Karna, Arne and Elsa

18 Months Old!

2012-01-13T09:50:00.001-08:00

Elsa is 18 months old! It is amazing how fast a year and a half has gone by! We had a good visit to the doctor, where we learned Elsa is now 33 inches long, but still only 23.5 pounds (she actually lost 2 ounces in the last 3 months). Here she is waiting for her appointment:

This January she has had a lot of fun going on outing with her Daddy.

Elsa says 'cheese' and grins for the camera.

We went to the beach at Fort Funston on a sunny Saturday. Elsa played in the sand.

So did Summer.

But most of all, she enjoyed trying to run into the water!

Daddy carried Elsa up the hill.

Karna is amazed and awed by her daughter. Arne says "so far, so good".

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-31T15:35:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas Holiday season.
Elsa went to her Dad's holiday party and got to be an office helper - she sure looks good with the phone.

A few days before Christmas, Elsa's cousins came over to Palo Alto, so I could go to a spa with my sister and sister-in-law. Elsa enjoyed sitting on the big stools.

She also shared her favorite book with her cousins.

Christmas eve we headed to Berkeley and got all dressed up for a Christmas eve service.

Elsa was an angel in the Christmas pagent.

It was fun to see all the girls participate in the service.

My family joined us for the outing and then we all headed up to Arne's parent's house for a holiday dinner. Elsa even had her own little table.

On Christmas morning, Elsa really enjoyed all the presents, particularly those belonging to her cousin Sonja!

She also got a wonderful baby doll she calls Bobby (or maybe it is Bahby) that she immediately knew she had to feed.

We then headed to my Mom's house for a Nisewaner brunch and presents.

Aunt Sherry hosted all the Nisewaners for Christmas dinner.

We had a very full Christmas, with lots of cousin time and lots of fun!

Holiday Photo Shoot

2011-12-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

Today, Arne's Dad came over to our house for a Christmas Card photo shoot. We are so lucky to have him and his many cameras.

As we got ready in the morning, Elsa had fun dressing up in Mommy's pearls. She is wearing one of her cousin Sonja's dresses and new shoes.

Daddy enjoyed making faces with Elsa.

We tried pictures outside and at a certain point Elsa got very unhappy.

And pictures inside. Elsa really enjoyed the pictures after we blew bubbles.

We moved a mirror, and Elsa enjoyed seeing herself.

Summer was very patient with everyone. Although she did not make it into the final picture, we did get some wonderful shots of her with us.

It was quite a successful morning.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T21:58:00.001-08:00

This year we joined my family for a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner in Millbrae. It was great to see family and have everyone see how much Elsa has grown in the last year. We are thankful for the return to the west coast of my sister Amanda and her partner Carter. We are all happy, especially Elsa, who loves to spend time with her Auntie Amanda.

The Friday after Thanksgiving, we ended our season of going to Stanford volleyball games with the Cal/Stanford match. It was great to see Cal crush Stanford in 4. Elsa is a big fan. Before the game, Elsa learned how to work the radio. She enjoys "rocking out" to music and is such fun to watch.

Pumpkins, Costumes and More

2011-10-31T08:36:00.001-07:00

October was a very exciting month. Elsa turned 15 months old and is now over 23 pounds and 32 inches.

Pumpkin patches, Halloween, trips, farm visits and my birthday brought a lot of joy. We had a wonderful time at a pumpkin patch in San Jose. Elsa enjoyed the red wheelbarrow ride and the corn maze.

We visited Ardenwood Farms in late October with a number of other families. It was fun to watch all the kids toddling about. A year ago, they were barely crawling.

For Halloween, my new company Cadence had a huge Halloween party for the whole family. Elsa enjoyed her balloon crown and bread in her witch queen costume.

She also had a great time climbing on all the bouncy structures.

Halloween night we went trick-or-treating with other children from our complex.

Elsa was a lovely little ladybug.

She really enjoyed taking the candy from the bowls and putting it into her bag.

Elsa is now a good eater and at a birthday dinner for me she really enjoyed the ice cream - yum yum.

We have been taking Elsa to Stanford volleyball games. We bike over and because the games run past her bedtime, she often falls asleep on the way home.

This is also the month we had our first night away, for a friend's wedding. It was great fun to get dressed up and have a night out. Elsa is lucky to have grandparents who enjoy watching her.

On the way home from the wedding we visited the Richmond Municipal Natatorium. It was really cool to experience what we had only read about.

Elsa is very confident in her exploring, running off to every new excitement, like running into the ocean! Arne took her to the beach in late October when I was away at a conference. I think she looks a lot like her cousin Sonja in this shot.

Sadly, this was also the month our beloved beagle Bogey died. We will miss him.

Elsa is now 14 Months Old

2011-09-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

Elsa is now 14 months old. She continues to be a joy as she learns exciting thing like how to climb onto tables, take off her diaper, and take apart her bottle. I continue to have fun dressing her up. This month I put her in my 1975 Christmas outfit, sitting on her dad's childhood truck. Check out the results:

Compared to me in 1975:

We are so lucky that our families saved cool stuff from our childhoods.

Lake Michigan Family Holiday

2011-08-31T21:14:00.001-07:00

This August was a Stokstad family gathering on Lake Michigan. Bob created a great picture gallery of the trip - Bob's Photo Gallery.

It was great to spend time with family. Karna headed out with Elsa a few days early to give the cousins (Erika (5), Sonja (2.5), and Elsa (1)) extra time to play together. Every day the family headed down to the beach to play.

Mommy threw Elsa in the air,

but Daddy threw her higher!

Elsa had such fun at the beach and in the kiddie pool on the deck.

She also loved playing with driftwood.

Sonja and Elsa look so similar.

We went to a petting farm and the kids and the grownups played.

Elsa even went horseback riding with mommy.

It was a wonderful family holiday!

Lair of the Bear 2011

2011-07-30T16:19:00.001-07:00

This was Elsa's second year at the Lair of the Bear! Last year was a lot of fun, but we did not do very much. This year was all about Elsa exploring.

She loved the water, playing in it every day. The baby pool was shallow enough so she could walk around. She also got very good at climbing out of the pool. Every day she got to swim and that was a real treat for our water-loving baby.

Elsa also got to play on the Kub Korral play structure. She enjoyed climbing up and then flinging herself down the slide. She would laugh and laugh.

After each of the meals, Elsa would do her "rounds", walking around the dining hall and checking out all the people and then wander outside to play with plants.

Well, except when she slept through meals!

Elsa enjoyed her tent time too - getting to play in her chair and with her shoes.

and take naps.

Arne and I also had fun. We played volleyball (together!). Arne and Erik played shuffleboard.

I did tie-dye for Elsa and her cousins.

Arne even went on a lovely wildflower hike,

and took great pictures of flowers and bugs.

In the late afternoons, we would socialize with friends, like my friend Julia and her little baby.

Elsa enjoyed eating snacks, just like her daddy.

Elsa got to show off her new tie-dye dress to all her fans - mostly 3 year olds who wanted to play with her, pet her or hold her.

My mom and Arne's brother Erik were also at the Lair. They were great at taking pictures of Elsa and playing with Elsa to give us a break. My mom loved holding Elsa.

Next year maybe her cousins and the Stokstad grandparents can join in the fun!

Fun with Elsa at One

2011-07-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

Elsa is a joy. She just loves everything. The water is one of her favorite things. Elsa is now a very confident walker. She is a very confident girl overall. This month I captured her a number of times on my iPhone just being Elsa. She loves it when Daddy comes home.

Daddy Home

She loves to garden. She sometimes kills plants, but she is trying to mimic her daddy's good work with plants.

Elsa Gardening

She loves music and to dance.

Elsa Dancing

She loves her clothes - especially her shoes!

I enjoy watching her have fun.

Happy First Birthday Elsa

2011-07-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

Today Elsa turned one year old! It has been such an amazing year since she was born last July. She is now over 30 inches long and 21.5 pounds.

On Sunday we had a birthday picnic for Elsa at Heritage park in Palo Alto. She was a great party girl, enjoying hanging out with some of her baby friends and playing with some of her big friends.

After singing happy birthday to Elsa, we gave her her first chocolate cupcake. Yummy!

She enjoyed the cupcake, as seen by all the chocolate that got on her face.

I made a video of the event.

Elsa's First Birthday from Arne Stokstad on Vimeo.

Just for fun I also made a video of the old Super 8 film my father took at my first birthday.

We are so lucky to have such a great girl.

4th of July Fun

2011-07-04T21:34:00.001-07:00

The Fourth of July is not just our nation's birthday, but also Elsa's grandmother's birthday. We were lucky to celebrate Elsa's first 4th of July with Arne's family. Julie took us on a lovely walk around the Berkeley waterfront. Elsa showed off her walking skills, but after walking into the wind, she ended up preferring to be in the stroller.

It was fun to see Elsa hang out with the boys - her granddad, Uncle/Godfather Erik and Dad.

She liked to show off her new "high five" skills.

It was a great day to celebrate Grandma Julie.

and family.

Bob took many great pictures of the day you can see here.

Father's Day Fun

2011-06-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Father's Day lunch at the Stokstad's home. Elsa likes spending time with her Grandpa.

Elsa toddled about checking out everything. That's her Grandpa's watch in her right hand.

We then enjoyed a wonderful lunch prepared by Arne's mom. Elsa had a lot of fun eating her pork chop.

We played with one of Arne's childhood toys - a truck that Elsa could sit in and be pushed around. It gave her great joy.

It was a great family Father's Day.

May is for Mothers

2011-05-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

May was a wonderful month for me. I had my first mother's day, my first anniversary, a new job, my 15th Princeton Reunions and lots of great time with Arne and Elsa.

The month started off with a lovely Mother's Day hike with the dogs at Fort Funston. We enjoyed the sea and the sand and great friends.

For our anniversary, Arne took me out to a lovely dinner in the city and walk along Crissy Field. I got him an Oscillating sander. We took Elsa out for her first bike ride, pulled behind my bike, laughing and hating her helmet.

She also continued her swim lesson. She loves water.

Just after starting my new job with Cadence, we flew out to New Jersey with Elsa for my 15th Reunion.

After fun in the airport and not enough sleep, we arrived in Princeton to heat and humidity. The heat was exhausting.

I showed Arne lots of the old buildings, the great library, where I lived and had classes.

I think Elsa enjoyed the fountain, where she got to swim and play.

On Saturday, I did a reunion row with other '96ers.

Elsa had fun at the boathouse and by the water.

Then it was time to dress up for the P-Rade.

I had fun introducing Elsa and Arne to classmates.

Elsa had fun playing with the cold beer. Elsa spent the nights in Tiger camp, while Arne and I enjoyed the parties and music, including the Beach Boys.

We had a great trip home and end to a wonderful weekend and wonderful May!

Easter Fun!

2011-04-24T20:05:00.001-07:00

Elsa had an egg packed Easter weekend.

On Saturday morning, on our morning walk, we saw a line of kids outside the Palo Alto toy store. We headed over and found out they were doing an egg hunt. Elsa got her free bucket and learned how to pick up eggs.

That afternoon, we headed out to Cuesta Park and Ally's Easter hunt. I enjoyed making a lemon Easter Bunny cake.

Elsa once again enjoyed picking up eggs (and playing with Daddy).

On Sunday morning, after a photo shoot with Arne's 'Foxy' Foxgloves that he planted from seed a year ago, we headed over to Karen & Pat Anderson's house for breakfast and Easter fun.

Morgan made Elsa her first Easter basket and then yes, another hunt.

On Sunday afternoon, we headed up to my Mom's house and Elsa got to pick up and play with the eggs my mom dyed for her. Elsa was the star of the family and so cute in her Easter dress from Auntie Amanda.

On Easter Monday, I headed out to Boston for work. Arne captured Elsa laughing on the swing for me. It was just another reminder of how lucky we are to have such a great baby girl.

Elsa April Adventures

2011-04-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

April has been an amazing month for Elsa. She turned 9 months old and is now 18 and a half pounds and 28.5 inches long. She has her 2 bottom front teeth, but no top teeth yet.

Her weight gain has slowed down as she now feeds herself and does not like us to help her.

She does enjoy dinner with friends and we enjoy have other families over, like Gavin's family and Oliver's family.

This month she started waterbabies swim class. She has a lot of fun in the water and I have a lot of fun dressing her up in cute swim outfits!

Elsa is also learning. She learned from the dogs how to go out the dog door and has almost mastered coming back in. We finally captured this on video and will post a link soon.

Like her uncle Paul before her, Elsa has discovered toilet paper. It is the most fun to play with!

At daycare she had her first art show and both of the grandmas attended. She was quite the star with them.

Elsa continues to explore everything and it is a joy to watch her grow.

Elsa at 8 Months

2011-03-14T08:55:00.001-07:00

Elsa is now 8 months old! It is just such a joy to watch her getting bigger and bigger and seeing her explore more things. In the last month we have seen such exciting developments, like her first tooth!

Elsa loves eating food with the big kids at daycare and looks so cute sitting at the table.

At home, of course, she makes more of a mess.

When we went to the garden, she helped us weed by eating the flowers!

Elsa was a big help to her dad in his garden plot, helping him get it ready for spring planting.

One of her favorite things is bath time, which she needed after a trip to the garden. She loves playing in the bath and will play as long as we let her. She is always crawling over to the bath and pulling herself up to look into the tub and smile.

Elsa worked with her daddy and granddad on building a closet shelf area. She really enjoyed the power tools!

Now, she has her own closet area and a super fun decorated play area to explore. It is wonderful having her room now all set up for her.

At night and nap time I am amazed by how Elsa sleeps. She will just crash wherever she is having exhaused herself.

She also puts herself into crazy yoga poses when she sleeps, which is almost through the night.

Elsa is just a joy!

Ski Weekend

2011-02-14T08:50:00.001-08:00

For Elsa's 7 month birthday, we headed up to Tahoe with two other families for a wonderful Ski Weekend.

On Saturday, the Moms went skiing at Squaw Valley, while the Dads stayed home with the babies.

Arne got to take Elsa out in her snow suit and let her play in her first snow.

Elsa also got to play with with the other babies: Syndey (4 months) and Gavin (5 months).

Arne created a wonderful video of the weekend that can be found here: http://www.vimeo.com/stokstad/tahoe password: goodtimes

Elsa at Six Months

2011-01-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

Elsa's now 16 pounds and 11 ounces and 27 1/4 inches long. Mobility is the new thing. She was early to turn over, and she's early to crawl. A few weeks ago she improved her inch-worm/army crawl to real hands-and-knees crawling. Pictures don't do this justice so I've made a video (below). She's also able to pull herself up to standing on a coffee table, sofa or pants leg. There's now a baby gate at the top of the stairs. Next up is latches on the cabinets.

Kris holding Elsa in an outfit Karna wore as a baby:

Here's Karna in it:

And here's the video of Elsa at Six Months.:

Elsa at Six Months from Arne Stokstad on Vimeo.

Elsa's Christening

2010-12-26T19:30:00.001-08:00

On the Sunday after Christmas, the Nisewaner family and Stokstad family headed to Ocean Beach in San Francisco to baptize baby Elsa.

It was a perfect day. Elsa was a well behaved and happy baby the whole time. Erik (Arne's brother) and Amanda (Karna's sister) became godparents for Elsa.

Grandma Julie performed the baptism with water from Lake Michigan. Elsa's cousins Erika and Sonja were also baptized by Julie, on the beach at Lake Michigan.

After the baptism, we took a walk along the beach and grandpa took lots of pictures. We did manage to get one of him with Elsa.

The grandmas were happy.

And we got a shot of 3 generations of Nisewaners.

We ended the morning by having a lovely brunch at the historic Beach Chalet at the west end of Golden Gate Park.

It was a great day to celebrate baby Elsa.

Elsa's First Christmas

2010-12-25T07:56:00.001-08:00

On Christmas Eve day we headed to Arne's parents home in Berkeley to join up with the rest of the Stokstads. Paul and Paula brought their daughters Erika and Sonja from Michigan and Erik was in town from Washington DC. Sonja enjoyed playing with her newest cousin.

We went to the 5 PM Christmas eve family service at First Congregational Church of Berkeley, during which all the children participated in a nativity play--Erika was an Angel, Sonja a sheep, and Elsa a cow.

