Katie's Visit!

To celebrate Katie's birthday we decided she'd come visit me in California. Only a few weeks after her birthday, here she was! We haven't seen each other in person for a long time and we haven't spent time together in California. After coffee with my friend Melissa up in Santa Rosa I headed south to the Oakland airport. I picked Katie up and we headed back to Rohnert Park through Berkeley. On the way, we had dinner at a Thai restaurant and then ice cream sandwiches at "Cream". I had caramel ice cream on snickerdoodle cookies fresh out of the oven- DELISH!!

Saturday we spent the day touring around San Francisco. We started off by meeting Katie's friend Anna Khardina and her husband for lunch at Savor in San Francisco. We then went to the wharf and Ghiardelhi chocolate factory. We had some drinks at one of the bars along the way- good times :)

After the drinks and shopping we were hungry again! So we had dinner at my favorite restaurant on the wharf- the San Franciscan. We had a great table right up next to the window and as the sun was setting we could see across the bay and Alcatraz in the distance.

After dinner we hit up the Castro area and walked around there. We had drinks at Harvey's and even checked out Midnight Sun. It was so nice spending the day with Katie, chatting and catching up. Sunday morning Amanda met me at my house and we jogged 10 miles around Rohnert Park. After the jog Katie was up and the two of us went to breakfast at my favorite place- the Omlette Express! On the way to the restaurant Katie snapped this picture with me and woodstock :)

After breakfast I showed Katie around Sonoma State University. We walked around the center of the campus where I took this picture of some flowering trees in the middle of the campus.

That afternoon we went wine tasting in Healdsburg. We met a nice lady at Thumbprint named Caitlyn who was thinking of moving to Boise. The three of us had a great time sampling wines and chatting it up about Boise. Caitlyn ended up getting us a sample of a pre-release wine only available to members and I liked it so much I bought a bottle. Katie also bought some wines. Then Caitlyn took us over to Topel because she thought I'd like their sweet wines- which I did! There was a very friendly guy serving there named David. After we tasted at Topel, he directed us to Roadhouse winery where Katie and I bought another bottle of wine. It was really a wine kind of day!

Before I knew it, the time had come for me to take Katie to the airport. It was a busy weekend, but so very much fun and needed time with my best friend Katie! Love YA!

Family & Friends Boise Trip

I was very concerned about flying to Boise this weekend since the air quality was so very poor and I really wanted to continue my marathon training (as best as possible!). I even teased my parents on the phone that I should just cancel this flight and re-book for sometime later in August. As it was, the air quality was very poor on Thursday when I flew in. This picture is of Lucky Peak on approach.

Mom and Dad picked me up from the airport and I stayed at their house for the weekend. Friday morning I got up and went for a jog along the greenbelt. The air had cleared up enough to a "Moderate" level, so I figured an 8 mile jog out and back wouldn't be too bad. I'm really glad I did. On the way back there was a small owl sitting in the trees just above the path.

I had just enough time to pick up lunch from Costa Vida and meet my bestie Shannon for lunch. She was visiting from Pennsylvania. We only had a short while to catch up, but it was very nice seeing her! I had to head out quick as I had my dentist appointment with Jennifer at Dr. Gorczyca's practice. They're so amazing; that's why I still have them take care of all my dental needs instead of doing it locally in California. After the Dentist I went with Dad to visit Sally and Carrie at Sally's house. It was very nice catching up with Sally and seeing she's recovering from the strokes she had in the late Spring.

Friday night I went out with my good friends Chelsie and Mary. We had a lot of fun at the Matador, drinks at Red Feather and then dancing at the Balcony. I met a new friend, Kyle and it was great meeting him! He's local to Boise and I hope to keep in touch with him after I'm back home.

Saturday I met up with Andrej and we had breakfast at Raedeans and then went over to the Starbucks on Overland near Maple Grove to plan out our Europe trip! We planned something big for almost every day; I'm really looking forward to this trip! It should be one of the best trips we've taken yet!

That afternoon I played some cards with Mom and Dad. We cooked up some dinner and enjoyed our time together. Dad and me ran some errands and on the way back we stopped off at Carl's cycles. I saw my dream motorcycle (Kawasaki Ninja ZX14r) waiting for me in their shop. A little pricier than I'm prepared to pay, but it's nice to dream!!!

That evening I picked up Kam from Ontario, OR and drove him back to Boise. We had dinner at Red Feather and then went out dancing at the Balcony. We had an absolute blast and I wish he lived closer so we could hang out more often.

Sunday came too quickly! I went over to see Mont while Mom and Dad were in Church. I had a great time talking and listening to him about where he met Aunt Kay and the different Universities he went to and worked for over the years. He seemed in good health, and for that I'm very thankful. I'm looking forward to visiting him again as soon as I can get another trip back home.

That afternoon I picked up Kam and met up with Andrej and Tiffany to go out boating on my family's ski boat. We toured around the lake from end to end, the land fill dam at the lower side and then Arrowrock dam at the upper end where we took a few pictures.

It was also the Balcony employee's party that night. Dave and several others hopped aboard for a spin around the lake. We had a good time playing on the water. It was nice seeing all the Balcony people out enjoying the lake too! I raced Skyler a bit on the Jet ski's and hung out with Gess a bit.

After all the fun on the water it was time to meet up with the extended family for some cards at my parents house. Only a few were brave enough to play; Artesia, Casey, Mom and I played the game. Artesia was defending her past championship. I ended up winning with 65 points, not too shabby! The rest of the family did their best to distract us, but I stayed focused.

