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.
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Chocolately Goodness Birthday Cake

Ed and Angie's birthday's are separated by a few days, so when they invited us over Friday night to watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, I asked if I could bring a cake to celebrate their special days.
I know I took this photo in a wonky angle, but I wanted to get Prince W watching his mom and dad blow out their candles.

Does that look like a flat cake to you? Well, it's suppose to be flat. Flat like a sheet. It's Pioneer Woman's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. I recommend you check out her recipe and all the step-by-step photos on her blog.

It's deliciously rich and the frosting is sinful. I followed her recipe exactly. Since she shows step-by-step photos, it's a really easy cake to make. It was the 1st time I've made it, but certainly won't be the last. In fact, I still have nearly a quart of buttermilk left, so I suspect I'll need to find another reason to make more before it expires.

But sometimes you just don't feel like eating chocolate cake.Sometimes, jello is much, much better than chocolate cake. Especially when it's served with a sweet smile and a twinkle in his eye.
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Let the Good Times Roll

Tonight we had a fun New Year's GTG with the Purple Magma group which now consists of 10 adults and 9 kids. It's so much fun watching the kids grow up and play whenever we all get together.
And it's also fun to hang out with good friends who we've known for over 15 years.
I love how this group organizes our meals. Gotta give kudos to Whitney for this one b/c I think she's the one who started it this way and we've just stuck with it every time we get together. There are 5 families so we always split up the "pot luck" with someone bringing a)appetizers, b) main entree, c&d)2 sides and e)dessert. The host family usually does the entree and beverages then the rest of the families pick which part of the meal they want to bring. I think its brilliant. We had veggies, cheese and crackers for appetizers; a honey baked ham, mashed potatoes and green salad for our main meal; then a choice of mini-cupcakes, chocolate dipped rice crispy bars or peanut butter and jelly bars for dessert. Good friends and good food!

If you'd like to see all the pics, they're here.
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Remembering a Favorite Teacher

I've mentioned once or twice that I was part of the auxiliary unit of my High School Marching Band. I was in Tall Flags and I'm still best friends with one of the girls from our unit.
Photo from Victorville Christmas Parade 1984.

On December 27, our band director, Mr. Robert Nygaard, died. I've thought about him so many times in the past 20+ years. He was that beloved teacher who pushed you beyond your limits and the rewards were worth it. Because of his direction, we worked at being the best and took pride in our accomplishments. When we failed to perform, he did not sugar coat the discipline. But we were the greatest (subjective of course, but backed by lots of trophies!hee)band in our division (AA) and won not just 1st Place trophies over and over again, but Sweepstakes, consistently, year after year.



I have lots and lots of favorite memories, but this one stands out because I remember how proud I was after I overhead it. We were at a field competition, just marching from our buses to the field and I overheard a woman telling her husband "Their band is huge! I thought Apple Valley was a small desert town." We made a big impression to those who never heard of us. We were the biggest competition for the other bands who tried to follow our lead.



There's been an amazing rally of people on Facebook getting back in touch and remembering the great times we had and the amazing values Mr. Nygaard instilled in us. Our closest friends in high school of course were part of the band. But inevitably almost all of us lost contact with each other. But Mr. Nygaard is still bringing us together, like the family that we were.

This one is from the Apple Valley Pow Wow Days Parade.

There have been so many great photos and videos that people are sharing on Facebook. Watching some of the videos made me bawl like a baby. Especially the one with the performance of "Only Time Will Tell". I still get goosebumps whenever I hear that song. Unfortunately, that video is only on FB, but here are a few from Youtube that I found:

Here's one from a parade in Chino. Let's see if you can spot me. LOL! It's probably impossible because the video is grainy, remember that was 1986. But I can pick out my BFF cuz she's tall and was always front and center. This year, I was usually on the left, 3rd row, but really, it's impossible to tell which one is me.


I wish I could find a video of a field competition from my, eh hem...era. But here's one from 1990, still under Mr. Nygaard's direction.


