A Day Trip to Napa Valley

I love wine, and one of my favorite things in life is discovering new wines and sharing them with family and friends.  Usually my wine discoveries take place at a local wine shop or at Trader Joe’s or World Market.  But yesterday I was lucky enough to get to spend the day in Napa with my parents.

As part of my birthday gift, we decided to take a day trip up to Napa to experience the wine country on a weekday.  As much as I love wine, I’ve only been to Napa two other times, which seems unreal to me, since it’s only about an hour and a half (2 hours with traffic) from where I live. My parents are experts on the Napa Valley, so I thought it would be fun to go with them.

We headed out and took the scenic route up to Napa, traveling along the Great Highway, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, and then heading into Yontville.  It was a leisurely, beautiful drive that took us almost two hours, because we did hit some traffic along the way.  But it was worth it.  We had a great time talking, joking, and laughing.  The weather was gorgeous, and sometimes it’s the unexpected moments in a car during a road trip that are the ones we rembember the most.

We had decided to go to Mustard’s Grill for lunch.  I had been to Mustard’s once before, but my parents hadn’t been, and since the owner/exective chef at Mustard’s was recently featured on Top Chef Masters, I thought it would be fun for them to experience her menu.  There was a 35 minute wait, but we didn’t mind, especially after smelling the heavenly aromas coming from the kitchen.  By the time we were seated, we were definitely hungry, and had no trouble figuring out what to order.  Since it was 2pm, we decided to have lunch.  My mom and I had the Grilled Ahi Tuna Sandwich, which had a basil aioli and housemade pickled ginger.  It was devine!  I always like ahi tuna, and this sandwich definitely didn’t disappoint. My dad had the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, which he said was delicious, as well.  We opted for iced tea over wine, since we were hitting the wineries after lunch.  I told my parents that I’d love to go back to Mustard’s for dinner, to truly experience the chef’s cuisine.

After lunch, we went to Cakebread Cellars, because I had been dying to go.  My parents had never been to this winery, so it was a new experience for all of us.  I’ve had Cakebread Chardonnay in restaurants before and loved it, and I knew their other wines would be just as good.  When we pulled up to the winery, we saw a sign saying that wine tastings and tours were done by prior appointment only.  Undeterred, we entered the winery and asked about making an appointment.  Luckily, they had room for us at 3pm, so we only had to wait a few minutes.  The really cool thing about this wine tasting was that they take you on a tour of the grounds (which were gorgeous).  At each stop you make, you taste a different wine and get to learn a bit more about the winery.  I really love this type of tasting because it seems much more fun and interesting than simply standing in a tasting room and sampling wines.  (Don’t get me wrong, I love doing that, too, but when you’re in the Napa Valley, it seems a shame not to fully experience the winery).

They started us off in the gift shop with Sauvignon Blanc, which I didn’t enjoy.  I don’t care for that variety at all, but my mom said she enjoyed it.  Next, we really began the tour, and they took us into the garden to sample the Anderson Valley Chardonnay.  This was absolutely delicious.  I liked it so much that I splurged on the $37 bottle.  The guide explained that this was made “in the French style,” and whatever they do to it, it is remarkable.  Then we were led deeper into the grounds and got to sample the Reserve Chardonnay.  I thought I would enjoy this wine even more than the Anderson Valley Chardonnay, but I didn’t.  Don’t get me wrong, it was really rich and buttery, but I liked the crispness of the Anderson Valley Chardonnay better.  Next we headed into the wine making area and sampled the Carneros Pinot Noir, which was really good.  We watched them bottle wine as we tasted my favorite wine of the day, the Red Hills Lake Zinfindel. By far, this was the smoothest, richest Zin I have every had in my life, and I would have definitely purchased a bottle, except for the fact that payday isn’t until Friday.  The nice thing is, I can order it online, and I definitely will, when I have some extra money.  Finally, we headed back out to the garden, to the outdoor bbq, and sampled the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

It was so interesting to learn the history of the family, the winery, and the development of the wine from Barry, our guide.  When we overhead the tour group behind us, we were even more glad that Barry was guiding us, because the girl on the next tour sounded like she should be at Disneyland rather than a winery.  I’m all for having energy, but her fake enthusiasm was a bit much.  I loved the relaxed nature of Barry’s presentation.

We left Cakebread hoping to hit another winery, but didn’t have enough time.  This is the one problem I have with Napa – they close the wineries too early in the summer.  Why not stay open until 7pm in the summer, since it’s lighter later?  Most of the wineries close at 4 or 5, making it difficult to get to many, unless you start out really early in the day.  Still, the visit to Cakebread was really worth it.

After the winery, we went to St. Helena to go to Michael Chiarello’s Napa Style store.  It was nice, but didn’t really have much merchandise out.  He has an amazing selection of spices and marinades, but other that that, I wasn’t very impressed with the wares.  The website and catalogue are so much more visually appealing than the store itself, which I find odd.  Also, we have a Napa Style locally, so I guess I wasn’t amazed because we can go to the store whenever we feel like it.

Then we went to Dean & Deluca, which was great.  I loved looking at all of the exotic offerings, and my mom picked up a bottle of Moroccan marinade that we said we were going to use on some grilled ahi of our own.

After the gourmet food shop, we got back on the freeway and headed to the Outlets.  What’s a trip to Napa without some outlet shopping on the way home, right?  My dad and I both found shoes to purchase, and amazingly, my mom came away without anything.  She’s usually the first one to find something to buy, but this time nothing struck her fancy.  The shoes I got are simple flats from Clark’s (un)Structured line, but they are like walking on pillows.  I think they’re going to become my daily wardrobe staple once school starts again and I’m on my feet all day.

Then we headed back home, but we ended up taking the scenic route by accident.  There was so much fog on the Great Hwy that I told my dad to take the wrong exit, and we headed through Pacifica, through Half Moon Bay, along Hwy 1.  It was absolutely gorgeous to see the ocean over the curves of the cliffs, but it definitely added to our driving time.  We arrived back at my parents house at 9pm, tired, hungry, but very happy.

