and headed toward the coast. It was a long day of driving but we were ready to relax. We put Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix into the CD player and I knitted away at a hat (which I finished before we got to Astoria). We arrived at our destination around 4 o'cock and set up camp at Fort Steven's State Park. We made turkey burritos for dinner with yummy, organic ingredients we had packed up before we left. We built a campfire and settled in with hot chocolate for several rounds of Yahtzee!
Setting up camp.
Eating dinner while wearing my newly knitted hat.
Our neighboors flamingo.
Day 3: Driving from Astoria, OR to Newport, OR
It rained on and off throughout the night and in the morning we woke up early with the sun and made delicious pancakes and french press coffee. It was pretty grey out but it wasn't raining! We packed up our stuff and began to make our way a few hours South down to Newport. Our first stop was in Cannon Beach, OR where we had to stop at the Sleepy Monk which is a fantastic coffee roaster and shop...I worked at their sister shop in Redmond, WA for a while called Victor's Celtic Coffee Company (which in my opinion is one of the best coffee roasters in the Northwest). If you find yourself in either of these locations stop in for a fantastic cup of coffee, latte, cappuccino or one of their delicious special drinks. The first part of our drive was pretty drizzly and we couldn't see the ocean, but eventually it burned off and it was gorgeous! We stopped in Depot Bay, OR so I could show Kyle the restaruant that was used as a location for The Burning Plain which I worked on a couple of years ago. We got to Newport pretty early in the day and set up camp at our great site at the South Beach Campground before heading into the bay for dinner at Local Ocean Seafoods for dinner which was recommended by a few people. The food was simple and delicious! After dinner we had time for a brief walk to the beach before we built up another campfire and, a short time later, headed to bed.
Yummy buttermilk pancakes (from Trader Joe's mix) for breakfast.
The Sleepy Monk.
The Druid's Delight... espresso, milk, vanilla, caramel and chocolate whip cream! Perfect for a cold, wet drive!
The sun came out!!!
The view from The Burning Plain location.
Gorgeous sunset from the location while shooting.
Newport:
Funny seals.
Local Oceans.
Grilled fish and chips with fennel slaw.
Coconut prawns.
Curry mussels.
Day 3: Driving and camping in the Redwoods, CA.
We woke up in Newport and hit the road right away because we had a long drive ahead of us through the Redwoods. It was grey and wet again and stayed that way through most of the Northern Redwoods. The trees are so dense and beautiful! It's impossible to describe their size! We got to where we were going to camp but it was still very cold and rainy so we opted to keep driving South and inland along our route in the hopes that the weather would warm up a little bit. Luckily, it did and we set up camp in the Southern part of the Redwoods, made a quick dinner with our burrito leftovers and had hot chocolate and a few more rounds of Yahtzee!
Some very damp plants along the coast.
Day 4: Driving from the Redwoods, CA to Santa Rosa, CA.
Since we'd driven a little extra the previous day we had a fairly short drive into Santa Rosa. We stayed with Kyle's Uncle Craig and after quickly settling in and taking two much needed showers we went out to dinner with Craig and his two wonderful daughters Kellie and Katie at one of Kyle's favorite breweries, Russian River.
Katie, Kellie, Craig and Kyle at Russian River.
Day 5: Driving through Napa, CA and into San Francisco, CA.
We had headed to bed early and, after plenty of sleep, we got up and packed up, ready to head through Napa and into San Francisco. We got coffee with an old friend and met her new baby girl before hitting the road. The drive through Napa was gorgeous although it was a bit torturous as I couldn't have the wine! A friend had recommended the Rutherford Grill for lunch so we stopped for a great chicken salad (for me) and prime rib a jus sandwich (for Kyle). Then we headed to the Coppola Vineyard right across the steet (which the same friend had recommended) to check it out. The winery was absolutely gorgeous! It felt like being at a French villa. The wine tasting was about $50 so we opted not to partake, but the stop was worth it just to check out the vineyard and museum-like winery. We arrived in San Francisco and got settled in at Kyle's Aunt Lynsie's house in Foster City (a suburb just South of the city) and then headed over to Kyle's cousins Derek and Brandon and Brandon's wife Anifisa's house for dinner. Anifsa is pregnant and due just a week after me, so we had lots to talk about! Dinner was great although we spent most of the night glued to the window (watching the fire) and the television (watching the news) because the San Bruno explosion/fire was just minutes away from their house.
