A man walks into the doctor's office and says "Doctor, I think I'm a moth."
The doctor replies, "Hmm, I don't think I'm the right doctor for you. I think you should go see a psychiatrist."
The man answers, "I was on my way to see a psychiatrist just now, but then I noticed your light was on."
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Thursday, April 21, 2005
American Idol
Isn't it great to wait months and months for an event and then finally get to go! Several months ago I bought myself a birthday gift--tickets to go see Wayne Thiebaud at City Arts and Lectures with Rob, Gretchen and Kevin. Do you know Wayne Thiebaud? He is without a doubt my favorite painter and a true American Idol. It's always dangerous to go see a lecture or presentation by someone you really like because you run the risk of finding out they aren't as nice as you imagined them to be. Wayne did not disappoint. He was funny and kind and completely unimpressed with himself. He has taught art for years at UC Davis and continues to teach there even though he is no longer really on the faculty. As he put it--"They can't fire me if I'm not employed. And I don't have to attend faculty meetings."
He is passionate about art and in despair that we are taking art out of our schools and "we are teaching only half the person."
I felt so fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend this lecture and, to top it all off, he was in the lobby on our way out signing autographs. I luckily had brought one of the Wayne Thiebaud books I have and he graciously signed it for me.
How cool is that?!!
Here's a sample of Wayne Theibaud's painting--
Some of you may recognize it as Rob gave me a reproduction of it for my birthday one year and it hangs in our home. It was very difficult to choose just one so I encourage you to check out more Thiebaud paintings here.
If any of you are wondering what to buy us for a wedding gift--a Wayne Thiebaud original is a perfect idea. I tried to register for one but it turns out they don't have a wedding registry at Christie's Auction House. Shame.
He is passionate about art and in despair that we are taking art out of our schools and "we are teaching only half the person."
I felt so fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend this lecture and, to top it all off, he was in the lobby on our way out signing autographs. I luckily had brought one of the Wayne Thiebaud books I have and he graciously signed it for me.
How cool is that?!!
Here's a sample of Wayne Theibaud's painting--
Some of you may recognize it as Rob gave me a reproduction of it for my birthday one year and it hangs in our home. It was very difficult to choose just one so I encourage you to check out more Thiebaud paintings here.
If any of you are wondering what to buy us for a wedding gift--a Wayne Thiebaud original is a perfect idea. I tried to register for one but it turns out they don't have a wedding registry at Christie's Auction House. Shame.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
2nd Annual Birthday Museum Trip
At what point does something become a tradition? I learned through years of insult and humilation from my family, that a tradition does not begin after you've done something only once. Or perhaps, the lesson they were teaching me is that a bathroom stop en route to a destination should never qualify as a tradition. Particularly if you've only stopped there to go to the bathroom one time. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, this is the second year in a row that Rob and I have gone to an art exhibit with Randy to celebrate my birthday. I'm going to now declare this a birthday tradition. Sorry Randy. You're stuck with me.
This years' exhibit was the Robert Bechtle retrospective at the SF Moma and was a lot more enjoyable than the overcrowded and less interesting Art Deco exhibit we went to last year at the Palace of the Legion of Honor. If you live in the Bay Area, I recommend you try and see this exhibit before it leaves June 5. It's AMAZING. Bechtle is a photorealist painter who paints with amazing creativity and precision. There is no way that I could do it justice on this blog but here's one of his paintings--
We took so much time examining every painting in awe, that we needed to sit and rest. Rob took it as an opportunity to try out his new leper joke. Unfortunately, it was lost on Randy as he thought Rob said "leopard."
After the exhibit, we went to Randy's and Cheryll's for dinner and wine and laughter. I-boy tries to get all of Roxie's toys and Rob inadvertantly insults Cheryll's dinner when he comments that he's been eating too much cheese. A perfect evening.
This years' exhibit was the Robert Bechtle retrospective at the SF Moma and was a lot more enjoyable than the overcrowded and less interesting Art Deco exhibit we went to last year at the Palace of the Legion of Honor. If you live in the Bay Area, I recommend you try and see this exhibit before it leaves June 5. It's AMAZING. Bechtle is a photorealist painter who paints with amazing creativity and precision. There is no way that I could do it justice on this blog but here's one of his paintings--
We took so much time examining every painting in awe, that we needed to sit and rest. Rob took it as an opportunity to try out his new leper joke. Unfortunately, it was lost on Randy as he thought Rob said "leopard."
After the exhibit, we went to Randy's and Cheryll's for dinner and wine and laughter. I-boy tries to get all of Roxie's toys and Rob inadvertantly insults Cheryll's dinner when he comments that he's been eating too much cheese. A perfect evening.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Cuchi-Cuchi!!
Happy Birthday to me!
Rob did an exceptional job planning a birthday for me this year beginning with two very great gifts--a necklace and the book The Art of Monsters Inc. Both things that I really wanted but would never have bought for myself. Then he took me to Kennedy's Pub in North Beach for dinner. It's a funny place, Kennedy's is. It doesn't look that great on the outside, or on the inside for that matter, but they have a couple of air hockey games and they serve Indian food. Neither of us had been there before and Rob kept reminding me that it was "Pat's idea", in case it turned out to be crap. (It didn't, incidentally.) Across the street from Kennedy's is Bimbo's 365 nightclub which is a really fun place to see bands. Having just received the workshop schedule from the San Francisco Center For The Book, I was very dangerously trying to walk and read at the same time and so did not notice the marquis at Bimbo's, much to Rob's delight.
