audrey's adventures...

There's a Hole in my Rock!

2009-05-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

I find it much more fun to travel for business with someone than all alone. In the evenings, its fantastic to have a dinner companion, and exploring a new city is just that much more enjoyable.

On a recent week-long trip to Arizona, a colleague and I spent an afternoon exploring some of the rock formations in the area. We found this phenomenon at Papago Park - a naturally eroded rock formation of arkosic conglomerate sandstone called Hole-in-the-Rock.

We climbed to the top, and enjoyed some amazing late-afternoon views of Phoenix, including this one:

How cool is that?

Gimme a Break!

2009-04-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

March Madness took on a new meaning for me this year. With only 1 day "in the office" during the entire month, I literally jumped at the opportunity to take last week off to enjoy a true Spring Break with Mark.

We slept in. We relaxed. We enjoyed doing absolutely nothing. And when we finally felt refreshed, we took a little road trip to Yosemite to rejuvenate a little more.

During the spring, a winter's worth of snowfall from Yosemite's higher elevations melts to form rushing waterfalls. This was our primary reason for visiting during this season, and we were not AT ALL disappointed!

A touch of color along Lake Merced

Bridalveil Fall

Snow-capped mountains in the distance

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

Lower Yosemite Fall

Horsetail Fall

El Capitan

Half Dome peaking out above the trees - the 17 mile hike to the top of this cliff has officially made its way onto The To Do list!

Yes, we were a few weeks too early to see the famous dogwood blossoms and other wildflowers in bloom. And yes, some of the roads throughout the park were still closed for the winter, limiting our ability to travel to the higher points. Nonetheless our time spent in Yosemite Valley turned out to be the perfect little getaway.

Another Year, Another List

2009-03-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

According to my rough calculations, I traveled more than 100,000 miles in 2008! Not surprising when you take a look at my destinations for Year 2 On The Job:)

March '08
Chicago, IL
Newark, NJ

April '08
Tulsa, OK
Seattle, WA
Vancouver, BC

May '08
Chicago, IL
North Hollywood, CA
Ottawa, ON
Portland, OR
Chicago, IL

June '08
Seattle, WA
Van Nuys, CA
Columbus, OH
Chicago, IL

July '08
New York, NY
Santa Ana, CA
Vancouver, WA
Van Nuys, CA

August '08
Chicago, IL
Phoenix, AZ
Monterey, CA
Chicago, IL

September '08
San Diego, CA
Seattle, WA
Chicago, IL
Miami, FL

October '08
Los Angeles, CA
Salt Lake City, UT
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX

November '08
Burbank, CA
Chicago, IL
North Hollywood, CA
Beijing, China

December '08
New York, NY
Albuquerque, NM
Chicago, IL

January '09
Chicago, IL
Seattle, WA
Irvine, CA

February '09
Salinas, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Ft Lauderdale, FL
Seattle, WA

March '09
Van Nuys, CA
Seattle, WA

I was surprised to find that my most freqeuntly traveled-to city is Chicago with ELEVEN trips in twelve months! Just when I was about to complain about the travel increase as-of-late, I realized just how blessed am I to be able to be visit home THIS often in a year.

Bubbly, bubbly.

2009-03-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

Its taken us over a year-and-a-half to FINALLY make it to the one vineyard that was highly recommended by multiple friends from around the country - Shramsberg, Napa Valley's claim to fame in sparkling wine. (And sadly, its taken me another month to share our photos with you. I do realize how inconsistent my blogging has been...and I'll work on doing better!)

At my 30th birthday request, Mark made the reservations for a private tour of the estate, the wine caves, and a delicious tasting. We learned a thing or two about the rich history of the winery which began in 1862 when Jacob Schram, a young German immigrant, became one of the first vineyard owners in the Vally.

We especially enjoyed the cool and musty caves, perfect for producing complex sparkling wines using the traditional méthode champenoise. Deep in the tunnels, we observed the riddling process at its various stages, the perfect technique used to clarify and remove sediment from Champagne or sparkling wine.

For trivia lovers out there, Who created the riddling technique, you ask? If you enjoy this famous yellow label, you'll be pleased to find that it was, in fact, Madame Nicole-Barbe Clicquot who developed the method in the early 1800's that is still used today.

Saving the best for last, we sampled four delicious wines at the end of our tour, and now know exactly why Schramsberg came so highly recommended. If you ever have an opportunity to enjoy a bottle - or even a glass - of the Reserve, I would encourage you to take it!

Cheers!

Goodbye, twenty-somethings....

2009-02-02T22:45:00.000-08:00

....you've been good to me! I'll always look back on you fondly.

You ushered in the end of my college days, where I learned that I could take care of myself and truly support myself on my own.

In the early years, you brought me a wonderful, loving marriage to an amazing husband - one that has taught many lessons that has helped to mould me into the person I am today. Nearly eight years later, I can't thank you enough for this gift!

You showed me how blessed I am to have loving friendships, a closeness to my family that I would not trade for the world, and an ever-strengthening relationship with God.

You taught me the true meaning of loss as I said goodbye to my grandparents and to my new mother-in-law.

You taught me to work hard, think big, and try new things. I've learned to stretch myself beyond my comfort zone and to accept change, even embrace it.

You've brought me to new places. Who would have ever thought I'd move away from my beloved Chicago for an adventure in California? Or that I would travel across North America, and even to Morocco or China?

During your watch, I've discovered new interests that are sure to last me my lifetime. From crafting to baking to running - even a marathon or two! - I've found so many fulfilling ways to express myself.

What a decade! You're hard to leave, but I feel well prepared me for the journey ahead. I can only imagine what the next one will bring:)

Going Coastal

2009-01-12T23:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend's weather beckoned us out to Bodega Bay - a small town on the Pacific Coast that is becoming a favorite spot of ours.

We arrived in the late afternoon, and were surprised to find only a slight breeze - quite different from the strong winds encountered during our past visits.

It allowed us to spend the perfect amount of time reveling in the wondrous views, enveloped in the scent of the ocean that filled the air, reflecting on God and the grandeur of His creation, and enjoying an amazing sunset.

2008-12-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Our annual Christmas photo. Christmas Eve Eve 2008 - Santa Rosa, CA

Beijing Day 4: Hutongs, Tea House and the Beijing Opera

2008-12-16T23:11:00.000-08:00

In case you were worried, no, we didn't leave China after only a three day visit! Although the photos from Day 4 have been uploaded for over a week now, work has kept me busy, and I haven't had a chance to give you any details until now...

This was the last day we would spend with Jane and Hong - a day exploring and experiencing some of the older neighborhoods of Beijing.

We began with a tour of one of Beijing's hutongs - the old traditional alleyways and courtyard homes which once covered all Beijing. This cycle rickshaw proved to be a great way to navigate through the old narrow streets.

Along the way, we stopped at a traditional family courtyard home - a building complex formed by four houses around a quadrangular courtyard. We were welcomed in by a lovely woman who gave us a tour of the layout of her home, and invited us into her art studio, where she and her husband do papercutting.

In the courtyard, there was a caged bird, who called out "Ni hao!" - hello, in Chinese!

Peppers drying.

With our hostess and the rice-paper cutting, affixed to a silk scroll, that we purchased. This dragon and a phoenix design - created by she and her husband - has exquisite detail!

We walked along some of these narrow streets and enjoyed the variety of doorways that we encountered - both old and new, simple and intricate.

Bicycles are, by far, the most common form of transportation. We were amazed by some of the things we saw - a parent with 3 children riding along with them - the variety of materials pulled on carts behind - and even someone peddling down the highway, with cars flying by alongside them.

And after a chilly morning of walking around - which included stopping at a Prince's palace and museum - we stopped at a Courtyard Tea House to experience a Chinese tea ceremony. Having personal tour guides was wonderful. This tea house stop was not on our original itinerary, but they were so willing to accommodate us in any way!)

After lunch, we were officially exhausted. Three days of waking up at 4am, with no hopes of adjusting our internal clocks, had taken its toll. We decided that an afternoon nap was in order before our evening at the Beijing Opera.

(Funny story here. There was construction going on just above our hotel room. We requested a move, and the only option was a room with 2 twin beds. I was absolutely NOT going for it, but Mark insisted that we needed the rest. Still, sleeping in separate beds for the remainder of the trip? Admittedly, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that these twin beds were extra wide. We managed to comfortably sleep together in one of them for the remaining few nights;)

The Beijing Opera was quite different from its western counterpart. The various scenes contained a mixture of heavily costumed performers, mime, acrobatics and stages martial arts, and singing in higher pitched tones accompanied by traditional Chinese instruments. Take a moment to share our experience.

More Beijing Day 3: Ming Tombs and Sacred Way

2008-12-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Before arriving at the The Great Wall on our second full day in Beijing, we stopped at a jade factory, where we watched artisans carve and polish jade before admiring the many pieces displayed in their showroom.

Amazingly, this is carved out of just one piece of rock.

Just afterward, we stopped for lunch at the Friendship Store, which contained a cloisonne art factory. Cloisonne is a technique used to create metal objects with enamel decorations - pieces of metal are soldered to a metal object such as a vase, where the metal rods form outlines of images. The spaces are filled with enamel paste, then placed in a kiln. Finally, empty areas are gilded.

Adding colored enamel to a vase.

Tuesday afternoon was spent touring the Ming Dynasty Imperial Tombs, in the foothills of the JunDu mountains. The site was carefully chosen according to Feng Shui principles - to ward off bad spirits and chilling winds from the north, this quiet valley full of dark earth and tranquil water was chosen as the resting spot for 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty.

The Great Red Gate

The Sacred Way - a 7km path lined with willows and carved animals and figures. This is one of the few areas where the Emperor had to travel on foot when paying respect to his ancestors. No animals were allowed to carry him along this path.

The animals include pairs of lions, camels, elephants and the mythical qilin.

Generals and civil officials also stand guard.

We visited one of the two of the tombs open to the public - ChangLing - located about 2 1/2 miles from the entrance way. We drove, rather than walk the entire distance:)

This sacred silk burner was filled with money, reminding us of a wishing well.

ChangLing Mausoleum

And another beautiful sunset.

Beijing Day 3: The Great Wall of China

2008-12-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

With Jane, our wonderful tour guide.

Seeing The Great Wall was by far my favorite part of our trip to Beijing. The structure itself was absolutely amazing, and its history, equally so.

Built, rebuilt and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th century, the series of walls was intended to protect China from attacks from the north.

Constructed primarily along mountaintops to make it even more difficult to overtake, during the Ming dynasty, it was guarded by more than 1 million men.
In total, the Great Wall spans over 6,700 km, or 4,160 miles!
The section of the Wall that we visited is known as the North Pass, Badaling, the primary entrance point to China's capital, Beijing.

The views from the wall its watchtowers were breathtaking! Thankfully we visited on a clear and sunny day, with fantastic visibility.

A number of the sections were incredibly steep - we were definitely winded as we climbed and couldn't help but marvel that men had actually scaled the difficult terrain while building.

Standing atop one of the world's Seven Wonders - what an amazing and unforgettable experience.

Beijing Day 2: Silk Factory and Summer Palace

2008-12-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

Did you think that our day was over after only visiting Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City?

We DID take a short break for lunch, and then proceeded to a nearby silk factory where we learned about two common methods of silk production.

Silk thread is made by dipping the cocoons of single larvae of the mulberry silkworm into boiling water before the adult moth emerges, in order to unravel the cocoon as a single thread. The silk filaments of 8 cocoons are wound together, which helps to strengthen the silk thread.

Spools of thread.

In instances were there are two larvae in a single cocoon, the thread cannot be extracted independently, and these cocoons are instead, gathered together and streached to make the soft andwarm filling for silk throws and comforters. Mark and I tried our hand at this technique, and quickly saw how delicate the process is.

Trying to stretech evenly.

We spend a bit of time perusing the silk factory (and making a few purchases), after which we headed to the nearby Summer Palace, the most celebrated imperial garden in China. Here, we enjoyed the beauty of dusk and a lovely sunset on the Kunming Lake.

Beijing Day 2: Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City

2008-11-30T23:09:00.000-08:00

On Monday morning, we were wide awake at 4:00 am. Despite our best attempts to sleep in while on vacation, each and every morning in China, we would wake up long before the sun rose. Even on days when we went to sleep after midnight:)

Jane and Hong met us at 9 am to begin our day with a trip to Tian'anmen Square, which lies in the center of Beijing, just south of the Forbidden City. We entered through the Qianmen Gate, formerly the front gate (Zhengyangmen) to the Inner City of ancient Beijing. Although a relatively quiet day, we noted the heavy security both in police and military presence, and in screening and bag check points we were required to pass through in order to enter.

Qianmen Gate

Tian'anmen Square is surrounded by the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall to the south, the Great Hall of the People to the west, the National Museum of China to the east, and The Forbidden City to the north. In its center stands the Monument of the People's Heroes.

To enter the Forbidden City, we passed through Tien'anmen Gate, built during the Ming Dynasty, the location where common people could stand to listen as proclamations were issued to the whole nation. The iconic photo of Mao Zedong, first chairmen of the Chinese Communist Party, has hung above the central gate since his death in 1976.

Tien'anmen Gate - Gate of Heavenly Peace

The Forbidden City, once the home of 24 emperors - fourteen of the Ming Dynasty and ten of the Qing Dynasty - is surrounded by a city wall and a moat. It is full of symbolic detail that clearly reflects the majesty of Imperial power. With Jane's guidance, we noted that almost all the roofs were yellow glazed tiles, the color of the Emperor. Group of three (representing Heaven), six (representing Earth) and nine (representing the Emperor) were also found throughout. And the Dragon and Phoenix, symbols only used for the Emperor and Empress respectively, were seen again and again.

We spent a number of hours exploring Forbidden City's outer and inner courts, and the Palace Museum, filled with bronzeware, paintings, ceramics, timepieces, porcelain and jade and Palace artifacts.

And taking countless pictures, of course:)

Beijing Day 1: Travel Day

2008-11-29T23:30:00.000-08:00

We're already back! Its hard to believe how quickly the week passed, and just how much we managed to pack into our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Beijing.

The photo above is of Mark and I toasting to our journey just after boarding UA 889 from SFO to PEK. We certainly enjoyed the Business Class experience - the seats were both comfy and roomy, the food and wine were enjoyable, and the service was lovely (although more so on our return trip home). Sadly, we still found it difficult to sleep much on the 12 and a half hour flight, even after only getting 2 hours of sleep the night before our departure (thanks to a delayed flight home from Los Angeles on Friday night, getting me in to begin packing just after midnight!). Traveling over the Pacific Ocean, it was strange to have the sun shine continuously as we transitioned from Saturday to Sunday.

We arrived in Beijing at around 3:30pm, and were met at the airport by our local tour guide, Jane, and driver, Hong. Although we knew we would be provided with transportation between the airport and hotel, what we didn't know is that these two would also be our personal guides throughout the trip! What a difference they made.

After settling into our hotel room, we adventured out into downtown Beijing to find some dinner. Quickly, we learned the value of our Mandarin phrasebook. After waiting nearly 20 minutes to be approached by the waitstaff, we soon realized that there were only two that knew a few select English phrases - the majority seems worried to even stop at our table for fear of having to communicate.