Back at home and out of her cow costume, Elsa had some quality grandma time

and participated in a long standing Stokstad tradition: the Christmas family picture in front of the hearth.

Here's an example of an early 1980's version. Julie (Arne's mom) is not in the picture - maybe she was behind the camera. The bottom three on the right were guests. Arne's uncle Paul is in the top left and his grandparents are in the middle.

Christmas morning, Elsa got to open her first Christmas stocking.

Then we opened presents under the tree. Elsa had a lot of fun.

Then we headed to Millbrae for Christmas morning with my Mom

and sister Amanda.

In Millbrae, Santa filled all our stockings. Julie (Arne's mom) knit stockings for Arne and Elsa to match mine.

Christmas Afternoon we spent in San Francisco with my aunts

and cousins

at my cousin Matt & Warren's home. It was a wonderful Christmas night.

The holiday season was even more joyful with Elsa. After the events were all over, she got to play with all of her gifts.

Elsa's First Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T13:10:00.001-08:00

Elsa's first Thanksgiving Day was spent at my Mom's house in Millbrae. This year we are very Thankful for having Elsa in our lives.

My Aunt Frances, cousins Matt & Alex, and others joined us for a lovely meal.

The week began with an outing to SF MOMA with Mom and Aunt Frances.

They we all had dinner at the Hayes Street Grill. Elsa was a big hit!

The week ended at the Los Altos Festival of Lights - where Elsa enjoyed all the bright lights and costumes.

Elsa & Karna November Adventures

2010-11-22T10:48:00.001-08:00

November is my last full month home with Elsa, so I took it as an opportunity to take Elsa on some great adventures. She is now 4 months old and 15 pounds and a great traveler.

Our first overnight plane trip without Daddy was to Newport Beach to visit my friend Tracy and her daughter Sage. We wandered around Balboa Island and found giant Pumpkins.

Sage was wonderful at the big sister role and even had a matching sleeper!

The next Monday was Track Suit Monday in the park. This was our last outdoor park meeting, as it is getting colder and wetter and not as easy to meet up. Sunny continues to be a good friend to play with.

Our big November trip was to Boston. Elsa dressed up in her outfit from Uncle Carter as we packed for the trip.

While it was a long flight with a lap baby, it was nice to arrive and get to enjoy sunny cold New England Days. I liked dressing Elsa in my childhood warm weather wear and let her play in the fall leaves.

We visited my friend Phoebe in Bedford and enjoyed some Bedford Farms ice cream!

Then we met up with my mom's cousin Betsy, who lives in Brookline, near where I used to live.

Also in Brookline was Joy and her kids Axel and Annika. Elsa had fun playing with Annika who is 2 months older then her.

On Saturday, Amanda and Carter took us around Boston, starting in the Boston Gardens. We stopped by the Make Way For Ducklings statues.

Elsa is my special little duckling.

It was nice to have Amanda carry Elsa for some of the day - they looked very good together.

We even got to meet with Santa.

There was a random photo booth for the Boston Ballet that took a crazy photo of the 4 of us and the nutcracker bear.

When we got home, Carter and Elsa took some time to chill out on the couch.

We had a wonderful trip.

Elsa's First Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

Elsa was a Sunflower for her first Halloween!

She had an exciting day of making Daddy orange waffles for breakfast.

Then adventuring around town in the sweater her grandmother made her.

And the evening was spent trick or treating until she wilted.

SoCal Fun with Elsa

2010-10-28T18:02:00.001-07:00

In late October we had a great weekend visiting family and friends in LA, and showing off Elsa!

First we saw Susan and Sarah. They dressed Elsa up in a fancy hat.

We then spent Saturday night with Steph, Bruno and Noa and enjoyed a wonderful homemade meal.

Sunday morning we visited Dick Lee, one of my father's best friends.

Then it was off to Pasadena and Helen, a good friend of Arne's mom. Helen turned 99 last month and still has a very keen mind. She talked about how important is for women to vote. Some people, like Helen's mom, worked really hard to secure that right, so Helen's never misses an election.

We also visited my cousin Phil at his new home.

Then it was off to Palm Springs for the CalPERS Educational Forum conference.

Arne was know as the guy with a baby, after he took Elsa to breakfast Monday morning and the Monday night cocktail hour.

Before leaving, we went up the Palm Springs Tramway and saw the sights before heading home. It was a wonderful trip.

100 Days of Elsa

2010-10-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

Elsa is now 100 days old! She is over 14 pounds and almost 26 inches long. We hope she will be a tall volleyball player someday.

Her favorite activity is to roll over from her back to her tummy. It is fun to watch her flip herself over and then check things out.

She also goes to the park and hangs out with friends like Sunny and Sierra.

Beyond her family, Elsa has been blessed with many "aunties" and "uncles" who love to visit and hold her. Here are some pictures of Elsa with them over the last month.

Rich and Ellen with Elsa

Marci (who used to hold Karna as a baby) with Elsa

Megan with Elsa

Tim with Elsa

Doris (who used to hold Arne as a baby) with Elsa

Cat with Elsa

Julia and Caleb with Elsa

Elsa and Justin

Uncle Warren with Elsa in her cute winter outfit

Julia A with Elsa, just a few days before Sydney was born

Craig and Bethany with Elsa

Hawaii with Elsa

2010-09-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hawaii! Our first plane adventure with Elsa was wonderful. On Thursday night we headed out to Hawaii. In the airport we had two great surprises, first, an upgrade to first class, and then getting to take a picture of Elsa with the Stanford Women's Volleyball team.

Elsa slept in Arne's arms for the flight and was super peaceful. On arrival in Hawaii, we were greeted with leis at our hotel, The Kahala and headed up to our room to sleep.

We stayed at the hotel beach during the day (private, quiet, and no waves) and practiced swimming with Elsa.

Then we headed out to Waikiki and enjoyed the sunset.

Next it was off to The Stan Sheriff Center to watch the University of Hawaii women's volleyball team crush Nevada in 3 games.

On Saturday, we had a wonderful brunch and Elsa got to show off her bikini.

The morning was once again spent playing in the sand.

After our midday nap, we headed up the coast for some garlic shrimp, ocean swimming, and watched the Blue Angels do a show over the Marine Corps base.

After the show, we met up with my cousins in Kailua and enjoyed a lovely dinner in their new home.

Sunday morning we met up with Mike & Nan and their family for brunch at our hotel. Then we headed out to the Kuli`ou`ou Valley for a hike up to the ridge. Unfortunately, we missed the turnoff for the ridge and ended up going up the valley. It was a beautiful but hard hike. Elsa was a great hiker on her daddy's chest.

That night we headed over to Mike & Nan's house for his birthday dinner. It was wonderful to see their home and have a bouncer for Elsa to play in.

For our last night, we got room service desserts!

Monday morning we toured our hotel, learning that it include the set for the bar in Magnum PI.

After play in the ocean, we stopped by Diamond Head on our way to Pearl Harbor.

After a short stop in Pearl Harbor and then the Dole plantation we headed up to Waimae Bay to play in the waves. They were huge and wonderful.

Then we had dinner in Haleweia and watched the sunset, before headed back to the airport and home to California.

Elsa was a great traveler and we will need to take her on more trips!

Two Months Old

2010-09-12T15:54:00.001-07:00

Today Elsa is 2 months old! Hooray! My baby girl just gets bigger and bigger. She is very happy, although she is learning how to scream really loud when she is hungry and we are not fast enough to get her food.

At her 2 month appointment, she was 12 pounds, 1 ounce (82 percentile) and 23.75 inches (92 percentile). I think it is awesome how she gets measured with a wooden yardstick.

Now that she is bigger, I am having fun dressing Elsa in some outfits from when I was a baby. My mom saved a number of them and Elsa looks good in 70's style pink.

We are looking forward to more new adventures with Elsa this month.

August Adventures with Elsa

2010-08-18T14:49:00.001-07:00

August has been a great month for Elsa Marie. She has had many visitors and many adventures. Early in the month, my aunts, Jan and Sherry came to visit and meet the newest little Nisewaner. It was wonderful to see them.

Then, her Grandpa Bob came back from Michigan and got to hang out with Elsa.

We tried to take her footprints...she was not happy with the effort.

She was also not happy with her first bath, although now she seems to enjoy bath time.

Elsa is so very flexible and loves doing back bends when she wakes up. She also does these to turn to her side for sleeping.

My sister Amanda came to California for a week and got to play with Elsa and help me out. We had a big dinner at Mom's house where everyone got to enjoy the happy girl.

Arne brought a big sunflower - a Sunzilla - to dinner. It was bigger than Elsa!

Then Daddy took a picture of Karna and Elsa.

She is a happy girl in her car seat. I think she likes sitting up.

Sleep has been the biggest part of August. Elsa sleeps everywhere and anywhere, even with her dog Bogey!

Our big trip for the month was going down to Carmel to my friend Laura's wedding. The bride loved visiting with Elsa and we loved her beautiful wedding.

We are looking forward to an equally wonderful September, with more smiles and laughs from our wonderful baby girl.

Elsa and the Lair of the Bear

2010-07-31T09:14:00.001-07:00

I have been going to the Lair of the Bear - Camp Blue Week 7 for many many years and was very excited to introduce Elsa to the Lair and all our Lair friends to Elsa. This year it was not certain that we could go, what with Elsa being born late by unplanned C-Section. However, on Monday morning we got the all clear at Elsa's two week pediatrician visit so we headed off to the mountains.

Instead of a full week, we planned on staying Monday till Friday. We arrived around 3 PM on Monday and after a nap, headed out to explore. Arne spent a lot of time holding Elsa.

She liked hanging out in the crook of his arm.

On Tuesday night we headed down to one of the pre-dinner cocktail parties...there were people playing guitars and lots of drinks for all. It was Elsa's first cocktail party.

One of the great things about the Lair is that all your meals are provided. At the dining hall it was nice that Mom was there and could hold Elsa while we ate. One of the things we did best this year was attend meals. I was always hungry.

On Wednesday Arne's brother Erik joined us. It was fun having even more family around. He brought his camera and many of these pictures were taken by him.

Elsa looked very cute at several of the meals.

At night we would hang out at the Lodge and do puzzles, eat ice cream and show off Elsa.

The big adventure of the week was early Wednesday morning when the staff came to our cabin door asking us to evacuate because a water pipe had burst and a flood was headed towards our cabin. Fortunately the water was diverted around the cabin and the pipe was quickly fixed.

I enjoyed resting in the hammock.

Arne was more active than me (I am not allowed to exercise for 6 weeks) and he played a lot of volleyball. Everyone loved having him on their team.

Camp Blue was led once again by Mike White. He is so cool.

Erik had a great visit and got to spend some quality time with Elsa.

On the last day, Arne and I took Elsa to the real creek and got her feet wet. I am sure she will get wet at the creek for many years to come.

It was a wonderful vacation - Elsa's first!

Handmade Blankets for Elsa

2010-07-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Elsa is a very loved baby girl. Many people have made her blankets - knit, crocheted, quilted, and sewn. We did a photo shoot with Elsa and all her handmade blankets.

This blanket was made 36 years ago for Arne when he was a baby by a family friend Helen. For his birthday, Arne's mom found it for our baby to be. It is wonderful to wrap Elsa in Arne's baby blanket.

This blanket was knit by Arne's mom. It has a crocheted edge with holes just the right size for little thumbs, just like the blanket Arne's grandmother knit for him when he was a baby.

My friend Julia knit this blue stroller blanket.

Arne's coworker Terry crocheted this blanket for Elsa.

My coworker Cathy sewed this blanket.

Our friend Ellen from Camp Blue sewed this blanket.

Elsa has many lovely blankets to enjoy and that will keep her warm and covered for years to come.

Elsa Marie Nisewaner

2010-07-17T13:54:00.001-07:00

On Monday, July 12, 2010 at 1:06 PM, Arne and I welcomed Elsa Marie Nisewaner into the world! At 9 pounds, 9 ounces and 22 inches long, she started out as a very big girl. She joined us 9 days after her due date by an unplanned Cesarean, due to stress on her system during the push, potentially caused by the cord being wrapped around her foot.

Her first night was in the NICU to clear her lungs of gunk and give her extra oxygen.

After 24 hours the oxygen tube was out and she was moved to the Packard Special Care Nursery (Intermediate Care), where she still had a lot of monitors.

She spent 4 days there (one more day then Mom in the hospital) being cared for by a number of great nurses.

We could see her whenever we wanted and that was nice. I think she has her dad's eyes.

We brought her home on Saturday, July 17th. It was nice to cuddle without the wires.

We spent the weekend introducing her to her home, the dogs,

her dad's garden, and the cradle grandpa built her.

At her one week appointment, we learned she is in the 99th percentile for length, 81st for weight, and 61st for head circumference, and overall very healthy.

We spend a lot of time sleeping with Elsa during the day. This is good, because we also spend a lot of time awake at odd hours. We are just so happy to have her join our family!

All Set for Baby

2010-07-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Arne's dad built us a beautiful cradle for the baby. It is now all set in our room, ready for the baby to join us. He created a picture gallery of the process of making the cradle...it is really quite impressive.

The rest of the baby's room is all set, with a crib, changing table, and lots of cute little clothes.

It is nice to have everything ready as we get set to go to the hospital. In the next few days a little boy or girl will join our family.

Getting Bigger and Older

2010-07-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

It is the 4th of July and we are still waiting to find out the birthday of our first child. Clearly it will not be the July 3rd due date. This is the time of birthdays in Arne's family, and soon there will be one more birthday to celebrate. Last weekend, his dad turned 70, and there was a big party. Arne put together an amazing video of the event.

Bob's 70th from Arne Stokstad on Vimeo.

We hope that baby joins us soon, but until then, Arne is having a great time working on his garden. The corn really did grow "knee high by 4th of July" and all the plants seem to thrive under his care.

I am also thriving, and continue to get bigger. On due date, we went over to a friends house and I got to play soccer with her daughter. Look at how my belly shows as I say "Goooooaaaaaal!"

The Little Farm

2010-06-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

"And then spring became the summer..." from Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond keeps running through my head now. I think this is in part because of everything we are growing for the summer: the baby to be, plants in our yard, and plants out at the little farm.

The little farm is our community garden plot at Eleanor Pardee Garden - plot G60. After a year on the wait list, the week after our wedding, the coordinator called us up and offered us a plot.

The plot started out filled with weeds...it was not looking good, but still had a lot of potential. Arne worked over Memorial weekend to clear the garden, while I bought plants.

Finally it was all cleared!

Now Arne has filled the garden with lots of plants. We have a row of blueberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, sunflowers, and lots of seeds.

The seeds are amazing. In only a week there are shoots of watermelon,

beans,

and corn!

Arne tells me the heat and the good soil that retains moisture is helping our garden really take off.

I am looking forward to all the good foods we will have from the little farm. Until then, it is nice to walk over with the dogs and meet up with Arne and just enjoy seeing everything get bigger, even my belly with baby to be!

The Big Adventure: Getting Married

2010-05-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

On May 15th, Arne and I started on one of life's bigger adventures - marriage. We created a magical day to share the love we have for each other with family and friends. Many family members and friends joined us at the Mountain Terrace for a day in the sun.

The ceremony was at noon, officiated by one of my college friends, Lance Savitsky, who put together a lovely ceremony. My sister was my attendant, Arne's friend Justin was his, and our niece Erika was the flower girl. Our mom's did readings, we listened to the Pathetique Adagio in remembrance of those who were not there, and then after the vows, we got to KISS!

It was great to see all our friends and their kids. One of my favorite pictures from my friends is me with Tracy's daughter Sage:

The reception was like a garden party, with a host of fun kid activities (my favorite was the bouncy house), yummy food, and then cupcakes for dessert. Our first dance was, "Can't help falling in love." It was a wonderful day, the only mild issue was that when we came home our dog Bogey was sick, and we had to do a wedding night trip to the vet. For those who are wondering, we are both keeping our names the same.

Arne's dad took a lot of great pictures of the day - Arne's Dad's Pictures. Our pictures from the wedding photographer are also posted - Christina Shook Photos.

The following weekend, we headed up to the Russian River Valley and had a mini-moon, staying at the Farmhouse Inn. It was a lovely and relaxing time to explore the area, pamper ourselves, and just enjoy each other. In February, we did the real big honeymoon to New Zealand. Why do the honeymoon early? Well, we have done quite a few things backwards, and if you look closely at the wedding pictures, yes, I do look a little big, and that is because we are expecting our first baby July 3rd (sex to be learned when baby is born)!

