Lately I have been in a little bit of a funk. As you might have noticed the funk has lead to me not blogging very much. But don't worry, after today I feel like I'm back and I plan to update you on all the goings on, starting with today.
About a week ago I was talking to one of my best girl friends and she happened to mention that she would be down in LA the Friday before Halloween with her boyfriend to visit some of his family. It was going to be a short trip because she had to be back in the bay area Saturday night so she could pack and catch a flight on Sunday for a business trip. Jokingly I suggested that she should stay in LA on Saturday and we should meet up for a girly day of shopping and haircuts. After we got off the phone that night I kept thinking about what we had discussed and I realized that instead of just talking about it I should make it happen. So the next day I had made two haircut appointments at the salon I used to go to when I lived in LA and had sent her an email telling her the time I would be picking up her up at her hotel and what our itinerary was for the day.
Honestly this girls day out couldn't have come at a better time. Not only did we both desperately need haircuts but I also realized that I needed a day of hanging out with a really good friend. I guess one of the benefits to being back in California is that I have good friends nearby. After successful haircuts, mine used to be below my shoulders and is now just about chin length, we headed to the mall for some shopping. We both had success, me with three dress and her with some new work clothes.
And to top it all off we had a chance to stop by Diddy Riese for their famous ice cream sandwiches. You pick the flavor of the fresh homemade cookies and the ice cream, they build the sandwich for you, and you enjoy. All for just $1.50, it's unbelievable! Sadly after this delicious snack our day had to come to an end so she could hit the road for her 6 hour drive back to the bay area.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
London
I arrived in London this morning for a short vacation and continued celebration of my brother's recent marriage. I would like to say that we arrived early but sadly it wasn't in the cards for us.
We arrived in London at 6:30 when we were originally supposed to land at 7:30. After circling the airport for 15 minutes we were finally given the go ahead to land and touched down at 6:45. At which point we found out that our gate was occupied because we had landed early. So we were shuttled off to the remote parking area where they bring steps to the plane and then shuttle bus you to the terminal. Sadly, when we arrived to the remote terminal it was also full and we had to wait until 7:15, when it was free and we finally could pull in. Unfortunately the guiding system on our plane malfunctioned and it was another 15 minutes of waiting before we could pull the last 10 meters into the remote gate and finally get off the plane. Which of course took longer then normal because instead of getting off the plane and into the terminal we were getting off the plane, going down the stairs and waiting for shuttle buses to take us to the terminal.
Once inside things ran a lot smoother. Customs line was short, my bag was already going around the baggage reclaim and the tube was waiting for me at the stations, both originally and at my connection. It couldn't have been smoother.
After a 2 hour nap, I joined my parents for lunch and then this afternoon we headed over to my sister's house where I met my niece for the very first time. As cute as a button and very curious. Definitely a keeper. I also presented my nephew with a new construction book which seemed to go over quite well. He kept running around the house yelling out "digga!" and looking at all the pictures.
This evening mom, dad and I went out for traditional Fish and Chips with a side of mushy peas. Nothing better out there to give you energy to overcome jet lag. I am now waiting for my brother and sister-in-law to get back from Paris so I can give them a hug and then crawl into my bed and get a peaceful nights sleep. Tomorrow morning M arrives and we are going to tour London. It's his first time here.
We arrived in London at 6:30 when we were originally supposed to land at 7:30. After circling the airport for 15 minutes we were finally given the go ahead to land and touched down at 6:45. At which point we found out that our gate was occupied because we had landed early. So we were shuttled off to the remote parking area where they bring steps to the plane and then shuttle bus you to the terminal. Sadly, when we arrived to the remote terminal it was also full and we had to wait until 7:15, when it was free and we finally could pull in. Unfortunately the guiding system on our plane malfunctioned and it was another 15 minutes of waiting before we could pull the last 10 meters into the remote gate and finally get off the plane. Which of course took longer then normal because instead of getting off the plane and into the terminal we were getting off the plane, going down the stairs and waiting for shuttle buses to take us to the terminal.
Once inside things ran a lot smoother. Customs line was short, my bag was already going around the baggage reclaim and the tube was waiting for me at the stations, both originally and at my connection. It couldn't have been smoother.
After a 2 hour nap, I joined my parents for lunch and then this afternoon we headed over to my sister's house where I met my niece for the very first time. As cute as a button and very curious. Definitely a keeper. I also presented my nephew with a new construction book which seemed to go over quite well. He kept running around the house yelling out "digga!" and looking at all the pictures.
This evening mom, dad and I went out for traditional Fish and Chips with a side of mushy peas. Nothing better out there to give you energy to overcome jet lag. I am now waiting for my brother and sister-in-law to get back from Paris so I can give them a hug and then crawl into my bed and get a peaceful nights sleep. Tomorrow morning M arrives and we are going to tour London. It's his first time here.
Friday, September 25, 2009
One Year
Last night M and I went to Sur La Table for a cooking class in celebration of our one year anniversary. It's so hard to believe that it's already been a year and also hard to believe that it's ONLY been a year.
The cooking class was entitled End of Summer Bounty and it was to feature items that you can find at the farmer's market this time of year. There were about 16 people in the class and in teams we worked on making all of the dishes.