We managed to order our first dinner, which included Beijing's famous 北京烤鴨 (Roast Duck).

Carving the duck in front of our table.

Served with thin steamed pancakes, sliced cucumber and scallions, and sweet noodle sauce (similar to Hoisen sauce).

Learning the proper way to assemble our meal.

Attempting to follow suit.

Chinese beer, which along with hot tea, flows more freely than water.

Love Is...

2008-11-13T19:16:00.000-08:00

...returning from a weekend away to wonderful aromas filling our home.

I was only at home for one day between my business trip last week and leaving for Chicago this past Saturday morning for an additional four days away. I tried to make up for it after my first trip with a little present for my hubby - the cookbook stand that he's been wanting for for some time now.

Mark appreciated the gesture, and to test it out, randomly opened one of our cookbooks to a Salmon and Dill Quiche recipe. He noticed how excited I was about the recipe, which is why it was baking in the oven I got back late on Tuesday night. That, along with a delicious Ham and Cheese Feullete.

What a yummy, yummy dinner. Thank you, honey!

Thank You

2008-10-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

Together, we raised $2,796.20 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, helping the Nike Women's Marathon raise over $18 million for this organization!

Conquering the Marathon

2008-10-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

Its been almost a week now since I completed the Nike Women's Marathon. The experience was worlds different from my first marathon. Last year, I was on the course participating on my own, but had so many friends and family come out to line the streets of Chicago and cheer for me. That support carried me a long way, and I knew I was going to miss having it this time around.

Instead, in San Francisco, I knew that I'd be running the course as part of a group. Not only would my local Redwood Wine Country chapter be present, but Team In Training as a whole would make up nearly 1/4 of the event's 20,000 participants! There would be a sea of purple on the course - along with TNT coaches, captains and mentors - and I could only hope that they would step in and help Mark cheer me along to a successful finish.

Through Team In Training, we were provided with hotel rooms in San Francisco's Union Square for the nights both before and after the event. It was a huge relief to not have to worry about driving an hour into the city, finding parking, and making my way to the start line by 7 am.

Even so, by 4:50 am on Sunday morning my roommate, Stephi, and I were awake, getting dressed, and eating our pre-race mini peanut butter and jelly bagel sandwiches, making sure we were in the lobby for our team's 5:30 am designated meeting time. After a little pep talk, we hopped on a shuttle bus to the start line, and by just after 6am, were shivering as we worked our way through the pre-race routine of porta potty stops (2, just to make sure), hydration attempts, and gear check. My sleeveless singlet and shorts were doing little to keep me warm in the 50 deg air, and I wished I had remembered the trick of wearing a trash bag - with holes cut out for my head and arms - to keep me warm.

Audrey, Melinda and Lindsey at the Start Line

By 6:45am, I was huddled at the start line with my running buddies Melinda and Lindsey, with whom I intended to run the beginning of the race. They convinced me to start with them in the 9:00-9:59 min/mile pace group, and although I was a little nervous about the fast pace, I conceded. I had trained with these two all season long, and thus knew that I would not keep up with them for the entire event. Even so, I was determined to try to run with a group for as long as possible - it would help to keep me motivated.

At 7:00am, with the sun not quite up yet, the start horn sounded, and we were off! It was challenging for the three of us to try to stay together as we weaved through the start crowds. By mile 2 we had started to warm up, and daylight was breaking. We were keeping a steady and comfortable pace and the pre-race hydration had worked - no need to break with the large crowds at water stops 1 and 2! After much deliberation, I had also decided to wear the fuel belt that I trained with. Good decision, because I never actually needed the water stops (again, so different from last year!)

Somewhere around mile 5, I looked to my left and saw my inspiration. Sarah Reinersten was on the course, running! For those of you who don't know the story, I met this amazing woman - the first woman above-the-knee amputee to complete an Ironman Triathlon - at a conference earlier this year, and she is the reason I ever started to consider running another marathon. Her words to me were The marathon is waiting for you...Run Strong!

I couldn't believe she was there. I wish I had been able to think to say more then "Sarah!" and wave hello. Seeing her carried me up and over the hills between miles 6 and 10. I was on top of the world!

First view of the Pacific Ocean, just after mile 10.

As we entered Golden Gate Park, I was already feeling the miles. I started to focus on seeing Mark at mile 14, but was getting worried because Lindsey and Melinda seemed to be picking up the pace. I could feel myself struggling to keep up, and at mile 12 after another set of hills, finally dropped back and yelled ahead "You guys go - I'm going to slow down".

Quickly, my senses came to me. Was I really going to start walking at mile 12? I knew I could keep up with them for longer. If I didn't I would be on my own for the remaining half of the race. I sped up and caught back up with them. "Just kidding - I'm still with you guys," I said. Another good decision.

Just after mile 14, I looked up ahead and saw Mark! Lifting my arms over my head, I started waving, and he saw me, posing the camera to take an action photo. "I'll see you up ahead, what' your pace?" he yelled (once he realized that I wasn't slowing down to greet him - I couldn't! I had just made up my mind to keep running with the group). I had no idea.

At mile 14, Lindsey and Melina going strong - Audrey, a little tired:)

We continued through the park and onto the Great Highway, where we saw Mentor Jenn, cheering and clapping for us. She had just finished the half-marathon, and was already out on the course to support the other runners. We started to look for Lindsey's family, and around mile 16, we saw them. Lindsey's Mom, who ran the race last year, joined us on the course and kept us company for the next two miles!

Mile 18 was going to be a big one. Mentor Joel had told us at the pasta party the night before that he was going to run with whoever got to mile 18 first. We kept talking about how great it was going to be to have his support, and there he was up ahead! I was faltering, and was falling behind the group. One last little burst of speed caught me up to where Lindsey and Melinda had started to run with Joel, and I waved hello, and let them know I was dropping back. This time I really meant it.

Mile 18 is where I began my run/walk marathon. My body hurt, and I was out of breath from having run the first 18 miles so quickly. I had to slow down, but also knew that there were still 8 miles ahead of me. Mark sent me a text message to see where I was - I think he feared that he might not make it to the next point on time. I called him back to reassure him - I was slowing down, and it would be a while before I got to 21. "Don't worry," he said, "you're doing great! Take your time - I'll be here when you get here. I'm so proud of you honey!"

And my slow circle around Lake Merced began. At times, I think I walked more than I ran. This part of the course I knew would be tough. I was so thankful when I got to 21, and saw Mark again. This time, he got a hug, and I grabbed his hand and asked him to walk with me for a bit. It was so great to have the company for a few minutes before starting up again!

Meeting Mark at mile 21.

At this point, I was taking little swigs of GU (I had emptied 5 packets into that little bottle on the front of my belt) every 2 miles, praying for bursts of energy. During one of my swigs, a photographer started taking photos as he closed in on me. He jogged beside me and introduced himself as a photographer for the San Francisco Examiner, gathering my name and asking what I was doing. No photo in that paper, but still pretty cool!

Somewhere around mile 24, I realized that even with slowing down, I might still make my goal or a 4:30 marathon. I couldn't believe it! A race photographer must have caught me as I re-committed myself and ABSOLUTELY knew that I was going to finish!!!

Pumped!

The last 2.2 miles were where I most appreciated having my name on my shirt. Hearing "Go Audrey! You Can Do It!", and "Keep Smiling, Audrey, You're Almost There!" was wonderful. I had also received the same type of encouragement all along the course in text messages from Melissa. The TNT support along the course was amazing, and mentors and coaches from all over the country made sure to ask me how I was doing.

At mile 26, I finally saw Coach Kathleen, who started to run beside me, and then pointed ahead where Coach Renie and Mentor Joel were waiting to run me to the finish line. I was thrilled to see them, and couldn't help but smile as Joel yelled "Alright!! There she is"! Joel lifted his arms up, and pointed to me, getting the crowd to cheer me on. At they ran on either side of me, they thanked me for the great job I had done, and reminded me of all work and effort I had put in. My heart started to race as I realized the enormity of the moment. "I Did It," I said. And then I yelled, "I actually DID IT"!!! I was pumped up, and just before the finish line, they patted me on the back and dropped back, saying "This is your moment - enjoy every minute of it"!

Crossing the final timing mat!!!

I was elated as I crossed the finish line - officially in 4:26:34! I had even beat my goal!!! The emotions were overwhelming, and the feeling of accomplishment was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I couldn't keep the tears from falling as I picked up my finisher's medal, and shirt.

And although I was smiling, the tears kept falling - I felt amazing, and so incredibly proud of myself. Finally, I had experienced the amazing feeling of completing a marathon that I had been told about, but missed out on in my experience last year!

I DID IT. I CONQUERED THE MARATHON!

I hope I never lose the memory of how I felt last Sunday. My eyes still well up with tears when I think about it.

It was amazing. Incredible. I LOVED IT.

Run Like a Girl

2008-10-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Its the official motto of the Nike Women's Marathon.

Which is why rather than a pre-event Fitness Expo, we get an "Expotique", complete with complementary maincures,

foot massages,
and back massages.

Yep, its good to be a girl!

That's my name on the wall outside of Niketown:)

We're Finally Booked!

2008-10-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

I bet you've all forgotten about that trip to China we won. How can I blame you? I shared the story seven months ago, and you haven't heard a peep about it since. The truth is, we just solidified our hotel reservations today:)

We finally decided on November 22nd through 29th (yes, that's right - over Thanksgiving) in order to minimize the number of classes that Mark would have to miss as a result of the travel. If you recall, most of the summer was not an option due to blackout dates surrounding the Olympics.

So far, we have our flights booked, our hotel confirmed, and an itinerary of guided tours determined (including a trip to the Badaling portion of the Great Wall of China, pictured above). The major remaining items to complete include obtaining our tourist visas and getting the necessary immunizations for the trip.

So there you have it, folks! The excitement is starting to build.....

Beijing, Here We Come!!!

Seven Wonderful Years

2008-09-29T21:56:00.000-07:00

Our favorite wedding photo, taken by our dear friend and amazing photographer, Orlando.

I can hardly believe that seven years have passed since our wedding day, which I will always remember as the best day of my life. Last night, as we celebrated, we watched and re-watched our wedding video, so thankful that a family friend had thought to bring their camera with to document a few moments of our day. It brought back a flood of memories -- Leslie's beautiful voice as she sang at the ceremony -- walking down the aisle with my Dad -- the warm laughter of the whole room as Orlando worked to perfect the photograph of us cutting the cake -- Daniel as an eleven-year-old, strutting in front of the camera -- Mark's mom's laughter filling the air during Mark's toast.

God has blessed us again and again over the years, and I couldn't have asked Him for a more wonderful husband.

Mark, thank you for your endless love and support. Thank you for understanding the demands of my job that take me away so often - I miss you tonight. Thank you for the beautiful meals that you lovingly prepared for me this weekend -- the seared tuna and avocado sandwiches with sweet potato fries were amazing, the grilled shrimp and sauteed spinach were delicious, and the crab and shrimp stuffed salmon with hollandaise sauce was Out Of This World. You have a way of making me feel so incredibly special. I can't wait to watch our future unfold and look forward to the many years to come. Happy Anniversary, honey. I love you!

Training in the Windy City

2008-09-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a week in Chicago:) As I was recovering from last weekend's awesome marathon training run, I was reminded of another recent trip back home where I had the opportunity to do a Saturday morning run along Lake Michigan.

We were staying with Mark's dad, so I began the run at 55th Street, and made my way north towards downtown. It was a cool and cloudy day with a few sprinkles - perfect running weather - and I loved every minute of the 10-mile run.

As I was leaving, I turned back to grab my cell phone, remembering just how much fun I had documenting my run in San Francisco last year. Here are the snapshots I took, some better than others:

Cloudy Chicago Skyline

Shedd Aquarium

Soldier Field (GO BEARS!)

Gold Star Families Memorial and Park

Waterfall behind McCormick Place

20-Miles Strong

2008-09-20T20:35:00.001-07:00

With 2 of my running buddies, Lindsey and Kandyce - 20 miles conquered!

Looking back on the last few months of blog posts, I realized that not only have the postings been scarce, but they have also done a very poor job of documenting my marathon training experience. Last year, I shared story after story of my journey, and this season with just four weeks to go I'm sorry to say that I've given you nothing.

Training has had its fair shares of ups and downs, with the ups far outweighing the downs this time around. I started out with a great pair of shoes that have given me no trouble with blisters and callouses. Best of all, its the right type of shoe for me, correcting the knee issues of last season. Hallelujah! Still, even with best support in shoes out there, I still over-pronate and have turned to supplemental arch supports help reduce shin splints and keep me from more serious injury.

Aside from the mechanics of it all (is there really more than that?!?!), the Team In Training experience has been amazing. I'm proud to be running and fundraising for this great organization, supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I've met some amazing people -both fellow runners, and team honorees - that have inspired and encouraged me along the way. Injury prevention clinics and track workouts have been scheduled over the course of the last few months for our benefit. And I am beyond thankful for having a group to share my long endurance runs each Saturday morning.

These events are so well planned, with courses mapped, miles marked and water stops (with ice, water, Gatorade, pretzels, energy bars, Gu's - you name it), that I look back to last year as I tried to do 14, 16, 18 miles on my own, and I cringe. This morning was the peak of it all with a 20 mile run, in San Francisco, with all the local chapters present for the event.

Living near the race destination sure has its benefits! We did a "course preview" running a fair portion of the Nike Marathon course. Let me tell you, there were hills that challenged me to no end, and it was grueling and tough, but I finished it and now feel more prepared than ever for October 19th!

And when it was all over, we crossed the street and submerged our tired legs in the Pacific Ocean! It was the most refreshing feeling I've ever experienced - the perfect way to ice the soreness away.

Bring on the cold!

Icing our sore legs in the Pacific Ocean - amazing.

Quality Friday: Every Day is a Celebration

2008-09-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

We love our new home. Although the boxes are not quite unpacked, we feel settled and content here, and can't get enough of our surroundings. The scenery - endless miles of rolling hills, lush green trees and breathtaking views - will never grow old. And our new town has a great downtown area with cute shops and fun restaurants, so different from the area we left.

Seems like every chance we get, we're hopping in the car to explore the area around us. Its been much easier to do so given my light travel schedule the past two weeks, and that Mark no longer works on weekends (yay!).

Last Saturday afternoon, with me in a celebratory mood after a good, long, training run, we decided to head towards the neighboring town of Guerneville, and found ourselves at the world famous Korbel Vinyards for champagne tasting and a delicious lunch at the Korbel Delicatessen.

The view was amazing,

the champagne - thoroughly enjoyable,

and we brought home our fair share for future indulgence.

Wasting no time, we opened a bottle that evening, enjoying it with a decadent meal of smoked salmon, served on crackers with red onion and capers, and fine cheese. And like so many moments during these past weeks, we've found ourselves toasting and celebrating life.

Hope that you have had cause to celebrate recently! Cheers to you this Quality Friday!

Country Living

2008-09-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

City boy and girl have officially moved to the country.

Some days, we step outside and can smell the cows that live down the road.

Yesterday, on a trip to the local Walgreens, we met this rooster and some of his friends who were hanging out near the entrance.

And late at night, when we're sitting on our balcony we see deer playing along the creek bed that lies less than 50 feet from our home, sometimes even venturing up to the paved path. Earlier tonight, two of them curiously watched me as I tried to quietly take their picture.

