Bits & Pieces of My Life

Pandora

2012-01-19T22:10:00.005-08:00

Since we got rid of cable we've been spending a lot of time listening to the radio. We listen to NPR which is great but even NPR starts to repeat itself or I get a little tired of hearing about politics. When we were in the Bear Paw there was always an IPod on tuned to Pandora. I knew about Pandora but honestly had never really looked into it and I guess I always thought it costs money. Well surprise, it doesn't and we have a computer hooked up to our tv in our living room. So now I can sit at home listening to the music I want to hear in my living room through the computer. I'm very happy with this discovery. I know, I behind the times....

By The Way

2012-01-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

I cut off all my hair.

Of course by now you've seen it with the photos on the side of my blog.

Just felt like it and I like it better than I thought I would. It is still a bit of a shock.

And off to Seattle

2012-01-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

On the night of the 1st we headed back to Seattle to Katie's apartment. I miss the Bear Paw family and love them all like my own extended family. It was great getting to spend some time with all of them and our invitation always stands "You have a place to stay if you want to visit".

We had one full day in Seattle and Josh and I enjoyed some of it before it rained on us.

We picked up a few things at the Market including a house warming gift for Katie (though she's been in her apartment for a while now).

It's been rough coming back to reality but alas all good vacations end at some point. It was a VERY relaxing trip and a wonderful time. I'm looking forward towards the next one.

My Birthday!

2012-01-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

My birthday started with being sung to at midnight on the 31st but a room of semi-drunk people. I think there may have been a few sober people. I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Plus, Sundi told me repeatedly that it was my birthday, just in case I forgot. The next morning after some tasty corn fritters for breakfast, we headed out to cut down a tree for the Idaho Tiki Torch.

After taking a little snowy detour we went back to the smaller pond for a tree there. A nice dead tree was found and Ben cut it down with Luke, um, nearby. We decided to stand further back to watch the action.

That's the tree coming down on the pond and us watching from the other side. After the tree was done the boys worked at cutting it into smaller pieces to take back to the house.

Look, we all have Sorels!

Aren't we cute? Actually I'm not so cute in this photo but it was cold, yeah, that's my excuse.

And then we drug them back to the house. Our chain only broke once on the way.

Before we headed over to the party at the Madsen's Josh and I had the opportunity to be a part of an old family tradition at the Stansell household. We lit the candles on the Christmas Tree. Don't worry, it wasn't for too long but it was very peaceful and beautiful.

And THEN we headed over to the party.

And played some more Wii

And wore silly wigs

And just had a good time

Some a little more than others....

I missed out on the hot tub fun and came back to the house with Betsy but we had a nice chat or I think we did. I did have a few drinks and was very talkative that night. Happy Birthday to ME!

More Bear Paw Fun

2012-01-14T21:37:00.001-08:00

We did get to spend a little bit of time outside, mainly with Sophie who constantly wanted to play with the ball.

Look at that precious dog.

We even took a little stroll from Gram's back to the house however it was a little muddy.

And then we played MORE board games....

Molly and Katie playing Blokus

And Josh made us some tasty fish curry with fresh fish that Luke and Seth caught earlier that week.

Mmmmmm popcorn...

Molly playing with Betsy's IPad

And there was a little wrestling.

Hanging at the Bear Paw

2012-01-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

Well the weather didn't turn out how I was hoping but we still had a great time. We slept in, didn't eat breakfast until noon, didn't get dressed until some time in the afternoon and then maybe we would go and do something. Let's just say it was relaxing. One of the evenings we checked out this cool wine bar, Noni. The Bear Paw clan are regulars and know the owners so we had quite a treat. The food was very good and the wine was tasty too. I loved the atmosphere as well. Of course I was surrounded by friends so how could one go wrong?

I love this picture I took of Betsy and Katie when we were there.

Not the best picture of me but check out that glass of wine.

We also spent a very relaxing night staying in and playing board games and Wii at Molly's house. This is when I discovered Blokus. Now I can't get enough. I even bought one when we returned to San Diego. I just need to find someone to play with....

Betsy deciding her next big move in Blokus

Katie and Gene watching Josh and Chelsea play Wii

Gene and his bear

And of course more wine was had. It helped that Molly belongs to the wine of the month club. There was plenty to be had.

New Years in Idaho

2012-01-12T10:33:00.000-08:00

After celebrating a wonderful Christmas with the family in San Diego we headed to Idaho to visit our 2nd family.
When we had last seen little Sophie it was right after Betsy had adopted her. Now she's full grown and super sweet.

Of course all she wanted to do is play with the ball.

We also got to meet Annie's baby, Francis, for the first time.

Sadly the snow was lacking this year. It was on the ground but none fell from the sky. The weather warmed up so we got rain which froze and turned into ice. Plus the heater in the house wasn't working. We had heat from the pellet stove but we didn't have any hot water so we showered at other homes throughout the week.

Christmas Day

2012-01-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

We picked up Jeni from the airport late on the 23rd and she stayed until the 26th so we had a quiet morning with just the three of us. Jeni watched us open gifts from the East Coast family.

Then the family came over for some goose and other tasty treats.

And of course there was gift opening.

And of course the family photo.

After gift opening we had dessert and played some games. It was a fun filled day with the family and a very Merry Christmas!

Our First Christmas

2012-01-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

Yay Christmas!

Baby Crowder

2012-01-08T12:56:00.002-08:00

Congrats to Paul and Rosie on the birth of their second child.

Baby Evan William Crowder. 9pounds 20 inches in length.

December

2012-01-08T10:18:00.001-08:00

For once I actually just finished my Christmas shopping early and sent out my Christmas cards by December 1st. Of course it seems I didn't keep up with the blog. After a few weeks of enjoying the holidays with friends and family I headed back to the Spreckels for some Nutcracker action. We had a few extra shows this year that went into the Christmas week so I was busy up until the 23rd. On the 24th we had a small gathering at the house. A few friends stopped by for some food and festivities.

Christmas Prep

2012-01-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

To celebrate our first Christmas in our new home we invited the family and some friends over to have dinner and help us decorate.

The kitties even helped out a bit.

It was such a wonderful night having family and friends over with the fireplace lit and Christmas Carols playing.

It took many years but it's here

2011-12-24T19:08:00.001-08:00

Finally the entryway to OB is complete. Too bad I can't walk down to see Dave whenever I want.

The Yard

2011-12-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

Probably a month ago now Josh and I decided to cut back the shrubbery/bush that was in our "side" yard. As we started hacking it down we discovered a whole new area of the yard we didn't know was even there. Sadly, I don't think I have a before photo but I took some after photos. The bush probably covered a 10' area. We were happy to remove it. It did take quite a few loads of green waste to get rid of it.

We found a bunch of wood and removed a "compost" like pile that was next to the bush.

Also, because of all the rain we've been getting the yard is turning green. This is not grass but a covering of cloverleaf. I think it's still quite pretty.

I'm not sure what these flowers are but they are one of my favorites in the yard and they have been blooming recently.

Now time to tackle the garden. Ugh.

One More Climb

2011-12-22T18:21:00.001-08:00

On Friday we took a trip out to a larger rock face that Jackson and Tania had not been to. We had to do a bit of a hike and then a little bouldering but we got there.

We saw a few cool rocks on our way out

Andy and Joe hung out on the trail for a bit.

And then there was the climb. I was really impressed by Josh. It was only his second time climbing and he did great.

Tania looking tough.

Me and the dogs hanging out at the bottom.

Really he does this for a living, I swear.

They were enjoying themselves just a little too well.

Jack

Thanksgiving Day

2011-12-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving Day we decided to take a little break from rock climbing and instead did a little off roading. My Josh's specialty.

We put the small ones in the backseat and the dogs in the very back and headed out to check out some mines.

We even got in some lunch with a view.

Anna was queen of the mountain after she put her paw in a cactus.
J
Jackson didn't just enjoy the mines. He enjoyed his beer too.

When we got back to camp we threw some turkey into some nice hot oil to fry.

And ended up with quite a feast.

More Rock Climbing

2011-12-18T15:57:00.002-08:00

On the second day Jackson decided to start off with what is called a roof.

This gives you a good idea what it looked like. When you do this for a living you need challenges in your life.

The rest of us enjoyed the view from below.

Jackson's hair was a bit of a tangle after a few days of not washing it.

