things and stuff...

(335) 'tis the season

2011-12-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas music.
I downloaded some new stuff today:

(334) zombies

2011-12-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

I'm not really a fan of sci-fi or fantasy. Vampires are of no interest to me. I only saw one of the popular vampire-based movies (upon the insistence of my brother-in-law) and have bypassed the myriad of vampire-based television shows. It seems zombies have become more popular lately, and a particular favorite of Connor's. He started watching this show, then got Kevin hooked on it. After much prodding, I decided to give it a go. I watched all of Season 1 today (only 6 episodes) and was surprised - it actually isn't bad.

Now, on to Season 2.

(333) heat

2011-11-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

Our little home office reflects the extremes of whatever weather we happen to be experiencing... stinking hot in the summer, stinking cold in the winter. Working at home today, and this little space heater is working overtime!

(332) dinner

2011-11-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

I don't often make dinner. I mean, I EAT dinner, but it mostly consists of toast or cereal or a quick run over to Rubio's for a chicken taco on flour. Kevin and I often have differing evening schedules, but when we're both home and I offer to make something, the response I get is, "If I'm hungry I'll make myself something."Tonight I didn't ask, I just made. I had all the fixin's for yummy panini, so I made yummy panini - turkey, bacon, pepper jack cheese.

(331) tired

2011-11-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

Being alone for most of the day, Zoey's usual daily schedule consists of lots of snoozing. Her usual schedule was totally disrupted during our trip to Arizona for Thanksgiving. With all the people and kids and another dog running around all day, she couldn't squeeze in any naps. So, today - the first full day back at home - she hasn't really moved from this spot.

(330) heading home

2011-11-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

First to arrive, last to leave... Hated to say good-bye to this guy:

The downside to holidays away from home is the holiday traffic. The majority of our drive home was smooth sailing. And then we stopped. Like, fully stopped. Like, parking lot stopped. This happened twice, at which time Zoey and I got out. Not very often does one get to traipse around in the middle of the freeway.

A drive that usually take about 5.25 hours took nearly 8 today. Zoey and Connor, stuffed together in the back seat, weren't too keen on that. My iPad and I were just fine in the front.

(329) Arizona - the fun continues!

2011-11-26T13:37:00.000-08:00

Philip's hunting expedition was successful - he came back with a big ol' elk. The boys were eager to check it out. Pretty gross, if you ask me.

Next activity of the day - over to the mall to see The Muppets. The movie was followed by some fountain-playing and a Johnny Rockets chocolate shake for me (with two extra straws for two little nephews).

Had to throw this in... these two are so adorable (in their post chocolate shake bliss).

(328) Arizona - more fun!

2011-11-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

More beautiful weather necessitated an outing. We took all the kids over to Papago Park for a little hike and picnic. We hiked up to Hole in the Rock, some of us hiking up to the top while others stayed on on the main level.

Though the top wasn't the highest point in the world, the fact that it was an enormous, giane rock we were climbing on, a rock that we could fall off of with a wrong step, and it made me a little nervous. My nervousness increased ten-fold when I went around a corner and saw this:

Yes, four-year-old Jack, was sitting there at the top. Whaaat the heeeeck? Kevin was close behind, explaining that the little monkey scurried up to the top so quickly that even he couldn't keep up. This guy doesn't comprehend the fact that he's only four and has no fear. I, on the other hand, totally comprehend the fact he is only four and was very fearful for his safety.

Waiting for us at the bottom:

(327) Arizona - Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T13:10:00.000-08:00

I'll start with a warning here... lots of photos for today, so you'll be scrolling for a while.

I love it when my family is together, so I've been excited for this weekend in Arizona. Everyone is here, except for Cindy and her family. I'm hoping she'll see all the fun they missed and they'll get back to the west as soon as possible!

The focus of today - thankfulness, togetherness and FOOD! Kristen had lots of good food for us, and we all pitched in to help.

Kristen made a delicious and juicy turkey... brined it last night, put it in the oven today, and it came out perfectly. Michael and Markie took on the task of carving the turkey. Put a carving knife in a surgeon's hands and you'll get some precise cutting. I don't think I've seen anyone put as much time into carving as Michael did.

The feast!

Caleb was the lucky recipient of one of the turkey legs, and he went at it with gusto. It's amazing what a growing 10-year-old boy can consume!

A picture by my Mom. It takes a lot of talent to line things up exactly so that the candles totally block everyone's faces...

It was a beautiful day, and we took advantage of our togetherness to take family pictures.

All of us

Michael, Kristen, Avery, Matthew, and Parker

Philip, Mindy, Caleb, Helen, and Jack

Today is also Philip's birthday... we sang Happy Birthday to him before he took off for his hunting expedition.

I have lots of things for which I am thankful. The most important ones have been pictured here.

(326) Arizona

2011-11-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

My brother, Michael, and family moved to Arizona earlier this year, and we all pretty much invited ourselves to their house for Thanksgiving. Kevin, Connor, and I were the first to arrive this afternoon, so my sister-in-law Kristen put me to work. Around their yard they have lots of citrus trees - primarily oranges, with a few grapefruits and lemons. The orange trees were abundant with fruit, so we decided that freshly squeezed juice would be a nice treat for tomorrow's breakfast. Connor and I went out with Kristen's nifty fruit-picking tool and filled up a few bags full of oranges.

