Vacation (Prius Count- 196)

This past week Rodger and I returned from our trip up north. We decided to go up there mostly to see my dad participate in the Vineman Half Ironman in Santa Rosa. We planned our trip around that which was on Sunday July 22, 2007.

We left on the Thursday before the race and drove to Solvang. It is such a cute little town. We got there in the late afternoon and checked into our hotel, which was made up of a lot of little cottages and then some standard rooms. Solvang does not have much of a night life and everything seemed to close really early so we had to go to a different city to eat dinner. But I was able to get my piece of Rocky Road fudge before the fudge shop closed. After that we went to dinner at BBQ place called A.J. Spurs. I had been there a long time ago with my family. It was really good and a lot of food. They give you iron pots of soup that you add salsa too and then at the end you get a root beer float. There are a ton of dead animals around the restaurant so I took a picture of Rodger with the bull. There are pictures of me but I look about three months pregnant in them so I am not going to post them. I guess I ate too much food. The next morning we walked around Solvang and looked in the little shops and then left for our second stop a couple of hours away in Morro Bay.

We got to Morro Bay in the afternoon and had some motel issues which I won't get into. Let's just say it involved a water heater and some crazy lady yelling at me "no refund!". I love Morro Bay, Rodger had never been there but my family and I used to go at least once a year when when I was growing up. We would go camping in the summer and then sometimes stay in a hotel at a different time of year. It is a place that holds a lot of nostalgia for me. Everything looked the same and it was a lot of fun to show Rodger around. We walked around the bay area and looked in the little shops. We also enjoyed looking out at the water and "The Big Rock". I spotted several sea otters. It was perfect weather while we were there. We had fish and chips, and other fried treats for dinner.

That night we drove out to Morro Rock and walked around the beach and the rock. We were there just as the sun was setting and it was beautiful. Even though it was by the water it was really quiet and calm place to be. It was nice to put our feet in the water and walked around in the sand. I also took Rodger to Foster Freeze which is a family favorite.

Saturday morning we had a longer drive ahead of us but we squeezed in some kayaking in the bay. This mainly involved me sitting and Rodger rowing. It was hard for us to get going in the same direction at the same time. It was a lot of fun though, I love being in the water. We drove from Morro Bay to Santa Rosa. We passed through San Francisco on the way up and drove over the Golden Gate Bridge. We saw the bay and Alcatraz. It was a nice day there but so much traffic. From there we went to Santa Rosa and finally made it to the hotel that my parents were staying at. They were kind enough to let us stay with them. It was a really nice hotel and it had a nice pool and jacuzzi area that we took advantage of and because of which I can still not hear out of my right ear. We went swimming after we got there and it was refreshing after sitting in the car all that time. For dinner we all went to Applebees where they were showing David Beckham play in his first Galaxy game. We went to bed early that night because we had to get up at 5am for the race the next day (even though some people set their alarms at 4am).

We got to the race around 6am. It started at the Russian River near Santa Rosa. The race goes Swim 1 mile, Bike 56 miles, and Run 13 miles. My dad's "wave" started at about 7:30am. His friend Rob was also there to do the race. There were a lot of people doing the race and it was exciting to feel all of the adrenaline. My dad did finished the swim in about 40 mins and then they transition to the bike portion of the race.

My mom, Rodger, and I went to get breakfast before driving to the high school where the bike finish and final finish line was. We got lost a few times but we did make it to the high school. We waited around a while before my dad came in from the bike. We didn't get any pictures of him actually riding his bike because they had to walk their bikes to the transition area. He finished the bike portion of the race in about 2hrs and 45 mins. We were able to cheer him on from a few different places when we saw him this time.

Next is the run which started and ended the same place that the bike ended so at least we didn't have to go anywhere (we were all very tired). My dad finished the race around 1:30pm. He finished 20th out of 80th in his age group, which is very good, I think. It was SO HOT that afternoon I really don't know how any of them did it. I had the sunburn to prove it was very hot. He did great though! Next year he is doing the Ironman in Coeur d'Alene, ID and has done 3 other Ironmans in the past so I guess this was small potatoes for him. The rest of us were still impressed though. We spent that night in Santa Rosa again.