It was a truly fantastic day.  Beyond the delicious food and the terrific wines, the best part of the day was being able to enjoy time spent with my parents.  I am so very lucky to get along so well with them and have the type of relationship with them that makes us savor the moments we share together.  They are two of my best friends, which is so special to me.

Here are a few photos of our time at Cakebread:

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A Perfect Summer Day!

Today was the perfect summer day!

The weather was 85 degrees – warm, but not too hot.  Earlier in the week the weather was really overcast, cloudy, and sort of cold.  Not conducive to feeling like you’re on summer vacation.

I started the morning with a WW meeting.  It had been more than a month since I’d gone, and let’s just say the absence showed up on the scale. (To read more about the meeting, check out my weight loss blog).

After WW, I straightened up the house a bit and then went to get the car washed.  The poor thing was disgusting, and I hate driving around like that, especially when the weather is nice.  I always feel so much better when the car is shiny and clean.

Then I headed to my parents’ house to pick up my dad so he could go with me to the nursery to buy some summer flowers for my house.  My dad is an expert gardener and always helps me plant new flowers.  I chose some really beautiful flowers that should do very well.  My house is shaded by two huge trees, which is nice for keeping the heat at bay, but not so great for choosing blooms – most of the flowers I love need full sun.

Window box - this is the view from my front door. Purple colius, yellow begonias, a spider plant (previously planted) and baby's breath ground cover

Front view of the window box

Close up of the window box flowers

Pots of impatiens for the front stoop

Flower pot and window box

Full front view of my house (on the right)

Once the flowers start to really take and are in full bloom (within a couple of weeks, I think), I’ll make sure to post updated pictures.  I love flowers, and I think this is definitely one of the harbingers of summer for me – planting the flowers in the front of the yard.  I love going out every other day (or so, depending on the weather) and watering the plants – there’s something very nurturing about it.  Just like cooking. It’s part of what makes a house a home.

After the flowers were planted, I made lunch for my dad and then brought him home once we had finished eating.  I love spending time with him this way.  He’s in his element outside, and he has so much expertise, so it’s really nice to be able to learn a bit from him about one of the things he loves.

When I got home, I decided that I’d take a short bike ride to the library to pick up the books I had requested.  Nothing is better than getting that email notification from the library telling you that you’re books are on hold.  Love it!  I didn’t realize that I had ordered quite so many books, though.  I had 9 hardcovers to fit into my bike basket!  Luckily it’s big enough, so everything fit – just barely.  It was great to bike the 2.6 miles roundtrip because it was just enough of a workout to get my blood pumping and make me feel alive.

Now I’m about to get ready to go out to dinner at Thea, one of my favorite Greek restaurants, with one of my old high school pals.  I’m so glad that she and I reconnected a few months ago because I really missed our friendship.  The thing is, nothing really happened – we just lost touch after high school as it’s so easy to do.  Thankfully, we found each other on Facebook (gotta love social networking sites!) and have gotten together about once a month ever since.

All in all, a wonderful summer day – I hope to have many, many more just like this one.

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Italian Dinner Dance

Last night I attended an Italian dinner dance at the Peninsula Italian American Social Club in San Mateo. My mom’s uncle is one of the longtime members of the club (for over 30 years), and he had purchased a table at the benefit. (The funds raised were going to benefit the Italian school (scoula) associated with the club).

When my mom first mentioned that I had been invited, I wondered what I was going to wear. I wasn’t sure how dressy the event was going to be, since my aunt said that people go in everything from pants to glitter. I found a really charming a-lined, 50’s-esque dress that was black lace over a black satin slip dress. It accentuated my waist, and flared out over my hips and butt, which is a perfect style for me. I paired it with pearls and red lipstick, completing what I thought of as the 50’s theme of the outfit. I got lots of compliment on the dress, and I just felt good wearing it. I love it when that happens.

We arrived at the club and I found that many of the people in attendance had dressed down, although everyone at our tables were dressed well. I mean, if you can’t dress up at a dinner dance, when can you? We made a night of it, and enjoyed the Mardi Gras theme.

The best part of the night was the dancing. They played a lot of old, Italian songs, including a few polkas. Who knew there were Italian polkas? I certainly didn’t. I danced with my cousin, a few girlfriends (for the faster, non-polka songs), and my dad. By far my dad was the best dance partner. We polka’d, we shimmied (to a 50’s tune no less!), and we danced. It was so much fun! I found myself laughing while we were on the dance floor from the pure joy of being with my dad and having such a great time. My dad is probably very sore this morning, since his dance card was full all night between my mom, me, and the aunts and cousins he danced with.

Another nice perk of the evening was that I knew many of the people there. My cousin, FavoriteCousin, had her own table, filled with many of the ladies who go to the dining out dinners. It was great knowing almost everyone at the table. A new face in the mix was a guy that FavoriteCousin knows, L. L was not only personable and talkative, but a really good looking guy. Hmmm… I have no idea if he’s single or not, but I would be very interested in finding out. I think he’s around my same age, and he had a lot of interesting things to say last night. Who knows if I’ll see him at an event in the future, but I hope so.

The night was so much fun, and filled with lots of new memories.

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More mother/daughter bonding while shopping

Last Thursday my mom and I got together to have dinner and go shopping.  The objective was to introduce my mom to Bare Escentuals makeup.  I absolutely love it and have been using it for a few years, thanks to BFF.  She kept going on and on about how much she loved it, and since she’s not a huge makeup wearer, I figured there had to be something to it.  Turns out there definitely is!

The fun part about the evening was getting to have dinner alone with my mom.  She and I almost never do that.  Usually when we get together it’s at my parents’ house for dinner.  Now, I love my dad, and it’s wonderful getting together with him whenever possible, but having some “Mom and Me” time is really nice, too.