We had a couple of tag-alongs... Parker and Zoey didn't want to be left behind!

(325) salsa

2011-11-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

I love chips and salsa. LOVE IT. I've had meals that consisted solely of chips and salsa. I like homemade salsa, but when I make it, I take the easy way. No chopping of tomatoes for me when cans of the good stuff will suffice. Open a few cans, chop a bit of green onion and cilantro, and voila! The recipe I use, from my good friend Chis, makes a lot... more than the two of us need, really. But somehow, we never seem to have a problem finishing it.

(324) license plates

2011-11-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

I love lists. I'm constantly making lists in my head (and sometimes on paper). Long before GoodReads came around I had lists of the books I read. I like reading other people's lists. I like checking things off and seeing what I've done/seen/read, etc. This fits in perfectly with the license plate game.

Though I notice and acknowledge license plates from other states, I've never really played the game. Until, that is, my friend Dyana got me hooked while we were in Washington D.C. and Virginia a few months ago. She noticed that there were tons of different license plates all over and started checking them off on her iPhone app. There's an app for that? Of course there is. Her excitement rubbed off on my, I downloaded the app on to my phone, and by the end of the weekend we were halfway done with 26 states checked off.

I've continued looking since that time, and am down to only a few more left. Today the truck in front of me got me one state closer to finishing! Thank you, Colorado!

(323) treats

2011-11-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

Last year, when I was released from my church calling working with the Young Women, I was asked to teach Sunday School to the 16-18 year-old youth. I enjoyed it, and they enjoyed the fact that I brought them treats every week. A few months ago I was asked to work in the Nursery, and Kevin was asked to take over the Sunday School class. The kids claimed they'd miss me. I know they really meant "We'll miss your treats."

Though my "treats" in Nursery now consist of pretzels and fishy crackers, I still supply Kevin with real treats for the Sunday School class. Today they got individual monkey bread.

(322) best laid plans

2011-11-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days.

Today I was supposed to run 7.3 miles in a local race. I had planned on it all week and was ready. I had also planned to get a lot of other stuff done today. But when I awoke this morning I knew none of it was going to happen.

Due to my early work schedule, my body is used to be up and at 'em before 7:00 a.m. Saturday is no exception. The wee hours of a Saturday morning is usually when I get my errands done (the crazies don't hit Walmart until later in the day). But today? As the sun rose and clock ticked closer to 8:00 and I STILL couldn't open my eyes or move my body into an upright position I knew this was going to be a tough day. I ran a few of my errands (I was low on Diet Coke after all), relaxed on the couch a bit with the DVR, blew off the 7.3 mile race, but managed to eek out a quick 3 mile run with my friend Julie.

When I got home from the run Kevin advised that he'd be taking Connor out to his parents' house for a visit and asked if I wanted to come along. But I had chores to do around the house, I thought. Things need to get done. Should I really just drop everything and lounge around my in-laws' house for the rest of the day? Hmmm.... what to do, what to do?

My in-laws' house:

I lounged.
I dined at Cafe Rio.
I didn't get anything else done.

(321) UCI Blob

2011-11-18T21:46:00.000-08:00

Today my parents had an appointment at the medical center at UC Irvine. My mom didn't have to stay for the whole appointment and wanted to get home to her daycare. Since she doesn't drive on freeways, she asked that I come get her and take her home. Sure thing, Mom!

As I drove onto the UC Irvine campus I noticed a weird blob on the street signs. What the heck? What is that? I couldn't tell. Why would they put a blob on their street signs? Then I put two and two together... that blob must be the anteater, UCI's mascot. It had to be. UCI's bulbous, blobby anteater, there on the sign. They couldn't come up with a better picture? Seriously.

(320) pumpkin cookie + candy + good stuff

2011-11-17T22:18:00.000-08:00

I came across this recipe on one of the food blogs I follow and was intrigued. Well, maybe not so much intrigued. Maybe my mouth started watering as I read through the list of ingredients:
* pumpkin
* chocolate chips
* toffee bits
* Rolos

Using a cake mix as a base, it was easy to make, and all the candy was scumptious. The texture, however, was a bit... spongy? I don't know. But despite all the good stuff in it, this is not the perfect cookie. It needs a different base, THEN it might be the perfect cookie!

(319) QR

2011-11-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

Check this out... my own QR code. Use your smartphone barcode reader and see where it takes you.

(318) half schedule

2011-11-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

It looks easy enough, right?

(317) where's george

2011-11-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

I got this bill as change today and noticed the message...

Did I track this bill? Why, of course I did! Seems like I'm the only one (other than the original dude) who's playing, but that's ok. I love stuff like this.

