This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://blog.willowgrace.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://blog.willowgrace.com/feeds/posts/default.

A Week In The Life: Day 7

Well, this will finish up the series, even though I'm late in posting, at least i finished it. I'm just OCD enough that ending a week long challenge on day 6 would annoy me, even though I'm wrapping up day 7 three days late.

Sunday was my 7th day in this challenge. We were at the cabin, a relaxing, sitting around reading or watching tv type of day. Lunch was stir-fry veggies and dinner was spaghetti with sauce from a jar. so not even our food was blog worthy. but we went down to the "big" city of Sonora (population 4,400) to pick out the towel racks and TP holder for the bathroom addition. Since my day 7 was pretty mundane, I thought now would be a good opportunity to show you how far along we are with the new bathroom addition.

The last time I did an update was in December. Well, that's only partially true. In January, I gave a fun shopping update showing some of the things we were hoping to purchase.

It's finally time to show a we-are-almost-there update.
This is the view from the hallway and kitchen. The door isn't on yet, soon, maybe this week. It doesn't look it, but the flooring is in, but that piece of plywood is there to protect it.

Stepping into the bathroom, you can see the full shower. We just picked out the shower doors on Monday and should be installed within 2 weeks.

Here's what it looks like with the solar tube. The previous photos were taken at night. We are so in love with the solar tube and can't believe how much light it lets in. This photo really doesn't do it justice, but even still, you can tell that it gives a good amount of light, it almost looks like the solar tube is a florescent light.

The vanity mirror and lights.

The vanity.

Sink and faucets.

So we went with blue paint and dark wood. We're excited about the pattern of the swanstone and really happy with our choices and even happier that nothing clashes. You just never know when you're looking at color swatches that are so small.

Once this bathroom is done, our contractor will start working on the new deck. Permits permitting.
_

A Week In The Life: Day 6

saturday we left the bay area around 2:45 and headed to the hideaway. it was another gorgeous day so we decided to take a different route though Brentwood and Stockton so instead of the usual 2.75 hr drive, it took us a little over 5 hours of enjoying the scenery and going down the road less travelled.

The wind turbines line the road all the way into Brentwood. These are part of the Altamont Pass Wind Farm, the largest wind farm in the country.

Highway 4 is called the California Delta Highway all the way into Stockton because it follows the the San Joaquin River, which is the 2nd longest river in California and used to irrigate many of the farms in the central valley.

Pretty horse near the delta.

Getting into Stockton.

Just a few weeks ago, California's Gold, a PBS travel show that features many natural, cultural and historical sites our state, featured the "Little Manila" of Stockton. In the late 20s and early 30s, the Filipino immigrants came to Stockton to find work in the farms. I wonder if my dad ever worked in Stockton.

The program featured an beautiful old Catholic church and Jimmy and i spent about an hour trying to find this church. Unsuccessful, we gave up and decided to get back on the road to the hideaway. Just as we were about to get on the highway, I saw another tall church spire and asked if we could just check that last one. It's funny how that works, isn't it? Yes, it was the church we were looking for.

There used to be a park across the street from that church and it was the gathering spot for the Filipino community.Opposite the church on the other side of the park was where many of the Filipino immigrants called home. However in 1972 a highway was built right through the park. Many of the fiipino families were displaced and had to move to different parts of the city.

A small historic sign is the only indication of Little Manila.

Heading out of Stockton into the foothills are dozens of cattle ranches.with thousands and thousands of cows roaming the green hills.


These are the stars of the California Happy Cow commercials. LOL.



Heading higher into the foothills. Calaveras County.

Serbian Orthodox Church in Angels Camp.

Downtown Angels Camp.

Between Angels Camp and Sonora is the istoric site of Mark Twain's cabin on Jackass Hill.

Downtown Sonora, about 20 minutes from the hideaway and is the county seat of Tuolumne County.


Dinner in Sonora at Jeb's Hill Country Cookin'. Jimmy got a salmon filet and I got an 8oz prime rib. Our bill was less than $30. I'd give it a 3 1/2 stars and would certainly go back.

By 8:30, we were up at the hideaway, relaxing for the rest of the night.

Here are a few California Happy Cow commercials. Because unless you're in California, you might not be familiar with them and how clever they are.





_

A Week In The Life: Day 5

Friday was a good day where we didn't get home till after midnight.
Jimmy had a meeting in the city so of course i tagged along.

First on my agenda was lunch. Ironically, I found myself at the San Francisco Shopping Centre. mallfood? Seriously? With all of the great food in SF, I end up eating mall food. Well, this wasn't your normal food court. No Panda Express or Hotdog on a Stick. No siree, in fact, most of the vendors are bay area based. And your food is plated on real plates with real silverware. And the prices aren't any more than regular mall food. this chicken arugula salad with soda was $7. Truthfully though, as tasty it was, i wouldn't recommend it because you're still eating in a mall foodcourt when there are so many other great places with better views.

After lunch, I was walking on Powell Street towards Union Square and this truck pulled up with this huge crate. ummm...wonder what's in it?? Although, there were no vent holes, so who knows if it was serious or not. The marking on the box indicated that it was from the California Academy of Sciences though.

Did I leave my heart in San Francisco? Absolutely. And so did a lot of other people and artists. This particular heart was left in Union Square.


I recently heard about Britex Fabrics from some facebook chatter, so I had to pop in and check it out. 4 floors of fabric and notions. I was out of my league.

but was loving the eye candy. shhh...i saw the "No Photography" sign after i took this shot.