Domestic Weekend - Gardening & Jam

2010-04-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend, in the rain, Arne created a strawberry garden for our back yard. First he had to spend some time preparing the plants and the area. Arne has a little seedling farm he created.

Some of the seedlings come from lupine seeds we brought back from New Zealand. They are currently growing and getting bigger along with the other plants on the "incubator" table.

After preparing all the plants, Arne needed to dig out the area for the plants and create a fence to keep out the dogs.

Right now the garden is filled with strawberry plants and herbs. Once the plants are all big, then I will be able to make strawberry jam with our own plants! This weekend I made jam with strawberries from the farmer's market.

We had a lovely domestic weekend, working in the garden and kitchen!

New Zealand Adventure

2010-02-23T16:18:00.000-08:00

Arne and I headed off in mid-February for a "Summer Vacation" in New Zealand. It was an amazing trip.

Day 1: Travel to New Zealand and Queenstown

Arne and I left Friday night for New Zealand and arrived early Sunday morning. Our first stop was Queenstown. The decent to Queenstown airport was exciting - a big jet plane flying down a narrow canyon, snowy mountains in the distance.

After checking into the hotel, we had a lovely breakfast and then took the noontime sailing of the 1912 TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak farm tour.

Arne loved seeing the steam engines working, hearing the loud steam whistle / horn. I loved the animals on the farm tour, watching the sheep dog work, seeing sheep shorn and getting to hold a baby lamb!

After a lovely afternoon nap, we went out for a Valentine's dinner of fish and chips and ice cream - it was the perfect end to the day.

Day 2: Milford Sound

We were up early for a bus ride to Milford Sound - with commentary the whole way there. Arne found the details on the difference between silage and hay fascinating. It turns out silage dries for 4-5 hours and hay dries for 2-3 days, and thus there are different storage means for each. One needs a plastic cover, the other doesn't - can you guess which goes with which? At the Te Anau we had a quick breakfast (egg and bacon pies, muesli and yogurt, OJ and a lemon shortbread cookie) and then we ran down to the water.

The scenery got more spectacular after Te Anau and I got to fill my water bottle with glacier runoff at the Monkey Creek stop, which one of the explorers named after his dog named Monkey.

Once in the sound we did a boat cruise around the sound (which is really a fjord) and saw seals, waterfalls, and lots of lovely scenery.

After the cruise we walked over to the airport, and flew back to Queenstown in a tiny plane with lovely views of the mountain tops right below us. We saw Walter Peak farm as we flew down lake Wakatipu and into Queenstown.

After the outing, we headed to the gondola for good views and a luge ride. The views were fantastic from the top. Arne created this amazing video of the day:

Link to Video on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2ZvVik_KtE

Day 3: Travel to Mt. Cook

We woke up early and walked around town and had breakfast at Eichardt's Private Hotel. I had blueberry pancakes with fried bananas and cream, Arne had omelet with mushrooms, arugula and chevre. Then we walked around the botanic gardens that were just outside out hotel.

We picked up the rental car and it turned out to be a red Mazda 3, like Arne used to have, but made for driving on the left side of the road. When he tried to signal a turn, he ended up turning on the windshield wipers.

We headed north and stopped for a bit in Arrowtown and had a walk along the river.

The next big stop was Twizel, a little town before the turnoff to Mt. Cook, where we had a mince and cheese pie for lunch.

The weather was again beautiful, clear sky and the mountains looked gorgeous.

We had a lovely dinner in the fancy restaurant before bed.

Day 4: Mt. Cook and Glacier Explorer

It was a beautiful sunrise this morning. Then a kea flew in the room and landed by my feet. I clapped my hands and it flew out. This was an exciting start to the morning.

At 10:00 we went on the Glacier Explorers tour. A short bus ride took us to the adjacent valley. After a 30 minute walk over the terminal moraine, we boarded small boats to view the icebergs on the lake created by the retreat of the Tasman Glacier. Clouds were threatening rain, but it didn’t come until the evening.

In the evening, we went for a short walk in the Hooker valley, up to the Alpine memorial and the bridge and lake overlook.

Day 5: Travel to Christchurch

Thursday morning started off with RAIN and no good views of Mt. Cook. Even with the rain, Arne was excited to hike up to the waterfall we saw the day before, that was hidden by the clouds. The waterfall ends in glacier rocks, with no stream or lake below it - awesome.

We then drove to Tekapo, had a meat pie and walked over to the Church of the Good Shepherd.

We continued our drive to Christchurch through Geraldine and Ashburton, where we stopped at the Ashford Spinning Wheel factory. We then drove on to Lincoln, Arne's old NZ University. It was wonderful to have him show me around to his favorite places, including the library, which still has the box for gumboots by the door.

We stayed at the Classic Villa in Christchurch, just a block from the botanical gardens. For dinner it was my favorite, fish and chips.

Day 6: Christchurch and Travel to Auckland

Friday was a beautiful day. We started it off with several hours exploring the botanic gardens. Arne loved vegetable garden and I loved the begonias exhibit.

Then we drove out to Sumner, walked on the beach, and drove over the hill to Lyttleton (third largest port in New Zealand) for lunch, before heading out to the airport for our flight to Auckland. Arne's friend from Lincoln, Craig, picked us up at the airport and drove us back to his and his partner Michael's place. We had a wonderful BBQ dinner before bed.

Day 7: Waiheke & the Sky Tower

It was a sunny and warm Saturday, as we headed downtown to the ferry building for a ferry to the island of Waiheke.

We did a bush walk around part of the island, stopping off at the Cable Bay Winery for a drink and chips.

Then we walked on to Oneroa beach, had a swim, then lunch at Lazy Cafe. Then it was a power walk to catch the ferry by four (we made it with 3 minutes to spare).

That night we got dressed up and went to dinner at the Sky Tower. We had a view of all of town as the dining area rotated as we ate.

Day 8: Hangi & Long Bay

After an exhausting Saturday, Sunday was a day of rest for us. We slept in late and then headed down to south Auckland for a Maori style hangi cooked meal with Michael's relatives. The hangi reminded me of luau food - it was meats smoked with wood chips from the local "tea tree" the Manuka.

After the parted we headed out to Long Bay for a walk along the ocean and the cliff area before heading home to a final dinner in New Zealand.

Day 9: Rangitoto and the Flight Home

On our last day we woke up early to take a ferry to Rangitoto - a dormant volcano that created an island only 600 years ago! We took a tractor train ride up to the top area of the volcano, and then walked around the rim had a snack at the top, before hiking down to the ferry back to town.

Back in town we had wonderful ice cream before heading to the Cultural Museum to see a Maori performance and then have a picnic on the lawn. We loved the WinterGarden and Fernz Fernery.

Then we headed to the airport and home. More pictures can be found in our New Zealand 2010 Picasa Album Arne will be posting more videos soon!

Happy Sundays

2010-02-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

Ever since the New Year's Day engagement, Arne and I have been busy planning out wedding, planning the trip to New Zealand, and just enjoying weekends in the bay area.

We now have our save the date card all sent out

the ring is sized perfectly for me

and we are enjoying life with the dogs.

On SuperBowl Sunday, we gave them a wash, played in the courtyard, then went to the city and a big tower for a SuperBowl party. It was a great day that Arne captured with his cool new video camera.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-27T10:58:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with my family (Mom, Frances, Sherry, Jan, Jim, Matt, Alex, Bob, Warren, Ann) and Arne's Parents (Julie and Bob). Bogey and Summer greeted everyone at the door with barks.

Arne and I cooked up Turkey, stuffing, gravy and whipped potatoes. Mom brought some appetizers and cranberry sauce (homemade and from a can). Jim brought wine. Julie made rolls, beans and beets. Jan made roasted vegetables. Sherry brought holiday salad. Frances made a mince pie and Matt made pumpkin and hickory nut pie (so GOOD). Bob made vanilla ice cream. Alex brought coffee. We used my old curtain homemade (someone made for me, because I don't iron or sew straight) napkins and place mats. It was a wonderful meal.

Arne's Dad took an amazing set of pictures of the day: Bob's Pictures and we took a few pictures too: Arne's Pictures

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Italian Cooking Adventure with Mom

2009-10-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

For my 35th birthday, my Mom took me on an amazing adventure to Italy - cooking school at Torre del Tartufo.

Friday Arrival in Florence

Arne and Bogey said goodbye on Thursday morning. Mom and I flew out Thursday afternoon, and after a connection in Frankfurt, arrived in Florence.

Our first outing for the trip was to climb to the top of the Duomo Dome for a view of all of Florence. We stayed to watch the sunset and it was totally worth climbing the 463 steps.

We then got the first of our gelatos before wandering around and eventually finding a dinner place in the Plaza Republica. We had arrived in Italy - the land of good food and wine.

Saturday Exploration of Florence

I was lucky that Mom made reservations to the Uffizi and Accademia. We wandered down to the river and took an early look at the Ponte Vecchio before exploring the Uffizi.

After a quick bite of food we went to see David. It was great to see the big sculpture.

After David, we wandered through town and the central market before exploring the Santa Maria Novella.

We had an awesome local dinner at a place described in one of Mom's guidebooks.

And then on the way back to the hotel, we got our third gelato of the night, before visiting a lovely art showing on the way back to the hotel.

Sunday More Florence and Travel to Torre del Tartufo

Sunday started off slower, but after a wonderful breakfast, we headed out to see the Medici Chapels and then the Boboli Gardens in behind the Pitti Place.

Then we headed over to the train station for an hour ride to Arezzo. A cab took us up a very intense gravel hill to the absolutely delightful property of Torre del Tartufo.

Our first night, we had a great 4 course meal prepared by the previous weeks students. After every meal, dozens of liquors were put out for us to try. Cream Lemoncello was Mom's favorite.

Monday: First Day of Cooking

We spent the morning relaxing. After days of being on the go, it was nice to just hang out at the beautiful site before class. For the first 3 days of class, the core group of Mom & Me, Peg & Dana, Mimi & Annie, were joined by newlyweds Dion and Amanda, and Joe and Julie.

The cooking was very hands on. I worked with Amanda on the pasta course, which was this wonderful eggplant spaghetti dish. After working on our courses we all made pizza dough for the Tuesday pizza lunch.

After cooking, we sat down for a lovely 4 course meal. The first course Mom made, and it was this lovely artichoke salad in a parmesan cup. Then it was our pasta course, followed by rolled chicken, and finally a tiramisu for dessert. It was a great first meal made by us!

Tuesday: Car Rental, Arezzo, and more Cooking

Tuesday morning we took a cab into Arezzo and rented a car. We got the cutest little Fiat Panda. Then with Mimi and Annie, we explored Arezzo and all the amazing art frescos of Piero della Francesca on the walls of the churches.

Once back at Torre, we made pizza with our dough.

After lunch, we had a five hour class where I made a pork dish with Julie, cleaned mushrooms with Pam and then the 3 of us worked on the wild boar stew.

After this, everyone made squash ravioli from scratch! Our four course meal was stuffed tomatoes, squash ravioli, the pork dish I helped make, and then a pound cake with homemade gelato for dessert.

Wednesday: Group Outing Day

We woke up to rain on the day of our group outing, but this did not keep us from having an amazing day exploring the region. First, we visited a cheese farm, called Casa Pallino and got a demo on how pecorino is made.

Everyone loved the cheese and we bought some to take home. Then we headed to a wool shop, where I got a lovely hat, made from Casentino Wool.

Our next stop was the Castello di Porcano, where the lady of the castle gave us a tour and lunch in the tower.

After the castle, we stopped by a ceramic factory, and then headed to an old renaissance home called Villa La Ripa for a wine tasting. The vintner charmed the whole group with his sangiovese wines.

Thursday: Angahri and Cooking

In the morning we drove to Angahri and a little place outside of town called Ravagni, where Francesco showed us how to make olive oil and we did a tasting. Everyone loved the basil olive oil.

We then headed into Angahri and enjoyed exploring the old town and the Busatti linen factory.

Then it was time to cook. I worked with Pam and Annie, and we made desserts, a grandma's cake, chocolate pudding, cookies, pie, and a main course of chicken with fennel.

Mom made the most amazing eggplant parmesan, although it did take a long time to create.

Our meal was the eggplant dish, Pasta Fazoli, the turkey dish, and then chocolate pudding cake for dessert.

Friday: Day Off Visit to Siena

Friday was our day off, so Mom and I headed out of our little region to Siena. Neither of us had ever seen the city. It was a long drive (and a horror trying to find parking) but it was worth it once we made it there.

The cathedral was a wonderful cacophony of art and we were in the season where the inlayed floors were all visible. Amazing.

We both climbed up to the ramparts for a view of the area.

Then it was off to the central square for a lovely lunch.

The drive was worth it for the lovely little city.

Saturday: Cortona and Cooking

Mom and I got up early and headed out to Cortona, a lovely old town.

In Cortona, before we left we got some great cheese to bring home.

Then it was time for our final cooking adventure, with the final six cooks.

The kitchen busted as we cooked up all sorts of yummy things and learned how to debone a fish!

The final four course meal was a pastry and truffle starter, then a pasta with swordfish or octopus, then a trout (that Mom deboned!), and finally a deep fried chestnut crepe.

It was a wonderful final meal

and a great last night in Tuscany.

Sunday: The Long Trip Home

It was fall back morning, so we slept in an extra hour then drove up to the Florence Airport for our connection to Munich and the flight home.

It was a great trip and now I have many amazing recipes to cook for everyone now that I am back!

More Pictures

Arne's First Camp Blue Experience

2009-08-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

This year Arne joined us for Camp Blue. After several years of writing about Camp Blue (2009, 2008, 2007) it was nice to have Arne's perspective on the Lair experience.

Saturday: Arrival

Saturday morning, Mom met us in Palo Alto, and we headed up to the Lair. It was a quick 3 hours up 108 to Camp Blue Road, where we turned off and headed down to our welcome home from Mike White and the Camp Blue Staff.

We set up our tent - number 13 - and were ready for the week.

Sunday: Pool Party and Sunset Hike

Sunday morning Arne and I played some volleyball, and then headed down to the pool party. Arne was not very skilled at inter tube water polo, but still had fun in the water.

After dinner we went on the sunset hike. Unfortunately about 15 miles away there was a fire, but this made for great sunlight and a beautiful sunset.

Monday: Hike

Monday morning, we met up with Ellen Green and headed out to Camp and Bear Lakes. The wildflowers were in bloom on the hike.

Camp Lake was lovely, but we pressed on to the next lake.

Bear Lake was perfect for hanging out and enjoying lunch and a little swim.

We returned to rest and enjoy the Lair.

Tuesday: Paddle Boating and Softball

After breakfast we headed out to Pinecrest with Ken, Julia and Caleb. Mom's friend Marcie joined us on Monday, and she was ready for our paddleboating adventure. The lake was lovely.

And we all had fun swimming in the water.

The boats paddled around the dam and then headed back to the dock.

On the way back, Arne enjoyed hanging with Caleb and Ken in the men's boat!

After paddle boating, it was time for the Staff softball game. I got a home run, a double and a triple!

Then, to top it all off, that night was the 6 person volleyball tournament. Mom and Marcie watched as we won 4 game to win the night!

Go Team! Following Volleyball, we headed up to Pinecrest again to see UP! under the stars. It was a great outdoor movie experience, and a very long day.

Wednesday: Tie Dye and Tournaments

Wednesday was tie-dye day. I got to make lots of fun tie-dye's!

We also spent time in the hammocks...a great addition Arne brought up to the lair.

At dinner, we always tried to eat outside with our friends...it was just so nice out.

Then, at night, there was the burger shack, games, and even puzzles.

Thursday: Volleyball and Softball

Thursday was volleyball versus Gold in the morning. Arne was a real hero for the men and they dominated, crushing Gold.

Then, in the afternoon, it was the staff softball game. It was Arne's first softball game, ever! He got hits and even caught a fly ball for an out at his catcher position.

The team was happy to have him.

Friday: Kayaking and Softball

Friday morning, we got up early and wet out kayaking and swimming on the lake. It was a great morning.

Then Arne stuck around to watch them seed the lake with fish...the whole process was really cool.

