Many slide shows for you to peruse!

Welp, I finally was able to get a bunch of photos from the past month or so uploaded...YAY! They are individual posts below, but I hope you enjoy!

The Dodger Stadium, LA Cruisin' and Solvang Shots were all from our trip to LA for My Hunny's birthday. We had a great time. My Hunny  absolutely was like a kid at Disneyland when we got to Dodger Stadium. Even though the Dodgers lost (sigh), it was a great time and a memory I will cherish forever. I understand why so many people speak of Dodger Stadium with reverence and respect. She's an amazing stadium, and once you go...you know! =-)

After the game we drove around Downtown LA (Glad My hunny knows the area), and I got to have fun taking pictures out of the sunroof of my truck and seeing some historic places like the site of the Olympics many years ago (don't recall the exact year...sorry) which is now where the USC Trojans play football...GOOOO Trojans!

On Monday we drove to Solvang and walked around the cute little Dutch Style town for a while, then eventually we had to head back home.

It was a very special weekend, indeed.

The other slide show that is up, has pictures from a drive my hunny and I took a couple of weeks ago to Santa Cruz via HWY 9 which took us past some gorgeous scenery and majestic Redwoods...California really is a beautiful state!

I hope you enjoy the shots.

Weekend Cruise to Santa Cruz

Solvang Shots

Cruisin LA

Dodgers Game 7-22-07

Just some misc. fun

I just thought I would share some miscellaneous shots from the past week. We all had a lot of fun at the game and the concert. I'm grateful to be blessed to be able to do such fun things with such wonderful people! It may have been hot out, but we survived, and we all had a great time, inspite of the heat. I'm truly blessed!

July 4th - Take 1

Ok, So I can't take credit for these pictures. A good friend of mine took them at the game with her brand new Canon XTI...NICE! I have some more pictures to add, but they didn't make it to my Thumb Drive like I thought they had, so I will have to post them later today.

The game was fun, but we didn't last through the whole thing. It was nearly 100 Degrees outside, and we were melting into the seats with no shade in site, so we did something unprecidented to most sports fans...we left at the 7th inning stretch. To be honest, most of us weren't paying much attention to the game. We were having too much fun gabbing amongst ourselves (it wasn't till something like the 5th inning that I even realized that the A's were down 6-0! WoW!) Apparently after we left they did score 3 runs, but the BlueJays scored a few more as well, and ended up winning 10-3. That's ok...we still support our A's!

Mom, Dad, my hunny and I will be going to another A's game in a couple weeks, actually. That should be more comfortable as it is an evening game...phew!

Welp, I will share more pics from the game later!

Memorial Day Weekend

What a weekend!!!

This past weekend was another really nice weekend! Even better, it was a 3-Day weekend! Right on!
On Saturday evening, My hunny and I went out to dinner at the new Chili's by our house...Mmmm! The best part, though, was time with my Love! I'm such a lucky lady!
My hunny headed over the hill to the Valley to see his Dad on Sunday, so I hung out with BlueRose for the morning. We had a good lunch at "Cluck U", then stopped at Costco to pick up the main attraction for Monday's dinner (rib eye steaks...yum-o). After that we took our giant color pads outside and spent a couple hours coloring Bambi pictures. After she left to go see her hunny, I headed back out for another round with the color pad.
Monday was a bunch of the same. I colored one more page in the book, and read some more of the "Strange Candy" book by Laurell K. Hamilton. It's a compilation of a bunch of her short stories. Love it! After my hunny got home Dad fired up the grill, and we soon ate an amazing dinner of steaks, homemade macaroni salad, fruit salad and fresh green beans...outstanding!
The weekend went by quickly as they always seem to do, but it was definitely an enjoyable one! Good weather, good food, great family! Gotta love it!!!

Weekend Adventure - Part 3

Ahh, the final addition to my Weekend Adventure Series (from this past weekend, anyway).

On Sunday my Hunny and I decided to take the camaro out for a run. The weather was gorgeous and she's only had in-town miles on her for the past couple months, so she was in desperate need of some highway miles. We took the T-Tops out, then headed off without a plan of where we were headed.

I started off by having my hunny navigate (Left, Right, Straight, etc). After meandering for a while we ended up heading North on Hwy 101. My hunny then had the idea of going over the Dumbarton bridge, into Fremont, something different, at least. The Bay was gorgeous, the sky clear, and the temperature cozy. After we reached the other side of the bridge, we saw a sign for the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge, and decided to see what that was all about.