What a great trip to Boise. Sure do love my friends and family here. I'll be back again very soon (but not until after EUROPE!!!!)

Early Morning Jogging

I'm continuously thankful that I live in such a great place for jogging! I've redoubled my exercise efforts this month and have been trying very hard to jog 5 miles before work so then I can do weights at lunch. It also has a great side effect of missing the daytime heat and sun, and allows me to get the full five miles in as sometimes that's hard to do on a lunch break. The best part of my morning jogs is the nice cool Sonoma weather. It's not too cold, it's not too dark, it's not too damp. What did goldilocks say, "It's just right". Here's a picture of my jog from today. It was just right!

You can see my Runkeeper Post here.

Chuck's 30th

I met up with Emily and Chuck at Emily's house and we headed to Petaluma. We got there just early enough for us to grab a few drinks at the Brixx bar. The bartender was kind enough to try and make a Black Opal for me. It was okay, but he gave me a whole 16oz Black Opal for free to "test" along with my hurricane... so I had to pound the two drinks so we could make dinner in time. Wowzas.

After the drinks we met up with Evan, Emma, Peter, Michelle and Alena for dinner at Old Chicago Pizzeria. It's definitely one of my favorite guilty pleasures for sure! We all enjoyed the food, it was delicious!

After dinner Evan headed home and the rest of us went out for drinks. I'm not sure what happened, but the next thing I knew Peter, Chuck, Emma and me were taking shots. We had liquid cocaine, skittles and then I'm not sure what else. Emma and I danced quite a bit before it was time to head out.

Happy Birthday Chuck! Welcome to the 30's... :D

Alpine Lake

Saturday I met up with my friend Ben in Greenbrae. We geared up and drove my motorcycle through the backroads (Bolinas Fairfax Rd) towards the coast. It was really advanced motorcycle driving, my knuckles were probably white! Fast, sharp curves going up and down all the way from the 101 to highway 1. There were also a ton of cyclists out on the road, so I had to be extra cautious. It was really hot that day, but once we started coming down from the mountains towards the ocean it really cooled off.

On our way to Stinson Beach the water reminded me of Yellowstone. There was a heavy fog floating along the water and it was really chilly! Quite surprising for mid-summer.

After our break we headed back via Muir woods park and back north to Greenbrae. Always a nice route for a weekend ride.

Michael & Antonio's Roadtrip to San Francisco

My friend Michael has been planning to take his scooter on a road trip from Seattle to San Francisco for some time. It came true this week for the fourth of July and his upcoming birthday on Monday. He drove down with his boyfriend Antonio and they stayed in the city. I met up with them Monday night for a little bar hopping along the Castro. We met at the Lookout then went over to the cafe. I didn't stay late as I had to work Tuesday.

After work Tuesday night I headed back down on my motorcycle and met up with them at 24 Henry where they were staying at a bed and breakfast. We got ready to go out and took a cab to Club Sauna for the party. It was a good event with a diverse crowd for sure. Unfortunately the lighting wasn't very good for taking pictures. Here's one of Michael, Antonio and me.

There was a good DJ playing, and the lighting and effects were pretty cool. I always like the green laser lights and music video's playing on the big screen.

From the Sauna party we went to club Badlands in the Castro. It was definitely packed and was a good time. Lots of dancing, lots of talking, a little bit of drinking, all with good friends. A great way to start off the 4th of July holiday.

Sam & Sandy visit California

This week my parents took a road trip to come down and visit me, Chuck, and Emily in California. They headed out from Boise on Thursday and stayed in Winnemucca then played golf on Friday before heading out here. When they arrived we quickly unloaded their car and went to pick up Chuck and Emily for our dinner reservations at Giostra. It's a delicious Italian restaurant Mom had heard about from her friends in Boise.

That evening we played cards at Emily's house and had a birthday cake that Emily made for Mom's upcoming birthday. It was a really nice evening. Saturday morning I got up and jogged 15 miles around Rohnert Park with Amanda while Dad and Chuck played racquetball. They were still playing at lunch so Mom and I hit up my favorite sandwich shop; Marc Mazzetta's Deli for lunch.

Then we all got together and went wine tasting, starting off at Francis Ford Coppola's winery in Geyserville, CA. I wasn't planning on it, but somehow I walked out of the winery as a member. My very first wine club membership! It was a great deal, we got our tasting fees waived and Emily, my Mom and me all purchased wine at the discounted cost. I also got my first shipment right then. Kinda cool.

From there we went to Healdsburg and tried out wines at two of my favorite tasting rooms on the town square; Stephen & Walker and Thumbprint. Both places offered free tastings to the bearer of the Visa Signature cards, so we all got free tastings! For dinner my parents wanted to treat Chuck for his upcoming birthday, so we went to his favorite place; Outback Steakhouse. We finished the evening up with some more cards.

Sunday I went to St. Johns Methodist church with my parents. It was a nice service and I enjoyed taking communion. That afternoon Chuck and Emily joined us for an adventure to Armstrong Woods for a little looking around. We hadn't planned lunch, so we hiked a bit and took some pictures.

We headed from Armstrong Woods over to Bodega Bay where we had dinner at a quaint little Mexican seafood restaurant called Brisas del Mar. I will absolutely be back!! I had crab cakes with a jalapeno sauce that was just amazing.

Before I knew it Monday was here and my parents headed back home via Redding for a night there and more golfing. Then they stopped in southern Oregon for another night before heading back to Boise the night of July 4th. It was a nice weekend with my core family. I really enjoyed the time with everyone.