Warrior Dash -----------> Week in Review, Day 303-309

~ Competed in the Warrior Dash in Hollister, CA. My favorite part of the obstacle course? Hands down, jumping through fire! There also was a slip-n-slide, mud pit, rope climb, and running over/through old cars. We're still cleaning mud out of our clothes.

~ Walked barefoot for about a mile to get the car. The mud had claimed my sneakers and I had no other footwear. Duh.

~ Spent October 30 night in Hollister, CA. First of all, Hollister is not on the beach, nor nowhere near the beach. Secondly, people really take Halloween seriously, at least at this one bar we were at. We were costume-less, and it was very obvious. Another observation - they do not go as crazy about "Dead of Alive" by Bon Jovi during karaoke as they do in San Francisco.

~ Spent a night at Casa de Fruta in Hollister. A farm with a kid's area, market, restaurant, etc. Saw a couple of peacocks, and watched my friend Diana get followed by a llama.

Settling In ---> Week in Review, Day 267-273

~ drove about 450 miles in two days

~ unpacked boxes for three straight days

~ spent four hours at the DMV. My new Subaru Forrester and I are now officially Nevada residents! It's a bit sad to not be a California girl any more.

~ finally purchased a real bedroom furniture set, the wedding gift from my mom (yes, that was a few years ago)

~ purchased a coffee maker with a timer. It's the simple things in life that make me happy.

Tyler Florence and a house (not together) -> Week in Review, Day 224-230

~ joined the planning committee for the Leukemia & Lymphona Society's Light the Night event

~ stalled in my car. My reliable 1996 Honda that has barely given me a problem in its 14 years of service.

~ got an oil change at Oil Can Henry's but still have annoying "check engine" light staring at me.

~ flew to Reno. It was 25 minutes.

~ had dinner with Tyler Florence. OK, really, we had dinner in his new restaurant, Wayfare Tavern, and our table happened to be near the kitchen. So it was almost like eating with him the whole night.

~ talked to Tyler Florence. OK, really, he said goodbye to us as we were leaving.

~ went house shopping with a real estate agent. Exciting!

~ put a bid on a house - and got accepted!!!!!!!

Santa Monica & Pride ---> Week in Review, Day 174-180

Not too many small things, since I was pretty busy with work. But a few BIG things!

~ spent 24 hours in Santa Monica. It was a great birthday treat to sit on the beach in the warmth...



~ ... and visit a landmark. Johnny Utah would be proud.


~ had a drink with a celebrity. Well, NEXT to a celebrity. Well, KIND OF a celebrity. Tabatha Coffey from Bravo's Shear Genius and Tabath's Salon Takeover. I think she's sassy, love her hair, and she is quite wee in person. No, I did not ask her for a picture.

~ Mr. Sound set up a fabulous birthday dinner at BOA Steakhouse. Aw, yum. We started with goat cheese baklava, which combines two of my favorite things. Enjoyed a petite fliet mignon with seasonal mushrooms, and finished with cookies and ice cream. Throughout, artisan cocktails and wine. The best part was the company. :-)

~ we've lived in the Bay Are for about a decade and never attended the Pride Parade. Until this year. It was twice as long as the St. Patrick's Parade, since it included a ton of politicians and causes. Then there were the wild things!




~ my favorite part of the parade was the Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers. Holy, this group is amazing and their bad-ass outfits are only a clue of how bad-ass they really are. Check them out online or at many events around Orgeon, their home state.

Piano, vocal chords and New Haven ---> Week in Review

Day 153-159

I went home to suburban New York for a quick weekend. It was great. I forget how beautiful the state it, especially along the Hudson River. And I forget how much I miss that accent.

Mr. Sound and I went to a surprise party for my cousin. It was great to celebrate and to have a large part of the family in one room. Then we spent the rest of the weekend with my mom. She can be difficult, like all parents are at one time or another, but it was a nice visit. Although heartwarming, this family time is nothing new, so here's my recap for the week:

~ visited New Haven, CT, the home of Yale. I pictured more people walking around with sweaters tied around their shoulders reciting Shakespeare. Not so.

~ visited a speech therapist and saw a video of my vocal chords in action. Creepy and fascinating.

