California Vacation & Long Time No Blog!

Sorry it has almost been a while month since my last post! May was consumed by our vacation back to California and I haven't had the motivation to write anything lately.

So here I am playing some catchup!

Why we went back when we weren't really planning on it :

Our original plan was to just change the end date of our return trip tickets to our actual for real return home date in late October. Continental Airlines informed us that the ticket price we bought was only valid for 6 months and that to just change the end date would cost $3000! So, we decided to use our airline miles and fork up an extra $500 and book new tickets and use our old ticket for a trip back home.

SoCal:

We flew into LAX and spent the weekend and mother's day with my parents. We then spent the next few days visiting friends in LA and OC. Had great mexican food in West Hollywood with Leizel, Karen, Brian, and B's Boyfriend. The next day we visited the OC and toured my old jobsite. So much has changed in many ways, yet it other ways, very little has changed. E, M, Rob and I had our share of drinks at Newport Beach Brewing and a crazy mexican pub on the Newport Peninsula. We then headed to Lucille's (which we miss soooo much) and have some great BBQ. I also miss my friends terribly.

NorCal:

We spent a lot of time in Davis with Christina and John just hanging out and having fun. John gave me tour of his favorite fruit stands and grocery stores. Their new place is super nice and very relaxing. We finally got to see Ms. Julie prego! Rob and I had a small conversation about being pregnant with her and it helped calm my nerves a bit. I can't wait to see little Eddie when we get back! In Livermore, we relaxed and took it easy. We ate out at a lot of different places we missed. Los Caporeles, Togo's, this small Vietnamese place, Sansar, LemonGrass . . . etc. We didn't make our way to Donut Wheel but we don't really regret it. We both gained a little weight from being home and eating so much while we could. It was worth it. The night before we left we spent with J&C at the winery BBQ in the back and having a "sleepover".

The plane ride back on KLM wasn't too bad. The food is MUCH better! They even had a snack round of ice cream for everyone! Very refreshing in the middle of a long flight. The unfortunate thing was the seats didn't have a entertainment system. We were surrounded by Dutch tourists who just enjoyed some time in San Francisco. They were so funny sharing peach haribo gummies and passing them around. The dutch have a certain look to them that is hard to put my finger on. The lady who sat next to Rob seemed to have Botox done to here lips. They were very shiny and very full. Rob didn't notice at all, but I couldn't help but stare a little.

What we imported back:

As you may remember, when we took a trip back to NYC for a conference Rob has to go too, we imported a whole suitcase full of stuff that was hard to find/ cheaper in the US. We did the same thing this trip, but bought a whole lot more! It is funny how cheap things felt being back home. We laughed out loud several times and the cheapness of food at restaurants and then we got depressed that we have been paying such high prices here in Switzerland.

* Note * I know a lot of this stuff is available in Switzerland ~ but heck ~ we had the baggage room and it SOOOO much cheaper there.

- Trader Joe's Indian Food (restock) (At 1.99 a box its hard to beat.)
- Spray On Sunscreen
- Shaving Cream
- Refill Razers for Rob
- Computer Speakers for out laptops
- Ton of Asian Groceries including Korean Hot Pepper Paste, Korean Seaweed Snacks, Dried Boba Balls, Milk Tea Packets, Hot Mustard, Soba Noodles
- More Cholula and Tapatio
- Corn Husks to make tamales
- Cornstarch
- Ton of Canned Food including, enchilada sauce, green chilies, jalapenos, lots of Mexican sauces, refried vegetarian beans, cuban style black beans, and TJ's 3 bean salads.
- Maple Syrup
- Peanut Butter
- Vanilla
- Dark Chocolate Covered Raisins and prunes
- Dried Lychees
- Tequila and Triple Sec! MMMM... margaritas!
- Big Bottle of Chili Garlic Saucde
- Big Container of Fried Shallots
- Ranch Dressing Packets
- and of course - Tillamook Extra Sharp Chedder Cheese
- 20 Used DVD's from Hollywood Video
- We also bought some shoes and clothing.

Phew!

I honestly didn't take a lot of pictures but here are a few!

Jack (my in-law's dog) getting a bath.

Jack..... again.

E, Rob, and MC

No need for a caption here.

I love home - aka the Pacific Ocean!

Barrels up to the sky

The boys having a grand time.

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Subway

Rob misses subway. But they do their cheese all wrong!

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Yearly Supply Of Cheetos

Thanks Dad - for sending me a year's supply of Flaming Hot Cheetos. :) I complained about not finding them in NYC a few posts ago, and of course my Dad just had to send 11 bags of them! It cost $45 to ship! He's a nut, but I love him dearly. Fun fact - 11 bags of cheetos is 5 lbs of calories! I better moderately eat these!

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What We Imported!

It goes without being said that things are very expensive in Switzerland. Rob and I have resisted buying the little things in life because the hole they leave in your wallet is not so little. We took the opportunity (like most expats visiting their home country) to bring back a bunch of little things that we miss about our American life.