- Gorgonzola and Grape Pizza
- Wild Mushroom Pasta
- Oven-dried Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese and Black Olives
- Roast Salmon with Basil Aoli
- Blackberry-Champagne Sorbet
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Herb Garden
While mom was here over the weekend I decided to put her gardening expertise to use and have her help me plant an herb garden. Back when I was in grad school I bought the Chia herb garden, thinking it would be super easy as Chia plants always were. Sadly I just never got the plants to grow. Since we've been here in California I have been inspired by all the plants we have around us, grapefruit, blackberries, grapes, olives, etc. That and we always seem to be running to the store to buy mint for our cocktails. At $2 a packet I figured it must be cheaper to just have a plant.
So off we headed to Home Depot to buy seedlings, pots, soil, and patio containers. We also stopped by the local farmers market to pick up a few missing herbs that we didn't find at Home Depot, mainly a mint plant. While we were at the farmer's market we also sampled chocolate mint. If you ever see it, try a leaf, it's pretty much awesome. If I can figure out what I would use it for and I can keep these first herbs alive I am definitely going to invest in some.
What we did end up with was flat and curly leaf parsley, basil, chives, cilantro, thyme, rosemary and mint. So far they are happily sitting on the patio enjoying the sun and the ocean breezes. We have used the cilantro in homemade guacamole, parsley in our pasta salad and mint in our cocktails. And next time we do our mustard glazed pork loin we are going to use home grown thyme instead of the store bought stuff.
P.S. If you have any recipes that use fresh herbs, definitely send them my way!
Carlsbad History
Monday was mom's last day here so we decided to have a leisurely morning and then explore a little bit of Carlsbad history. First stop was Magee Park and the Carlsbad Historical Society. The actual building and museum was closed but we did get to wander around the park, read a little about the barn and granary, and see the rose garden. It was such a beautiful day.
After the park we wandered toward the center of town and came across Carlsbad Mineral Water. Earlier in the weekend mom had spotted the statue of a man near the water dispensing pagoda. I had seen the water before but didn't think much of it and had no idea who the man was. So we decided to investigate.
Turns out this man discovered the famous Carlsbad mineral waters and was one of the founders of the city of Carlsbad. His name is Captain John A. Frazier. When drilling for wells on his farm he came across both fresh water and also artesian springs with mineral water. What I also didn't know is the water that you can buy to fill up your gallon containers is this famous Carlsbad mineral water. Supposedly it has health benefits and is better for you then regular water. Sadly we didn't have a gallon container with us so we have yet to try it out.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Audobon Nature Center
On Saturday mom and I went for a walk over to the local nature center. I have been waiting for her to come visit to check it out and, though small, it was lots of fun. On our walk over from my house we saw a baby grebe on the road and we also came across a few men fishing in the lagoon.
At the nature center we saw many different birds and also learned a little bit about the white pelicans that come to Carlsbad during the winter. After looking around the nature center we took a short walk down the nature trail which took us through the bullrushes and towards the lagoon. It was a little too hot to stay for too long but it was still lots of fun.
Friday, September 18, 2009
I'm so smart!
Lately I've been doing some job searching online. The problem is that every time I try to open a pdf file, Mozilla seems to stop. It won't load, it won't close, it won't do anything. So after a little research on the Internet I found a solution. And now it works perfectly!
I guess this means no more yelling at the computer when Mozilla crashes and I'm left losing all the tabs that I had open with different job related items. As for the job search . . . it goes on.
I guess this means no more yelling at the computer when Mozilla crashes and I'm left losing all the tabs that I had open with different job related items. As for the job search . . . it goes on.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Farmer's Market
Every Saturday and Wednesday from 1-5 there is a farmer's market here in Carlsbad. Recently I have found myself only making it to the Wednesday market. Partly because I originally thought the market was weds and sun, and partly because there are people to spend time with on the weekends instead of wandering around the market.
Some of my favorite items to purchase at the market are zucchini, avocados, potatoes, corn, and prickly pear. If you haven't tried a prickly pear I highly suggest it the next time you are at your local farmer's market. They taste a little like guava and a little like a mix between a pear and a banana. They have seeds like a pomegranate inside the flesh which you can just swallow.
The other highlight of our new place are the grapes and blackberries growing in the back. I'm not exactly sure what to do with the grapes as they are very small, sweet flesh, sour skin and have little seeds inside. With the blackberries I want to try to take a cutting and see if I can grow them on the front porch. That way they would get more sun and would turn from red to black and probably be more sweet.
Lastly in the front of our house we have a grapefruit tree. Sadly they are not ruby red grapefruits but rather large yellow ones. We pulled one off the tree the other day to try it and despite the super thick rind, the grapefruit inside was pretty tasty. A little sour to eat the whole thing but probably good for making grapefruit juice.
Some of my favorite items to purchase at the market are zucchini, avocados, potatoes, corn, and prickly pear. If you haven't tried a prickly pear I highly suggest it the next time you are at your local farmer's market. They taste a little like guava and a little like a mix between a pear and a banana. They have seeds like a pomegranate inside the flesh which you can just swallow. The other highlight of our new place are the grapes and blackberries growing in the back. I'm not exactly sure what to do with the grapes as they are very small, sweet flesh, sour skin and have little seeds inside. With the blackberries I want to try to take a cutting and see if I can grow them on the front porch. That way they would get more sun and would turn from red to black and probably be more sweet.
Lastly in the front of our house we have a grapefruit tree. Sadly they are not ruby red grapefruits but rather large yellow ones. We pulled one off the tree the other day to try it and despite the super thick rind, the grapefruit inside was pretty tasty. A little sour to eat the whole thing but probably good for making grapefruit juice.
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