Browse Category: outta here

Family Tahoe Trip: Day Three

On Monday morning, we got up early to pack up the car and had our free breakfast at the Best Western. It was a full-service breakfast complete with banana pancakes, eggs, or whatever else that was on the menu. This hotel was a pretty good deal considering it was close to the casinos, was super clean, and had free breakfast every morning.

We then drove to Sierra-at-Tahoe but also made a quick stop by the lake for a group photo. Unfortunately, it was a little icy and it took a couple takes for us to get the timing of the camera right. I managed to slip on one of the takes and this is what we got. It makes for a pretty funny photo. Love how Brother was totally laughing at me.

Once we got to Sierra, we were one of the first ones there and I don’t think I’ve ever parked so far up in the lot before.  The mountain was nice and empty and Brother and I got a few fast runs in on the blues in West Bowl before heading back to SF.

On the way home, we stopped at the Jelly Belly factory for a tour, tastings, and to pick up a big bag of “Belly Flops”, which are unlabeled, irregular Jelly Bellies that didn’t make it into the packages.

We did all this and still managed to get home by 5pm.  Amazing!  So for dinner, we picked Jes up from work and had the salt and pepper crab at R&G.  Soooo tasty.

Here are photos from Day Three.

Family Tahoe Trip: Day Two

On Sunday, we got up bright and early to drive down to Kirkwood.  The roads were kinda icy but we got there in one piece and didn’t need to bother with chains.  Yay!  The mountain was pretty empty and the sun was shining brightly on our heads.

For old time’s sake, we took Jes’ favorite run called “Whiskey Slide”.  It’s too bad he didn’t come along for a ride down memory lane.  We even rode the lift that goes over the run that he fell on that fateful December morning in 2001.

Joy got pretty good at carving by the end of the day and we got a good five hours of skiing/boarding in without a lunch break.  Now that’s hardcore!

Once we got back to the hotel, we all showered and rested and then headed out for Happy Hour and some gambling.  We had drinks and apps at Kalani’s, played penny slots and $1 roulette, and then finished the evening with some Fatburger.  It was a good day.

Here are photos from Day Two.

Family Tahoe Trip: Day One

I’m back from Tahoe and went back to work with only 3 days until the weekend again.  Wooo!  Mommy came up on Thursday night and the sibs came Friday night.  On Saturday, we left the house by 8 and made it there by noon with a 30-minute pee and gas break at the Costco in Rancho Cordova.  I don’t usually drive to Tahoe so I was a little nervous about putting chains on and driving in icy conditions but we lucked out with dry roads and no traffic.  Phew.

Once we arrived in South Lake Tahoe, we had a buffet lunch at Harrah’s with a sweeping view of the mountains and lake.  After losing a dollar to the penny slots, we checked in at the Best Western that was super close to the casinos and Heavenly Village.

We took a walk to the lake nearby and found a beach that was half-covered with snow.  It was freezing cold out there but we got a whiff of the fresh air.

We also went for a walk around town before dinner and did a little window shopping. I still love the wood-carved bears all over town.

For dinner we went to Naked Fish Sushi and scored a spot at the bar.  It was the first time my mom had ever sat at a sushi bar and I think she had a good time.

On our way back to the hotel, it started to snow and we were all giddy.  Mommy even tried to eat the snow.  Funny Mommy.

Here is the first set of photos.

The week is practically over now.

Today is Thursday and my Mommy is flying up tonight.  Brother and Joy are flying up tomorrow night and we’re driving to Tahoe on Saturday morning.  Woooo!!  Although this was originally a trip to Utah, I’m feeling pretty good about the snow accumulation at Kirkwood.  It’s always one of the top 2 or 3 on my iPhone app compared to the snow fall reports of Park City and Snowbird.  California is just getting a lot of good rainfall and snow and I’m finally going to get to play!  Just two more work days and I’ll be off for a 4-day weekend.  Aaaaah…  Hopefully there won’t be too much snow on the roads.  Jes is staying behind with the dog this time and I will have to put the chains on.  Yikes!

I filled my brain, heart, and tummy.

I traveled down to LA by myself this past weekend to 1) take a weekend course, 2) spend time with the family, and 3) eat some tasty food. I did all three and it was a very satisfying 4 days.

On Friday morning, I boarded the plane and had some reading to do.  Unfortunately my highlighter wasn’t cooperating and exploded.  *sigh*  This is the view from my window as we were descending.  Look at all the tiny containers waiting at the train station!  And the air was clear enough to see Downtown LA in the distance.

Once Mommy picked me up, we stopped for spicy bowl of Thai Boat Noodle Soup. Aaah…  After an afternoon of errands with Mommy, we drove up to Beverly Hills with Brother and Joy for our favorite meal:

Lawry’s Prime Rib with all the fixins. Woohoo!

On Saturday I spent all day at a Rehab facility in Brea that just blew me away. It’s amazing how much space, equipment, and resources they had there!!! On Saturday night, the sibs met up with me and Mommy in Cerritos for some Sun Du Bu at BDC. We also had made a stop at Yogurtland for my $1.34 treat.

On Sunday, I finished Day Two of my course and got a lot of hands-on practice and treatment ideas to take home with me. That evening, Brother and Joy picked me up and we had some sushi, drinks, and popcorn. The night was finished off with a glass of Minute Maid Fruit Punch (a Chimmy Family favorite) and passing out in the livingroom with the TV on. It’s funny how some things never change.

On Monday morning, I had an Eggo waffle (another Chimmy Family fave) and Brother dropped me off at LAX on his way to work and I had a Pinkberry original with fresh strawberries and shredded coconut. Only in LA can you get such a treat. It was only my third time having Pinkberry and it’s finally grown on me. I actually liked it this time. I arrived in SF by 10:30 am and made it home on public transit by 11:45 am leaving me with the rest of the day to unpack, wait for the appraiser to come and make measurements, and go for a run.

What an awesome weekend.

Christmas Vacation: Part 5

The day after Christmas was super busy for me.  I got up bright and early to have breakfast with my old roomies from UCLA.  We went to Mimi’s Cafe in Cerritos and Linda brought her newest son, Christian, along.  It was so much fun to catch up with Linda, Mich, and Mary over coffee and pancakes.

For lunch, I went to Patty’s parents’ house in Cerritos to meet up with Hols, Patty, and Patti.  Johnny, Howard, and the little girls Katelyn, Lauren, Zoe, and little Kylie were also there.  Johnny picked up food from BJ’s Pizzeria and we had a fun time playing with the girls and hanging out.

In the afternoon, we dropped Jason off at the airport and then headed over to Gardena for Brother and Joy’s housewarming party. We brought them a Bouchon cookbook, Reidel glasses, and the limoncello that we bought for them in Italy to warm up their house.

They have a cute 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom condo that is VERY similar to their old apartment in Santa Monica.  The two of them worked really hard in preparing a variety of appetizers and desserts while everyone came with a dish to fill up the table. The party was definitely a success and the food was so yummy!

The whole family and their friends attended and it was so nice to see everyone together to celebrate such an important milestone. It was also a great way to end our Christmas vacation.