Browse Category: friends

Beak-Proof

Auntie Beak and Jack

This evening I went to the Sokol-Juns’ to babysit Jack for a couple hours.  When I arrived, Jack was seated on the couch watching a Sesame Street DVD.  So, I plopped myself down next to him, opened my bag of McDonald’s, and offered him a french fry.  The parents left for their dinner and the two of us continued to share a small bag of fries, watched Cookie Monster and his friends dance around, and were as happy as could be.  He went to bed surprisingly easy tonight without a squeak out of him and I spent the remainder of the evening watching TV and surfing on my laptop.  Unfortunately, their house has some super duper baby-proof outlet covers that even stumped me.  My Facebook status might as well have been:

Bee-Too-Bee (how Jack says ‘Auntie Beak’) was too weak/lazy to get the cover off so the laptop ran out of juice and she took a nap until the parents came home.  *sigh*

I’ve taken the covers off before but for some reason I couldn’t manage this time.  Oh well.

See You Soon

Ranee's Exit

My dear friend and co-worker Ranee is moving to NYC next week and I had a week of denial.  Yes, she won’t be back on Monday and she’ll be clear across the country but I was determined not to cry.

Team Tiger

dinosaur

To keep things light, the girls and I just got really silly at work and took lots of photos.  On Friday afternoon, we all wore dinosaur stickers and danced around the office once we were all done for the day.

The Girls

On Friday afternoon, we had a goodbye party for her on the front patio of Park Avenue.  We had a good turnout, which made for a nice group photo.

Group Photo

We gave her a few gifts to take to NYC with her including a t-shirt that said “I hella heart Oakland” and a wad of cash labeled as “Cab Fare”. We’re hoping she’ll wear it to a Yankees game one day.  Haha.

t-shirt

The gift that she was most touched by was a photo book that I put together online for her.  It had a glossy hard cover like a yearbook and I spent all week having everyone in the office sign it.  It was tempting to write “K.I.T.” and “Have a cool summer.”

Gordo

Afterward, a few of us went to Gordo Tacqueria and I gave her a NYC Zagat guide in return for the SF Zagat that she gave me for my last birthday.  I also sent her away with a NYC Moleskine so that her monkey-butt would have a map of New York without making her look like a dorky tourist.  My burrito really hit the spot after a drawn out Happy Hour and crazy day of work.

Ranee…I’ll see you soon in New York.  In the meantime, have a cool summer.

Here are photos from this past week.

My Favorite Yoon

yoon and jes

On Thursday night we met up with my favorite Yoon for Happy Hour at Zebulon.  She was in town for a wedding this past weekend and this was the only night we’d be in town to see her.  She was staying all the way in the Sunset District with a friend but we insisted that she stay at our house while we were away.  She’d be close to the Masayas and it would be more convenient for her to get around.  Unfortunately, we gave her the keys but forgot to tell her which unit we lived in.  Oops.  So she called Susie and she got to the information.  Once she got to the unit, she had trouble opening the door with the key.  So, Susie had to come over to help her out.  Thanks for helping her out, Susie!  And Yoon – It was so nice to see you again.  We will have to make plans for another trip to Hawaii soon.

Bikes and Brisket

bikes

On Sunday, the boys drove across the bay to ride their bikes around Bear’s Loop and came back exhausted and sweaty.  It was almost 90 degrees out there and the hills were pretty steep.

Koa and Jack

yay dog

Later in the evening we went to the Sokol-Juns’ for smoked beef brisket that Ryan was working on all day.  Koa even got to hang out and Jack seemed to get a big kick out having the dog in his house.  Koa got to sniff the cats through the screen door and Wilby and Maru looked pretty anxious about having the dog in the house.

Mai Tai Friday

Conga Lounge

On Friday afternoon we went back to Conga Lounge for another round of Happy Hour.  An old friend, Dr. Mai, was in town for the week so it was the perfect excuse to go out.  We took advantage of their $5 Mai Tais and discounted appetizers for a fun evening of goofiness and laughter.  Ah…that was just what I needed after a rough week.

Brother & Joy in SF

Ferry Plaza

I’m a little behind on my postings but I guess it’s better late than never.  Last weekend Brother and Joy came up and we had a good time eating, drinking, exploring, and drinking some more.  On Saturday morning we went to the Ferry Plaza to check out the Farmers’ Market.  We got to taste lots of yummy fruits and samples and checked out the cute stores inside.  Unfortunately the peanut monster attacked the Brother again and he ended up having to yak in a quiet corner into a plastic bag.  Poor guy.

red carpet

Later that morning we headed up to Napa.  We stopped for lunch at Genova and then headed to Nickel & Nickel for their Cabernet Release Party.  They served 11 wines along with a spread of cheese and appetizers.

Jes & Brother

It was set in one of their underground cellars and even had valet service and a red carpet entrance.

Wine in a Box

We went home with a pretty wooden box filled with our favorite wines and a good buzz that lasted the rest of the afternoon.

Ad Hoc

We tried to stop at Mumm for a champagne tasting before dinner but they were running so behind that we decided to head out before the waitress was able to say hello to our table.  For dinner we went to Ad Hoc, which is another one of Thomas Keller’s creations.

Lamb and Potatoes

It’s a casual restaurant offering a different menu each day and serves everything family style.  It was complete with a salad straight from The French Laundry garden, succulent lamb and potatoes, savory cheese with honey, and two different desserts!  The Bangs joined us but they had to get a separate table across the walkway.

Chinatown Breakfast

On Sunday, we ventured out to Chinatown for jook and fried dough at Washington Bakery & Restaurant.  Mmmm…that really hit the spot.

Fortune Cookie Factory

We also walked around looking for cheap t-shirts and visited the Fortune Cookie Factory.

Bi-Rite Creamery

Afterward, I took them to Bi-Rite Creamery and then Fisherman’s Wharf for some snacks before their flight back to LA.

Here are more photos from the weekend (including Debbie’s birthday dinner).  And here are photos from our day in Napa.  It was fun seeing you two again!!!  Come back soon!