(316) half

2011-11-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

During the summer I picked up this edition of Runner's World, primarily due to the "Half-Marathon Special." I knew that I wanted to run a half one day, and that day is fast approaching - I've signed up for the Run Like a Girl Retreat and half-marathon in St. George in February. I hadn't actually opened the magazine until now. The "special" turned out to be a mere two-page spread that talked more about the dealing with the butterflies you feel before running than the tips I was hoping for. It did, however, have a multiple page spread on the new running fashions.

(315) mini-pies

2011-11-12T21:06:00.000-08:00

Recipes for mini-apple pies have been circulating on Pinterest over the last few weeks. Since I have a big ol' bag of apples from my friend (fresh from Julian) I thought it would be a perfect time to try. Though a bit labor-intensive, they were quite good. Next time I think I'll try a crumb topping rather than dough...

(314) unimaginative

2011-11-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

I know - this is a total cop-out. I do appreciate the specialness of today - 11/11/11 - but didn't do a darn thing to memorialize it.

Oh well.

(313) sad candy bowl

2011-11-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

Just ten days ago this candy bowl was full of leftover Halloween candy, brought in by one of my co-workers. Being out in the open, the candy went fast. This is all that's left. Awwww! Poor, sad Milk Duds and Charlston Chew.... nobody wants you!

(312) quitting

2011-11-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

This sounds great and all, but tonight I quit. I did the Body Works class, but could only make it halfway through the Boxing/Boot Camp class. I couldn't take any more pain or hurt and wasn't interested in the reward.

(311) Jake

2011-11-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

My friends' son, Jake, is leaving tomorrow morning for the Missionary Training Center in Utah. He'll be serving a mission in the Philipines for the next two years, and what a fine missionary he'll be. I brought Zoey by tonight to bid him farewell. Though Jake is probably one of the only people upon whose lap Zoey can actually fit, she wasn't too interested.

(310) now THIS is big hair

2011-11-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

I saw this lady at Costco and could not resist. I couldn't get a great head-on photo to share with you. It would be nice if you could join in and marvel at the tremendous height of this hair. I can't imagine how many cans of Aqua Net were used to get this masterpiece in place, but I'm sure it was a feat.

I've added some commentary to aid in your appreciation.

I tried one more time in the food court.

(309) electronic recipe holder

2011-11-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I love technology...

...and pumpkin! Tried my hand at pumpkin cookies today.

(308) darn snow!

2011-11-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

Some friends and I have been planning for weeks (WEEKS!) to hike Mt. San Gorgonio today. Though it is a long, strenuous hike, I was excited to do it. We got a little worried during the week when the rain clouds rolled in, but we decided to go ahead with it. We were resigned to the fact that we probably wouldn't be able to finish the hike due to the likelihood of snow, but wanted to hike up as far as we could, until the trail was too hidden.

So, we got up early and made the drive up, only to find out that the snow was at a much lower elevation than anticipated. Although beautiful, we couldn't even make it to the trailhead. We stopped, took a few pictures, then made our way back down. I was bummed! Ah well... we'll try again in the spring.

(307) lunch

2011-11-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

Had lunch today with some of my favorite people at one of my favorite places.

(306) socks

2011-11-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Kevin is particular about his socks. Kind of weird about it, actually. He has his few favorite [casual] socks and will wear them for too many days in a row. I saw these at the mall today and snatched them up quickly, hoping to increase the number of socks in rotation, thereby decreasing the number of days they're worn before hitting the hamper.

(305) yum - there's bacon in it!

2011-11-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm bringing dinner to my friend's family tonight and wanted to do something relatively simple. My sister-in-law, Kristen, told me about THIS SITE, where I found this recipe - Baked Chicken Bacon Alfredo.

This will definitely be one I make again... it was TASTY!

(304) talking with friends

2011-11-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

It had been a while since I had talked with my friend Christie in Georgia, so tonight we caught up. I also got to catch up with Collins, who had just gotten shots and needed to show me where....

... and with Evan, who claimed to have grown so much that he was probably taller than me. He didn't actually know his height, so I told him to fetch a tape measure to find out. I told him that he couldn't do it by himself, though, because it would be inaccurate. He said he could do it by himself, and came back proclaiming himself to be 5'10".

No way.

His mom took a more accurate measurement... the boy is 5'7". I still have an inch on him.

(303) Halloween makes me sick

2011-10-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

Literally.

My stomach started hurting last night, but I went in to work anyway this morning. I ended up leaving a few hours later as I started feeling crappier and crappier. By the afternoon I determined I had full blown stomach flu and was down for the count.

With our plans to vacate the premises in order to avoid trick-or-treaters foiled, we shut off all the lights and endured the idiots who failed to notice the dark house and rang the doorbell anyway.

(302) dinner in SD

2011-10-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my sister-in-law Mindy's birthday. We celebrated together at her parent's house in Rancho Bernardo. I love spending time with my nieces and nephews.

Come to think of it, this was a great month in term of nieces and nephews - I've seen ALL of them! Michael's kids in Arizona at the beginning of the month, then Cindy's kids in Virginia, now Philip's kids.

Since it was such a beautiful day, Helen and I hung out on the sidewalk outside for a while, where she had great fun with her pinwheels.