So his lovely wife took care of combing the "dreads" out for him.

And then we enjoyed a lovely game of Booce ball before it got too dark.

And Jackson discovered that he gave himself quite the black eye on the roof.

Joshua Tree Thanksgiving - Day One

2011-12-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

On the first day I went climbing for the first time and only time so far. I did okay but that fear of falling thing even with a rope attached was a little too much for me.

Josh Jackson (Jackson from here forward) wanted to prove to me that you could climb without your hands.

Of course he also climbs for a living so it was a little unfair.

Josh climbed too and of course made it to the top with few problems,

Things have changed

2011-12-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

So when we went to Joshua Tree we went for a drive because Josh and I wanted to show Josh and Tania the cool mining site we found when we were in Joshua Tree earlier in the year. Well someone had been to the site since then and had removed quite a bit of metal. Check out some of the comparison pics.

April

November

Before

They burned out the inside of this.

Before

After

PLD Thanksgiving

2011-12-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

Once again I have fallen a little behind on my blogging. Life, as usual, has been super busy. The Sunday before Thanksgiving we had the annual PLD Thanksgiving get together/our housewarming party. We had quite a turn out. The only issue is that it rained towards the end of the day but everyone got to eat first and the inside of our home is easily big enough to hold that many people.

I picked up some Thanksgiving drawings that were very popular with the older "kids".

Before it started raining hard I took the kids next door to meet Marie's animals. They loved it.

The neighbors even came over to say hi.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's not Thanksgiving and I'm not actually here. I'm off camping with Josh, Tania, and who knows who else. I hope you are all enjoying your Thanksgiving while I'm enjoying turkey in the desert.

Melinda's Bday

2011-11-24T18:50:00.000-08:00

Wow, Lips twice in a week. Ten years ago for her 31st birthday Melinda went to Lips for her birthday. On that day she said she wanted to come back for her 41st and she did.

The whole gang on stage.

Melinda and I

I was digging out the cherries for the girls.

Yes, this is our waitress.

Look Jenn again!

And yes, our waitress had better boobs then most of us.

The teenagers even came out for the night and of course enjoyed some Shirley Temples

The original boys. Mike, Manna, and Steve were there ten years ago.

Mike, Manna and Steve from ten years. Hold it Steve is even wearing the same shirt.

Shad and Peggy's

2011-11-23T18:48:00.000-08:00

Manna and Naomi are visiting from New Zealand so Shad and Peggy had a little get together at their new house.

Ian was the center of attention for the evening. How could he not be with that head of hair.

Dad blowing up balloons for Ian.

Jenn and Charles were even able to make it out.

Ian playing with Dad.

And Shad fell asleep.

Hmmmm.... It seems I have no pictures of Manna and Naomi. I swear they were there.

Iris' Bday

2011-11-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

A few year's ago Erin had her birthday celebration at McDonald's and instead of birthday gifts she asked for donations to the Ronald McDonald House. The celebration was at the McDonald's her family owns. Last year Iris did a great job raising money for our 3 day walk so this year she asked to raise money for something else. She decided she wanted her 8th birthday to be at the Ronald McDonald house.

Josh working as usual and soaked from the rain outside.

It poured but there was a great turn out.

And many McFlurrys

And of course Ronald came to help celebrate. In the end Iris ended up making $750 and Mr. Grimmer (the owner of the McDonalds) matched that amount for a total of $1500 made for the Ronald McDonald House.

Now that is a cool kid!

Boobies

2011-11-19T20:31:00.001-08:00

Yes, this year I did not train for the year and walk the 3-Day. As wonderful as that whole experience was I went with the simpler walk this year and just did the Race for the Cure. I think this is now my 4th or 5th year walking in the Race for the Cure. I started up the PLD team a few years ago and sadly this was our lowest attendance year. We had only 6 of us plus the gal.

Jenn had the chance to bring Miss Ginger with who was very popular and did fairly well. She did however NOT like it when small children went running by her.

I spent most of the walk with the Gal who did a great job and walked the WHOLE thing and did not complain once.

She did pass out in the car on the way to breakfast.
After a tasty breakfast at IHOP we headed over to the house to watch Mulan.

And then after the movie we had makeover time. I was all glittery and very pink after the Barbie makeover. I had a wonderful rainy Sunday afternoon with Melinda and the Gal. Very relaxing.

Lost Kitten

2011-11-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

So there I am sitting at work minding my own business when two kids walk by and the one says, "You want a kitten?" Now I didn't exactly understand him but I heard the word kitten and then as they were walking on I started hearing a very small meow. I looked outside and there on the sidewalk is this:

Well of course I couldn't leave the little guy sitting there so I picked him up after looking around to see if it belonged to anyone and brought him inside. I then posted on facebook and sent an email out at work that I had found a very small kitten and wanted to know if anyone wanted him. I sent a picture to Josh and asked if we could have another. Of course his answer was no. Big meanie. He was so cute and adorable and TINY. I'm guessing he was taken from his mother early because he couldn't handle being away from the warmth of my body. He fell asleep on my lap while I was typing. So after calling shelters (that were closed) it was Veteran's day and asking many people I finally found a home for him. A friend of ours offered to take him. His wife has daughters who I am sure will love and care for them. I will miss the little guy. It was sweet hanging out with him for a few hours.

Oops

2011-11-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

I get my cat litter from Petco. You use the some container every time and refill from their supply of cat litter. It's cheaper and better for the environment because you use the same plastic container each time. So this week I went and bought cat litter as I usually do but I didn't secure the container in the back of my car and let's just say I took a corner a little hard. So the cat little went flying across the back of my car, the lid fell off and this is what happened

Luckily most of it swept out of my car and some on the ground. There is still some in my car and I will be vacuuming that up at a later date but hey at least it doesn't smell.

Star Day!

2011-11-15T10:21:00.003-08:00

It's been fun cleaning out the education stuff.

New Dinnerware

2011-11-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

Josh and I have been looking for something to replace our dinnerware for a bit now. We were very thankful for the donated set from Jenn and Troy but we wanted something of our own. Then a few months ago I saw this in Costco:

But at the time I didn't have a fancy phone so I couldn't take a photo and the next time we went in they only had it in green and black so we waited. Then last week I walked into Costco and they had the red. Four boxes in fact which is unusual. So I sent the photo to Josh and he said DO IT. So we now have three sets of these. I love the mugs and bowls. Well I love all of them but the bowl are particularly cool. Now we just have to get rid of the set we currently have.

Tania's Birthday

2011-11-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night we went to a fabulous restaurant for Tania's birthday. Himalayan Cuisine. It was much like Indian food. The people were super friendly and nice and the food was oh so good. Before we headed out to dinner I took a photo of me and Bean, the pocket parrot. Now I'm not a bird person at all but I love this little guy. He's super sweet.

I have no pictures of the birthday girl or in the restaurant. I was too busy eating to take any photos so you'll just have to enjoy pictures of me and Bean instead.

A Smart Choice

2011-11-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/arts/article_07d35572-09b2-11e1-9d4c-001cc4c03286.html

Joe is a good guy. I think this could be a definite benefit for LOSD and a smart choice.

North Park Theatre Appoints New Chief

by Kelly Bennett

After cancelling the remainder of Lyric Opera San Diego's season last week due to it ongoing bankruptcy, the musical theater company's board plans to announce Tuesday it has appointed a new executive director to oversee renting out and managing the theater venue.

The new chief, Joe Altbaum, has been working as a consultant for the theater for a few months. A former performer and administrative worker at both Lyric and across town at Starlight Musical Theatre, Altbaum said he wants to "change the face of what the Birch North Park Theatre was."

When Lyric was running the theater, it prioritized the space for its own uses, and renters had to work around the company's schedule. But now, the theater is freed up to find as many rent-paying guest companies and events as possible.

Altbaum said he's been around the theater for years, and feels fondly toward its former leaders, Leon Natker and Jack Montgomery. But now, while the courts decide what happens next for the musical theater company, the theater venue itself "needs to stop the bleeding," Altbaum said. "Our priority is simply to rent the venue."

Faced with inadequate donations, ticket sales and rentals, Lyric Opera filed for bankruptcy last month. The company had been trying to sell its theater all year to get out from under its $4 million mortgage.