Here's our list -

1. Ice Tea Mints from Target
2. 3 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips. (Land of chocolate - but chips can only be found in the American store at a rip off price)
3. 40 flour tortillas from Trader Joes (When we got back we vacuum sealed them and froze them in packs of 2)
4. BBQ Sauce (not impossible - but we bought the good stuff)
5. Cholula Hot Sauce - We couldn't find the big bottles in Manhattan so we settled for the small stuff.
6. Non Stick Cooking Spray
7. Peanut Butter (Organic with Roasted Flaxseeds and Omega 3) All I have seen in Switzerland is Jiffy.
8. 3 bags dried black beans (not impossible to find here - but not easy either)
9. 20 boxes of Trader Joes Indian Food (quick easy cheap $2 dinners)
10. Aveeno Lotion (about 100% cheaper then stuff here)
11. Shower Curtain and Liner - $10. Comparison CH price - $25 CHF
12. 6 blocks of Cheddar Cheese
13. Chinese style rolling pin found in Chinatown. (This is too improve my dumpling wrapper skills Mom!)
14. Ceramic Mandolin Slicer (I've always wanted one) $25 - Compare it to Swiss 60 CHF.
15. Ice Cube Trays
16. Iron On Sewing Tape (Hard to find item here and super cheap in the US)
17. Paper Pad and NotePad from Target's doll er spot
18. Round Cookie Cutters (Again to make my dumplings skins better shaped
19. Dumpling Press (I had dumplings on my mind)
20. Arm Band for Ipod while working out (On sale at target for $10)
21. Nail File (cheaper in US)
22. Shaving Cream (Cheaper in US)
23. Thread (Cheaper in US)

We were not successfull in finding a few items -

1. Flaming Hot Cheetos. Apparently, this is a US region by region item. We searched every major grocery, and convenience store we came across. Nothing. I was actually surprised by the lack of chip selection in the Northeast.

2. Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar. The kind that is wrapped in black plastic. It is a step above the red (sharp) and yellow (mild) cheddar made by Tillamook. We ended up settling for item number 12 above.

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Photo Library Challenge

Why . . . .Yes . . .   Jessica (of Swiss Story Blog) , I do have quite a large picture library.

Here is the "challenge" issued by her - Go to "My Pictures". Choose folder number 6 and then picture number 6. Show it on your blog, write a short text about the picture and invite 6 more.

A few pieces of the puzzle though to fill in my completion of the photo library challenge. Since I use a Mac and iphoto for all of my picture storage - I chose my "8th" "event" and the 8th picture in that. I chose 8 instead of 6 because for some reason my 6th and 7th events were okay showing me thumbnails but gave me errors in pulling up the actual file. Here goes nothing -

This picture was taken in October 2006 when my bridesmaids L and K came over to help with some last minute stuff for our wedding. Of course they are goofballs and took some funny pictures. This picture makes me smile because it is in our old old Brea apartment which was the first place Rob and I officially lived together in. Our furniture is a mish mash between his and hers with new stuff we bought together and old stuff from college all in the same picture. For example - the desk is Rob's old college stuff and the white organizer is my old college stuff. The couches and ikeas paper lamp are something new we bought together. It was true what everyone says about moving in together - you have two of everything and it all gets combined.

I issue this challenge to (Sorry - I only know a few people and can't do 8) -
Jackie and Seth - http://www.swisswatching.com
Julie and Dave - http://bowerfamilyhappenings.blogspot.com/
Matalie - http://gdesignjournal.wordpress.com/

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Care Package From Home

Care Package From Home

(Fermented Black Beans, Sirachi "Turkey" Sauce, Wasabi Powder, and Seaweed Snacks.) 

Thanks Mom & Dad! 

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Prop 8 Drama Continues

"Proposition 8 seeks to effect a monumental revision of this foundational principle and constitutional structure by allowing a bare majority of voters to eliminate a fundamental right of a constitutionally protected minority group."

I completely agree with this statement made from several democractics legistlators to the california supreme courts.

When did a simple majority become law? The courts are there to protect against mob mentalities and majority rule. Since this is a constitutional structure change, it should have been done thru legistlation not a proposition. Hopefully the courts will agree. Protect minority rights!!!

You may yourself find you are in some sort of minority as well one day. Don't you want to be protected?

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Halloween 2008

Hmmm... Halloween! Too bad I was sick and Rob and I didn't dress up. We had a great time anyway! It was a combined going away party and goolish bash. I enjoyed all the "couple" costumes. Palin/Moose - Juno - Some crazy chemistry thing i don't know..... 

I am trying another slideshow feature using flickr. I can't seem to get to get flickr to blog more then one photo at a time. Anybody have any advice? I am really tired of copying and pasting links for individual pictures. I am also tired of blogger sending pictures I upload with Picasa straight to the top of the post. Frustrating. 