Vignette Demo app on my phone:

(301) dressing up

2011-10-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

My Mom got Zoey a little witch hat for Halloween. She didn't much care for it, but she looked darn cute.

(300) beach day

2011-10-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

My nephews and niece are on fall break this week, so my sister-in-law Mindy decided to bring them down to So Cal for a few days at Disneyland and to see family. Mindy brought along a friend (and daughters) from her ward in Colorado to join in the fun. Her friend's daughters had never been to the beach before, so they HAD to fit this into their plans. With a little bit of arm twisting (yeah, right... none needed), I met them at Crystal Cove. They chose a beautiful day to spend in the sun and sand.

Jack never fails to crack me up. He got a Woody hat at Disneyland yesterday (it HAD to be the Woody hat, Mindy couldn't talk him in to choosing anything else) and wore it most of the time at the beach

He also spent a good amount of time tossing, then trying to catch, sand.

All the kids enjoyed the tide pools:

Caleb very carefully created a beach-lake:

Afterward, we headed to my parents' house for a delicious Vietnamese dinner. One of my favorites:

(299) not as pictured

2011-10-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Who do they think they're kidding with the picture on the box? Seriously.

(298) no tangles

2011-10-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

I've watched Law & Order: SVU for years now. I noticed long ago that Olivia always wore these two cool necklaces. I loved how the pairing looked together, so I've tried to duplicate it with necklaces I have. On the show they always look like this below - nicely cascaded, one sweetly below the other. On me the chains become a tangled mess, causing the charms to be askew and a bear to remove. I'm willing to bet that she has an assistant whose sole responsibility is to, during takes, ensures that Olivia's necklaces remain tangle-free. I need one of those.

(297) Virginia - day 5 * family pictures *

2011-10-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

The last thing to do while I was in Virginia was to take pictures of Cindy's family for her Christmas card. She had found this park nearby, and with the changing of the seasons it was beautiful scenery - the perfect backdrop for the photos.

(296) Virginia - day 4 * Washington DC *

2011-10-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

As many times as I've been to DC, I still hadn't been able to see everything I've wanted to see. Twice in the past we've tried to make it into the National Bureau of Printing and Engraving, but both times they were handing out tickets and our timing was never right. Since this is the off season in DC, there were no tickets to deal with. We walked right up and was inside within a minute. Let me tell you, this place, one of the two places where American paper currency is printed, was REALLY cool! We saw hundreds of millions of dollars laying around. If only...

A few more places that I'd been but Dyana hadn't... but, again, cool enough for a second visit.

Ford's Theater and the Peterson House

It's been a number of years since I had visited Ford's Theater, and they've redone most of it. Still pretty cool to see where President Lincoln was killed and learn more about the events of that night. I hadn't gotten the chance last time to visit the Peterson House across the street, where they had taken Lincoln after he was shot. They've done an amaxing job of keeping all of the original items from that historic event, down to the original flag draped over the theater box with picture of George Washington to the pistol used to the pillow upon which Lincoln rested his head. Kind of morbid, but kind of cool.

Next, on to the White House...

Trying to re-create Peter's planking picture in front of the White House.

... and then to the National Air and Space Museum, home to another penny machine.

I don't think we'd make good stewardesses.

After we were done in DC we did a little shopping with my sister. It's family picture time, and she needed an outfit for little Charlotte. We found some super-cute stuff at Target, and ended up with quite a few outfits. Of course, we had to try them out right away. Don't all girls need to try on their new stuff as soon as they get home? But, um, how many grown women does it take to change a baby?

Dyana's take on the day HERE.

(295) Virginia - day 3 * Montpelier & Monticello *

2011-10-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

Another busy day! Before leaving the Fredericksburg area we hit the Marine museum at Quantico. It was another place that I'd been to before, but still worth a second visit. One of the main reasons for the visit was its penny machine. You'll have to read Dyana's post about penny machines.

One of my favorite things in the museum - the flag flown in the iconic photo at Iwo Jima:

When we last brought the kids out to Virginia for a visit, we went out to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. As cool as it was, I was disappointed - bad weather and bad attitudes. Young teens don't appreciate history, it seems. So, I recommended a Monticello visit to Dyana, and was glad when she happily agreed.

On the way to Monticello we noticed signs for James Madison's Montpelier. Another president's historic estate? Why, yes! Let's go!

MONTPELIER:

MONTICELLO:
This time the weather was beautiful, the gardens were blooming, and we got to browse with no one nagging or complaining about how boring they though it was.

Now, back up to Cindy's house in Burke. Tomorrow will be another full day!

(294) Virginia - day 2 * Richmond & Fredericksburg *

2011-10-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a FULL day! We made use of every spare minute, enjoying every moment.

FIRST: Time Out For Women
An inspirational weekend, to be sure. It was a great opportunity to re-evaluate my life - all the many blessings I have and the ways I can become better. This year's theme was CHOOSE TO BECOME. We were challenged to "Choose to become just a little closer to the woman we were meant to be - through our testimony, through our relationships, and through our personal improvement." We heard great speakers, great music, great messages.