The next morning we had a full day planned. Rodger and I started off by heading to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield. I have been there before but Rodger hadn't but I knew he would like it. We only got lost about 3 times getting there and went into 2 gas stations to get directions. We took the tour there where they show you how the Jelly Belly is made, which is cool. It seemed like they had shortened the tour though. When we were on the tour they were making the Lime Jelly Belly so that smelled pretty good. We bought our "belly flops" and fudge, which promptly melted, and then hit the road. Next we drove to Berkley to visit Rodger's cousin Paul who goes to school there. We got some pizza and then he showed us around the campus. It is beautiful there and the school is huge. All the students walking around made me miss college.

Next we went to San Francisco to look around. We crossed the Oakland Bay Bridge, which I drove across (a little scary for me especially when rude people honk at you.) We walked around Fisherman's wharf and the bay area and took pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz (one of my favorite tourist destinations, although I didn't make it there on this trip). San Francisco has such a cool energy about it. It was such great weather and there was a lot to look at. We also walked to (the original) Giradellis to get their hot fudge sundae and ate it in a park by the water. Yummy! We only stayed in San Francisco for about 2 hrs but I feel like we saw a lot.

We spent our last night of vacation in Tracy, CA on the way home and enjoyed some yummy Sonics for dinner and breakfast and then we made our way home.

It was a great vacation filled with great memories.

WHAT???????????????

I have pretty much lost hearing in my right ear for the time being.

On Sunday when I was in Santa Rosa for vacation (see future post) I was swimming with Rodger and I got water stuck in my right ear. It would not come out so I decided that sticking q-tips in it to try and work the water out was the thing to do. I think I went to deep in the ear. As a result the next day my ear was very sore and hurt to the touch. So Tuesday morning I bought some ear drops and put those in. I think I over did it with the drops and as of last night my ear is completely clogged and I can feel the liquid inside of it.

Today I decided to go to the doctor who, of course, is on vacation until August 1st. I think I am just going to let it "dry out" like my dad said unless it starts to hurt worse at which time I will go to Urgent Care.

So as a result I can not look at people when they talk, I have to turn my head to the right and hope that I am not talking too loud.

Anyone else ever had this problem? Any advice or is everyone else smart enough not to stick things in their ears?

It Takes All Kinds

What has two thumbs and is stupid enough to be found with cocaine in their pocket while driving under the influence?

THIS GIRL!!!!!!!!

You would think she could have pitched that somewhere along the way.

Virginia (Washington DC)

I am about to go on vacation, which I will blog about when I get back. But before I do that I want to blog about the trip I went on at the end of March/beginning of April.

I went to Virginia to visit my GOOD friends Eliza and Matt and to meet baby Theo. I was so excited to meet him that I was actually able to conquer my fear of flying that far. I had a layover in Phoenix on the way there and then flew to Fairfax. The flights there were great, I sat next to some really nice guys on both legs of the race who were fun to talk to and I watched Deja Vu, which was enjoyable. I was so excited to get there and see Eliza.

Friday night when I got there it was already a little late so we just hung out, talked, and went to bed and of course I got to meet Theo, which was amazing. He is the cutest.

On Saturday Eliza had to work in the morning so I hung out with Katie Aimone (Vickie's and my friend from La Verne) who lives and works in the area. Katie and her parents picked me up and took me to DC. They showed me the Air Force Memorial (which is the picture at the left). Apparenty, it hasn't been there that long and Leann Womak sang at the opening ceremony. (A bit of trivia for you). After that Katie's dad took us on a little tour of his work place, which just happens to be the PENTAGON. It was so cool. Unfortunatly I have no pictures of this because they don't let you tak cameras inside, something about national secrurity. It is so neat inside, and you can tell where it was hit by the plane on 9/11 because even though it is rebuilt the color is different. They are making a memorial for it but it was not open yet. The inside is really cool, but kind of confusing because everything looks the same. I got to see the Secretary of Defense's office door with the flags standing outside of it. The whole thing was just so impressive. After that we went to the Pentagon Mall and had Noodles & Co. It was so great to see Katie and meet her parents, who were awesome tour guides.