It was a gorgeous day to walk to Chinatown.

Kitty Kat graffiti in an alleyway on Pine Street.

After walking and window shopping for the last 2 hours, I ended up at the Museum Store at SFMoMA. Such fun stuff in that store.
There's a nice little cafe in the museum, too. I gave myself permission to enjoy a latte and cookie while people watching. I saved most of the cookie for Jimmy because I suspected he'd need a little energy pick-me up after his long meeting.

Yerba Buena Gardens is right next to SFMoMA. It was nearly 5pm, so I stayed nearby Jimmy's meeting, not knowing exactly how long he would be.

The sunny, almost warm (mid 60s) day beckoned the city dwellers to the large lawn at the gardens.


The tall Jukebox looking building is the Marriott. St. Patrick Church in the foreground was founded in 1851.


I bought a fun book at the museum store called "All Over Coffee". All Over Coffee is a featured strip in the SF Chronicle.
Jimmy's meeting lasted longer than expected. Originally I planned on waiting at Yerba Buena Gardens, but once the sun disappeared, it got cold fast. so i was thankful that the Marriott was nearby. I hung out in the lobby till I got a call from Jimmy that he was done.

But truthfully, our fun day was just starting.
Because the best part of the day was going to dinner at the Bowens.
And playing football with the kiddos.
Then tucking them in at bedtime.
And hanging out with Ed and Angie, talking till midnight.
Love that family like they are family.
_

A Week In The Life: Day 4

um.
i got nothin'.
didn't break out the camera at all today.
because nothing noteworthy happened.
didn't even craft.
except I would have appreciated at least 4 hours of sleep last night. I guess that explains why I had a headache most of the day. duh! I just realized it's probably related.

But I'd love to share with you another one of my favorite snacks.
My cousin told me about these last year. or the year before. they are so delicious and the perfect size for that chocolate craving. At 90 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, you can have one a day and not feel guilty. And it's "a better way to get your daily probiotics." They're in the diary section of your grocery store near the yogurt.

In honor of earth day and my personal stance on bottled water:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Oh! A small victory ending in a little defeat-
I hadn't had any soda in over a month. I almost went 5 weeks without any caffeinated carbonated sugar (or aspartame in my case) brown liquids. But I admit that I had a diet coke with lunch today. and 2 refills. going back to the moderation plan pronto!

Alrighty, bring on Friday! I've got lots planned.
_

A Week In The Life: Day 3

I missed posting last night because we didn't have power till after midnight. Long story regarding that, so I'll lead into it.

Wednesday started out with the regular routine.Enjoyed surprisingly sweet strawberries for breakfast.

Happy package from Fedex. Tickets to see Peter Pan in San Francisco in June.

Around 4:30, Jimmy and I were both in the office when we heard a very loud crash. Funnily, I heard a cracking sound, Jimmy said he also heard the crunching of metal. We had to investigate.

In the backyard, we immediately noticed that the oak tree that covers 3/4 of our yard was gone and we saw this:
gulp.

We called the landlord then went next door to investigate.
The 30 foot Oak Tree, fallen. The culprit of all the noise and the reason the cement in our yard was pulled up. The root system of the tree just popped the cement off.
We live on the other side of the fence to the left, in front of the grey car.


This is the top of the tree. Just grazed that other car.


Unfortunately, that red car didn't do so well.


Firecrew came to check it out.


They assess the situation. The biggest concern was that the tree was pulling tight on the electrical wires and the transformers were sparking and popping. Power went out about 1/2 hr after the tree fell.

You can see that it was pouring rain. We had a lot of rain this winter and I guess the soil under the tree just gave way.


Thankfully, no one was in the cars when the tree fell.
Thankfully, the tree fell in that direction. Otherwise it would have fallen on our roof.
Thankfully, it's an office building back there and thankfully, it was mostly contained to the parking lot.


Jimmy moved the swing and we got another perspective.
Hello neighbors in the brick house. Nice to see you. They have 2 Doberman Pinchers. Thankfully not in the yard when the tree fell. Part of the tree fell on their garage and also busted part of their fence.


A view of the unfortunate car from our yard.


Powerlines and trees aren't compatible. Electricity was out for 6 hours.


Thankfully I already had plans to go to Kristina's to craft. Lots of fun with the added bonus of not having to spend the evening in a dark house with no power. Jimmy had hockey, so he was out of the house, too.


I got home after 10p. I was super happy that I my OTT Light, used for crafting, is cordless and was fully charged. But it only lasts 2 hours and I had no idea how much longer the power would be out. PG&E were still in my backyard, up on a crane, trying to get the power back on for the block.


So I decided to light some candles. Nice warmth coming out of this sucker, too. Bonus. But luckily, our heat is gas, so we weren't in danger of freezing overnight.


I was also grateful that my laptop was fully charged. No wifi, no internet, but I could watch movies till the battery died!

Power came on just after midnight and Jimmy came home from hockey 15 minutes later.

Quite a lot of excitement for a normal boring humpday. Considering how badly the situation could have gone, we are really grateful that no one was hurt. The owner of that car is unhappy, i'm sure, but again considering what could have happened, the blessings have to be counted. If the tree had fallen the other way, it would have fallen right on our home, into our living room and probably breaking the window of the office. Jimmy sits right next to that window.

Anyone want my mundane week? lol!!!
_