Trina's page of Blogginess

Gung Hay Fat Choy!!

2012-01-23T11:57:00.001-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year! It's the year of the dragon!!

We went to Stockton Saturday evening for a (slightly) early celebration with the family.

Earlier that day, I did my annual routine of going to the bank and asking for brand new $5 bills. Sometimes, they have them, sometimes they don't, but when I explain that I need them for Chinese New Year, they always understand, and do the best they can to accommodate.

In our culture, it's traditional for married couples to give red envelopes (Lai See) with paper currency in them (the dollar amount can vary) to all of the children in the family. I think it's extra good luck if the bills are new, but I could be making that up. ;)

In my family, the recipients of the Lai See can be of any age, as long as they aren't married. For example, I still received Lai See in my early 30s before Dick and I were married.

As we were driving to Stockton this weekend, I assembled all of my Lai See. I told Dick that although this may sound funny, this is one of the things in life that reminds me that "I'm married". I know it's a little thing, but for so many years, I was a recipient of the Lai See envelopes, and now I'm one of the ones passing them out. It's hard to explain.

Anyhow, I passed out my Lai See to my cousins, my cousin's daughters (my nieces) and my Sister and her boyfriend (because that always makes us laugh).

Happy Year of the Dragon, everyone!
May it be filled with Good Health and Good Fortune for all! :)

Trans-Pacific Art Show at the Bay Street Cafe

2012-01-20T17:26:00.001-08:00

Kimi designed this beautiful postcard to promote the show

The inside of Kimi's flier

Last night, I helped set up an art show which, for the first time, included some of my own paintings!

Earlier this month, on January 1st, my friend Kimi asked if I would consider participating an a Trans-Pacific Art Show that she participating in with five artists from Japan. She had been contacted via twitter by an artist in Japan who, along with 4 others, were interested in sharing their art with artists here in the Bay Area, hosting a show here, then having the Bay Area artists send art to be shown along with the Japanese artists in Japan. Kimi already had 4 bay area artists, including herself, but was looking for one more.

Something I haven't mentioned here on my blog is that my New Year's resolution this year is to get back into painting. (there! I put it out on the internet. that makes it real!) I was a little apprehensive to accept at first, as I'm really quite rusty and perhaps a little gun shy. Not to mention that the opening reception for the art show was already scheduled for January 21st! Kimi suggested that I could simply display some of my old paintings (and when I say "old" I'm talking 15+ years old!) and not worry about producing anything new. It was such a generous offer, and really, what better way for me to get back in touch with my artistic side!

I chose 4 different pieces from "the archives". I don't consider these my strongest paintings (those are living in my house, or in the houses of my family members), but they are decent examples of some of my work. :)

We met at the beautiful Bay Street Cafe in Fremont, (where the show will be on display for 3 weeks) to set up yesterday around 5:00. We had a lot of help (thanks to Lotfi, Davin, and the rest of the crew) who brought in metal/grid walls to hang the art from. There was a lot of individual pieces, so it took a while to figure out where everything would look best. It took about 4.5 hours or so, but were quite pleased with the end result.

The opening reception is tomorrow night, Saturday, January 21st from 6:00-9:00pm.

Bay Street Cafe
4000 Bay Street
Fremont, CA

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the opening reception, as my family had already planned our Chinese New Year dinner for the same evening.

If you're in the area, please stop by. There are some really nice pieces of work, and the Bay Street Cafe is such a lovely venue.

Thank you, Kimi for offering me the opportunity to partake in such a neat, artistic collaboration!

here are some photos that I took after we finished setting up last night:

one of Kimi's large paintings displayed in the front of the cafe

the back left shows smaller pieces by a Japanese artist. Another large canvas by Kimi is next to it. One of Rica's paintings is in the front

on the left (the red ballerina painting) is one of mine called "To Newt, with Love" (it was created in 1995 during the time when he was largely responsible for cutting funding to the National Endowment of the Arts). to the right of that painting are bags by a Japanese artists, ceramics on the shelf by Yukie and another painting (masks of my face) on the right.

another shot of the small paintings by a Japanese artists, and Kimi's painting

on the left is a piece by Kimi, the middle is mine, and smaller pieces by another Japanese artist

one of my oil paintings next to a display of Yukie's ceramics

a closer shot of Yukie's ceramics and my creepy mask painting

a closer shot of my Ballerina/Newt painting, and the bags by a Japanese artist

Lovely oil paintings by Chiori

tired artists after we finished hanging the show at 9:45 last night

My first marathon medal

2012-01-19T10:01:00.001-08:00

You may recall that I participated in my first half-marathon last month. I walked the Las Vegas Rock n' Roll half marathon with Jason.

Yesterday, I received a rather heavy package in the mail. I opened it, and found a medal commemorating my completion of the half-marathon. It came with a note apologizing for the delay in my receiving the medal, and how the organization was sorry and understood how frustrating and disappointing it must have been to not receive the medal at the finish line.

In all honesty, Jason and I weren't aware that we were supposed to get a medal at all. Actually, I think we knew that we could pick up some sort of congratulatory gift after we were done, but we were both too tired and cold to even think about standing in another line. Later that evening, we were in an elevator to the parking garage with a few other participants who mentioned to us that the event had run out of medals. Again, we were tired, and didn't think much of it.

So, anyway - I received my medal in the mail yesterday. It's a pretty medal - fairly large, and ornate, but honestly, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with it. It's not like I have a trophy room in my house. ;) I think the only medals I've ever "won" before were my WGI medals from my color guard years. I worked really hard (20 years ago) for those medals, so they mean a lot to me, but even they are living somewhere in my old room at my parent's house.

So, what to do with this?

Hey! I know that pretty pink butterfly!

2012-01-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

Hey, that's Monica!

I checked my mail today, and found a lovely surprise! My friend, Monica, is featured in a beautiful photo on the cover of the brochure for the 2012 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!

Monica is a fellow Warming Hut Hotties teammate, and has participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk for the last couple of years. She has become a dear friend who I have had the privilege to walk and train with.

This photo was taken during the Avon Walk in San Francisco last July when a bunch of Warming Hut Hotties went to cheer on the walkers (Walker Stalking). We all wore out deeleeboppers and butterfly wings. :)

I really love this picture of Monica (and our teammates in the background). She looks so beautiful, and it really shows the spirit of the event.

It's my Ebay-Anniversary

2012-01-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

would that make it my "Ebayversary"?

I just got an email from ebay congratulating me on my 14-year Ebay anniversary.

Wow. 14 years.

January, 1998.

Seems like such a long time ago.

I remember when I first started using ebay. I was working at a vintage animation gallery at the time, and told the owners (my friends) about it. They told me all the reasons why a company like ebay would never make it.... and look at it now.

As a collector, I have mixed emotions about ebay. (Mostly good.) For good or for bad, it has made it much easier to find things - whether it be collectibles, vintage, clothing, electronics, etc.,

My personal experience on it has dramatically changed two types of collections that I have:

It has taken away the thrill of "the hunt" that I used to have for finding vintage Raggedy Ann dolls and collectibles. I can find some great deals still, but frankly, I've largely stopped collecting because all of the things I used to have to hunt for at antique stores, have become too available now on ebay. In a way, it took the fun out of collecting. This is also caused the Raggedy Ann collectible market (see - you didn't even know that this existed!) to drop down significantly in value and interest. (or, maybe the interest may have waned anyhow, but I think ebay had a significant impact on the "value" of collectibles.) Now, I mainly focus on finding original art now by Johnny Gruelle (creator/writer/illustrator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy). His original art pieces remains very elusive (he passed away in 1938) and rare, and it combines my interest in Raggedy Ann and fine art.

I also noticed a significant change in the value of animation art (cels, limited editions, and especially sericels) after the popularity of ebay boomed. Again, it's quite possible that the animation art scene may have become not as popular and "valuable" after the hey-days of the early 90s, but nonetheless, the market became over-saturated with animation art (especially the non-production art) after ebay and the internet in general.

Don't get me wrong - I still LOVE ebay. I've found many great items and deals on their site over the past 14 years. Things I never would have found on my own accord. Actually, one of my favorite things I love about browsing on ebay is discovering things (again, perhaps Raggedy Ann or Johnny Gruelle related) that I had no idea existed before, or thought was nearly impossible to find. Even if I'm not interested in buying them or owning them myself, it's always fun to see "what's out there".

Spontaneous lunch with Sheri!!

2012-01-13T16:26:00.001-08:00

This morning, just before 11:00am, I received a text message from my friend, Sheri (who lives in Southern Cal, and has been traveling to the East Coast for work a lot lately).

The text said:

Totally random and last minute.... am at SFO airport. Do you have lunch plans?

What?! Really?

To make it even funnier, we had just talked on the phone Tuesday evening, and she made no mention of coming to the Bay Area later this week!

So, I was caught a bit off-guard, but quickly rearranged my schedule so that I could see her! We only seem to see each other once every 1, 2 or 3 years or so, so it's always a treat when we can make it happen.

Sheri actually goes by Sherilyn, but we've known each other since we met at Jill Freeman's birthday party in 6th grade. So, that's about 10 years old. She was going by Sheri then, although I call her "Bear" and she calls me "Tunie".

We weren't in the elementary school, but we did go to Junior High and one year of high school together. She moved down to Southern Cal after our Freshman year. :(

We were really good about staying in touch, though, which has been wonderful! I guess we've known each other for roughly 30 years now. wow.

Anyway, we had a great lunch. We went down to the Castro to Anchor Oyster Bar where we scarfed on oysters and shared a crab burger and an crab/shrimp/cheese open face sandwich. And, of course, I couldn't send her on her way without stopping at Hot Cookie for a bag of cookies to take on the road. (she's got a conference to go to North of Marin this weekend.)

So, that was my wonderful, spontaneous lunch with my dear old friend, Sheri. Between seeing her today, and spending the day with Kimi and Cindy a couple of weeks ago, 2012 has been a great year for seeing old friends. :)

The Purse Tree

2012-01-13T16:10:00.001-08:00

The Purse Tree

Okay, between this tree, and The Wishing Tree, I sure have found some interesting trees in my neighborhood in just the past month!

We'll call this one "The Purse Tree", as it has old purses hanging from its branches, filled with soil and plants! Clever! I actually happened to be passing by (taking a photo) when one of the owners of the house opened his garage door. I inquired about the tree - he told me that his partner has been doing this for a few years, and that they also hang the purses from their backyard fence as well.

He had two suggestions if you are interested in trying this yourself:

1) Use bags/purses made of synthetic materials. (they will last longer.)

2) Punch a few drain holes at the bottom of the bag/purse so that the water can easily drain.

Let's see what other kind of interesting trees I can find around the neighborhood! I'm on a quest now! :)

Glassybaby Fundraiser Total

2012-01-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

GREAT NEWS!! Just got the total tally of money raised from my glassybaby fundraiser last month. The total from the event at my house was $372.60, and the total from the online orders was $225. Grand total: $597.60. Such a GREAT start to my 2012 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure fundraising! THANK YOU to all who came to my event and ordered with my promo code online!! (glassybaby is not legally able to tell me who placed orders online, so I can't thank you all individually.)

A very special Thank You to the glassybaby company, and all of the wonderful people who worked so hard to make this fundraising event a great success.

I’m hoping to host another glassybaby fundraising event in the late Spring or early Summer. Stay tuned! :)

I am not an orchid killer after all! :)

2012-01-09T10:18:00.000-08:00

Well, this is a first (for me)!

I've received a few lovely orchid plants as house-warming gifts last April. They all kept their pretty blooms for a few months - I think the last one fell in October or so.

I've never had good luck with these plants, but with so many (4 in total) I felt compelled to do my best to take good care of them. I called my friend, Andrew, who gave me a simple tip (water them once a week) to try to keep them alive and (hopefully) bloom again!

I've had a few orchid plants in the past, and invariably, they end up looking like "Stick Plants" (as Spencer calls them) and eventually die (I think) and get the boot.

This time, I'm determined to see what will happen if I make a habit to take care of them regularly. They are all doing relatively well - the individual plants are healthy and growing, but for 3 of them, there's not much more going on.

...but ONE of them has re-sprouted!!

I noticed about a month or so ago that a second branch had started to grow off of the main branch, and soon, small little buds started to grow!! Woot!

The fact that I haven't killed these plants is already amazing enough, but the fact that one of them has started to sprout buds again just amazes me!

The growing orchid plant in December

Today, I noticed that the first orchid flower had sprouted - hopefully, the first of many!

Welcome, first orchid flower of the second round!

I know this isn't really a big deal, but I'm really getting a kick out of it! I'm hoping the other plants will learn to follow suit. (although, they aren't looking nearly as likely to bloom anytime soon.)

Blue Hair! (aka: my artistic mid-life crisis?!)

2012-01-06T22:12:00.001-08:00

Today, I did something that I've been wanting to do for a very long time, but had never quite worked up the courage to do: I dyed (part) of my hair blue!!

Seriously, I've been wanting to do this for years!

Here's the thing: I've never colored/dyed my hair at all. Ever.

The reason that I was so nervous was that I thought that once you colored it, then you'd have to worry about roots/growing out, and that you'd have to keep coloring it until the end of time. I figured I'd just wait until I had enough grays come in (and believe me, they are!) and that I'd start coloring it then, but until I absolutely had to, I planned to wait it out.