We met at Cheesecake Factory, and even though they have lots of tempting and decadent things on the menu, I made some really good choices.  I had a wonderful Ahi tuna salad that was delicious!  Pretty low in points, too, which was nice.  Mom ordered the herb-crusted salmon, which was also good, but I liked mine better (Mom did too!).  We shared a bottle of chardonney and had a really nice time catching up.  My parents just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary and had gone to Napa for an extended weekend.  (Originally they had planned to go to Italy and really do it up, but with the economy what it is, they decided to hold off on their dream vacation for another year).  My mom said that her favorite part of the whole trip was going on the hot-air balloon ride with my dad.  She said it was so romantic, and that the views were breathtaking.  That’s exactly the type of thing I’d love to do with a “someone special” someday.  I was really glad to hear they had such a fun time.

After dinner, we headed to the Bare Escentuals boutique.  I had a few of my own items to stock up on, and I let one of the makeup artists/salespeople help my mom.  My mom has loved makeup since her own mother worked at the Emporium in the cosmetics section.  I think the love of makeup runs in the family, although my sis, LC, doesn’t get as into it as Mom and I do.  My mom normally doesn’t wear any sort of foundation or powder – just blush, eyeshadow, and mascara.  My mom’s eyes are huge and deep set (think: bedroom eyes), and they always look gorgeous.  Lately my mom has been unhappy with her skin, and since she always compliments me on mine, I thought Bare Escentuals would be perfect for her.  It’s so light that you don’t feel like you have anything on your skin, but the results of wearing it give you an “airbrushed” look.  I know that totally sounds like a commercial, but it’s so true.

My mom ended up getting the foundation, Hydrating Mineral Veil, a Buxom lip gloss (which she is STILL raving about), and the Rare Minerals nighttime regime.  We each dropped $100 at the store, and I think my mom may be on her way to being a BE girl, too.

All in all, we had a great time together, and did our part to help stimulate the economy in the process.  I’d call that a pretty successful evening, wouldn’t you?

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Weekend with LC = Pure Bliss

It really doesn’t get any better than the day I had with my sister today.

As I wrote yesterday, we had a birthday dinner for her at my parents’ house last night, and then she spent the night at my place, since we had appointments for a spa day later this afternoon. Having a “sister sleepover” was so much fun, and I hope we get a chance to do it again.  LC said that not having anyone calling, “Mommy, mommy!!” was a treat in and of itself.  She was able to let her hair down and just take it easy this morning.  Even though she woke up at 6am!!!  Which was sleeping in for her!!!

I love sharing my music with LC, and I told her that since I had the new iPhone, I’d give her my older iPod mini so she could use it.  (I had given her my OLD iPod a few years ago, but it was time for her to upgrade).  I also told her she should look through my iTunes library and make a new playlist for herself of songs she wanted to take, and we could burn the cds.  Well, 331 songs & 18 burned cds later, she has a bunch of new music to groove to.  She was so excited about the new music, that it really made me feel good.

I was also able to give LC two of my dresses that are a bit too large for me, which is great. It helps her boost up her wardrobe a bit, and the clothes go to good use.  Plus, since she’s been losing weight herself, I’m sure she’ll be getting new clothes soon enough, too.

LC is one of those people that so appreciates any kindness or gift you offer her, which makes it so much fun to treat her to something special.  She’s a really kind, generous person herself, and it’s nice to be able to help her indulge a bit every now and then.  She certainly deserves it!

LC and I spent a good part of today at Burke Williams spa, and all I can say is that I feel so blissful right now.  I recommend everyone reading this blog makes it a point to get to a spa and get a much-deserved treatment soon.

We got to the spa around 11:30 in order to enjoy the steam room and some of the other amenitites before our services began.  LC was signed up for a massage, and I was getting a facial.  Both treatments were for an hour, which is the perfect amount of time.  Because it was her birthday, LC was able to get a free bath treatment, as well.  I think she chose a milk bath, which I’m sure made her skin silky soft, after all the toxins had been removed in the steam room.

Even the shower at Burke Williams makes you feel good!  Their shower stalls have 3 jets that hit you from all directions, maximizing the relaxing effect of the powerful sprays of water.

After we got dressed and ready to go, we had a wonderful dim sum lunch at Sino.  It was so nice to enjoy a great, exotic meal and just continue the fantastic conversations we’d had all weekend.

After lunch, we popped into the mall for a few quick purchases.  Nothing to write home about (or even blog about!), just a few things each of us needed.

Then, LC came back to my place to collect all of her belongings and head home.  I was so happy to have spent so much quality time with her that I was really sad to see her go.  But, I know she needs to get back home before it gets too late, since she has a lot of things to do to get everybody ready for school/work tomorrow.

My sister is amazing, and I’m so happy that she and I are back on track to being good friends again.  Not that we didn’t always love each other, because we did, but we did go through a period when both of us were under a tremendous amount of pressure in our respective lives, and we weren’t able to do things as often.  We sort of drifted apart, and it’s so nice to be back to being great friends, like we used to be in high school and college.  I was mentioning this to DRMK, and she told me I should definitely share these thoughts with LC, which I did, about a week ago.  She said she felt the exact same way and was so happy.

LC and I are planning to make more sister days/weekends as often as our schedules will allow, which probably means every 4-6 weeks.  We’re already thinking of a bike-riding trip in Half Moon Bay, a morning of yoga and a day in Berkeley, and a few other treats.  Can’t wait!!!

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It’s all about LC

Yesterday was my sister’s birthday.  LC turned 35, which is one of those BIG birthdays.  You know, one that ends with a 5 or a 0 is always a big one.

Last night she spent a quiet night at home with her family.  Her husband was going to cook dinner, and later my sister, my two nieces, and my bro-in-law were going to open her gifts.  What a nice night.

Today we’re havign a BBQ at my parents’ house for LC’s birthday.  My mom has a great menu planned, and the only thing I had to bring was some watermelon.  I chose some delicious, sweet Dulcinea melons, which just so happened to be on sale this week.  (Nothing wrong with that!)  We’re planning to take lots of candid (and I’m sure just as many posed) pictures of the family, because we gave my dad a digital picture frame for his birthday in June, and now he’s all about filling it with really recent shots.  I’m looking forward to a fun afternoon and evening.