Meeting one of the speakers, Brad Wilcox:

NEXT: Richmond
We got about 90 minutes for lunch, so we hit the pavement and checked out downtown Richmond. For the state's capital, it was kind of a let down. Apart from the cool capitol building, the city was less than impressive.

THEN: Fredericksburg
Tonight we to stay at my brother-in-law Greg's house in Fredericksburg, an hour north of Richmond. The conference ended with enough time to do some sightseeing around Old Town Fredericksburg and the battlegrounds. Though I've been down here several times, Dyana hadn't - and it's cool enough to check out over and over again.

After visiting with Greg and Cathleen for a while, we hit the sack. Dyana went to use the bathroom... I hear a flush, then I hear an excited, "OH MY GOSH!" You'll have to read her post HERE, but she was very excited about the super-flusher that Greg had installed into the toilet. So much so that she quickly got her camera:

(293) Virginia - day 1 * Richmond *

2011-10-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

Wow... Red eye flights are NOT fun.

So, Virginia. Why am I in Virginia again? This time it's due to my friend Dyana's husband. And fall leaves. And Time Out For Women. Explanation? Read Dyana's post HERE. But regardless of the explanation, I can't pass up an opportunity to see my family again.

I arrived at Dulles this morning at 5:00 a.m. Dyana arrived last night and had a hotel room near the airport, so I got an hour or two of shut-eye before starting the day. The first stop was my sister Cindy's house. I just HAD to see my little niece, Charlotte, now four-months old.

Time Out For Women was taking place in Richmond, about two hours from my sister's place. We had time to kill before the event started tonight, so we did some sightseeing. My brother Philip lived outside of Richmond for a number of years, but I never made it into the city. One of our stops was the Hollywood Cemetary - a really cool, old cemetary that is the final resting place of two American presidents, six Virginia governors, two Supreme Court justices, twenty-two Confederate generals, and thousands of Confederate soldiers.

President John Tyler's gravesite:

President James Monroe's gravesite:

(292) on the road again

2011-10-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

This time it's a red eye.
I'm ready.
I think.

(291) Julie's birthday!

2011-10-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

It was my good friend Julie's birthday this week. Tonight's celebration took us to Claim Jumper for appetizers and desserts. While the rest of us split a Chocolate Chip Calzone, Julie got her own special Red Velvet cupcake.

By the way, if you've never had Claim Jumper's Chocolate Chip Calzone, you must run there right this very minute and get one!

(290) pumpkin pie shake

2011-10-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

Fall.
Another reason to love the season:

DELICIOUS!

(289) I told you so

2011-10-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

If you recall, a few weeks ago I got new shoes. When contemplating whether or not to move away from my standard shoe brand, I questioned Kevin. I thought that since he's worn thousands of pairs of running shoes in several different brands, I thought he'd be helpful in making my decision. He asked if I liked my Adidas shoes. I said I did. He said, Why change? End of conversation.

So, I got a different brand.

I went on a run in my new shoes a day or two after getting them. They hurt my feet. I figured they needed to be broken in a little. A few days later I tried them again. They hurt my feet again. I'm done. I will NOT be wearing them again.

I now have a new pair of Adidas.

They don't hurt my feet.

I will be sticking to to my brand from now on.

(288) Arizona - Day 3

2011-10-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

After church, lunch, a picture with my loves...

I hit the road for home.

(287) Arizona - Day 2

2011-10-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

While only a few weeks ago my brother's pool was warm enough for comfortable swimming, it was now freezing cold. So, we inaugurated the spa, turning on the heater for the first time and testing the fountain. As you can see, the kids (especially Parker) loved the fountain.

My brother also taught me how to use the aperture setting on my DSLR. It made for cool water shots.

(286) Arizona - Day 1

2011-10-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

My über-smart brother, Michael, has finally completed the long road to his career and taken a job with Banner Health. After medical school at USC, a five-year orthopedic surgery residency in Detroit, three years paying back his US Air Force med school scholarship in Las Vegas, and an ortho surgery fellowship in Ohio (oh - and don't forget having three kids), he has finally settled his family in Gilbert, Arizona. They moved into their house over two months ago, so I felt it was high time to visit.

Their new place is lovely (will be more beautiful once the massive amounts of oak is dealt with and my sister-in-law does her magic with the rest of the place) and the kids are settling in wonderfully. While they've gone through a lot of changes over the last several years, one thing remains the same: the kids love my games.

Today we ran a few errands at the local mall. While Kristen and Avery went to Macy's, the boys and I hit the playground. Matthew spotted a pet store across from the playground so we went over to take a look. In the window were two of the most adorable bulldog puppies, one of which looked nearly exactly like Zoey! Matty and Parker didn't quite understand why we needed to leave, why we couldn't just stand there and look at the puppies for longer. They didn't understand that if Aunt Theresa spent one more minute there they'd be driving home with a Zoey clone.

(285) questionable

2011-10-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

Start your day here?
Really?

I think not.

(284) distraction

2011-10-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

This is what I've been doing instead of updating my blog.
It's kind of a Bermuda Triangle, but oh so interesting.