~ took my first professional piano lesson

~ had a lot of coffees with a lot of people for work (though that's nothing new, either)

Day 130 - Visited Blizzard Beach

When I last visited Disney back in 1988, there were no water parks. Now there are two. We went to Blizzard Beach, a park with the theme of ski lodge. So Mr. Sound and I felt right at home.

We set up camp at Tyke's Peak, full of cute child water slides, fountains, and sand. Mr. Sound took his nerves of steel over to Summit Plummet, the slide that drops you straight down and leaves you with your shorts up around your neck. That was the first time he has ever done one of those slides! The whole family drifted around Cross Country Creek. All in all, I'm a huge fan of the waterpark, even if Cartman is not.


Mr. Sound and I had to return back to reality, so we left as the rest of the family stayed for the rest of the week. It was hard to leave, but I'm so grateful for even that short time we had together.

There's no place like home. I was so happy to step into the cab at the airport, ready to drag my tired self into bed. My cab driver was blaring house music. It was after midnight. I was tempted to find a different cab. In his defense, if there ever is a time to listen to house music, it is at that time of night. Oh, the city...

Day 129 - Romped around the Magic Kingdom

So this is not my first time to Disney World in Florida. I first went with my brother when I was pretty young (5, maybe?) and then again when I was 14. But never have I been to Disney as an adult, accompanied by kids. Mr. Sound had never been at all.

The girl-child, as an old, wise woman of five years, has seen this all before. She and her dad planned out exactly what rides they were going to at what times. And how many times we were going on each. Her younger brother, at age 2.5, still does not get the whole concept of the park. Sure, there were fun rides and funny-looking people, but he did not know he was in the happiest place on earth.

It was obvious no child in the park that day knew they were in the vortex of happiness. If they did, they would not all be having a meltdown at one time or another. It is a lot of stimulation for a child, on top of the normal ups and downs in the day of a child. Every parent there that day should be granted sainthood.

It was a jam-packed day, from gates opening to the last fireworks. It was a hot day, but we all survived. It was an unforgettable day in our family history.

Day 128 - Vacationed with the family

My brother, sister-in-law and two adorable kids headed to Disney World today, and Mr. Sound and I met them there. This is the first vacation we have all taken together past out-of-town weddings and such.

Today was half travel day, half settle in day. It included Joe's Crab Shack, Cold Stone ice cream, a bit of grocery shopping, and time in the pool. The two kids love the water. It's fun to see how their little personalities have grown!

Tomorrow, on to Disney!

Day 108 - Walked a dog

Read yesterday’s post and equate that to dogs. I have played with dogs, sure, but never taken one for an official walk. Mom, Dara, our friend Nicole and I took Dara’s adorable dog for a nice walk. We had a ball thrower and the three-year old pup never tired. I wanted to bring her home in my suitcase. I want one!

Day 107 - Fed a Baby

I have never, and still don’t, find myself around babies much. I am the youngest child, one of the youngest cousins, never babysat in high school, and don’t live near my friends that have babies. Opportunities are rare.

But I found mine today. We didn’t visit Denver for just the Coors Brewery – we came to meet Dara, the newest addition to our friends’ family. She is four months old and completely adorable. Mom let me feed her as I sat on the couch and her little hands were just about wrapped around the bottle. Aw. Can’t wait to tell her about this when she’s thirteen.

Day 106 - Toured the Coors Brewery

A quick plane ride and we found ourselves in Denver. The city is surrounded by the Rockies, which not only makes me think of amazing snowboarding I’ve never experienced, but Coors Beer.

Being from the east coast, Bud Light was a favorite. Ever since moving west, my friends have favored, and therefore introduced me, to Coors Light. Both beers are like water, but I now prefer the Silver Bullet. We got to see its home.


After a self-guided tour, you are allowed three beer samples. Coors joined with Miller in 2008 and now offers a ridiculous portfolio of beer. Enjoy them while you revel in the history of Coors, Coors Light, Blue Moon, Killian’s, Miller, Miller Lite, Keystone, Molson, Leinenkugel's and yes, Zima.



It's not called the Silver Bullet for nothing! Zoom!