Not long after we arrived at Kennedy's, Iain, Parmjeet, Pat, Dina, Bruce and Julia all showed up to have dinner with us. Iain, not so discreetly told Rob "they were sold out when I went this morning but I was able to buy a couple of tickets just now." Something at that point made me believe we might be going to Bimbo's later that evening. This suspicion was confirmed with Pat walked in with a Ticketmaster envelope "almost introducing itself" out of Pat's shirt pocket. Bruce came in saying he hadn't had any luck at all getting tickets.
So while I was certain we were going to Bimbo's I was quite enjoying the suspense of not knowing what I was going to see. I managed to keep my head down all the way across the street, into the building, through the lobby and onto the dance floor right in front of the stage without seeing any signs indicating what tonight's venue was. All that was left, was figuring out the band once they walked on stage.
The opening act was a DJ, or a couple of them, and one of them looked remarkably like the guitar player in Los Amigos Invisibles--a Venezualan funk band we had seen at Bimbo's about five years ago. I asked Rob if it was them playing tonight and he said no. Then all these guys walked on stage and the audience went crazy, holding their hands out to shake hands with the band members, but I didn't recognize any of them (except for the one guy who still looked like the guitar player in LAI). Then the DJ mix segued into the band playing and look, the guitar player looks and SOUNDS like........Hey, it ISVLos Amigos Invisibles!! What a fantastically fun band to see on my birthday!!
After leaving the show, we drove Iain and Parmjeet home and were invited inside for a cup of tea and a FoodSaver demonstration. After vacuum packing a slice of bread, Iain concentrates on vacuum packing a wedding invitation into a lethal weapon. That PhD in engineering is ever so useful. I wonder if his tongue sticks out when he's developing computer chips?
Rob did an exceptional job planning a birthday for me this year beginning with two very great gifts--a necklace and the book The Art of Monsters Inc. Both things that I really wanted but would never have bought for myself. Then he took me to Kennedy's Pub in North Beach for dinner. It's a funny place, Kennedy's is. It doesn't look that great on the outside, or on the inside for that matter, but they have a couple of air hockey games and they serve Indian food. Neither of us had been there before and Rob kept reminding me that it was "Pat's idea", in case it turned out to be crap. (It didn't, incidentally.) Across the street from Kennedy's is Bimbo's 365 nightclub which is a really fun place to see bands. Having just received the workshop schedule from the San Francisco Center For The Book, I was very dangerously trying to walk and read at the same time and so did not notice the marquis at Bimbo's, much to Rob's delight.
Not long after we arrived at Kennedy's, Iain, Parmjeet, Pat, Dina, Bruce and Julia all showed up to have dinner with us. Iain, not so discreetly told Rob "they were sold out when I went this morning but I was able to buy a couple of tickets just now." Something at that point made me believe we might be going to Bimbo's later that evening. This suspicion was confirmed with Pat walked in with a Ticketmaster envelope "almost introducing itself" out of Pat's shirt pocket. Bruce came in saying he hadn't had any luck at all getting tickets.
So while I was certain we were going to Bimbo's I was quite enjoying the suspense of not knowing what I was going to see. I managed to keep my head down all the way across the street, into the building, through the lobby and onto the dance floor right in front of the stage without seeing any signs indicating what tonight's venue was. All that was left, was figuring out the band once they walked on stage.
The opening act was a DJ, or a couple of them, and one of them looked remarkably like the guitar player in Los Amigos Invisibles--a Venezualan funk band we had seen at Bimbo's about five years ago. I asked Rob if it was them playing tonight and he said no. Then all these guys walked on stage and the audience went crazy, holding their hands out to shake hands with the band members, but I didn't recognize any of them (except for the one guy who still looked like the guitar player in LAI). Then the DJ mix segued into the band playing and look, the guitar player looks and SOUNDS like........Hey, it ISVLos Amigos Invisibles!! What a fantastically fun band to see on my birthday!!
After leaving the show, we drove Iain and Parmjeet home and were invited inside for a cup of tea and a FoodSaver demonstration. After vacuum packing a slice of bread, Iain concentrates on vacuum packing a wedding invitation into a lethal weapon. That PhD in engineering is ever so useful. I wonder if his tongue sticks out when he's developing computer chips?
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Pami's Hullabaloo
And you thought the clock was ticking quickly for my wedding, well Parmjeet's is just around the corner! She and Iain are getting married on May 21 so it was definitely time for her bridal shower.
Her friends Meeta and Smruti did a marvelous job planning an afternoon in honor of Parmjeet beginning with a gorgeous buffet full of salads, asparagus, eggs and cinnamon rolls. Next we all wrote down one piece of advice for Parmjeet and she had to guess who it was from. She had no idea how wise her friends were but if she heeds our advice, she'll be well equipped to make a good wife.
Next we decorated headbands with flowers and ribbons--Meeta made a lovely one for Pami.