(283) jackpot!

2011-10-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

While strolling through Costco today I saw this end-cap. I heard the heavens open and the angels sing. I saw a rainbow end right here. A giant canister of my favorite hot chocolate mix! This made me so, so happy!

(282) can I pull it off?

2011-10-10T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today I did something I never thought I'd do. I purchased a pair of pants (two pairs, actually) that starts with a "J" and ends with an "EGGINGS." Yes, these pants that I once believed could only be worn by the under-25 set now have a home in my closet. I hope I can pull it off.

I actually lucked out on this pair above. I thought they were going to be $44, but they rang up on the register for $19.99! These cute sandals were on sale for $19.99 (a pretty good deal, I thought), but came up only $9.99. Talk about a score!

(281) merely okay

2011-10-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Today I had some super ripe bananas and the hankering for banana bread. The only problem is that I had only one egg and very little milk. I searched high and low for a recipe that accommodated my deficiencies and finally found one. Interestingly, it also included oatmeal. I don't believe I've ever had banana bread with oatmeal, but I had it on hand and was willing to try it out.

The verdict? Eh. It was okay. Not great. I won't make it again, but it satisfied today's craving.

(The recipe didn't call for chocolate chips, but chocolate chips make EVERYTHING better.)

(280) sunning

2011-10-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Stealthily taken photos, but I thought it was kind of funny. Connor really is as uncomfortable as he looks. Sunlight is not his friend. He'd much rather be inside in front of a screen.

(279) cheap & efficient

2011-10-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

One day I'd like to have a stainless steel kitchen sink. Or even a granite one like my parents'. But in the meantime I have an old white porcelain one, one that gets marred any time I wash pots and pans and bakeware. I know this makes for a lame post, but I love this cleaner. It does THE BEST job on cleaning my sink, and is the fraction of the price of the more popular brands.

(278) thumb holes

2011-10-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

I love tops with them.

(277) new shoes

2011-10-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember, I've worn only Adidas running shoes. About six years ago I strayed and got a pair of Nikes, which I wore during a long trail run. The result was two badly bruised, then lost, big toenails. I guess a sufficient time has passed and memories of the ugly toes have faded as I've been again considering alternatives to my beloved Adidas.

Today at lunch I checked out the wares at the local purveyor of famous-branded discounted footwear and tried on several different brands. I finally found these - they were totally comfortable and at $40 the price was right. The box indicates they're designed and developed taking into account a women’s unique fit needs – narrower in the heel and wider in the forefoot. Plus, they're super light and airy. I'm kind of excited to try them out.

(276) lunch or dessert?

2011-10-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

A little of both.

(275) getting some love

2011-10-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

(274) serving size

2011-10-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

While at the gym recently, my friend and I were discussing the difficulty of adhering to recommended serving sizes. Well, truth be told, I was discussing the difficulty while she was explaining how she actually DOES adhere to recommended serving sizes. One of the most ridiculous recommendations is listed on cereal boxes. A half-cup of cereal is a serving size? Seriously? I don't think so. My serving size = when the bowl is full.

I decided to figure out how badly I stray from the cereal recommendation. Turns out, it's kind of, um, a lot. Like around five times more. Like my bowl fits almost 2.5 cups of cereal.

(recommended serving size vs. my serving size)

(273) secret message

2011-10-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

I love that the inside of my jeans provides a positive affirmation.

(272) snuggling

2011-09-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

(271) treat

2011-09-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

Friends and yogurt. Always a treat!

(270) new favorite

2011-09-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

KT has a new show on his regular rotation - Unforgettable. Though admittedly mediocre to not-good, he apparently has a new favorite actress.

(269) cuteness

2011-09-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Not my picture, but I have to post. Got this via email from my sister. She shaved my little five-month-old niece's head, but she still looks SO CUTE. Not a trace of her Vietnamese heritage in that little one, is there?

(268) lunch

2011-09-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Boring picture, I know. I met an old friend for lunch in Brea today. This is where we meet for our yearly visit.

(267) hanging out

2011-09-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

While her parents were out of town, Riley stayed home alone for the first time. She discovered that being home alone isn't quite as much fun as it seems. Turns out it was kind of boring. So we had her, her fake baby, and Cheyenne over today for Sunday dinner and a Bridezillas marathon.

Summer Chicken

2011-09-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

In the early 90's I bought a Quick & Easy Cookbook from some school's fundraiser. My then-husband Eric and I found this recipe, loved it, and made it often. It's a recipe that has been in my rotation ever since. I now prefer making kabobs rather than serving it as a breast (as the recipe indicates), and it's much better on the grill than in the oven's broiler. But all-in-all, it's delicious!

SUMMER CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts
1/3 cup olive oil
2 limes, juice only
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs cilantro, chopped
½ tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp seasoned pepper
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers

Pound chicken breasts slightly between waxed paper to flatten. In a bowl, combine oil, lime juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper, and marinate chicken at least one hour. Cut peppers into quarters and coat them with marinade. Grill or broil the chicken and peppers for about 10 minutes, basting with marinade. Serve with more cilantro leaves sprinkled over chickens and peppers.