New (and Improved) View

2008-08-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Our old balcony overlooked the back entrances of the shops of a strip mall, with the conciliation of mountains in the distant background.

Now, we face a creek, with trees and an unobstructed blue sky. This is one of my favorite things about our new home.

Quality Friday: Calm Before the Storm

2008-08-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

On Monday and Tuesday, we took a break from the craziness of our lives and enjoy a short little trip to Monterey Bay. I had to do a little bit of work there, and love that Mark had both days off to join me on the drive down California's famous Coastal Highway.

We enjoyed some lovely meals, got a chance to walk around Monterey's wharf, and especially appreciated this ocean view from our hotel room.

That, and the fact that the room was tidy and neat, quite unlike the disaster zone that our home has become. Why, you ask? What has taken over our lives, and turned our apartment upside down?

If you answered "Because You're Moving", then you guessed correctly! Seems that we can't resist the opportunity to pick up and move more often than we say put:)

Funny think because I actually hate moving. HATE IT. But as much as I fought the notion with every fiber of my being, I couldn't deny that this move will make a great deal of sense. Mark will only have to travel 10 minutes to school each day, rather than the hour plus (80 miles round trip) commute that he suffered through last year. Imagine the gas that we'll be saving!

Yes, my commute to the airport(s) will take a little longer than they do now, but the reality is that only make the trip once or twice a week, not every day. Plus, I drive a company car with my fuel paid for. The rest of the time I work from home.

In addition to the gas savings, our rent will decrease significantly, another huge bonus. We'll be living nearer to the coast in the heart of Sonoma wine country, in a cute town, with bookstores. Which is significant because we currently have to drive 15 miles to a Borders or Barnes and Noble, since our town only has an adult bookstore. Classy. But I digress.....

Right now, I may or may not be starting to panic about Just How MUCH needs to get done before we move TOMORROW. Which is why I'm going to take a deep breath and remind myself of the peaceful ocean view we enjoyed just a few days ago.

Happy Quality Friday! Back to work I go:)

Quality Friday: Sweet Home, Chicago

2008-08-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt in my mind that Chicago is, and always will be, home.

Last weekend, Mark joined me on my business-trip back (as I promised he would!), and we enjoyed packing in every free moment of our six day visit spending time with family and friends. It was exactly the vacation that we needed, and our time spent with loved ones was refreshing and rejuvenating (though never quite long enough).

Even weather in Chicago was absolutely perfect, so similar to the amazing California weather that we enjoy on a daily basis. Last weekend almost made me forget that there are terribly cold winters and stifling hot summers to contend with:)

We were graciously hosted by Mark's dad, allowing the two of them to spend time quality time together while I worked on Monday and Tuesday. Here's a brief recap of our visit:

Friday afternoon, and after settling in and enjoying lunch with Mark's dad, headed out for an evening with my family at Brandon's girlfriend Shruti's parent's home. BJ and Nimmi prepared an amazing feast of Indian cuisine, which we enjoyed immensely, along with their warm hospitality.

Saturday afternoon, we met Mark's family at our traditional meeting spot, Carson's, where we got to spend a few hours enjoying their company. Afterward, we headed out for an evening of fun and games with Mark's poker buddies - a truly fantastic crew.

Sunday, we went to church in the morning, then to Brandon's for a quick lunch, to the Grafton for a few drinks, made a quick stop at Melissa and Steven's to give Mark a tour of their new home (and to meet Cosette) and finally to Orlando's for the rest of the evening.

Sadly, my camera only made its way out on two occasions, both on Sunday, so here are the few photos I have to share:

Daniel, all grown up at 18, and getting ready for his first year in college!

Grill-master, Brandon, whipping up lunch at his place.

Me and my Jonny. I can't tell you how much I love every one of my brothers.

Michael, Audrey, Kjersten, Melissa, Esther, Mark and Steven at The Grafton.

I love these ladies!

Monday night we enjoyed a huge dinner at Randy and Vivian's, and Tuesday, met up with Mark's cousins for dinner, drinks, and some outdoor Olympic viewing in Wicker Park. And on Wednesday we had lunch at our Greektown favorite with Mark's dad before spending our final afternoon and evening at my parent's house.

Just like every trip back, it was over far, far too soon. This Quality Friday, is dedicated to the the moments spent at home and the memories created with our favorite people on earth. WE LOVE YOU, CHICAGO!

Exhausted

2008-08-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

Remember how I mentioned that I needed to find a way to stay awake when I'm fatigued beyond belief ?

Soon after returning from that trip to Los Angeles, Mark brought home a case of Red Bull for me to carry in my car along with instructions that they should always sit in arm's reach just behind the passenger's seat. Waiting for me for nights like tonight.

Right now, I'm parked next to a power outlet on the floor of the Phoenix airport, wishing for a flight home.

Last night, Mark and I got in from a fantastic trip to Chicago (more on that later) at around midnight, making our way home by around 1am. The tricky thing with that situation is that I had a flight out again this morning at 6am. You may be asking why I didn't fly directly from Chicago to Phoenix. Great question, since it would have made a LOT more sense! Unfortunately, I had already purchased both sets of tickets before we decided to extend our Chicago visit by an extra day, getting us home on Wednesday instead of Tuesday. Thus the back to back flights.

At around 1:30am, after prepping for this morning, I finally crawled into bed. Need I say that I wanted to cry when the alarm went off at 3:45am? I had grand plans of sleeping on the plane, but even the best made plans can easily be deterred. My flight out to Phoenix was delayed by 2-hours this morning. By the time we made it onto the plane, I had managed to make a few phone calls and answer pending e-mails, allowing the caffeine to fully kick in and prevent my morning nap.

Ridiculously that the reason that US Airways gave for the delay was "needing the plane to be in a condition to withstand de-icing". Did I mention that I was flying from San Francisco to Phoenix? Need I remind you that it is the month of August? It was 100 degrees and sunny when I landed here at 10am. Not sure why de-icing was a concern.

And nearly 12 hours later as I sit here and type, I'm delayed again (on United this time) heading home. I've been at the airport since 3:45pm waiting for my 7:37pm flight. There were no earlier flights to standby on my air carrier. I resisted the urge to buy a completely new ticket just to leave a little early. I may or may not regret that decision.

At 6:45pm, the sunny day transformed into a tremendous rainstorm that literally shut down the entire airport. At 7:07pm, in lieu of starting to board the plane as my boarding pass promised, we learned that the in-coming aircraft had been re-routed to Tuscon.

As of 9:09pm, the plane was just leaving Tuscon, expected to land here in a half hour. Best case, I'll get into San Francisco at midnight for the second night in a row.

Which is why the Red Bull will be making its debut in a few hours. Here's to hoping that it, along with a much-needed nap in seat 5F, will make all the difference.

All Shook Up

2008-07-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

I survived my first earthquake yesterday afternoon!

It was the strangest sensation - I was immediately aware of the slight vibration, and my first thought (seeing that I was in a laboratory) was that a centrifuge was out of balance, causing a nearby benchtop to shake. I quickly realized that it was coming from under my feet, and soon found myself swaying quite noticeably for a good minute or two. My heart was definitely racing - it was scary to not have any clue if more would follow. Thankfully, at a 5.4 on the Richter scale, the overall damage was quite minor.

I wasn't done with shake-ups for the day, though.

Late last night, I got pulled over while driving back to my hotel after visiting my aunts and cousins. I was tired, and was swerving in an out of my lane enough that it caused the officer some concern. He was kind, and sent me on my way with instruction to "Be careful" after quickly realizing that I had not been drinking. Quite literally a wake-up call, I was completely cured of my fatigue and wide awake by the time I drove off.

Still, the whole experience was unsettling and highlights a long-time battle that I continue to loose. I get sleepy when I drive - this I know. But how do I fight it and keep my eyes open and mind alert in situations when I feel like I don't have a choice but to drive? I regularly try coffee, blasting the radio, cold air from either the A/C or an open window or a combination of all three. I've tried talking on the phone (while using a headset, of course), snacking and even pinching myself, but to no avail. I know that pulling over and taking a quick nap is supposed to be a good idea, but I'm not comfortable with that, especially in unfamiliar areas or cities.

So I'm open to suggestions. How do you fight fatigue? What keeps you awake when nothing else seems to work?

Making Great Use of our Guest Room

2008-07-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Its been a full year since we moved out to California - doesn't it feel like its been longer than that?

One of the biggest lessons we've learned is to truly appreciate the things we miss most about home - especially being able to get together with our family and friends on a regular basis. Admittedly, it has been sad to not have the usual traffic of visitors stop by for dinner, to watch a sports game, or just hang out with us from time to time.

When we do get the opportunity to host our families or friends that come to visit, we just love it!

A few weeks ago, Mark's dad came to visit for the third time this year, and stayed to relax with us for a full week. Although we never once made it into San Francisco, we spent a fair amount of time in Napa and Sonoma enjoying - you guessed it - wine, food and more wine!

On one of the afternoons, we decided to venture all the way up Napa Valley to a try our hands at some blackjack at a local casino. Neither Norman nor I had ever been to one before, and we decided it might be fun to see what they're all about. After a few hours of smoke and not a lot of winning, we took off and stopped at Beringer for a late afternoon tasting.

Although not my favorite, I do give the company a lot of credit for successfully commercializing both inexpensive and very accessible wines, such as their white zinfandel, while also having an excellent collection of high-end reserves. They are one of the few wineries that has been successful on both fronts.

Another afternoon and evening were spent enjoying Russian River Valley varietals, including a special food-and-wine private tasting at our all time favorite tasting room. We weren't a bit disappointed, and even got Norman to join the wine club!

I'm telling you, its a good time out here! When are you coming to visit?

Wonder-ful

2008-07-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

Over the thirteen years that I've know my husband, my appreciation for music had grown exponentially. One of the things that impressed me the most when we started dating was that his love for music encompassed so many different genres, generations and artists. From Michael Jackson to the Bee Gees, Nat King Cole to A Tribe Called Quest, Porgie and Bess to Bach and Mozart, he loves it all.

At the top of a long list of list favorites, though, is an artist who inspires Mark above any other single musician. Since he was a young boy, Mark has respected and been in awe of Stevie Wonder - for his brilliant chord progressions, his musical genius, his memorable voice. And a few weekends ago, Mark and I had the privilege of hearing him perform live.

What we expected when we bought our lawn tickets at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, was a venue much like Chicago's beloved Ravinia. Similar, yes, but not exactly the same. We were able to pack some picnic treats, but found that wine was not allowed to be carried into the venue (although bottles were available for purchase). And we were pleasantly surprised that the lawn seating afforded an actual view of the stage, with the grass area sloping upward behind the pavilion. Amazingly, people lined up neatly in rows, staking claim to small patches of ground with a great amount of order. Also notable was the diversity of the crowd - Stevie Wonder's fans spanned every age group and ethnicity.

Our view of the stage.

When the music started, I was captivated. I don't think I stopped smiling the entire night. I was thrilled to know most of the words to Stevie's songs, and like everyone around us, sang along from the bottom of my heart. Songs like I Just Called To Say I Love You, which my Dad used to sing to me as a little girl and years later was the father-daughter dance at our wedding. Classics like My Cherie Amor and favorites like Knocks Me Off My Feet.

And every so often, I'd steal a glance at Mark, and my heart would soar. He was smiling with contentment, too. I knew just how much being there meant to him. I'll never forget when the opening chords of Visions began playing. It was the one song, above all, that Mark wanted to hear, and the look of sheer happiness on his face, the glistening of tears in his eyes, will forever be etched in my memory.

We danced. We laughed. We sang. We leaned in close and soaked in every single moment.

It was an amazing night and when the last song was playing, we didn't want it to end. Yes, it truly was a concert of a lifetime.

***************************************
I know its been a long time since my last post - work and marathon training have been keeping me busy (to say the least) - but I'm happy to report that I have a week free of travel ahead of me! I'm hoping to do a little bit of catching up....

Quality Friday: Sleep - It Does a Body Good

2008-06-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Since early April, I have found myself working much longer hours, sometimes tearing myself away from my computer after 8 or 9pm at night. Working from home can be challenging, because it is difficult to create boundaries between work-life and home-life when there is no physical difference between where they take place. My "office" is the couch. My relaxation spot is also the couch. I can effectively keep working and allow myself to think I'm relaxing without even realizing in.

When it does occur to me that the balance in my life has been severely tilted towards work, I find myself getting frustrated and looking for more things to "do" to physically force myself away from work. Case in point, I signed up for a marathon. Don't get me wrong - I'm very excited to be training, and am thrilled to be doing it for a great cause. Still, part of my reasoning for doing so was a bit flawed.

One reason for a marathon training program? Having something else to do will force me to stop working earlier in the evenings so that I can "do something for myself". The reality? Now I have one more (hugely time-consuming) activity to try to fit into an already crammed work and travel schedule. My solution lately? Stay awake longer. Well, who needs sleep anyway?

Me, I'm learning.

Last Monday night, as Mark and I were sitting on the couch enjoying our evening before my whirlwind week of travel, I found myself mentally working down the list of things I needed to get done before I left. I picked up my computer to check into my flight. Mark asked me to please put it down and please try to spend some time with him - we were in the middle of a conversation, and it was obvious that I was barely listening. Worse, I found myself getting increasingly frustrated that he was still talking to me when I clearly had so much to do and was obviously already tired. I could feel my pulse racing until as we started to argue, and finally I snapped at him.

I immediately found myself fighting back tears, as I buried my face in Mark's shoulder. Why can't I just get it all done? I cried. I'm exhausted, and obviously have not figured out how to manage my time. I have so much to do, and don't understand why I have to have a limit. I don't want to be limited. You know I hate it when I feel like I can't do something, and right now I'm pretty sure I'm not doing anything well, I sobbed to him.

Lovingly, my husband comforted me. He reminded me that I needed to be a little easier on myself, get more rest and put less pressure on myself. He told me that how much he appreciated me and promised to be more understanding and less demanding of my time. He said all the right things and was an absolute Saint.

Fast-forward to 11:30 pm Thursday night, when again, I was a completely exhausted wreck, having traveled to Seattle and then LA in the previous 2 days. Barely surviving on less that 4 hours of sleep per night, I still forced myself to get up early that morning to run at the hotel gym. Intermittently, I was crabby and snapping at Mark, then falling asleep on him, as we tried to talk on the phone for the first time that day.

Finally, he begged me to just go to bed already. When I complained that I needed to get up early to run, he told me that I was bing ridiculous and reminded me that I desperately needed sleep. Please sleep, he pleaded. Just catch up - you'll feel so much better. Don't set your alarm until you ACTUALLY need to get up tomorrow.

Thank God for his persistence, and that I had the sense to listen. Immediately, I crawled into bed, and surprised myself by waking up ahead of my alarm, well rested.

My day on Friday was wonderful. Amazingly, I am a much calmer and happier person when I get enough sleep:) I truly believe that just one night of solid shut-eye made the entire difference for my weekend. Instead of going into it exhausted, I was well rested and de-stressed. On both Friday and Saturday nights, I followed suit, going to bed early and waking up feeling wonderful, able to truly enjoy (and focus on) the time that Mark and I shared together.