We continued with a portrait session during which we all had to draw a portrait of Pami. Unfortunately, she couldn't sit still and I believe this negatively affected the quality of our work. Her restlessness made little impact on our word game, however. During this game, we each had 5 minutes to make as many words as we could think of using the letters in PARMJEET KAUR RANDAHWA. There are about a million possibilities if you want to try. My personal favorites (thought of by people other than me, I regret to say) were Parakeet and Pajama.
Finally, she opened her gifts. I'm not going to show many of them here, lest I ruin any honeymoon surprises, but I think Iain will appreciate them quite a bit. Particularly this one.
Parmjeet is glowing with happiness and it was especially nice that her sister-in-law and mother could make it all the way from Florida. I also thought it was nice to meet some friends of hers that aren't soccer friends. I forget that people have those! Thanks to Meeta and Smruti for all their thoughfulness and generosity in making it a lovely afternoon.
Her friends Meeta and Smruti did a marvelous job planning an afternoon in honor of Parmjeet beginning with a gorgeous buffet full of salads, asparagus, eggs and cinnamon rolls. Next we all wrote down one piece of advice for Parmjeet and she had to guess who it was from. She had no idea how wise her friends were but if she heeds our advice, she'll be well equipped to make a good wife.
Next we decorated headbands with flowers and ribbons--Meeta made a lovely one for Pami.
We continued with a portrait session during which we all had to draw a portrait of Pami. Unfortunately, she couldn't sit still and I believe this negatively affected the quality of our work. Her restlessness made little impact on our word game, however. During this game, we each had 5 minutes to make as many words as we could think of using the letters in PARMJEET KAUR RANDAHWA. There are about a million possibilities if you want to try. My personal favorites (thought of by people other than me, I regret to say) were Parakeet and Pajama.
Finally, she opened her gifts. I'm not going to show many of them here, lest I ruin any honeymoon surprises, but I think Iain will appreciate them quite a bit. Particularly this one.
Parmjeet is glowing with happiness and it was especially nice that her sister-in-law and mother could make it all the way from Florida. I also thought it was nice to meet some friends of hers that aren't soccer friends. I forget that people have those! Thanks to Meeta and Smruti for all their thoughfulness and generosity in making it a lovely afternoon.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Multiball!
Here's a place you should check out if you're in the East Bay, the Lucky Ju Ju in Alameda. It's open Friday and Saturday night 6 - midnight.
The games are left on freeplay so they ask you to donate at least $5.00. They also have a fridge so you can bring your own drinks.
Lucky Ju Ju.
She sure plays a mean pinball.
I forgot to mention that we found a new dog park in Alameda and took Ian there before we went to Lucky Ju Ju's.
Here's the pood.
The games are left on freeplay so they ask you to donate at least $5.00. They also have a fridge so you can bring your own drinks.
Lucky Ju Ju.
She sure plays a mean pinball.
I forgot to mention that we found a new dog park in Alameda and took Ian there before we went to Lucky Ju Ju's.
Here's the pood.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Last Team, First Team
Greg and Tugso came over tonight to watch The Amazing Race with us. When Tugso first moved to America, Rob and I tried to get her interested in this program but she wasn't impressed. I think there was just way too much going on for someone whose first language was not English and who was generally overwhelmed with life in a new place. And then Greg and Tugso lived in our apartment with us for one month and they were forced to watch all our favorite programs and guess who's hooked?
The bummer was, one of our favorite teams went out this week--the brothers, Greg and Brian. We liked them because they always made funny jokes when they opened the clues. Like, "Make your way to your mother's kitchen for her famous homemade enchiladas."
They went out in style though--
Tugso does some meditating in our living room. And you thought I had hairy legs!!!
After Greg and Tugso went home, Rob and I stayed up way too late to watch Liverpool v Juventus in the Champions League. FANTASTIC!! The game was superb. Liverpool came out and played a fast and great game and came away with a 2-1 win at home. The second leg is next week and if they win or draw, they'll go through to the next round. What we don't want to happen is Liverpool lose 1-0. That would be bad for blogging. The game is on ESPN2 on Wednesday if you want to tune in.
Here's a crackin' photo of Luis Garcia scoring Liverpool's second goal. What a beauty!
The bummer was, one of our favorite teams went out this week--the brothers, Greg and Brian. We liked them because they always made funny jokes when they opened the clues. Like, "Make your way to your mother's kitchen for her famous homemade enchiladas."
They went out in style though--
Tugso does some meditating in our living room. And you thought I had hairy legs!!!
After Greg and Tugso went home, Rob and I stayed up way too late to watch Liverpool v Juventus in the Champions League. FANTASTIC!! The game was superb. Liverpool came out and played a fast and great game and came away with a 2-1 win at home. The second leg is next week and if they win or draw, they'll go through to the next round. What we don't want to happen is Liverpool lose 1-0. That would be bad for blogging. The game is on ESPN2 on Wednesday if you want to tune in.
Here's a crackin' photo of Luis Garcia scoring Liverpool's second goal. What a beauty!
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Let's get quizzical
Tuesday night is quiz night at Martin Macks on Haight Street, San Francisco, so it was time for me to show my mum and dad that I actually listened to some of the teachers at school.
