If I was a Rich Cat......

Last night, Stefania was kind enough to host a little girls dinner in honor of Tracey's 28th birthday. So good to have a little happy hour and cozy dinner in.

Of course, I took advantage of the opportunity to torture Turtle, Stef's cat.....put a little napkin on her head. She reminded us of Fiddler on the Roof and we sang a little "If I was a rich cat, na na na na na na na".

The birthday girl enjoyed her special wine glass and yummy dinner.

Stef's table looked so pretty and the food filled up those plates with no problem - green salad, pasta with homemade pesto, and salmon en papillote (salmon in paper - it's French!), followed by angel food cake with balsamic berries.
Obviously, a successful evening. I apologize for the crappy photos - only had my iPhone handy, no real camera. Now, one more work day and it's time to kick off the weekend with dinner and drinks with friends, a bridal shower and a day at the beach with the pup.

Pretty Pretties

I went on a mini-shopping trip on Sunday...well, really just a quick trip to Ann Taylor LOFT to make use of their Friends & Family sale (30% off!) and got a few Spring shirts AND this realllllllyyyyyy cute necklace. I love it. I have it on today and am digging it.

I like it.

Above, is a photo of sign from a restaurant in Florence, Italy that my friend's sister took for me. "Trattoria Mamma Gina" - has a good ring to it, doesn't it? I like it. I want it.

Weekend Goodness

Now that we're back in California and done unpacking (for the most part), the FUN with friends and family has begun. We had a fantastic weekend full of just that. Weekend festivities included:

- Lunch with Kristen and Josh at Pier 23 (where I scored a major farmer sunburn that several strangers commented on today)

- Dinner with Brian, Jess and Cat at our house with lots of wine and yummy food and great conversation

- Quick shopping trip to Broadway Plaza

- Waterside walk and dog play date with Jess and her dog Raffi, Riley's new friend

- Family BBQ at Mom and Dad's

All this fun and quality time was NECESSARY after a crappy Friday night when I got on the wrong bus home, rode until the end of the line since I had no idea where I was, then a 2 mile walk home in heels. I cracked open a bottle of wine, put my feet up and watched a movie after that disaster.

Dinner Party

Last week, we were excited to have our good friends, Katie and Erik and their new baby, Brenden, from Colorado in town. They came to stay for the night and have dinner with us and other friends. Thanks to me and Brian busting our butts all week and weekend, our place was in great shape for visitors just in time!

I now have a dining table big enough to entertain with and I'm EXCITED. It's my grandmother's and a bit older in style, but it definitely works. I bought this fantastic tablecloth and matching brown napkins at Cost Plus:
I also got to use my water goblets, water pitcher, good flatware and serving dishes!

What was on the menu, you ask?
Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Pork Loin
Steamed Artichoke with Lemon Garlic Aioli
Sun Dried Tomato Risotto
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Yum, yum!

Chandelier

Here is a photo of the chandelier at the house we're now living in here in SF. It's my grandparents' house and it's been vacant for 5 years. This chandelier brings bittersweet thoughts to my mind…..

When I was a little girl, I loved it! I loved to touch it and watch it twinkle (to which I always got a lovely shout from my Nonno, "Non toccare!" (don't touch!)). I also used to take the crystals off the chandelier and attach them to my ears somehow and wear them like earrings.

Now….I don't feel quite the same. Sure, it's pretty and old, but it's just not my style. Do I hear Craigslist calling?

Day at the Beach

Today, I took a break from unpacking to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and get Riley some exercise. We loaded into the car and headed to Fort Funston for some fun. Wasn't too far either...10-15 minute drive.

It was quite a hike from the parking lot down to the beach, but great exercise!

Riley was a little apprehensive at first of the waves, but got the hang of it after a while. He still ran like hell away from them when they came too fast, but he started fetching sticks and chasing rocks when I threw them into the surf.
Riley even found a little pond in the rocks to dig in!

Maybe next weekend, we'll check out Baker Beach or Crissy Field.

Operation Yard Clean Up

No one has lived in my grandparents' house (where we are now living in SF) for just about 5 years. Which means the yard has been a disaster. Imagine dead weeds and overgrowth, wind damaged trees and bushes, random trash blown into the backyard...see below:

Well, after a few days of hard work, all thanks to Brian and his dad, we now have a prettier yard! They pruned back the lemon and pear trees, the flower bushes, got rid of some dead/ugly plants, cleaned off the moss....AND planted some flowers and put in sod! Now we have not ONE but TWO little lawns. One for future lounging, one for doggy potty use. Riley is already trained not to use the big lawn for potty time! We also bought seeds for herbs and veggies and those will get planted this week!

