From LA to Frisco

So this past weekend was our final Dave Matthews Band show of Summer '08. I only got to see two this year because of the canceled Utah show, but both shows were very memorable so I'm OK with it. Plus, next year I'll be 30 when I attend my 30th DMB show. That's got to be some kind of milestone I think!

On Saturday we left bright and early to drive up to South San Francisco and check into our usual Sheraton hotel. We have stayed there the past few years and the beds are just so darn comfortable, we are afraid to take a chance somewhere else. After getting settled, we headed another 40 minutes to UC Berkeley. The town is so different than I expected. Of course there were hippies - we all expected that - but it was just sort of dumpy. But dumpy in a cool, non-chalant way. I guess it's just a typical college town. I don't know why I thought it would be fancier.

We grabbed a pizza dinner right near the college and then walked over to their Greek Theater. It was a general admission show, so we just sat wherever there was room and as usual got stuck next to some interesting characters. Never fails. I have honestly just come to expect it at this point. But the show itself was fantastic! You could tell the band was just digging the crowd and feeding off all the energy at the theater. It was so fun to watch. And during the show, someone had an airplane fly over the stadium that said "Where you are is where I belong. Will you marry me?" And the band actually played the song with those lyrics (Where Are You Going). Talk about a magical moment for THAT couple. I wonder if she said yes. The band closed with a super rockin' encore and by the end of the show, I was feelin' pretty good.

On Sunday, we wanted to grab a bite before we took the trek home and decided we might as well go into San Francisco. No reason not to take advantage of the fact that we were so close to the city. So we headed over to Pier 39 and along the way got to enjoy the sights. I just love it there. After a huge breakfast/lunch, we headed home. We were all pretty tired by the end of the trip, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we will look forward to next year. Its one of the traditions that I imagine us keeping for years to come.

A Family Reunion of Sorts

After a smelly flight on Wednesday (seriously, the plane smelled like B.O), I arrived in Salt Lake City to be greeted by my beautiful cousin, her sweet husband and 2 adorable sons. They had a little sign and everything!

The original plan was to attend the DMB concert that night and then spend some quality time together for a few days. Unfortunately for us, the show got postponed. It's understandable, but a bit disappointing. So that left us with plenty of time to just hang out. That night we went out for a yummy dinner - though now I can't remember the name of the place. We ate lots and lots of beef though. Delicious. She and I stayed up way too late just talking and catching up.

On Thursday, I woke up to the pitter-patter of little feet running through the house. When I looked up, her boys were standing outside my door. I waved and they came in and gave me big hugs. What a fun way to start the day! After a little running around town, we stopped in to see her sister with the 9 month belly. She looked so great, and is ready for that baby to come. Most of the afternoon, we drained our brains talking about so much. It was good for me and I got some much appreciated advice. That night, us two gals got to galavant out on our own to go shopping and catch a movie. We were the only 2 people in the theater watching Mamma Mia and it was hilarious. We talked and sang and threw in a few dance moves as if we were watching it in our own living rooms. I think both of us felt young again being together out on the town. Just like old times. Mission accomplished!

On Friday, I started the day playing cars and guns with her boys and then we went shopping again. When you have a girlfriend to shop with, it really fuels that addiction! She took me to her favorite decorating store Rod Works. It is seriously the cutest. And then an outdoor mall in Salt Lake. We grabbed a good lunch too and stopped on the way home to take a few pictures. My cousin is an AMAZING photographer. (A. Chamberlain Photography) She noticed this bright blue building in the city and thought it would be the perfect backdrop. She took a few pictures of me and I thought they turned out really cute! I'm sure I'll be using it for all my profile pics from now on! We rushed to get home and get ready for their family picnic. It was a family reunion of sorts for me. I spent every summer with their family from the time I was 11 until I was 17. Now everyone is grown up with families of their own. So its different, but strangely the same. It was just so good to see everyone.

On Saturday, we had a couple goals - get an updated cousin picture together and be at the airport on time. Done and done. We had to get up early to do it, but we did it! We went to an area where she takes a lot of her portraits and her husband was kind enough to shoot us together. Then we headed off to the airport, the whole way trying to convince her husband that now they need to come to California for a visit. I think we've just about got him. :)

So I headed home on another smelly plane and here I am, back in L.A. The trip completely wore me out and I took a 2 hour nap as soon as I sat down to watch TV. Of course, it was totally worth it.

Pics: http://paulpeltekian.com/fotoalbum/cousin_reunion

How To Fit Your Whole Personality Into One Suitcase

It is so much pressure to pack for an extended weekend. Especially when you haven't seen the people you are visiting in so many years. You want to look great, but don't want to overdo it either. You know the look - cute and comfortable, but somehow so very pulled together. Fabulous Casual. So at this moment, I am sitting in the office in my pajamas with half of my wardrobe strewn all over the bedroom. I have arrange several outfits, which are all hanging up in the vanity but how do I choose?

I even searched online for the Perfect Packing List. Hoping there was some magical website that showed exactly what I should take with me. The fact of the matter is, the people I'm visiting couldn't care less what I wear. I could probably show up in a paper bag and we'd figure it out from there. I just hate packing. I don't know what we'll be doing or where we'll be going, so I want to have plenty of "just in case" outfits. However, if I packed everything I wanted to, it would look like I was moving in and not just staying for 3 days. Plus I would not be able to roll that suitcase on my own. So its time to make the decision. Pick the outfits already. Don't go crazy with the shoes. And just be myself.

Youth of the Nation

What a fun weekend we had! My husband's 2nd cousins (and god-sons) were here visiting all the way from Ashland, Wisconsin. They usually come out this way about once a year, but we hardly ever spend more than a couple hours with them. This time they actually stayed at our house for two nights, so that was exciting.

But mind you, these two guys are no ordinary teenagers. They literally live out in the boonies. They don't have access to more than 4 TV channels. They ride their bikes everywhere. They are in a band. They get summer jobs working on farms or for the Fish and Gaming Department. They don't play video games.

So with the lack of superficial entertainment that most of us rely on, they are actually THINKERS. On Saturday night, they wanted to stay in and catch up on things rather than go out on the town. They are hilarious too. So we just had a lot of fun. I'll be honest, it was good to have my brother there as sort of a buffer, though. Since Hubby and I are getting old, we are a little behind on what the kids are into these days and sometimes had no clue what those 3 were talking about. Haha.

But it was really refreshing to hang out with them. You see so much negative influence out there that you wonder if there is hope for the younger generations. Well, I can tell you if there are more kids like this out there - we'll be OK. PHEW!

Playing Hooky

Yesterday, a few of us ditched work to go have some fun at Six Flags Magic Mountain. My husband absolutely hates theme parks, but he was kind enough to make the effort and spend some time with us. My bro and I have Season Passes that come with Free Friend passes, so it was a good, cost-efficient day of fun. We also got funnel cakes with a Buy One, Get One Free coupon. Oh man, those made my day. So tasty!

The lack of crowds was very surprising for a summer day too. Most of the lines were less than a 15 minute wait so we finished up the whole park in about 4 hours. Luckily that was the case, because we were so tired by the end. You really start to realize your age when you don't have the stamina for the things you used to! Plus, the new roller coasters these days are so scary and thrilling that you are exhausted after just a few rounds. The adrenaline rush totally wipes you out. X2, Tatsu and Goliath still get my heart racing. Woo!