Greg and Tugso came along too just in case there were some Mongolian questions and we were also joined by Gary who turned out to be the brains of the team, he always acts like a "know it all", now I know he is.
After a very close 7 rounds of trivia, picture and music rounds, much to the absolute shock of my parents, we ended up winning the whole thing! I assured them it had nothing to do with he quizmaster being my friend Mark.
Here's a couple of questions we had to answer, leave your responses in the comments section.
1. Airforce one is the (idiot) president's plane, what kind of craft is Marine one? (Greg got this one).
2. Who fought in the Rumble in the Jungle?
3. How many times a day should you floss? (not a good question if you have 4 English people in your team. My dad asked "What's flossing?". I rest my case.
"We're number 1, we're number 1". Cue huge bucket of icey,sugary,orange energy drink being tipped over everyone.
Greg and Tugso came along too just in case there were some Mongolian questions and we were also joined by Gary who turned out to be the brains of the team, he always acts like a "know it all", now I know he is.
After a very close 7 rounds of trivia, picture and music rounds, much to the absolute shock of my parents, we ended up winning the whole thing! I assured them it had nothing to do with he quizmaster being my friend Mark.
Here's a couple of questions we had to answer, leave your responses in the comments section.
1. Airforce one is the (idiot) president's plane, what kind of craft is Marine one? (Greg got this one).
2. Who fought in the Rumble in the Jungle?
3. How many times a day should you floss? (not a good question if you have 4 English people in your team. My dad asked "What's flossing?". I rest my case.
"We're number 1, we're number 1". Cue huge bucket of icey,sugary,orange energy drink being tipped over everyone.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
The San Francisco Treat
I picked mom up at the airport this morning from a week spent with Carl in LA. One more day together before she flies home to South Carolina. We went and had breakfast together at the Full House Cafe--one of our old favorites. It was really nice to have a quiet breakfast together after all the company and chaos that occurred right before she left for LA. With all the dress shopping and the bridal shower behind us, we were able to sit quietly and really talk to each other. I always value the moments in life when I can really connect with people and speak to each other from the heart so this was a special breakfast for me. From there, it was imperative that I let mom take a shower and wash her hair. I can't imagine why, but neither Andrea nor mom dared shower at Carl's apartment. Strange that.
All cleaned up and ready to go, Rob, Bob, Jo, Mom and I went to Berkeley to visit the horticultural center I had heard about. Rob and I have been trying to buy a few plants for house to make the apartment feel a little nicer. This horticultural center is absolutely fantastic. I haven't been to many but I would be surprised if this one isn't one of the better ones. I couldn't believe the variety of plants and shrubs they had available. Mom discovered the cactus greenhouse and we spent a good deal of time in there. So many bizarre and funny succulents in there several of which we bought to take home with us. One of the highlights was the hummingbird nest in one of the permanent trees. I've never seen a hummingbird sit long enough to really look at it. Here it is--you can't tell where the bird's body ends and the nest begins.
Rob grabs the opportunity to have his own personal trophy ceremony.
We stopped for lunch and then back home for "power naps" before going to San Francisco for dinner. We decided it was a good idea to check out the Cheesecake Factory which is on the 8th floor of Macy's and has an outdoor patio overlooking Union Square. Rob puts on his best outfit for our evening out.
They don't take reservations at the Cheesecake Factory and when we got there at 7:45 PM they told us it was going to be at least a 1hr and 15 minute wait. Since we had eaten a late lunch, we all felt we could manage the wait and decided to walk across Union Square to take everyone in the elevator where Rob proposed. Mom managed to keep her motion sickness at bay long enough for two trips up the elevator and then we had to call it quits. Only 1 hour and 5 minutes left to go. Not quite knowing what to do to pass the time, Rob and I just started walking down Powell Street and the idea struck us to go on the cable cars. Since we couldn't all fit in a cab to come back, Rob and I thought we would put our parents on the cable car and then meet them in our car at the end. Only thing is we'd have to give up our cracking parking spot right in front of Macy's. As we got to the cable car stop, the driver started shouting that we better get on quickly or they were going to leave and before Mom, Bob and Jo even knew the plan, they were rolling up Powell Street with us running behind shouting that we'd meet them at the end. Rob and I ran to the car and then raced up Powell Street until we were level with them taking pictures out the car window. I think it put my mom's mind at ease to see us there and know that we would be able to connect at the end. Then we raced off again and waited for them at the top of Hyde Street overlooking Lombard. When their car pulled up and stopped to show everyone the view, apparently someone else on the cable car spotted me and asked mom "is that your daughter?" We were becoming celebrities around here.
Down at the bottom of the hill, the three of them got off the cable car and immediately into our car and back to Union Square where our parking spot, unbelieveably, was still waiting for us. About 2 minutes after arriving back in the restaurant, they called our names for a table. If we had needed to look for parking, we would have missed dinner.
The Cheesecake Factory is not a place you will want to eat at very often unless you love cheesecake and a great view of San Francisco. It's a bit loud in general, but particularly if you have a screaming ghetto girl sitting behind you, and the portions are a bit over the top as Rob demonstrates below. In spite of this, we really enjoyed having a fun evening out in San Francisco together. Next time Mom sees Bob and Jo will be at our wedding! Holy Mackeral, WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!