A couple of days ago, I started to get into an artistic groove. (more on that soon!) I been determined to bring more art and creativity into my life - I plan to paint more, and just try to be more creatively inspired on a day-to-day basis.

That's when I remembered that I've been wanting to dye a blue streak in my hair for years, and why not just do it now.

So, I called my hair salon yesterday, and made an appt for this afternoon.

And there you go: 2-1/2 hours later, and the beautiful Mariel gave me the exact shade of blue that I've seen in my mind's eye for years.

I really love it so far. We'll see how it goes. I'll probably also have to re-touch it every few weeks, so we'll see if I have that in me (I'm generally a pretty low-maintenance hair person). I had already considered this, but after posting a photo of my new do on Facebook a couple of hours ago, I had several friends request that I change it up to hot pink for the 3Day walk this year. That would be fun!

So, here's to trying something new, stepping outside of the box, and bringing on the creative juices! :)

Welcome, Toby the Cat!!

2012-01-05T20:39:00.001-08:00

Happy Mom, Happy Kitty

My Mom and Dad have been thinking about getting another furry friend (of the feline purr-suation) for the last several months. They have been trying to decide whether or not to adopt kittens, male or female, single or two siblings....

and then...

Monday evening, they got a call from their neighbors. Their (adult) son and his girlfriend had found a stray kitty outside of their apartment complex who, besides being very hungry, had an abscess on his chest that needed to be looked at. They brought him to a vet, where he had a procedure done to treat the abscess, as well as medication for de-worming, de-fleaing, etc.,

They needed place for the kitty to stay for the next few days before his follow-up appointment on Friday. They couldn't keep him in their apartment (they already have 2 kitties, which is the limit in their complex) and his parents (my Mom and Dad's neighbors) already have a kitty in the house who doesn't react well to other felines in the house.

Lucky for this little kitty, my parents were happy to take him in to foster him for a few days. They kept him in a bathroom where he could rest and recuperate from his last several days/weeks.

Of course, my parents (especially my Mom) became quite attached to him very quickly. She named him the very first evening (which was a sure sign that he had already won her over) and has been pampering him with love for the last 4 days.

I went to visit yesterday to meet this special little guy. He's a wonderful kitty. The vet thinks he's about 3 years old, and in relatively good health. Besides the abscess, he has a few scratches - probably from getting into fights with other outdoor kitties. He is quite handsome, but more importantly, he's a love-bug. He is happy and comfortable with all people, and is constantly purring. To show just how comfortable he already is in his new surroundings, he's already rolling over on his back, asking for belly-rubs!

And so, my parents made the decision today that they are going to keep Toby (formal name is "Tobias") and make him the newest member of the family. What a lucky little guy - he certainly came to the right place! :)

Welcome, Toby!

A great way to spend the first day of the New Year!!

2012-01-01T20:14:00.001-08:00

I had a wonderful, wonderful afternoon at Kimi's house today. What a wonderful way to start the new year! Our old friend from grade school through sophomore year of high school, Cindy, was in town for a visit! Cindy lives in MN and was in the area visiting family for the holidays. I'm so happy that she was able to squeeze in an afternoon visit with us!

Cindy and I haven't seen each other since (we think) the summer after we graduated from high school. Well over 20 years!

We reconnected 4 or 5 years ago when Cindy sent me an email out-of-the-blue. I think she must have done an internet search for me and came across either my blog or my web design page. We have since kept up with each other a bit more via Facebook.

It's been great keeping up with each others lives virtually, but nothing compares to a face-to-face visit. You'd have never known that it's been 20+ years since we last saw each other. We just fell right back into each other, and we all had a wonderful day.

I also had the great pleasure of meeting Cindy's baby girl! I've been looking forward to meeting her for such a long time.

How wonderful it was spending the afternoon with these two wonderful friends.

The more friends I reconnect with from the past, the more I realize how strong of a connection we all have with each other. How wonderful to be in each others lives again.

Kimi, thank you so much for hosting today's festivities. The sushi, miso soup, and squash were delicious. Cindy, tell your sister that she makes a mean coffee cake. :)

Here's to old friends, near and far.

Here's to a wonderful New Year...

New Year's Day Dinner

2012-01-01T19:34:00.001-08:00

New Year's Day Dinner: North Carolina style pulled pork, blackeyed peas, and collard greens. Happy New Year!!

New Year's Eve!!

2012-01-01T00:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve!! We had the Boys over for a gay night of food, booze, charades and fireworks! :)

Happy New Year, 2012!!

Not yet ready

2011-12-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

Noe isn't ready to put Christmas away yet. A couple of more days....

Mural in the Mission

2011-12-28T15:53:00.000-08:00

Saw this great mural today on 19th near Dolores Street. There are so many things that I love about it!

The Christmas Yule Log on TV

2011-12-25T09:30:00.001-08:00

I've heard about this before, but never sought out to find a television station broadcasting the Christmas Yule Log on Christmas Day.

I Love it! It turns your TV into a roaring fireplace. :)

The best part is when Santa's arm comes into the picture and he moves the logs with a poker, or he tosses a fresh log into the fire. :)

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-25T08:26:00.001-08:00

Waiting for Santa Kitty...

2011-12-24T22:23:00.001-08:00

Christmas Decorations around the Neighborhood

2011-12-24T15:25:00.001-08:00

Our neighborhood sure does know how to decorate for the Season!

Dick and I drove and walked around our neighborhood for a bit today, enjoying the festivities.

Tom and Jerry's house on 21st Street

As always, we went out to Tom and Jerry's house on 21st street to admire the decorations that they work so hard on each and every year. It was as amazing as always. I imagine it'll be quite busy tonight! They have a Santa out front every year to greet the kids and pass out candy canes.

An excerpt from this web site:

Tom Taylor and Jerome Goldstein once again share with you the Tom and Jerry Christmas Tree on 21st St. in San Francisco. Santa Claus brings his magical presence to the Christmas Tree beginning December 12 after his reindeer pull up to 21st St. and all the elves help him to unload Candy Canes and Best Wishes for all. Santa Claus will be available to all for candy canes and photography until 24 December from 6:30 - 10:00 PM. He will depart from the Christmas Tree at 10:35 PM to prepare for the Christmas Day Deliveries. If you look real hard toward the North of 21st Street over Dolores Park at 10:05 PM on Christmas Eve you will see his Reindeer riding on Magical Jet Carpets to get their rest before delivering all the Christmas Presents by morning time.

Getting a Candy Cane from Santa is very special because making a wish and putting the candy cane under your pillow on Christmas Eve may make that wish for Christmas Day come true!!

The Christmas Tree is a LIVE Norfolk Island Pine purchased by Tom and Jerry in 1973 as a house plant. As you can see the tree has flourished and in its 65 foot glory has been the home of the Tom and Jerry Christmas Tree and Celebration for many years.

The display is meant to embody the Holiday Spirit for all who choose to view it and is not of any religious or sectarian view.

Thanks, Tom & Jerry!

We spotted another beautifully decorated house last night as we walked down to Castro Street. This house is on Diamond Street, and the front windows are decorated with a lovely Christmas scene.

Christmas decorations on Diamond Street

And last but not least, we walked down to Castro Street today where I had to take a picture of the Annual Castro Christmas Tree. :)

The Castro Christmas Tree on the corner of Castro and 18th Street

The Evolution of the Mousie Cookie

2011-12-21T17:36:00.001-08:00

My Mom started having us make Mousie Cookies every Christmas years and years ago. It's become an annual tradition!

We've experimented a few times (replacing the currant eyes that the recipe calls for with icing, and the red hot candy that it calls for with icing) and today we tried yet another change. We cut up tiny pieces of black licorice for the eyes, and we think we've found a winner!

Here's the evolution of the Mousie Cookie:

Mom and Sis forming the dough

licorice eyes and peanut ears

Baking in the oven

the red licorice tail is added right after the mousies come out of the oven

cooling on the rack

Mom adds the red frosting noses

an army of mousie cookies!

packed up and ready to go to their new homes!

"O Christmas Tree"

2011-12-20T19:40:00.001-08:00

It has been three years since we last put up a Christmas Tree. (Last year, we moved into our new home 4 days before Christmas, and the year before, my Grandpa passed away right before the holidays.) It is really nice to put up a tree again, and exciting to decorate our new home for the holidays for the first time. :)

Red Rock

2011-12-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

My friend, JD, took me to the Red Rock State Park today. It was a beautiful, clear day to see the Red Rock Canyon.

My second visit to the Wishing Tree

2011-12-16T17:41:00.001-08:00

I walked back down to the Wishing Tree today, and took some time to read through some of the wishes.

What a beautiful thing this Wishing Tree is! It was lit in lights and full of hanging tags with wishes written on them. I read through most of them, and even took the time to write my own.

Here's a sample of some of the wishes that I read:

Golden Ginko Trees

2011-12-15T20:32:00.001-08:00

This is a view that I miss seeing from the block on which we used to live.

A gorgeous row of golden Ginko trees. There's only a few weeks time between the time the leaves change color and when they fall.

The Wishing Tree

2011-12-14T16:29:00.001-08:00

The Wishing Tree Instructions
(click to photo to enlarge)

(here are the instructions, in case you can't read them in the photo)

The Wishing Tree

Feel free to make a wish. Write it down on a piece of paper (located in the jar over there -->). Place it in the slot of the jar next to it. In the next few days your wish will be hung on the Wishing Tree.

PS: if your wishes have come true, you can write about something or someone that you are grateful for.

The Wishing Tree

I noticed this tree the other night as I drove by on my way home. I walked past it this morning as I was going to the mail box. First, I admired the tree strung with lights and the many tags hanging from its branches, each with handwritten notes.

Next, I noticed the sign that was posted next to the tree. That's when I learned that it is a Wishing Tree!!

I didn't have time this morning to read through the wishes, but I'll make sure to make time over the next couple of days. I want to make sure I have plenty of time to read each wish, and soak it in.

How wonderful to discover that our block has a Wishing Tree! I always knew that there was a bit of magic on our street. :)

Reconnecting with more friends from High School

2011-12-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

Doug, Anne, Kimi, Tomiko and Trina

Last night, I attended a cocktail party in SF hosted by an old high school friend, Anne. I had reconnected with Anne over Facebook a couple of years ago, and saw her last summer at at gathering at Kimi's house. Kimi and Manuel were there, along with two other friends from high school that I hadn't seen in years!!

Tomiko and her husband were there. The last time I saw Tomiko was over 14 years ago at our 10 year HS reunion.

Doug and his wife were there as well! I hadn't seen Doug since graduation!! We all graduated in 1987, so (shockingly!) we're going on 24 years! Egads!

How fabulous it was to hang out and catch up with these wonderful friends from our past. Everyone is well and happy, and it's so nice to reconnect with each other again.

Thanks, Anne, for hosting such a lovely evening!

Glassybaby Fundraiser for the Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure

2011-12-08T11:41:00.001-08:00

Yesterday evening, I hosted my first fundraising event for the 2012 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. This will be my third year participating in the 3-Day. It is also the 10 Year Anniversary of my team, the Warming Hut Hotties. Last year, I raised $7,855.00. This year, I'm upping my goal to a whopping $10,000.

I've been a fan of the company glassybaby for a few years now ever since my friend, Paula, moved to the Seattle area and brought one to me me as a gift. I have bought one or two additional glassybaby in the years that followed, including more as gifts, but this year, after moving into our new home, I really got the glassybaby bug.

One thing I love about the glassybaby company is their goodwill efforts. They have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to various charities and organizations over the years, and often host events benefiting specific causes.

I spoke with them when I was at a glassybaby event in October about the possibility of hosting an event with them to go towards my fundraising for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. They were immediately interested, and we talked about the possibility of hosting an event next Spring or Summer.

They contacted me later that week asking if I would be interested in doing a Holiday event in late November/early December. After a lot of back-and-forthing, we came around to having a fundraiser event at my house on Wednesday, December 7th.

The event started at 5:00, and the glassybaby van pulled in front of my house around 3:00. Over the next two hours, the glassybaby team unloaded hundreds of glassybaby from the van, and filled my house with their beautiful vessels of glass. It was really an astonishing process to watch.

The evening was a great success! I had slightly fewer people come than I was originally expecting, but those who did come seem to have thoroughly enjoyed the products. 10% of all sales from last night's fundraiser will go towards my fundraising efforts. Last night, we raised almost $400 towards my fundraising.

Glassybaby is also being extraordinarily generous by offering me an online promotional code to share with friends who were not able to come, or who live out of the area. 10% from the sales of each Glassybaby bought online by my friends will also be donated to my fundraising account! If you're interested, please visit the glassybaby website and type in the promotion code "3day" (one word, no quotes) when you check out. Orders must be placed between December 8th and December 31st. Their website also offers free shipping.

It was a wonderful evening with friends, family, light and giving.

I took several photos from the evening - it was really pretty amazing to see hundreds of glassybaby fill my house and backyard with beautiful light. I wish I could keep them all! ;)

Many, many thanks to all who came. It was a lovely evening, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

My thanks and gratitude to the Glassybaby company for being so being such a delight to work with, and for being so generous towards my cause. The event last night went so well that we are hoping to do another in the late Spring or Summer!

The Glassybaby Van comes to my house!