I hope that this is a new leaf that I'm turning over. Away with the crabby, unbalanced person that I've been. Here's to Sleep - a key component in my quest towards balance and proper boundaries in my life!

Adventures in Pasta

2008-06-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend brought with it a new adventure in cooking - one that Mark and I took on together for Date Night on Saturday. Mark suggested that we finally break open a Christmas gift from eons ago (seriously, I think it was a gift from me to him before we got married!) and make individualized ravioli, from scratch!

The beauty of this idea is that Mark and I generally have very different food cravings. For example, pizza night usually involves two separate pies - a meat lovers with extra cheese for Mark, and a veggie option for me (not that I don't like meat, I just LOVE spinach and onions and peppers and mushrooms). So we picked our fillings and set out to make the pasta.

Amazingly, the dough is quite easy to mix, using only a few ingredients. Each serving contains 2 oz. semolina, 1 1/2 -2 oz. bread flour, 1 egg, 1 t vegetable oil and a pinch of salt (water is optional if the dough gets too dry).

After kneeding and letting the dough sit for 15 minutes, we then prepared it for the pasta maker, ensuring it was well floured on both sides.

The trick to making good dough is to pass it through the flat rollers multiple times to continue to kneed the dough. The knob at the top has numbered settings ranging from 7 to 1 (thick to thin).

After each pass through, more flour is dusted on the dough. The knob setting is then stepped down, to make the dough increasingly thinner. We ended on setting 5, deciding that ravioli that is too thin would not hold the filling very well.

Meanwhile, on the stove our fillings were cooking. Mark chose a spicy Italian sausage mixture, which he used both in his ravioli and in his sauce. I opted for spinach, garlic and mushrooms with fresh mozzarella for my filling.

Once the dough was rolled to our desired thinness, we cut it to fit width of the ravioli plate, added our fillings to half the dough strip, and folded the remaining over, pressing the edges well. Was this the correct approach? Not quite sure, but since our manual no longer exists and the on-line version was lacking specific instructions, we improvised.

Admittedly, this rolling and cutting of the ravioli squares was nowhere near perfect in our multiple attempts. Adding the filling was tricky - it can't be too warm (mistake #1) or too thickly spread (mistakes #2-4) as these both cause the ravioli to ooze and not remain intact as it is rolled through the cutting plates.

Alas, here is what we ended up with. Not very evenly stuffed, but perhaps next time, with more practice. :)

After 4 leisurely hours of playing with dough, Mark perfecting our sauces (Fresh basil is key here, friends. And lots of it.) and "experimenting" with the pasta maker our ravioli finally made it to water that had been boiling on the stove for a good hour in preparation. The bottle of wine we consumed along the way certainly added to the fun of the evening!

The final result? One of the most fulfilling and enjoyable pasta dishes we've ever had, and an experience that we'll look back on fondly for years to come.

Buon appetito!

Quality Friday: Making Every Minute Count

2008-06-06T18:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend's trip back to Chicago was as Jam Packed as could be. Really, is there any other way to do it, when you only have a few brief days to spend with family and friends?

I'm amazed at the number of people I was able to see and the number of things I was able to do in the short time between Saturday evening and Tuesday afternoon. My spirits were lifted, my belly was full, and my eyelids were heavy by the time I headed back!

Saturday night, after dinner and wine at home with Dad, Jonathan and Casandra, I briefly stopped in at Melissa and Steven's to hug and spend a few moments with Orlando and Esther.

Sunday morning began early with brunch at Starbucks/Tre Kroner with Melissa, Ann-Marie and Kjersten, followed by church at Edgebrook.

The Original Brunchettes.

Immediately after church, I picked up Leslie and we cruised downtown to the Greek Islands where we met Norman for a lovely lunch. I wasn't even remotely hungry when we arrived, but who can resist a plate full of taramasalata and an order of pastitsio?

Just a few hours later, I had my third meal of the day at a restaurant - dinner at Garcia's with my parents, brothers, Shruti and Casandra to celebrate Dad's birthday. I've missed so many family events in the past month - Jonathan's college graduation, Mom's birthday and Mother's Day, Brandon's birthday on Wednesday, and Daniel's high school graduation tonight - opportunities that I'd have to spend time with my fantastic family if we didn't live 2000 miles away.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

After allowing the day's worth of food plus cake to settle, Jonathan and I even went for a run at 11pm on Sunday night!

Monday and Tuesday were filled with meetings at work and a chance to gather hugs from friends at the office, enjoy snippets of their lives and a few minutes of face time. And on Monday night, after a team dinner (yes, another one!) at Carlucci's, Melissa and I headed out to see SATC, followed by cosmos at the new Velez Luce home (where I also spent the night in their chic guest room)!

Chicago, I love you. I miss you when I'm gone, and enjoy every moment when I'm back. The only thing that could have made the weekend better is if Mark had been there, too.

Next time, I'm bringing him back with me. Period.

Quality Friday: Team in Training

2008-05-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

In my brief stint as a (self-proclaimed) runner, I've participated in a few of events that have challenged my endurance and have tested my will. Usually, the reason I've participated in these events has been to push myself to new limits, to prove something to myself. From 8K to 10K to half-marathon to marathon, I've tried to run faster, run longer, run further. Admittedly, the focus has usually been me and my ability to run.

On a few occasions, I've coupled a fun running distance (5K) with raising money for a charitable organization, and these have been fulfilling for a completely different reason. Perhaps it had something to do with a shift in my focus. On those days, my running - the whole event - was to honor, remember or benefit someone else.

I imagine that the disappointment I experienced after last year's marathon would have paled in comparison to the joy I would have felt for the steps I'd taken to strengthen a cause. And as the miles of training wore on me, had I been thinking of someone else's struggle (rather than my own), perhaps I would have been uplifted and inspired to honor them or uphold their memory.

I was reminded of this again after failing to be selected for the Nike Women's Marathon earlier this spring.

This year, through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program, I'm hoping to re-define why I run. I'm healthy - one of the greatest blessings God could ever give me. There are many people in this world who aren't as fortunate. Maybe my health, my ability to run, can help make a difference in their lives.

Team in Training is celebrating their 20th Anniversary in 2008. In the past 20 years, they have raised more than $850 million to support patients with blood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, by working with doctors and scientist to find cures for these diseases.

Did you know that leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children under the age of 20? That every 5 minutes another child or adult is diagnosed with a blood-related cancer? The research is working, though! Twenty-five years ago, only 5% of children diagnosed with leukemia survived. Today that survival rate has increased to 81%!

This training season, I'm hoping to do a small part to keep that survival rate rising. I'm both excited and nervous to be taking on this challenge - a large fundraising effort and the dedication needed to succeed at another marathon.

I hope you join me on this adventure! I'm sure I'll share my training updates here on my blog, and I've also included a link to my Fundraising Page where you can check in on my progress. Whether you're able to support me through donations or through your prayers for a injury-free season and encouragement along the way, I am grateful.

Happy belated Quality Friday.

Travel Brain

2008-05-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

In a hurry to leave for the airport yesterday, I rushed out of the house without turning off the coffee pot. In fact, I hadn't even had a chance to pour myself a cup. It was 11am when I left home. Perhaps this caffeine deprivation explains this memory lapse?

Approaching the airport, I realized my mistake and frantically called the apartment manager, who asked if I would release permission for someone to enter our unit to turn it off. (Why else would I have called, exactly?) Thankfully, I had brewed just the right amount of coffee, because when Mark got home late that night, the machine was still on, but had enough liquid in it to prevent the fire I had feared. Did I mention that I had made a call earlier with this concern? Oh, right. There was a Work Order note next to it stating that the machine had not been found to be on. I guess the glowing red light on the ON switch wasn't a clear enough indication. :)

Then last night, twelve hours after my hurried departure, I finally arrived at my hotel room in Ottawa, Ontario. As I unpacked my 1-Quart Liquids and Gels Bag, I quickly realized that I had forgotten to pack toothpaste. It was 2am at this point, the hotel gift store was closed (obviously), and I didn't want to bother the front desk.

Instead, a brilliant idea came to me as my eyes landed on the miniature bottle of mouthwash sitting on the sink. Too tired to care, I took a swig and proceeded to "brush" my teeth with my new-found liquid toothpaste. And then I flossed. My dentist would be so proud, wouldn't he?

To top it all off, I also managed to pack two workout shirts and zero workout pants. Guess that's an excuse to sleep in tomorrow morning.

Quality Friday: Bag It!

2008-05-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been very conscious of how many plastic bags we bring home with us. A few months ago, while at the local Safeway, I picked up one of their reusable bags, and we have been making an effort to use it regularly. In instances when one bag isn't enough, we've opted for paper over plastic, but I recently learned that paper bags aren't the answer, either.

On a recent grocery shopping trip, Mark mentioned that we might want to buy a second bag for $1, but I pushed back, saying that we didn't really need it. What I probably meant was that I hadn't yet found the right bag to purchase.....

Last week while in Vancouver, I decided to stopped in at a fun home and housewares store to browse a bit during one of my lunch breaks. (Downtown Vancouver has GREAT shopping, for those of you who like that sort of thing. Yes, Why I Love Vancouver, Part 3.)

What I found was a fantastic bag by Reisenthel that I just couldn't resist!

This City Shopper is larger than the Safeway bag, and made of sturdy polyester with a reinforced bottom that I'm convinced will NEVER break. Its the perfect shape for me, because it carries like a large purse (and even has an inside pocket for your wallet and keys, and a small cell phone pocket). Notice the little rectangle clipped on to the handle? This is a second bag that can be unfolded to use when the larger one runs out of room!

Have I mentioned that its also cute and stylish? Why would anyone want to carry plastic bags, when they can carry this? Admittedly, Mark laughed at me when I came home with it. "The $1 bag wasn't necessary, huh?" he commented. ;)

I know it sounds silly, but I realize that I'm just more likely to use it for multiple purposes because I actually enjoy carrying it around. My new bag has made its way with me on two quick grocery trips, to Target, and even to the pet store. And the old grocery bag now lives in Mark's car for when he needs to pick things up on his way home.

Last week, we also made great use of another reusable Reisenthel bag, given to us by dear friends as a Thank You after their recent visit. We took it wine tasting with us, and in addition to saving from having to toss two more cardboard carrying cases, also got many a compliment along the way.

I know its just a start, but I hope that in this small way we can help to keep from generating more unnecessary waste - one bag and box at a time.

Why I love Vancouver, Part 2

2008-05-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Here are the photos that I promised, taken about a year ago on my very first trip to Vancouver.

Spring and Fall are the best seasons to visit, and if you're able to stay in a hotel that's right on Coal Harbor, these views are at your doorstep (or out your hotel window):

The snow-capped North Shore Mountains as seen from the walking path along Coal Harbor.

Gorgeous rhododendron bushes in lush, green, Stanley Park.

A swan in the Lost Lagoon.

Sunset on the English bay.

The petrol station and seaplanes in Coal Harbor. (Yes, this was taken from my hotel window.)

See? Isn't is just gorgeous? If you don't believe me, you just might have to go and check it out for yourself!

Why I Love Vancouver, BC

2008-05-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

This week finds me back in what is quickly becoming one of my favorite cities of all time. With each of my six visits over the past year, I have found myself loving Beautiful British Columbia more and more. I realize (in perusing my previous blog entries) that I've never really shared just why I *heart* Vancouver, save a brief mention with no follow up, and a single photo that doesn't even begin to do it justice.

Sadly, my pictures have no way of finding their way onto my computer at the moment. This time, however, I PROMISE to post them when I get home. And when I do, I guarantee that you'll begin to see just why I adore this place.

Enough about what I can't show you, though!

Today's reason for loving it here? They have the coolest running lounge, which I visited today after a L O N G ~~day~~ week at work requiring a mind-clearing run. I've gotta give it up to Nike and their marketing team for this fabulous place. They don't sell anything, rather they're outfitted with Apple computers and snacks, running gear (all Nike, of course) and storage lockers to provide a service that I, for one, truly appreciated.

So how does it work? Basically, I stopped by, laced on a pair of new shoes, powered up an IPod Nano to test out their Nike+ Training system (guess who wants one now?), borrowed a jacket, and headed out for a 7K group run through Stanley Park. And on my return, I was handed some Gatorade and a towel and offered a selection of post-run NutriGrain bars and smoothies. Seriously, what could be better?

This afternoon's running path. Photo from http://www.seestanleypark.com/.

Sourpuss

2008-04-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Mark and I aren't the only ones in our house that enjoy this San Francisco treat.

Imagine our surprise when Kate jumped up on a nearby chair,

joined us at the table,

and stealthily "stole" her share.

I've never know a cat to like sourdough, but Kate sure does. That, and olives.

Okay, time for an update

2008-04-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

I've been battling the longest cold that I can remember in recent years (12 days and counting), and I am sick of being sick! My cough is starting to die down, my voice is almost back to normal, the eye infection is gone, and hopefully I'll be rid of what remains, soon.

On top of being sick, a recent promotion at work has kept me more than busy. I feel like all I've done in the past two weeks is work and sleep. And work. And sleep.

As a result, I realize that I've failed to share some of the fun we've been up to. So here you go:

Two weekends ago...
Melissa and Steven came to visit us, and we had a great time catching up with dear friends. Wine tasting was at the top of our list of things to do (surprise, surprise!) and we enjoyed our first introduction to Sonoma County wines. We discovered that the feel of the Sonoma tasting rooms is different from Napa - more relaxed and laid back, generally providing more personal attention, and often the tastings are free!

Our first stop in Sonoma.

We were all quite happy with many of our findings, including a newfound favorite. Honestly, every SINGLE wine we tasted at Williamson was delicious, prompting us to join our first wine club!

Other weekend highlights included a trip to Bodega Bay on the California coast, enjoying Mark's performance in a concert at school, more wine tasting in Napa, and visits to Muir Woods and other San Francisco highlights.

For once, I didn't take a single picture on my camera, letting the true photographers do all the work. Melissa has posted a few more photos here (and I'm looking forward to getting a hold of the rest sometime soon!).

And last weekend...
The temperatures soared into the 80's - even in San Francisco! As much as I love warm weather, I was feeling sick enough to want to simply sleep all day. Thankfully, my husband rescued me and suggested a leisurely afternoon drive into SF on Saturday, where we enjoyed walking along the bay, soaking up the sun, and some of our favorite San Francisco eats.

Yes, it was even warm enough to head to the pool for a few moments on Sunday (or, rather, sit by the pool as I tried to catch up on work)!

And the verdict is....

2008-04-01T20:38:00.000-07:00


											Thank you for your interest in the 2008 Nike Women’s Marathon. Unfortunately, your name was not selected through this year’s random drawing process. We received over 30,000 registration entries, and we can only accept 20,000 runners.

I guess I can't expect to win EVERY random drawing:) Honestly, I'm not sure whether to be disappointed or relieved. A little bit of both is to be expected. Whereas I had started to psyche myself up for another training season, the truth is that thought of scheduling long runs into my life again does make me cringe a little.

When I signed up, I felt great about taking myself out of the decision process, so I should be okay with this response, right?

Well then why does this part of the e-mail catch my eye?

But there is good news: there are other ways that you can still participate.

Team In Training. Training. Support. Inspiration.