Altbaum said he's working on securing a national touring production, and has talked with another tenant about booking dates in 2013. "Our goal is to make sure the Birch North Park Theatre goes nowhere, never closes its doors," he said.

The Birch North Park Theatre has historically paid union wages for its workers like stagehands and lighting and sound operators. That factor is frequently raised in the arts community as one possible reason the theater was difficult to rent out. Altbaum said he's had some conversations with the local chapter of the stagehands union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 122, about how he might be able to cut some costs for productions for groups that would rent the theater.

And Altbaum will have help. He said he'll be hiring Brian Wells to help coordinate the production logistics for groups coming in. You might recognize Wells from our story about the bankruptcy filing from another musical theater company, Starlight. Wells was Starlight's artistic director for about a dozen years.

Before he stepped in to help Starlight a few years ago, and Lyric a few months ago, Altbaum was a network security contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense, he said. He sees a "tremendous difference" between the plights of the two companies, Starlight and Lyric.

"The board here knows they have a significant asset, a full-scale theater with a roof on it," he said. "It has to be operated as a business."

But, he said, he hopes the Birch could be a part of a revitalized Starlight, after that company wraps up its bankruptcy restructuring.

"I still love Starlight," he said. "We're all in this together, in terms of nonprofits."

Laundry

2011-11-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

I can finally hang laundry again! I'm not sure how much this is saving us in propane/electric monthly but I'm pretty sure it helps.

More Gardening

2011-11-05T21:13:00.003-07:00

Gardening has been taking up a large majority of my time. I guess that's what happens when I own an acre of land. Here are some before pictures of what the front used to look like.

Josh cut back the purple bush - Mexican Sage - and we discovered all kinds of other plants underneath.

Clyde

2011-11-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is my nice pretty white cat who loves to shed all over our home.

This is my not so pretty white cat after he's adventured around our yard and somehow gotten next door to the neighbors yard.

Happy Halloween at work.

2011-11-03T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ironically this didn't really happen because of Halloween. This occurred because we are presently unloading all the kid's ensemble stuff and these happened to be in there.

Doug and Tim actually working while wearing their pirate hats. Tim looked the funniest because he had a black beanie on under it.

I wore mine ALL day long.

First Opera of the season.

2011-11-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Multimedia | OTSL

Take a little sneak peak of the first opera of our season. I can't wait to check out the iris door when it gets here.

And the inside of the house....

2011-10-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

We've finally had time to rearrange some things and even hang up some photos. This is what the front room used to look like.

And what it looks like now:

What the living room/fireplace looked like:

And now:

Gardening

2011-10-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

So of course the fun about owning a house is all the fun upkeeping there is. With our HUGE front yard we have a lot of gardening. We finally got that started this week. I did a little on my own before I got the cold and put my hand next to a cactus. Now luckily I was wearing gloves so I only got a few thorns in my hand (I'm talking 10 versus the hundred that are presently in my gloves that are getting tossed. I may try to wash them. Let's say I'm switching to leather gloves. Tonight Josh and I filled one large green can and two smaller ones and cleared a large amount of the yard near the house. Of course, Josh didn't take any pictures of the area he cleared off. Just a ridiculous photo of me. I guess if you look really closely at the above photo where that big purple bush is there used to be a lot more big purple bush. And now the silly photo of me gardening.

And the bite I got.

Yes, that's a dead mosquito. I don't get it. It's dry. It's cool. Where the heck did a mosquito come from?

The Orange Cat

2011-10-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

For the last month or so we've noticed this stray orange cat roaming about our house at odd hours. Normally when we've notice the cat our cats have been inside hissing at him/her. I've also heard this cat late at night making unpleasant howling noises. The other day Josh heard a ruckus outside and when he came out to look the orange cat had Ema cornered. Josh scared away the cat and picked up Ema who obviously had been bitten. Josh cleaned the wound and kept her inside. The next day we checked on the wound and it was getting worse so on Saturday I took Ema to one of the many local vets.

They didn't think she was that bad but there was definitely an infection so they shaved the area, cleaned it well and gave us medicine to give her plus pain meds. The whole thing really didn't cost that much but poor Ema once again was left wearing the cone.

Oh, did I mention the cat attacked her blind side. Not cool. I got back in a week after we give her meds all week. The wounds are looking better but still pretty nasty. The cat scratched her neck (just a flesh wound) and bit her ear pretty hard. Ema is not a big fan of the meds or when we (or should I say Josh) cleans out the wound but she has been happy sleeping in our room nightly. And something will be done about the stray......

Ok, enough of that.

2011-10-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Now onto the fun things of life. Now that I have evenings and weekends off I can enjoy myself again and spend time at the house. Well, that worked until I get a cold. I guess my body decided I was working too much.

But, during this few weeks a lot has happened. Clyde caught his first lizard. It was in the house. So no, he didn't catch it outside. I think they are all too quick for the cats outside.

So, I'm lying on the sofa, home early from work because I feel like crap, and I here this low growl from behind me. I think that's a little unusual so I get up and look and there is Clyde with a lizard dangling out his mouth giving Bonnie the death stare down.

He then proceeded to play with the lizard, hitting it back and forth, tossing it about but never letting either of the other cats near it. Eventually I fell back to sleep again and when I awoke the lizard was gone. Or so I thought.....

The next day Josh found the lizard. It was disguised very nicely on the carpet under the table. Clyde brought it over to me on the sofa while I was sleeping. So, no, he never did eat it. He just played with it until he was done.

Another passing....

2011-10-26T19:48:00.001-07:00

Koko was one of my fellow co-workers at the Opera. She was in the IT department and always wonderful to work with. She was sweet and always very pleasant. It was sad to hear of her passing as well.

Konstantina Radojicic Cattran

“Koko”

1954 – 2011

On October 5, 2011, an exquisite spirit passed from this lifetime towards her next journey. Koko, also called Kokana by those closest to her, was born in Linz, Austria to Velibor and Ljiljana Radojicic. When she was two years old, the family moved to Racine, Wisconsin and welcomed into the world her adored sisters, Mimi and Dina. With high aptitude, she graduated from Case High School and proceeded to obtain her Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry at University of Wisconsin, Parkside. It was at Chris Hansen Laboratory in Wisconsin that she met the love of her life, Charles Cattran. Kokana and Chuck were married in August 1985 and lived as a dynamically united couple for 26 blissful years. Koko was Chuck’s first mate and best friend as they sailed around the world for nine years. The fearless travelers and stoic explorers were carried safely through the seas and many life adventures on their faithful sailboat, ‘Kokana’.

Those fortunate to have been blessed with Koko’s exceptional presence describe her as exuding powerful love and compassion for all that mattered to her. Incredibly, she balanced immense intellect and cleverness with radiant beauty and a peaceful, comforting nature. Koko’s passions included travel, family, friendships, shopping, the San Diego Opera and running. Since 2007, her determination and perseverance in running rewarded her with colossal athletic accomplishments by finishing eleven half marathons, four full marathons and actively qualifying and training to run in the NYC marathon in November 2011. However, her most important accomplishment was in the fierce devotion she took as role of wife, daughter, sister, grandmother, aunt and stepmother.

Kokana is joining her late father, Velibor Radojicic, and is survived forever in spirit and memory by her loving husband, Charles Cattran; dedicated mother Ljiljana “Mama” Radojicic; loyal sisters and spouses Mimi and Andy Rodriguez and Dina and Seth Swanson; honorary sisters Dede Doerflinger and Janet Kujawa; nieces and nephews Nada and Andy Rodriguez and Ava, Seth Arley and Audrey Swanson; stepchildren Kim and Dave Sperry and Chris and Kiki Cattran; grandchildren David and Shannon Sperry and relatives in Sequim, Washington, the Bay Area of San Francisco and the former Yugoslavia.

We now jointly say to our beloved Kokana…

“We love you with all of our breath, our smiles, our tears, with all our lives.

We blow a kiss up to the sky and whisper softly (We love you Koko)”

And she in return says to us….

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”

A family service will be held later this month in Wisconsin. A Celebration of Life Gathering will occur in San Diego at a date to be announced. Details will follow.

As Always, Time Passes. Love Stays.

Bruce Hansen

2011-10-25T17:20:00.001-07:00

Bruce was someone who I knew in college and was in the same circles with a lot. We were never super close but I would think I could say we were friends for sure. He was someone that I always remembered as being happy and a source for laughter. I can't ever remember Bruce without a smile on his face. Well, maybe when he was acting. He will be missed greatly.