I headed back to camp for the Blue vs Gold women's softball team. We crushed Gold 26 - 3, one inning going through our lineup 3 times. I got 2 singles, 2 doubles, and a triple!

That night was the final show and a lot of goodbyes.

Saturday: Returning Home

It was a wonderful week at the lair. Everyone said I made a good choice on my gentle giant Arne. I think it was not just a good choice, but I was lucky to find someone who can love the Lair as much as I do.

Two Weddings, a Birthday, and a Christening, OH MY

2009-07-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

As Summer began, so did travel. It seemed liked everyone had an event we just had to be at, and none of them were local. We traveled to the four corners of the US - West Coast to East Coast, Mexican Boarder to Canadian Border, visiting friends and family for two weddings, a birthday and then a christening!

First Wedding in Malibu

The summer began with a trip down to Mailbu for the June 20th wedding of Melissa and Saul.

I was one of the bridesmaids, my first time as a bridesmaid! It was a lovely ceremony in the hills of Malibu with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

We had a great trip to southern California, taking some time to visit the Getty Villa and hang out at the beach with my friends Tracy and Gary.

Second Wedding in DC

The next weekend we headed out to DC for the wedding of my college advisee Kathryn and Greg.

Yes, it was a vegetable bouquet! It was great to see her and her old roommate Grace Maa and go to a large traditional church wedding that did a great job of reflecting the spirit and faith of the couple.

We were also able to hang out in Tacoma Park, MD with Erik, Arne's brother. It was great to see his house and a bit of DC.

We visited the Air and Space Museum and saw my great-granddad on the wall.

Then we took a pedicab ride around the mall to the portrait gallery.

It was fun hanging out at the gallery, one of Erik's favorite after work spots.

Birthday in Tucson

Fourth of July weekend, after some local berry picking, shopping for furniture, and volleyball, found us heading down to Tucson, AZ for Arne's Aunt Kate's surprise birthday party.

We hung out at Hacienda del Sol and enjoyed the hot Tucson weather, before surprising Kate with our presence in Arizona.

It was a lovely party and a great chance to meet Arne's extended family.

Christening

On July 10th, we headed out to Lake Michigan for a Stockstad family holiday. We flew into Muskegon, MI and Arne's parent picked us up and took us to the Lake House near Benona, MI.

We spent 4 days at the beach, watching sunsets,

diverting water to form oxbow lakes,

having campfires,

and generally enjoying the region.

On Monday morning, we had a christening for Sonja Stokstad.

Arne and I are now godparents for Sonja. It was very special to be asked. Arne's dad took lots of pictures of the event.

Tuesday we returned home to California and to our two dogs who were missing us. It has been a long month of weekend trips - and while wonderful events, it is so nice to be home, enjoying Palo Alto and life in CA.

Yosemite Anniversary

2009-05-26T08:04:00.001-07:00

Arne and I headed back up to Yosemite for Memorial Weekend. Last year during this weekend, we met during a hike in the snow

We arrived in the park around 8, after 5 hours of driving. It was so nice to come while there was still some evening light and get to enjoy the Yosemite Valley.

Saturday: Hike in the Sun

We slept in Saturday morning and then after breakfast in the Curry Village dining hall, headed out on a hike. While we considered the 211 mile hike to Mt. Whitney, we decided instead to just head up to the top of Vernal Falls.

It was a beautiful day filled with the sounds of rushing water. The waterfalls were all in their powerful glory, as the snows were melting.

We rested on the rocks, then looped around for a view of the falls and Nevada Falls.

I like that sunglasses reflect the beauty of Yosemite.

After returning to the village, I checked out the pool, then we got pizza for dinner with a table of Dutch boys. One of the great things in Yosemite is that it is filled with people from all over.

Sunday: Bike Adventures

We rented bikes in the morning and headed out to Happy Isles to check out nature and the Isles. Arne found beautiful flowers to take pictures of.

And we got to enjoy the water.

We then biked up to Mirror Lake - the starting point for last years fated hike to the snow. This year we could see the reflections in the water.

We continued around the park, checking out Yosemite Falls and the Village and learning more about the history of Yosemite.

Then it was home for a nap, before heading down to the Swinging Bridge and dinner with the YSCers. The few miles of walking were lovely, in part because we were far faster then all the cars stuck in traffic.

After dinner, I made s'mores - my favorite camping dessert.

Then it was home for another great nights sleep.

Monday: The Drive Home

Monday morning we got up early, to enjoy morning in the park and leave before the traffic go too bad. The drive out is really lovely.

Even with the sun coming straight at us.

The drive home was uneventful, with a morning stop for breakfast in Groveland and then an easy drive home.

Last year on Memorial day I got Summer dog from the rescue group. This Memorial day, Arne decided he would try to shave her for her summer cut. It was hard and we will now take her to a professional groomer. It turns out she has a huge amount of hair!

It was a wonderful one year anniversary weekend!

Boston and Amanda's Graduation

2009-05-18T08:38:00.001-07:00

Arne and I headed out to Boston for Amanda's graduation from BU and a tour of the greater Boston Area. He had never been there and I wanted to show him all my favorite places and people.

Friday: Red-eye recovery and Graduation

We flew out Thursday night on a red-eye, arriving in Boston at 6:30 AM. We took a cab to my mom's cousin Besty's house in Brookline - our home base for the trip.

After a morning nap, we walked around Brookline Village, and I got to show Arne all my old apartments in town. We had lunch at the Brookline Spa, my favorite place to eat in town. It was nice.

Then, we got dressed up and headed to BU for Amanda's graduation from the BU School of Social Work!

The ceremony was LONG and we (Carter, Amanda's friend Abby, mom, and Arne) waited for Amanda's big moment.

It was good to see her get her Master's in Social Work with a specialty in Trauma. She is one of only a handful of her classmates that has a full time job lined up. She will be continuing to work with refugees from Somalia through Children's Hospital in Boston. Post graduation we enjoyed the reception.

Amanda and Carter

Arne and Me

Mom and Amanda

Then we headed down to the south end for a celebratory dinner.

Arne coming out of the "T" Stop. We then headed through Copley and town to Icarus for dinner.

Karna and Arne by the Library.

Saturday: Nature and Friends

Saturday morning we headed out of town to Walden Pond where we met up with Phoebe, Charlton and Natalie Shen for a walk around Walden Pond and some catching up time.

Karna and Phoebe.

At the Thoreau home site, with thought about how funny his quotes are given that he went home for 3 meals a day and his mom did his laundry while he was out in Nature.

After Walden, we had lunch in downtown Concord, before heading out to Kimball Farms for Ice Cream.

It was so yummy,

and Natalie looked so cute eating her "child size" of vanilla.

Arne visited with the animals, and then we headed back toward town.

Our first stop was a bridal shower for my old advisee Kathryn Getek.

Then we went out to the Arnold Arboretum and spent some time on Lilac Hill.

Karna

Arne

Karna and Arne enjoying the flowers.

Next it was to the home of Mike and Nan, friends from LA, for a Thai feast. Joy and Carl joined us for dinner (other friends from LA) and we all got to catch up.

We headed back to Betsy's and upon entering the house, we set off the alarm! When Mom took them out to a separate dinner, they set the alarm. Luckily we called the restaurant and got the code from Betsy, so when the cop came to the door, I did not look totally silly.

Sunday: Freedom Trail and Travels Home

Sunday was our day to explore Boston. We started by meeting up with Carter and Amanda at the Boston Garden, and checking out the Make Way for Duckling ducks.

Then it was off along the freedom trail, seeing Ben Franklin's memorial,

Dressing up in a colonial hat at the first statehouse,

and then going to Faneuil Hall. After so much walking it was time for lunch. We headed over to the Union Oyster House and ended up at the JFK table for a feast of seafood.

We then wandered to the North end and Paul Revere's house and some more history in the Old North Church, before heading back to Brookline.

Then it was off to the airport and our delayed flight home.

We had a great time and then a wonderful return to the dogs, who had been taken care of by our friends Craig and Lora.

Mendocino Coast Holiday

2009-04-26T21:08:00.001-07:00

On April 24th, I packed up the car with the dogs and picked Arne up at the BART station for the drive north to the Mendocino coast. This was our first trip with the dogs and a great chance to get away for work for a beautiful coastal Holiday.

Friday Afternoon: The Drive North

A few hours north of San Francisco, the Mendocino coast is a really lovely place. We left the 101 at Petaluma and headed west to the coast and then at Bodega Bay started the super windy ride north. As we past the county line for Mendocino, I had Arne play Willie Nelson's song about the Mendocino county line. We were staying just north of the Mendocino county line at the Mar Vista Cottages.

The cottages were cute, and gave us our own small home with the dogs. There was also a garden for me to pick flowers from.

I made us a nice dinner for our 11 month anniversary.

One of the things I made was a pie. It was super yummy, with apples and blackberries. I did not have regular sugar or flour, but made due with the sugar cubes for coffee and some almond slices I remembered to bring up.

We all went to sleep, with Summer and Bogey on their beds in our room.

Saturday: Beach outing

Early in the morning, I got up and took the dogs on a morning walk to the beach. Exploring our local area.

They were so cute going down the long stairs.

The private beach also had a private waterfall!

Later, after a breakfast of just plucked from the hens eggs (they really do taste better), Arne and I spent some time at the beach.

And looked at our beautiful dogs.

Bogey

Summer

My Summer dog got lots of sand all over herself. Then it was back to the cabin, where Arne made me dinner while I read in a chair.

After dinner he finished off the pie.

The late afternoon activity was egg picking. We met all the chickens.

Fed them a bit.

Then picked eggs!

I was nervous about the chickens, but they were nice.

It was another quiet evening in the cabin with our gas fire and a game of Monopoly.

Sunday: Tide Pools and the Ride Home

Arne got up early on Sunday for a super low tide where he could go check out the Abalone and other sea animals.

More animals.

Good picture in the water.

After sleeping in and another breakfast of fresh eggs, we headed back down the coast. Most beaches do not allow dogs, but some county ones do, like Stillwater Cove.

We enjoyed the windy and flowery area.

And all the rocky outcroppings.

Bogey, of course, was beautiful.

and Arne and I got to explore.

So did Summer.

There were some nice flowers too.

After the beach time we headed back south, stopping off at the Petaluma Street Fair and then going out to the cheese factory.

It was good fresh cheese, and a little park.

After many more hours of driving we were home.

I think we need more trips with the dogs!

Valentine's Weekend in Minnesota

2009-02-16T10:44:00.001-08:00

Arne gave me an amazing gift...a valentines weekend in Minnesota. The idea behind this trip was to see Prairie Home Companion live at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Here are some pictures and details on the amazing adventure.

Friday: Heading Out

Friday Morning mom took us down to SFO and while waiting in the NWA Security line, who was 2 people behind us? Garrison Keillor! I noticed the red shoes and Arne noticed the face that is perfect for radio. We boarded the fully packed plane and flew to Minnesota.

Once there, we took a cab to St. Paul and where we were staying - the St. Paul Hotel. It was the perfect hotel for a romantic weekend. After walking around a bit in the cold (it was sunny and in the twenties), we took an afternoon nap before heading over to the Science Museum to see Grand Canyon Adventure, an IMAX movie.

After the movie, on the way back to the hotel (2 blocks), we ran into Cay Hellervick, a local who had some extra box seat tickets to the Celtic Woman concert that was going on at the Ecel Center. For free, we thought why not, and enjoyed a the first half of the lovely concert before heading over to the St. Paul Grill for a great steak dinner and sundae!

Saturday: The Big Day

In the morning, while the sun was out, there was a bit of snow falling...it just sparkled and was the right way to start the day. We headed out to Minneapolis (which is not very close to St. Paul) and after a quick breakfast at SpoonRiver, headed to the Mill Museum. We LOVED the Mill Museum...it was filled with interactive exhibits, we learned about Minnesota's history and about flour. I just had so much fun.

After the Museum, we walked across the Stone Arch Bridge and checked out the waterfall, before going to lunch in an old Minneapolis bar. I had Walleye for lunch. I always thought this was a make believe fish on PHC...but it is real! Then we headed back to St. Paul to get ready for the show.

I loved going to the Fitz, seeing Prairie Home live and just being part of the whole experience. The Valentines show was just so romantic and such fun for us.

After the show we stopped in the Children's Museum to make cookies and play at Clifford the Big Red Dog's party, before going to late dinner at PazzaLuna
. It was the best Valentines ever.

Sunday: Relax and Return

After sleeping in, we headed up to Mickey's for a great breakfast. Then we stumbled upon a Scottish festivel, full of bagpipes and kilts...it was the Scottish Ramble.

After rambling through the Landmark Center, the Schubert Club opened and Arne was able to check out and play lots of old pianos. Very cool.

We then headed to the airport, only to find out our plane was delayed 3 hours due to rain at SFO, so we took that as an opportunity to ride the light rail into downtown Minneapolis for some dinner before the flight home.

All the pictures can be found here: Valentine's Weekend

MLK Weekend in LA

2009-01-20T13:21:00.001-08:00

For MLK weekend, Arne and I headed down to Los Angeles and the Lei-Out beach ultimate tournament. It was a great chance for him to see some of my SoCal friends and me to meet some of his relatives and friends in the area. We were blessed by sunny warm clear weather all weekend.

Friday Night: Heading Down

We dropped the dogs off at our parents homes and then flew down to LA. We headed over to my friend Priya's house in Santa Monica. Once there we walked down to the Promenade and had gelato and hot chocolate and fun.

Saturday: Lei-Out

Saturday morning Priya and I headed down to the beach to play with the Supper Wobbly Amazing Pinata. It was sunny and beautiful out and I just had fun running around in the sand. Arne slept in, then I took a break from ultimate to go have lunch with him on the pier.

After the day of ultimate, we headed out to Arne's friends home in West Hollywood. George lives in a church and it was great for Arne to catch up and meet to get to know one of the characters from Arne's college days.

Sunday: Lei-Out and Dana Point

Sunday morning was more ultimate, where the team just kept winning...until we decided to play no more and just enjoy the day. After the morning of ultimate, Arne and I headed down to Dana Point and his Uncle Richard's house.

On the way we stopped at the Mission San Juan Capistrano, one of my favorite Missions, and then watched the sun set from Dana Point. After dinner with Richard and Myriam , I feel asleep exhausted.

Monday: Heading Home

Monday we had a great breakfast with Arne' aunt and uncle and then headed north. First to meet up with my friend Tracy for a beach walk and lunch, then to the airport.

Sadly, our plane was delayed several hours, but eventually we made it home to the bay area after a great SoCal adventure.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful 2008 and is looking forward to a great 2009. Looking back on my 2008, I can truly say it was one of the more amazing years of my life.

In January, I got settled into my new house in downtown Palo Alto, and started a few house projects to get everything just right in the new home. With some furniture and a new bathtub, it became a great place for me to live - my Forest House.

Over the course of the Spring, Summer, and Fall, I competed in 4 triathlons, from big ones in Hawaii and Wildflower, to some short local sprints. I had a great time swimming and biking, and, well, I ran when needed. I also got into the swing of rowing, competing locally, up in Sacramento, and down in Southern California. All those early morning workouts were worthwhile at the end of the year, when I got another gold medal from a woman's 8 race.

In May, I brought home Summer Doodle, my little Aussie rescue dog. It has been GREAT having such a wonderful addition to my home. She also gets to spend lots of time at mom's house when I am off on work travel - and sometimes she doesn't want to leave the big yard and source of lots of treats!

Work at Intuit has been amazing. I have a level of responsibility and control that I have not had before. It has been great getting to know the different businesses, taking on additional responsibility, running open source programs, and working on my favorite task, M&A. I received various awards throughout the year and feel that I have found a great workplace for me.

Onto the most exciting news, Arne, my boyfriend, moved into the house in Palo Alto! We met over the summer and it has just been amazing having him in my life. You can see some of our adventures here, in the picture book of our first 6 months together: Arne and Karna Photobook He brings to the house, Bogey his beagle, who adds company for Summer during the day.

All in all, 2008 has been great, and I am looking forward to an even more amazing 2009!

End of Summer: Tri at Pacific Grove

2008-09-15T11:33:00.001-07:00

It has been an amazing summer. The trip to Michigan with Arne,

crew regattas,

enjoying my new home, and my dog Summer Doodle.