Team in Training, our partner through race beneficiary — the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, still has registrations reserved. If you would like to participate in the 2008 Nike Women’s Marathon through Team in Training, call 800.482.TEAM or check out the link below.

Participate with Team in Training »

Sweeps!!!!!!

2008-03-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

Its officially, OFFICIAL! And therefore, time to share one crazy story....

Two weeks ago, as I was on a flight home from a brief visit to Vancouver (incidentally, the same day that I posted this list), Mark answered a call on our home phone from United Airlines. Initially, he was rather disturbed to see the name on our caller ID. Why would the airline that I was traveling on be calling our home? My poor husband's mind went to the worst possible place.

Thankfully, they asked to speak to me, which quickly reassured him that I was OK. But the nature of the call remained a mystery for most of the evening because the caller insisted that she needed to talk to me.

When I got home, Mark told me the story that I've just shared with you, and asked why I thought they might be calling.

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe I won something. Like a free plane trip for all my loyal travel. Or that Beijing sweepstakes I registered for last year." We both laughed at my speculations. Yeah, RIGHT!

Crazy thing is that when the phone rang later that night, the woman on the other link informed me that this was EXACTLY what I had won! She congratulated me as the potential Grand Prize winner for the Sights and Sound of Beijing Sweepstakes.

"What does that mean?" I asked, my mouth open in a silently scream as I jumping up and down, and danced around the room while trying to make as little noise as possible.

"Round trip tickets for two in United Business^® to Beijing, five nights of deluxe accommodations at a four-star hotel, two tickets to the Beijing Opera, and transfers to and from the Beijing Airport courtesy of United Vacations," I was told.

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?! my mind screamed. Could this even be true? Let me tell you, I will NEVER doubt a sweepstakes again.

Our suspicions were lifted when we received FedEx paperwork with details the very next day. We also learned that potential winner would be turned into official winner after returning notarized affidavits of eligibility.

Which brings me to today and the congratulatory e-mail from United's elite rewards program administrator.

Can you even believe it? We WON a trip to BEIJING, CHINA!

When we'll actually go is still to be determined, but I'll be sure to keep you posted! (And no, we can't pick dates surrounding the Olympics.)

And wouldn't you know it? Mark's Dad is visiting Beijing right now with a tour group. We can't wait to here his thoughts on the best places to visit.

How's THAT for a story:)

Quality Friday: Green Thumb

2008-03-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

A bit of earth,
She wants a little bit of earth,
She'll plant some seeds.
The seeds will grow,
The flowers bloom,
Their beauty just the thing she needs.

- lyrics from "The Secret Garden"

Some day, when I grow up, I want to have a garden. A house, on a pretty street, with a yard, a swing set, and a garden.

There is something very appealing about the thought of having fresh vegetables at arm's reach. Imagine being able to simply step out your back door to pick out the perfect bell pepper, tomato and fresh herbs for your meal, and not having to wonder how they've been grown. Wouldn't that would be wonderful?

Truthfully, though, I have no idea if my thumb is green or black - I've never grown a thing in my life.

So why not try it out, I thought?

Our balcony is currently home to our stainless steel grill, two white chairs with beige seats, and a little white glass-topped table. With spring in full gear around here, this weekend Mark and I decided to swing by the gardening section at Target and to try to infuse a little bit of color into our lives.

After much deliberation, searching through the selection of flowers for the few that might survive in the shade, almost giving up because I had no idea what I was doing, and then running out of soil half-way through transplanting them, I was finally able to successfully (I hope) plant my first flowers ever! Here's what's blooming on our patio:

Think I can manage to keep them alive? I sure hope so!

***Any suggestions would be more than appreciated!***

Oh, the places I've been

2008-03-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well, folks - its officially the 366 Day of the First Year of my (Not So) New Job! As hard as it is to believe how quickly the time has passed, I find myself struck once again by the numerous ways our lives have changed in just 12 months.

Inspired by this avid traveler, my list of cities visited in the past year shows the extent to which traveling is now a standard in my life:

March '07

April '07

May '07

Los Angeles vicinity, CA

June '07

Oakland, CA

Lake Geneva, WI

July '07

Our Big Move to Vallejo, CA

Van Nuys, CA

Chicago, IL

August '07

Toronto, ON

Chicago, IL

September '07

Spokane, WA

Chicago, IL

Calgary, AB

October '07

Vancouver, BC

Chicago, IL

Portland, OR

Miami, FL

November '07

Los Angeles, CA

Seattle, WA

December '07

Cypress, CA

Chicago, IL (times 2)

January '08

Cypress, CA

Chicago, IL

Van Nuys, CA

Marrakech, Morocco (and 20 hrs in London, UK)

February '08

San Diego, CA

Vancouver, BC

La Mirada, CA

Seattle, WA

March '08

Vancouver, BC

WHEW! I can only imagine what Year Two will bring.

Quality Friday: Back on Track

2008-03-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

Its always a challenge for me to get back into the groove of exercise after letting it fall to the wayside. The most difficult part for me is mustering up the motivation to start over again.

As I've said before, I have a tendency to be an all-or-nothing type of girl when it comes to exercise. As much as I've tried, I still haven't learned how to make it a consistent part of my life. I either work out like crazy, going to the gym for hours a day or I sit on the couch for months thinking about starting again. Kind of like I've done this winter.

Over the last few weeks, my business trips have taken me to lovely hotels with nice fitness centers - and I've made a point of using them every morning of my stay. They certainly got the ball rolling, but it wasn't until this past weekend that I finally felt like I was back.

On Sunday, the 70 degree sunshine coaxed me into my very first run outside since October. The weather was perfect, I discovered a new waterfront route, and as hard as the four miles [also the longest distance I've run in 5 months] were for me physically, I felt AMAZING. It wasn't until that moment that I realized how much I've missed running.

As a goal-driven person, I've found that the thing that makes the most sense in my quest for consistency is to sign up for an event. Races are concrete endpoint to work towards, which helps to motivate me. With these inklings floating about in my head, in early February at my company's National Sales Meeting, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet, listen to, and be inspired by Sarah Reinertsen - an amazing athlete and the first woman with a leg amputation to complete an Ironman.

Sarah shared the story of her first attempted to finish the Kona Ironman World Championship in 2004, and how she was disqualified when she failed to meet the qualifying time for the bike leg by 15 minutes. Her dream was incomplete that year - a story that resonated deeply with me as I reflected on my own first marathon experience.

"To Audrey - The marathon is waiting for you. Run strong!"

Even with her inspiration, until this week, I hadn't even CONSIDERED another marathon for 2008. And then all of a sudden, my run on Sunday had me thinking about doing one again soon. And thinking, and thinking.

Wouldn't you know it? Yesterday, I found myself signing up for the random drawing for the San Francisco Nike Women's Marathon. [I know, even as I type this my heart is racing. Am I really doing this again?!?!] On April 1, I'll find out whether my name was selected. AHHHHHH!

For now, though, its kind of nice not knowing. I can spend the next few weeks continuing to work on consistency and getting back on track.

Doin' the Tourist Thing

2008-03-02T23:47:00.000-08:00

Its funny how much you can take a city for granted when you've lived there your whole life.

For example, I've only been to the top of the Sears Tower once, when out-of-town guests were visiting. My first visit to Millennium Park was purely by chance, and a full year after it opened. And I don't think Mark and I ever made it to the Taste of Chicago after we got married. The list of things that Chicago has to offer is endless, yet some of them I never took advantage of in the twenty-eight years I lived there.

Like Chicago, San Francisco has enough to do to keep you busy for days on end. One of the best things about having visitors to show around is that it draws us back into the city and gives us an excuse to be intentional about enjoying its amazing sights. Not surprisingly, every SINGLE time we drive over the bridge and into the heart of SF, we ask ourselves Why, again, didn't we choose to live Right Here?

Thanks to it being President's Day, on the Monday of my parent's visit, Mark was able to join us for our City tour. We drove through Union Square, down winding Lombard Street, and around Telegraph Hill, where we stopped to enjoy a trip to the top of Coit Tower. The weather was ABSOLUTELY perfect, and the views spectacular.

Some of greatest view of San Francisco are from the top of its steepest hills. After winding down Lombard Street, we hiked to the top and enjoyed this view. We could see the unobstructed Coit Tower in the distance, and decided that it was the perfect day to go for a closer look.

Magnificent against the clouded sky.

One of the most interesting things you'll find at the top of the tower (other than the 360 degree view of the city and bay) are coins from all over the world in the window wells.

Alcatraz.

The remainder of our afternoon and early evening was spent in Chinatown, were we ate and did quite a lot of shopping. Mom and Dad were able to buy most of the souvenirs they would bring back with them, and the best part of the afternoon was happening upon a tiny tea shop, were we enjoyed tea tasting and walked away with the most delicious jasmine tea you can imagine.

At the gates to Chinatown.

Dim Sum (and then some) at Kan's. We may or may not have mistakenly ordered chicken feet, which Mark bravely tasted, and then recommended that none of the rest of us do so. Other than that, it was delicious!

Tea tasting at Blest Tea. Phoenix Eye - a white Jasmine - was our all-time favorite.

Quality Friday: Just a Few Miles Down the Road

2008-02-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

I grew up in an extended-family household. My Dad's parents, my Nanay and Tatay, immigrated from the Philippines when I was 4 months old to move into our home in Chicago. Dad was the first of his family to come to the United States, and his parents were the next to follow. Over the years, many of his 10 brothers and sisters lived with us for periods of time as they settled into their new lives here in America.

In my late teens, my grandparents took a trip "back home" to the Philippines to visit sell the family house there. On their trip back to the United States, they stopped in Los Angeles to visit my Dad's brother Conrad and his family, and my Dad's sister Aurora before returning to Chicago. During that visit, my grandfather had a major medical emergency that prevented them from ever completing the trip back. Nanay and Tatay bought a home nearby, and their son (and family) and daughter moved in to help care for it and them. A few years ago my Dad's youngest sister, Alice, and her daughters were also petitioned to come, immigrated and moved into the family home.

Trips to Los Angeles were fairly common for our family, and my Dad visited whenever he got the chance, especially as his parents got older. Since both Nanay and then Tatay died a few years ago, Dad really hasn't visited much, the last time being almost 2 years ago.

As my parents were planning their trip to visit us, we talked about somehow trying to get together with the family. We discussed the possibility of driving the 6+ hours down Hwy 5, or perhaps taking the more scenic route and making a sightseeing trip out of it. In the end, their five day trip seemed far too short to make it worthwhile.

But then a few weeks ago, my Dad learned that his sister, Alice, was very sick. After almost 2 months of severe abdominal pain and unexplained bruises, she went to get a second opinion. Masses were found in her ovaries the size of small grapefruits. They are malignant and fixed - not the best combination of diagnoses.

Without hesitation, Dad, Mom and I decided to make the trip down to see her on the last 2 days of their visit.

It was a great road trip, to be honest (although 13ish hours of driving in 2 days is a bit on the high end) - I can't think of the last time that I've had the chance to spend time with my parents all by myself. Something to do with being the oldest child, I imagine:) We got to chat, catch up, and had a whole lot of fun reminiscing about old family vacations - some of which I had completely forgotten!

And as short as the trip was, it was wonderful to see my aunts and cousins. We celebrated Tita Aurora's (or Tita Bebe, as I call her) 61st birthday. I got to spend time with my cousins Josephine and Katarina for only the second time in my life. And most importantly, we all got to hug and comfort and enjoy quality moments with my Dad's baby sister.

Josephine, Tita Bebe, Katarina, Humberto, Tita Alice, Mom and Dad

Tita Alice has lost a lot of weight, and hasn't been able to eat much of anything due to the pain - and she was tiny to being with. Her surgery to remove the masses is scheduled for March 13th, which seems like such a long way from now.

Friends, please keep my aunt's health in your prayers.

This Quality Friday, I'm so thankful that we were able to be with her, to help comfort her fears, and share even a small piece of this burden that she's bearing.

Sibling Love

Celebrating Thirty Years!

2008-02-24T18:20:00.000-08:00

"An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow."

This year, my parents chose to make a vacation out of their anniversary weekend (and the following week) - and came to visit Mark and I for the first time in California!

They arrived late last Saturday night [and I must mention here that as we pulled up to the airport to pick them up, Danny Glover was getting into the car in front of us! Mark got a chance to meet him, and said that he was amazingly gracious and kind], and spent a fantastic five-and-a-half days with us, including their Thirtieth Wedding Anniversary, on the Sunday after they arrived. Before Mark headed off to work that afternoon, we were able to take them out to lunch at one of our favorite local restaurants, and enjoyed the early afternoon wandering through the antique shops in downtown Napa.

I love that I was able to spend all day with them, taking them to some of my favorite spots in the North Bay. We took advantage of the perfect Sunday afternoon weather to enjoy the serenity and amazing beauty of Muir Woods.

Mom and Dad, as we stopped to take in the view before entering the woods. I love that you can see the moon behind them in the daylight!

With their baby girl.

Inside one of the redwoods!

We stayed until the park closed, and then headed to the Marin Headlands for what I find to be the best view of the Golden Gate bridge and the San Francisco skyline. After a full day [and we were all surprised when we realized that they had only been in town for less than 24 hours!], Mom and Dad even let me tag along on their anniversary dinner where we all enjoyed fine Indian dining and yet another fantastic view of the city we now call our own.

Mom and Dad - Happy 30th Anniversary! Thank you for letting me spend it with you, and for choosing to spend the week here with Mark and I! I hope it was a memorable way to usher in the next 30 years!

With love,
Your little girl,
Audrey

Well, wouldn't you know it?

2008-02-13T23:03:00.000-08:00

Just one day after complaining about the weather, the rain stopped, the clouds broke, and the sun peaked through them to shine down on Vancouver today!

City view from my hotel window.

Rain, rain, go away.

2008-02-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

This week finds me in Vancouver, BC - one of my favorite cities to visit on business.

Except when its wet and dreary, and the weekly forecast calls for rain, rain, rain.

These past few days have absolutely solidified for me that I'm a sun-loving girl. I'd rather have cold and sun, then rain any day. Whereas I fully understand that rain is the most important ingredient in the recipe for a lush, green city, after just two days of chilly wetness, I'm ready for some golden rays.

Kinda like the ones I enjoyed last week in San Diego....

Now this is what I call an ocean beach! Its disappointing to me that the San Francisco version of the Pacific is never warm enough to put your toes in.

And what a treat to have spent the week with a partial-ocean view at this famous hotel!

Quality Friday: Celebrating Together Time

2008-02-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

Busy season is upon us again, and the past few weeks have been filled with challenges as Mark and I learn to re-adjust to the lives we've chosen.

From Thanksgiving to mid-January, I had a nice long hiatus from extended travel for work. And from mid-December to mid-January, Mark enjoyed his long winter break from classes.

I think we got so used to the time together that we let ourselves forget that the change in schedule was only for a short season.

For me, the travel began again in the week preceding my trip to Morocco. Then, I spent last week in San Diego. Next week I'll be in Vancouver. And the list continues.

For Mark, starting his spring semester has meant auditions, adjusting work schedules, and re-learning the art of Study After Midnight.

Suffice it to say, we've struggled to balance our own responsibilities with the dedication and time needed to nurture our marriage. Sadly, at times we have found ourselves resorting to communicating in frustration and anger, rather than love.