And another one from the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1990. We were invited to this parade every year. Good times, good times. You'll see Mr. Nygaard marching in his suit lookin' all serious next to the band. What a man.
Part 1:

Part 2:

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Twenty Ten

Happy New Year!!! It's so hard to believe that it's 2010! Doesn't it seem like just a moment ago when so many people were fearful about the 1999-2000 changeover? That Y2K panic? Well, not only did we survive that transition, we survived the past 10 years. And there's always something to look forward for the next 10 years, opportunities to make changes for the better, to continue growing and learning.

Well, Jimmy and I couldn't have rung in the new year any better. It's awesome to be able to start a new year with the dearest of friends.

We went to dinner at the Bowens and stayed till the clock struck midnight.We played several rounds of Apples to Apples - so fun, especially when I was the judge and my word was "Spicy" and someone put down "Keanu Reeves". So funny! Miss A won that green card, heehee!!

It was the 1st time Miss A stayed awake all the way till midnight! So exciting to be able to celebrate with her. Sweet Prince W almost made it, but fell asleep while we watched tv and was out cold around 11:40pm. He got so close!

How did you ring in the New Year?

Growing up, my mom had a few New Year's traditions/superstitions. The 1st was to always make sure the house was clean then your house would be clean the whole year. Um. I so did not follow that tradition. Ever. Right now, I have shipping boxes piled in the living room that need to be cut down for recycling. Dishes in the sink. Piles of paper everywhere.

Another one of her traditions/superstitions was to not spend any money on New Year's Day otherwise you'll be spending money throughout the whole year. This one I'm pretty good at following. Mostly because I just like staying home on New Years Day.

She had another tradition of eating rice or beans or leafy greens. I can't remember which, but I think it's suppose to bring you luck and health. I don't adhere to any food related traditions today. I'm making turkey tacos for dinner...there can't be any significance to that.

Do you have any New Year's traditions?
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Thank God for The Magic {Daily December 17}

I was having a rough day. I didn't get any sleep and woke up cranky as an alligator who just came back from the dentist. whaattttt? The day was productive, but the cloud persisted.

On my way out this evening, Jimmy pulled into the driveway just as I was pulling out. We rolled down our windows and chatted for a minute, each in our own car. He was spirited. I was grumpy. I told him "I'm having a bad day." I was struggling w/ keeping the meaning of Christmas in my heart.

But I was on my way to a Christmas dinner w/ my crafting friends. I knew I'd have a good time. I knew being with them would get me out of my funk. And it did! A great group of women I tell ya. Nothing like the power of friendship to help the holiday blues.

Then! I got another magical surprise!! My 3.5 year old nephew called me. I usually don't hear my phone ringing when I'm out, but I know there was a reason I heard it this time. That boy, lemme tell ya, he's so full of happiness and sunshine that even on the coldest, gloomiest, grayest day, he'll brighten it up.

Thank you friends and family for the Magic of Christmas.
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Take a hike Scrooge {Daily December 15}

Was feeling a bit scroogy today, mostly because I'm not feeling 100%, but when I got home and found a little package from Ragged, my Christmas spirits were renewed!
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2 parties {Daily December 13}

Today was one of those days when you come home feeling happy because you've been surrounded by great friends and family.
The Yuen's have hosted a yearly Christmas Cookie party for at least 4 or 5 years and we always look forward to it. It's a lot of fun getting together with them and enjoying the sugar rush. One of our friends brought a yummy coconut date ball that I can't stop thinking about. Maybe if I beg and plead, she'll bring a small batch to the cabin with her the next time they come up. hint hint! :)

Unfortunately, we had to leave early, so I didn't want to bother everyone in their conversations to get a group photo. Besides we're all getting together again in January and I'll be sure to take loads of photos then. But I did manage to get a couple of snapshots of Jimmy with the Chancey kids as we were walking out the door:

hilarious!