After the BBQ LC is coming over my house to spend the night, since we have a fun “sister day” planned for tomorrow.  I’m really looking forward to her spending the night, because we haven’t had a sleepover in so long, since her kids are 1 and almost 6.  It’ll be fun staying up late gossiping, giggling, and I’m sure, fighting over the blankets, just like we used to do.

Tomorrow I’m taking LC to Burke Williams Spa for a wonderfully relaxing spa day.  She’s getting a combination shiatsu/Swedish massage and I’m getting a facial that includes a neck, foot, and hand massage.  We’re planning on getting there early so we can take advantage of the other spa amenities, like the steam room and sauna.  I love the way the steam room opens my pores and makes me feel like all the toxins are leaving my body.  I’m not much for the sauna, because the dry heat gets to me after just a few minutes.  After our spa time, we’re going to have a wonderful, late lunch at one of Santana Row‘s many restaurants.  I think LC said she wanted to go to Sino, and since it’s her bday weekend, her wish is my command. Plus, I love their dim sum, and they have a fabulous wine list, so we really can’t go wrong.

I’m really looking forward to spending some quality time with my sister (and the rest of my family) this weekend.  It feels so good to enact my new plan of not taking school work home with me.  I feel absolutely no guilt about things I could be grading, because I know that I’m going to be putting in 8-10 hours this week on grading, after school.  THIS is what leading a balanced life is all about.

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Sister Day + John Mayer = The Best Present!

This post is long overdue – LC (my sister) and I had our sister day/John Mayer concert last Saturday, but I haven’t had time to write this post until now.

The best part about the day was that LC and I got to spend it together. Because we each have such full, rich lives and we live in cities that are 50 miles from each other, it’s not too often that we get together, just the two of us. I was looking forward to our “sister day” for weeks.

We started out in downtown Mt. View, with 2PM reservations at Cascal, a very trendy tapas restaurant. I’d heard quite a few good reviews of the restaurant and had been wanting to try it out for some time. Right away we ordered a pitcher of sangria – what sister day lunch is complete without lots of alcohol in the afternoon? We ordered lots of delicious dishes: warm rabbit salad, ahi tuna, a potato and chile gratin, eggplant tian, and Albondigas (spicy Moroccan style lamb meatballs in a paprika sauce). We were stuffed by the time we were through, but enjoyed every bite.

After lunch, we walked around and perused the shops in the downtown area, which were few and far between. Lots of restaurants but hardly any interesting shops. Plus the weather was over 90 degrees that day, so we chose some of the shops just for the fact that they had A/C. We did walk into Therapy, which is an adorable boutique-style shop filled with everything from Paul Frank kids’ bathrobes to cocktail napkins. I found a small, dark brown, retro-looking clutch that was way too cute. It’s a Lauren clutch from Hobo International (mine is a lot darker than the picture shown on the website). It was expensive, but it’s so classic that I think it was worth it. It’s going to go perfectly well with my dress for the wedding and for any other nighttime events that will no doubt pop up in the future.

After dropping way too much money at the stores, LC and I headed to Shoreline Amphitheatre to see the John Mayer concert. He was playing with Brett Dennen and Colbie Caillat. I have to say, I was extremely unimpressed with both of them. Brett Dennen sounds whiny and Colbie Caillat sounded so muffled and low energy. I usually like her cute, lighthearted pop music, but that night it was just tiresome.

As we impatiently waited for John Mayer to come onstage, LC and I unpacked a little picnic we had brought with us, which included: blackberries grown from her yard, nectarines, a variety of cheeses, pretzel chips and crackers, cashews, and some other nibbles. I gave LC a bad time because she only brought two paper towels. Two! I asked her if we were in the rationing times of WWII. She said she didn’t think we’d need more. I told her next time to let me take care of the napkins and that I’d bring a whole roll of paper towels to her house, so she can use as many as she wants. It was all in good fun, but I am still laughing about it as I sit here writing this. We had to entertain ourselves, since the singers on stage leaved quite a bit to be desired.

John Mayer, on the other hand, is a sexy beast! He had newly-shorn hair that gave him a much edgier vibe than I’ve seen before. Yum!

I can honestly say that this concert was one of the best I’ve been to in at least 3 years. John Mayer is soulful, sexy, sincere, sexy, and sexy. (Did I mention sexy?) He is an amazing guitar player, which I had no idea about. I mean, sure the guitar sounds great on the albums of his that I have, but having never seen him perform life, I had no idea the depth of his talent. He is a true musician who loves music and as I was watching him, I felt connected to something bigger. I sat there on the lawn feeling so in awe of him and his performance.

Here’s a bit of his performance from that night (I’m so glad I found it on YouTube!):

A bit of guitar solo on “Gravity”:

The entire day was wonderful, little silly sister-fights and all. LC bought me the tickets to the concert, but the real present she gave me that day was spending time with me. I told her I hope we can plan sister days more often than we have been able to, because I miss hanging out with her like this. She agreed, so we’re definitely checking our calendars and figuring out fun new places to go.

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Weekend WrapUp

This weekend flew by because I have two major events planned.

The first was my niece’s 1st birthday party. I can’t believe she’s already 1! Time really does go by so quickly, although it shouldn’t surprise me, because most of this last year is a complete blur. My sister organized a really nice party, complete with cupcakes. It was nice to see both of my nieces, since it seems our schedules are so busy that we can rarely get together.

On Sunday, I organized my annual Ladies’ Afternoon Tea, which began 4 years ago. I had bought a dress that I really liked and no occasion to wear it to, so I created one. I got a bunch of my friends and their moms together and we went to high tea. It was such fun that I’ve been planning a tea ever since. I had a great time with all of my friends and our moms, but I was extremely disappointed with the b.s. I went through with the venue. For an example – I wanted to order half iced tea and half hot tea, since it’s July and hot here. The afternoon of the tea the server began putting the iced tea into my teacup. I asked for it in a glass and was told by the manager that it would be an extra $2.50 per person to have the iced tea in a separate glass. WTF? I don’t want to take the damn glass home with me, I just want to drink out of it. I was appalled, and that wasn’t the only thing that happened like that. So, needless to say, I’ll be writing them a fairly scathing email and we’ll be changing locations next year. I’m thinking we may even move on from tea to something more enjoyable – wine and apps, perhaps?