All cleaned up and ready to go, Rob, Bob, Jo, Mom and I went to Berkeley to visit the horticultural center I had heard about. Rob and I have been trying to buy a few plants for house to make the apartment feel a little nicer. This horticultural center is absolutely fantastic. I haven't been to many but I would be surprised if this one isn't one of the better ones. I couldn't believe the variety of plants and shrubs they had available. Mom discovered the cactus greenhouse and we spent a good deal of time in there. So many bizarre and funny succulents in there several of which we bought to take home with us. One of the highlights was the hummingbird nest in one of the permanent trees. I've never seen a hummingbird sit long enough to really look at it. Here it is--you can't tell where the bird's body ends and the nest begins.
Rob grabs the opportunity to have his own personal trophy ceremony.
We stopped for lunch and then back home for "power naps" before going to San Francisco for dinner. We decided it was a good idea to check out the Cheesecake Factory which is on the 8th floor of Macy's and has an outdoor patio overlooking Union Square. Rob puts on his best outfit for our evening out.
They don't take reservations at the Cheesecake Factory and when we got there at 7:45 PM they told us it was going to be at least a 1hr and 15 minute wait. Since we had eaten a late lunch, we all felt we could manage the wait and decided to walk across Union Square to take everyone in the elevator where Rob proposed. Mom managed to keep her motion sickness at bay long enough for two trips up the elevator and then we had to call it quits. Only 1 hour and 5 minutes left to go. Not quite knowing what to do to pass the time, Rob and I just started walking down Powell Street and the idea struck us to go on the cable cars. Since we couldn't all fit in a cab to come back, Rob and I thought we would put our parents on the cable car and then meet them in our car at the end. Only thing is we'd have to give up our cracking parking spot right in front of Macy's. As we got to the cable car stop, the driver started shouting that we better get on quickly or they were going to leave and before Mom, Bob and Jo even knew the plan, they were rolling up Powell Street with us running behind shouting that we'd meet them at the end. Rob and I ran to the car and then raced up Powell Street until we were level with them taking pictures out the car window. I think it put my mom's mind at ease to see us there and know that we would be able to connect at the end. Then we raced off again and waited for them at the top of Hyde Street overlooking Lombard. When their car pulled up and stopped to show everyone the view, apparently someone else on the cable car spotted me and asked mom "is that your daughter?" We were becoming celebrities around here.
Down at the bottom of the hill, the three of them got off the cable car and immediately into our car and back to Union Square where our parking spot, unbelieveably, was still waiting for us. About 2 minutes after arriving back in the restaurant, they called our names for a table. If we had needed to look for parking, we would have missed dinner.
The Cheesecake Factory is not a place you will want to eat at very often unless you love cheesecake and a great view of San Francisco. It's a bit loud in general, but particularly if you have a screaming ghetto girl sitting behind you, and the portions are a bit over the top as Rob demonstrates below. In spite of this, we really enjoyed having a fun evening out in San Francisco together. Next time Mom sees Bob and Jo will be at our wedding! Holy Mackeral, WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Iceberg straight ahead!
Our friends Phil and Jeremy make their first appearance into the blog as they offered to take us all out sailing in the bay on one of the boats that they work on in the Berkeley Marina.
Pip and Jezza were very impressive, it must have been the beer they were drinking (Don't tell the coastguard). They also treated us to quite a spread of goldfish crackers and milano cookies.
Annie took over the helm and we cruised the bay for about an hour until the sun started to go down.
It wasn't until we'd eaten dinner and desert later that night that the smile finally started to fade from her face.
Jezza in control
Mum (Jo) trying not to feel seasick.
Kari & Annie with coathangers in their mouths.
Pip and Rob enjoying the Goldfish.
Long Bob Silver.
Pip and Jezza were very impressive, it must have been the beer they were drinking (Don't tell the coastguard). They also treated us to quite a spread of goldfish crackers and milano cookies.
Annie took over the helm and we cruised the bay for about an hour until the sun started to go down.
It wasn't until we'd eaten dinner and desert later that night that the smile finally started to fade from her face.
Jezza in control
Mum (Jo) trying not to feel seasick.
Kari & Annie with coathangers in their mouths.
Pip and Rob enjoying the Goldfish.
Long Bob Silver.
Monday, March 14, 2005
One Heck Of A Cool Sistah!
It was beautiful and sunny on Sunday morning and Andrea and I snuck away for a walk up to Piedmont Avenue together. We got coffee and browsed in the shops and had quality sister conversation which is a rare pleasure when your sister has three kids. As we arrived back to my house, she gave me a big kiss and told me she loved me. If I was any smarter, I would have suspected something was going on, but instead I walked in to my kitchen to be completely taken aback by a room full of girls screaming "SURPRISE!" Ah, the naivete of a young bride.
I remember once my old boss at Sierra Designs once called me an "attention whore" (is that unprofessional or what?!) but what she didn't reaize is that I am only an attention whore when it is completely inappropriate for me to be. At times like this, when it's acceptable for me to be the center of attention, expected even, I suddenly become shy and embarrassed. It's because of this that the first words out of my mouth when I walked in were--"OH NOOOOOOO." Leave it to Gretchen to snap me into reality by shouting out "What the hell do you mean, OH NO!?"