Later that day Eliza, Matt, Theo, and I went back into DC on the Metro. The first place we went was the Arlington National Cemetary, which I think was my favorite spot of the trip, because it was so impressive and moving. It really made me respect the people who serve our country. I can't really describe it but I would recommend seeing it if you are in the area. To the right is a picture of Robert E Lee's house which I think the government took from him after the Civil War. I like this picture because I just meant to take it of the house but Matt and Eliza turned around right when I took it so it looks kind of posed. (I would like to sumbit it as a possibility for their Christmas cards this year).

One of the main things to see there is the Eternal Flame and the Kennedy graves. JFK, Jackie, and two of their babies are buried there. I really had to take a minute and appreciate the moment. It really is a moving memorial. Further down the hill Bobby Kennedy is buried. Someone had placed roses on all five of their gravesites. While we were there we walked over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and saw the very end of the changing of the gaurds. It was neat also and drew a huge crowd.

Here is a picture of a tree at Arlington. Apparenlty, I picked the perfect time to go to Virginia because the cherry blossoms were in bloom. Actually, I don't want to brag or anything but I was there the exact day that the cherry trees bloomed, a story I will tell my grandkids (LOL!). Truly though they were so pretty and I was lucky to ave such great weather while I was there although I will admit I wore a jacket everywhere. Matt and Eliza saw me and said "is it cold out?" It was to me. I am pretty much cold all the time and I just wanted to be prepared back East.

After the Arlington Cemetary we walked to the Flags of our Fathers Memorial which is the top picture. That is a nice memorial. I am not sure if you can tell from the picture but on the base of the statue all of the names of the wars that American soldiers have been involved in are engraved. It was cool to see it up close because there is so much detail. After this we went to Baja Fresh and then back to Eliza's and Matt's house and talked and watched The Office Season 2.

On Sunday we drove into DC, which was really crowded because of the above mentioned cherry trees. We saw the Jefferson Memorial and learned some interesting history about the making of it from Matt. I saw the Washington Memorial, which you can see from everywhere in Washington DC. It was just so fun to see all of these things I have read about and seen in movies up close and in person. That same afternoon we went to the White House, which I was very excited about seeing. We went to the back first, which gives you a better view and then walked around to the front. There is a huge front yard and a huge fence around it so you can't get too close. I think that you should be allowed a lot closer to "the people's house" but again that whole national security thing. Later that night Eliza made a great dinner for us and we hung out with Theo and watched more of The Office. Also, here is another cute picture of Theo at the Jefferson Memorial.

The next day, Monday, Matt had to work so Eliza, Theo, and I went to "The Mall" and saw the museums. We went to the National History museum, mostly just for the bathrooms, where some lady haggled with Eliza for a diaper. We went to a couple of the other museums as well. All of it was very impressive and it was free so that was also nice. There is a nice view of the Capital Building and the Washington Memorial there. It was such a beautiful day. Matt joined us for dinner at Teaism, which I am excited to tell you is one of the places Rachel Ray went to on her traveling/eating show for $40 dollars a day. It was pretty good. I hope to see the episode sometime so I can see what ol' Rachel thought of it. We took the Metro back after that and I fell over twice, those things lurch foward pretty quickly. Here is a Selander Subway Shot. Yep, this just proves everyone loves to have their picture taken on the subway.

I went home the next day via a plane trip that left a lot to be desired. I got to sit on the tarmac for over an hour in VA, plus I had to sit next to the escape door, which I'm telling you if the plane goes down I am not helping anyone else. I will be the first one out. But I told the flight attendant I could handle it because it was my only option. Saw "Freedom Writers", the only saving grace was that McDreamy was in it. I had a layover in Denver where I got to sprint through the airport and I must have been a real sight because when I finally got to the plane several people asked if I was okay. But alas, I made it to Ontario where my parents, and by some miracle my luggage were waiting for me.

It was a great trip. Eliza and Matt were great hosts and made me feel right at home and it was fun to hang out with them for a long period of time. Matt is very funny, not that Eliza isn't but you know what I mean. I love that they live in such a fun place so I get the bonus of seeing cool stuff when I visit them. Even if I hadn't seen any of it the trip would have been worth it to hang out with the Selanders.

Thanks for being such great friends! I can't wait until I go back to visit again. I am already thinking of other stuff I want to see there.

Here are some more pictures of the trip.

*Also, thanks to Theo for being such a good sport while being schleped around on my account.

Celebrations

Saturday was Ryan's 8th Birthday party. Jenn and Steve threw him a party at the park.