Unloading the Glasybaby boxes

The main display in the dining room
(we also showed a video of how glassybaby are made)

The backyard
(my favorite, I think)

I showed Linda's DVD slideshow of the 2011 3-Day

The backyard lit at night

The fabulous Glassybaby team!

Photos from the Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon!

2011-12-06T21:32:00.001-08:00

I just got a neat little email from the friendly folks who took the professional photos during the Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon this weekend.

What a cool technology! They had us wear little bands on our shoes, which I assume tracked out location around the route, and also (now I know) associated our number with the photos that were being taken throughout the race. Neat!

Here are a few of my favorites.

Trina and Jason immediately after the race! Happy to see that we looked none the worse for wear!

My sister's favorite when I showed her the photos. I dig the Texas Hold Em on the Circus Circus sign.

Striking a pose for the camera and holding one of the infamous white towels that my walking team is so familiar with. ;)

Crossing the Finish Line!

Full view of the finish line

A cool shot of the beginning of the race. I assume this is shot of the corral (#40) that we were in, but I'm' not sure. Too many people in there to tell. Can you find me and Jason? Did I mention that there were 44,000 participants?!

Recap of the Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon

2011-12-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

The Route. Click here to see it in more detail.

Oh, what a night!

What a fun and unique adventure!

Jason and I had a GREAT time walking the Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon. It was a fantastic way to see the strip in a way that you wouldn't otherwise have a chance to.

Seeing as this was my first marathon of any kind, I didn't really know what to expect. I knew it would be very different from my experiences with the SGK 3Day 60 mile walks.

I brought my trusty water backpack with me to make sure that I'd stay hydrated. I figured there would be water along the route (and there was) but I preferred having my pack with me to insure proper hydration, as well as to carry important supplies like snacks (good thing I did!), blister/medical supplies (which I'm happy that I didn't need) and for general storage. So glad I brought it.

The route was fantastic. We started at one end of the Strip on Las Vegas Blvd at the Mandalay Bay, walked down the "New Strip" (which ends around the Encore"), past the "Old Strip" (Circus Circus, Hilton, Stratosphere, and the newly closed Sahara) all the way down to "Old Vegas" on Fremont Street.

The weather was chilly (low 40s, I think) but for the most part, it was perfectly comfortable for me and my regular layers of gear that I wore. It only got really chilly once, when it started to sprinkle/light rain around mile 10 or so. Luckily, the rain didn't last long, which was lucky, because it really made everything much more cold.

The marathon is actually called "Zappo's Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll Marathon". To go along with the theme, every 3 miles or so we would pass by stages with live bands performing. That was a great way to get a little pep in your step when needed.

So, in truth, I haven't done any serious training since the SF 3Day back in September. I've kept up with my routine walks around my neighborhood, and working out on my elliptical machine at home, but it's not the same at all. I was a little nervous going in, but ended up doing just fine. One thing that I realized before this marathon was that the whole route would be flat - which is SO different than what I'm accustomed to. This may seem like a good thing to most people, but honestly, I missed having hills or stairs to climb to mix it up. My muscles aren't accustomed to walking on a flat surface for that long of a distance.

As we were walking, I also realized that this is certainly the longest mileage I've ever done without short breaks or a food stop. (When I train with the Hotties, we are all about food!) The only "breaks" we had during the marathon (of course, since most people are running, and it is a race after all!) were to use the Porta Potties - which I did several times. (Hotties would be proud to know that I stayed well-hydrated!) We usually had to stand in line for 5-10 minutes for each potty break, which was a nice little rest for our feet.

Another difference in participating in a marathon is the street closure! Imagine - not having to stop at every block for signals, stop signs, bicyclists, etc.,! Such a new concept for me. So, this also meant a faster, non-stop pace, which was quite different.

Because of all of these factors, I did manage the quickest MPH speed for any long-distance walk that I've done at around 4 MPH. I think the average when training with my team is more like 3 MPH, or 3.5 if we're with a smaller group.

We completed the 13.1 miles of the 1/2 marathon in 3 hours, 41 minutes. Not bad! We were in the very last group of runners/walkers and left the starting line at 6:10 (the first group of the 1/2 marathon started at 5:30) and crossed the finish line at 9:48. I wasn't expecting to be done before 10:00, so that was great!

What a fun experience it was to walk the 1/2 marathon in Las Vegas with my wonderful friend, Jason.

Many thanks to Jason (who is a runner) for offering to walk with me the whole time, when he certainly could have taken off at any time to finish earlier! What a guy! :)

Trina & Jason huddled in Corral #40 before the race

The Starting Line

(Almost) the finish line (how confusing!)

The actual finish line! Yay!!

Our stats for the 1/2 marathon

Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon!!

2011-12-04T17:06:00.003-08:00

We're here, we're chilly, and we're ready!

Jason and I are ready for the Las Vegas 1/2 Marathon!! We'll be power walking alongside all the runners. ;)

It's chilly, maybe mid-40s, but I know we'll warm up quickly once we get going.

BTW, I'm a bad Hottie. I forgot my deeleeboppers. Bad Hottie representation. :(

Looking forward to the route - 13.1 miles down the Las Vegas Strip - starting from the Mandalay Bay, all the way to Fremont street, and back!

The first corral starts at 5:30, but I'm not sure how much later we'll be starting in the pack.

I'm guessing this will take around 4 hours or so. (again, walking, not running!)

See you on the other side! :)

13 years of friendship

2011-12-03T23:21:00.000-08:00

I'm in Vegas (again!) this weekend, this time with my dear friend, Jason.

Jason and I met 13 years ago, during the first week of December, 1998. I met Jason just days after first meeting Dick, so it's an easy anniversary to remember. ;)

Jason and I have been trying to plan a vacation for a couple of years, and here we are! The main reason why we chose this weekend is because tomorrow evening is the Las Vegas half marathon, in which the city closes the length of strip for the marathon.

Now, I don't run, so Jason offered to power walk the route with me. :)

13 miles back and forth on the Vegas Strip - wish me luck!! :)

Tonight's Dinner

2011-11-30T20:36:00.001-08:00

Dick and I are both taking the week off. Dick really enjoys cooking, and doesn't often have the time to try new recipes.

Tonight, we pulled out the Zuni Cafe Cookbook, and tried not one, but TWO new recipes. :)

We started with a delish lentil soup, followed by baked artichokes with onion and olives. (which yes, did call for the fresh lemon in my previous post.) :)

Caught in the Act

2011-11-30T16:53:00.001-08:00

I caught Noe sneaking a drink from my glass of water. Bad kitty! I admit, it amused me a bit - enough to take a photo and post a blog about it. ;)

Lemon #2 and Lemon #3

2011-11-30T15:37:00.001-08:00

Dick and I have had our lemon tree for about 10 years now.

Unfortunately for the lemon tree, I didn't take such great care of it for the first several years, yet it managed to survive.

When we completed the big backyard project in the condos 3 years ago, the lemon tree was repotted and severely pruned. I also learned how to feed and care for it properly. It grew well after that, but never produced any fruit. We were afraid that all of the trauma may have left it barren.

Things picked up for the lemon tree when we moved to our new home last year. It has a great, sunny spot on the deck and my parents set it up with a drip irrigation system. it flowered happily, and has been growing fruit buds for several months.

Today, I picked Lemon #2 and Lemon #3 from our happy little lemon tree. Lemon #1 was actually picked (and used) a couple of months ago, but I neglected my duties of documenting the historic event.

Now to be sure that we actually eat/use the lemons! ;)
We're planning our dinner menu around them right now. :)

Las Vegas Invitational

2011-11-26T01:13:00.000-08:00

Dick and I are in Las Vegas for a few days. We met Martin and Celeste here earlier in the week and celebrated Thanksgiving together. There's been a lot of Poker, Pai Gow, Craps, Blackjack, and some really great meals.

Another reason why Dick and I came out was to watch the Las Vegas Invitational, in which Dick's beloved Tar Heels came out from North Carolina to play.

There will be four games in total, in which the Tar Heels will play in two. The first of those two games were tonight, with the second being tomorrow.

We had a great time watching them play in the Orleans Arena. It's been several years since I've been to a game, and I've leaned a lot about the game, the team, and the players since then. Looking forward to another fun game tomorrow.

Many thanks to Uncle Christopher for staying at our house and taking care of Noe while we're away. :)

Goodbye, Yahoo!!

2011-11-21T16:49:00.001-08:00

Just heard that the Yahoo billboard on 80 before the Bay Bridge is coming down soon. This sign has been up for probably nearly the entire time I've lived in SF. It's become a bit of a fixture here. I think I'll miss it when it is gone.

Stuck Truck

2011-11-21T12:19:00.001-08:00

In my 16+ years of living in San Francisco, I've only witnessed this happening twice: a (very large) moving truck getting stuck on a (very steep) San Francisco Hill.

The first time I saw this was at the intersection of Union and Leavenworth. A very steep hill.

Today, we saw this on Diamond and 21st Street in Noe Valley. Poor guy. I think it had just happened. The driver was still in the cab, trying to move forwards, but his wheels were slightly lifted from street level, and just kept spinning in place.

I always feel bad for movers in large moving trucks - I can't imagine driving those things in San Francisco. Plus, you gotta figure that some of these trucks are coming from other parts of the country where they can't imagine how steep our hills are.

Visiting Grandpa

2011-11-17T18:06:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow will be the 2nd anniversary of my Grandpa Chow's passing.

Today, I accompanied my Grandma, my parents and one of my Uncles to the Cemetery where Grandpa is interred. We brought fresh flowers to add to the ones that were already there. We noticed that someone (presumably who works at the cemetery) placed an American Flag amongst his flowers. We assume that they did this for all the veterans on Veterans day last week. That was a nice touch.

Fantasmic

2011-11-03T18:28:00.001-07:00

We returned to the Disney Hollywood Studios park this evening to watch the 7:30 production of "Fantasmic". I've seen it at Disneyland several times, and it was interesting to compare the two productions.

The biggest (and best) difference is that it is shown in a huge amphlitheater here in FL, whereas the one at Disneyland is within the park from Tom Sawyer's Island. That's all good, but it was sure nice watching it (and waiting beforehand) from a stadium setting instead of from a sidewalk curb crammed with strollers. The amphitheater was huge, and accommodated so many people. Plus, on certain evenings (including tonight) they did a show at 7:30, and another at 9:00.

The show here was slightly different. Most notably, they had an entire Pocahontas section, which I actually thought was pretty weak. They also did not have a Ursula float, or a Little Mermaid section.

But the viewing experience was so much better, and there were fireworks at the end!!

It was a very nice way to end our Disney portion if our trip. Tomorrow we will go to Universal Studios to see the Wizarding World if Harry Potter! :)

Disney World, Day 3: Animal Kingdom

2011-11-03T14:01:00.001-07:00

We spent the day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It was the first time for all of us, and we all enjoyed it.

We were in the park from around 9:30-4:30, and managed to see all of the major attractions. We decided against the water ride, but did everything else.

The African Safari and the walking trails were all really nice, and were lovely and LARGE habitats for the animals. The Expedition Everest roller coaster was especially great. My Dad and I rode it twice in a row, as the wait in line was fewer than 15 minutes.

It was another great day with beautiful weather and short lines. Next, we're heading back to Disney Hollywood Studios to watch "Fantasmic". :)

Disney, Day 2, Part 2: Magic Kingdom

2011-11-03T06:44:00.001-07:00

We took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom in the afternoon. Although this park seemed more crowded, and certainly had mire little kids, we still got through all of the major attractions quickly, without much waiting in line.

By 7:30, we had seen everything here that we wanted, and made the decision to leave just before the night parade, and the evening fireworks show. By this point, we had reached crowd overload, and the crowds were just getting larger and larger as we made our way out.

Instead, we left the property and had a late dinner in a quiet restaurant in town. ;)

Disney, Day 2: Epcot Center

2011-11-03T06:38:00.001-07:00

We spent the morning through mid-afternoon at the Future World portion of Epcot Center.

Again, the weather was beautiful, and lines were short. :)

We had a nice lunch at the restaurant in The Sea pavilion, which had a lovely view of a large aquarium.

Epcot Center World Showcase

2011-11-01T21:05:00.001-07:00

We spent the Mid-afternoon through the evening at the World Showcase at Epcot Center.

Unlike the Hollywood Studios park, I don't that there was anything here that was added or changed dramatically since I was last here in 1995.

We enjoyed walking around through all of the different countries. One really nice thing is that they're having a wine and food festival going on right now where you could sample small plates of food from about a dozen different countries, paired with regional wine or drinks. That made for a really nice dinner. :)

The park closed at 9:00, which is also when the fireworks show started. It lasted about 15 minutes or so, and was quite good. We made our way to the shuttle which brought us back to our condo. Very convenient!

Tomorrow us another day! Getting up bright and early for a day at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center. :)

Walt Disney World Day 1, Part 1

2011-11-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

We started off our day at the Disney Hollywood Studios. Very fun. I hadn't been in 15 years, and there were some nice additions that have been added since then.

Turns out that early November is a GREAT time to come to the parks in Orlando. I don't think we ever waited in lines for more than 20 minutes, and that only happened once or twice. Most lines were around 5 minutes or less. Fantastic!

We started off at the new Star Tours. It was great fun. I liked the changes. :)

The highlight of my day was definitely the Rick n Roll roller coaster. Super awesome!!