Mom helps put on my bride-to-be sash.
I graciouly made my way around the room to welcome everyone and who should I stumble upon, poking her head out from around the corner--ANNIE! All the way from New Hampshire for my bridal shower. She had spent the whole day before wandering around Walnut Creek on her own and tested out the Motor Lodge. (FYI--the shower heads are apparently quite low so if you're very tall, you may be disappointed showering at the Walnut Creek Motor Lodge.) Anyway, I was already in such a state of disbelief that I hardly appeared surprised to see her I'm afraid.
It was really a nice little party. We had lovely pastries and fruit salad, Gretchen made her first ever fritatta which was delicious, and we had bagels and cream cheese. One of the cream cheeses had molded overnight but apparently served as a real ice breaker while everyone was awaiting my arrival. It was ages before I could make my way from the kitchen to the living room and when I finally did I was surprised all over again. I don't know where my mind was but it never occurred to me that I would find a pile of presents in there!
The girls gather round (notice the new rug that I got for my shower from my mom, Irene, Nancy and Barbara)
I'm a pretty lucky bride though as everyone who came seemed to understand that the sexy lingerie thing just wasn't my style (sorry Rob.) I did find it funny that the sexiest underwear I got came from my 87 year old aunt! And I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that I didn't know which side was the front when I opened the Puma thong from Dina. I think everyone believed I was just being funny at the moment, however.
I know boys aren't supposed to give bridal shower gifts but Annie hand delivered a special one from my dad. Apparently he gave it to me and took it back in his mind a dozen times before he gave it to me for real. The gift was a well-seasoned cast iron pan that has been in my family for "at least sixty-five years, maybe well beyond that." Anyone who understands cast iron cookware will appreicate the time it takes to season a pan and will undersand the importance of it as well. The rest of you can learn more about it here. Here's an excerpt from the note my dad wrote to go with the pan:
"I grew up with this frying pan, and as a young man always loved using it, if only to fry one egg in the centre. It was my favourite kitchen utensil." (Notice the English spelling he used in honor of my beyonce.) "Actually, I didn't steal it from my mother. The truth is that after your mother and I were married, we visited my parents, and I EXCHANGED a brand new cast iron pan for this one. As I recall, I may have exchanged three cast iron pans, each a different size."
My father's lucky my grandmother didn't whack him over the head with one of them as he ran off with her good pans, leaving behind the chore of starting all over again. This is a classic in the Rice family folklore and my dad was not wrong in thinking that he was better off giving me the pan before I could go and "pull the same dirty trick on [him]."
Before I tell you about one of the most interesting discoveries of that day, I want you to say out loud the following word--GIGANTIC. That's right. Say it one more time--GIGANTIC. Now, how many of you pronounced the "T" in that word? Maybe you guys in England pronounced it, and perhaps a couple of you Americans did, but I'm sure you all agree that there are plenty of people who kind of slur the T in that word or turn it into a soft "D". GIGANIC. or GIGANDIC. No big deal, it's just that Americans are sometimes a bit lazy with our T's. Well, one evening Gretchen, Rob and I were comparing notes on what famous people and events share our birthdays. Being very sophisticated and proper, I announced that I share my birthday with the sinking of the Titantic. Gretchen and Rob looked at me like I was crazy. "It's true" I said, "it is." And then Gretchen, realizing that I was serious, asked me "titanTIC?" I thought she was just making fun of me for enunciating all of my T's but, and some of you may have learned this before you were 34, there are actually only two T's in titanic. All these years I thought people just weren't articulating that third T. As crazy as it seems that I wouldnt' have learned this sooner, it's even crazier that Andrea didn't learn it until she was 36! How we both independently came to believe there were three T's in Titanic I'll never know, but I'm sure glad Gretchen was around to hear it for herself when Andrea said it too.
Andrea gets busted putting three T's in Titanic
Well, as much as I resisted the attention at first, I got used to it pretty quickly. It was great to have all my girlfriends together and extra special that my mother, all the way from South Carolina, my stepmother, all the way from New Hampshire and my future mother-in-law, all the way from England were all there to share in my day. Not only is Andrea one heck of a cool sistah, she's also a darn good Matron of Honor!
I remember once my old boss at Sierra Designs once called me an "attention whore" (is that unprofessional or what?!) but what she didn't reaize is that I am only an attention whore when it is completely inappropriate for me to be. At times like this, when it's acceptable for me to be the center of attention, expected even, I suddenly become shy and embarrassed. It's because of this that the first words out of my mouth when I walked in were--"OH NOOOOOOO." Leave it to Gretchen to snap me into reality by shouting out "What the hell do you mean, OH NO!?"
Mom helps put on my bride-to-be sash.
I graciouly made my way around the room to welcome everyone and who should I stumble upon, poking her head out from around the corner--ANNIE! All the way from New Hampshire for my bridal shower. She had spent the whole day before wandering around Walnut Creek on her own and tested out the Motor Lodge. (FYI--the shower heads are apparently quite low so if you're very tall, you may be disappointed showering at the Walnut Creek Motor Lodge.) Anyway, I was already in such a state of disbelief that I hardly appeared surprised to see her I'm afraid.