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Countdown Time

Ever since Rob has been home from his last trip abroad, we are really starting to feel the countdown begin. About 65 workdays left for me, and just a few months left. We need to be productive to make sure everything goes smoothly. We applied for our visas and making plans for our storage of our household. We are trying to decide on what to take, and making sure all our electronics are in order.  It is really important to me to have the right stuff (cameras & computers) to make time abroad fun, connected, and well documented. The human mind and experiance can only soak up so much. I want to make sure to take thousands of pictures and relive the year for the rest of our lives. 

I'm starting to feel work responsibilities fading and preparing for the next year ramping up. Not that I am not giving my all at work (most of the time) just thoughts during the silent times are shifting. 

Rob and I are in the bay area this weekend as a last minute trip. Not really doing a whole lot but I am looking forward to eating at this little Vietnemese place in Livermore. Last time we ate there is was very delicious. Yumm-O! 

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OC Fair

Rob and I went to the OC Fair today. It was pretty warm outside and we loaded up on sunscreen and ate some healthy food before going. The healthy food (veggie & tuna sandwiches) was to prevent out stomachs from craving the greasy fried-ness all around! We did indulge in small ways. Ice Cream for Rob and BBQ Corn for me.

Back in high school I took a "career" test at some career/college fair. The results were pretty clear - I was meant to be a farmer. (yeah right....) While I totally ignored these test results in real life, it somehow always finds its way back into my head when I am around cute farm animals. The fair pretty much fulfills this once in awhile urge.

Below are some pictures of the day . . .
















Sleepy Goats
















Goat















This should have won 1st Prize!!!
















Rob and Ice Cream
















MMM.... Corn on the Cob + Tapatio + Parm. Cheese

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Some SLO Photos

I haven't gotten a chance to share some photos from our first weekend trip to SLO! Here they are!


The Creek


Hiking Valencia Peak In The Fog







Sticky Monkey Flowers




All SLO Folks Know This Place Well - Montana De Oro


What the weekend was really about.

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Catching Up!

I often find myself saying, "I should blog about that", and never actually do it. So to try to make up for the past few weeks of thinking instead of doing - here is a big list of things on mind.

1. B. Bhutto - Rob and I have been listening to her book "Reconciliation" and have been deeply involved in her story. She was an amazingly strong woman and I don't think she got enough recognition when she was assassinated. The links between Bush and the Pakistan military rule are disgusting. We can only listen to the book for at most an hour at a time. It become pretty mentally exhausting to listen to. It is also chilling to hear her write about the real danger of being assassinated and what it meant for here family. It's wierd it came true. 

2. LEED AP - Next Saturday is the big test. I need to really get my butt into gear and put the nose in the books. I haven't studied like this since college and I am really out of practice. Who knew working full time and then coming home to study is a wear and tear on the mind. I have been accustomed to letting my mind go blank in the evenings.

3. China & Myanmar - Terrible. I especially think the military rule in Myanmar is killing its own people. I also think they believe they have a right to do so if they please. Let me type that again. I think they believe they should be allowed to kill their own people if they want to. Terrible to say - but some people really do believe they hold the power over other people's lives. Personal power is a greedy thing. I was also shocked at the story of all the school's that have collapsed in China. These schools were not designed to take such terrible quakes and had very little steel in them unlike the big beautiful government buildings a few miles away.

4. Travel next year - three places have been added to the list of possible travel places for next year. Italian Rivera, French Rivera, and the "Spice Islands" off of Tanzania. 

5. Does the military require troops to go through cultural sensitivity training? It sickens me to hear of a man of the US Military shooting at the Koran. Pathetic.

I know there was much much more - but that's all I can think of for now.  

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Weekend Whirlwind

* Toni / Jessica/ & Me*

*Sushi on the Patio*

Rob and I are feeling a little out of it as we try to recover from what seemed like a fast paced blur of a weekend. It started Thursday with Michael and Erin over for sushi, hectic days of work on Friday, Ana's Birthday celebration on Friday night, and Jessica' wedding on Saturday night. 

I think what is making things seem blurry is the odd sleeping schedule and non-regularity of life. Most of the week is routine, but a change in routine for several days in a row gives life excitement but also seems disorienting.

Highlights: Sushi was great fun with M&E. Ana got plenty drunk at a hip university heights place. Rob fought with the waiter about him charging the group a 18% tip 3 times and therefore making our bill $200 more then it was. Sleeping in a hostel/hotel in a great location next to the gaslamp. Going to a wedding that was gorgeous and reminded us of our own.

Something I learned about myself this weekend - I cry at weddings.

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When There Is Too Much To Do

I often feel that when there is too much to do, productivity goes down. I am constantly feeling bombarded with issues, questions, concerns, and general chit chat all day long. I think most everyone on my team at work feels this way. When there is too much on the plate, I spend all my time making sure nothing spills off the table instead of eating the food.

Why does this happen? Where did we go wrong? Did we go wrong? How could this have been prevented? I think only after the fact we might have a solution to the problems.

Today I just need to jog and get this stress lifted. Jogging will help release the tension in my shoulders and maybe I can be happy this evening.

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Salsa Baby

This pretty much sums up the relationship between Rob and I after we eat way too much.

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