The new Toy Story ride was really fun, too, and different from the one at Disneyland. The line for that ride was never less than 40 minutes, but luckily, that was the one ride we got a Fast Pass for the day.

We had lunch at the Sci-Fi Drive In Theater. Super fun! For those who have not been, you are seated in a car, in a room that looks like a drive-in movie. There's a big movie screen playing old cartoons and horror clips from the 50s.

We left the Hollywood Studios around 3:00, and made our way to the Epcot Center World Showcase....

Halloween Travel

2011-11-01T04:56:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Orlando, FL!!

I am here with my parents for the week. It's been over 15 years since we've been here together. We'll be going to the parks at Disney World for 3 days, then checking out the Harry Potter World at Universal Studios on Friday.

I flew in last night, and met my parents, who came in on Saturday.
Dick isn't into the Disney thing, so he stayed home with Noe. I left Wooden Trina on his bedside table to keep him company during the week. :)

I've never flown on Halloween before, which turned out to be kind of fun. The flight attendants on my United flight were all dressed as witches. :)

Creep 'O Rama 2011

2011-10-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Another year, another Creep 'O Rama! We had a great time initiating the new house into our tradition. Turns out, this is the 10th Halloween Party that Dick and I have thrown together. How about that?

We had many Creep 'O Rama regulars, some friends who haven't been able to make it for several years, and many first-timers as well. I think we had around 40 people in total.

It was really fun decorating the new house, and thinking of new things to do with our stuff. We have a decent sized lawn in our backyard, so we were able to make a haunted cemetery for the very first time! :)

Halloween Backyard by day

Halloween Backyard by night

We turned our dining room into a haunted dungeon...

Haunted Dungeon - where the food is ;)

...and had a couple of new effects around the house.

Dick and I dressed as "Chow Fun" and "Chow Mein".
(The correct pronunciation is "Chow Men", versus "Chow Main")

These costumes turned out to be great. I confess that I didn't make them, though that was my original plan when I thought of the idea last year. Then, I found out that I could buy them pre-made (and much better quality than I could ever do) right off of amazon.com! :)

It was a gorgeous, warm night - probably in the mid-60s, so we were able to open the party up onto the deck, and out to the backyard. So wonderful! We also took a stroll around Castro street around Midnight, and caught the tail end of the party down there.

It was a very fun evening, as always. Thanks to all who came!!!

Noe doesn't fear the Reaper

2011-10-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

Warming Hut Hotties Reunion

2011-10-24T10:25:00.001-07:00

The Warming Hut Hottie Reunion and Re-commitment party was held at the Sports Basement in the Presidio yesterday afternoon. It was a wonderful time - so great to have a chance to reconnect with many teammates since last month's event.

Linda decided to have the reunion at the Sports Basement in the Presidio. She arranged it so that 10% of all sales by any of our teammates or friends went to The Warming Hut Hotties/In Our Lifetime.

We are the Hotties, so of course there was plenty of yummy food and drinks for all.
Marsha also treated us all to brand-spankin'-new Deeleeboppers! (Thank you, Marsha!)

Linda has been working hard putting together a "Walkcumentary" to show at the reunion - a slideshow of hundreds of photos taken during the event. It was beautiful, and brought back so many wonderful memories. Thank you, Linda, for giving us yet another gift.

the check-in table, along with a huge box full of new deeleeboppers, courtesy of Marsha

This was the total team fundraising amount as of the week before our event in September. The team total for the San Francisco/Bay Area 3Day Walk for the Cure is now up to $189,426.98!!

The team sits down to watch the Walkcumentary

Our lovely Linda speaks briefly before starting the Walkcumentary

The impressive AV setup!

Create your own Muppet!!

2011-10-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Oh, my - just discovered this new product at F.A.O. Schwartz: Create your own Muppet!!

That's right, you can create your very own Muppet - or a "Whatnot", which is a Muppet extra. :)

I LOVE Muppets, and I love this idea.

What do we think Dick would think if "Dick Muppet" and "Trina Muppet" moved in? ;)

Here's my first pass:

Dick & Trina Muppet

My neighbor, Clay, just suggested that we should all get get Muppet look-alikes.

If we could do that, we could all go around the neighborhood singing, "Who are the people in your neighborhood..." :)

My Glass Creation

2011-10-20T17:08:00.001-07:00

Remember the Glass Blowing Class I took at the Glassybaby studio in Seattle Saturday evening? The cup I made was just delivered. (it had to cool properly in the studio before it could leave.)

I'm really pleased! I think it turned out pretty well. :)

XXX Root Beer

2011-10-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today, Paula and Reeves brought me to XXX Root Beer in Issaquah, WA.

Oh my goodness.

The only words I could describe the whole experience with are that it was "a hoot and a holler"!

The food, which was all really yummy was all enormous. Reeves ordered the XXX Burger, which was, by far, the largest burger we've ever seen.

I had a chicken & cheese philly sandwich, which was also delish, but enormous.

The catch to all of this?

The rules of XXX: no forks or knives.
You must eat everything with your hands.

We went through a LOT of napkins. ;)

A lovely walk in Bellevue

2011-10-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

I went on a beautiful 4.5 mile walk this morning with Paula, Reeves, and their greyhound, Finney!

It was a gorgeous walk, and obviously so different from anything I ever see in San Francisco.

Paula and Reeves live right near a hiking trail that went through a beautiful wooded area with streams, and beautiful trees, which are just starting to change colors. We also walked through the botanical gardens, and later by Kelsey Creek Farm.

At one point, a tiny slug found its way onto Mr. Finney's ear. He didn't stay long.

Glassy Baby Glassblowing Event

2011-10-16T09:26:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I flew to Seattle so that I could attend a special Glassybaby event with Paula in the evening. The event benefited the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

The benefit Included one-on-one demonstration with a Glassybaby artist, teaching you how to create your choice of a paperweight, dish, ornament or a cup.

It also included a demonstration by three Glassybaby artists showing how a single Glassybaby is made. This Glassybaby was raffles off at the end of the evening - we didn't win. :)

We also had wine, and tasty treats!

Oh, and our cost of admission also included a Glassybaby. (because I need another!) ;)

Paula and I had a great time. What a fun evening. We were so glad that we had this opportunity to go, learn and participate in the process of how our favorite hand blown glass objects are made.

PS- by looking at the photos, it looks like my Glassybaby demonstrator did all the work! I obviously couldn't take any photos of myself working with molten glass, but I promise that he did have me do a decent amount, and I really enjoyed it!!

Oh, I chose to make a cup. I wasn't able to take a photo of it before it went into the machine to cool for a few days before they ship it to me. Photos later. :)

Voicemail converted to text ha-ha.

2011-10-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

We use Comcast/Xfinity for our home phone. One feature that I've been using for a few years is that if someone leaves a voice-mail message, I automatically receive an email notification with the phone number, and length of the message. It's very handy, as I access email from my cell phone, and know when I've missed a call.

Earlier this week, I got this message:

Did you know that you can now have your voicemails converted to text and included in this notification? You can also include an audio file of your voicemail. With 'readable voicemail' never miss a voicemail again.

Very cool! Now I can read my voicemail messages, and listen to them easily (without having to call in, and punch in codes, or go to another website) directly from my cell phone or computer.

So, I've turned on both features - the voicemail converted to text, and the audio file.

For the most part, it has worked well, but I got a message yesterday that cracked me up.

Here's the converted message that I received over email:

"Hey sunshine it's Sharon. I'm waiting for a phone call mind a little number-the-when(?) you called so I have skype-on-you-happen-to-the(?) office..."

LOL!

I read the text, and thought, "What?! I have a couple of friends named Sharon, and neither of them ever calls me 'Sunshine'."

So then, I listened to the audio file.

Here's what the actual message was:

"Hey, phone tag. Your turn. Um, I’m waiting for a phone call on my mobile number – the one that you called, so I have Skype on if you happen to call...."

Good thing I can access that audio file easily! :)

Recycling old shoes

2011-10-12T20:40:00.001-07:00

I brought a pair of my old and very worn shoes to Nike Town in Union Square today. My sister had given me a tip that they have bins there where you can donate old, used athletic shoes. They recycle the shoes into materials used in sports and playground surfaces. Very cool!

Thanks for the tip, Sis! :)

Quick Tip
Shoe recycling bins: Level 5
Clean public bathrooms: Level 7

;)

Wild Parrots!!

2011-10-12T18:01:00.001-07:00

So, apparently, our neighborhood has a different set of wild parrots than the more famous ones who live in Telegraph Hill. I often hear them, but don't see them all the time.

Today, I was out in our backyard, mowing the lawn. I heard a flock of parrots fly above, and spotted them. Some of them landed in a tree right behind our yard, and I was able to zoom on and snap a quick shot with my camera.

Can you see him up there? :)

Fleet Week!

2011-10-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

It's Fleet Week here in San Francisco!

One more perk of our new house that I hadn't even thought of before is that we have a nice view to see the Fleet Week Air Show!

The Blue Angles practiced Thursday and Friday, and the full show was on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00-5:00. (although, Sunday's Blue Angel show was apparently cut short due to the fog.)

I enjoyed watching the Blue Angels rehearse on Thursday and Friday, but Dick and I had an especially nice time watching the full show with David and Miguel on Saturday from our balcony.

Considering I only lived a block down the street for the past 13 years (but with no view of downtown) I think it's amazing that I never knew that the planes actually fly near or around our neighborhood quite a bit.

I took a few photos - both of downtown, and a couple of the planes as they were nearer to our house.

And let's not forget that Fleet Week weekend means it's also the anniversary of "F.I.L.T.S."! Who better to share it with than David and Miguel (and Christopher, but he was at the gym.)?!

Quack

2011-10-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

(I've been a little delayed in writing some blog posts lately. I'm going to date them accordingly)

Today was Family Field Trip Day! I joined my Mom, Dad and Sis on a Duck Tour around San Francisco and into the Bay. My parents and my sister have all done various Duck Tours in other cities around the country. This was my first. I really enjoyed it!

What is a Duck Tour? It's a city tour, in an amphibious vehicle which operates both on land as well at sea. Here's more info.

My parents found an online coupon for 1/2 off the Duck Tour in San Francisco, so we all thought it would be a fun experience to do together!

The Chows go on the Duck Tour of San Francisco!

I know the photo is really cheesy. They take a photo of your group before you all board the vehicle, and offer it for sale afterwards. We weren't planning on buying it at all, but it turned out pretty well, and we thought it might make for a fun photo for my parents' Christmas Card. :)

It occurred to me that I've never been on a San Francisco Tour of any kind - not that I can recall, anyhow. I was a little skeptical, as I've lived here for 16 years, and we've lived in the Bay Area for over 30.

Mom, Dad and Sis ready for our Duck Tour!

Turns out, the tour was a ton of fun, and we even learned a little San Francisco history that we didn't know. (Did you know that the San Francisco Ferry Building rotated 8 degrees after the 1906 earthquake? When you look at it from Market Street, you can see that it is not actually straight!)

As much as I enjoyed riding around the town in our cheesy tour boat, quacking on the kazoo-like duck quackers that they give out, I was really most impressed with the water tour! The vehicle goes right down a dock and into the Bay! We spent about 20 minutes in the bay, out in McCovey Cove, behind AT&T Park. It was really fun, and a neat way to see that part of the city from an unusual vantage point.

To top it off, it was Fleet Week here in SF, so there were some really interesting military vessels out on the bay that we drove by.

Once we were in the water, we were all offered the chance to take the steering wheel to drive. Of course, my Dad and I gave it a shot!

Captain Henry

The back side of AT&T Park from McCovey Cove

this picture shows another Duck Tour vehicle in the water. it gives a neat perspective of what the amphibious vehicle looks like when in water.

It was a really fun day with the family! Thanks, Mom, Dad and Sis!!

Sneak Peak of the Warming Hut Hotties 2011 Walkumentary by Linda

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

Our amazing and wonderful training walk leader, Linda, has just posted a sneak peak of the Walkumentary Video that she is creating for our Reunion Party. She did an amazing job. I've gotta say - If I had never walked with this team before, this video would sure make me want to sign up! :)

"Asian Fit" Sunglasses

2011-09-30T17:06:00.001-07:00

Okay, this really cracks me up...

Two weeks ago, I bought a new pair of sunglasses. I think it's been at least 6 years since I've bought a pair. I'm pretty rough on my glasses, and the lenses were all scratched up. (although, I did decide to have new lenses put in, so I could still use them). Anyhow, it's been a few years, so I was ready for a new look.

Here's what caught my eye - there are a line of sunglasses targeted specifically to Asian Women! They are called "Asian Fit". Who knew? They even had a little decal on the glasses saying "Asian Fit". (which I thought was especially funny!)

I laughed at first, thinking it was an odd gimmick, but I guess it actually makes sense.

The description one a website that I found with "Asian Fit" glasses:

Asian Fit Sunglasses features modern style sunglasses for Asian women. Featuring a smaller bridge size

Well, it's true that my the bridge of my nose is pretty flat, so glasses do tend to slide down, but I never really thought anything of it.

So, I did buy a pair of these "Asian Fit" sunglasses. (not the style pictured above.) I've been wearing them for a couple of weeks, and the fit really is quite fantastic. They certainly slide down less often than my old glasses - or not at all!

I'll say it again: "Who knew?!"