Fresh Fish? Mmmmmm

Brian and Gregory went fishing on Saturday and caught a halibut. We ate it on Monday - so tasty and fresh....I forgot what it's like to eat fish freshly caught and not bought for $19/lb at Whole Foods....let's hope for some success in the last few days (?) of salmon season!

The New Digs Part 1

Well, we are officially moved in, but not unpacked. We are working on it, though. The movers delivered our stuff on Tuesday and I spent the day unpacking what I could, while Brian and his dad worked in our yard. Each day, we're making great progress. I'll post more pics when we're unpacked (hence the "Part 1" in this title).

Riley needed a rest in the middle of unpacking...(spare room #1):

The movers were in an annoying rush to drop our stuff off because they didn't want to get a parking ticket, so there was no organization to where the boxes, etc. went. Here is an example of how the spare room #2 was filled to the brim with stuff:
(Ugly lamp has since been disposed of)
Our living room was a sea of furniture. We're still trying to figure out where everything should go, but this was ridiculous:

Riley is a fan of the windows down at his head level. He can catch the breeze, watch seagulls and bark at neighbors. All favorite pastimes of his.

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy Birthday!

Another special event we made it back in town for was none other than Bri-Bri's BIRTHDAY on April 11! Welcome to 28, Hubby. Debbie was kind enough to host a barbeque for her son's birthday and we all headed up to Vacaville for some delicious food and great company.

Brian gets to pick out a new snowboard as a birthday gift from me. It's time to replace his old, worn out board and also celebrate his new ACL. Is it too late for Tahoe Spring snowboarding?

Megan's Shower

Megan's Bridal Shower was last Saturday and I arrived in town just in the nick of time to head up to Newcastle for it. It was sooooo good to see her and also a handful of other friends. Definitely got me excited for the wedding in July!

Megs looked so pretty!
Really cute idea for favors - these cute black and white match boxes were perfect with a green bow tied around the to match her wedding colors!

A quick photo of some of the ladies - Michelle, Me, Megan, Stefania, Celina.

THE DRIVE

Well, I am finally back online. It's not that I haven't had internet access, but more like I haven't had my camera, extra time, the right computer, etc. So, lots to update on....

Brian did a fantastic job packing up the majority of our house and getting it ready to be rented. The movers came on the 6th and one of them was old as the hills. They took FIVE hours to pack our stuff. Then we headed off to get Stef at the airport (Tim arrived earlier in the day) and went downtown for dinner with friends for one last time.

The drive started the next morning but we quickly were halted....snow storm caused I-80 to close from Laramie to Rock Springs in Wyoming....so what do you do when you're stuck in BFE? You eat at the Iron Skillet Truck Stop for 2 hours.....

We drove for about 11 hours that first day (plus the 2 hour delay in Laramie) and spent a luxurious night at the Red Lion Casino & Hotel. The hotel was pretty gross, but for less than 12 hours, it did the job. They are currently trying to rip me off, claiming we damaged the drapes, so I'm disputing the charge with Visa.
The next day was much lighter - only 8 hours of driving. Once we hit the California border, the roads were kinda bumpy and Riley got scared....soooooo over 30 minutes or so he gradually scooted his way into the front seat onto Stef's lap.....Oh, Riley you are 90 pounds and not a lap dog!

CO to CA Trip Top 5 Lessons
1. Mullets are THE haircut at lone gas stations in WY, UT and NV.
2. Sneezing while driving is dangerous and messy.
3. A 1 pound burger is not too big for Tim.
4. Brian's will not like my driving whether I'm going too fast or too slow.
5. Riley's Panting is annoying for 19 hours of driving.

So Sorry

Dear Grandma,

I am so sorry that I left big muddy footprints all over the house. It's been raining so much and I love running in your backyard. If only Uncle Gabriel knew to check my feet. Don't worry, my Mommy will clean up your carpet.

Love,

Sad Riley

Arrivederci, Houdini

Have you ever wondered how you move a 5 ft long reptile? Well, you're going to learn.

Here's Houdini getting carried to her travel box.

Here she is being put inside the pillow case that she'll travel in for 12-18 hours or so.
Oh, no! She got loose. Clearly she's not a fan of being tied into a pillow case.

Finally, securely settled in her box o'travel. Complete with hand warmers and breathable towels.

BYE BYE, HOUDINI. SEE YOU ON THE WEST COAST IN A FEW DAYS. ENJOY YOUR STAY AT THE HOTEL A LA VIVARIUM.