Thankfully, it wasn't to late to re-dedicate ourselves to joyously celebrate in the physical time we spend together while continuing to learn how to best love one another when we're apart.

Celebrating our birthdays (29 and 31!) together with a delicious Japanese dinner at Yoshi's....

...followed by a few more birthday drinks at the Sheba Lounge.

Happy Quality Friday (weekend)!

More from Marrakech

2008-02-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more of my favorite photos from Morocco.

Gala Dinner at an old Moroccan mansion:

Evening entertainment

Candle fountain

One of many beautiful doorways. One thing that struck me was how beautiful and colorful they alwasy seemed to be. In a country where all the buildings are the color of the earth, the doorways were often bright blues and yellows, striking bursts of color.

Look at those amazing tile patterns on the wall!

Palmeraie Golf Palace:

Tea service

Outdoor Excursions:

Escape from the sun

Beautiful craftwork

Enjoying dinner, served in beautiful tents, under the stars:

It was the most incredible experience - to be under a pitch black sky, stars shining bright, palm trees illuminated, warmed by the heat of fires like this one. It felt like we were so very far away from the rest of the world.

And finally, one last trip to the Souks before heading home:

Mosque at night

Little black cobra. Doesn't it look harmless? I'm not so sure it was.

Incredible footwork. The cedar skewers on the table are the final result, which I HAD to buy to bring home to Mark

I love that there were six of us - plus the driver- squeezed into an old Mercedes cab as we headed back to the hotel to call it an early night on our last evening there. Yes, we were all very tired at this point.

To the Top of the World

2008-01-31T18:28:00.000-08:00

The meeting theme in Marrakech was "Climbing to Success", so it was only appropriate that our teambuilding activity took us on a climbing adventure to the nearby Atlas mountains.

Although the majority of our day was spent driving Land Rovers up steep winding paths, paved wide enough for only one vehicle (and yes, the traffic definitely flew by in both directions), we did get a few opportunities to stop and take in the sights.

A perfect day, wouldn't you say? Look at that blue sky!

First rest stop.

Mid-morning tea break.

A boy and his donkey.

Camel rides on the side of the road.

Baby sheep and goats.

You almost couldn't see some of the villages we passed. They were often well hidden in the hills, always the same color as the earth.

Mountains majesty.

Restaurant Typiquement Marocain

2008-01-29T21:03:00.000-08:00

After our trip to the souks on day 1 in Marrakech, the group I traveled with enjoyed our first of many traditional Moroccan meals at the lovely Palais Chahramane.

Immediately, we were enthralled by the restaurant's beauty and elegance, by the detail in each tile making up the intricate patterns on the floors, walls and ceilings, by the music and dancing that greeted us as we entered and then entertained us during our meal, and most certainly by the wonderful tastes and aromas that we experienced in the food.

John, Alex, Paul, Julie and I - the "Achieving Service Excellence" training team - as we entered the restaurant. Each tile in this entryway was laid by hand, the stairs themselves taking a week to complete.

Our introduction to traditional fare was quite delicious, and we soon found that the format of each meal is always the same. To begin, we always sampled a variety of hot and cold salads - in this case, there were 15! - served with bread. Beef, chicken, fish and lamb main dishes were quite common, prepared with a variety of spices including karfa (cinnamon), kamoun (cumin), kharkoum (turmeric), skingbir (ginger), libzar (pepper) , tahmira (paprika), anis seed, sesame seed, kasbour (coriander), maadnous (parsley), zaafrane beldi (saffron) and mint.

My favorite tajines were those that combined sweet and savory flavors in combinations like dried prunes and beef, or cinnamon and chicken with vegetables. Cous cous was never absent, nor were wonderfully prepared vegetables. Fresh fruit always followed the meal, along with hot mint tea.

My favorites in this starter combination were the lentils and the eggplant.

Lamb infused with mint, which we were instructed to eat with our hands.

Musicians greeting us as we entered...

...then serenading us at our table.

And what meal is complete without a candle dancer....

...and a belly dancer?!?

Djemaa el Fna - جامع الفناء

2008-01-24T16:06:00.001-08:00

Marrakech boasts the largest souk market in Morroco, in the city's المدينة العتيقة (medina quarter).

Our experience visiting this area of the old city was certainly heightened by the darkness that surrounded us. The streets were pitch black, the air was filled with the scents of food cooking and incense burning, the crowd was thick and at times overwhelming, and the poverty and begging were unmistakable. There were monkeys on leashes, dancers and musicians enticing you into taking a photo (for which a payment is demanded - nearly causing a fight to ensue between the local who suggested it, and one of my colleagues), women and children tugging at your sleeves in an effort to provide henna decorations, artisans drawing you into their shops and bartering with animation and persistence.

I could add so much more, but my internet connection prohibits, so instead I leave you with a few photos of the sights we saw.

And I can truly say that I am thankful that we shared this adventure with a colleague of mine from Saudi Arabia, who was able to translate effectively on behalf of the entire group. Bless him for taking care of us.

meat cooking in the square

oh, what i'd give to be able to bring home some of these spices.

handcrafted lamps

my colleagues Issa (pronounced ah-EE-sah), Paul and I, dressed in traditional Moroccan attire

(And I must mention that blogger automatically displays all site information in Arabic, when logged in in Morocco. It was certainly a challenge to try to remember which buttons are in what location, and to realize that because the language is read from right to left, the "sign in" and "password" boxes are not only on the other side of the page, but also in reverse order!)

countdown to adventure...24 hours

2008-01-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

that's right, folks!

tomorrow i'm off on another business trip, this time taking me far outside of my normal United States and Canada territory to MOROCCO!

i'm headed for the city of marrakech - comprised of both an old fortified city (the médina) and an adjacent modern city (called gueliz).

while i know that i'll be busy working for the majority of the time i'm there, i am hoping to have some time to enjoy the rich culture, unique foods and amazing scenery that this country has to offer.

to give you a taste of what i have to look forward to, here are a few picture of the palace & resort (so much more fun a title than hotel!) that i'll be staying at, and its surroundings.

hotel lobby

spice market

rug shopgate to the marrakech medina

quality friday: getting organized

2008-01-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

our pantry has been in utter disarray, and its been driving me CRAZY.

i have to admit, i really didn't realize how terrible it was until my recent efforts to spend a little more time in the kitchen. we have quite the collection of herbs and spices, condiments and sauces, but they were near impossible to find in.

thanks to the help of two extendable helper shelves (and getting rid of a few choice items), we now have some semblance of order.

before...

...and after.

notes, thoughts and anecdotes from 72 hours of travel

2008-01-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

background

4 flights from 4 airports, 4342 miles traveled
+ 3 days in 3 cities
+ 2 nights totaling 6 hours of sleep
= 1 tired me, happy to be home for a few days

*************************************************************
red carpet club

"red carpet club, just for you ma'am." i thanked the man holding the pre-heated rental car door open for me.

"brand new car. nice, isn't it." i thanked him again, and agreed.

"here's a bottle of water for you. and let me give you my card".

"its a new car, you know". which is when i realized that he was waiting for a tip.

but i had no idea where my money was, nor had i ever encountered this before. as much as i appreciated having a warm car waiting for me as i departed the rental car shuttle, i didn't exactly ask for it.

*************************************************************
the rules of ethanol fuel

hurrying back to the airport on wednesay afternoon in an effort to catch in earlier flight, i quickly stopped to fill up my tank before returning the car. to my surprise, the gas cap was bright yellow and said "E85 fuel". having seen a few stations that sell ethanol/gasoline mixtures, i presumed that the car required it. so i left the gas station, and drove around desperately trying to find a pump at a few other stations. i finally gave up and called avis to ask them where one might be located.

turns out that these flexible fuel engines are designed to use any any mixture of gasoline or ethanol with up to 85% ethanol by volume. should i have known this?

*************************************************************
is the flight canceled or not?

thankfully, i still made it to the airport in time to make the standby list for the 6:30pm flight. getting home an hour and a half earlier was worth gold, considering that the 8:05 would have had me home at midnight.

i got comfortably seated in my exit row seat, and waited for take-off.

10 minutes after our scheduled departure time, we were informed the doors were still open because the pilot hadn't arrived. 5 minutes later, another announcement - still no pilot.

another 2 minutes, and we were informed of a mechanical issue, causing the flight to be canceled. there was going to be room for all of us on the later flight. folks started getting up and gathering there things.

yet another announcement that the mechanical issue might be fixed, and that we should sit back down.

and in the end, the plane was deemed un-flyable.

was it a coincidence that the pilot was also late?

*************************************************************
first class

i haven't had the opportunity to upgrade to first class often, but i did on the 8:05. what a treat! the cheese and fruit plate, and the wine were much appreciated.

*************************************************************
more on rental cars

dear avis,

can you please program your gps units to correctly locate your own rental facility? i typed in "avis - airport location" and then selected the correct airport. and i was directed to a strip mall about 2 miles away. "you've arrived at you final destination" the unit said. all i saw was a coffee shop and nail place.

*************************************************************
silent battles

again, trying to standby on an earlier flight on thursday night. two lines at the counter, but now only one agent. i eyed the girl next to me, and she eyed me back. we were still trying to get on the list, and they were already calling names and getting close to takeoff time.

i think i got to the counter first, but it was my agent who had left. which of us was going to be the next name added?

we approached the counter at the same time, and both placed our boarding passes on it, again glancing at one another.

"we've got room for both of you - only 3 seats left," the agent said.

whew.

as we boarded, the plane, i commented "this is my fourth flight in 3 days". she responded, "yeah, i've been traveling for 3 weeks straight. and have to again next week."

i guess we both won.

*************************************************************
priceless

the look on the older gentleman's face, as he boarded behind me to find the last seat on the plane was next to a toddler on his mom's lap.

"so i'm the lucky one", he said.

*************************************************************
does eating help?

about 45 minutes into our 50 minute flight, i glance over at that same little toddler, and realized that he was on course 5 of his meal.

a snack before take-off, then a little bowl of baby food, water, a banana, juice, a baggie of carrots, more water, and finally some pretzels for landing.

it certainly kept him occupied. and boy did mom do a great job of pre-organizing it all.

*************************************************************
the end

okay, i'm done. thanks for indulging me. :) and in another 72 hours i'll be headed off on my next adventure!

chicken soup for the soul

2008-01-15T23:27:00.000-08:00

are you wondering how i'm doing with my 2008 goals, seeing that we are in week 3 of the new year?

well, i've certainly been working on item number 1! i have to admit - some of my culinary attempts have been less successful that others, but i'm working at it and learning along the way:)

and in an effort to keep myself accountable, i've joined this group of ladies in creating a new blog - menusbythemonth.blogspot.com - a place where we can swap menus, store them for future reference, and share them with others who might be interested in suggestions.

hope you enjoy it!

that being said, here's the the first recipe that i tried out in the new year. in fact, i made it twice in one day, and liked the repeat version share here better that the first, thanks to some wonderful suggestions from my husband.

********************************************************
audrey's cilantro-lime chicken noodle soup

(adapted from ina garten's, barefoot contessa family style)

1 whole (2 split) boneless, skinless chicken breast

olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 quarts chicken stock (homemade is best, but wolfgang puck's was a fine substitute)

1 cup onion, sliced

1 cup medium-diced celery

1 cup medium-diced carrots

2 cups wide egg noodles

juice from 3 limes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

place chicken breast on a sheet pan and rub with olive oil. sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. roast for 35 to 50 minutes, until cooked through. when cool enough to handle, shred the chicken meat.

bring chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot and add the onion, celery, carrots, noodles and lime juice. simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the noodles are cooked. add chicken and cilantro to heat through.

quality friday: just being here

2008-01-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

earlier this week, i was pretty sure that my quality friday post was going to be about how i've finally (after years of saying i intended to do so) starting to pay closer attention to politics and the upcoming presidential elections. i've watched recent debates, followed the results of the first caucus and primary, and have found myself stopping to listen to cnn updates and polls regularly. i'm learning a lot.

but then thursday night happened, and with it my perspective for the week changed, too.

i was in the middle of making dinner, when i got a phone call from mark at work. he was calling from his cell phone rather, which in unusual, and the first words out of his mouth were "honey, i've had a little accident."

in an effort to not be overly descriptive (which is also why this post has no photos), let's just say that i learned that he had just cut his finger while cleaning a deli meat slicer. it was bleeding badly and had been doing so for about 10 minutes, during which constant pressure had been applied but was doing very little to stop it.

within a few moments, i was in my car, talking to our healthcare provider's nurse hotline as i hurried to get to him. thankfully, but the time i got there 20 minutes later, the wound had started to clot. and although my stomach turned when i saw it, we both realized that it could have been much worse. MUCH worse. thank God he didn't loose his finger.

although mark was able to drive himself home thursday night and chose not go to the emergency room, i was still thankful to be able to be there. SO thankful. what if i had been traveling, as i so often am on a thursday night? what if i was hearing the story from a city far away? i would have felt awful and completely helpless.

instead, i was able to clean and dress the wound at home, give mark pain medicine when the shock started to wear off, and on friday, was here to go with him to the doctor and hold his hand as they gave him a tetanus shot and applied a chemical cautery to the area. mark was tough and kept it together through the whole experience (although the look on his face told me it was much worse than he had expected), thoroughly impressing me with his tolerance for pain. afterwards, the doctor said that he had never cauterized a finger without local anesthesia. i take back everything i've ever said about my husband not being able to handle being hurt.

truth is, i'm sure mark could have taken care of himself and done it all without me being there.

but i'm glad that he didn't have to. thankful that i was nearby. grateful that God was watching over him, and making sure i was home so i could be there for him, too.

pretty in pink

2008-01-10T17:28:00.000-08:00

this is another fun project that i took on while listing to christmas music, a gift for the best hostess i know.

the materials and colors, mark helped me to choose, and i can't thank the fabric store sales assistant enough for her helpful suggestions and tips!

here's what she taught me:

pre-washing the fabric helps to prevent uneven shrinking
before beginning, use fabric finish on the freshly washed material to give it light body and a crisp (but not stiff) ironed look. this also makes it easier to sew. note: always allow the fabric spray to dry before ironing - this prevents spots and flaking.
sewing a double layer of material, with the "right-sides" facing, is easier than having to roll edges. simply sew the pieces together leaving enough room to turn them right side out, and then topstitch around the edges again for a clean finish. this tidbit gave me the added piece of information for the gift:

hostess apron...

