Baseball Saturday

A friend from church gave Keith and I tickets to an Oakland Athletics baseball game. It was fantastic to spend the day together in the sunshine and enjoy some baseball. We had fun celebrating Keith finishing finals.

We had great seats! This picture was taken without zoom. We were 5 rows back between home and first base. One of the payers broke a bat swinging for the fences and I flinched because we felt close enough to get hit by the other half.

I wasn't aware that a mountain man was sitting behind us until I looked at this picture that night. Probably for the best. :) We had a great time even though the As lost.

St. Patrick's Day Obama rally

Keith and I went to Barack Obama's presidential campaign rally in Oakland last weekend (on St. Patrick's Day). I met Senator Hillary Clinton while she was visiting some executives at work a week earlier, so I thought it only fair to meet her competitor. Unfortunately Keith and I didn't exactly get to meet Obama. We were in the middle of a crowd of 12,000 people that gathered to hear him speak. The red dot in the picture below shows where we were in the crowd.

Most of the time I couldn't see the stage because I am a foot shorter than the guy that was standing in front of me. And when he wasn't in the way there was a lightpole blocking my view. The good news is that the crowd shifted a bit once he started his speech and I was able to see him through a tiny gap in the crowd for most of his speech. Keith was able to see pretty well and got some good pictures. Here are a few:

The rally was in front of Oakland City Hall. It was *so* crowded!

This is a shot of the crowd behind the stage and podium. Obama made his entrance through the middle of this crowd.

This was Keith's view of the stage. Obama gave a great speech and the crowd loved him. I've never been to anything like this before. It was a good moment for me as a registered voter. It made me feel connected to my country and happy to be able to participate in a public expression of democracy.

Reed's visit to San Francisco

Reed visited us in SF this week. Check out my web album of all the fun things we did during his visit. We had a blast (and I hope Reed did too!).

Reed's SF Visit

I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged! In an attempt to catch up on everything that's happened in the past few months I've created a web album with some highlights. You can view it here:

Dec 2006 Jan and Feb 2007

Muir Overlook

Last Sunday Keith and I took a drive to the coast to explore Muir woods and beach. We used the new car navigation system Keith got me for my birthday to find our way around the winding coastal roads. First we went to the Muir Overlook and saw a beautiful view of the coast. The fog was rolling in so everything had a silvery glow. The fog, the clouds and the water all melted together to create the illusion of a never ending horizon. It was breathtaking.



Then we drove over to an overlook point with an amazing view of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. There was a thick fog rolling down out of the hills and down into the bay. The fog was so thick and fast moving that it looked like a waterfall. I've never seen anything like it. You could just make out the bridge and bay underneath the violet fog during sunset until the fog entirely encompassed them by nightfall. It was spectacular.




Check out the fog-waterfall in the video below:

Go Dawgs! Go Bears!

For part of my birthday present Keith gave me tickets to the Cal UW Football game. We had a blast! Keith wore his Cal gear and I wore my UW gear.

Keith got us seats right on the border of the home and visiting fans in the stadium so that we could cheer for both teams. It was awesome. I've never been inside Memorial Stadium before. It is huge and we had fantastic seats. We were 15 rows up from the sidelines - high enough to see over the cheerleaders, but close enough to hear the players yell. The stadium held a soldout crowd of football fans. Even though it was a late October game it was over 80 degrees outside. I even got a sunburn! I love California weather.

The game was really close with UW scoring to tie with no time left on the clock. Cal won it in overtime and the crowd went wild. Going to this game was one of the most fun things I've done in a long time. I loved it!

Watch our video from the game! This is a clip of the UW fans celebrating a fantastic play.

Workin' it

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I blogged. I’ve been crazy busy starting my new job and Keith is busy with his first year of Law School (aka 1L). My new job (which will not be referred to by name) has completely taken over my life. Luckily, I love it. This has to be the coolest employer in the history of the world. When they were recruiting me, everyone talked about how amazing the company is and how happy everyone is to work there. I had heard a lot of really good things about them but I thought that they were probably overstating their case a little. I was wrong. This place has exceeded all my expectations. Here are some of the hidden gems I’ve found at work. (I'll have to bring my camera to work tomorrow and take some pictures of this stuff because you'll never believe me otherwise.)

