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!

Sam's visit

Sam came down to California for a week to go scuba diving with some friends. It was fun to see him while he was down here and to meet his friend, Jiwan. We drove up to Tilden Park in the Berkeley hills behind campus. It's a gorgeous park and a fun place to catch up and talk.

It was a beautiful Sunday to have some family time in the park.

We also went to campus for a while to show Sam around and to talk to him about going to graduate school.

We had a good time together. I wish we got to see him more often.

Bowling and Ice cream

Sam, Jiwan, Keith and I also went bowling. We went with some friends of ours from church who were also celebrating graduations and finishing the school year. I haven't been bowling in a very long time. I was pretty sure I was going to bowl a 40, but I ended up doing fine. I was no competition for our friend who bowled a 178, but I didn't embarrass myself either.

Unless, of course, you count this picture. I was in a celebratory mood anyway because I had just finished writing three term papers, but I was extra happy in this shot because I was on my way to bowling a turkey (three strikes in a row).

It was nice to go out with Keith and friends and relax after weeks of solitary confinement with my laptop writing papers.

No celebration is complete without ice cream, so we went to the best ice cream place in town. My ice cream was incredible and as big as my head.

I think everybody had a great time.

Losing Our Minds II

In response to LaDawn's story and her and Brooklynn feeling like they're losing their minds, I would like to submit a similar story. Actually, it's Keith's story. But he doesn't blog, so I'll tell it for him. As evidence, I submit exhibit A:

I woke up on Saturday morning and went to the fridge to get some milk for my cereal, only to find... the ice cream! Keith had made a milkshake the night before and put the ice cream in the wrong place. I died laughing. I guess our minds are a little shot after writing so many papers. I can't wait until summer vacation. I think we're a little low on brain power right now and can be considered dangerous to ourselves and others - not to mention innocent ice cream. I'll be sure not to operate any heavy machinery until this is over.

Good work, Professor!

In Keith's defense (from the story above), he has been strategically saving his brain for the things that really matter most. A good example of this is the Tort reform panel that he got roped into participating in a little while ago. These flyers were posted all over the law school advertising his presentation:

This is only the first of many times I expect to see Keith's name advertised as a headline keynote speaker. I just hope it isn't always accompanied by such goofy graphics. :)


Keith was recruited to be on this panel to present the things he learned as a research assistant at UW on a (now famous) book about tort reform. The other person on this panel was a history professor. The moderater was the Dean of Keith's PhD program.

The history professor spoke first, for about 20 minutes, and presented the background and history of torts in the american judicial system. Then Keith got up to present the current state of affairs and discussed the way in which the media shapes public opinion by the way they report the cases and therefore create the buzz stories that everyone tells (like the McDonalds coffee case). Keith had the audience enthralled. He spoke for about an hour and, seriously, all eyes were on him the whole time and people were taking notes. It was awesome. I wanted to take a picture of Keith lecturing because he looked so confident and powerful and "right" up there on the stage lecturing from the podium, but I held back because I was sure that it would embarrass him. I really think Keith has found the right profession. He was born to do this. I think everyone there learned a lot.

I'm not the only one who thought this. A lot of people thanked Keith afterwards and told him what a great job he did. But the best compliment was when the Dean of his program congratulated Keith afterward and said, "That was a helluva lecture, Keith!" Later on he told me that he thinks Keith is ready to start teaching tomorrow he's so good. I couldn't agree more. I'm really proud of him.

Motorcycle trip to San Fran

It's the time of the semester when paper deadlines are looming and I start to get my end-of-the-semester eye twitch. I've been working all week on a paper I have to present on Tuesday (the first of three I'll write in the next few weeks). I got a little over-stressed for so early in the process, so Keith and I decided to take advantage of the first sunny day in a month and take a motorcycle ride to San Francisco for dinner. It was a beautiful night, but much colder than I had expected. We decided to go to my favorite SF restaurant, The Cliff House. We got there at 6:30 and was told it would be a 45 minute wait. We took our restaurant pager and went out to the beach to take some pictures to pass the time...

It was really pretty but (obviously) pretty windy. I'm lovin' my hair in this pic. It's a throw back to my old '80s bangs. Anyway, after 20 minutes or so I'm frozen and am sure they're about ready to seat us, so we go back inside. And wait. And wait. So we take some more pictures.

This is the birds-eye-view of the restaurant from the waiting area. This is me trying to stay happy as our promised 45 minute wait became and hour and a half and then 2 hours. I would have just left, but I didn't want to go back in the cold, get on the motorcycle and try and find another restaurant and a parking spot. So we waited it out. It was ridiculous now that I look back on it. At 9:30 we finally sat down and ordered immediately. It was a good thing too, since were were then told that the kitchen was now closing. I was super mad, but even hungrier. So I ate my "usual" (shrimp louis salad) and Keith got adventurous and ordered a cioppino (seafood stew) that was fantastic. Luckily the ride home wasn't as cold as I'd thought it would be and the night turned out okay in the end. At least my eye stopped twitching. :)