...fully reversible.

there was a byob wine bag made primarily out of the smaller-print fabric, too!

i'm really starting to get the hang of this sewing thing....

freshly lined

2008-01-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

a few weeks ago, i had mentioned that some crafty projects were in the works, and that i intended to spend my week of vacation completing and sharing them with you.

as it turned out, i was sick at the beginning of that week and we had guests over the thanksgiving weekend, so my high hopes quickly went out the window.

our living room curtains were purchased rather that made, as i had originally intended. and while i'm happy with how they look (and that buying them allowed us to also find matching throw pillows), i was a little disappointment with myself.

i have, however, since then been able to complete the other project that i mentioned. our wicker laundry basket - a bridal shower gift from my mom - now has a fresh, neat, new lining! and our clothes are very happy to be snag-free.

i must say, i'm pretty happy with the results of my sewing efforts. it really is an enjoyable hobby, and i hope to keep my sewing machine busy this year!

and with this photo i'll share a funny story.

the first time i visited brandon's new condo, it was still in a partially-furnished state. as he took my mom and i on a tour of the rooms, we paused in the guest bath, and he proudly reached into the cabinet under the sink to retrieve the shower curtain that had been picked out for the room.

yep - it was the same shower curtain that you see here, and that we had hanging in our bathroom in chicago! i find it funny that in the many times that he visited us there, he never noticed it, and had no idea that he was picking out the same one:)

quailty friday: there's no place like home for the holidays

2008-01-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

a song couldn't be more right. it was such a treat for mark and i to be back in chicago - together - and to celebrate the week between christmas eve until new years eve with family and friends.

christmas eve
despite beginning the day 2000 miles away, we were able to keep with tradition, and celebrate christmas eve with mark's dad and sister at norman's home in hyde park. it was the first year we have ever had pizza for christmas eve dinner, but low key and easy also equals stress free and fun!

we continued the evening by heading to our dearly missed church for a beautiful candlelight service. the scriptures and music celebrated Jesus and the true meaning of christmas. and walking through the doors felt like coming home, and the warm and tender greetings from our dear friends touched us deeply.

and it didn't end there. we then joined melissa and steven's at their home for late night catching up with melissa's mom, lillie.

christmas day
we have always spent christmas day with my family, and since we stayed with them all week, this year it was fun to be able to sleep in. we spent an enjoyable morning and early afternoon preparing the meal together. in fact, the day was so laid back that we didn't even get to opening gifts until the sun had already gone down!

that's how you can tell we're all grown up. no one's begging to open presents on christmas morning:)

the cute couples. and yes, that's a mojito glass in shruti's hands. who would have ever thought in a million years that there would be drinks served?

brandon, shruti, daniel, casandra and jonathan

i think this is such a cute picture of casandra and jonathan. and have you noticed the cute haircuts on shruti and casandra? both recently donated their hair. i'd like to think i inspired them:)

gift time!

the highlight of the night was definitely enjoying dessert after all the presents were opened. the conversations and anecdotes got so funny that i tried to capture them on video, and would share them with you, but they just don't do the night justice. all i can say is that brandon attempting to put cooling eye drops into mark's eyes had me laughing so hard that i literally fell out of my seat and was rolling on the floor crying.

love those times.

the rest of the week

we tried to pack in as much as possible during the days that followed.

we played board games a few times (and yes, the boys did beat us twice at cranium). my mom and leslie and i spent an afternoon downtown in the snow. i laughed till i cried at the movies. mark reconnected with a close high school friend. we saw many loved ones. the list goes on and on.

and from trips to friends homes, to poker and xbox games, to brunches and lunches and dinners with any and everyone that would come out to play with us, we had a great time.

lunch group at fogo de chao. talk about over-indulgence.

dinner crowd at carson's. (l-r: norman, leslie, stacie, reggie, burton, kim, audrey, wylene, mark)

the week flew by, and by the time we left we were tired (exhausted, really) and extremely content.

we headed back to california on new year's eve (sadly, missing out on the fun at "4133"), and got home just in time pop open a bottle of champagne, turn the tv on, and countdown to the new year. and then collapse into our extremely-wonderful-and-very-missed bed!

resolutions

2008-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

its that time of the year, isn't it?

to be honest, i never seem to remember the resolutions i make each last year, which is why i'm writing them down this time. i'm hoping that having something to look back at will help me to remind myself of the things i'd like to accomplish/continue to work at. and maybe some of you out there will help to keep me accountable, too!

so here's my list:

1) cook more frequently. i'm tired of making excuses! i have the perfect job (well, when i'm not traveling, that is) for making dinner at night. and with mark working late in the evenings, its really not fair to rely on him to make meals at 11pm. so my goal is 3 nights a week, when i'm at home.

2) eat in moderation. if last week at home in chicago taught us anything, it was that over-indulgence is a terrible (and painful) thing. we had large quantities of rich, heavy, delicious foods every day, and by the end of the week our stomachs were NOT happy with us. i'd like to learn to say "no" when i'm not hungry, enjoy sweets and treats in smaller quantities (as in, not finishing the entire bag of chips, or half the box of cookies in one sitting:), and try to think about the nutritional value of the foods i choose before i indulge in them.

3) exercise consistently. this is a big one for me. i have a tendency to be an all-or-nothing kind of girl when it comes to exercise. the perfect example? i poured my heart into training for a marathon, and since then, have done none at all on a regular basis. and i'm not happy with where its taken me.

4) learn a language. or refresh myself on one that i already (partially) know. mark and i are tackling this one together, using a christmas gift from last year. estamos comenzando con español.

5) be intentional in my relationships. say "i love you" to the people i love. pick up the phone and call to see how friends and family are doing. show that i care. i really do.

and now its YOUR turn.

what are your resolutions for 2008? post a comment, if you'd like to share.

or better yet, this would be a fun game of tag! the rules? list 5 resolutions (or however many you've made), and then tag 5 friends to do the same.

melissa
ann-marie
kjersten
stacy
vlada

you're all now "IT"!

good-bye 2007, hello 2008!

2008-01-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

who would have guessed we'd be where we are, if you'd asked us a year ago?

2007 has been a memorable year for the malone family....

a new job for me resulted in a move across country. which in turn lead to a new school and new jobs for mark! we've worked to adjust to leaving chicago, to our new busy schedules and are continually working to explore all that the san francisco bay area has to offer. we were blessed to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary, and have shared in the joy of the marriages of dear family and friends. and i ran a marathon!

yes, this year has been a journey in many ways.

so what will 2008 bring? where will we find ourselves a year from now?

only time will tell, but here's what i'm hoping:

happy. healthy. full of love. discovering. enjoying. living life to its fullest.

and i'm praying for the same for you. wishing you a wonderful 2008!

annual christmas photo

2007-12-23T22:46:00.000-08:00

christmas eve eve 2007 - vallejo, ca

another tradition! ever since we've owned a digital camera, we've taken an annual christmas photo.

usually, its taken at around midnight on christmas eve, after having spent the evening with mark's family and just before opening our presents to each other - which means that sometimes the photo sessions are cut short due to a combination of tiredness and anticipation!

this year's photo was taken two days before christmas....we wanted to take it at our home, and tomorrow we'll be heading back to chicago for the week!

so i'll take this opportunity to wish you a very merry christmas. may God richly bless you this holiday season.

love,

audrey

christmas eve 2006 - rogers park, chicago, il

sadly, our photos from 2003 - 2005, when we lived in evanston are permanently "stored" on a crashed hard drive. anyone know how these might be retreived? three years of photos is a lot to loose.

christmas eve 2002 - schaumburg, il

christmas eve 2001 - our first christmas married - des plaines, il

christmas day 2000 - newly engaged! photo taken at the cruz's home, chicago, il

isn't it fun to see how much we've changed (and grown up) over the years?

quality friday: christmas traditions

2007-12-21T21:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is here
Families growing near
Oh that we could always see
Such spirit through the year

with christmas just around the corner (yay! hooray!), the week has brought with it a few christmas traditions for mark and i...

christmas trees

since we've been married, we have only ever purchased fresh christmas trees for our home. we love the smell of pine and the festivity that it adds to our home.

last year, our rogers park apartment didn't really have room for a tree so sadly, we didn't have one. and this year, since we'll be traveling to chicago for christmas, we briefly considered forgoing one again.

we quickly discovered, however, that although mid-50 degree weather doesn't make it feel like christmas outside, a tree, decorations and candles lit inside will do just the trick! off we went, found ourselves a fresh tree, and smiled at the cheer it brought to our home.

that, and the little ceramic tree with tiny colorful lights, that's pictured above. as a little boy, mark loved decorating this mini-tree, and although the bright star on top broke many years ago, and a few of lights have been lost over the years, we hope that some day our children will love doing just the same.

that very first gift

although i didn't realize it as a tradition until this year, i now recognize that opening the very first christmas gift in our home deserves its own place on the list.

you see, the earlier we finish christmas shopping (for each other, that is), the sooner this tradition surfaces. some years it finds its way into our homes on the morning of the 24th, just after all the gifts are wrapped. and on other years - like this one - it happens even sooner.

inevitably, my dear husband (who loves christmas and presents very much), will look at me with sweet and innocent eyes, and ask, "can we open just one?"

"please?", he asks. or worse, "i really want you to open one. i don't care if i do or not."

i've never been able to resist the pleading, so why start now? officially, its a tradition in our home - one that we celebrated on thursday this year.

and my gift? this lovely wristlet that i'd been wanting. thank you sweetie! more traditions will follow as we make our way to christmas day. until then, happy quality friday to you!

sweet home, chicago

2007-12-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

last week brought me back home for a few days, and boy were they busy ones! i packed in as much "seeing people" as i possibly could, and here's a bit of a recap of the little taste of home that this quick trip brought!

wednesday afternoon, my plane landed and i got to see snow on the ground!
quickly headed to my parents, let myself in, tiptoed into the living room (not that it was a surprise, but still), and was greeted with squeals and hugs from my mom and dad. dad's first comment was "i'm having trouble getting to your blog...can you help me with that" :)
daniel was home, too, and jonathan got home shortly afterwards, having just finished his last final (congrats, jonny!) - we all headed out to dinner, and enjoyed a scrumptious meal.
brandon joined us for dessert, and after some light shopping in downtown evanston, mom and i headed over to see his NEW CONDO!!! it really is gorgeous. proud of you, brandon!

thrusday, i headed in to work for the day, and then had a delicious dinner out with my work team.
i left and got to my old high school just in time for my brother, daniel's, concert choir performance. they sounded amazing - great job, daniel!
mark's dad, norman was there, too. and i got to see my choral conductor, mrs. brown, from my own concert choir days! as in, the teacher from the class where mark and i met almost thirteen years ago. i haven't seen her in over 10 years!
afterwards, the family enjoyed a relaxing night at home - brandon's girlfriend, shruti, was also at the concert and hung out later with us.

friday brought another busy day at work, which i got to break up with a wonderful lunch with my dear friend, lindsay. i really do miss her.
after work, i stopped by my friend precious' home, for a quick visit with her, and to meet her beautiful twins! jakob and jaimie are beautiful, and i'm so happy for this wonderful family.
after picking up some wine, i met melissa for dinner at a local favorite (seriously, they make good everything), and even ran into our friends mandy and don, who were having dinner there, too!
we got to spend the rest of the evening enjoying melissa's beautifully decorated pine scented home and some catch-up bff time. and i finally got to see her spain photos:)

and saturday morning, i woke up for an early flight home. snow was falling, beautifully covering the ground, and it felt like christmas to me. ahhh.

i can't wait to head back next week. it'll be fun for mark and i to be there together this time, and we're looking forward to a wonderfully busy week. save some snow for him, okay?

quality friday: afternoon breaks

2007-12-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

some days desperately call for a little something extra to break up the monotony or busy-ness of the day.

back when i worked in an office [i know, i'm saying that like it was ages ago], i would enjoy a lunch-hour run with my workout buddies, as a way to clear my head and rejuvenate for the afternoon ahead. it worked wonders, and now that i work from home, you'd think that these types of breaks would be easier to take. in fact, they're not.

when i'm on the road, there are definitely days when my lunches are either highly condensed or completely non-existent. on the days i'm working from home i either find myself forget about lunch, or i spend the hour checking my personal e-mail, friend's blogs, or other such stationary activities. sadly, at the end of the day, i look back and realize that i've just spent 8+ hours sitting on my couch with my computer on my lap and a phone to my ear, having done almost no physical activity at all.

not only do i end up feeling sluggish, lethargic, and just plain gross, but my back and neck have also started to ache from my poor posture.

this week, i finally determined that i was going to make an effort to do something active, something enjoyable or at least something that didn't involve a computer on my lunch hour. on tuesday, it was a trip to the bank and a walk around the grocery store to pick up ingredients for dinner. on wednesday, a run on the treadmill while watching martha make fudge [and have i mentioned that my knee no longer hurts when i run?!?!?!]. on thursday, some pilates and stretches at home, because the rain was coming down something fierce.

and friday break certainly topped off the week!

i took the day off so that i could enjoy mark's end-of-semester vocal recital [he did a fantastic job, by the way!!], and we got to his campus about an hour before the performance, leaving me with a little time to wander about. i found this lovely spot, cracked open my book, and basked in the sunshine on my face and the warmth of the mid-60 degree day, enjoying the gorgeous clouds that the rain left behind, fluffy in the bright blue sky.

it was perfect and refreshing, as all afternoon breaks should be.

what do you do to break up your day? to relax after a busy morning? or to clear your mind and prepare yourself to take on the afternoon? i'd love to hear from you!

homesick

2007-12-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

something about being far away from home (home being chicago, of course) as the holiday season began, started to get me down last week.

my week of vacation, during which i was finally able to slow down and relax a little, was followed by a week of very little travel for work. nice as it was, it also left my mind free to finally realize just how much i miss my seeing, and being with, my friends and family.

you see, for a while after we moved, i was finding myself back in chicago every few weeks, so the experience of moving 2,000 miles away was just a little bit cushioned. following this "transition" came almost 2 months of no trips back. and with it, a noticeable lapse in communication with folks back home (and i fully admit that i am as much to blame as anyone), no more marathon to train for, the reality of not being able to get together with anyone easily, missing out on things i wanted to be a part of, and then, our first holiday in california.

i started to feel very, very, far, far away. and the sadness hit like a ton of bricks.

i've never lived away from home before. i went to college 15 minutes from my parents house, and since we've been married, mark and i have never lived more than an hour away from the people that we care about most. so this has been a first for me, and all-of-a-sudden, all at once, the reality of distance set in.

i started to notice that i didn't have much energy to do anything. after a day of sitting at the computer, all i wanted to do was take a nap. and with mark working some nights, i was especially lonely. i found myself in tears one night, wondering things like does anyone even miss us? and can't we just pick up and go home? thankfully, i have a wonderful and supportive husband who held me as i cried, and even cried with me (until we were both laughing:), reminding me that these feelings are normal.

and the next day, i spent a few hours re-connecting with my dearest, oldest friend.

and then i got an e-mail from my mom that reminded me that i'm at the top of her list.

and the next day, we got a call from our friend, and church choir director from home, just to see how things were going with us.

and then my brother, brandon, called and we spent a long time catching up and planning for Christmas.

and to top it all off, i also found out, that work will be bringing me back to chicago even sooner than our planned Christmas trip!

and so, i feel a million times better.

isn't God good? He knows exactly what we need, exactly when we need it, and He always, always, ALWAYS provides.

quality friday: broadway, baby

2007-11-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

orpheum theater - photo from theaters of san francisco

since we've moved, we've tried to make it our mission to take in all that we can of our new surroundings. of course, that can sometimes be difficult with my work travel schedule, and mark's equally busy school and work combination, but when we have the chance to do something unique or fun we certainly attempt to.

last weekend, mark happened to flip on the tv, and our cable company was listing an advertisement for a great deal on theater tickets to see the color purple, presented here in san francisco (and all around the country) by a popular chicago icon, no less! we quickly looked online, and found that the deal was only for 2 weeks, with the first show option that following tuesday.

knowing that i had a day trip to seattle planned for wednesday, and thus that i could pretty much guarantee i'd be in town on tuesday night, we jumped at the chance and purchased tickets for 4 days out.

tuesday night, we had fun getting dressed up and heading to the historic orpheum theater to see this wonderful show. the music was a beautiful mixture of jazz, gospel and blues, the story inspiring, and i'll certainly have to watch the movie sometime soon, at mark's recommendation.

if its at a theater near you, take the opportunity to enjoy this story of hope and testament to the healing power of love.

the view of city hall we saw from union square tuesday night

and a lovely thanksgiving weekend, it was.