Bruce Jay Hansen of Philadelphia, September 15, 2011, age 36. Beloved husband of Sarah Walters and father of Sadie Hansen (3 years) and Beatrice Hansen (due October 2011). Predeceased by his mother Arlis Y. (nee Denny) Hansen and James D. Hansen ofMechanicsburg, Pa. Survived by his wife and daughters; uncle Alfred Denny; in-laws Robert and Laura Walters; Tracy Sidoriak; John and Kim Dunay; Eric and Tara Walters and Peter and Tara Walters; Kevin Walters; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial service Sat., Sept. 24 at 11 a.m., West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship at The Calvary Center for Cultural and Community, 801 South 48th St. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bruce J. Hansen Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 724, Phoenixville, PA, 19460.

The Wedding

2011-10-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

I'm backblogged and have a lot to catch up on so I'm keeping this short and sweet.

Josh helping set up.

The wedding went well. The weather was beautiful.

My fancy photo of the "glass" slippers and tiara Jenn wore.

Jeanne and Jenn before getting dressed but after a few shots of tequila.

The bride was beautiful but damn it took forever to get her in that thing.

The bridesmaids looked wonderful.

Mom looked great.

And the bride did an excellent job. She didn't trip once.

The bridesmaids, bride, and flower girl.

Dad being amazed by the beautiful bride.

Stepdad saying a lovely poem at the wedding.

And the kiss.

Oh, yeah, and people came to hang out, eat the tasty barbeque, and enjoy some wine (and the tequila that we brought).

Steve was a little drugged after being in the hospital the week before but it was good to see him there and alive.

Liza cleaning up Jack, as usual.

Erin in her fur.

The 3 Days Girls. Hard to believe just a year ago we were walking our asses off.

Ok, this has to be one of my FAVORITE photos from the wedding.

Can you tell they are brothers?

And of course it's not a wedding unless they get something decorated. I figured since they had the dog at home and that she would eat anything I put there the car was safest and they left the top off for us.

And they lived happily ever after......

The Rehearsal

2011-10-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

The wedding rehearsal was on Saturday afternoon at the Encinitas Botanical Gardens.

We were there for an hour and ran through the wedding twice. The LONG 10 minute ceremony. Well actually we didn't run through the ceremony since the pastor wasn't there. Seriously the amount extra he wanted to charge for the rehearsal was crazy. Now I know how those guys make money off of weddings.

Jenn "directed" everyone and I learned what I would be "stage managing" the next day.

So we did it with just us and Josh and I learned what was going on so we could help as best as possible the next day.

I just love this photo. The combination of the look on Jenn's face with Charles' face is great.

After the rehearsal we headed over to Filippi's in Little Italy for a super tasty dinner.

And then as a special treat we got to go on the pirate ship that Jenn and Charles' work on. It was a gorgeous night outside and the rum was flowing so basically it was perfect.

Ordering some drinks

Jeanne got a little tied up.

And the fun begins.....

2011-10-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

The bachelorette party.

Since Jenn got married on a Sunday night we were able to have the Bachelorette Party Friday evening.

Jenn didn't want any strippers or your "typical" party so we went to Lips instead. We were the largest party there that night 15 people.

Charles' sisters, Lauren and Valerie were in town so they were able to join us for the fun.

And though penis toys were not requested Erin was nice enough to bring a penis water gun. You can imagine what came of that. The above photo was taken by Melinda and I have to say very well composed. And yes she did put it up on Jenn's facebook page.

And Jenn did get her lap dance. It was as a man dressed as a woman but still it was a lap dance. Kiki was also our waitress and a damn good one.

Jenn was also required to do a "blow job" onstage. I have to say she did a MUCH better job than the other bachelorette. I'm so proud of her.

A great time was had by everyone and Jenn in particular had a fabulous and didn't even feel hung over the next day. Thanks to all the girls who came out and Jenn for the great suggestion!

Mame

2011-10-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Mame was well a challenge but we did have some fun times. Our crew was awesome and I had the pleasure of finally getting to work with Jenn. By the end of the run the showing was looking pretty damn good.

JP - the man who saved James' life.

Andrea getting her make up on.

Now THAT is some lipstick.

The crew setting up for the top of the show. Except for a few issues with some microphones and James falling 15 feet from the grid (he landed on JP) well it ran alright. Sadly since then Lyric has declared bankruptcy. We'll see what happens next.

The Bridal Shower

2011-10-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

So in the midst of all the MAME craziness I organized a bridal shower for Jennifer for her upcoming nuptials. It was simple, exactly what she wanted. Her mother was nice enough to host and the PLD girls all provided food and drinks. We had overly enough.

Jenn and her guests

I was the only one to get her something a little more sexy but I knew Jenn well enough not to over do it.

There were no games played or any extra stuff. We just sat around and talked and drank and ate. And Jenn eventually opened up a few gifts. I think it went quite well and when we were all done Jenn and I went back to her place, unloaded the car and took a lovely nap before the show.

Mame

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

Ok, really I didn't think it would get this good of a review.

http://www.examiner.com/theater-in-san-diego/mame-thrives-at-the-north-park-birch-theatre

I think they like it

2011-09-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

I think they are still enjoying the house. They are getting to spend WAY more time outside as well.

Well at least Bonnie and Clyde are. Ema stays in a lot more but I think she's okay with that.

Brunch

2011-09-11T23:59:00.002-07:00

Today just for the heck of it and to celebrate Josh's birthday we had invited a few people over for brunch at the new house. It was the first time since we've been settled that we had a larger group over and I have to say it was a wonderful time. It was nice to see the kids running around and just to enjoy the company.

Josie singing Happy Birthday to Uncle Josh

Plus, since I have to work all day on Josh's birthday and Josh works for the rest of the week it gave us a chance to do a little celebration.

Iris personally chose the cake.

BLACKOUT!

2011-09-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

So I finally get a night off and this happens:

For those who do not know all of San Diego lost power on Thursday at 3:40 PM. I was at work at the time. Doug and I proceeded to close up show fairly quickly and head out. I had to go north to feed a friend's dog and from there it took me almost 2 hours to get home. What should have been a 20 minute drive. There were no working traffic lights anywhere and everyone was leaving downtown SD at the same time and I was driving right by. When I finally got home Josh and I enjoyed dinner on our propane stove and then headed over to our friend's house around the corner for some wine, tequila, and swimming. It was really a pleasant night and I was actually disappointed when we got electricity back around 10pm. So much for enjoying looking at the stars....

Story here:

A widespread power outage led to controlled chaos Thursday throughout San Diego County, Baja California, part of Arizona and other areas as about 5 million people coped with the sudden loss of electricity. San Diego Gas & Electric officials said the power system is still fragile even as the power is back on in this region.

The outage began at 3:38 p.m. after a 500-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line from Arizona to California failed, triggering a cascade of events that then knocked the San Onofre nuclear power plant offline. Those are the two major power sources for the region.

SDG&E said 1.4 million of its customers in San Diego and Orange counties were affected, as well as residents east into Arizona and south into Baja California. The power failure led to school and business closures, suspended water service in some areas, flight cancellations, blacked-out traffic lights, silent radio stations and trapped elevator passengers. Public schools throughout the county and several higher-education institutions are closed Friday.

Power came back on in Orange County and small pockets of San Diego County by late Thursday evening, with the restoration occurring first in outlying areas of the San Diego region as roughly 115 power substations were rebooted one by one.

Blackout tips

Keep refrigerators closed. An unopened fridge will keep food cold for about four hours; a full freezer will keep food cold about 48 hours.
Turn off and unplug large electronics. Wait until the power is back on to restart them.
Stay home and off the roads if possible.
Keep landlines and cell phones open for emergency calls.

There were no significant reports of crime although some outage-related traffic accidents happened throughout the county. San Diego police put more officers on the street to help direct and monitor traffic, respond to calls and keep an eye out for looters who may want to take advantage of the dark.

Mike Niggli, president and chief operating officer for San Diego Gas & Electric, said he found out about the power failure at the same time as everyone else.

"The lights in the office went out with no warning at all," he said. "I started at SDG&E in 1971 and I have never been in a situation like this."