(266) three berries

2011-09-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

I got this homemade three-berry jam from my good friend Terah. Too bad you can't taste how delicious it is through your screen.

(265) more work

2011-09-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

While I'm SO glad to be home, the work doesn't stop. Now I've got to deal with unpacking bags from two trips. Urgh.

(264) heading home

2011-09-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Thank GOODNESS for these charging stations in airports these days. As much as I love my smartphone, battery life is a notorious con. These things can be a real lifesaver.

(263) bring on the food!

2011-09-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

The upside of a work trip is all the food. Actually, calorie-wise, it's kind of a downside. Every meal is eaten out, with big dinners at night. Tonight was no exception. Tonight was our team dinner at J Gilbert's. The food was delicious, the desserts - AMAZING. We ended up ordering more desserts than actual people, but most of it was consumed. This? This is the best cannoli you'll ever have!

(262) whirly*ball

2011-09-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

One of the "highlights" of this home office workweek was tonight's activity - Whirly Ball. I can hear you ask... What the heck is Whirly Ball? Bumper cars + lacrosse + basketball. I was skeptical of this outing since I only knew a few of the people there, but it turned out to be fun. I could see it being a TON of fun if one were to go with a group of friends.

(261) home office

2011-09-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I've been to my company's home office. This is what they call "The Link," linking the two buildings that make up the city-like compound. Apparently, there are something like 6,000 employees that work here. How they get around without getting lost is beyond me.

(260) on the road again

2011-09-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

With the running shoes put away for only a few hours, I have to make my way to Hartford for work meetings tomorrow. I'm lucky to be on this flight... I BARELY made it on time! After dropping my teammates for their day of sightseeing, dropping off the car, confusion at the car rental return, cutting in front of people in the security line, hurriedly transferring liquids into an SFO-provided one-quart zippered plastic baggie (with plans to check the bag thwarted), and running through the terminal, I made it to the gate as the last boarding call was made. WHEW!

(259) Ragnar Napa Valley - Day 2

2011-09-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

With our runs done, Van 1 headed to the finish line, driving though the beautiful country of Napa Valley to Calistoga. Tired, sweaty, and a smidge stinky, we awaited the arrival of Van 2 and Team RAnGry Birds crossed the finish line together.

The gals of Van 1:

Team RAnGry Birds:

Let me just say - people LOVED our RAnGry Birds theme. We caught quite a few people taking pictures of our car, and several people actually stopped us to have their picture taken with us.

The remainder of my photos are posted on Facebook. I think you can see them by clicking HERE.

(258) Ragnar Napa Valley - Day 1

2011-09-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

What better place to start a 186.4 mile course than at the Golden Gate Bridge? We snapped a quick picture while our Runner #1 was hoofing it somewhere along the bridge. The fog made it hard to see, but it was quite cool.

My first leg was 7.3 miles, and while I had trained enough to reach that distance with some degree of comfort, this run for me was difficult. I don't know what it was, but my chest felt tight and it was hard to catch my breath. Boy, was I glad to finish and pass the slap-bracelet on to Cordin.

Post-script: My two following runs (5.6 and 3.6) were also difficult. Ugh! What the heck??

***

Post-post-script: A few days after the race I was talking to a friend from Nor Cal about it, explaining my difficulty. She advised that there's A LOT more pollen in Nor Cal's air vs. So Cal's. THAT explains it! I'm not one prone to allergies, but there was definitely something in the air that wasn't friendly to my oxygen delivery system.

(257) the night before

2011-09-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

Some think it's crazy. We think it's fun. In April some friends and I ran the So Cal Ragnar Relay and had a great time. When told that we could get a SPECIAL medal if we ran both the So Cal AND the Napa Valley Ragnar later in the year, my friend Julie started dropping hints about venturing north. One thing lead to another... meetings were had, a new team name was chosen, flights were booked, team members were rotated, and today we found ourselves in the parking lot of a San Francisco Radisson drawing Angry Birds on the windows of our cars.

Only four of the So Cal team made it up to Nor Cal:

But we're pumped, we're ready, and we're getting that special medal!

(256) she loves her daddy

2011-09-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

(255) toothy

2011-09-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

I had my bi-annual dental exam today. If not for my front tooth crown, I'd have a great set of choppers. Apart from that crown, I only have one teensy cavity.

(254) addicted

2011-09-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

I love chips and salsa.

Can't.
Stop.
Eating.

(253) Sunday eating

2011-09-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

We got together with friends to shoot the breeze and share a meal. Perfect for a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Dave made some AMAZING flank steak to go with Lisa's cheesy potatoes and asparagus. I tried my hand at a new recipe (Orzo Salad) and a few desserts (a strawberry/angel food cake thing and Butter Brickle Frozen Delight). Needless to say, a lot of food was consumed.

Orzo Salad

2011-09-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on The Girl Who Ate Everything. I've never made orzo before, but it sounded like an interesting salad... the capers, the cranberries, the peppers. I altered one or two things, and it turned out to be delicious. It's definitely one to make again.