Busy weekends like this are so much fun, but also really draining. I felt like I didn’t get any downtime, and wasn’t really ready for work this morning. I usually like having one of the weekend days to catch up on laundry, tidy up the house, and just relax. I did fit in a couple of loads of laundry and I did freshen up my house, but I didn’t really have the feeling of bumming around. Ah, well, there’s always next weekend, right?

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4-Day Weekend Plans

Without irking those of you reading this at work, I’d like to point out that I get a 4-day weekend! The company where I’m working this summer is closed today and tomorrow, and my boss told me that I’d be paid for both days! How nice is that?

Since yesterday was my birthday, this just extends a wonderful birthday/4th of July weekend for me. Here are the plans:

Thursday
Wake up late (done)
Clean the house – laundry, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, etc. (so, you see, I will be working, just not in the office)
Get the car washed
Go to the library to pick up more books that I have on hold
Go to the mall to get some new clothes (in smaller sizes!!) with some birthday money
Go out to dinner at Red Lobster with BFF, so we can celebrate “our birthday” (she and I do this every year, so it’s become a really fun tradition).

Friday
Go grocery shopping for the food for a bbq I’m having later at my house
Go for a bike ride
Get food ready for the bbq
Have a bbq at my house – appetizers – chips & salsa, hummus and veggies, dinner – chicken and beef kabobs, corn, caprese salad (mozzarella, tomatoes, basil)
Watch a movie?

Saturday
Go to BFF’s mom’s house for zucchini flowers This is a truly southern Italian specialty that those who aren’t Italian may not understand.  The zucchini flowers are edible, and BFF’s mom puts them into this wonderful batter of flour, cheese, salt, and pepper and then fries them.  A truly delicious delicacy.  The things that makes them even more special is that they are only around for a few weeks of the year – in late June/early July, so this is a once a year treat and tradition that we have.
Nail appt.
Bike ride/gym – I’m thinking I’ll ride to the gym, since it’s not that far.
Get together with friends for a post-birthday celebration

Sunday
Spend the morning reading the paper/drinking coffee, as per my Sunday morning ritual
Go for a bike ride
Read and relax
Call friends
Go to Campo di Bocce for BFF’s birthday celebration.  I’m really excited about this one because bocce is the one “sport” I’m really good at.  I usually win, which makes my competitive side very happy.  I’m not sure if it’s because others don’t really know how to play the game or not, but whatever works, right?

By getting the housework out of the way today, I free myself up to really enjoy the rest of the weekend.  I’m so happy to have so many fun plans this weekend.  How are you planning to spend your 4th of July weekend?

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Week off wrap-up

I had this last week off, and I had all sorts of plans for how I was going to fill my time. Some of them fun, some of them work, but all of them helping me get organized and ready for the long haul that I have ahead of me before Spring Break. (At this point in the school year, it’s all about living for the next week off!)

I didn’t get as much accomplished as I had hoped, but mostly this was because I made sure to take plenty of time for me.

I watched movies: Once, Dogfight, Jane Austen Book Club (from Netflix) and Juno (in the theatre).

I read: Lucia, Lucia and Rococo (I was on an Adriana Trigiani kick), and more of Into the Wild. Plus all of my daily blog reads (found on the blogroll).

What I didn’t read and should’ve: my book club pick Water for Elephants (I guess my Tuesday evening is suddenly free now) and some articles for grad school. I will make sure to get to the articles before I go to bed, since class meets tomorrow.

I did grad school work: CTLB and I spent 5 hours on Tuesday working on our action research project (thesis). It was great to accomplish so much, and just reinforces what a great team we make.

I forgot to pay my grad school fees: The 2nd installment of my fee payment was due on Monday, but it totally slipped my mind. By Friday the university completely dropped me from all of my classes! Yes, you read that correctly – I’m disenrolled. Ugh! So now I have to pay a $150 fine and go through some rigamaroll to get re-enrolled, but I guess I have no one to blame for myself. Good thing I have the money, including the extra for the fine, so this should just be a matter of going to the student services office and turning in paperwork and a payment.

I dined: I went out with friends twice this week. Thursday night to the Afgani restaurant and last night to a great Mediterranean place with CBCB (who was just back from Paris) and BeachGirl. I also went to The Counter, but since I ate that at home, that probably doesn’t count. Tonight I’m headed to my parents’ house for a mini-Oscar party. My mom has all sorts of “small bites” that she made for us to eat while we watch the Oscars (and judge the dresses).

I worked out: I went four times this week, which is a lot for me. I never made it to Club One as I had planned, but that’s ok. I’ve decided that I don’t need to join a chi-chi club; 24 Hour Fitness is great for my needs, plus it’s a whole lot cheaper.

I cleaned: I did the normal house chores and laundry, but I never made it to fully organizing all of my files and my new bookcase. The books are all organized, but I have a bunch of stationary and binders that I wanted to get set up. This will be finished before the end of this week — it sounds like a great weeknight project.

I cooked: I tried a couple of new recipes that turned out really well. I didn’t go through all of my great new recipe books and mark the ones I’d like to try, but again, this sounds like a great weeknight project.

I blogged: I wrote quite a few posts on this blog and my weight loss blog, and it felt great. I love having the time to write, a luxury I rarely have during the hectic work week.

I erranded: Ok, so I know this isn’t a word, but it seems like it should be. I ran a bunch of errands this week, which was great.

I decided: I made the decision that I will work this summer again. I was looking forward to having the summer off, but practically and financially it makes a lot more sense for me to work again. After I pay my parents back, the rest of the money will be fun money, which is always nice. Hopefully I’ll have lost so much weight by August that I need to buy a whole new wardrobe!!