The investigation into the cause of the power failure could take months, utility experts said. At this point, the Arizona Public Serviceutility company said the outage began after one of its employees performed a procedure on the North Gila-Hassayampa transmission line near Yuma, Arizona.

“Essentially we have two connections to the rest of the world — one to the north and one to the east — and both of those connections were severed,” Niggli said. “We actually don’t know what happened to the line. All we know is the line went out.”

The power failure threw a wrench in the everyday life of a modern society that is heavily dependent on electricity. Commerce ground to a halt as gas stations and other businesses closed their doors. Residents familiar with breezy San Diego temperatures scrambled to buy ice and other comforts to cope with a continuing heat wave.

Peggy Gimbel, who had to pry open her garage door to get out of her Carlsbad home, called the break from power “peaceful” as she sat at a nail salon. She said the outage shows the fragility of the region’s energy system.

“It’s a fact of life. We are dependent upon things,” Gimbel said. About dealing with the lack of electricity, she said, “You put on your big girl pants and deal with it.”

For some, the outage’s proximity to the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks caused worry.

“It’s the worst day of the year. ... It’s just freaky that is was so close to 9/11,” said Kim Conway, who was shopping at a San Marcos grocery store. Her cart was filled with beer and alcohol as she and her neighbors prepared for an impromptu block party in the dark.

Transportation in all its forms was hit or miss, depending on if the mode required electricity to operate.

Inbound flights continued at Lindbergh Field but outbound flights were halted. Officials advised passengers to check their flight's status on Friday before heading to the airport.

The Metropolitan Transit Service halted trolleys, which require electricity to run, but pressed every available bus into service. Coaster and Sprinter trains continued to run late Thursday as well as Amtrak.

Public-transportation officials expected bus, trolley and train service to resume Friday, but cautioned travelers to be prepared for delays or limited service in some areas.

Heavy traffic was reported throughout the county’s roadways Thursday as darkened stoplights slowed traffic amid a mass exodus of drivers headed home once the power went out. Gas stations were mostly closed as they had no power to pump fuel and no means of processing transactions.

California Highway Patrol Officer Brian Pennings said gridlock ensued minutes after the outage and there were several reports of drivers illegally running through intersections.

“People are forgetting that when power is out at an intersection, it is a stop sign,” he said. “We’re having crashes because people are blowing through these intersections as if it’s a green light.”

Hospitals around the county continue to operate with backup generators, and officials at several facilities said patients weren’t in any danger.

The outage also led to roughly 70 elevator rescues as an unknown number of people became stranded across the county. Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said firefighters responded to calls with medical emergencies first and began responding to the rest of those trapped in elevators about 6:45 p.m. Many of the rescues were requested in downtown and University City areas, where there are taller buildings.

Luque cautioned residents to call for help only if there was an emergency.

“Don’t call 911 unnecessarily,” he said. “Legitimate emergency calls can’t get through.”

Another major concern was water. The supply from the San Diego County Water Authority remains stable and safe, but some San Diego city residents may have difficulty accessing water as several pump stations are without power. City officials said some customers could see a significant drop in water pressure and urged residents to conserve.

Not everyone was left in the dark. Several homes, government buildings and businesses, including casinos and The San Diego Union-Tribune, had power thanks to backup generators.

The power failure also left Friday’s opening of businesses and public facilities up in the air as electricity may or may not be restored yet to some areas. The tendency was to preemptively cancel events.

The outage occurred on the final day of a heat wave that sent temperatures eight to 12 degrees above normal. Temperatures shot into the upper 90s and low 100s across inland valleys and foothills, and as high as 114 in the local desert. The weather was even stifling at the coast due to the lack of a sea breeze. By midafternoon, the temperature had hit 89 in Chula Vista and 88 in Encinitas.

The National Weather Service in San Diego said temperatures will be moderate on Friday, rising to the mid-80s and low 90s across inland valleys and foothills, the 80s in local mountains, and the low-to-mid 70s at the coast.

Staff writers Aaron Burgin, Kristina Davis, Robert Hawkins, Karen Kucher, Jen Lebron Kuhney, Lily Leung, Hailey Persinger, Pauline Repard, Gary Robbins, Susan Shroder and Nathan Scharn contributed to this report.

Work

2011-09-10T23:14:00.000-07:00

Right after Tiki I went right into rehearsals for Mame at Lyric Opera San Diego or Lyric at the Birch or whatever it's called right now. So pretty much I spend all my time working and hardly any time at home which is why I have had very little time to blog.

Seriously Busy

2011-09-09T23:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know it's been forever. I closed 2 Pianos 4 Hands, had a few days off and then prepped for Tiki. Tiki this year was in Solana Beach and though we didn't have as many people as we usually do I think those who came still had fun. Here are some pictures to prove it.

BTW - The owner's of the home we had it at own a few McDonald's restaurants so Ronald was at the party.

The twins enjoyed their first tiki.

The other twins dressed appropriately - in 3 piece suits.

Red headed children drank from coconuts.

There was dancing

Of course there was drinking.

And general fun.

And Josh and I were there too.

I guess they like the new house....

2011-08-18T21:25:00.001-07:00

I didn't do it....

2011-08-17T21:09:00.001-07:00

On Mom's first night she decided to take a little tumble. For some ridiculous reason the bed and breakfast they were staying at decided to put one of the beds up on a platform. Please note picture below.

Not the best of ideas. On Mom's first night there she got up in the middle of the night immediately proceeded to fall off the platform hit her head on the table and then fall on the floor. Bill then asked her if she was okay and of course she was not so he got up and immediately fell off the platform on his side. She proceeded to laugh so I guess she wasn't that hurt. After showing the bruise off to the front desk and asking for some ice they were told they would get a new room (they didn't even have to ask). There next room was on the bottom floor with no platforms.

Note dark spot on chin and ice pack on arm

Our New Home

2011-08-16T21:02:00.008-07:00

Since the family was in town they took some photos so here are some pictures of our new home.

View from the driveway

The front of the house

Fireplace

Backyard/firepit

Living room into the dining room and kitchen

View from the breakfast nook

Front room

Guest room

Guest bathroom

Side of the house

Patio

Looking up into the backyard

Backyard

The water feature/monolith

Behind our bedroom

Some of the flowers

The front yard

The kitchen

The living room

O'Bistro's

2011-08-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

I am a bit behind. On the last weekend we lived in OB we headed down to O'Bistro's to meet up with some friends for breakfast.

Even the boys came out for breakfast

And Beyla

Short Re-Cap of the family visit

2011-08-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

The whole family came out for a week only days after we moved in. That wasn't hectic at all. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. On Wednesday while Brian, Bonnie, and Danny headed over to Sea World

Mom and Bill came over and hung out at the house. What a way to spend your anniversary.

On Thursday we all went to Seaport Village.

And then we took a ride on a Hornblower Cruise.

On Friday we headed up to Legoland which was only semi-busy but not too awful.

The Star Wars exhibit was pretty cool.

And some of the other exhibits as well.

On Saturday Josh and I did a bunch of house work while the family went to Balboa Park.

And then in the evening everyone came to our house for dinner including all of Josh's family as well.

On Sunday Josh stayed home to take care of house work and I took the family to Cabrillo National Monument

And then we headed over to Ocean Beach for some shopping and food.

On Monday the family went to the Midway for the day

And Monday night we took them out for Mexican food in Old Town.

Tuesday was the last day so we stopped by my work briefly

and then took a drive starting up in Carlsbad and heading south along the coast. it was a little cloudy but that made it a bit cooler.

We had a little extra time so we stopped off at Mission Beach and rode some rides.

And then off to the airport everyone went and back to life and the new house we went.

The Kitchen

2011-08-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, since I took some photos the other day when the "dish fairy" was over, AKA my mom. I thought I may post a few.

1st Day

2011-08-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well they all arrived. It's been a long few days and I'll post pics when I can. This is the first day I've had the chance to do anything and I still have a bunch of stuff to do at the house. And I'm sorry I have not had a chane to post pics of the new house. It's still a work in process but I think it looks great.

Here's the family and I on the first day they arrived. More to come!

And more packing....

2011-07-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

And our living is filled with even more boxes. Only one more week to go and we get to start putting these in our new house!!!!

And Clyde still helps out.

And we pack

2011-07-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yeah that's pretty much all I do right now. Pack. It's hard to believe two days from today is the BIG move. All the paperwork is signed. We've paid all the money to Escrow. Now we are waiting for the lender to approve everything and on the 26th we get the keys. But for now we pack.