We ended up in a beautiful, peaceful area I never knew existed. Neither of us had proper shoes for hiking, so we didn't get to explore the refuge too much, but the walk that we did take was amazing. We parked and had the option to go around the hill and up to the Visitor's Center, or take the stairs straight ahead of us. we opted for the stairs. Just a few steps up I noticed a lizard and stopped to point it out to my Hunny. We then took a couple more and heard another lizard dart into the dried leaves. We looked for a couple seconds, but didn't see anything, so we began to step up to the next step, when my hunny suddenly stopped and told me to do the same. I was startled at first, but then saw what he had seen...a snake! Now I am a total city girl, never been camping, not been out in nature a whole lot (even though I love it), and this was my first encounter with a wild snake. I wasn't too frightened, as I'm fairly certain it wasn't poisonous or dangerous, and it wasn't very big (maybe 2 ft long or so). I didn't get the camera out in time to get a picture, but it was really pretty, in hindsight. It was solid green. It's belly was a lighter-whitish-green, but all in all, pretty. It quickly found a hole in the step and disappeared, and we continued up the next few flights of stairs, suddenly a little more aware of what was around us.

When we got to the top of the hill, the view nearly took my breath away. I forget too often that the Bay Area has such beauty. I tend to focus on the concrete and cement, but moments like that remind me that there is beauty everywhere. I will post some pictures that really just don't capture the beauty and peacefulness that my hunny and I found up there.

We stayed for an hour or so, just enjoying the beauty, and next time we will go better prepared to explore the trails.

So, that is the end of last weekend's adventures, but Summer is just beginning, and I'm certain that there are more adventures to come!

Happy Summer, All!

Weekend Adventure - Part 2

Today's blog is all about Jocko's. =-) What is Jocko's? Where is Jocko's? Why is Jocko's worth a 6 hour round trip? Your questions are all about to be answered, my friend!!!

Jocko's is a steakhouse in the little town of Nipomo, which is just a few miles North of Santa Monica, CA on Hwy 101. I would never have known it existed if my hunny hadn't shared it with us a few years ago.
Mom, Dad, My Hunny and I were all on our way down to SoCal for our first NASCAR race when we decided to take the scenic route. There are two major options for getting to SoCal from the Bay Area: I-5 which is a 5-6 hour drive or Hwy 101 which is about a 7-8 hour drive. Typically we take I5 which is a pretty boring drive, but much quicker. Since we were in no hurry, we opted for more coastal route of 101. An hour or so into the ride, my Hunny says that if we are interested in stopping for a nice dinner, he had a suggestion for us. We were all game, so he said he'd lead us to the best steakhouse ever! The next couple of hours were filled with the background of how he knew about Jockos. He and his family used to go there when he was young. His Dad's company would rent out half of the restaurant during their convention and they would spend hours enjoying the food and atmosphere. He has very fond memories of this place, and I was feeling pretty honored to get to share something with him that meant so much to him.

We got to Jocko's around 4:30, which happened to be the time they opened up for lunch. It also turned out to be a good thing we weren't any later, becuase after 5pm, if you don't have a reservation, you have at least an hour wait!!! We sat down at the table and our adventure began. Jocko's serves salsa and crackers as well as "reslish trays" while you read the menu and make your choices. Next comes a delicious salad, followed by the main course, BBQ beans and toast, polished off with a bowl of ice cream at the end. My hunny wasn't kidding. Jocko's steaks are the best, bar none, of any I have ever had. The only thing that comes close is my Dad's BBQ'd steaks. The portions are huge, and there are always leftovers!

We have sense returned several times. Each trip we've made together sense then has been specifically to go there for dinner. We usually stop at Pizmo Beach, a half hour or so before Jocko's and enjoy the breath-taking views of the Pacific Ocean, then continue on. After dinner we talk around the table for a while, then load back in the car or truck for the 3 hr ride home. All who have gone agree that it is well worth the ride!

This past weekend was no different. We had an excellent dinner and adventure and are already looking forward to the next trip!

Weekend Adventure - Part 1

This weekend was quite an adventure filled one, and yet relaxing at the same time!

Our family made one of our "Infamous" trips to Jocko's Steakhouse on Saturday. It's a 3 hour drive, but the food is WELL worth it. It is by far, the best steak I've ever had at a restaurant. I will post later about the Jocko's portion of the trip, but this one is dedicated to our stop at Pizmo Beach on the way down.

My hunny got out of work early on Saturday so we could get a earlier start. We had reservations for 8 (a must have), so we knew we'd have lots of time to stop for some sight-seeing. All 5 of us loaded into Mom and Dad's car, and off we went. The drive was gorgeous. We stopped once, about half way down for some Starbucks Iced Teas and Frappaccinos, and got to Pizmo Beach around 6:15. As luck would have it, we stumbled upon a beautiful park, and spent quite a bit of time there just enjoying the scenery, fresh air and each other's company. Oh, and of course a photo-shoot was sure to insue! Here are just a few pictures of our fun at Pizmo Beach!

Next Post...All about Jockos!!!!

President's Day Adventure

A Day with my Hunny!




My Hunny and I both had Monday off, so we got to do something we don't get to very often...spend a whole day together! WooHoo! As you can see in this picture, it was a gorgeous day, at that! We decided to take the Camaro out for a drive in the country. Yep, even in the Bay Area there are some country roads...and beautiful scenery. We drove through the backside of Livermore, then over to I-580 down to Patterson, and then back to Lake Del Valle and Shadow Cliffs Park before heading home.