Waiting for our table at the Rutherford Grill.
The Coppola winery.
Arriving in San Francisco on the Golden Gate Bridge.
Still to come... Our weekend in San Francisco (I'm too sleepy to post all about it now... speaking of which, I apologize if there are any misspellings in my post!), our drive through Yosemite (after careful consideration, we've opted not to stay in Yosemite due to the fact that it sounds like it may be too physically demanding since I'm quickly heading towards the six month pregnancy mark), a stay with my Aunt Carla, a bit more camping and the Pendelton Roundup!
- September 20, 2010
The Babymoon: Part Two... and Three
I have been trying to find the time (and the WIFI) to do a San Francisco Weekend post, but since that didn't happen... (turns out they don't have WIFI at campgrounds) here is a big ol' post encompassing the whole second week of our Babymoon!
Day 6: San Francisco, CA
We spent our first day in San Francisco wandering around The Haight district. We stopped at Trader Joe's and grabbed a few items for a quick picnic in a park before hitting the streets and exploring the shops. We happened across the Magnolia Pub and Brewery so we stopped in so Kyle could try out their beers. Our server, Sal, gave us his recommendations for his favorite places to eat in San Francisco which was great because we love to try out the local's favorites.
The Magnolia Pub and Brewery
Sal
After sampling a couple of beers we headed out down the street, checked out the shops (like Booksmith's book store where we picked up the Lonely Planet guidebook to San Francisco) and walked through part of Golden Gate Park.
Booksmith's Book Shop
That evening we checked out Sal's first recommendation called Delfina. Apparently it's really hard to get in without reservations, so we showed up right at 5:30 when they opened, hoping to snag a couple seats at the bar. Luckily someone with a reservation had just decided they would prefer to sit at the bar so we got the best table in the house!
Feeling a bit sad about my empty wine glass.
Grilled Fresh Calamari with warm white bean salad. This dish was light and fresh and lemony! A great starter.
Rabbit-Mortadella Agnolotti with lemon-chive burro fuso. This was, quite possibly, the best pasta dish I have ever had! It was rich and creamy and somehow light and clean at the same time. The layers of flavor were so complex for such a simple dish!
Roasted Fulton Valley Chicken with olive oil mashed potatoes and king trumpet mushrooms. This dish was really yummy and, again, simple. I make roasted chicken a lot at home though, so it wasn't as exciting as we had hoped...but still delicious. I would have loved to try their Grilled Local Albacore Tuna with fresh butter beans, broccholi raab, salsa verde and seived egg...but since I'm pregnant I had to pass on the tuna! Next time!
Profiteroles served with coconut gelato, warm chocolate sauce and candied almonds. Yum! I can't resist coconut gelato!
Fresh flowers for sale next door to Delfina.
After our delicious dinner we met up with a couple of friends, Chris and Casey, at Zeitgeist (a biker/dive bar). They don't let you take pictures there so I have nothing to show for it, but it was really cool.
Day 7: San Francisco, CA
We spent our second day in San Francisco doing the Barbary Coast Trail. We got up in the morning and headed downtown to find parking and set out on the walk. You can find the Barbary Coast Trail Guide in local bookstores, but I'd recommend ordering it from Amazon ahead of time so you can look through it before embarking on the long walking tour.
The tour starts out downtown and then meanders through Chinatown, where we got fresh fortune cookies at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.
Then the walk takes you into Norh Beach (and the Italian district) where we tried out another of Sal's recommendations, Cafe Delucchi. The food was pretty good and it's right along the walk. Definitely worth stopping in for... and you'll need lunch about this time in the tour!
Cafe Delucchi
From North Beach the trail heads down through Telegraph Hill to the waterfront. We walked through part of this historic waterfront but it was really crowded and touristy so we found a bus back to the starting point and decided to head "home". The walk was a really fun way to see and learn about San Francisco.
For dinner we decided to grab In-N-Out for old time's sake. I haven't had fast food in years and years and images and facts from Food, Inc. etc. kept popping up in my mind and I was feeling really guilty. But, against my better judgement I ordered a cheeseburger (animal style) and french fries. It was fun, but not very good... it tasted like fast food! Aw, well. We spent our evening watching the Food Network and relaxing.