I relaxed: Most days I slept in until at least 9:30, which is so strange for me. Even on the weekends, I’m usually up by 7:30, so this was really a treat. It also caused me to go to bed really late, but hey, that’s what vacations are all about, right?

All in all, I feel good about how I spent this week. I was able to find a nice balance between work and play. I can’t ask for more than that.

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Just what I needed: a girls’ night

Tonight a few friends and I went to an Afgani restaurant in a nearby city and had one of the best meals I’ve eaten in a long time. Not only was the food delicious (I had lamb kabobs), but the conversation was so fun.

We chatted about everything from books (we are all English teachers) to babies (2 of the girls have kids) and it was relaxed and happy.

It reminded me that that’s the purpose of going out to eat with friends — it’s as much about the great conversation and fun times as it is about the food. You’re paying for the entire experience. I really need to get out more often, because I love dining out.

The other thing I realized (although I knew this) is that on SBD it really is easy to eat out. I don’t need to feel like I have to cook at home all the time. I enjoy cooking and have rediscovered how good I am at it, but there’s nothing like trying different foods and enjoying a fabulous girls’ night.

Isn’t it funny how sometimes the simplest things help me break out of my routine and add some joy to my life?

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SBD here I come!

December 1. Today’s the day. I started The South Beach Diet (SBD). I woke up this morning and weighed myself so I could have an official “starting weight.” The number on the scale this morning is the highest number I’ve ever recorded for myself. Which is not to say that I haven’t weighed more than this, because I’m sure I have, I just never knew the number. It’s daunting and scary and gross and I will never see this number again as long as I live. I guarantee myself that.

I feel like I’m off to a good start. Well, it’s only 9:07am, but I do feel prepared and organized. I’m glad that we took a few weeks to get started with this, rather than jumping right in. It gave me time to prepare myself mentally and to get all the things I’m going to need ready.

Yesterday I got plenty of food at Trader Joe’s although I still need to pick up a couple of things at Safeway. Name brand items that they don’t carry at TJ’s and that I like: V-8, Knudson Lowfat cottage cheese, etc.

I even made my breakfast and lunch yesterday, because I knew I was going to be up early today to proctor the SATs. I’m very proud of myself for doing that. I hope I can keep it up. In some ways, I think this SBD is going to help me stay more organized and orderly in my everyday life. It almost forces you to think ahead and prepare food. That might be a side benefit, besides losing weight.

Last night CBCB, BeachGirl, and I went out for our “last supper.” We decided on Blowfish Sushi to Die For, because it’s my absolute favorite spot to get sushi. Yes, it’s loud because the techno music is blaring. Yes, it’s expensive. But the sushi is so fresh and the presentation is so artistic, that it makes up for all of that. Plus, it’s a bit of a hot spot after 8pm. After our dinner we had some drinks at a nearby bar. Our last chance for alcohol for 2 weeks.

I’m glad that we’re all doing this diet together, although I think we each need to remember that we’re all at different levels and what works for one of us may not work for all of us. I think we need to make sure that we’re not judging each other. A bit of this came out last night in conversation, and it worried me. Ultimately, we’re each responsible only to ourselves, and the others are there for moral support and encouragement.

I can’t wait for one week from today, when I get on the scale and see some amount of weight loss. I really don’t care how much it is, as long as it’s in the downward direction.

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I walked in for a cut & color and walked out with a weight loss plan

Last week I went for a cut & color, and when my stylist walked up to greet me, she looked amazing. (Dez had a baby about a year ago, and even though she has a fairly tiny frame, the extra baby weight was really bothering her). I could tell right away in her face and her midsection that she had lost a lot of weight. Since it was only 6 weeks since my last appointment, I asked her what she’d been doing.

She said she started the South Beach Diet 2 weeks ago, and in that time she’d lost 11 pounds! She said that even though the first two weeks were the most restrictive part of the diet, it hadn’t been difficult at all for her to stick to it. Well, except for the no alcohol part. She usually has a glass of wine or a beer when she gets home from work, but even that wasn’t that hard for her. She said she felt better inside and out and was so encouraged that she had lost so much weight in such a short period of time. She said she went from 160 to 139 in 2 weeks. Wow.

I told her that I was planning on joining Jenny Craig in January, right after Christmas. She said, “well, if you want to do that, good for you, but why don’t you just read the book while the color sets on your hair.” So she brought out the book and I read it for about half an hour.

What I read made so much sense, and seemed sensible. Sure, it would be hard to go off bread, rice, and pasta. Not eating fruit for 2 weeks sounds pretty difficult, but with results like hers, it would be worth it. When I looked at the meal plan for Phase 1, I saw lots of eggs, which gave me pause — I don’t eat eggs because of a gross childhood experience with them. I’ll spare you the details, but I will say that I’ve tried to eat eggs several times, and just couldn’t get them down. Or I’d have to drown them in tons of hot sauce and swallow them almost whole. How was this going to work? Still, when I read the recipes for the egg breakfasts that included fritatta and little egg “muffins,” I thought to myself, “maybe I can eat eggs.” Mind over matter and all of that.

I mentioned the egg hesitation to Dez and she said that she thought I could probably just substitute some other protein, like cottage cheese, for the eggs. Hmmm… sounds good. She mentioned that Phase 2 let you incorporate most fruits and some whole wheat grains back into your diet, plus an occasional glass of wine. The more she talked, the more excited I got, although I was still hesitating.

You see, I’m a girl who likes to have a plan. Always has a plan, actually. Goals are what keep me going. The current plan was that I was going to join Jenny Craig, but now Dez was throwing this new idea out to me, and I was sort of confused.

South Beach sounded really good, and I liked the idea of eating real food, which would allow me to keep going out with my friends and remain in the social loop. Jenny Craig would mean that I would be more hermit-like, since you have to stick to the program and eat all of the pre-packaged food. Jenny Craig was a slam dunk because if you ate the food like you’re supposed to, you’ll lose the weight. South Beach would mean a lot more organization, which is something I’ve been lacking lately. It would mean making menus, shopping regularly, and cooking meals ahead of time. It would force me to get my shit together and keep things under control.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when I walked out of the salon, but I was interested in the possibilities. I went across the street to a coffee house with free wifi, got online and ordered the South Beach Diet book from Amazon.