I wonder if there are other "Asian Fit" products out there that I should know about? ;)

Scenes from Lower Haight

2011-09-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Christopher and I went out for a walk yesterday afternoon from the Castro to Hayes Valley. We walked through Lower Haight along the way, and saw some very interesting sights.

There was a huge 4-alarm fire on Tuesday afternoon. I could see the flames of the fire from our house, which was a couple of miles away. We walked past the remains of the building yesterday, which was quite striking.

We also passed by the this old tree trunk on the sidewalk. It was just the trunk - the rest of the tree had been chopped off much earlier it seemed. Anyhow, there were some really neat carvings of animals done within the trunk of the old tree.

Guard Kitty

2011-09-26T17:41:00.001-07:00

Noe is not sure how she feels about our neighbor's kitty peering into her house.
Dick and I tease her and tell her that the kitty is her boyfriend. ;)

Costco Queen

2011-09-26T13:42:00.001-07:00

Oh, Costco, how I love thee....

I may have outdone myself today: I went in with my list, bought only one thing not on my list ;), saved $17.00 with coupons, and received $$cash back with my balance from my Costco Rebate Check*.

How often do you leave Costco with more money than you came in with?

To top it off, I also had lunch (pizza) and filled up my tank before leaving.

**My Costco rebate check was extra large this year because I bought all of the window coverings in the new house through Costco's custom shades program. :)

Tonight's Dinner

2011-09-25T20:53:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted any food-related items in a while, but I think tonight's dinner was blog-worthy. :)

Roasted Chicken (prepared according to the Zuni recipe), mashed potatoes, and collard greens.

Yum!!

Chow Family Bowling Day!

2011-09-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

My Sister bought a Groupon a few months ago to "Mission Lanes", the bowling alley in Milpitas. Mission Lanes was the bowling alley in town that we used to go to on occasion when we were growing up in lovely Milpitas. She bought us a Groupon for our family of 4 to play for two hours. It was so much fun!

Sis, Dad and Mom at the bowling alley!

Somehow, I managed to bowl what I believe may be my best score ever. Not sure how that happened. :)

The scoreboard

The rest of my family asked that I please blur out their scores on this photo. ;) They did not have the beginner's luck that I had on our first game. My second game was not nearly as good, and everyone else had a higher score the second time around. Actually, my sister had the exact same score on the second game as she did on the first. funny!

Thanks, Mom, Dad and Sis for a fun afternoon at the bowling alley!!!

An afternoon in Marin

2011-09-19T20:44:00.001-07:00

We've been having some pretty amazing weather in the Bay Area over the last couple of days. Dick and I decided to take advantage of it yesterday, and drove across the bridge to visit Sausalito and the Marin Headlands.

The weather was warm, clear and gorgeous!

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

I've realized that it's been about 10 years since we strolled through Sausalito together. I've been walking through town with my walking team - early in the morning, before anything opens, and without stopping - we thought it would be fun to go and visit!

Dick, walking along the shore in Sausalito

We stopped at a restaurant named "Horizons" and had Bloody Marys and a light lunch. We sat at a table for two overlooking the San Francisco and the Bay. It was perfect.

After lunch, we drove up and around the Marin Headlands. The view was so perfect that day, that it looked unreal! It was so clear, so colorful, so perfect!

View from the top of the Marin Headlands

the obligatory Hipstamatic shot ;)

My Thank You Card to my Sponsors

2011-09-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

This is the Thank You Card that I made and sent out to everyone who sponsored me for the 2011 Susan G. Koman 3-Day for the Cure. I had already sent out a Thank You over email, but thought it would be nice to send a card in the postal mail, too. (Because, isn't it always nice to receive a card in the mail?)

side note
I just looked and saw that our team, The Warming Hut Hotties, has raised more than $182,000 and still counting!

Day 3

2011-09-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

3 Day, 60 Miles. We did it again!!

After coming home last night, eating dinner and taking a nice soak in the tub, I was too tired to write my final blog post about the amazing event of the last 3 days.

It was an amazing 3 days filled with love, hope, compassion, and a whole lotta walking. I came home with 2 small blisters, 2 tired feet, and 1 full heart. In the end, the San Francisco Bay Area Susan G. Komen raised over $3.9 million! AMAZING!!

Yesterday was the 10-year anniversary of September 11th. We started the day by walking the first mile in silence in honor of all who lost their lives 10 years ago. It was an emotional way to start the day. I started walking with two of my closest friends, arm and arm with each other. As we walked that first mile, we brought in additional friends into our fold and linked arms as we walked in silence. We were all in tears. It added an additional layer of grief and hope to our day.

Flags at half mast down the aisle as we walked out of camp

the beginning of the route, and the beginning of the mile in silence

We all boarded the ferries which took us to Tiburon. One really neat thing about this walk is that it would be the opposite route of what the Warming Hut Hotties walk during the Sunday of our 40-mile back-to-back weekend. We walked through Tiburon, Marin, Sausalito, across the Golden Gate Bridge, down into Crissy Field, and over to Fort Mason for closing ceremonies.

Some of my favorite photos from the day:

Love this shot. We had a couple of participants in wheelchairs this year

My friend Janine (who was part of our training group last year) at the cheering station with her daughter, daughter's friend and adorable dog!

Furry Hottie!

The best surprise of the day came when I got a message from Dick that he was driving out to one of the cheering stations!! He met me along the route at a grocery store (two of my friends are vegetarian, and the vegetarian lunch options hadn't been very satisfying to them over the last few days, so we stopped off at a store that we knew and brought our own sandwiches to lunch.) Dick had lunch with us, and even drove a few slightly injured Hotties up to the Golden Gate bridge so that they wouldn't have to walk up the steep hill before crossing. I love my husband so much. Thank you, Dick!!

Dick and Trina at Mollie Stones

The weather turned out so much warmer and clearer than expected, and it turned out to be a gorgeous day! The walk across the bridge was just spectacular. SO much better than the cold, windy, foggy conditions last year.

View of the bridge before our walk up and over

The last Pit stop of the walk was in Crissy Field - so close to the Warming Hut!

View from the last pit stop

Our team waited for all to arrive and gathered together to walk the last couple of miles together.

A gaggle of Hotties walking towards Closing Ceremonies

Before Closing Ceremonies started (at 5:30) all of the walkers assembled in the holding area a few blocks away from the Marina Green.

Almost there!

Many walkers were able to see friends and family outside of holding before heading to Closing Ceremonies.

My dear friend, Alisa, and her beautiful daughter, Sophie.
Alisa is a 12-year Breast Cancer Survivor.
She is an inspiration to me, and everyone who walks

Me with my friend, Jim.
Jim is walking in all 14 3Day walks around the country this year. San Francisco was his 6th walk. He's almost half way there. GO Jim!!

3Days, 60 Miles DONE!!

Our team walked arm-in-arm to closing ceremonies. We were all given shirts for participating: White shirts for the walkers, grey for the crew, pink for the survivors.
The survivors entered the ceremonies last, as all of the walkers raised their shoes in the air to honor them.

raising our shoes in honor of all of the survivors who walked with us

the circle of survivors raise the flag at the end of Closing Ceremonies

In the end, the 2011 San Francisco Bay Area Susan G. Komen 3Day for the Cure raised more than $3.9 Million. Our team, the Warming Hut Hotties raised over $176,000 and my supporters helped me raise $7,605. I couldn't be more proud to have had the opportunity to participate in this amazing event.

My deepest thanks to all who helped me during this amazing journey - my team, my friends, my family, and especially my husband. I love you all so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Day 2

2011-09-10T20:25:00.001-07:00

Day Two Complete! 40 miles down, 20 more to go!

This is my second year of participating in the Susan G. Komen 3Day walk. Of the 5 event days that I've walked so far, I think this one was my favorite so far. (and that's a BIG statement!)

We went to the East Bay today! None of the 3Day or Avon walks have ever gone through the East Bay before, so it was extra special. It was an extraordinary day. Not only was the route lovely (beautiful neighborhoods, with lots of great architecture and cute stores!) but the community was very involved in coming out to CHEER the walkers on all day! The local police and firefighters all came out, as well as cheer leaders, Safeway store employees, and lots and lots of citizens! Thank you all so much for coming out to cheer us on. After walking so many miles, we're all pretty tired, but having you there clapping for us and giving us high fives really helps us boost our energy and dedication!

The morning started early, with the first ferry leaving around 7:00am. We left camp at around 6:30, walked the 1.5 miles to the ferry port, and took it over to the port of Berkeley. As we walked towards the port on Treasure Island, we watched the sun rise over the bay.

Sunrise over the Bay

Hotties on a Boat!

Our team has temporary tatoos that say "Hottie" on them. Many of us have it on the back of our calves.

Hottie Calves. (yes, those are my enormous calves/cows on the far left

Turquoise Blue seemed to be the color of choice today!

Pretty Hotties in Turquoise Blue

Hands down, the highlight of my day was seeing my family! My sister was working today at UC Berkeley, and had a chance to come out and meet me along the walk for about 15 minutes on Campus before we reached the cheering station at the UC Berkeley Clock Tower. Unfortunately, I was too caught up in the moment to remember to take a photo (bad sister!) but my friend Alisa got one for sure. I'll remember to post later!

My parents, and their neighbors, Ron and Bonnie came to Cheer us on at Lake Merritt!! SO happy to see all of them!!

Dad, Mom, Bonnie and Ron meet me at the Cheering Station! Thank you SO much for coming out!!

We had a wonderful lunch around mile 15(!) on Lake Merritt. It was very pretty and relaxing!

Lunchtime Hotties!

We also got to play with the Oakland Fire Department a little!

As I mentioned, all of the cheering stations, and various cheering along the way today was just wonderful. It means so much to us. This is an example of what we see along the way:

We walked through Downtown Oakland, down to Jack London Square, and boarded another Red and White Ferry.

Hotties on the ferry

We still have a few injured walkers with us, but the medics to a WONDERFUL job caring for them and taping them up so they can continue walking.

Lizelle and Yumi and their pretty knee tape art

Back at Camp:

Day Two, 40 miles complete!

Foot Massage!

Our team was the largest team as well as the highest fundraiser. Our team leader, Linda, also got a special (HUGE) tent in honor of her planning the most training walks. Linda hosted a "Mocktail Party" at her tent for all of the Hotties.

Happy Mocktail Hotties

We also were served a special dessert during dinner for being the top fundraising team.
The dessert: a tower of cupcakes!!

Tower 'o Cupcakes!

Along the Walk Day 1

2011-09-09T20:46:00.001-07:00

Day One was WONDERFUL!!! The weather was perfect (in my opinion, anyway) - overcast and probably low 60s for most of the day, with the sun peering out in the afternoon, and maybe in the high 60s.

We started at the Cow Palace, made our way to Ocean Beach, had lunch at the overlook just past the Cliff House, walked (and climbed lots of stairs) on the Lands End Trail (a Hottie Favorite), through Sea Cliff, Pacific Heights, down to Alta Vista Park, down Gough Street to Bay, past Fort Mason, into Fisherman's Wharf, then caught a ferry to Treasure Island!! Once we docked on Treasure Island, we walked another mile or so to camp. *phew!*

The Check-In line - at the Cow Palace, heading out to start today's 20 miles!

Our wonderful Hottie, Marsha, an incredible woman, friend, and Breast Cancer Survivor. She will be found several times along the route, handing out tissue, candy, and fresh fruit to all of the walkers. Her shirt reads, "LOST: My Boobs FOUND: My Life". Love you, Marsha.

Look at this cute couple! They were just married last week! They had "Just" "Married" on their backs, with little tin cans trailing from their backpacks!

"The Facilities" for the next 3 days. This is what you'll see every 3-4 miles at the pit stops - a very long row of Port-O-Pottys

The view at lunch. It was too bad it was so overcast, otherwise a gorgeous view of Golden Gate Bridge

Julie, Alisa and Monica carrying the "Patience" flag

Three Hotties (Jim, Yumi and Lizelle) at the Medical Tent at lunch. :(

The sun finally came out! I think that's Alcatraz in the background

Each of the Pit Stops have a theme. Today's Pit Stop 5 had a "Prom" theme! Special thanks to the San Jose Police Officers for taking vacation time off and volunteering to keep us safe along the route! Love these guys!

Monica, Tanzeem, me and Julie, waiting to board the ferry to Treasure Island

The Red and White Fleet Ferry that we took to Treasure Island

Tired Hotties - asleep on the ferry ride

The amazing view from Treasure Island!

We made it to Camp!

Day One Complete!! 20 miles down, 40 more to go!!

Opening Ceremonies

2011-09-09T20:39:00.001-07:00

Well, here we are! Day 1!

We met at the Cow Palace (moo) at 6:00am. Opening Ceremonies started at 6:30, and we were on our way by 7:00.

We took some fun candids as we were waiting for Opening Ceremonies to start.

Yumi, Jim, and Alisa
Yumi and Alisa are walking their third year
Jim is walking in ALL 14 of the 3Day events around the country this year!

Catriona! My Tentmate!!

Lizelle, Catriona, Monica T, Tanzeem and Monica H

Opening Ceremonies

The Circle of Survivors

A Heartfelt Thanks to all of my Sponsors

2011-09-08T10:30:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

Tomorrow is the big day! Tomorrow morning, for the second year in a row, I'll be joining about 2,000 women and men as we walk 60-miles together over the next 3 days!

With the help of all of my sponsors, we have raised an astounding $7,435.00.