For the last summery event, Arne and I headed down to Monterey for the Pacific Grove Triathlon. I was doing the sprint distance with my crew teammate Lehmann, and after doing Olympic Distance at Lavaman and Wildflower, I have to say, I think I am a sprinter.

On Sat we headed down, enjoying the sunshine, although it was so pleasant on the drive, Arne fell asleep!

We went to the Aquarium, where I ran into Shelly Straus! I went to nursery school with Shelly and she now lives up in Portland, so it was a real treat to see her and her lovely 2 boys.

After time with the fishes, we checked into our hotel...we were in a 1830's adobe building called Merritt House.

Sat night it was dinner with Lehmann and Jason at Passion Fish - a wonderful meal, and then home to set everything up for the race in the morning.

Sunday morning came and we headed out to the course...

Lehman and I got into our wetsuits, then Arne needed to leave the transition area.

The swim was short (only 400 meters), but through kelp and sometimes called the kelp krawl. While the water was cold, I had a wetsuit and a headcap (with red ear covers) and it was actually a good swim. When I got out of the water it was just as the last wave was entering, making my swim a 9:54 leg.

The bike was a lot of fun. It was 2 6 mile loops around the bike course which went along the water. Each loop I got faster as I tried to overtake more bikers and just kept thinking "light and bright" the way my crew coach tells me to row. I ended the bike section in 44:53 and it felt good.

The run is always tough for me, but since it was only 2 miles, it was a lot easier then the 10k of the Olympic distance. The run was two loops along the water and then a sprint through the finish line in 22:23.

The whole race was over (with transition times) in 1 hour and 23 minutes with a huge smile on my face. I just had such a great time doing this race.

Then is was a lazy afternoon of sleep and shoe shopping before heading home.

Camp Blue and Blue Lake

2008-07-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's late July and it is time for Camp Blue again! This year my sister is in Puerto Rico, so just Mom and I made it up to the Lair along with my friend Julia's family. After the Lair I stayed up in the Sierra's for a little backpacking trip to Blue Lake with my boyfriend Arne.

Saturday - Arrive at the Lair

Around noon on Saturday, mom met up with me and we headed up to the Lair. We had a good drive up, with less traffic then previous years. It was nice to be welcomed home to lair again by Mike White, the Blue manager for the summer.

This year, our tent was #4, with Julia Ken and Caleb right next door in Tent #5! After a relaxing late afternoon at the pool we had some drinks with the Browns' before heading to the dining hall and Thanksgiving Turkey dinner...a Saturday night staple.

Sunday - Walk around the Lake and Settle In

After breakfast I headed out for a walk to Pinecrest Lake and around it. I think this is one of the first times I have hiked around the lake! It was a fun 7 mile outing with the Browns, that ended in an It's It!

The afternoon was interrupted by scattered showers, which were good at dampening down the dust and clearing the air. It was an afternoon for reading in the lodge and an evening for playing card games like Lost Cities and Ticket to Ride.

Monday - Boulder Lake Hike

I went on the Lair hike up to Boulder Lake, which is off of the Clark Fork in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness. It was a beautiful hike up along a riverside through trees and meadows. Once we got to the top, I swam in the lake and then dried on the granite rocks.

Monday night, of course, was Disco Bingo.

Tuesday - Tie Dye

On Tuesday, I introduced Julia to Tie-Dye! She had never done this before. We made a series of shirts for me, her, our friends kids. I even made a matching set for me and Arne.

In the afternoon it was the staff softball game. I was first baseman again, and while it took and extra inning we did will. Then it was back to the art grove for some lanyards and pottery!

Wednesday - Walk to the Lake

After breakfast, I walked by myself over to Pinecrest to read and enjoy some quiet time, while mom played tennis.

It was nice to take a break and just enjoy the lake. I also went down to creakside to see the little memorial marker that has my dad's name. He loved the lair and it is always great to hear stories of him when I return.

In the afternoon, I played 2 on 2 volleyball with Ken. Sadly, we lost our match, but it was fun to participate in the tournament.

Wednesday night was the talent show...so many fun skits, the best being the Class on 2026 (a bunch of 2 year olds painted with cal colors jumping to Who Let the Dogs Out)

Thursday - Mom and the Lake

On Thursday, I played volleyball versus Gold in the morning and then hung by the pool. In the afternoon, we headed back to Pinecrest with our neighbor in Tent #1 for an afternoon by the lake.

We had pre-dinner drinks and music with fellow campers and Mike White.

Thursday night was the best...the Hootanany.

Friday - The Big Game

Friday morning it was time for the softball game. I played 1st and we crushed Gold, 24-0! It was amazing. Part of the reason for this was great hitting (I got a home run), but part of it was excellent fielding from some of our recent high school graduates. It was also nice to hear the guys say how my dad must be watching over me and so proud of my home run.

In the afternoon, I got a henna tattoo on my leg and then headed off to the dining hall for the last dinner of the week. The show was not good this year.

After the show, Arne showed up at the Lair, and got to have his first Lair Burger.

Saturday - Hike up to Blue Lake

Saturday morning, after packing up Mom, Arne and I headed up the Sonora pass to the "trailhead"/pullout for the Blue Lake Trail.

It was a long hike uphill. I don't really like hiking up. This particular hike had the most spectacular array of wildflowers I think I have ever seen...every color, all sorts of types...it was wonderful.

It was great to finally make it to Blue Lake, where we set up camp, had a snowball fight (it seems all of Arne and my hikes include snow), and then after a nap, go for a swim in the freezing cold water!

Sadly, over night the area filled with smoke from the Yosemite fire.

Sunday - The Road Home

In the morning, it was clear again and we headed down to the car on a mildly different path - so more lovely flowers and waterfalls. Then it was a long drive home, with a stop in Pinecrest for a It's It and then singing in the car till the Bay Area.

Once home, I picked up Summer from my coworker Mike's house and prepared to do a lot of laundry! It was a great summer holiday. More pictures can be found here: BLUE.

Tulum with Heather

2008-07-08T08:37:00.001-07:00

For the Fourth of July Holiday, I headed down to Tulum, Mexico (2 hours south of Cancun) to visit my friend Heather Marlow, who was living and working at Zamas, a small resort on the beach.

Thursday: Arrive in Mexico

I left California Wednesday night, leaving my new dog Summer with my Mom, and flying first to Chicago and then to Cancun Mexico. When I arrived in Mexico, there was a man with my name on a sign, and I got a ride down the Riviera Maya to Tulum. When I arrived at Zamas, Heather was there to great me and show me around her place.

We swam in the ocean and then headed down the beach to La Zebra for some Salsa lessons. After 30 minutes of lessons, I needed a break, so I rested in a hammock on the beach. We headed back to Zamas, because that night was Salsa dancing night at Zamas, with a live band. It was fun to salsa and dance and play on the stage, reminiscent of many other trips with heather (San Diego, Hawaii, Caribean, now Mexico). I was worn out after dancing and ready for bed.

Friday: Everything Under the Sun

Friday turned into a day in which it felt like we did everything. We started the day by going into to town to look at a map of land for sale...the Mayans were recentally granted land and were now selling it. It turns out the piece being offered was several kilometers into the jungle, so not the best option, but it was interesting to see the parcels and the places.

Next we headed out to the Tulum Mayan ruins. I had been here before, 6 years ago with my mom and sister, and it was fun to come back and check out the cool ruins and also go swimming in the ocean. Tulum was a trading center and has some amazing old buildings.

After a lunch in Tulum town, we went out to Grand Cenote, one of the fresh water pools/caves, for a swim in cool water and afternoon siesta. Once back at Zamas, Heather showed off her organic garden.

We headed into town for a lovely meal before going dancing at Mezzinene - the friday night party place, with a number of Heather's local friends. I was exhaused by the end of the day.

Saturday: Day of Rest

Saturday was a wonderful day of rest. We slept in then headed down to Ocho Tulum to hang on the beach and enjoy the waves. The water is just wonderful, warm and salty and filled with fish.

That afternoon, we went to Maya Tulum for a Yoga class. It was a very relaxing and peaceful yoga class. My life got even better when following the yoga class I got a 90 minute massage out on the back porch of Heather's home.

That night we walked along the beach and then had an amazing meal at the best restaurant in Tulum, Santa Maragrita.

There is very little "Mexican" food in Tulum, it is mostly Italian and Argentinian, reflecting the tourists who came and then stayed. We had pasta and a "salt water" Fish. I got the recipe for the fish and will need to try it at home.

Sunday: Cheeseburgers in Paradise

On Sunday, after breakfast in town, we headed down to Punta Allen. Zamas is on the road to Punta Allen, and after the cabana resorts, there is a biological reserve. The reserve is beautiful, filled with jungle, a lagoon, and beaches.

We stopped at the bridge between the sea and the lagoon, and then headed to Sol Carib, 7 KM north of Punta Allen. Heather called this place Cheeseburgers in Paradise, because it is a paradise.

Beautiful beach, 4 bungalows, and the best cheeseburger I have had in years. SO GOOD.

We had a peaceful afternoon, reading, resting, and swimming. Then it was a quite final night at Zamas.

Monday: Going Home

Monday morning, I went for a swim, then had my favorite breakfast - Huevos Rancheros Zamas style.

Then it was time to say goodbye and head back to the airport in Cancun for the long trip home.

I had such a wonderful time in Tulum, meeting the local dancers and workers, lounging on the beach and just relaxing. I feel so lucky to know Heather and get to spend some time in her little slice of Paradise. Plus, they had 3 dogs to feed and play with, and puppies always make me happy. More Pictures.

Yosemite and Summer

2008-05-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

I had an adventure during Memorial Weekend!

Drive up to Yosemite

Friday night after work, I headed up to the Dublin Bart Station to meet Gabriella and Alexandra, two Swedish Nannies from the city. I was giving them a ride to the YSC Yosemite Trip.

We got up to Yosemite around 11PM and checked into our cabins at Curry Village. I was in Tent 61 with Petra, Mari, and Alice.

Saturday Hike and Snow

Saturday morning we got up too early (6AM!) and then met up with other YSCers for breakfast and hike planning. Because of the overcast weather, hiking Half Dome was out, so the group decided instead to do the North Dome hike to Yosemite Falls.

As we started out, we saw some of the beautiful valley.

We then headed up the side of the hill. It was a long hike up and it turns out I really do not like up, although it is fun to look down into the valley.

Eventually we made it up several thousand feet of elevation gain to a long flat part of the hike. We walked by a rushing river that was very full. Mari posed by one of them as it started to rain a bit.

As we continued the rain turned to snow, and then it just kept snowing. The group was ill prepared for snow, with some people even in shorts!

At this point, Arne (the guy in shorts) and I decided to head back down the mountain. After a mile or so of hiking and having the path covered by snow, we found our marker.

We then just went as fast as we could down the hill, stopping for some pictures.

Once we made it down, it was time for a hot shower and a restful afternoon. I don't think I was ready for 6 plus hours of hiking in the snow. I went to the lodge to read and relax. At the YSC happy hour, we found out that Petra and another guy got lost on the mountain and called 911 for a mountain rescue. Luckily, they were found by the recuse team and made it out safely. As Petra said the next morning, never listen to a guy when he says he knows the way.

Sunday Enjoying the Valley

After an exciting Saturday, all I wanted to do was relax on Sunday. I got up late and then went for a walk around the valley. We checked out all the cool moss covered rocks.

After lunch in the Ahwahnee I finally saw Yosemite Falls! The last time I was in Yosemite Valley I was young - probably 10ish and so much of the valley was new to me.

After an afternoon of reading, we headed out to the YSC BBQ. It was damp, but no longer raining and a lot of fun with accordion playing, wandering deer, s'mores and even a baby bear.

Monday Come Home and Pick up My New Dog

Monday morning came and it was time for leftovers for breakfast and a long drive out back. Gabriella and Alexandra cleaned their tent and then we headed to the car.

As we were leaving, we saw hints of blue sky and a few more waterfalls and scenic sights.

Then, once I made it home I went over to Fremont to the home of a dog rescue group and picked up Summer. Summer is a 4-5 year old Australian Shepard who was abandoned down in Hollister. She is now my dog. More pictures can be found here.

When I moved back to California I had four goals: get a home, get fit, learn my job and get a dog. With the completion of my house projects, two triathlons and a regatta to get me more fit, and getting more settled into my job, brining Summer home completed my goals. Hooray. Now I just need to come up with version 2.0 of goals.

Memorial weekend was a great long weekend to start off the summer! I am looking forward to all my future adventures.

Arizona Sun and Fun

2008-04-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

At the end of April, I headed out to Phoenix to meet up with Jessica Block for a weekend Adventure in Arizona.

Saturday: Canoing in the Verde Valley

Jess made some fresh squeezed orange juice and we headed off early to the Verde Valley. We were going to the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival where Jess was an instructor in a canoing class. I got to take the class.

The morning was spent learning canoing, which was great for me, since the last time I tried to canoe my boyfriend Kevin spent all the time paddling while I slept!

After a nice lunch, we headed down the Verde river. We did crash and flip the boat ( making for a wonderful dip in the cooling water) and run into a few trees and rocks.

Overall it was a wonderful day in a surprisingly lush location.

After the trip, we headed up to the Colorado Plateau and Sedona. I loved the Colorado Plateau on my drive cross country - all those great red mountains in Utah, so it was great to get to see them again here in Arizona. Once we arrived in Sedona, we watched the sunset over a quick dinner and then fell asleep. It had been a long day.

Sunday: Hiking the Vortexes in Sedona

Sunday was a morning to sleep in. We drove by and stopped at the Bell Rock Vortex.

Then we headed out to Boynton Canyon. Boynton Canyon is considered the most "electro-magnetic" and most powerful of the four vortexes in Sedona. We went on a 5 mile hike through the canyon.

Hydration is very important in Arizona!

Given the heat of Arizona, it was nice for much of the hike to be in the shade of trees, before hiking above them for a view of the canyons.

After the hike, we got some treats in downtown Sedona, before heading back to Phoenix and the airport. I had such a great time just relaxing and unwinding and enjoying the beauty of being outside.

It was a wonderful weekend and a good chance to me to reconnect with Jessica and the beauty of the Southwest.

Lavaman!

2008-04-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

On Friday April 4th, I headed out to Hawaii with Team in Training to compete in the Olympic Distance Lavaman Triathlon. Over the last 5 months I have trained with the group and raised over $5500 in donations for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Flying to Hawaii

After a quiet morning, Mom drove me to the airport and I hung out with the group and then boarded a United Airlines flight to Kona, Hawaii. Luckily the team was booked on United, because in the days leading up to the race both Aloha and ATA went out of business, leaving many people scrambling for how to get to Hawaii.

We landed and then headed to the Hilton Waikoloa Village, the host of the race and our hotel. Waikoloa Village is where my mom has a timeshare, so I have actually been to this area before. It is beautiful.

Race Prep and Fun

I woke up early, ready to go get my bike that had been shipped separately. The Team in Training group was divided into several mentor groups and mine was headed by Colleen.

We got our bikes and then went for a swim where the race would take place. The water was amazing. It was warm and filled with beautiful tropical fish and sea turtles. It was great to get to go for a swim in the ocean.

Then it was back to the hotel for a relaxing day. I wandered around the hotel, used the various pools and water slides, and just took in the beauty that is Hawaii.

That night was a big dinner for all the LLS fundraisers. We heard some inspiring speeches and at lots of pasta.

Race Day

Sunday, I was up early and headed out the door to the race!

We met at the beach and Kelli and I posed for a picture before getting into the water.

It was a great race. The mile swim was a big M and I stayed with the pack until the last leg of the M. Really, what this means is that I got kicked and hit by a pretty vicious group of women until the final leg. I finished the swim in under 40 minutes! Go me.

Next was the bike, and this bike ride was along part of the path of the Hawaiian Ironman route. Unlike our training, which was on hills, the course only had a 300 foot elevation gain, so it was not that hard. Still, 25 miles of bike riding is 25 miles and it was hard to stay focused when there were cool lavafields and views of the ocean as we went along. I finished this leg in 1:37, which is about 15.7 miles per hour.

Last was the run. Now the run is my least favorite thing to do and it was getting really hot, but I began to head out. Just after I started I met up with one of my teammates Pam who was also not very excited about the run. We ran together for the whole course, inspiring each other to keep going. She said it was like she was on a bungee cord and I was dragging her along. The course was hot asphalt and then lavarocks and sand. Not the most fun, but after 6 miles in 1:23 hours I got to cross the finish line! Hooray. My total race time with transitions was 3:42:56 putting me in 522 place or 40th place in my age group. Here are the full Results.