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Ahhh…weekends

Last weekend (June 23-24) was what I’m considering my first official weekend of summer vacation. (That first weekend after school got out doesn’t count because after Friday night’s outing with my teacher-friends, the rest of the weekend was spent in “recovery mode.” It took a couple of days for me to de-stress enough to actually feel like I was on summer vacation). Since one of my goals this summer was to enjoy my friends and family, I thought I’d update you about the last two weekends and all of the glorious things I was able to partake in.

Saturday, 6/23:
I did a bit of beautifying (nail appt., working out, etc), and then got ready to go to San Francisco with a couple of friends (Ms. LM and BeachGirl) to meet up with Favorite Cousin and her dining out group. (This group of women is all over 40 years old, and most of them have never been married. They’re so much fun! They stay up on pop culture better than I do, and I teach teens! They all have a great attitude, and seem just fine with the fact that they may never get married. It’s quite liberating being around them, actually).

As I was getting my crazy, curly-headed self ready, I realized that I was almost out of the only thing that tames my frizz and makes my hair presentable. This was a true hair emergency! So, I called BeachGirl, since she lives close to the salon where I buy the product, and asked her if she wouldn’t mind stopping to get some for me. (As I’m typing this, it sort of sounds like some sort of drug run, but whatever, I was desperate). Apparently my regular salon was closed, but another one down the street was open, and they happened to sell the product also, so BeachGirl went way above and beyond in the name of friendship and beautiful hair. (Seriously, if you have thick, coarse, curly hair, try Bumble & Bumble’s Curl Conscious line, it’s a miracle).

Since the hair crisis was averted, we left for Farina, a newly opened Italian restaurant in The Mission district of SF. Ms. LM, BeachGirl, and I arrived just before “Dykes on Bikes” began. If you don’t know, you can read all about it, here. It was Gay Pride Weekend in SF, and we were so happy to arrive before the parade of motorcycles began tearing down the street.

If you ever get the chance to visit San Francisco for Gay Pride Weekend, do it. It is simply the most fun you can have, while still keeping in mind the struggle others have literally died for in order to be able to live the way they want to and express who they are. Pink Saturday is all about partying. The Castro comes alive (yes, even more than usual), with people completely spilling into the streets, and nakedness everywhere. The Gay Pride Parade on Sunday is amazing. I’ve marched in the Parade once, with a group of my friends. I actually like watching the Parade better than being in it, simply because you can see so much more when you’re just an observer. It’s really something to experience. People come from all over the world to experience something like no other.

Anyway, back to our dinner…We arrived at Farina just in time and valet parked the car. The Mission District has very little parking, so anytime a restaurant has a valet, you’ve got to take advantage of it. Ms. LM, BeachGirl, and I all decided we wanted to get a drink before dinner, since we were 30 minutes early. We walked down to another restaurant because Farina doesn’t have its liquor license yet. (Apparently the neighbors aren’t too happy with this restaurant moving in, and they’ve been blocking the liquor license. Lots of disgruntled behavior on both sides, and apparently one night things escalated so much that one of the neighbors was arrested! Drama, huh?)

As we returned to Farina right in the nick of time before the Dykes on Bikes made their way down the block, we entered the restaurant, and an old Italian man started yelling at me. “You no use the valet unless you here to eat!! Valet for customer only!!” I was furious at his aggression, and I told him we were here with a private party. I threw around Favorite Cousin’s name and told him we were about to spend a lot of money in the restaurant. Then I had to add, “We wanted a drink, and since YOU don’t have a liquor license, we were forced to go elsewhere! You know, I would think with all of the bad press this place has been getting, your attitude would be a lot friendlier to a new customer who might bring you lots of potential business!” And then I had to go outside for a cig because I was just so mad at the way he had treated me. (I should add that once he saw Favorite Cousin, realized who she was, and that I was with her, he came upstairs during dinner and fell all over himself apologizing).

I went back inside and the group made our way upstairs to the private room. The restaurant is beautiful inside. They serve Genovese style Italian food, which is good, but I prefer southern-Italian cooking, probably because that’s where my family is from. Favorite Cousin knows the owner and was able to work out a deal with her to sell & serve us wine “under the table.” And man, did they! Bottomless wine glasses can be very dangerous, especially when they’re being poured by cute Italian waiters. One of them had the cutest curls and kept calling me “bella” all night, and I swear I would have said, “si” to anything he asked of me! A wonderful evening was had by all, and while the food was good, I’m not sure it warranted the $95 price we each had to pay. I know that most of that had to be the wine, but whatever. We were enjoying each other’s company and that’s what it’s really all about when you go out to eat. I think the best part of the night was the deep conversations I got into with BeachGirl. She and I have been friends since school started in August, but we’ve been getting a lot closer lately, and I really love her. She’s such a special person, and I’m so glad that she’s in my life. She and I are going to evolve into amazing friends, I can just tell.

Sunday, June 24:
My dad’s birthday is June 25, but since that was on a Monday this year, my sister and I took him out on Sunday. He wanted to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, so we went to brunch first and then the movie. The movie was actually really good. Long, but very entertaining, and let’s face it, any movie with Johnny Depp in it is going to be a great movie to me. I love that man!

The best part was just spending time with my sister and my dad. He looked so proud walking around with “his girls,” and it just warmed my heart. He is one of the most generous, intelligent, calm, and gentle people I know. I take after my mom more, so I really appreciate his more calming presence. I guess that’s how it is in life, you appreciate in others what you don’t have yourself. Or, at least you should, I think. I always feel great when I’m with my dad.