Thankfully, we arrived only 10 minutes late to the parentals to celebrate Christmas with the niece who is going to grad school up here. We all wanted to get together before she headed back to Southern California for her break. Love that girl so much, she's so awesome. But this part of the family is shy, so no photo ops here despite my nagging desire to snap lots and lots of photos. Don't they realize that I have a task at hand and I need photos of them to complete my Daily December book?? :P
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Tired {Daily December 12}

Since I woke up, I've been all things Christmas related. I'm nearly out of words, so I'll just let the pictures tell my story.

Worked on my cards.This pic is from last year. Wouldn't want to give too much of a preview of the cards this year. :-) I hope to get them in the mail by Friday.

Unwrapped a bunch of these.

Put them on pretzels like this. Then put them in the oven for 8 minutes at 200 degrees.

Poured out a bag full of these.

Smooshed 2 of them into the warm chocolate then cooled in the fridge.

Moved onto this:Melted white chocolate, toasted almonds, cranberries, rice crispies. I posted the recipe last year here.

It cooled in the fridge for 30 minutes, then I broke it. On purpose. I broke it a lot more, too. Tiny bite sized pieces.

Decided to make the same thing in chocolate. But topped with crushed candy canes. They're still in the fridge cooling.

Also burned a couple of mixed CD's for SIL and niece. We're getting together w/ them tomorrow nite for Christmas dinner w/ niece before she goes home for the holidays. But before that, we're going to friends for a cookie party. I'm taking liberties in the definition of cookie.
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The Spirit of Friends {Daily December 11}

Christmastime is a good time to make an extra effort to get together with your friends. It can be hard, especially with everything going on, especially when it's easy to say, "Let's catch up in January when things calm down", but making that extra effort certainly warms the heart when frustration levels are high. And that's what the spirit of Christmas is all about, right?
One of my crafting friends couldn't make it to our annual Holiday dinner on Monday. She left a comment on my facebook which prompted me to ask if she was available for lunch today. After lunch, I dropped in unannounced on another friend while she was at work. We hadn't seen each other in a year and a half and she only works 35 minutes away from me. We've been friends since the 3rd grade, and yea, we've gone down different roads, but we were best friends till we graduated from high school. On my way to see her, I told myself to remember to get a photo of the two of us together but once I saw her and we started chatting, I never thought about taking out the camera till I was on the road home. Maybe that'll give me a good reason to drop in on her before another year and a half passes.
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Cranberry Christmas {Daily December 03}

Tonight I went to a Pampered Chef party and started my Christmas shopping. If your not familiar with Pampered Chef, a home demonstrator goes to the hostess' house and tells you all about her wonderful products. She makes a couple of delicious goodies to help sell the product. It's fun to go during the holidays because the recipes are always themed appropriately. This year, she made a Pumpkin Spice Trifle and a Festive Cranberry Punch. The Trifle was delicious, but I probably won't make it again, so I decided to just journal the punch recipe. Hopefully I remembered the recipe correctly, I went by memory and we all know my memory is the size of a pea.

Journaling reads:
Went to Kristina's with Julie for a fun Pampered Chef party. Started my Christmas shopping, found a couple of small stocking stuffers for ???. The demonstrator made a Pumpkin Spice Trifle and Festive Cranberry Cocktail.
(I made up these names. I donno why I called it cocktail. I realized when I was typing this blog post that it was a punch, but I already printed and glued the journaling down. Of course, you could add vodka and that would make it a cocktail.)