1- The bathrooms. I know that seems like a strange thing to appreciate about work – but everyone who has ever used a bad one knows what I’m talking about. These bathrooms aren’t just nice and clean, they are super high-tech. So much so that the first time I went into one I didn’t know what to do. I just stood there staring. I'll have to take a picture of the control panel (yes, I said control panel) for the toilet. I have to be honest here – I have never pushed any of these buttons. I am scared to try either the “front wash” or the “back wash”, let along the “dry”. I prefer to do this myself, thank you. I am more than terrified of the buttons labled “oscillating” and “wand cleaning”. I hope that is something that happens to the toilet and not to the user! Oh, and I forgot to mention that the seats are heated. This was not a pleasant surprise the first time I sat down, but now I kind of like it. Okay, too much information. Moving on...

2- The food. Now this is the part of my job that is world famous. Why did I list it as #2, you ask? Honestly, the bathroom made a bigger impression on my first day. That is not to be interpreted as a lack of appreciation, admiration and awe I feel for the food. First off… it's all free. That’s right, free. And we’re not talking frozen meals or wilted salad bars. There are 7 gourmet cafes on campus that offer all kinds of delicious and even exotic meals to choose from. All of the food is organic, fresh and always amazing. The original head chef (who left just a little while ago) used to cook for The Grateful Dead. There is a new menu everyday in each café. I haven’t had the same thing twice in the two weeks I’ve worked there. If you happen to be hungry between meals there are kitchenettes full of fresh fruit, power bars, baked chips, yogurt, cereal and such. I even found a kitchenette that has candy bins (like the bulk food bins at the grocery store!) Oh, and I forgot to mention that they offer breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks – all for free. To give you a feel for what I’m talking about, here is what I ate at work today:
Breakfast: steel cut oatmeal with golden raisins and a blueberry-orange smoothie
Lunch: ceasar salad with wild salmon and fresh baked French bread
Snack: carrot with hummus dip and a diet Snapple
Dinner: veggie pot pie, line-caught halibut and salad
Today was a bland food day. I've had much more exotic things. I used to think that it was amazing that Microsoft offered unlimited free drinks. This knocks their socks off.

3- The shuttles. I live over an hour away from work. I hate commuting. The morning traffic is unbearable. So, what does my employer do to make me happy? They decided to drive me to work. I pick up the shuttle at the BART station or Park & Ride by my house and they drive me to and from work. And these aren’t just any ol’ shuttles. If a bus could be a limo, this would be it. These shuttles are sleek black with cushy black leather seats and tinted windows. Each seat has a laptop table and the shuttle has wireless internet so that we can log in to work and get a head start, or just read the morning news online. For those who aren’t quite ready to fire up their computer, there are also TVs showing old black and white movies and you can listen in via wireless headphones. In fact, I’m writing this post right now from my seat on the shuttle on my way home. Awesome huh? I don’t have to worry about traffic or crazy drivers or even the cost of gas or miles on my car.

4- Other cool tidbits: there is a full gym with group classes, professional trainers, a lap pool, cardio and weigh machines. There is even a sauna in the locker rooms. I have only had the time to use it once so far, but it was awesome. I plan to go as often as my boss’ schedule allows. Laundry rooms. There are free laundry rooms with free detergent so that you can do your washing while you work. They have timers that you take back to your desk so you don’t forget and leave your undies behind. I haven’t tried this yet since it would be hard to bring all my wash on the shuttle. If I lived closer, I would definitely do this. They also offer onsite, subsidized daycare. I don’t use this yet, but it’s a bonus for those with kids.