After our day together I stayed at my parents’ house for dinner. Before last year’s craziness, I saw my parents all of the time. When I wasn’t living with them (which I did for 2 years prior to moving here, because of financial reasons), I would go over for dinner at least once a week. My mom is an amazing cook, and I love the dinners she prepares. She takes so much pride in planning the menu and setting the table just so. Even when it’s only us for dinner. So as we were sitting there talking, my dad says, “you know, it’s so good to see you. My father used to say to me, ‘you know, we have cousins in New York that we see more often than you, and you live the same city we do.’ That’s how I feel about you, Bella, you were hardly around for the past few months.” He’s right. I was like a hermit in a hole from October-June. I went out a few times, but so much of my weekends were consumed with school work or grad school stuff that I didn’t feel like I could leave my house. It’s been so nice to have time to just visit and see people.

Saturday, June 30:
Yesterday was my day to get organized. I needed to do a deep cleaning on the house (mop the floors, vacuum, laundry, clean the bathroom, do dishes, organize my closet). I started out pretty strong by cleaning dishes and doing laundry. I cleaned the bathroom until everything shined. Feeling good about my progress, I decided to take a break and pay my bills online. I got really ambitious and decided to call the cable company and cancel HBO, because now that Sopranos is over, I don’t really watch any of their other shows. I even convinced the guy to give me a deal on the internet service. So now I’m going to save over $40 each month on my bill!! Then I started fooling around online and happened upon Dream Dinners.

I’m so excited about this service! It’s the answer to my prayers for eating healthy even when school’s in and I’m back to crazy mode. The way it works is that you sign up for an appointment time, then you select which meals you’d like (each month they have a new menu of options), and then when you go in, they have everything ready for you. They do all the shopping, chopping, portioning. They give you the containers, and you go around to each “station” getting all the ingredients for the meal. You can decide how much of each seasoning you want, etc. The food is uncooked, and you bring it home and put it in the freezer and then pull it out when you want to cook it. So easy! The problem is that the miminum order is 36 servings. Which is A LOT of food! I decided to email BeachGirl and ChrissyG to see if they would be interested. In the middle of my long email, ChrissyG texted me about something else, but ended up telling me that she and her parents are doing Dream Dinners, and love it! BeachGirl is going to be traveling for a lot of July, so, I called BFF and asked her if she would be interested in doing it, and she said she’d love to. We ended up ordering about 24 servings each, and it worked out to $3.80/serving. Really affordable. Most of the meals don’t include the side dish, but it’s really easy to get the pasta or rice and a salad or veggies ready while the other food is in the oven or on the grill. We go on July 22nd, and I cannot wait.

I really do want to make healthy food a lifestyle, and I do well at breakfast and lunch, but dinner always gets me. I’m usually too tired to do a big production of cooking, or else I don’t have all of the ingredients, and as much as I love cooking, it’s really hard to find the time on weeknights to make meals like I’d like to. This is the perfect solution! I’ll let you know how it goes after I try it out.

Later on Saturday, after not tackling the closet, because it was too daunting, I got ready to go to my parents’ for dinner. Another awesome meal — cumin and chili powder turkey burgers with zucchini fries. Delicious. If anyone wants the recipe for the zucchini fries, email me and I’d be happy to share it. It’s easy!

Sunday, July 1:
Today was a gorgeous day, both in the weather outside and in the way I feel. BFF’s birthday is June 30th and my birthday is July 2nd, so a few years ago we started the tradition of spending July 1st together. We deemed July 1st to be “our birthday.” Every year we put aside this one day to spend with each other. No matter what else is going on in our lives (boyfriends or the lack there of, work, other friends, family, whatever) we always spend July 1st together.

This year we decided to treat ourselves to a spa day at Burke Williams, which is a really high-end spa. I had never been to BW before, but I will surely go again after today. I signed up for a facial and BFF got a massage. BW is luxurious, there’s really no other way to describe it. They allow you to use all of their other amenities before and after your treatment, so you really can make a day of it, if you want to. We got there about an hour early, and changed into their huge, fluffy robes. Then we headed to the steam room to relax. I love steam rooms because you just feel like all of the toxins are pouring out of your body as the hot steam washes over you. It’s relaxing and wonderful. BFF used some yoga breathing and showed me how to “breathe in the good, exhale the bad.” It was so calming. My skin felt wonderful as I walked out of the room. Then it was time for our treatments.

My esthetician was so great with me, especially after I told her this was my first facial. She explained each step as she went. This facial included a parafin dip for your hands and a foot massage. Her movements seemed to be in time with the soothing music playing in the background. Sweeping motions that calmed me completely. I haven’t been that relaxed in way too long. It was wonderful, and even the “extraction” portion was fine. She had a gentle touch and she said that I really didn’t have many impurities in my skin, which was nice. I’d love to go back once a month, but the cost is a bit prohibitive ($105), so I will probably treat myself to a facial like this once every few months.

Afterwards, she gave me a refreshing glass of lemon/cucumber water. I felt like I could melt into the sofa I was sitting on, so I decided to take a shower and get ready to go. The shower had 3 showerheads, and was completely invigorating. I’d love to have a shower like that in my house, although I’d probably never leave!

BFF had just as many positive comments about her massage. As we were paying, the girl noticed that it was our birthdays, and she gave us each a certificate for a free spa bath (herbal bath, milk bath, fango mud bath, or seaweed bath) during our next visit. How cool is that? They have great customer service, making every guest feel like a V.I.P. When we walked out, I turned to BFF and said, “so THAT’S what it feels like to be a rich person!” I felt absolutely pampered. I guess that’s what birthdays are all about, right?

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So what does all of this add up to? For me, these last two weekends have been an anomaly. It’s been months since I truly enjoyed myself without the guilty, nagging feeling that I had so many other things I should be doing. I’m not taking these grading/homework-free weekends for granted, believe me. I want to enjoy every moment of each one.

I also want to try to work out some sort of schedule when the end of August rolls around so that I can spend at least one day each weekend going out, having fun, being with family, pampering myself, or simply just relaxing and enjoying the moment with a good glass of wine and a great book. Sounds like heaven. It also sound like salvation from the insanity. I’ve got to make it happen.

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