The recipe in case you can't read it from the photo:

Festive Cranberry Cocktail
- Juice of 3 limes
- Frozen cranberry concentrate, thawed
- 3 cups water (or per cranberry concentrate instructions)
- 1 - 2 liter bottle of ginger ale
- 1 pint raspberry sorbet (oops, just saw that I forgot to put that in the printed recipe)
- 1/4 cup sugar to rim glasses

Mix lime juice, cranberry concentrate, water, ginger ale and sorbet in pitcher.
Using a microplane grater, grate about 1-2 tablespoons lime rind. Mix with 1/4 cup sugar.
Serve in glasses rimmed with lime juice and lime sugar.
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Home From a Great Weekend

We got home late Saturday night from a very full holiday weekend.Thanksgiving day, Lauree and Jim, Jimmy's sister and brother-in-law, hosted 38 of us! There's 37 in this photo and we are all somehow loosely related: brothers, sisters, inlaws, outlaws, steps, cousins, aunts, uncles, significant others, nieces, nephews, moms, dads...

the next day I went to visit bff Danielle. Her sister and friend were there too!

and later that evening, we went to San Diego to have dinner with niece Ashley, Mike, shy SIL, and the parentals.

The days passed much too quickly. Didn't get the chance to see everyone I would have liked to see or do as much as I wanted to, but very happy and grateful with what we were able to do.
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23Nov "Today I am Thankful For"

...my closest family and friends are all on the west coast. Sometimes it's tough to see my cousin as often as I'd like to because she's in a different state, but she's only a 2 hour plane ride away. Everyone else is here in California and I so appreciate that my support system is close.
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Friday in the City during Fleet Week

Last Friday I went into the city with a friend who had moved away 13 years ago to what she calls her Azkaban - Tucson, AZ. I can understand why she calls it that, growing up in the Bay Area and having to move to the hot desert in the middle of Arizona.

We went walking along one of our regular spots before she moved - Lands End, where the rocky cliffs meet the ocean, on the north western part of the city. And on a day like Friday, clear and sunny but not hot, the views were spectacular. Rosemary, this is the view from the trail, right before we walked up the stairs to see the USS San Francisco Memorial. With all the fog we had a month ago when you were here, we couldn't even see the ocean much less the bridge!

Last weekend was the celebration of Fleet Week where Navy ships come to the city and the Blue Angels perform to a crowd of over a million people. They come a couple of days ahead to practice and serendipitously, we were on the trail when they were practicing.
Two fighter jets high about the Golden Gate.

A single jet (the speck by the 1st tower on the left) approaching the bridge, flying between the two towers. Can you imagine if you were driving on the bridge, how thrilling/exhilarating/scary that would have been? In reality, he was probably above the towers, but it certainly looked like he was below them from my viewpoint.

Diamond formation flying over the Presidio.

I felt very lucky that we caught their practice run. In fact, they had to call off the show on Saturday due to low clouds and fog. It was still cloudy on Sunday, but they were able to perform. I think I got the best show of the weekend with the sunny blue skies.
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Rosemary!

It's an awesome feeling when you finally meet someone in person when you've "known" them for a couple of years already. I've been reading Rosemary's blog for 2 years. Rosemary isn't afraid to pour her heart out in her blog, and it's why I've always been drawn to reading what she has to say. She's passionate about what she has to say, whether it's the freezing cold winters to her childhood in Southern California to her beloved family, including her fur family. She can be witty, sarcastic and sincere all at the same time. I love it!

She and her wonderful husband, Steve, are in San Francisco for a few days and of course, when I knew she was coming, I knew we had to meet. I knew that we'd just click...so much so, it was like being w/ family. It was so easy, it really was like we've known each other forever. Jimmy and I shared a few of our favorite spots in San Francisco, showed them where we dream of living in the Presidio and froze our butts off near the coast, trying to glimpse views of the Golden Gate Bridge...too much fog! We easily chatted about family, books, pets, growing up in California, Idaho...conversation just came so easily. We hung out for a short 4 hours, it went too quickly, before we had to head back to San Jose. While I wasn't surprised how easily we clicked, I was surprised at how sad I was when we had to leave them. It felt like saying good-bye to family, especially since we have no idea when we'll see each other again. Hopefully since her gson is here, they'll be able to make annual trips to the Bay Area. I already miss them! It was a great GREAT day. And one of these days, hopefully, Jimmy and I will find ourselves in Idaho to visit them, too.

Love you Rosemary! That's from my heart!
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