This is a HUGE amount of money. I am so grateful to all of you who donated, as well as all of you who have supported me with your words of encouragement over the past few months.

I had several people caution me as to how much more difficult it is to raise funds after the first year, especially given the economical times that we’re in. With this in mind, I originally put my fundraising goal at $5,000 – still a LOT of money, but under the $6,240 that we raised last year. Imagine my surprise and gratitude when we surpassed that amount this year. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I had planned all along to make a t-shirt with the names of everyone who has donated to my walk. I had the shirt made last week (to be delivered this week), and it turned out great! For those of you who have donated since then, I will write your names in. :)

I plan to wear the t-shirt at camp at the end of each day, and possibly during the walk as well - depending on the weather. (I've been training wearing water-wicking shirts, which this is not, which is why I will most likely wear it at camp.)

It’s been a great year of training and preparing for this weekend’s event. I became an official member of the Warming Hut Hotties this year, after having had the pleasure of training with them last year. So far, the San Francisco team of 76 members has raised $169,958.02!! That number keeps going up, so we’ll see how high it gets by the end of the weekend. You can see the team’s fundraising page here.

Our team has been training together since the first weekend of April, and has become quite a close-knit group. I have met so many wonderful, interesting and inspiring people, who have become friends. This is what happens when you spend 6-16 hours a weekend talking and walking with the same people for 5 months, all working together towards a cause. As our excitement has built as we get closer to our walk, it plummeted when we found that one of our own, Rita, had just been diagnosed with Breast Cancer last week. Rita and her friend, Tana, both lovely, energetic women in their 70s, have been training with us all season. Tana will continue to walk, but Rita will not be able to participate in the event. Now, we have one more very special reason to walk.

I want to thank you all again for making the fund-raising part of this experience such a pleasure. With each donation that came in, I felt more and more motivated to train each weekend. I have trained more than 250 miles with my team since April. (This does not include the numerous miles I walk by myself during the weekdays.) You all have carried me along on this amazing journey, right up to this weekend's event!.

I will carry each of you with me as I walk the 60-miles over the next 3 days. You will be with me in spirit, helping me along the way.

I will certainly be taking a lot of photos all weekend long, and will try to post to my blog routinely. You can follow those posts here (as well as see all of my previous 3Day-related posts).

I promise to do my very best to complete this 3-day journey, and I hope to make you proud!

Thank you again for all of your generosity, support and encouragement!

With Gratitude,
-Trina

MORE Cheering Stations for the SF Bay Area 3Day

2011-09-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

To my Bay Area friends - after months of training and fundraising, the SF Bay Area 3Day 60-mile walk is this weekend! We'd love to see you out on the route this weekend CHEERING! We'll be walking in in SF on Friday, Berkeley/Oakland on Saturday and Tiburon/Sausalito on Sunday. Click here to see a cool interactive maps of ALL of the Cheering Stations for the San Francisco/Bay Area Susan G. Koman 60-mile Walk! (additional locations have been added since the last time I posted) Thank You!

2011 SF 3Day Route and Cheering Stations

2011-09-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

The walk is only 4 days away!!!

We meet Friday morning between 5:00-6:00 at the Cow Palace (moo). Opening ceremonies start at 6:30, after which, we head out on the first day of 20 miles!

In case you're interested, the 3-Day web site posted the general description of the route that we'll be walking Friday, Saturday and Sunday:

Friday: Approximately 20.1 miles
The San Francisco Bay Area 3-Day will begin with an inspirational Opening Ceremony at Cow Palace in Daly City. From there we will make our way down to beautiful Lake Merced. Enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean as we travel north along the Great Highway. After an invigorating cheering station at the base of the Cliff House, we’ll begin the gradual climb to our lunch stop and an amazing view of the headlands. From there, we’ll follow the remarkable Lands End Trail into Sea Cliff, the Presidio and neighborhoods such as Presidio Heights, Pacific Heights and Fisherman’s Wharf. The highlight of the day comes when we catch a ferry in Fisherman’s Wharf to camp on Treasure Island, our home away from home for the weekend! When we dock at Treasure Island, the route will take us along the west side of the island, revealing a view of the city that truly captures the beauty of the Bay Area.

Saturday: Approximately 18.5 miles
On Saturday morning, we'll rise and shine, ready to hit the trail. We’ll leave camp the same way we came in - via ferry - watching the rising sun’s rays hit the city as we set sail for the East Bay. After docking at the Berkeley Marina, we’ll walk through quintessential Berkeley neighborhoods such as 4th Avenue, Solano Avenue, the Gourmet Ghetto and the UC Berkeley campus. We’ll also pass by the historic Claremont Hotel and skirt the Berkeley Hills as we head south towards Piedmont. Quaint shopping districts are numerous on this day's route and Grand Avenue is no exception. We'll enjoy a beautiful lunch stop on Lake Merritt then walk through beautiful Oakland City Center mall where a large cheering station awaits! Saturday's tour of the East Bay will end at Jack London Square where we’ll catch a ferry back to Treasure Island for another night of community, camaraderie and fun.

Sunday: Approximately 15.8 miles
The final day of our journey begins with a walk along the eastern side of Treasure Island to catch a ferry over to the beautiful North Bay. After docking in Tiburon, we’ll head north along beautiful Tiburon Linear Park. From there we’ll make our way towards Mill Valley by passing through Strawberry. Once on the multi-use path, we'll walk south towards Sausalito, Fort Baker and the Golden Gate Bridge. Look back north to Tiburon to see how far you’ve come and enjoy epic views of the bridge from Crissy Field as you walk along the water into the Marina District. Our final steps are taken in a victory walk from Moscone Recreation Center to Marina Green for a celebratory and emotional Closing Ceremony.

The Closing Ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. at:
Marina Green
Marina Boulevard & Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94123

here's note from the 3-Day about closing ceremonies:

Your friends, family and supporters should arrive at the Closing Ceremony site at least one hour early to secure a space by the stage that will give them the best view of the program. They should be prepared for traffic congestion at the site, both before and after the ceremony.

The Participant Holding Area is closed to spectators. If you wish to meet with friends and family before the Ceremony begins, please exit the Holding Area and join them at the Closing Ceremony. Just remember to return to the Holding Area no later than 5:00 p.m. to join the victory walk.

Cheering Stations

A couple of years ago, I went to cheer my friend Carol at one of the cheering stations. I was so moved by that experience, that it inspired to sign up for the following year's 3Day event immediately.

If you have the time, and aren't too far away, please consider coming to visit us at one (or more!) of the cheering stations! From what I've heard, the San Francisco Bay Area has a surprisingly low turn out of people at the cheering stations compared to most other walks across the country. Let's turn that around! You'd be surprised at how motivating and exciting it is for the walkers to be cheered on along the route. It helps to give us renewed energy and determination.

If you plan to come to one, please let me know which day, and which cheering station. I can send you a text message when I'm at a rest to estimate what time I'll be in the vicinity of the cheering station.

Friday, September 9

Mile 9.9, 9:15 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Ocean Beach Parking Lot
Great Highway & Balboa Street, just below the Cliff House
San Francisco, CA 94121

Mile 15.7, 10:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Alta Plaza Park
2501 Jackson Street, north side of Park along Jackson
San Francisco, CA 94115

Saturday, September 10

Mile 8.5, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
UC Berkeley Clock Tower
In front of Sather Tower, just west of Birge Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720
* You must walk into campus. Please visit http://berkeley.edu/map/maps/large_map.html for a campus map.

Mile 16.7, 10:40 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Oakland City Center (Near water fountain)
1200 Clay Street, 1 block east of Broadway & 12th
Oakland, CA 94612

Sunday, September 11

Mile 4.5, 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Strawberry Point Elementary School
117 E. Strawberry Drive
Mill Valley, CA 94941
* There is parking available in the lot.

Mile 10.0, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Dunphy Park
1600 Bridgeway
Sausalito, CA 94965

It would be really nice to see some familiar faces at some of the cheering stations.
Please let me know if you think you might be able to stop by!!!

Happy 11th Birthday/Anniversary to our Little Noe!!

2011-09-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, September 3rd, was the 11th Anniversary of the Day that we found our little Noe kitty in the backyard of Dick's house.

I didn't have a blog 11 years ago (that came only 3 years later!) but this is what I wrote on Noe's web page way back in September, 2000:

This is Noe. Dick and I found her on the Sunday September 3, 2000. After being jolted awake by the 5.2 earthquake at 1:30a.m., we both heard a loud chriping noise coming from outside. We found her the next morning in Dick's backyard, but thought we should leave her there in case her momma cat came back. After hearing her cry throughout the next day, we figured she must have been abandoned.

When we took her to the vet that evening, they estimated her age to be about 5 days. Her eyes were not yet open and she weighed less than 5 ounces. We decided to take her in and take care of her. We've been nursing her by feeding her Milk Replacer Formula by bottle every four hours.

Dick feeding Noe on our first day with us

Trina and Noe when Noe was about 3 weeks old

Happy 11th Birthday/Anniversary to our little fuzzy girl!! We love you, Noe!! xo

Noe in April, 2011

The last training walk of the season!!

2011-09-04T11:34:00.001-07:00

The San Francisco Susan G. Komen 3Day for the Cure is only 5 days away. Yesterday, our team, The Warming Hut Hotties, had our final long training walk of the season yesterday, and boy, did we go out with a bang!

Our training walk leader, Linda, planned a doozy of a walk to top off our season. We walked about 12 miles, and climbed lots and lots of stairs. We went to some beautiful locations where I (and many of our teammates) had never been. Most notably, the labyrinth off of Mile Rock Beach, and the Sand Ladder near Baker Beach.

We had a large turnout yesterday - around 40 walkers or so. So excited to have had such a large turnout all season long. Our total number of team members is around 70!

Team Leader, Linda, welcoming everyone to the last training walk of the season

The Labyrinth!! SO cool!! Hope to come back to this spot to meditate someday.

up, up, UP more stairs on the Lands End Trail

The very cool, very steep, very long Sand Ladder!! Big logs, connected by ropes, and filled with sand, forming a staircase. I held the rope railing and watched my footing with each step I took - didn't want to slip! Was concentrating so much on my footing that I forgot to pay attention to just how steep it was. ;)

We made it back to Crissy Field around Noon, where we celebrated the end of the training season with our annual "Walk-Luck" picnic. (Pot Luck/Walk Luck - get it?) What a great time it was - so many walkers and team members from this year, as well as past years came to celebrate. Amazing food (especially Lizelle's Mom's scrumptious skewers!) and great fun!

Lizelle, Tanzeem, and Laura with their skewers!

What a great training season it has been. Hard to believe that it's been 5 months since we started training together this year. Our first training walk this year was on April 2nd. (and now that I look at the photo, I see that the weather was much warmer and clearer back in April than it has been almost all summer!)

Mom & Dad are Smitten, too!

2011-08-30T15:55:00.001-07:00

My parents came up to SF for a visit yesterday. They had read my recent post about Smitten Ice Cream in Hayes Valley, and wanted to try it out.

The verdict: they loved it. :)

And, really - aren't they cute?!

A walk in Tiburon

2011-08-28T16:58:00.001-07:00

Our team's training walk leader had volunteered our team to post flyers about the 3Day event along different parts of the event route. Today, a few of us went to Tiburon, while others posted flyers in San Francisco. We walked through neighborhoods and shopping areas, putting up flyers, letting people know that in two weeks from today, about 2,000 walkers will be walking on their street. The flyers are meant to let people know what to expect, as well as to encourage people to go out and cheer for the walkers along the route.

We met in Tiburon at 8:30 this morning. None of us tracked our mileage today, but we think it was around 6 miles or so.

We took some really fun photos today. Some of my favorite of the season, I think.

Me, Tanzeen, Sandy and Monica, sporting our matching jackets and skirts :)

We walked through the blacktop area of a local elementary school. They had a great big map of the United States painted on the blacktop!

Team Captain, Linda, hopping into San Francisco!

Various teammates standing on the states in which they grew up - Super Cute picture!

Group shot in front of the Bay

One of the flyers that we posted up in windows of local businesses

Today's 12-mile Training Walk

2011-08-27T20:20:00.001-07:00

Today's Route

Today was another great training walk with the Warming Hut Hotties. We met at 7:00am at the Warming Hut in Crissy Field. The city was covered in fog. The Golden Gate Bridge could barely be seen. I had assumed that the fog would burn off at some point during our walk, but it never did. We all stayed bundled up in our multiple layers the entire 5 hours that we were out walking.

I actually really love walking in this weather, as I tend to get hot easily, and the fog keeps us cool. It also makes for a beautiful setting - especially while walking through some forested parts of the Presidio. A few of us thought that the Presidio resembled "The Forbidden Forest" from the Harry Potter books. :)

Hotties wandering around the Forbidden Forest

We walked into the Sunset District, over to what I think is the prettiest of all staircases in the city - The Mosaic Stairs. If you've never been, you should check them out sometime. Really amazing and beautiful. I was so caught up in looking at the names on the mosaic tiles as I climbed up that I didn't even realize how far I had climbed until I was almost at the top!

Mosaic Stairs from the bottom

Mosaic Stairs from the top!

We climbed even more stairs up to Grand View Park, which usually has an amazing view of the city. Unfortunately, the city was still covered in fog, and you literally couldn't see anything past the top of the hill.