It was really a nice little party. We had lovely pastries and fruit salad, Gretchen made her first ever fritatta which was delicious, and we had bagels and cream cheese. One of the cream cheeses had molded overnight but apparently served as a real ice breaker while everyone was awaiting my arrival. It was ages before I could make my way from the kitchen to the living room and when I finally did I was surprised all over again. I don't know where my mind was but it never occurred to me that I would find a pile of presents in there!
The girls gather round (notice the new rug that I got for my shower from my mom, Irene, Nancy and Barbara)
I'm a pretty lucky bride though as everyone who came seemed to understand that the sexy lingerie thing just wasn't my style (sorry Rob.) I did find it funny that the sexiest underwear I got came from my 87 year old aunt! And I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that I didn't know which side was the front when I opened the Puma thong from Dina. I think everyone believed I was just being funny at the moment, however.
I know boys aren't supposed to give bridal shower gifts but Annie hand delivered a special one from my dad. Apparently he gave it to me and took it back in his mind a dozen times before he gave it to me for real. The gift was a well-seasoned cast iron pan that has been in my family for "at least sixty-five years, maybe well beyond that." Anyone who understands cast iron cookware will appreicate the time it takes to season a pan and will undersand the importance of it as well. The rest of you can learn more about it here. Here's an excerpt from the note my dad wrote to go with the pan:
"I grew up with this frying pan, and as a young man always loved using it, if only to fry one egg in the centre. It was my favourite kitchen utensil." (Notice the English spelling he used in honor of my beyonce.) "Actually, I didn't steal it from my mother. The truth is that after your mother and I were married, we visited my parents, and I EXCHANGED a brand new cast iron pan for this one. As I recall, I may have exchanged three cast iron pans, each a different size."
My father's lucky my grandmother didn't whack him over the head with one of them as he ran off with her good pans, leaving behind the chore of starting all over again. This is a classic in the Rice family folklore and my dad was not wrong in thinking that he was better off giving me the pan before I could go and "pull the same dirty trick on [him]."
Before I tell you about one of the most interesting discoveries of that day, I want you to say out loud the following word--GIGANTIC. That's right. Say it one more time--GIGANTIC. Now, how many of you pronounced the "T" in that word? Maybe you guys in England pronounced it, and perhaps a couple of you Americans did, but I'm sure you all agree that there are plenty of people who kind of slur the T in that word or turn it into a soft "D". GIGANIC. or GIGANDIC. No big deal, it's just that Americans are sometimes a bit lazy with our T's. Well, one evening Gretchen, Rob and I were comparing notes on what famous people and events share our birthdays. Being very sophisticated and proper, I announced that I share my birthday with the sinking of the Titantic. Gretchen and Rob looked at me like I was crazy. "It's true" I said, "it is." And then Gretchen, realizing that I was serious, asked me "titanTIC?" I thought she was just making fun of me for enunciating all of my T's but, and some of you may have learned this before you were 34, there are actually only two T's in titanic. All these years I thought people just weren't articulating that third T. As crazy as it seems that I wouldnt' have learned this sooner, it's even crazier that Andrea didn't learn it until she was 36! How we both independently came to believe there were three T's in Titanic I'll never know, but I'm sure glad Gretchen was around to hear it for herself when Andrea said it too.
Andrea gets busted putting three T's in Titanic
Well, as much as I resisted the attention at first, I got used to it pretty quickly. It was great to have all my girlfriends together and extra special that my mother, all the way from South Carolina, my stepmother, all the way from New Hampshire and my future mother-in-law, all the way from England were all there to share in my day. Not only is Andrea one heck of a cool sistah, she's also a darn good Matron of Honor!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Tell me more, tell me more...........
Ahhh, Saturday. What could be better than waking up early and going to San Francisco to watch Kari play football, especially on a cold and foggy morning? As luck would have it, my alarm didn't go off, and mom wasn't sure whether she should wake us all up or not. As 8:00 rolled around she thought she better check in on me--Holy Moly!! We immediately had to snap into action to make it all the way to the polo fields for the 9:00 kick-off. I rushed to pack all my soccer things as well as some clothes to wear after the game when I was to go try on more wedding dresses. We made it to the game with 10 minutes to spare, and just in time to catch Heather wrapping Sharon's boobs up in duct tape. All you men out there reading this blog, let me know if you want her number!
It was our first game of the season and, well, we didn't win, in spite of my fine form, but we've still got 9 games to go for our big comeback.
By the time Mom, Andrea, Jo, Bob and I had gotten some peasant pies, warmed them up and eaten them at Tugso's and Greg's, showered Kari, blown two fuses blow drying my hair and driven over to the Presidio, Rob had just finished playing. Apparently, he was amazing so we were well sorry to miss it.
Rob and Bob caught a ride home with Kara so the ladies could go with me to try on some more wedding dresses. This time I went to
Saturday night, the six of us went to one of Rob's and my favorite Karaoke spots--Do Re Mi Karaoke Studio in San Francisco. This place rules! You rent a private Karaoke studio and get to sing your hearts out in front of your family and friends. It really brings out the best in you. Bob, it turns out, is a closet performer and gave me a run for the money. I practically had to pry the mic from his hands to get a song in edgewise.