(I started with the second wave, which is why the clock says 3:52)

After the race we hung out at the beach, eating BBQ and swimming, before heading back to the hotel for a celebration dinner. My roommate Bea and I had a lovely walk back to the hotel along the last mile of the course.

After cleaning up I realized I was not very good with the sunblock, as the 68 in my 168 was reverse burned into my arm.

The celebration dinner was fun. Everyone was dressed up. Here is Pam and our coach Mike (who came in 7th overall and first in his age group).

Returning to California

Monday morning I got up early and headed back to the beach and the ocean for one last swim. I love the warm salty water.

Then we were off to the airport, and after a 6 hour delay, finally got on the plane and headed for home.

A wonderful adventure. I will add in pictures of the race as I get them from others.

Woodshop

2008-03-18T11:13:00.001-07:00

So far it has been a great 2008. This is just a little update on my local adventures, since I haven't gone on any big trips.

Woodshop!

I took a woodshop class at Palo Alto High School on Monday nights. It was so much fun to learn about wood and all the tools in the shop. I made 3 cutting boards and a centerpiece. This class gave me a new appreciation for how difficult it is make cool wood things. My projects:

Brunch at my House!

Last weekend I had a brunch is my now fully furnished downstairs. It was great to have people over to my house and get to show off my lovely new table and cook lots of yummy food.

Eating at the table:

Ally's kids playing in the dirt.

I have just filled my planters with soil and am looking forward to planting some tomatoes and herbs.

Getting ready for Lavaman 2008!

I am almost all set for the Lavaman Olympic distance Triathlon in Hawaii the first weekend in April. Earlier this month I did the Stanford Treeathalon, which was a great chance for me to practice doing a real tri. I even got to wear my cool wetsuit!

And since I raised over $5500, I am all done with fundraising and just focusing on continuing to workout until the race. All along I have also been rowing crew, and I am also looking forward to spring season of sprints.

That is the update for now.

Homeownership!

2007-12-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

I am now a homeowner! I spent my first 2 months back in the Bay Area settling into the new job at Intuit, getting started exercising again by rowing crew at BIAC and training for the Lavaman 2008 Triathlon with Team in Training, and buying a house. You can see more about my new house here - Forest House.

I am looking forward to an amazing 2008, although I will probably be going on fewer trips around the world. I may use this space to do some retrospective pieces on my travels pre-2005, so you can see pictures from the wonders of Southeast Asia, China, Costa Rica, Europe and so much more.

The Trip West

2007-09-27T01:09:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday September 26th the movers came, and it took 5 people (2 were crating my TV) less then 3 hours to pack and move out all 75 tagged items of stuff. I saw and said goodbye to many friends, including going to Mike Ching's birthday, before heading back to my home in Brookline for the last time.

Day 1: Brookline, MA - Bedford, MA (32 miles)

My first day on the road, I just headed up to my friend Phoebe Shen's house for a day of hanging out before the real driving begins.

It was so nice to see Natalie in the tie-dye I made for her at Camp Blue, play ultimate with Phoebe, and just relax for a day with not very much to do. I needed this to gear up for the big drive.

Day 2: Bedford, MA - Niagara Falls, NY (470 miles)

This was my first big day of driving. I headed out along the Mass Pike, and just kept going on 90 through New York. After many hours, I stopped in Seneca Fall, thinking it would be nice to see the birthplace of American Women's Rights. It was interesting to see the now very small town, that once was the center of very forward thinking. I cannot help but think that the world has changed a lot since that time, but yet many women are still in a similar state.

Then I headed onto my first destination, Niagara Falls. I had never been and wanted to see the falls. It was nice to just be a tourist for the evening. I went on the Maid of the Mist tour, the Caves of the Wind, and then after checking into a hotel, I walked to Canada! It was cool to walk across a bridge into Canada, and this time I remembered my passport. In Canada, I rode the big Ferris wheel, went to the top of the space needle, and watched fireworks! Yes, Canada put on fireworks on Friday nights, so I got to enjoy them over the lit falls, before walking back to the United States and sleep.

Day 3: Niagara Fall, NY - Benton Harbor, MI (450 miles)

The next morning, I went to see the International Kite Festival, before making my trip west into a cross-continent journey by driving through Ontario to Michigan. This time at the boarder, they did not even look at my passport or any ID while questioning me as I passed.

Michigan was lovely, with more trees then I expected. I think I have only seen the airport in Detroit before, so it was great to see more of the countryside. I stopped in Ann Arbor for late lunch, and then headed out to Benton Harbor, MI on Lake Michigan for the night.

There were just so many trees up until this point on my trip. The freeways were lined with trees, which are really my strongest association with the east.

Day 4: Benton Harbor, MI - Galesburg, IL (270 miles)

Then next morning I headed out to Indiana and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, before heading out to Galesburg, IL, my mom's hometown.

Before meeting up with the Bengtson's (my mom's cousin), I went to my mom's home from growing up. The current owners gave me a tour and told stories about their memories of my grandfather. It was nice to see where she grew up and the house her family built.

I then met Jan Bengtson for dinner before heading out to his and his wife Darlene’s home on Lake Bracken.

Day 5: Galesburg, IL

In the morning Jan fed the fish in the lake and after breakfast we headed out on an exploration. First off was the home of Carl Sandburg, a place my grandfather helped to restore. Then we headed to First Lutheran, where my mom and aunt, and all the Galesburg relatives were confirmed.

Jan's mom made the relief over the entry. Back in the day, there was a great schism, when the English service people broke away and created their own Lutheran church across the street. First Lutheran remained a Swedish speaking church until after WWI. It seems lots of immigrants in the past have held onto their home languages, and my great grandmother Emma never fully learned English.

We then went out to the Cemetery to see the gravestones and on the way back saw schools and homes that great-grandfather John built. Back in the day he also built a home for his bride Emma, and it was just after they were married that he brought her home to his finished and fully furnished place that he had been making on his free Saturday afternoons.

We then picked up cousin Peggy and went out to Bishop Hill for the good Swedish meatballs and Swedish rye bread. It was a great meal. Darlene then humored me and we went up to Moline to visit the John Deere museum. It was great to see all the big tractors and farm equipment. I was really in the middle of farmland, with corn, soy, and some wheat, as far as you could see.

While in Galesburg, we watched the trains, and headed out to see the hump. According to Jan, humping is for the morning.

It was warm enough, so in the early evening, we took the pontoon boat on Lake Bracken. It was fun to drive around outside.

Day 6: Galesburg, IL - Wall, SD (800 miles)

This was my major day of driving. I headed out at dawn, and then drove for what seemed like forever. Iowa has farms; and after Des Moines, it had rain. It just poured until I made it to South Dakota.

In South Dakota, I went by the corn palace and then drove west some more, coming to the Badlands, just as the sun was setting. Being in the wide-open spaces and seeing the cool structure of the Badlands, made me feel like I was home, I was finally in the West. The east had trees, the Midwest had corn, and the west had big sky. I finally felt like I was home.

I spent the night in Wall, SD, exhausted after such a long drive, and a bit shook up after a deer ran into the back of my car as I was leaving the Badlands (car, deer, and me, all just fine). I slept well.

Day 7: Wall, SD - Boulder, CO (460 miles)

I had breakfast at the famous Wall Drug, before heading out to see Mt. Rushmore.

After a quick stop there, I went down to Crazy Horse. This was an awesome monument. I took the bus tour (and was the only person on it) and enjoyed just checking out the site. I think growing up in California, I was just not really aware of how many tribes of Native Americans there are in the US. The east coast has towns and places named for tribes, the tribes are all over the middle of the country, but I am just starting to glimpse the diversity of tribes.

Then I drove through Wind Cave National Park on my way to Hot Springs, SD and the Mammoth Site. It was great to see the archeology pit and learn more about the great mammals that used to roam the Americas. I really enjoyed the Black Hills and think they are a great American treasure.

I continued south though Wyoming. I loved the cottonwoods that were all turning yellow along the rivers, before making it to my mom's sister’s home in Boulder, CO.

Day 8: Boulder, CO

It was a great day of rest with Aunt Francie. After her Chinese class, we walked down to the mall, checked out her paining at her temple and enjoyed a sunny warm day. The ice cream truck even came by the house while I was sitting on the porch and reading.

That night we went to a movie, the Boys of Baraka. It was a sad look at how the public schools and families are failing. I am lucky for my family and my education.

Day 9: My Birthday in Boulder, CO

Today I turned 33 and had another lovely day in Boulder. It was nice to not drive at all. I went for a walk up on Chautauqua in the morning. I then had lunch with my Uncle Walter down in town.

During the afternoon Francie and I baked me a cake, White Cake, Lemon Curd filling, and butter cream frosting. Yummy.

That night, my friend Kari, another IBM alum, and mom's cousin Sally and her husband came up to Boulder for a family dinner. It was great to catch up with Kari and see Sally.

It was a good birthday.

Day 10: Boulder, CO - Galisteo, NM (425 miles)

After a pancake breakfast, I continued my drive south on 25, until I could not take the traffic anymore. Not since Detroit had I dealt with so many cars. So, I left the interstate for a scenic byway that took me up through Taos. Taos had a wool fair going on. Seeing all the wool made me wish I knew anything about knitting.

In the evening, I made it to Galisteo and my great aunt Moira's home on The Hill. This was the one point of overlap with my Trip East.

Day 11: Galisteo, NM

Today was Moira's daughters wedding. After setting up her backyard, I went out with Frank (the groom) and the best man, on an exploration of the local hogsback and the petroglyphs.

Tersh climbing a tree to hang lights.

The bride and groom.

Bride's brothers.

Ant and Me.

The wedding was just lovely, and then we had a party with the Frank's family, and I got to spend a lot of time with Tilly's brothers.The best part of hanging out was hearing all the stories from Moira about my grandmother Eddie. She may have been 8 years younger, but she had many good things to say about grandma.

Day 12: Galisteo, NM - Cortez, CO (300 miles)

After breakfast with Moira, I headed up to the Colorado Plateau and Cortez, CO. I was going to see Vince and Nancy Lee from my Peru trip. They have a home on the edge of the Canyons of the Ancients.

After my arrival, Nancy and I went into town for her appointments, and I had a wonderful lunch at Let it Grow, a recommendation from the Maid of Honor at the wedding.

Back at the ranch, Vince showed me around, taught me about the Pueblo people (I, II, and III), and showed me his excavations of a Pueblo II kiva.

It was nice to see them and their beautiful home.

Day 13: Cortez, CO - Moab, UT (150 miles, via Hovenweep)

In the morning, I continued on Avenue G toward Hovenweep. Here I bought my National Parks pass, and walked around the Pueblo III site.

After Hovenweep, I headed up to Moab, UT. I loved seeing the Lasal Mountains as I headed into town. After checking into a hotel, I went out to Arches National Park. I think the southwest adds to the vocabulary of beautiful. It was just great to see all the huge natural sandstone structures. Nature is an amazing artist.

That night, I went on the sound and light tour of the canyons, after a cowboy style dutch oven dinner. It was really great food and wonderful to see all the stars. The tour gave me a good lesson on local people and geographic events.

Day 14: Moab, UT - Springdale, UT (350 miles)

This felt like my second longest day, as I visited too much and was on too many scenic routes twisting through mountain sides.. I started the morning checking out Arches at Dawn, and seeing the much photographed delicate arch. I then headed out to Capitol Reef National Park. I really like Capitol Reef. I stopped at a farm in the middle and had strawberry rhubarb pie, and just found the whole place fun.

The trees had turned yellow in Dixie National Park and I felt like I never left national land, as the Grand Staircase National Monument connected with Dixie and all the other sites I visited.

I headed down to Bryce Canyon, or more correctly amphitheater. Getting there took me up through Dixie National Forest (up to 9600 ft). I like the Hoodoos and seeing how nature can create amazing structures.

Then, I drove to Zion and there I fell in love with the grand rocks. I drove through the park and was just in awe. The sun was setting and it was a glorious place to arrive. As I checked into a place, and headed to dinner, the hills were red with the evening light and just gorgeous.

Day 15: Springdale, UT - Death Valley, CA (400 miles, via Hoover Dam)

In the morning, I took the bus up to the top of Zion, and walked along the canyon, seeing weeping rocks and high mountain swamps. I got off at several stops, walking to the Emerald Pools, and just sitting out enjoying the blue sky, sun, trees, and rocks. I felt peaceful and happy.

For the afternoon I headed down to the Hoover Dam. I have wanted to see this civil engineering feat for a while now, and was happy I got to see the dam, the power plan, and a man made wonder. I loved how the dam was done in an art deco style.

Leaving the Dam, I decided I wanted to see Death Valley, so I called for a reservation at the Furnace Creek Ranch and headed into the park. I arrive just as it was dark, which was perfect timing for the weather. I was able to swim in the hot spring pool, and marvel at the desert.

Day 16: Death Valley, CA - Millbrae, CA (450 miles, via Yosemite)

In the morning I headed out to Badwater, the lowest place in the Americas, and then I checked out the sand dunes. I liked Death Valley a lot, but before it got too hot, I winded my way out of it's mountains and headed north. Heading north on the high desert, I saw King's Canyon and Mt. Whitney to my left. I love big mountains.

I then headed west through Yosemite on Tioga Pass to home. Yosemite was like Zion, but in granite instead of sandstone. Another awesome place. It was after leaving the park that it decided to rain. Even with the rain, I was still able to make it home to Millbrae.

I had an awesome trip west. I am so happy I took the time to explore America and the National Parks of the Southwest. 4750 miles and 80 hours of driving later I feel so inspired by my country.

Many pictures from the trip: Trip Pictures
Pictures from the Wedding: Wedding Pictures

Kenya: Enjoying Africa

2007-09-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Day 0/1: Travel to Kenya

I left for Kenya on a Friday night, 8 days after I bought a ticket. I was excited for my first trip to Africa, although I had made very few plans. I just assumed that after 18 hours of travel (KLM through Amsterdam), when I arrived in Nairobi that a driver would meet me and taken to my hotel and all would work out well - and it did. I made it safely to Africa by Saturday night.

Day 2: Rest in Nairobi

I was staying at the Methodist Guest House in the Lavington suburb of Nairobi. Sunday was very much a day of rest, spent reading books, sitting by the pool and just adjusting to a new time zone. I have not had a day without worry in a long time, and I think I needed the break and chance to work on relaxing. This was the start of a real holiday.

Day 3: Lulu Works and Value Chain Analysis

Monday morning came and Jimmy picked Adina and I up at the hotel and took us two blocks to the Lulu Works site. I was there to meet up with the Belknap family (brother and sister in law of one of my old IBM co-workers Will) and Adina was there to help the Lulu team do a Value Chain Analysis and Mapping as part of a case study on NGO efforts in conflict areas. It was interesting to learn about the history and economics of working and aid in this region.

Lulu Team

After the day of work, Adina and I walked down the road to an Ethiopian restaurant for dinner. It was amazing food and a good chance to hang out Nairobi style.

Day 4: Nairobi Exploration

Tuesday was my chance for a grand adventure in Nairobi. I hired a driver for the day and set out to explore in the area. First stop was the Tuesday Maasai Market. I wandered through the market buying gifts for friends and family and just enjoying all of the people and colorful crafts around me.

After grabbing some pineapple from a vendor, we headed out to the Nairobi Game Park and the Animal Orphanage. Here I got to see some rescued animals and even pet a cheetah. I am not sure this is really allowed, but it was cool to do. It turns out their fur is not very soft but more bristly then I expected.

After this we headed out to the Giraffe Center. I loved this place, mostly because it was so cool to feed the giraffes, give them a hug, and have them lick you. They are such gentle creatures.

On the way back to Nairobi, we stopped by the Karen Blixen House (author of Out of Africa), for a look at early 1900's life in Kenya for the whites. Then it was back to Nairobi to meet up with the Lulu team for dinner.

Day 5: Nairobi to Nakuru

I spent the morning at the Lulu Works site, reading The Zanzibar Chest, a good book on the regional conflicts written by a Kenya born Brit. I know there has been conflict in the regional and I knew the colonists had reshaped the area, but being and reading about the region made me realize how unsettled the region is and just the shear amount of British influence - from clothes to schooling - the "West" is not American, but the impact of the British colonial system.