Our living is over 1/3 full with boxes.

The cats have been nice enough to help or should I say hinder

I'm still don't believe it.

Really???

2011-07-12T11:38:00.002-07:00

I can't believe it. In two weeks Josh and I will be homeowners. TWO WEEKS!!!! Back to packing....

Gram

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

Our trips to Idaho have brought us closer to the family in Idaho. One of the very important members of the family was Gram. Gram brought the family to Idaho and was the first to put a house on the plot. I was always jealous of Katie and the fact that she had the chance to spend so much time with her grandmother since mine had passed away so many years ago. Gram has been sick for many months now and passed away on Friday surrounded by her family. I know she'll be missed by all her family members but there will always be a special spot in Josh and my heart for her as well.

Goodbye Gram. You will be missed.

Roommies - through the years

2011-07-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Since Kim and Kristin came I just had to do this comparison shot.

New Year's Eve 2003

September 2005 Reunion

July 2011

I think we all look pretty damn good for 8 years having gone by....

4th of July

2011-07-08T08:07:00.001-07:00

Monday was the last big party at the house before the big move. Our last 4th of July party in Ocean Beach. We had a great crowd and I think everyone had a wonderful time.

There are now almost as many children in the group as there are adults and some of the bigger families didn't even make it.

Ginger did a great job roaming about and getting attacked by Jack. I guess Tara and John should get a dog.

I was surprised to see Kim and family stop by and so did Kristin and family. I wish I could have spent more time with them but it was great seeing them and I hope to get together with them more often.

Sadie - Kristin's oldest

Rob with Quinn and Paige

Josie and Paige playing with Colin's truck

And of course if you invite Josh Jackson we will have something different there such as a tight rope.

It was fun for both adults and kids

Another surprise guest. An old friend of the PLD Darin.

Josh Jackson - our soon to be neighbor.

I love the below photo. Jenn looks like she's having a seizure. She was laughing so hard I was lucky to get the photo at all.

Iris' Ballet Recital

2011-07-07T20:26:00.001-07:00

The same evening of the street fair a group of us headed to Iris' first ballet recital. She was only on for about 5 minutes and we only stayed for the first half but it was worth every minute.

She did a great job and was so excited to see us all that she couldn't speak.

Now that is a cute family. Proud Mom and Dad with Iris.

Kitties in yard

2011-07-06T20:23:00.001-07:00

I've been nice to the kitties and been letting them out a few times to enjoy the yard before we leave. Here is Bonnie and Clyde enjoying the grass.

OB Street Fair

2011-07-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago Jessica came over and we headed down to the OB Street Fair. I'm beginning to realize that all of this month is about lasts. Last 4th of July party at the house. Last Street Fair at the house. Well it's the last month at the house. This makes me excited and sad all at the same time. I'm trying to take some photos to remember OB because even though I'm sure I'll be back it will no longer be my neighborhood.

One of the places I frequent for drive thru coffee is Pirate Cove coffee. They have a very yummy Pirate Chai. A Chai Tea Latte with a shot of espresso. One of my favs. I have always wanted my picture as the pirate so I took the opportunity.

The actual coffee um, building, I guess is made to look like a pirate ship. It's super small really but kind of fun.

We ran into the Micheners at the fair just as we did last year. We hung out with them long enough to see Grace ride a few of the rides. She wouldn't get on the slide by herself so mom went up with her.

Jack proceeded to fall fast asleep on John's back. It was quite a warm day.

It was a really nice afternoon hanging out with Jessica and seeing the Micheners. Jessica and I bought a boba tea but that was it so I would say we did well. It was all the usual stuff but it was fun taking a walk and checking out all the people.

Banker Boys

2011-07-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

It's been a LONG week so this is the first time I've had the chance to sit down and write anything. Earlier this week Jenn T and I went over to the Bankers to hang out for the night and see the babies. Jenn was super excited about getting a chance to meet the cuties. Honestly I don't remember which is which from the pictures above. It's hard to tell when they are in their blankets.

On Friday Tish went to the hospital because she was bleeding so the last three days have been tough for everyone. They finally went home tonight. YAY!!!! I know Tish will be glad to sleep in her own bed with her babies. She was bleeding from her uterus and they were able to make it stop after some procedures. She has had a long sore weekend and Eric as well. Luckily we all grouped together to take care of the babies and everyone is home safe now. Now if we can just get Tish to rest......

Current happenings

2011-06-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

So just a little update. I do have photos to share but not on me at the moment. Over the weekend I went to the OB Street Fair with Jessica and met up with the Michener Clan. We are still signing papers daily for the house. Inspection went well. Appraisal is done. Loan is approved. Tonight we discuss disclosures and go over escrow paperwork plus hopefully get home owner's insurance. Woo hoo! No one told me how exciting this would be. The agreed upon closing day is 7/26. Less then a month away. Hard to believe it's all happening so fast.

Babies!

2011-06-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce the birth of the Banker twins. Jackson David 7lbs 3oz 21" and Jonathan Jay 6lbs 5 oz 20". Everyone is healthy and doing well. Pictures to come soon when I get a chance to go see them.

Dave Dream

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

From 7/9/06

· the 1st Dave Dream

Well, of course Dave decided to come to me when I was in the house alone so I need to get this out.

All the PLDS were hanging out together in some nameless location when Dave just appeared. Everyone was talking to him and he was talking back but yet we all kept giving each other looks. We all knew he was dead but yet still wanted to talk to him. At one point I was talking to someone away from him and we were saying to each other how we almost wanted to stare just to make sure it was really him. Someone asked me if I had looked at his neck and I said no. He tried to hug me at one point and I ran away because I was too scared. He disappeared briefly and we all decided to celebrate his birthday since he was there. At least I think that's what we were doing. Someone got these balloons and was handing them out when Dave reappeared. He said he had to go and explained that he was just tired and killed himself. Like he wanted to explain to us why he had done it. I said to him that we all loved him and missed him very much and then everyone else started to join in. He almost looked confused for a minute like he didn't understand why we would miss him. Then he said good-bye and got into his "elevator" with all the other dead people ( I guess they were all going around visiting old friends) and flew away. And by the way, it was all girls he had with him. He was holding one girl's hand and looked really happy.

I'm sad yet happy like I had my chance to say good-bye. My head hurts. I should probably try to get back to sleep.

Good-bye Dave

Are we really doing this???

2011-06-19T19:00:00.009-07:00

So this it. This is very possibly our new home by August. Honestly, we didn't think we were going to find anything this quickly. We had agreed that we would not settle on anything and if one of us even slightly didn't like the place it was cut from our list. And then last weekend we decided to check out a few places in the neighborhood our friends Josh and Tania live in. We like the neighborhood and even though it's a bit further out it still wasn't a bad commute for either of us for work. The one house was nice but well it definitely needed some work. It had great possibilities and was cheaper but we would have wanted to do some upgrades. And then there was the second house. Josh and I had NOTHING bad to say about the place. The location was wonderful, the yard, every room, the patio, etc, etc, etc. So we went away that day after looking at probably 9 or 10 houses with Jenny and Lilly who tagged along. By the way, Lilly did a great job looking at houses and she picked our lunch for the day, Chinese. Impressive.

We walked away and all day on Monday Josh and I thought about it and by that night we both had decided damn we like that place. So we scheduled a meeting with the mortgage broker for Tuesday night to find out if we honestly could afford it and a second viewing of the house with Jenny (our real estate agent). We walked through again and discovered we loved it even more so we wrote up the papers to put in an offer on the house that night.

I've never had such a long few days. I woke up every day with butterflies in my stomach waiting to hear the answer which we found out on Friday. They gave us a counteroffer which was VERY acceptable and we TOOK it. Yep, as of Friday the paperwork was signed and things started to roll.

So here we are in the process of purchasing our new home and we never would have guessed it could have happened so quickly. Monday we have the house inspection and money begins to change hands and I'm sure there is a LOT more paperwork ahead. Things could still go wrong but we have our fingers crossed for everything to run smoothly. We are both in a state of shock and disbelief and honestly won't believe until we have the keys in our hands. So, expect lots of fun house blogs for a while since that has taken over my life right now. It seems that is what I eat, sleep, and breath house stuff at the moment so it's hard to concentrate on anything else. Which reminds me, what am I to do now? I guess enjoy an afternoon off......