We walked back into Golden Gate park, and before I knew it, we stepped into the AIDS Memorial Grove. I had read earlier that we were going into the grove today, but had forgotten, and honestly, wasn't quite mentally prepared when we entered.

I absolutely love the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. I think it's one of the most beautiful spots in the city. Most people don't know about it. It's tucked away, and a bit hidden. But, once you find it, it'll take your breath away. (as it did to me again, today)

I hadn't visited the grove in a few years. I may not have been since going to a Memorial service for a friend, so I was quite taken when we walked out into it during today's walk.

The Circle of Friends is a particularly beautiful spot in the grove. We all stopped here, and took a few moments to read the names and reflect. I'm so glad that we have this wonderful place in our city, but it still makes me so sad to think of all of those that we have lost over the years.

Circle of Friends

We finished our walk right before 12:30, which was a great pace, given the size of our group. Less than 2 weeks until our big event, and only two training walks left.

Smitten Ice Cream!!

2011-08-27T20:11:00.001-07:00

Dick and I had dinner in Hayes Valley this evening (yummy sushi at Doma!). We walked around the neighborhood for a bit afterwards, and quickly realized just how close we were to Smittens Ice Cream!

Smittens is a *tiny* ice cream shop on Octavia Street. The shop is actually a recycled shipping container! Their ice-cream is actually made by scratch - to order!! They use a special "Kelvin Ice Cream Machine" which uses liquid nitrogen to make each scoop by scratch, to order! They literally pour in the ingredients - be it cream, sugar, butter, fruit, etc,. and make it right in front of you.

The Kelvin Ice Cream Machine at work

Their menu changes daily. I had a hard time deciding between salted caramel, strawberry, or vanilla. (I've had the chocolate before, and it was AMAZING!) I decided on the strawberry when I found out that it isn't offered very often.

Today's menu

Here's a cool video showing the process of how they make their strawberry ice cream!
So cool!

How We Make Smitten Ice Cream from Robyn Goldman on Vimeo.

Take me out to the Ballgame!!

2011-08-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Pete, invited us to a Giant's game tonight! Super gun! I don't think we've been to a game in at least two or three years. Nothing like watching a Ballgame live - especially when it's at the gorgeous AT&T Park!!!

It was a fun game, made even better that the Giants won. :)

Thanks, Pete!! We had a great time!!

Meg & David's Wedding

2011-08-21T17:55:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Meg and David, and all of their kids!

Dick's sister, Meg, and her fiance, David, entered a local radio station contest earlier this year, and won a contest for a free wedding! They were married this afternoon in a lovely ceremony in front of their closest friends and family.

Dick and I arrived fairly early, and waited inside the room where the ceremony was to take place. We noticed a long table set up near the entrance with lots of equipment, and eventually realized that it was the radio station staff, getting ready to broadcast the wedding on the radio! About 15 minutes before the ceremony was to start, someone from the station came over to our area and asked if anyone wanted to be interviewed. I balked at first, but then Dick said, "Trina should do it! She's good at this stuff!"

So, there I went - I was handed a microphone, told how closely I should hold it to my mouth, and instructed to sit down. Next thing I knew, I was being interviewed LIVE on the radio! So funny. They had heard that Dick and I had come "all the way from San Francisco" and wanted to know why we were here, and how I knew the couple. I explained the the bride is my husband's sister, so of course we would make the trip out. They asked how long I had known the couple, and if I had any favorite stories to share. I mostly spoke about what a great family they were, and how they had "blended" their two families so well. David has 3 kids from a previous marriage, and Meg has two. I've always been very impressed with how well all of them get along and have formed a really amazing family together. They also complimented my dress, which I thanked them for, and I had to hold my tongue to not announce to them that I had bought it on ebay. ;) (Dick thinks that I should have, and that it would have made a good story!)

here i am being interviewed live for the radio show

The ceremony was quite lovely. It had moments sweetness (the wedding party consisted of Meg and David's five children), laughter (when the minister/radio jockey said something along the lines of "We're so glad you are all here - those of you who are here with us, as well as all of you in Radioland!") and lots of tears (at times, all 5 of the kids, the bride and the groom were all teary).

Meg and David's kids, and the ministers waiting for the bride and groom

Meg and David reciting their vows

And now I must speak about the hors d'oeurves - they served the most interactive hors d'oeurves I've ever seen. It was called a "Pork Puppy", which was a hush puppy filled with pullled pork. It was topped with a tube filled with BBQ sauce that, once squeezed, infused the pork with the BBQ sauce. Yummy and fun!

"Pork Puppies and Sweet Tea"

Congrats again to Meg and David, and to their entire family!! It was wonderful to see these two families come together as one. We wish you all a lifetime of happiness together!!

10-miles plus Extra Credit Hills

2011-08-14T07:29:00.001-07:00

Saturday's 10+ mile route

Yesterday's 10-mile walk was really beautiful, and much sunnier than expected. We did one of my favorite routes - Crissy Field, through Fisherman's Wharf, along the Embarcadero, break at the Ferry Building, through the Financial District, skimming through Chinatown and North Beach, through the Marina and back into the Presidio.

It should be noted that it was the walk of the BEST bathroom breaks!! The beautiful Argonaut Hotel (always a Hottie-Favorite!, the Ferry Building and a really cute Starbucks in the Presidio! This is the thing - when you've been walking as many miles for as many years as the Hotties have been, you learn where all of the best, cleanest and nicest public bathrooms in San Francisco are. ;)

One of the highlights of the morning was definitely when we came upon the tents for the "Big Gay 10K". It turns out that Hottie Tanzeem's Brother, Moshibar and his partner, Will, were both running. We managed to find them pretty easily, and took this great group shot.

The Hotties supporting the Big Gay 10K!

As I mentioned, our 1/2-way break (which is usually also a food break) was at the Ferry Building - always exciting for great food options!! As usual, I went to the Acme Bread Co. for one of their yummy chocolate croissants. The cheese wheel is also a favorite amongst our crowd.

The lovely Alisa trying out her first Cheese Wheel

After our lunch break, we headed through the Financial District, where Hottie Monica works and takes her week-day walks. She shared with us the stairs that she routinely climbed and invited us to go off course to take in a few steep hills and stairs.

Sandy, Tanzeem and I joined Monica for the challenge of adding TWO HUGE steep hills/stairs to our planned route before the Broadway stairs. Crazy? Yes.

Tanzeem conquering the first steep flight of stairs

Sandy and Monica climbing up-up-up!! See that stairs leading up on the left side of all that greenery? Yep, that's the second flight of stairs that we added on!

We rejoined the rest of the group at the top of the Broadway Stairs.

After walking along Chestnut street, we went into the Presidio and had our last pit stop at the Starbucks near ILM. Super cute Starbucks with comfy chairs!

Tanzeem and Buffy relaxing in the chaise

It was a really nice 10-mile route, which was a nice break after doing 40 miles last weekend. :)

Pink Party!!

2011-08-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Last night, two of my Warming Hut Hottie teammates held a "Pink Party" fundraiser at the Cat's Club in San Francisco. It was a really fun evening, with "walktinis", raffle tickets, auction items, and a Go-Go cage filled with pink helium balloons!

A bunch of the Hotties came to represent, and support Lori and Buffie.

Hotties all dressed up! (we hardly recognized each other with hair and make-up done, and wearing non-workout clothes!)

Earlier in the day, I remembered that I have very little pink in my wardrobe. I thought it would be fun to find a hot pink feather boa to wear with my zebra print dress. My facebook status yesterday afternoon:

I ♥ my neighborhood. Where else can you think, "You know, I'd really like to get a hot pink feather boa for the party tonight" and know exactly where to go for one?! :)

The hot pink feather boa did the job!

Sporting the hot pink feather boa!

Thanks, Lori and Buffie for organizing and hosting such a great event. I hope it was a tremendously successful fundraiser!!!

Milestone weekend!! 40 Miles and over $5,000 raised!!

2011-08-08T15:59:00.001-07:00

It was a milestone weekend for me in regards to all things 3Day related.

I'm not sure which aspect I'm more excited about! They are both so exciting, and I think it's so cool that both milestones were reached on the same weekend.

Goal: $5,000.00
Achieved: $5,355.00

First of all, I must once again extend my heartfelt "thank you" to all of my friends and family who have sponsored me so far this year. Together we have raised $5,355.00 so far!!! My goal this year was $5,000, and I'm so thrilled that we have surpassed it already. Even better, I woke up Saturday morning at 5:15am (as I was getting ready to head out for our big 40-mile training walk weekend) to an email letting me know that we had reached (and surpassed) $5,000. It was a wonderful thing to wake up to, and helped me feel even more motivated to walk 20-miles on Saturday!!

And it just kept getting better! As I checked my emails throughout the next two days, I received a few more donations while I was out on our 20-mile/day training walks. Those additional donations gave me the extra motivation to keep going and even put a little more spring in my step. :)

This year's San Francisco 3Day for the Cure is September 9th through 11th. That means I still have just over 4 more weeks to train and fund-raise. Let's see how far we can go!

On to training news:

This weekend was the Warming Hut Hotties annual Back to Back Weekend! It's the pinnacle of our training walk season where we walk 20miles each on Saturday and Sunday to prepare us for the 3Day. After this weekend, the training gradually decreases so that we'll be prepared, but not exhausted by the time the actual event comes along. This team has been doing these training walks for 9 years now, and they've got such a great system!

The first day we did two loops of 10-miles each. The routes were planned so that some people could choose to walk either 10, 15, 18 or 20 miles for the day. A LARGE group of about 45 people met at the Warming Hut at 6:30am and we took off for our first loop at 6:45.

Saturday's first 10-mile loop

Linda reciting the safety speech in front of 45 walkers

Our walk went through the Presidio, down the Batteries to Bluffs Trail (this week, we went DOWN. Last week, we climbed UP!), through the Richmond, into Golden Gate Park, then looped back into another part of the Richmond and the Presidio.

Looking down on the Batteries to Bluffs Trail that we had just completed

Considering we had so many people, we made it back from our first loop, and back to the Warming Hut on time at 10:30am where we had a quick lunch.

Saturday was Hottie Tanzeem's Birthday, and she was surprised with cupcakes, flowers, cards and other goodies!

Happy Birthday, Tanzeem!

Tanzeem's Birthday Spread!

We ate lunch (and cupcakes!) and headed out for our second 10-mile loop at 11:10pm.

Saturday's second 10-mile loop

This loop went down Crissy Field, through the Presidio, into the Richmond, down towards Ocean Beach, UP the Land's End Trail, to Baker Beach, UP Lincoln Blvd, underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, and back to the Warming Hut.

Here's part of a group shot taken from Land's End Trail (the nice person who offered to take the photo didn't seem to be able to sqeeze everyone into the frame)

up, Up, UP the stairs on Land's End Trail

We finished the second loop (for a total of 20 for the day) around 3:00.

Which means.... go home, take a bath, ice your feet, take Advil, have a good dinner, drink lots of water, and go to bed early, because..... There's still another 20-miles to walk on Sunday!

Sunday's 20-Mile Walk

Sunday's 20-Mile was was EPIC. I said it last year, and I'll say it again! We walked from Fort Mason in SF, down to Crissy Field, across the Golden Gate Bridge, down to Sausalito, through Marin, all the way to Tiburon!! We ate a quick lunch, then everyone boarded the 2:55 Ferry back to Pier 41. We walked back through (a very crowded) Fisherman's Wharf for another 1.5 miles back to Fort Mason.

There were many factors that made Sunday's walk absolutely delightful.

Props, LOVE and Hugs to Alycia and Linda E (and their Husbands, Robin and Phil) for meeting us at Fort Mason at 6:30am and providing us with route support throughout the entire day. Not only did they provide their cars along the route (so a walker could hitch a ride in case of injury or fatigue) but they also provided us with homemade baked goods, delicious fruits, water, and many other goodies to keep us hydrated and well fed along the way. They even had warm focaccia bread that they baked early that morning so we could nibble on it at it's freshest! And if this all wasn't enough they brought cheering signs and wore pink boas to cheer us on all day long. I love these women. They both walked with us last year, and are taking this year off. I hope they'll both join us again next year!

The utterly fantastic Alycia and Linda - Route Support Extraordinaire!

Any time we have walked across the Bridge early in the morning has always been a great experience, and this one was no different. We crossed around 7:15am, so the sun had only recently risen, and the traffic and bike riders was minimal. It was cold and foggy, though, which I supposed helped us walk briskly to the other side. :)

cold and foggy Golden Gate Bridge at 7:15am

After we crossed the bridge (and after a pit stop at the Lookout Point) we walked down, around, and under the Golden Gate Bridge.

The underside of the Golden Gate Bridge - a view many people will never see

We walked through Sausalito to our approx half-way "lunch" break at the Mollie Stones in Sausalito. Linda and Alycia amazed us again with the amazing spread they laid out for us on the tables for us!!

Route Support Goodies by Alycia and Linda E

After lunch, we walked along the long, multi-use path. There were far fewer (rude) bikers this time (although we still managed to encounter a few) which was a relief. Also the weather was just perfect! Usually the Marin part of this walk is sunny and hot, but we lucked out this year with overcast skies. I think it made the walk so much more enjoyable.

After many more miles, we eventually made our way to Tiburon where we all met at Sam's for a quick lunch. (my group barely made it in time to order quickie appetizers before having to head out to catch the ferry!)