2007-11-25T20:05:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.

it captures the essence of family, to me. time spent together, the aromas and flavors of wonderful comforting foods, and all without the commercialism and pressures of gift-giving that christmas can sometimes become. it really is the perfect time to give thanks.

growing up, i enjoyed this one time each year that my mom's family would gather together. i remember the food was always delicious, lovingly prepared, and more than filling. but it was the company that made the day special - i loved the time with my cousins, aunts and uncles - playing games, catching up on the events of our lives, and cherishing each other.

when mark and i started dating, i remember him coming over for thanksgiving dessert to meet the family, and at then end of the night, my aunt pattie told me that he was "a keeper"! and after we were married, i'll never forget the year i spent 48 hours taking the greyhound home from a trip to visit my nanay who had just suffered a stroke, arriving on thanksgiving morning just in time for a huge celebration at mark's parent's home. it was the last time i saw my grandma before she died. and it was also the last thanksgiving that mark's mom was here with us.

just last year, we finally decided that we were going to stop "splitting" the day between both families. we spent thanksgiving day with mark's family (enjoying a meal at maggiano's), and invited mine over for homemade Greek food on saturday, and planned to reverse the time in years to come. looking back, who would have guessed that this year we'd be 2000 miles away?

when mark's dad and sister decided that they were going to travel to visit us for the weekend, we were thrilled! not only would we have family with us for thanksgiving, but we were also looking forward to having guests for the long weekend, and this being leslie's first trip to visit us in san francisco, we wanted it to be extra special. and it was.

thanksgiving weekend, 2007

thanksgiving day was spent cooking the perfect [both in size and in quality!] meal of turkey, gravy, carol's (mark's mom) famous dressing, homemade cranberry sauce, rolls and spinach gratin. once we were all positively stuffed, we settled in for naps or for a viewing of the princess bride.

friday we took off for some light shopping, lunch of the best burgers california has to offer, and then an afternoon of napa valley wine tasting! we came home and enjoyed an evening of grilled seafood and bacon-wrapped fillets, cheese and more wine:)

saturday, we rounded out the weekend with two trips into san francisco! we drove in over the golden gate bridge, marvelled at the palace of fine arts, had lunch at pier 39, curved down lombard street, stopped for a wade in the ocean, and toured the presidio before heading home to get gussied up for a night of jazz and fine dining.

thanks for joining us for a memorable thanksgiving, norman and leslie! we love you!

madonna estate's reserve tasting room - where mark's favorite was the dolcetto, norman's the cabernet sauvignon, leslie's the muscat canelli, and my favorite the gewürztraminer

enjoying château service at domaine carneros, where we sampled flights of sparkling wine (the Le Rêve was pheNOMenal), pinot noir (mark was dying to leave with the famous gate), smoked salmon and an amazing cheese tray

leslie was determined to touch the ocean...but didn't expect it to be as COLD as it was when it lapped over her feet!

the four of us, thoroughly enjoying the ambiance, cuisine and jazz trio at BIX. i must recommend the following menu items - truffle cheese and sweet onion "croques", tuna tartare, smoked trout salad, grilled hill ranch pork chops, and the american kobe "bavette" steak. the only dissappointment, in my opinion, were the specialty drinks. why make a cosmo with rum, or a gimlet with vodka, when the originals are wonderful the way they are?

its beginning to feel a lot like christmas

2007-11-20T09:32:00.000-08:00

christmas concerts...

let me tell you how proud i was to be sitting in the audience listening to my husband perform!

...flurries in the air...

i can't believe how dirty my camera lens was! still, i love this photo of us - isn't mark handsome in his tux?

...even the desserts had a light dusting!

this weekend brought mark's choral concerts on friday and saturday nights. when he mentioned that he needed to bring treats for intermissions, i quickly jumped (again) at the chance to bake.

for those of you who enjoy rich (and i mean rich), chocolate-y desserts, try this brownie recipe. its perfect for every season, any occasion.

*************************************************
outrageous brownies

from the barefoot contessa cookbook

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs (i used 7 large eggs, instead)
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts (optional - i left these out, since mark doesn't enjoy nuts in his brownies)

preheat oven to 350 degrees. butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet. [ i used a 11 x 15-inch baking dish for thicker brownies, and increased the cooking time by ~ 10 minutes. to butter the dish, i recommend using the foil wrappers from sticks of butter. these work perfectly, and can be saved for future use by folding and storing in your refrigerator in a plastic baggie.]

melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water.

allow to cool slightly. in a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. stir in the warm chocolate mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

in a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. add to the cooled chocolate mixture.

toss the walnuts (optional) and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. pour into the baking sheet.

bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do Not Overbake! allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate (very important for them to be cold when cutting!), and cut.

dust with powdered sugar and serve on a party platter, as picture above, or my favorite way to enjoy these delicious treats is to re-heat and serve with french vanilla ice-cream.

quality friday: warm and fuzzies

2007-11-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

i consider myself a relatively creative person. through the years, i've enjoyed projects that involve sewing, knitting, crocheting - and crafting in general - and have loved wrapping myself up in the process of creating. from choosing the materials to work with, to deciding what pattern or layout to use, i've poured myself into each project and have been known to spend spend hours-on-end working on this or that.

that's why when we've moved into new apartments in the past, i've usually enjoyed the opportunity to sew curtains for our windows or make dinner napkins to match our decor. and for years, christmas gifts of hats, scarves, blankets and purses have been lovingly made for my family and friends. i've crocheted many a baby blanket for the beautiful bundles of joy that grace my friend's lives, and have made items [mittens and scarves were my specialty] for the crafty angels, a group from our church in chicago, to be donated to those in need - both in our community and around the globe. and i've also found scrapbooks and photo albums to make wonderful gifts for loved ones on special occasions, such as 30th birthdays and bridal showers.

so, then, why have my creative juices dried up, as of late?

i'm sure i can find a million reasons [and even more excuses] for why this has been the case, but the bottom line is that i'm fed up!

projects - like re-lining my wicker laundry basket [so the clothes don't snag], or making curtains for the living room [so the neighbors can't see in]- have made fleeting appearances in my thoughts, but never seem to find their way to fruition. or to state it more accurately, they've never even been started.

its time for a change.

which is why this quality friday post is dedicated to the knitting needles and crochet hooks that i've pulled out of hiding and have actually started to USE this week. i've uncovered a few old projects that are begging to be completed, and have even made my way to my favorite crafts store for some new supplies. the photo above is one of the knitting projects that i started many moons ago, and i've got another one sitting next to me right now, that can't be shown because its recipient just might read this entry:)

PLUS, and i'm on vacation next week [hooray, HOORAY!], so the timing couldn't be more perfect. i've got lots of warm an fuzzy things on my adjenda [and maybe a few practical ones, too], and hope that i'll have some completed projects to share with you soon.

happy quality friday - hope you have a wonderful and creative week ahead of you!

the flavors, sights and sounds of the mission

2007-11-14T23:30:00.000-08:00

on sunday, i spent the afternoon enjoying wonderful company and this cool san francisco neighborhood.

my freshman-year college roommate, shannon, was passing through san francisco on her way to a conference in boston [from her home in new zealand!], so she, vlada and i met up to do some exploring in san francisco. and to catch up, of course! shannon's high school friend kate, who also lives in the bay area, and vlada friend sean [now a friend of mark and mine as well!] who lives in the mission, also joined along on the adventure.

sean, vlada, kate and i - stuffed to the brim and walking off our super burritos. mine was a carne asada and pollo combination, with black bean and all the fixin's. mmmm, mmmm good.

these drawers in s.f.'s only pirate supply store, are filled with goodies from sea salt to eye patches

and the shop next door [wish i could remember its name] has a display of orchids next to coolest old wooden wheelchair.

stem, an uber-cute floral boutique, also sells gifts, housewares, candles, stationary.....
...and children's clothing and accessories.

freshman year roomies, enjoying aMAZEing icecream. shannon's tried the sam's sundae [chocolate ice cream, bergamot olive oil, maldon sea salt, and fresh whipped cream], and enjoyed its unique and intense flavors, and i loved my salted caramel and pumpkin combination.

[and on a side note, as we were outside enjoying these treats, we witnessed a crazy car accident....a car full of girls smashed into a parked car at a "T" intersection, and proceeded to jump out of the car, leave it sitting in the middle of traffic blocking 2 lanes, and RAN FROM THE SCENE! thankfully no one was hurt. crazy!]

and here are just a few of the murals that this area is so famous for:

i have to say, i really enjoy this area - its diverse and interesting with a wide variety of food, shops and sights. its not in the least touristy, and has the feel of a "real" san francisco neighborhood.

so, readers, what are your favorite neighborhoods in your favorite cities? and why do you like them?

seafood extravaganza

2007-11-12T22:03:00.000-08:00

this was the feast that mark prepared for us on saturday night, when i returned home from a few days in los angeles!

mark recently made friends with the owner of a local seafood market, and was so excited to try their many recommendations, that he decided to create a seafood-sampler meal. the menu included grilled oysters topped with a garlic butter sauce, two types of fish, and lobster [the owner liked mark so much, that he threw in a lobster for free!]. it was quite a treat, and a wonderful way to welcome me home.

i was reminded, again, of how amazing it is to have a husband that loves to cook. he manages to make fantastic meals with what appears to take no effort at all - a skill that i will never quite understand and will likely never possess. all i have to do is sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

i'm a lucky girl, i tell you!

fit for a....kid

2007-11-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

ever lose track of what you're doing for just a moment? and that moment is just the amount of time needed to make all the difference?

i blatantly disregarding the "hand wash cold", figuring that cold water on the delicate cycle would suffice. but i intended to pay attention to the "dry flat" on the label. critical instructions for 100% merino wool, i was reminded when i opened the dryer.

sad thing is that i've done this before. twice.

so unless i shrink 6 inches, i'm hoping that my favorite travel sweater - lightweight but warm, perfect for an airplane - will be loved by some 10-year-old, somewhere.

quality friday: searching

2007-11-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

how long has it been since we moved to northern california? the days seem to be flying by, quickly adding up into weeks and months. life has been busy for both of us.

whereas i feel that i've adjusted to the constant travel of my job, i still often find myself exhausted by it. long hours, time changes, and what feels like constant mental stimulation monday through friday find me more-than-ready for relaxation and regrouping when i'm at home. still, the weekend arrives with its own set of responsibilities - cleaning and laundry to be done, errands to run - as well as my desire to spend as much time with mark as possible.

for mark, his weeks are filled with school during the day, and work many evenings. he often is up at 7am, and not home until 10:30 at night, and his weekends are much shorter than mine with a work shift both on friday and sunday nights. somehow, he fits studying, practicing, and a little relaxation into the mix.

so the weeks have passed - along with them, many a sunday morning - and i'm ashamed to say that until this week, we hadn't visited a single church or worshiped God amidst a community of believers since leaving chicago.

not that we hadn't thought about it. we've prayed many evenings for a church like the one we left - warm, inviting and compassionate, where God's word was preached with vigor and strength, and where the amazingly wonderful people shower you with love from the moment you set foot in the door. what we realized long ago, and were reminded of again last sunday, was that that having been so blessed with all these things back home was going to set the bar high here. but how much good does it do to ask for something when you don't follow up by actively looking?

the hardest part was even knowing where to begin searching for a church home. we began by searching for a local covenant church, but found that there really weren't any in the towns nearby, and knew that driving long distances to church would keep us from getting involved the way that we wanted to. so where turn to next?

one sunday a few weeks ago, we were enjoying lunch at a napa favorite and found ourselves chatting with two couples that had just come from church, and invited us to come for a visit. sadly, weeks later, neither of us could quite remember its exact name, but looking in that area seemed to make sense. being close to mark's work meant that he could easily get there after the service, and being only 20 minutes from home worked nicely too.

interestingly enough we did much of our research on-line, found a few options, and headed to one of them last sunday. it felt wonderful to be worshiping in church and to actually hear a sermon preached, and we're thankful that we've finally gotten through the awkward nervousness of not quite knowing where to go first.

although we're not sure that the church we visited is where we'll make our home, at least we've finally started searching.

enjoying the week

2007-11-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

a week at home? it feels like its been a L O N G time since i've had one of those. it has been wonderful to to spend weeknight evenings with mark, to sleep in my own bed at night [which, by the way, i now love. time certainly won us over on that purchase].

of course, there was a bit of a trade off for my week of "local" travel. i spent upwards of four hours a day commuting from our home, located about 30 miles northeast of san francisco, to a client site about the same distance southwest of the city. 60 miles equals 60 minutes, right? maybe on the weekends or in the middle of the day, but not this week for me - i seemed to hit traffic in at least one direction, every day. never mind that i left home between 5:30 and 6:00am [thank you, starbucks double tall lattes], or tried to head out before or after rush hour. sigh.

two things made the commute more bearable. in fact, they made the week downright enjoyable!

the first, that the highway that i chose to take between san francisco and palo alto is breathtakingly beautiful. at sunrise, the fog was still so thick that the mountains weren't even visible and only the largest trees near the road could be seen, paving a captivating path. mid-day, the lush, rolling hills and green trees could be seen for miles, and at time the lakes to the west are even visible. yesterday, i stopped at a vista point to take some photos, attempting to capturing a bit of the beauty. and this evening i found that sunset is equally gorgeous.

even better than the beautiful scenery is that being in palo alto [have i mentioned that i love that town? reminds me of evanston in so many ways], is that i got to hang out with vlada a few time!

on monday evening, we did some shopping [and incidentally, i purchased yet another suit. seriously, i need to make a decision and make some returns], and then i enjoyed dinner with the newlyweds. after michal headed back to class, vlada and i grabbed our new favorite dessert [let me tell you, the fresh strawberry and shaved chocolate toppings pair perfectly!], and then i got a preview of the best of their wedding photography.

and this afternoon, i stopped by for a quick visit and to drop off some baked goodies.

vlada time twice in one week? what a treat:)

multi-purpose

2007-10-30T22:45:00.001-07:00

one of this year's best purchases has definitely been my classic black miller bag, snagged during a fun-but-crazy vera bradley outlet sale event a few months ago. the uses for this bag are endless.

it works wonderfully as a laptop bag for my weeks back in the office.

i find it to be the perfect size for overnight work trips [although, admittedly, it can get to be a bit heavy to haul around clothes, shoes and toiletries on one shoulder and a computer on the other].

its many compartments make it a great companion for weekend trips to the farmer's market.

and i have, on occasion, also used it as a gym bag, a beach bag, and to tote around whatever craft projects i happen to be working on.

i tend to use my fave bag for carrying things. imagine my surprise when i found that it also doubles (triples? quadruples?) as a very comfortable lounge spot:)