And we leave

2011-06-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

Another year of camping done and we already have next year's spot reserved (the same one we had in 2010) until then. Farewell Sierra Nevadas!

Final Day

2011-06-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

After breakfast and saying good bye to Steve and Leah the rest of us decided to hike out to Green Lake.

Charlie cooking up some sausages

It ended up being 8 miles round trip and part of it was through the snow. It was a lot of fun though and "sledding" back down some of the hills was a good time.

The trail was very clear when not covered in snow and probably would have been fairly easy. We did an excellent job of following the trail even though we couldn't see a good chunk of it.

Jeni decided to hang back while the rest of us continued on to the lake.

When we got to the lake it was of course partly frozen and very windy and COLD.

We grabbed a quick group shot and headed back down the trail.

So much for the snow

2011-06-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

So the weather began to warm up and the sun came out but there was still a bit of wind and NO fish. Just ask Charlie and John. We said good bye to the Posts and family and Sarah and John today and checked out Bodie, the largest ghost town in the country. You could spend all day in Bodie checking out the cool old buildings but we kept it down to just about 4 hours. Here are some of the cool pics we took.

So much happening

2011-06-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok. I've been working on getting up pics for the camping trip but it's so hard when my brain is in other places. Lots of exciting things are happening and as it is I have told most of you but hopefully we will soon have very good news. Just keep your fingers crossed for us. Until then I guess I can continue on with the trip.

Day Three - Finally Things calm down

2011-06-15T07:48:00.001-07:00

Josh knocking the snow off our tent.

We woke up Sunday morning to a beautiful white morning..

But that didn't stop us from having fun. Josh and I took a little hike around our campsite to see all the prettiness.

Josh showing how BIG the tree is.

It was a bit chilly and we all had to layer including Barnes and Waffles. They are such good dogs.

Colin didn't have any snow shoes so he got to enjoy his first snow on Dad's back. The Posts brought along a sled and we took advantage of the snow.

Since Paul and Rosie were leaving we took our group shot in the snow. Another good group this year and most hung out even in the snow and wind.

After we said farewell to Paul, Rosie, and Colin we decided to take a little walk down the road to check out some sites. It started to get dark and windy so we headed back to camp.

Josh took the opportunity to work on his truck even in the hail.

That night was the Chili Cook Off and oddly this is the only photo I got of the cooks for the evening. The winner this year was Mike's Green Chili. And as usual we had plenty leftover so we offered some to the neighboring campground.

Camping - Day Two - The Truck Adventures Continue.....

2011-06-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

The second day we had some tasty corn fritters made by Josh on his fancy new grill. We always eat in style while camping.

It was a little chilly but everyone was properly dressed. Even Colin had his gloves firmly taped on.

Our little tent city

The stream - with no fish - next to our camp

Josh and I went for a drive and found some snow up the way. The drive was really nice.

And the snow had been quite high at one point as you can tell.

We even caught sight of some deer (six actually) and then we had a bit of trouble. Josh ran over a rock on the road and it hit something under the truck and we went flying to the left, up the hill and back down to the road. When we finally rested on the road we had two flat tires. Luckily I was able to text Orion and he came down and got us. He took me and Nick back to camp and Orion and Josh headed into town to get tires for Josh's truck and a new tire for Orion's truck. They drove back out to Josh's truck replaced the tires and were able to make it back to camp that night.

While the boys were in town and after a few shots to calm myself down we decided to play some scrabble in the hail that had started falling.

You can see the little pellets that flew under the cover onto our game.

After everyone returned from their adventures we began another even of fine dining. Jon and Sarah prepared us for the night with some lovely alcohol beverages to warm us up.

And I finally got the chance to wear my new fancy boots. They were nice and warm.

Josh took out some of his car aggression out on this tree. By the way, by the end of the trip all of this tree was chopped up and used for fire wood.

I even took a crack at it. I think we were all glad when the night was over and we could curl up in our nice warm sleeping bags and go to bed.

Memorial Day Adventures - Day One

2011-06-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

Our day started at 4am so we could get out on the road nice and early. We carpooled with Leah, Steve, and Laura and then met up with Sarah and Jon as well on our way up.

And of course we had to stop at the Outpost for our traditional breakfast where we bumped into Paul, Rosie, and Colin. The ride was pretty uneventful and we made good time.

You could see Paul following us on the way up there.

Since the road to camp was a dirt road we waited for the non-truck vehicles at the entrance to make sure they were able to safely travel it. While waiting around we adventured a bit and Josh found this little guy by the side of the road.

After everyone else was there we headed to camp. Now I don't have any more photos of the first day because we spent most of the evening setting up and getting all our stuff out. Someone decided to take a side road to the campsite and well got a bit stuck. After we had been at camp for a bit Patty and Josh went out to look for Orion and Nick who were missing. It seems they got stuck in some soft sand and on a boulder so Josh and Orion spent the next few hours digging out Orion's truck. Luckily there wasn't too much damage to the truck. Just a flat tire.

Birthday Shout Out!

2011-05-29T13:14:00.004-07:00

To two of my dearest friends. Monica and Linda who were born on the exact same day.

Happy Birthday! I wish I could spend more time with both of you.

Christmas Time 2011

PLD Mountain Invasion

2011-05-28T10:26:00.003-07:00

DSC_0526
Originally uploaded by cjcrash
Yep, it's that time of the year again. Time for our annual camping trip. This year we are heading a little farther north . We are heading up closer to Bridgeport this year to a new campground. It looks quite beautiful and it will be fun to go somewhere new this year. We'll have lots of pics when we get back. Until then have a great Memorial Day!

Puppy!

2011-05-27T10:22:00.002-07:00

My dear friend Jennaaay has been wanting a puppy for a long time now so a few week ago they went to the shelter and rescued little Ginger.

Yes, she's a mutt and she's perfect for Charles and Jenn. She is very sweet and loving and a tiny little thing. I met her recently and took a few photos.

Mother's Day

2011-05-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

This year we celebrated Mother's Day twice. Hard to believe. The weekend before Mother's Day Jeni was in town so we all went out to breakfast at O'Bistro's. On Mother's Day Josh and I had the family over for dinner. It turned out to be a nice afternoon so we were able to sit outside while Josh grilled up some fish.

Back Blogged

2011-05-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, I know. Normally I am much better about blogging and really have no excuse not to be blogging. So here's what has been going on this month.

The same weekend as the shower was Jessica's 30th birthday. A few of us headed up to F%$(ing Escondido for the barbeque. Charlie served us some super tasty food and Jessica made a delicious cake. Yes, she made her own birthday cake. It was a small and relaxing gathering and quite nice.

Banker Baby Shower

2011-05-13T10:21:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure what happened but yesterday I created a post and today it is gone. We'll see if it shows up twice now. So once again.... At the end of April we celebrated the upcoming birth of the Banker boys with a Barbeque Baby Shower in our backyard. Tish really didn't want a shower but Eric did and I think in the end they both had a wonderful day. Tish was quite lively even though she is quite pregnant.

Tish and Eric's sister

I got a chance to pose with the babies

We had a good group come out for the event. Lots of friends and family. Eric's family even came down from up north for the event.

I just have to say that Peggy wore an all white dress and it was still all white at the end of the day.

Jessica and Rosie made some very tasty cupcakes. Rosie's were also very creative. Check out the little duckies.

They also got quite a few gifts. Most of which they opened after the event but they opened a few for family members who had traveled down for the event.

Congrats to Tish and Eric. I'm looking forward to meeting Jonathon and Jackson whenever they decide to arrive.

Check out all the photos here.

Joshua Tree - 2nd Day

2011-05-06T10:47:00.001-07:00

After some very yummy breakfast we headed out for a little hike near our campsite. No dogs were allowed on the trail so Kris and Beyla stayed while we took a walk.

Me, Liz, and Holly on the trail

The view was quite magnificent.

This guy showed off for us.

After hanging out in camp for a little bit we decided to head out via car since Beyla wasn't allowed on any of the trails. She did enjoy some of the rocks. I think she's checking out a lizard in this one.

And Josh found a little treasure too.

Watching Josh climb to the other side.

And there he is.

At skull rock Josh climbed up the rocks on the other side to get a good view. We played around on these for quite a while. I could have spent all day here but we wanted to see more.