The weather was warm enough that we were even able to take the T-Tops down on the Camaro and just cruise around with the wind whipping through our hair. The car is pretty new to us, and we've had a blast so far with it! She needs a bath, for sure, but may I introduce you to Sinister Shadow. She even has a Name Tag on the way, especially since California requires both front and back license plates. I ordered the plates a few weeks ago, so they should be in any time. I'll be sure to post the pics of her stylin and profilin in them! =-)

Just some shots from the day's adventures:

As you can see, even our shadow was having a fun drive!!!!

We even got to see some wildlife near the Lake!!! The deer were look right at me until the pictures were snapped....I swear! ;-)

Just a shot of the greenery we get to experience this time of year. Oh, and yes, you can bet those are HAPPY COWS...they're from California!

This is Carnegie, a local Motorsports reserve area. I'd never been there before, so my Hunny pulled over to let me watch the Motorcyclists literally climbing the hill. I've never seen anything like that. Its hard to get a feel for how steep the hills really are, but it didn't matter to the guys on the bikes, they attempted to get to the top on many occasions. Some made it close while others weren't so lucky. It was truly amazing to watch, though.

Our finaly stop before we headed home was Shadow Cliffs Park/Lake. It was a gorgeous setting to end our wonderful trip. We had a great day together, and I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful man!

Pictures from the past month

The holidays and days surrounding them had many opportunities for pictures, so I thought I'd share some of the scenery ones from various road trips we made (I'm sure it's subtle, so I don't think you'll be able to guess one of my favorite places to visit!!! here's a hint...its where the sand and water meet!!!:

These were both taken when my Hunny and I got to go for a ride to the coast on the day after New Year's Day...Gotta love being so close to the ocean!


Theses were taken a couple of weeks before when I needed some "Me" time. Can't beat the therapy of the beach!

And finally, these were taken when a couple friends from work, Mom Dad and I all drove down to a friend's house in Oceanside, CA for her annual Christmas Cookie Baking party (it is quite the commute to get there now...used to be 15 minutes, but since she thought she needed to be closer to her grandbabies, its now more like 7-8 hours...but she and her family are worth every minute!)

Magic is in the air! (Not to mention moisture)

Well, I just got back from a quick trip to Disneyland with Mom! What a blast we had. The park is gorgeous, as it always is this time of year. The first thing we did was head over to the Haunted Mansion and got our Fast Pass so we could return at the designated time to ride it, then it was over to the Pirates. All I can say is WOW! Oh and WET! I'll describe those in order of appearance. "WOW"-The ride looks great since they have refurbished it, complete with several appearances by Captain Jack Sparrow! I'm amazed at how Johnny Depp has time to get from one scene to the next and not look winded at all! HAHA---I know I know, its just animatronics, but I am amazed at how well they can make those guys to look just like him. You have to see it to believe it! Ok, so on to the wet...We get to the front of the line and the kind matey asks us how many people in our party and after we tell her, she tells us to take the front row. Nice...first hand view. As we are sitting down Mom says, "Am I going to get wet?" Of course I assure her, "No Way, Mom! This is the pirates! You don't get wet on the pirates!" She gives a little "If you say so" expression and we sit back to enjoy the view. As we approach the talking Skull and crossbones warning us that Deadmen Tell No Tales and that there be squalls ahead, I notice that the impending drop is now completely dark, as opposed the past trips having pretty little lights to show that there is a bottom to the pit of doom...now you have to hope for the best and wait for the results. One last glance up at the possessed skull and Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Down we go! Now let me assure you...there is still a bottom to that doomed drop, and at the bottom, there is water...and lots of it! For the first time ever, the water found us. Mom scoots forward quite quickly and looks over at me and I know instantly what she is going to say (you'll soon learn that I am a bit psychic like that) "You don't get wet on the Pirates, huh, Daughter?" I grin sheepishly and shrug my shoulders. After we disembarked our boat and walked into the sunlight of warm southern California, I see that Mom didn't just get wet, her skirt was soaked in the back. Luckily it was a colorful skirt and you couldn't tell that she was soaked if you didn't know better. Also, lucky for me, the weather was beautiful (three days before Thanksgiving and it is sunny (no clouds in the sky) and 86 degrees and warm Cali weather...can't beat that. The skirt dried quickly, but the reminders of my wrongness will never die. This will be one of those stories that haunts me for a while, I'm certain.


The rest of our adventure in Disneyland was quite enjoyable. We got to go on the Haunted Mansion twice (my ultimate favorite) and we decorated Christmas Cookies and saw Mrs. Santa (Mr. Santa is resting up for his upcoming travel arrangements). The Fireworks were magical, and it really snowed on us. Right there in 70something degree clear weather, snowflakes fell from above! Disneyland truly is full of magic and I'm glad to say it hasn't lost any of the magic I remember from the past. It had been over 4 years since I had visited, and I hope to not let it be so long before the next time. Soooo Much fun!!!


I love my Mom!

Me with my "Before" Snowperson

My "After" Snowlady (the first on the left...Mom's is the pretty Gingerbread boy...guess she forgot to pass that talent on to me...sigh!)