Day 8: San Francisco, CA
For our third day in San Fransisco we went to visit our friends Chris and Casey at their fantastic apartment right near Golden Gate Park to watch the Seahawks play the 49ers. By the time the game ended it was time to head for, what else, more food! Once again we took Sal's recommendation and headed to Zazie, a french cafe-style restaurant in Cole Valley.
Kyle had the Grilled Hanger Steak with heirloom tomato, Vidalia onion, gorgonzola gratin and portobello cream sauce and I had the Crispy Duck Leg with haricot verts and warm fingerling potatoe salad with mustard and pancetta. The food was rich and delicious and I was starting to worry a bit about what our scale might say when we got home... but that didn't stop us from ordering...
...insanely good Crème brûlée and one regular and one decaf espresso for dessert!
A view from the hill on the drive home. The strip without lights is Golden Gate Park.
Day 9: San Francisco, CA
For our final day in San Francisco, we decided to spend the day exploring the California Acadmey of Sciences. It's part science center, part aquarium, part zoo and part rainforest. The admission was pretty pricey but it was a fun way to spend most of the day. I wasn't as thrilled with it as I was hoping to be for the amount of money it cost, but it was still fun.
Being silly.
We were starving by the time we left Academy and stopped at Papalote (another of Sal's recommendations). The food was fresh and the salsa was fantastic.
After our late lunch we headed out to find the Toronado Pub which is a famous beer bar so Kyle could scope it out and have a couple of pints.
Kyle in paradise looking at the beer menu.
Since it was our last night in the city, we spent it having dinner with family.
A few other places that Sal and my friend John recommended but we didn't have time to try were....
Day 10: Driving from San Francisco, CA to Gardnerville, NV via Yosemite National Park
Bright and early not as early as we had planned, we headed out of San Francisco to drive to Gardnerville, NV where my Aunt Carla and Uncle Matt live. We took the long route so that we could drive through Yosemite National Park.
Stopped for a quick picnic in Tuolumne Meadows.
It was about 7pm by the time we arrived at Matt and Carla's but we were just in time for a yummy dinner made by Carla and pie in celebration of Aidan's 16th birthday. Matt was out of town so it was just the four of us. Their house was cozy and quite and it was so great to be there.... even if it was only for the night.
Aidan blowing out the candles matches on his cake pie.
Kyle and Carla.
Carla let us sleep in her super comfortable bed which, after more than a week on an Areobed, was wonderful!
Day 11: Driving from Gardnerville, NV to Goose Lake, CA/OR
The drive from Garnerville to Goose Lake State Park was gorgeous! Once we got through Reno it was all so picturesque. The campground was clean and pretty and it was the perfect time to stop. It lies right on the border between California and Oregon (although it's technically in Oregon). For dinner we roasted chicken sausages on the fire and made a salad before we threw down a few more rounds of Yahtzee!
Kyle's telephone pole photo.
Drinking milk from the carton while we stretched our legs.
A friendly deer at our campsite.
Day 12: Driving from Goose Lake, OR to Pendleton, OR
We packed up in the morning and set out for Pendleton, OR. The drive was, again, picturesque and gorgeous along 395.
Hmmm.
Peep shaped clouds.
We arrived in Pendleton as "Uncle" Grey's house just in time to have dinner and celebrate Nina's 3rd birthday (again).
Grey and the dogs.
Mwah ha ha. Michael and Kyle wearing the Dora the Explorer hats and ready to party!
Nina "Now I will hit him and he will cry" Gonzalez opening a box of gifts sent from her Abuela in Puerto Rico.
Day 13: Pendleton, OR
In the morning it was time to "Let 'er Buck!" as they say. We headed to the Rainbow Cafe to meet up with my sister (Meghan) and her husband, Rob. The Rainbow is always packed during the Roundup and serves trucker-style diner breakfasts that take forever to get...it's all about the experience.
The parade that goes through the town on Friday.
After checking out the parade, Kyle and I popped into the Main Street Diner for breakfast.
After breakfast we stocked up on snacks at the store before heading into the arena to enjoy the rodeo!
My brother (Ryan) and Stepmom (Nance) at the rodeo.