Such a little cutie.

As usual we ate fabulously. The weather was almost perfect (a little windy the second night) and we had most of the campground to ourselves Sunday night which was very nice.

Kris, Holly, Beyla, Me, Josh, and Liz

Easter in Joshua Tree - - 1st Day

2011-05-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

It is beginning to become a tradition that for all major holidays Josh and I go camping. Memorial Day - Sierra Nevadas, Thanksgiving - Colorado River, Easter - Joshua Tree. On Saturday AM we headed up to Joshua Tree to join Holly, Kris, Liz, and Beyla for some camping fun. On the way up we we did some off roading and checked out some cool mines on the way.

Check out the pretty jade.

One was operating in the 80s and still had a bunch of equipment sitting around. I thought I would take a ride in the crane.

Josh thought this was the coolest part. I chalkboard that still had orders on it.

When we got back to camp we unpacked all of our stuff, had a margarita, and then pulled out the new camp stove for it's first meal.

Josh cooked up some yummy pork chops, steak, and veggies.

Kris, Holly, and Liz waiting for the food to be done. We were at the edge of the campsite so we had some wildlife come through.

Joy's Visit

2011-04-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Last week Joy was able to escape the treacherous weather in North Carolina to come visit us in San Diego. We had a casual but fun few days with a lot of driving and eating. In the three days we walked around OB and played on the Cliffs.

Took a drive up the coast and checked out La Jolla.

Visited both my work and Josh's work.

Went out of some tasty Asian cuisine and of course some shopping at the Japanese market.

Visited the San Diego Mission.

Took a long drive up to Palomar Mountain through the clouds.

And out to Palm Springs.

It was a fun but brief trip. Hopefully next time she'll be able to stay longer.

A little snack

2011-04-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Note the few feathers left.

Sorry, but I've been a bit behind on my blogging. A bit ago, probably a month now, I was doing some cleaning in the house when I heard a bit of a ruckus in the backyard. My name was being called so I went out to find out that Ema had grabbed one of the baby birds that had just flown out of the nest at our neighbor's place and was in the process of eating it. While they were all grossed out I was very proud of her so I went running to find her and by the time I got the camera these were the only photos I could get.

Checking to see if there are any pieces left

Yummy.

Off to the Opera

2011-04-16T13:32:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night Jennnay and I got all dressed up to go see Rosenkavalier at San Diego Opera. We chose the opportunity for both of us to wear our Temptress' dresses. Eric was nice enough to take some pre-show photos for us.

The Opera was well alright. The stage crew was of course fabulous. The singing was very good but it was a bit long. 4 hours is just a bit much for me. Plus the male lead was played by a woman so Jenn thought that it was a lesbian couple at first until she got that it was supposed to be a man. Afterwards we headed over to Downtown Johnny Brown's for a quick drink and then headed home.

Lazy Cat

2011-04-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Oh, being a cat is so rough.....

and Stttttreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttcccccccccccchhhhhhhhh

And switch to the other side.

So rough....

My Creative Boyfriend

2011-04-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

We've been looking for a tv stand to replace the sorry one we had in our living room for a while now. None of them were the right size or look or price so Josh decided to build one of his own. He got the wood from my work for a discounted price, it had been sitting around for a while, and a lot of the pipe he already had at the house. In the end this is what we ended up with.

We are pretty happy with it. It fits perfectly into the space and is a little thinner and closer to the wall so it opens up the living room some more. Josh may stain the front of it at some point but that's it.

Girl's Night Out

2011-03-28T10:22:00.002-07:00

Well it had been a while since we had a true Girl's Night OUT so I decided to have one. We started the night off at The Station for some fine dining and drinks.

Jenn and I enjoying our Margaritas

Where we enjoyed some tasty drinks and yummy burgers. It was a little chilly but the food was yummy and the drinks were very good.

Liza, Jenn, and I

Holly and Patty

Then we headed a few doors down to The Whistle Stop Bar. It was 80s vs. 90s night and since we snuck in before 10pm we didn't have to pay a cover charge.

Jen M and I

Nicole & Kat

I think everyone had a good time even though the music they chose from the 90s kind of sucked. We found a little spot in the corner near a place to set our stuff.

I just love this photo because it looks so ridiculous. I have no clue what was going on at that point but it must have been quite funny to Jen M and Erin and quite disturbing to Jennay.

Josie's 2nd Birthday!

2011-03-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

On the 19th Josh and I headed over to Josie's 2nd Birthday at the park in NTC.

It was a little chilly out but still a really nice sunny day.

Josie seemed to have a great time enjoying her cake and all the fun things at the park.

We also got to see some other kids that day. Look at this red headed child. Hard to believe that's Ian. Already over a year old now.

Iris was nice enough to give some of her Fisher Price toys to Josie. I thought these were awesome since they were from Melinda's childhood (the same as the ones I had)

Supposedly you can't get these little people anymore. Can't believe that. I think my mom may still have this school house at her house. Mom, if you are reading this DO NOT ever get rid of these toys. They are awesome and will still be cool YEARS from now.

Happy Birthday Josie!

A Day Off

2011-03-24T10:18:00.002-07:00

A few weeks back Josh FINALLY had a day off so I took the day off too and we spent some time together. After sleeping in we jumped in the car and went for a drive. Sadly we found out that our favorite place in Alpine to eat was closed, Alpine Bread Basket, but we found another cute spot and had some super tasty food. Then we just drove. We ended up going for a little hike and just in general driving around and enjoying the beautiful day.

My first Horny Toad in the wild

Enjoying a natural "snow cone"

Annual St. Patrick's Day Party

2011-03-18T09:43:00.001-07:00

Well I guess this is a sign that we are getting older. This year's party was MUCH more laid back. Hard to believe that at one point this party was filled with drunk people trying to wrestle each other. Now I am not saying a fun time was not had. It was. It was just much more laid back. Conversations around the fire were about children in school (from some future teachers), inside they discussed carpeting and buying houses. Nothing wrong with any of that. It's just another example of how we are all growing up. Once again Jessica made a VERY tasty stew and I was happy that my Irish soda bread was once again a hit. Here are a few pictures from the event.

Leah and Laura

It was the last year for the infamous cherries

A tired mama

Say YES to the Dress

2011-03-15T12:09:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to do something super fun on Saturday and go to my one of my dearest friend's wedding gown fittings. Now so I don't give away the real day I am only going to post pics of the dresses that didn't make it. I will say she DID say yes to the dress but you'll have to wait for the wedding pics to see the final choice. Here are the ones that didn't make it.

The look on Jenn's face is how we felt about this dress.

This is the Belle dress as in Beauty and The Beast. It was just too much for Jenn.

So this was originally the first choice, the Cinderella Dress, however another one ended up winning.

Me, Jenn, Jean (who joined us via AOL Video Chat) and Jenn's Mom

Bits & Pieces of My Life

Pandora

By The Way

And off to Seattle

My Birthday!

More Bear Paw Fun

Hanging at the Bear Paw

New Years in Idaho

Christmas Day

Our First Christmas

Baby Crowder

December

Christmas Prep

It took many years but it's here

The Yard

One More Climb

Thanksgiving Day

More Rock Climbing

Joshua Tree Thanksgiving - Day One

Things have changed

PLD Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Melinda's Bday

Shad and Peggy's

Iris' Bday

Boobies

Lost Kitten

Oops

Star Day!

New Dinnerware

Tania's Birthday

A Smart Choice

North Park Theatre Appoints New Chief

Laundry

More Gardening

Clyde

Happy Halloween at work.

First Opera of the season.

And the inside of the house....

Gardening

The Orange Cat

Ok, enough of that.

Another passing....

Bruce Hansen

The Wedding

The Rehearsal

And the fun begins.....

Mame

The Bridal Shower

Mame

I think they like it

Brunch

BLACKOUT!

Power outage tweets

Tweets tagged #blackout

Blackout tips

Work

Seriously Busy

I guess they like the new house....

I didn't do it....

Our New Home

O'Bistro's

Short Re-Cap of the family visit

The Kitchen

1st Day

And more packing....

And we pack

Really???

Gram

Roommies - through the years

4th of July

Iris' Ballet Recital

Kitties in yard

OB Street Fair

Banker Boys

Current happenings

Babies!

Dave Dream

Are we really doing this???

And we leave