These are just some of the highlights. Not to mention how cool my actual job is, or the fantastic salary and generous bonuses. They’re working my tail off (it’s 9:30 pm and I’m on the shuttle coming home from work) but if I’m going to work, this is the place to do it.

Ocean Beach

Keith's friend, Kevin, and Kevin's girlfriend, Ina, came to visit us for the holiday weekend. We had a great time together and saw some of the best sights in California.


We went down to one of our favorite spots to see the ocean and climbed around on the rocks to watch the surf.


I was trying to pull a Tom Cruise / Mission Impossible move here. I don't think this has the same effect.

Baseball and Fireworks

On July 3rd we went to an A's baseball game. It was a great game, the A's won and the fireworks were awesome.

Big Sur

Over the holiday weekend the four of us went down to Big Sur. We had a great trip (after an initial mixup with our hotel reservations was staightened up).

We walked along Pfeiffer Beach and explored some tide pools and climbed the rocks overlooking the surf. We saw starfish, crabs, mussels and all kinds of cool things. We also wrote a bday message to Dena in the sand.

We also went on a hike in Julia Pfieffer Burns Park to see the McWay Falls. The trail winds around the cliffs along the ocean front up to a view of the waterfall falling into the ocean. It was a spectacular view.

This picture doesn't do the view justice, but if you look in the top left corner you can see the waterfall.

On the other side of the same park we went on a short hike through the redwoods. It was spectacular.

The Golden Gate and Japanese Tea

On the last day of Kevin and Ina's visit (the 4th of July) we visited some "must see" city landmarks. First we went to the Golden Gate Bridge. We got some great pictures from Fort Point.

Then we went to Golden Gate Park and walked through the Japanese Tea Gardens and the Botanical Gardens. I loved it there. It was so peaceful and beautiful.




Even Buddah thinks it's wonderful. It was a great end to a fantastic week.

Jacob's California Dreaming

In response to The California "Conspiracy" raised by Jacob on his blog, I offer the following proof of his trip to San Fran. Our cameras clearly spotted him in front of the cable cars (only found in San Francisco)...

... and at the San Francisco Opera (an undeniable local landmark)...

... and in front of H&M during his all day shopping spree (a store not found in Las Vegas - the closest location being SAN FRANCISCO).

Nice try, Jache, but the whole "what happens here, stays here" thing only works for Vegas, not SF. So own up.

Jacob's visit

Jacob had Friday and Monday off for the Memorial Day holiday so he came to visit us over the long weekend. We had so much fun together. It was the perfect way to celebrate finishing the school year and starting summer break.
I felt really bad that we didn't have very nice guest accommodations for him in our 700 square feet apartment, but Jache was a good sport about sleeping on an air mattress in our living room. We had a ton of fun while he was here. The following are some of the things we did during his visit:

San Francisco vacation

We spent a lot of time in San Francisco with Jacob this weekend. We did a lot of the things I've been wanting to do but haven't had time to before. First we drove over the Bay Bridge and into downtown.

Then we went down to the Pier by Alcatraz.

Then we walked down a pier by Ghiradelli Square which had great views of the city, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

Point Lobos

Next we went down to the cliffs at Point Lobos to admire the ocean view.

It was a little cold and windy, but very beautiful and fun.

Golden Gate Bridge

During our day in San Francisco we went to see the Golden Gate Bridge, as any good tourist would. It was a fantastic day. We got there in late afternoon when the sun was setting and the bridge was shining.

We drove across the bridge to a lookout point. It was really crowded because of the Memorial Day holiday, but we still got a great view and pictures.

Stinson Beach

One of our last outings was a trip to Stinson Beach. I love these pictures of Keith and Jache. Aren't they handsome?

Keith took this gorgeous picture of the sunset. Doesn't it look like a postcard?

One of my favorite things about living in California is being so close to fantastic beaches and beautiful sunsets. I can take a mini vacation to the beach in just an afternoon.

Keith and I had a great time with Jacob this weekend. We are sad that he had to go back home and hope he'll come back soon!