ORZO SALAD

2 quarts water
2 Tablespoons salt
1 ½ cups (11oz) orzo
5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pkg. long grain and wild rice with seasonings (*I used Zatarains*)
1 (3 oz.) pkg. slivered almonds (*I toasted the nuts before adding*)
½ large red pepper, diced finely
½ large yellow pepper, diced finely
½ purple onion, diced finely
½ cup craisins (*I plumped up by soaking in warm water, then chopped*)
¼ cup capers (drained)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the 2 Tablespoons salt and the orzo and cook until tender, 5-8 minutes. Drain the orzo and immediately toss it with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil. Cover and cool completely in the refrigerator.

2. Prepare the long grain and wild rice according to package directions. Let cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 4 Tablespoons of olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add the almonds, peppers, onion, raisins, capers, basil, parsley, rice and orzo. Toss to mix well.

4. To serve, place in a serving bowl or divide among individual plates and garnish with the lemon slices.

5. Serve at room temperature (or cold is good too).

Butter Brickle Frozen Delight

2011-09-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe a friend of mine made years ago for Recipe Club. It's super rich, but perfect for a hot summer day. The recipe is found on Allrecipes.com, but I altered it a smidge, adding coconut to the crust.

BUTTER BRICKLE FROZEN DELIGHT

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup white sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/3 cup coconut
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (12 ounce) jar caramel topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup melted butter and white sugar until well mixed. Press into bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake 6 minutes, until set. Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter and pecans until well mixed. Lightly pat onto a baking sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until light brown. Crumble while still hot. Cool completely.

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in condensed milk until well blended. Fold in whipped topping.

Spread half of the cheese mixture over the crust in the springform pan. Sprinkle half of the oat crumbles over the cheese mixture, and spread half of the caramel sauce over that. Repeat layers. Freeze until firm, remove pan sides and serve cold.

(252) baby shower

2011-09-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of baby showers, but I went anyway.

(251) stretching

2011-09-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

After some weird weather necessitating Zoey's placement inside the house, we finally got a decent day. Zoey enjoyed it.

(250) decadence

2011-09-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight a few of us gals went out to celebrate my birthday. Belated, yes. But that's what happens when six different busy lives try to merge into one evening. But this... THIS was worth the wait:

From my friend Chanin... chocolate cake, chocolate chips, toasted pecans, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, chocolate frosting.

(249) Zoey

2011-09-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Camera in my right hand.
Dog treat in my left hand.

(248) filth

2011-09-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

Scattered showers + residual dust = a black car owner's nightmare. I'm not one to insist upon having a shiny car all the time, but this - this was bad. Even I was ashamed.

So I took care of it.

(247) energy

2011-09-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

As Ragnar gets closer I know I need to step the training up. I thought I'd try out the various energy aids available. I thought I'd find out (1) if they work, and (2) if my digestive system takes kindly to them. The last thing I want to do is try something new during the race and have to visit the port-a-potties more often as a result.

Post-script: I tried the Gu chomps tonight. They seemed to give me energy - or it could totally be in my head. So far the stomach is fine.

(246) sunscreen fail

2011-09-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

YESTERDAY at the beach:

Me: Here, Connor (passing him the SPF 15 sunscreen). Put this on.
Connor: Ok.

One minute later...

Connor: Here you go (passing the sunscreen back to me).
Me: (Looking at Connor quizzically) You're done???
Connor: Yep.
Me: Did you put it everywhere?
Connor: Yep.
Me: You put it on your arms?
Connor: Yep.
Me: You put it on your legs?
Connor: Yep.
Me: And the tops of your feet?
Connor: Yep.
Me: You're sure?
Connor: Yep. I'm sure.

TODAY:

Me: (passing Connor the aloe gel) So.... it looks like you didn't put sunscreen everywhere like I told you to.
Connor: Huh. I could have sworn I did. I guess I didn't.

(245) yet another beach day

2011-09-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

This time - Crystal Cove.
Another lovely day.

(244) new loves

2011-09-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Remember the ad I saw a few weeks back?
Well, guess who happened across a pair at a cute little Birkenstock store in Key West?
And on her birthday, no less?

(243) date night

2011-09-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, Spicy Thai Chicken Pizza, how I have missed thee.

Oh, Daniel Craig, please stick to your British accent.

(242) treats!

2011-08-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

We were in the mood for some ooey, gooey, chocolatey goodness... so I made these:

(241) safety

2011-08-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight I left for my run later than usual, so I thought I'd take some precautions. I'm not one to worry much about those sorts of things, and I usually hate carrying anything when running, but tonight I donned my reflective vest and carried pepper spray. Just in case.

(240) getting into gear

2011-08-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

Ragnar is fast approaching. I need to get my hind quarters moving. I'll go in five minutes...

Just fiiiive mooore minutes....

(239) good read

2011-08-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

The movie is out. I try not to watch the trailers as I don't want my image of the characters to be tainted. I've got plans to see the movie soon, so I'd better get this finished soon!