After the rodeo was over for the day we jumped down to meet up with Dad in front of the bucking shoots for annual pictures.
The whole family.
Ryan and Dad.
Meghan and Rob.
A future cowboy named Oregon.
Then, we headed downtown to check out the scene.
Outside the Rainbow.
Inside the Rainbow.
Ryan.
Dad and the ladies.
Day 14: Pendleton, OR
After a busy day on Friday at the Roundup with lots of photos, I opted to leave my camera at home for the finals day. Luckily, my sister's husband had his iPhone and with the help of some binoculars he was able to snap some really cool shots of the rodeo. We also bought a cute onsie for the baby!
Me and the Pops.
The finals day of the rodeo was great! We headed back to Uncle Grey's around 9 and Kyle and I proceeded to kick some major butt at hearts (turns out playing cards sober is really effective to winning).
Day 15: Driving from Pendleton, OR to our home!
We got up early, packed up and headed home! It was pouring rain for most of the drive but by noon we were home. The fridge is reloaded, the laundry is in progress, there is a chicken roasting in the oven, the cozy pants are on and we're watching Sunday Night Football. We had a wonderful trip, but it's always nice to come home. Calypso is thrilled that we're back.
Thanks so much to all of our family and friends who welcomed us into their homes and their cities and helped make our Babymoon so special.
- September 23, 2010
The Philadelphia Story
The Philadelphia Story
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The Philadelphia Story is about a socialite named Tracy Lord (Katherine Hepburn) who used to be married to a man named Dexter (Cary Grant) but is now planning to marry someone else. However, Dexter shows up the day before the wedding with a couple of reporters (including Jimmy Stewart) and mayhem ensues. While this film is, on one hand, a silly romantic comedy, it is also a charming and heartfelt story about perfection... or the lack thereof within relationships. Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart make a perfect odd trio. I absolutely loved this film and would highly recommend it. I'm about halfway through my list of classics to watch and now that it's Fall I should have more time to curl up on the couch and watch them more consistently. There's nothing better than putting on your pajamas, making a cup of tea (or pouring yourself a glass of wine) and watching an old film!
IMDB Link:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032904/
The African Queen
The Apartment
Casablanca
Anna Karenina
And God Created Woman
Dr. Zhivago
It Happened One Night
The Philadelphia Story
To Catch a Thief
His Girl Friday
The Seven Year Itch
Gone with the Wind
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
The Lion in Winter
An American in Paris
- September 24, 2010
Nerd Alert: The Harry Potter Edition!
I'd like to take a moment today to express my undying love for Harry Potter! In case it hasn't been clear in the past... I freakin' love Harry Potter. My husband and I have read the books out loud to one another as they've come out in print and then anticipated each new film like true fans. If you are one of the few people who hasn't read the books, do so immediately! They are so much fun, they're well written and an absolute joy to read. The films are all enjoyable and well made too and we've watched each of them more times than I should probably admit.
After re-reading and listening to each of the books over the past few months, we've just now begun re-reading the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. So... this morning I came across the newly released trailer for the first installment of the final film. It looks so good that I just had to share it... I can't wait!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows opens in theaters on November 19th, 2010.
IMDB Link to trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2799962393/
- September 26, 2010
Week 24
At Mike's Ice Cream with a Baby Baby scoop of Mint Oreo ice cream.
Three little ducklings getting ice cream.
(Dress (Gap Maternity))
Daddy giving you a kiss on the steps where we got married.