The Ferry Ride from Tiburon back to SF (via Angel Island) was a ton of fun. I think we were all tired, and a little bit delirious from the long walking we had just completed, and that resulted in LOTS of fun, laughter and pictures!!

Carol and Trina on the Ferry!

Hotties sitting outside on the Ferry

Me and Lizelle, who is propping up her poor (un-blistered!) tired feet!

Can you name the Hottie by their shoe?

After the Ferry brought us back to San Francisco, we walked from Pier 41 back to our cars at Fort Mason. We returned around 4:00pm.

Sandra's GPS showed us at 20.07 miles for the day!

Another walker brought their pedometer, which came in at 48,968 steps for the day!

So, that's the end of the epic-length blog post for an epic weekend of walking and fundraising! As I think about the long walks that we did both days, what strikes me is that what I remember most about them is not the long miles, tired feet or sore legs. Honestly, what I remember are the amazing people I walk with, the conversations we have, and most especially, the hearty laughs. I'm so lucky to be a part of this extraordinary group. Their dedication, spirit, drive and fun personalities kept me going all weekend long - one step at a time.

Jury Duty Complete

2011-08-05T10:26:00.001-07:00

The 502 Jury

Yesterday afternoon, around 4:15pm, 9 out of 12 jurors were able to come to an agreement of a verdict on the case that we had been working on for the past 3 weeks.

We were in deliberation for a full 2-1/2 days. I think we were fair, conscientious, thorough, and didn't rush. (although, if we hadn't submitted it by 4:15 yesterday, we would have had to return Monday morning at 9:00am.) Deliberation was quite a process. Because it was a civil trial, 9 out of 12 of the jurors had to agree upon the verdict. There were many tough decisions and complicated calculations that had to be made. Honestly, we were all exhausted by the end of each day.

It turns out that I was the only one who had experience of serving on a jury before. Because of this, my fellow jurors decided that I should be the jury foreman. I didn't see that one coming, but was happy to step up, and try to keep us all on track. I think it went well.

It went so well, in fact, that although we may not have all agreed, everyone managed to stay thoughtful and respectful of each others opinions. As my fellow juror, Kathy said, "I love the idea that people can disagree without being disagreeable and I really felt we managed to treat each other with respect at all times."

In the end, we were able to come to a respectful consensus that thoroughly and thoughtfully considered the needs and perspectives of all parties involved. (slightly paraphrasing what fellow juror Brian said.) We were so elated after coming to a verdict, and we all liked each other so much, that we asked the bailiff to take a group photo of us as we waited for the court to prepare to hear our final verdict. I'm guessing there aren't many groups of jurors out there who enjoy each others company enough to want to take a photo with each other.

I was honored to be part of such a interesting, diverse, fair group of people who all took our job so seriously and truly gave it our all. Makes me more of a believer in our legal system and in human kind in general.

To top it all off, I came home afterwards to find my first check from the Judicial Council of California. We get compensated $15/day for serving plus $2.50/day for parking. This check covers 6 of the 10 days that I served. (we don't get paid for the first day while they are selecting a jury.)

big bucks for my service in jury duty

"To see a world you otherwise could not see"

2011-08-02T08:58:00.001-07:00

I passed by this empty lot on my way to the Courthouse this morning. I believe they are transforming it into an community urban garden. Pretty cool. :)

The 12-Mile day of Many Stairs

2011-07-30T18:02:00.001-07:00

Today's Route

Another wonderful walk with the Warming Hut Hotties! If today's walk had a theme, it would have been "Stairs". We conquered many. Wish I would have thought to count them (or even take photos of all of them) because it was quite an impressive amount.

We started with the always beautiful (and steep) Lyon Street Stairs. The Lyon Street Steps consist of two levels, each with 120 stairs. So, that's 240 so far!

We continued through some great trails in the Presidio, before walking most of the length of Clement Street. Somewhere before our break at Fresh N Easy, we passed by these two dinosaurs!

Dinosaurs in San Francisco!

After a quick food break at Fresh N Easy, we walked onto Geary/Pt Lobos and eventually at El Camino del Mar. Here, we marveled at the gorgeous mansions (and I really do mean mansions) and caught glimpses of the spectacular views that some of those homes have. I could spend all day looking at those houses. :)

We walked along then UP the stairs of Land's End Trail (UP, UP, UP!) made our way to Baker Beach. From there, we climbed UP and DOWN the many, many, many stairs of the Batteries to Bluffs Trailhead. It was spectacular!

this really doesn't give you a sense of just how many stairs were in this trail. If you look at the photo, and see the many houses in the background, you'll see just how far we walked in a little more than an hour.

We had many lovely views of our beautiful Golden Gate Bridge along the way today. It made for many photo opps!

Tanzeem & Monica

We eventually walked under the Golden Gate Bridge (always cool) and made our way back to the Warming Hut.

The underside of the Golden Gate Bridge

As we came back to Crissy Field at around 12:30, the sun was just starting to peak out. It was a really nice day for a walk. :)

Today's Stats

Tour of SF City Hall

2011-07-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

We had a 45 minute delay from jury duty this morning (due to Muni delays) so I took advantage of our location and took a quick walk through City Hall.
It's been a few years since I've been in City Hall. I have been meaning to go in to see the bust of Harvey Milk that was erected a couple of years ago.
I also went into the Chambers room where they hold all of the meetings for the Board of Supervisors (among other things, I'm sure.).
Such an amazing building. So glad to have taken the time to visit it again. :)

36-mile Weekend

2011-07-25T08:05:00.000-07:00
WOW! What a walking weekend it was!!

I was too tired to post about it last night, and am a bit rushed to get this out before heading out to jury duty, so I'm just going to put in the bare-boned basics. :) For some reason, the maps from my GPS software didn't export well, so I took screenshots of the maps from my phone. It's smaller than usual, but still shows the route.

We walked 20 miles on Saturday, which turned out to be one of my favorite routes yet! We did a HUGE 20 mile circle around San Francisco. From Crissy Field, down the Embarcadero, through Mission Bay, up Potrero Hill, down to Dolores Park, UP 17th Street, through Golden Gate Park, and back into the Presidio. We went through so many microclimates, and saw so much great architecture along the way!

20-mile route

Sunday's 16 mile was was also pretty awesome - fewer people made it out, but we did have a lot of new people, too. We were all pretty tired from the day before, but everyone persevered through, and made it through the entire walk!

Special thanks to Judy, Alycia and Linda (and their husbands, too!) for the remarkable and always-appreciated route support this weekend. They were amazing and spoiled us with their delicious treats!

16-mile route

As always, thanks to Linda and the rest of the Warming Hut Hotties for planning and organizing such beautiful and thoughtful routes for us.

Update:

I almost forgot the funniest picture from Sunday!
Our Grand Poobah Hottie, Linda, noticed and made sure to point out to me:

Jury Duty Follow-Up

2011-07-21T20:02:00.001-07:00
So, as I mentioned before, both Dick and I were summoned for Jury Duty this week.

I was instructed to go to the Courthouse on Tuesday morning, and was eventually selected for the jury on a Civil Case. We were told to plan on 2-3 weeks or so. (not too bad, and an interesting case.)

Dick never had to report in person, and only had to call in each evening this week to check his status. This evening, he was told that he did not have to report in tomorrow, and that he had performed his civic duty for the year.

Double Jury Summons

2011-07-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Double Jury Service Summons

Dick and I both received Jury Service Summons for the week of July 18th. It's not quite as much of a coincidence as it may seem. We had both received notices for earlier dates (both while he was in the earlier stages of recovery from his broken patella) and we both postponed. I don't know if he knew that he had selected the same date as me.

Ironically, mine is at the Civic Center Courthouse, and his is for the Hall of Justice.

This would've been a whole lot more interesting (and possibly fun!) if we were reporting to the same location.

We both called in Friday evening, and neither of us were instructed to report in today.

I'll be checking again later this afternoon to get information about tomorrow.

Today's 12.5 mile Training Walk

2011-07-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Today's Route

Well, for once, I think my GPS app was fairly accurate. Today's walk was planned out to be 12.5 miles, and I came in at 13.6. Still off by a mile, but at least that's closer to what was planned, and also possible. :) I never turn off my GPS during rest stops, or during our lunch stop, so the info is always a little skewed.

It was a cold, foggy Summer day here in SF. I usually shed my many layers while we walk (usually a tank top, short or long sleeved shirt and a light-weight jacket) but today, everything stayed on the whole time. It was actually quite nice to walk in this weather - never got hot. :)

The excitement for the day came from the new grocery store stop on our route - the new Fresh & Easy that only recently opened in the Richmond District. Overall, it seems like everyone was pretty happy with it. They had a really nice selection of prepared foods (the chicken curry salad that I had was particularly yummy!) and the prices were good. They also had self checkout, and a microwave to heat up food. On the downside, there weren't any tables or benches for us to hang out/eat at, and the bathrooms were less than great. (two stalls, and not particularly clean apparently, considering that they should be new.)

Fresh & Easy

I also wore my second pair of shoes for the first time today to break them in. (the 3Day suggests that you have 2 pairs of shoes for the weekend, with the second pair being at least 1/2 size larger since your feet will swell.) I've worn them a couple of times for my daily neighborhood walks (2.5-3 miles) but this was my first training walk in them. I liked them a lot, which is great, and my feet didn't rebel at all (no blisters, etc.,) which is even better. However, now that I looked them up online to get more info, I see they are sold out. Too bad. (I bought mine at the end of March, but didn't start wearing them until this month. Don't want to wear them out too much before the event in September.)

Today's Stats

Coolest Movie Theater EVER!!

2011-07-15T13:17:00.001-07:00

Harry Potter, Movie 8! (or 7.2)
I am SO excited!!
Reeves and Paula had told us these great theaters in Redmond a couple of years ago. You can reserve your seats (which I did last week), the seats are large and recline, and come with a blanket & pillow. Popcorn and unlimited refills of sodas. You can order cocktails or food to brought to your seat during the film.
What a great theater experience!!

Funny Virgin

2011-07-13T16:55:00.001-07:00

Our flight this morning was on Virgin Air out of the new SFO Terminal 2.
This was the information sign at our gate.
:)

Sweet Suite!

2011-07-13T16:42:00.001-07:00

I'm in Seattle/Bellevue for a couple of days - visiting friends while Dick is up for work.
We're staying at the Westin Bellevue. The very nice lady at the registration desk upgraded us to a suite when I checked in! (She said I looked so happy when I checked in (which I was) so she thought it would be nice to upgrade our room.) Sweet!!
She told me that the suites have especially nice bathrooms and that the room has 10' ceilings. Very nice!
We even have a nice balcony to boot.
Thanks to Lisa for taking care if our house and kitty while we are away!!

Hottie Walker Stalking

2011-07-10T10:40:00.001-07:00
The Susan G Komen 3Day walk that I'm training for isn't until September 9-11, but the Avon Walk for the Cure is this weekend in San Francisco. Many of our Warming Hut Hottie teammates are walking this weekend. Several people from our team who aren't participating in the Avon walk are "Walker Stalking" this weekend to cheer the walkers on. I was able to join them for a few hours yesterday afternoon in Marin. SO much fun!!!

How great is our group? They decorated three cars the night before (complete with deeleeboppers!) and drive around in a convoy along the route both days. Everyone wears their deeleeboppers and butterfly wings, and cheers on the walkers while blaring music from the cars! They also pass out fruit, candy, and chilled baby wipes to the walkers to help keep them refreshed.

It's a whole lot of fun, and having walked in an event last year, I can say that the cheering groups really do help motivate you as your walking all day.

I won't be able to make it out again today, but you can be sure that the Warming Hut Hotties are out bright and early today, cheering on all of the beautiful Avon Walkers!!

WoooooHoooo!!!!

The Dick Report - Week 9

2011-07-05T15:46:00.000-07:00
Today marks 9 weeks since Dick shattered his patella into 4 pieces. He had a follow-up appointment with his surgeon this afternoon, and got some good news - he no longer needs to wear is brace, and he is allowed to drive again!! Yay!! Very exciting news (for both of us!).

Dick's knee has been quite swollen for several weeks now. Much of the swelling was due to fluids building up around the knee, which we had hoped would go down over time, and with physical therapy. The doctor offered to drain it for Dick when we last saw him three weeks ago, but Dick held off in hopes of it going down on its own. Today, he was ready to have it drained - the extra swelling was causing extra discomfort when walking or bending his knee.

Of course, I was there taking photos. The doctor drained about 40cc of fluid, which looked like an awful lot in the syringe.

Dick was a real trooper throughout the whole process. For someone who shies away from needles, he managed well, and was happy that he had it done.

There's no guarantee that the fluids won't build up again, so we'll see how the next few days go. Worst case scenario, he can always go back in to have his knee drained again.

The doctor was very happy with Dick's progress so far. He'll continue with the Physical Therapy (and go in for that twice a week), but he won't have to see the surgeon again for another couple of months.

Warning
Graphic images

Dick's swollen knee

The doctor checks the knee and fluid location with an ultrasound - check out that needle!

Draining the fluid from the knee

Post-drain - still swollen, but not as much as before

40cc of fluid out! (yuck!)

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

We were so excited that we can see the SF fireworks show from our new home!! So cool!!
Hope everyone had a nice and safe Independence Day! :)