In the afternoon, Kristina and I drove the 100 miles to Nakuru. Now this should have taken 2 hours, but there were a number of diversions onto rutted dirt roads, so it took almost 4 hours. We went up a hill, and then down into the Rift Valley. It is absolutely beautiful. This is the Africa of the Lion Kin. Mountains, lakes, and trees I had never seen before. I loved it.

The sun was setting through the clouds, as it had been raining a lot. This rain was unseasonable and had led to flooding in Uganda. Luckily, Wednesday was the last day of rain during my trip and the country had a chance to dry out.

Around dark we arrived at the JB compound. It was good to arrive and sleep.

Day 6: Rest in Nakuru

It was another day of holiday, sitting outside with the dogs, reading and enjoying peace in Nakuru. The JB compound has 5 families and the JB Drilling group, described by one worker as “a private borehole water drilling company which operates three rigs in Kenya and 10 in Sudan. On site, I learn about drilling techniques and the art of diesel mechanics, and have learned how to drive a variety of trucks.”

During the morning I read A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali, by Gil Countemanche. It was an amazing, but depressing look at Rwanda.

Walking around the compound, one of the plants I really liked was the Euphorbia Candelabrum - it looks like a cactus on top of a tree trunk! So cool.

In the evening, Kristina and I went for a walk up to the Rifle Range, just outside of the Nakuru Game Park.

Day 7: Nakuru and Operation Sugar

On Friday, I watched some of the Lulu Works ladies work on a Lulu Life order. They had a formulation area in the compound.

One of the orders was for some Sugar Scrub, and they needed 70kg of Brown Sugar, so Kristina and I headed to town to find some Sugar. We visited several markets, before finding a distributor with course enough sugar for the scrub.

On the way back to the compound we passed by one of the drilling sites. It was great to see the actual drilling site and what it looks like to drill boreholes.

That night, we walked the dogs along the old Delemere land. When we were driving from Nairobi to Nakuru, we stopped at the Delemere dairy farm for Milk and Yogurt. Lord Delemere owns quite a lot of land in Kenya and is slowly selling it off to get cash.

It was nice to see all the trees in the evening light, although a bit sad to think all of this land will probably have home on it by the time I return to Kenya.

Day 8: Nakuru Game Park

Saturday morning we headed out to the Nakuru Game Park, one of the most visited sites in all of Kenya, with arguably the best animal viewing. I certainly thought all the animals were amazing.

There were baboons and many types of gazelles and elk.

This is also the site of a huge number of pink flamingos. There are literally thousands, although the number may be getting smaller, as we saw a hyena eating one.

There were also many buffalo sitting and walking around.

I enjoyed all of the Zebra, they seemed to be everywhere.

This park is know as a Rhino sanctuary, and we were lucky to see several with their young.

We stopped at the Makalia Waterfalls, which were overflowing with water given all the recent rains. Usually during this season, you can walk behind a trickle, but that was just not possible with the roar of water we saw.

After the waterfall, we had to change a tire. I didn't really expect to change my first tire in Africa, but it was a fun addition to the game park for me.

To me the best part of the park was the giraffes. They just wandered across the roads.

After the day in the game park, back on the compound there was a party for Jojo and George's birthday. There was endless grilled meat, drinks and dancing.

I hung out with two of the wives from the compound, along with a number of the younger crowd.

It was good for me to stay up late, and party local style. That night, once the moon set, there were also amazing equatorial stars. Given the elevation (around 6000 feet), it was cool in the evenings and hot during the day, reminding me of the bay area more then the tropics. But the stars were definitely tropical.

Day 8: Lulu at the Fair

Sunday morning we headed up to Greensteds School for the annual fair. Here we set up a booth to sell Lulu. From the South Sudanese Lulu Formulation workers, Gisma joined us to work on her English and sales skills.

I had a wonderful time exploring the fair and buying this amazing wooden stool for my house. At about 40 pounds, it was an interesting addition to my checked luggage.

That evening, Juma cooked up 40 hamburgers and we had a quite evening getting ready for the work week.

Day 9: Crafts then Return to Nairobi

In the morning, after packing, I wandered over to the crafts workshop to check out all the wood and leather work. I ended up spending the rest of my money on some just amazing crafts from the JB Art & Crafts shop.

I wandered through the compound one last time to enjoy the trees and plants.

My hosts in Kenya, Tom and Kristina Belknap were wonderful. I think staying with them gave me a feel for everyday life in Kenya, which was a great experience to have.

I took a cab to the airport and then boarded a flight to Amsterdam. My time in Africa was over.

Day 10: Home

I had a few hours in Amsterdam, before boarding the flight back to Boston. The trip was finally over.

Many more pictures of my time in Kenya can be found here: Kenya Adventure Pictures

Rest and Explore: NorthEast with Mel

2007-09-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

After a week of hanging out with Amanda and Carter after their big move east, my friend Mel from UCLA Law School came out for a week. We had an adventure around the North East.

Friday: Out to the Berkshires

Friday morning we slept in and then after breakfast headed west to the Berkshires. After exiting the freeway we stopped off in Lee for lunch at the CakeWalk, a lovely little shop where you could see the cakes being baked.

We then drove to the Kripalu Center, where we checked into our weekend Yoga retreat. The Center was a lovely set of grounds called Shadowbrook, just next to Tanglewood (both of these were named by Nathanial Hawthorn). It was nice to just enjoy a place where you do not need to think, where 3 healthy meals a day are served, and there are just beautiful areas to enjoy.

The class was lead by Yoga Instructor Seane Corn and the Friday night yoga was more then I had done in a long time. After a healthy yoga workout, I was ready to sleep.

Saturday: Kirapalu

In the morning, after a light breakfast, it was a 3 hour yoga class, with a lot of discussion on how important it is to control what you let into your bodies, both emotionally and physically. I do not know when of have perspired more, so at least anything bad in me was leaving!

In the afternoon, we headed down to the lake, and while it was a bit overcast, it was nice to get wet and swim a bit. Luckily we made it back to our rooms before a major thunderstorm hit.

That night was a yoga chanting concert by Russill Paul - I was amazed at how much fun it was to chant along with him and the drums. Not quite the same as my trip earlier during the week to see Willie Nelson, but still a lot of fun.

Sunday: Heading North

Sunday morning started out with a 2 hour detox yoga workout. It made me feel good, even if I still cannot touch my toes. After lunch we checked out of the center and then drove north to the Adirondacks. What was amazing to me was that the fall colors already here and it is only the second week in September. I think it is going to be an early fall.

We stopped in Plattsburg for the night, I was tired of driving in the rain. We had a great meal at the local yummy Irish Pub and then rested.

Monday: Arrive in Canada

Monday morning we headed to Canada, and as we came to the boarder, I realized, I didn't bring my passport. I thought a license was enough, but it turns out I should have also had my birth certificate. Luckily, the boarder agent was nice and let us enter the country.

Once in Montreal, we dropped our stuff off at our hotel, Hotel Kutuma - a lovely place in the heart of the Plateau district. The man at the desk directed us to L'Express for lunch, and it was a great lunch. The best part was the dessert of Ile Flottante.

Next we headed down to Old Montreal and the Waterfront, exploring the different neighborhoods on the way. It was nice to see the old part of town.

Tuesday: Montreal Exploration

After a good nights sleep we headed out to Mount Royal Park. On the way, we stopped for an awesome breakfast at Chez Jose before heading to the top of the park for a view of all of Montreal. After the park, we walked down through McGill to the Beaux Arts Museum where there was a wonderful exhibit on Emily Carr. I loved many of the paintings and just learning the history of this Canadian artist and her interplay with the First Nations.

That night, Mel and I went to the Kent Nagano directed Montreal Symphony. They did Ravel's L'Enfant et les Sortilèges and Mahler's 1st. Both were very different and yet very good. I have heard the SFS do many of the Mahler symphonies, so it was good to hear one at another venue. After the symphony, we took a cab home in the rain, and went to the local bar for drinks. It was good to gossip with the locals, chat up the Parisian bartender and just hang out. Montreal is a really vibrant and fun city.

Wednesday: Home via Vermont

Wednesday we got up earlier then was good, given the late night, and then started driving home through the Canadian corn fields toward the US Boarder. The US boarder was super easy to cross, with no questions about my lack of passport.

We drove through Vermont. It is amazing to me how green and filled with trees our drive was, since California is just not so undeveloped. We stopped off at Dartmouth, first for me to see my college friend Amy, and then in Norwich to see Mel's friend Julia. Julia has a jewelry shop, and while we were there, I got to make a lovely turquoise and black necklace. It was cool to make my own necklace with the help of her and her kids. She used the shop as a place to train and work with local young mom's, helping them to develop work skills.

After out stop it was back to Boston. It was good to explore the area a bit more and also just rest up before my big trip to Kenya!

More Pictures can be found here: Trip Pictures

New England Adventures

2007-08-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Most of the adventures I have posted have been for big trips to far away places, but during my one and a half years in New England, I have also had a number of wonderful local adventures. To get an idea of all of the fun that New England has to offer, here are some pictures and notes.

April 2006: Nantucket Island

Soon after we both arrived in the Boston area, Jen Sather and I went on a weekend trip to Nantucket Island. It was a bit pre-season, so all the shops had sales as it sprinkled down upon us. I really liked getting my orange rain hat and the whale museum.

Nantucket Pictures

September 2006:

Peterborough, NH

My friend Karron Graves was in a lovely play called Fallen Angels in Peterborough, NH as part of the Peterborough Players Summer program. This was my chance to see a bit of New Hampshire and the concept of summer stock.

Nantasket Beach, MA

On September 30th, I went with Joy Erikson down to Nantasket Beach for the Fantastic Nantasket Triathlon. We had an amazing time swimming in the ocean, biking along the beach and then running in the sand. It was great to do a local triathlon.

October 2006: Fall Colors, Vermont and New Hampshire

I actually wrote this adventure up here: Fall Colors

March 2007: Rockport and Gloucester, MA

There are lots of quaint New England towns, like Rockport and Gloucester. We stayed at a B&B in Rockport, wandered the shops, and visited a cool lighthouse. I like quaint, not enough for forever, but definitively for a weekend trip.

Summer 2007: New Hampshire

I had many short trips to New Hampshire. From a Memorial weekend trip to Far Mountain with the Shen Family, where I went swimming in the local stream with Phoebe and got pulled along playfully by the strong currents.

Rachel, my first flat mate in Brookline, and I went hiking at Mt Monadnock for the Fourth of July, hiking all the way to the top, and then hurrying down as it started to rain. After the hike, we went to the Jaffry, NH Kimball Farm location for some of my favorite ice cream. The great thing about New England is all the truly wonderful ice cream.

Rachel at the top

In August, Rachel and I headed up to Hampton Beach for a spectacular day by the water. While the water was cold, it was very lovely out.

June 2007: Berkshires

The Berkshires are wonderful, and I am not just saying that because I had a great massage at the Cranwell Resort, found a lovely cider Mill and bought some hard cider, or even saw great views. Life is a little slower in the Berkshires and that is nice. It was also WONDERFUL to go to Tanglewood. I have been hearing about Tanglewood all my life, but nothing prepared me for the lineup for the lawn seats, a personal picnic, and then seeing my favorite radio show - Prairie Home Companion - live, with guest James Taylor. There was even a post concert sing along. It was a wonderful weekend.

August 2007: Connecticut Peach Picking

I made it down to the Connecticut countryside for a weekend with Matt & Kellie and their new baby Maricela. We picked peaches, then made peach butter, a peach meal and just had a peach of a time.

August 2007: Maine

One afternoon, I decided to just drive north. After a lunch at Bob's, per the recommendation of the Greens from Camp Blue, I headed up to Boothbay. I eventually found myself a place to stay at the Lawnmere Inn on Southport Island. It was great to just hang out at the Inn, go kayaking in the bay, taking a long walk (3 miles) into Boothbay Harbor, where I got to chatting with the older local named Everet about local life (really slow when it is not summer), and just enjoying a few foggy days. One night, I went to Robinson's Wharf for a fresh Lobster dinner (with claws!).

On the way home, I stopped in Freeport and other towns along the way home, enjoying some sunny weather, after of few days of fog. I took myself apple picking at McDougal Orchards and then headed to a beach in Kennebunkport to just sit and read by the ocean. It was nice to have a good adventure in "Vacationland."

Summers: Local Fun

During the summer's in Boston, I would also have local fun, going to baseball games at Fenway, exploring the Emerald Necklace, walking home from the Cambridge office along the Esplanade, biking down to the Arnold Arboretum

Often I would head out to Bedford for a bike ride with the Shen's in the area, sometimes to Kimball Farms for ice cream, sometimes to Walden Pond for a swim.

There were lots of sports, from softball, where the Princeton Alumni won the Boston Ivy Alum Championships, to volleyball, indoor, outdoor, and by the river, to ultimate leagues, teams and tournaments. When the weather was good, there were many fun sports to play.

There is so much to do and so much beautiful land in New England. I am so happy I had a chance for some lovely local adventures.

Camp Blue 2007

2007-07-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

This year the whole family headed up to Camp Blue, for a wonderful holiday in the Sierras.

Saturday

In the morning, Mom and I packed up the car, got breakfast at the Millbrae Pancake House, and then I drove us up 108 to the Lair of the Bear. We arrived early and settled into the cabin – Tent 15. The Lair is in Stanislaus National Forest. You could see how the forest was thinned over the winter, by, I assume, a tree selling policy.

The Umeda’s, including Ian, were in Tent 17, just across from us. I had seen them the previous weekend at Martin and Susmita’s wedding. The rest of the afternoon was spent catching up with old friends and hanging by the pool, reading my typical trashy romances and just trying to unwind.

After the welcome Thanksgiving dinner, we went to the Saturday Night Show, to meet our 2007 staff.

Sunday

It was another beautiful Lair morning, and after a late breakfast, I spend most of the day doing nothing. It was nice to catch up with friends like the Green’s, Brown’s, Rich’s, Brodsky’s, Godwin’s, and Kliszewski's, reading books and hanging by the pool.

The afternoon brought inter-tube water polo, and I once again was a great defender, flipping staff out of their tubes. Later, Amanda and Carter arrived, after participating in their last Wharf to Wharf run in Santa Cruz. We headed down to the Rich’s cabin for cocktail hour.

Sunday night, Julia and Ken arrived with Caleb (who had been fighting a fever), and the whole gang was around. It was nice to get to spend some time catching up with Julia on life in the West Coast. Being up in the mountains really reminded me of how much I miss California.

Monday

I was up early for the Hike to Sword and Lost Lake, in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness area. This is one of my favorite hikes. There were 20 of us in the group, in part because Stephanie Rich’s family all came along, since she was the hiking director this year.

It was a great walk down to the lakes and then wonderful to take off our shoes and swim! Their was a rope swing to swing into the rather warm lake. I really do loving swimming is fresh high mountain lakes. After play in the water and some lunch we were getting ready to hike out when disaster struck! Patty Rich fell off the cliff side in such a way that she badly hurt her foot. What to do? Should we carry her out? How could we contact camp? Our cell phones were not working, when luckily some Camp Gold hikers (that were also part time Search and Rescue Workers) came to our aid. One of them had a GPS and cell phone that worked and we were able contact the emergency response team. A few hours later, I played Wind Goddess, holding up a pole with toilet paper on it, to give wind direction to the helicopter that was coming for Patty.

That helicopter ended up landing fairly far away, but a second one was able to land where I had been standing to take her to the hospital. It was amazing. The hike out was a quick one, as we headed back to camp, to let everyone know of the adventure.

Tuesday

After the eventful Monday, I was ready to do nothing on Tuesday. I spent some time in the morning making a pot (that eventually blew up in the kiln) and hanging out at the lodge and pool.

In the afternoon, it was time for Staff vs. Camper women’s softball. Everyone (Julia, Ken, Caleb, Amanda, Carter, Mom) came out to watch the big game. We had yet another crack team, and this year were able to crush staff. It was one of my better softball outing, with me hitting an amazing Grand Slam! Of course, the home run came off of at least 2 errors, but still, it was a grand slam. To temper my good luck at hitting, when I was at first, I had a horrible time catching the “lair bounce” balls, but then was able to play some at third, my Dad’s old position.