Andrea, mom and I sang a few numbers we haven't sung together since mom was driving us to gymnastics in her old red Honda Accord including ABBA's "Super Trouper" and "I Just Fall In Love Again" by Anne Murray.
Bob and Jo belted out a cracking version "The Young Ones" by Cliff Richards. And we left mom in the dark when we sang Queen's classic rock opera "Bohemian Rhapsody".
The evening's top single, however, was undoubtedly "Summer Lovin'" from the hit Broadway musical "Grease". This marks the first time that Andrea actually let sing the Olivia Newton John part and not the John Travolta lines. (I know you're all thinking to yourselves--how come Kari had to sing the John Travolta part when she's the blonde one? Andrea's older, that's how come.)
Rob, obviously, wins the award for being the hottest rock star, however.
It was our first game of the season and, well, we didn't win, in spite of my fine form, but we've still got 9 games to go for our big comeback.
By the time Mom, Andrea, Jo, Bob and I had gotten some peasant pies, warmed them up and eaten them at Tugso's and Greg's, showered Kari, blown two fuses blow drying my hair and driven over to the Presidio, Rob had just finished playing. Apparently, he was amazing so we were well sorry to miss it.
Rob and Bob caught a ride home with Kara so the ladies could go with me to try on some more wedding dresses. This time I went to
Saturday night, the six of us went to one of Rob's and my favorite Karaoke spots--Do Re Mi Karaoke Studio in San Francisco. This place rules! You rent a private Karaoke studio and get to sing your hearts out in front of your family and friends. It really brings out the best in you. Bob, it turns out, is a closet performer and gave me a run for the money. I practically had to pry the mic from his hands to get a song in edgewise.
Andrea, mom and I sang a few numbers we haven't sung together since mom was driving us to gymnastics in her old red Honda Accord including ABBA's "Super Trouper" and "I Just Fall In Love Again" by Anne Murray.
Bob and Jo belted out a cracking version "The Young Ones" by Cliff Richards. And we left mom in the dark when we sang Queen's classic rock opera "Bohemian Rhapsody".
The evening's top single, however, was undoubtedly "Summer Lovin'" from the hit Broadway musical "Grease". This marks the first time that Andrea actually let sing the Olivia Newton John part and not the John Travolta lines. (I know you're all thinking to yourselves--how come Kari had to sing the John Travolta part when she's the blonde one? Andrea's older, that's how come.)
Rob, obviously, wins the award for being the hottest rock star, however.
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Ikea is Blogtastic!
Because we didn't make it to Ikea the last time Andrea came to California, I promised her a trip this time to make up for it. And boy, did we ever. We didn't buy much but we sure did have fun.
Chillin'
You lookin' at me?
Helllooooooo?
Sov Gott!!
Mickey Mouse Club
Oh, in case any of you, like my sister, have trouble finding shopping carts at Ikea, they have a couple right here.
Chillin'
You lookin' at me?
Helllooooooo?
Sov Gott!!
Mickey Mouse Club
Oh, in case any of you, like my sister, have trouble finding shopping carts at Ikea, they have a couple right here.
March Madness
Well, now that I'm catching up on The Blog (and Andrea is finally reading it) it's time to speak of her arrival in California. Andrea prides herself on showing up to places on time so you may find it of interest that she was 9 hours late arriving in California! And just a few hours later, Rob's mum and dad arrived in California as well. March Madness is in full swing at the Rice-Carey household now! Luckily, Rob and I now have "The Annex" (sponsored by Krups Sandwich Maker) to use as a visitor's palace. This is the studio above the garage of our apartment building and we've been renting it for just over a month now. We've been setting it up as an art studio but because it has a full bathroom, a mini kitchen and quite a bit of space, it makes a really nice guest room and Bob and Jo are quite happy to be in it.
Mom made a delicious meal for us all on Thursday evening so we could just enjoy being all together and getting to know each other a little bit. Friday morning came and we were up and out of the house pretty early with a full agenda, starting with breakfast at Rick and Anns.
Plenty of time for photos as we wait 45 minutes for a table
But it's well worth the wait! Look at all the happy diners!
Next we drove out the the Gardens at Heather Farm so they could see our wedding site. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the trees and flowers are just beginning to bloom at the farm making it come alive with color and fragrance.
From there we headed off for my first visit trying on wedding dresses. Gowns, I think they call them. If I get through this part of the wedding planning, we'll be in good shape.
Finally, mom, Andrea and I went to get our hair cut and styled.
Bob didn't.
Mom made a delicious meal for us all on Thursday evening so we could just enjoy being all together and getting to know each other a little bit. Friday morning came and we were up and out of the house pretty early with a full agenda, starting with breakfast at Rick and Anns.
Plenty of time for photos as we wait 45 minutes for a table
But it's well worth the wait! Look at all the happy diners!
Next we drove out the the Gardens at Heather Farm so they could see our wedding site. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the trees and flowers are just beginning to bloom at the farm making it come alive with color and fragrance.
From there we headed off for my first visit trying on wedding dresses. Gowns, I think they call them. If I get through this part of the wedding planning, we'll be in good shape.
Finally, mom, Andrea and I went to get our hair cut and styled.
Bob didn't.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)