- September 27, 2010
A Pregnant Pause
I am having a bit of an epiphany about myself so I thought I might share the process I'm going through with you... as the arrival of our daughter approaches, I can't help but desire more simplicity in my life. This past week was a good example of my average week and it went something like this:
Monday:
Go for a walk
Edit photos
Upload photos
Prep for shoot on Tuesday
Nanny all day
Poppy to ballet
Post office
Prep for school starting
Blog
Respond to emails
Try to eat enough and drink enough water
Make dinner
Tuesday:
Photo shoot
Pick Poppy up from school
Edit photos
Upload photos
Blog
Clean up house
Order prints for a job
Wait on hold with Financial Aid forever
Adjust school schedule
Go to class
Okay... I think that's enough to get the picture. In truth, I am completely overwhelmed with everything in my life with the schedule that I've created for myself. I'm very ambitious and I am very self-motivated but somehow I've gotten into a pattern where I don't have enough downtime. Eventually, my schedule builds up to the point where I can't remember when the last time I showered was or I place the milk in the cupboard instead of the fridge... This stress has become more evident within the context that we are going to have a baby in 3.5 months and I have done nothing to prepare because I haven't had any time! I have been wanting badly to nest and create a space for our tiny bird, I've wanted to read some of the books we've gotten about parenting, I've wanted to prepare for childbirth by reading Birthing from Within and making a birth plan with Kyle... there is so much I've been intending to do and yet somehow I've been unable to take the time to do all of these important things. This got me to thinking... why am I so busy all of the time?!? My life and schedule are truly exhausting and yet, I have no one to blame but myself for making it this way. No one is asking favors of me, dictating that I do things for them, my work schedule is flexible and fun. It's all me! Despite the blessing of all of the passions that I have, I am sometimes overwhelmed by my inability to create balance and downtime in my day to day routine which leaves me stressed out and anxious and exhausted the majority of the time.
So... the question is, how to slow down? I love all of the different aspects of my life but I need to somehow find balance and create more simplicity within my daily schedule. Sooner than I can even fathom we are going to have a baby that will require me to slow down and prioritize carefully. I think it would be wise to start now!
I have a very clear vision of what I see as my ideal life. In an attempt to convey this to you, I have compiled some images that help me to express this vision:
What I am really drawn to is the simplicity of these images as a whole. I don't think it's asking too much to have simplicity in my life (and an amazing kitchen)! Right now here is what my list of priorities looks like in order of what I spend the most time doing to the least:
School
Home Life (cooking, cleaning, being a "housewife")
Blog
Wasting Time/Procrastinating
Photography (business work, editing, etc.)
Exercising
Baby (preparing)
Acting (a bit on hold at the moment since no one wants to hire a pregnant actress)
Relaxing
Other Creative Work
The BIG question is... why is school the thing I spend most of my time doing when it is by FAR the least important thing on that list?!? That is ridiculous! School is the one thing in my life that I don't really care about. I mean, don't get me wrong, I want to graduate and get my degree! But, there's no rush, I'm not really going to use my degree right away.
What I would love for my list to look like:
Home Life (cooking, cleaning, being a "housewife")
Blog
Baby (preparing)
Photography (business work, editing, etc.)
Exercising
Relaxing
Acting (a bit on hold at the moment since no one wants to hire a pregnant actress)
Other Creative Work
School
After a reflection back on the fact that I completed two years of school in one year (last year), I have decided that the only thing to do is to drop down from being a full-time student to a part-time student! I will now only be taking 8 credits instead of 12, 16 or 20 (as I have been for the last four quarters)! So, that's one thing that I've done to help move myself towards balance and simplicity with better prioritization! Yes! I'm on the road to recovery... but what do I do now? Surely, dropping one class is not enough to make a huge difference in my daily schedule. I need a better system for prioritizing and organizing my life. Thankfully, my fabulous/wonderful/inspiring/magnificent big sister knew just what was needed! As she is in the middle of a life-mix-up too, she has been reading the book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey. We happen to have a copy here at the house because it's been on my huge list of books I've been meaning to read.
(sheepish grin...get it?!) So as of this week, my Sis and I will be starting our own little book club of two (join in if you want to!) and reading through this book together. My hope is that it will give me some tools to follow through with my intentions of simplifying my over-complicated life and managing/planning my time better so that I have time for the things that are important to me and the things I need to do and time to relax as well! I'll keep you up to date on how the process goes, if the book is helpful, making a better schedule and prepping for baby goes!!! Here goes...
- September 28, 2010
Kyle's Birthday!
Happy Birthday Kyle!
Today is Kyle's birthday and as we are both swamped with work and school we celebrated over the weekend with dinner...
Kyle wanted gourmet burgers and Caesar salad.
And dessert!
I made a Devil's Food Cake with buttercream frosting from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook since Kyle love's chocolate! I served it with Java Chip ice cream which was the perfect compliment. Between the caffeine in the chocolate and ice cream, I did't sleep at all that night but it was all so good!
In the morning I got up and made coffee cake and we read HP (Harry Potter) in bed and had fresh cake and coffee!
A typical view from my side of the bed. I love it!
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