After returning from softball, we spent some time making tie-dyes, a beautiful assortment of shirts and onesies for our friends. Before dinner, Amanda and Carter took on Rich and Ellen in a shuffle board competition. Sadly, they lost, but at least it was to good friends.

After dinner was the volleyball tournament, with Ken joining me on team Brodsky. We made it past the first round, but were not able to pull it out in the second round. That night, I got my first (and only) lair burger of the week, as we hung out in the lodge and enjoyed another great night at the lair.

Wednesday

After breakfast, Mom and I entered the round robin ladies doubles tennis match. My yearly efforts at tennis, leave something to be desired. Luckily, we had Rich Green to warm us up, and get me back into the swing of things. It was a good morning of tennis. When I had good partners, I did well, and I even had one “dad” shot, of a lefty pop over the net for a score.

Julia and Ken had to leave in the afternoon, but luckily had time to introduce Caleb to Camp Blue. After lunch, Amanda, Carter, Mom, and I, headed out to Lake Pinecrest, enjoying some beach time, then renting a motor boat and exploring the further reaches of the lake.

That night, we had our first big cocktail hour at our tent with Bill and Mackenzie making their famous Patron margaritas. It was also talent show night, which included a slide show of the Monday hike adventure, and nicknaming of me as the Wind Goddess.

Thursday

I got up early to go on a hike with David and Ellen to Cleo’s Baths. Cleo’s is right behind Pinecrest lake and it a beautiful natural bath. You can tell it has been drouht time in California, because there was very little water in the baths. After the morning hike it was back to camp for an afternoon by the pool. I finished the last Harry Potter by the pool.

Amanda and Carter had to head home, since they were moving out of their apartment for the big move to Boston in August, so Amanda can get her Masters in Social Work at BU. After Blue, they are heading back to Boston with me to find housing. Thursday night was the hootanay, a lair classic that I always love. This year we sang Harmony, one of my favorite songs.

Friday

The last full day at the Lair started off with more Tennis, this time, just a foursome with Mom, Kathy, and Nancy. After tennis, I headed over to the softball field for the game versus gold. Sadly, we were unable to recapture the magic of the Staff game and we lost.

In the afternoon, I finished my lanyard necklace, and enjoyed one last afternoon by the pool. When the pool closed it was time for the end of the week cocktails, with a big gathering at the Doc’s tent. We had tri-tip dinner and then headed over to the stage for the Friday Night Show. Awards were given out and then a remarkably coherent final show was performed for us.

At the lodge it was time for a last snack from the Burger Shack, some cards, and some goodbyes.

Saturday

We packed up the car, had a farewell breakfast, and then Mom and I headed home, after another great year at the lair. I am already looking forward to next year.

See more Lair Pictures!

Sailing in the BVI

2007-04-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

Travel to the BVI

Friday morning, April 6th, I headed to Boston Logan Airport to meet up with the sailing crew. They had all come on a red-eye from California. Luckily, I was upgraded to business class, so the flight down was in comfort, with Heather joining me for some of the trip in the empty seat next to mine.

Once we arrived in St. Thomas we went to baggage claim and waited. Heather’s bag never showed up! This would be the treasure hunt for the group, find Heather’s bag. The group, Mark, our captain, Lora, his girlfriend, Kristin and Alex, his kids, Aimee and Ryan, their friends, along with Heather and myself, headed down to the ferry dock for the fast ferry to Tortola, and our first glimpse of Paradise. We sped to the BVI (British Virgin Islands), cleared customs and then checked in at the Moorings, our sail charter. After a nice island dinner at C&F it was off to sleep.

First Day of Sailing: Norman Island

Heather and I set off to Road Town to find replacement stuff for the still lost luggage, then helped finalize the stocking of the boat we set sail south from the Moorings dock in Road Town across Sir Francis Drake Channel to Norman Island. We moored in The Bight on Norman Island, then went for our first snorkel around Treasure Point. We explored treasure caves and saw many amazing fish. It turns out, this island is reputed to be the setting for Treasure Island. We headed into Pirate's Blight for dinner and then sang, drank and danced with some Puerto Ricans, before closing the bar. We then headed off to the Willie T's and opened and closed this bar before heading in for the night.

Second Day of Sailing: Peter Island

After a late night is was a very slow morning of recovery. As it was Easter, we awoke to find Easter eggs around the ship – my first ship based egg hunt. I made an Easter Breakfast of eggs and bacon, and then we headed over to snorkel the Indians – one of the most popular dive/snorkel sites in the BVI. After the snorkel, I took the helm for our sail to Peter Island’s Little Harbor. Once we moored (which is the process of hooking a rope to tie into an already placed anchor), we went on a swim outing, swimming ashore to the deserted beach and then exploring. Back on the ship, we had a cocktail hour, before BBQing some chicken and steak up for dinner.

Third Day of Sailing: Rhone Ruins and Marina Cay

After a good night’s sleep we sailed east past Dead Chest to or snorkel the wreck of the Royal Mail Steamer Rhone – one of the legendary dives in the BVI & the set for the movie, The Deep. After an exploration of the wreckage, we sailed back across Sir Frances Drake Channel, to Marina Cay, this little island paradise. Here we could shower ashore, and then go to a Pirate Happy Hour, before sitting down for a Pusser’s Rum Restaurant Dinner. There was a web cam here that took pictures of us by a red box, and then posted them to the web. Ours were on April 9, 2007 at 5:31, 8:50, and 9:10ish.

Fourth Day of Sailing: Virgin Gorda – Baths and Bitter End

We got up very early to motor across the channel and get a good mooring at the Baths. We then swam ashore and explored. Lora, Heather and I pretended to be swimsuit models and had a photo shoot as we explored the caves and Devil’s Cove. After an expoloration, we sailed up around Virgin Gorda to Bitter End. Here, we set Lora and Mark off for a date night, while I made a shrimp dinner for the kids.

Fifth Day of Sailing: Anegada

We got water at Saba Rock, then sailed North to Anegada for lobster. It was our first sail where we could not see our destination. After a few hours we arrived, and motored through to coral to a mooring. We headed to the island and took a cab to the other side for snorkeling and beach time, before returning to our boat to get ready for Lobster dinner at the Lobster Shack. We had awesome huge lobsters for dinner.

Sixth Day of Sailing: White Beach, Jost Van Dyke

I got up early to watch the sunrise then had a sleepy morning of lounging while we went on our longest sail, to the white beach on Jost Van Dyke. Once here, we swam to shore, and enjoyed exploring the beach bars. The Soggy Dollar Bar, reputed creator of the Painkiller, accepted our soggy dollars for drinks. I went back to the boat and during a snorkel around the boat, Mark pointed out a stingray! While waiting for the rest of the group to come back to the boat, a group of fishermen from Minnesota came by and gave me a ride to shore. We then went on a fast ride to their boat to pick up the 20 pound Wahoo - they caught that morning. They shared it with us in exchange for using our BBQ. It was amazing fresh fish. After dinner, we headed into Ivan’s Stress Free bar, where I got to ride a tire swing and enjoy an evening ashore and the Southern Cross in the sky.

Seventh Day of – Well Not – Sailing: Jost Van Dyke

Today we only motored around, and we did not raise the sails at all. We headed over to Cane Garden Bay – a beautiful inlet, where we finally got Heather’s BAG! A week late, but still, safely found. After enjoying the bay, we headed over to Sandy Spit, think of your ideal deserted desert isle, for a swim to shore, before heading to Little Habor for a mooring. For dinner, we went over to Big Harbor and Foxy’s for dinner. We ate a huge BBQ dinner and then stayed for some reggae dancing. The band leader modified the song strokin’ into a dance off. Aimee and I were some of the women called up to dance a strokin’ dance, and we both made it to the final 3! (I was third, she was second, a woman from Europe won). After our dance contest and drinks, we headed back to the boat for the last night aboard.

Eighth Day of Sailing – Back to Tortola

We headed out early and sailed through Thatch Island Cut back to the Moorings at Road Town. I got to take the helm for some of the 7 knot sail back. I then got a cheeseburger in paradise, before we too the ferry back to St. Thomas and our hotel there - the Marriott Hotel on St. Thomas. It was so nice to have a hot shower and clean hair and enjoy a final Caribbean sunset.

The Trip Home

Heather and I got up early took one last swim in the ocean, before heading out to the airport. I was upgraded again on the flight to New York. Unfortunately in New York, the bad weather caused all flights out to be canceled. I was able to book a ride on a train to Boston, and got in at 1:30 AM. A bit of a longer ride home then I would have liked but still, the island joy had not rubbed off.

For more pictures from the sailing adventure go here: Caribbean Pictures 2007

A Winter Holiday in Spain

2007-03-06T04:46:00.001-08:00

Fly to Barcelona

On Thursday night, February 22nd, I headed out to the airport for my much needed holiday. I was flying to Barcelona, to meet up with a college friend Craig, who was doing a post-doc there. When I arrived at the airport (2 hours early), I was magically upgraded to business class, which made the first leg of the trip, to Frankfurt, so nice.

Barcelona

I arrived on my connecting flight to Barcelona at 9 in the morning on Friday, and realized, I had no information. I had done no planning, had no phone numbers, and was really totally unprepared for my adventure. Luckily, my friend Craig was there to meet me at the airport. We took the train into the city and then he headed off to work, while I headed out to explore! My first stop was Parc Guell, which is an amazing park designed by Gaudi - it was just so beautiful and peaceful, and after a night of travel the perfect welcome to Spain.

After relaxing in the Parc and getting some food, I headed back toward Passeig de Gracia to check out another Gaudi masterpiece Casa Mila (La Pedrera) - an awesome building that looks like melted ice cream and has a wonderful rooftop "garden" of sculptures.

The rest of the day was something of a blur, as I headed up to Craig's university, where we wandered past other Gaudi works, before heading down to "The Ramblas" and wandered through markets and twisted streets, before getting a late night dinner of typical Catalonian food.

Barcelona to Seville

After a much needed night's sleep, we headed down to the Sagrada Familia, the most visited construction site in the world! This was just an amazing building, even in its unfinished state. It made me think about all the things I would like in my own house, if I built it myself, and how lovely the interplay between nature and architecture can be.

After the church, we got the most awesome pastries from the Sant Honorat shop, before heading out to the beach, and playing some ultimate on the sand in Castelldefels. After a bit of running around (which wore me out more then I would like), we took the train to the airport, and our plane to Seville and the start of an Andalusia adventure.

We got into Seville around 10, and after way to many one way roads trying to find our hostel, we parked and went out to eat. The nice thing about Spain is they serve food late into the night. We found a great tapas bar and had some typical dishes, like Espinacas con garbanzos before exploring around and finding a small smoky bar with some local flamenco music.

Sevilla

We woke up early Sunday morning and headed out to the Alcazar, a wonderful Moorish style palace and gardens. In the morning the sun was just shining through the clouds, although for the rest of the day there were hints of rain. The Alcazar was a great place to get introduced to the impact the Moors had on Andalusia life and culture.

After the Alcazar, we headed down to the Museo de Bellas Artes, for a look at some of Spanish art, housed in a former convent. In the afternoon, the Seville Cathedral opened up, and we were able to see the great interior space, and then climb to the top of La Giralda the Moorish tower. This was also my first introduction to a Patio de los Narenjos (Orange Tree Patios).

Sevilla

Monday morning, we toured the Casa de Pilatos, before walking across town to the AMAZING Plaza de Espana. The plaza had this amazing tile work and felt like another world. It turns out it was used in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones for exactly that reason. I pretended I was a princess on the walkway in the movie.

After resting in the plaza, we wandered through the nearby botanical gardens, before heading down to the river for lunch, more tapas and wine. It is true what they say about Europe - wine is cheaper then water.

After seeing more sites around town, like the Hospital de la Caridad and the Fabrica Real de Tabacos (now a university), I was done with the sites. That night, we went to go see a Flamenco show - not as emotional as the playing in the bar, but it was still so much fun for me to see the stamping of the feet and costumes. On our way home from the show, we went by the cathedral, which was all lit up with bells ringing. We wondered, what is that? It turns out that the First Monday of Lent is an important day - and there is a night time parade! The Cardinal was out in the square, with his red beanie, and there were lots of people raising a Jesus up with candles and everything. We wandered through the streets to find a place to cut of the parade and see what it was all about.

Cordoba

In the morning, we got up early and headed out to Cordoba. We had yet another one way little street driving nightmare, and this time, on the third pass through the city I took the wheel of our stick shift car. We did not repeat my driving.

We started at the highlight of Cordoba, the Mezquita - a mosque that had a cathedral built in the middle of it. This was one of my favorite buildings, with all the repeating columns. It was also fun to read the local information on the site, in which the church claimed that by reclaiming the site as a Christian site they are preserving the art of the heathens and this is how they are showing their appreciation of art and other cultures (or something like that).

After the Mezquita, we headed out to the river and walked across one bridge and down to the tower, which was being renovated. The river was lovely and it was hot out - 27 degrees Celsius. Next stop was the botanical gardens, the local Alcazar, with gardens and baths. After leaving the baths, I had the most wonderful snack, a churro fresh fried just for me!

Granada

In the morning, we took one more look at the Mezquita, before driving to Granada. After an hour, we were in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, and I thought, wow, this place really is like California, the places even have the same names. While we never got to close, the mountains could always be seen in the distance, and they were big, I believe the second largest in Europe.

Once we arrived in Granada, we checked into our fancy hotel - the Parador, which is in the Alhambra. After dusting off, we headed down into town, for some Middle Eastern food, and wandering through the little streets of the town. There were beautiful views from the hills of town, of both the Alhambra and the mountains.

After walking back down to town, we saw the final resting place of the King and Queen (back from the days of Columbus), and then I headed back to the hotel room. I needed a break from all the buildings. From our hotel balcony, you could see the Generlife buildings, what we would tour the next day.

Alhambra

Thursday was our day to explore the Alhambra. This is the main site to see in Andalusia, and I could see why. The Nazaries Palaces were beautiful Moorish structures, simple and peaceful. I think what I liked the most in the Moorish sites was all the use of water. I like water.

After the Palaces, we headed to the Alcazaba fort.

After a break for lunch, it was time to explore Generlife, which I kept looking at from the balcony of our room. Generlife had beautiful gardens and great views of town. I liked just sitting out as the day was going by, reading a book.

Just as sun was starting to set, we headed up the hills behind Generlife to view the sunset, mountains and town.

Malaga Parks

Friday morning we headed out early for our exploration of the Malaga region. First we headed to Antequera, which had Neolithic dolmens from around 4500 BC. It was fun to wander around the random mounds, which had inside them these very old stone structures.

The next highlight of the trip was El Torcal, a mountain nature reserve with bizarre limestone rock formations. We went on a hike around the reserve that was a wonderful chance to explore.

After El Torcal it was off to the El Chorro Gorge - a deep ravine caused by the Rio Guadalhorce. We stopped off in El Chorro town at the train station for some yummy food, before Craig went on a hike toward the gorge (I took a nap).

After the gorge, we headed down to Malaga, and checked into our hotel. We wandered down toward the Malaga beach for some fresh seafood. We walked around this towns Alcazar on our way back to the hostel.

Malaga Beaches

Saturday morning we got up and headed out to the Picasso museum, in his hometown, before heading down the coast to a beach. It was fun to swim in the Mediterranean Sea (although quite cold) before heading to the airport and our flight back to Barcelona.

When we returned to Barcelona, we were invited by Craig's roommate to a birthday party. On the way to the party, we looked up at the sky, and there was a FULL ECLIPSE. At the party, I kept going outside to see the moon slowly being covered by the Earth's shadow. It was fun to meet some locals and drink kava in celebration.

Barcelona

Sunday was a nice day about Barcelona, with an exploration of MontJuic. MontJuic is topped by a big fortress and right by where the Olympics were held in 1992. I enjoyed looking at views of the city from atop the castle.

After a hike around the Mont, we went back to my favorite site in Barcelona, Park Guell. From the park, we headed down into town, and the old gothic quarter, for a stroll through the Picasso museum, before heading out to dinner at a fun local place call Origin 99.9% for some regional food.

Home

Early Monday morning I got up and flew home after a wonderful break from reality and winter in Spain.

For a more complete set of pictures from my trip, go here: Spain