I can't believe that he is already 8 and so big. Here are some pictures from that event.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RYAN ROSE!

I couldn't stay at the party too long because my cousin Beth was having her wedding shower that afternoon. She is getting married to her boyfriend Matt on June 23. The shower was in Arcadia at Matt's mom's house. It was nice to see everyone and see all the cool presents that she got.

Here is a picture of me and Beth.

I know that this picture is super dark. The flash wasn't on but I still like it. If you look closely then you can see the picture is of my Grandma, my mom, Beth, Vickie, and me.

It was a fun day and Vickie came out and hung out all day so that was super fun. Later that night we went to the Rainbow Room in Hollywood. I have pics of that but I will post them later because I can't get Blogger to do what I want.

Rodger's Pups

I saw this picture of Rodger's dogs on his sister's myspace.

I am a cat lover and even I will admit that's pretty freaking adorable.

*I have never seen them act like this in person though. Usually the puppy is biting the Pomeranian's ears and jumping all over him.

Craziest Tuesday Ever (Are You the Maid?)

Jenn, Steve, Ryan, and I had a little dinner tonight.

Steve barbecued some chicken and Jenn made rice and corn and I sat there and watched.

We discussed the old times, Steve's hockey team and their legal issues, Jesus stickers on cars, and a child named Kobe.

It wasn't as crazy as we used to get but we had still had fun.

So mainly this post was because Jenn and I wanted to post pics.

*I was going to post a pic of Steve but he objected. He said I could mention his name though.

*Also for just about the most touching post ever visit http://www.lizer.blogspot.com and read Love Letter about little Theo who is growing up way too fast.

*Also, the picture of Ryan is not from tonight but I felt he should be included.

Let Freedom Ring

For the 4th of July we went to a BBQ at my aunt's house, where I forgot to take any pictures. It was a nice time though. We had cheeseburgers and hot dogs and just hung out and talked.

After that, we came back home and walked to the fireworks on Myrtle. We have done this for the last couple of years and there are always a large group of people there.

It was fun, we got there right when the fireworks started so we didn't have to wait around which was nice.

Anyways, it was a pretty good show but it ended quickly without a finale so I think there was a malfunction. Everyone kind of looked at each other and just sort of left. It was fun though, fireworks aren't really a huge deal to me so I was okay with what we got to see. Then when we came home we saw some fireworks from our house that they were doing at Irwindale.

Here are some pictures from the extravaganza.

I am already looking forward to next year's 4th of July because it will be on a Friday (Leap Year) and not in the middle of the week. 3 day weekend, woo hoo!

This Definitely Takes the Cake

So I had seen a few pictures of her lately and thought she looked a bit different.

I truly thought that she was beginning to look like one of those malnourished African children whose stomachs stick out because they have no food to eat.

I never would have thought she could be pregnant. Do people that skinny actually have periods? Is she able to have sex without one of her calcium deprived bones breaking?

So today when I pick-up my beloved US Weekly I see that she is pregnant. Why let the public wonder when you can make money by selling the story to the tabloids that you hate? I haven't read the article yet because I am saving it to enjoy letter but I bet it will be great.

I did peak at one of the paragraph headlines and it said "Will she still have to go to prison?". I think that pretty much says it all. I have nothing to add to that statement.

In conclusion, the only thing that could make this more enjoyable is if she were to have twins, which is a possibility since her boyfriend is a twin. I really can't wait to see a picture of her in 5 or 6 months.

Nice Little Saturday

It was a nice HOT California day yesterday so Rodger and I went swimming. I have no pictures of this but you can take my word for it that it was a lot of fun and very refreshing.


After that we went down to Orange County for a BBQ at Rodger's cousin's house. She had a baby about a month ago so they were celebrating her arrival.



This is Keira. She is super cute and I had so much fun hanging out with her. I don't want to brag but I think she liked me a lot. I got to feed her, change her diaper, and rock her to sleep.










It reminded me of hanging out with this guy a few monthes ago and I also used some of Eliza's techniques with Theo. I would press the little pacifier in her mouth like Eliza did. It seemed to work to get her to suck on it.




She was just so sweet. I can't wait to hang out with her again.



Here are some more pictures of the BBQ, well really they're only of the baby.