Lobsta Time!

Oh man…I’m so behind on posts.  I was cleaning out my laptop to make more room and I got side tracked.  But I’m back.

Anyway, Jes got back from NYC last Friday (5/7) and on Saturday his pal James called us up for lunch at Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City.  It was at least a 25-min drive but it was all worth it.

I had my very first lobster roll and it was tasty.  It’s lobster goodness stuffed inside a thick slice of bread that has been grilled with butter and split down the middle for a bun. Nice.

We also had the fried shrimp and fish&chips.  They were just as tasty.

I also got to meet little Ariel who was born just a couple months ago.  She was such a cutie and pretty much slept though lunch.  Good baby…

Here are photos from the afternoon.

36 hours with Mommy and Daddy

Last week JetBlue was having a sale.  On Tuesday or Wednesday you could get $9 one-way tickets between LA and SF.  So, Brother booked two roundtrip tickets for the parents!  It was perfect since I had the day off to off-set my weekend class and it was so much fun having them around.  So, on Tuesday, I picked up the parents from SFO in the morning, dropped off their stuff at home, and then we went out for a day of exploring and sightseeing.

First stop was the Conservatory of Flowers.  Admission is free on the first Tuesday of every month so it was FREE!!!

We had a great time exploring the different rooms and I got to see lots of really pretty and exotic plants and flowers.  It was a gorgeous day, which made hanging out in Golden Gate Park even better.

Daddy was watching a show on hamburgers on the flight up to SF so he was craving a tasty burger.  So, he got one at Burgermeister along with a few stains on his shirt (of course).

Next we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped for a few photos.  Then it was one more exit down for a little stroll in Sausalito.  Last time Mommy was here watching Koa, she took the ferry to Sausalito and found this really cute shop that features little toys and knick-knacks.

We found it again and I was giddy with excitement over all the cute stuff inside.

We did a little more browsing and shopping and then headed back to the condo where Koa was stinking more than usual.  So, we walked him down to the bathhouse and Daddy helped me wash the dog with full-length aprons and all.  Dog hated it, as usual, but scored a treat for the walk home.

For dinner, we went to Hard Knox Cafe for some really good fried chicken.  Daddy loves his fried chicken and this did not disappoint!

Here are photos from the rest of the day.  It includes photos that Daddy took too.  Enjoy!

Take me to the ZoOoOoO!!

I’ve been on the Pediatric Rehab service for over a year now and we finally had the perfect group of kids for a trip to the Oakland Zoo.  In fact, the last time any group that had gone to the zoo was over 3 years ago so this was indeed the “Perfect Storm” of kids, staff, and weather.  The group photo above is really cute in real life but I’m not allowed to post recognizable photos of the kiddies.

Last Friday, we packed up our outing bags, slathered sunscreen on all their faces, and piled 4 kids all in wheelchairs and 5 adults in the Adventure Van.  Just the week before, we had a big car wash with the same four kids so the van was squeaky clean and ready for the outing.

The weather was perfect and all the kids (and grown-ups) were giddy with excitement.  Lots of the kids propelled their own wheelchairs but there were a few steep hills that really got our hearts pumping.  We headed over to the African savanna area and saw elephants and giraffes right away.  One of my kids is hard of hearing and has been learning all the different signs for the animals.  He brought pictures of the animals and each time he spotted one, he would point to the corresponding picture and we’d all make the sign for that animal.  It was like animal sign language bingo all day long.

The Oakland Zoo is such a great place to visit and I would have loved to stay longer to see everything.  We had to cut out some of the park so that we could take the long-awaited train ride around the secret exhibit filled with emus and wallabies.  By 2:30, we had to get everyone back in the van and head back to the hospital.   Our cheeks were all pink from the sun and we were exhausted but it was such a worthwhile trip when you have the right group of kids.

Team Building Pho

April is OT Month and every year we usually have a team building activity in the afternoon and go out for dinner as a group to celebrate our achievements of the past year.  This year we did something a little different…we took a cooking class!  It was held by a non-profit that partners with a restaurant who offers up their space and time for a mere $25 and donates the proceeds to charity.

We learned how to make spring rolls, mixed up our own sauces, and had some pho.  The activity was a little less hands-on than I was hoping for and the food was dumbed down a bit but it was still fun tasting everyone’s concoctions.  We also got complimentary wine so that also made it more interesting.

Here’s the pho that I prepared.  All I had to do was scoop the broth that was pre-made and plop in a bunch of noodles, meat, and veggies.  Phew, that was hard!

Oh noooooo!

I came home this evening and found this massacre in my livingroom.  I guess there won’t be any more honking in the house tonight.  Poor Moo.  He’s scheduled for reconstructive surgery on Saturday morning.  I’d better go to the store to buy some more dental floss.

Look who’s 6 today!!

8 weeks old

6 years old

It’s the same dog on the same couch 6 years later.  He’s much bigger now but it’s funny that his expression hasn’t changed over the years.  Maka Koa is officially 6 (that’s 42 in dog years) today.

This afternoon we walked to the store to pick out a treat and a new toy. He got to carry his treat home in his mouth and got busy chewing away at it once he stepped paw in the door.

He also got to play with his new friend Moo. According to the tag, he’s a cow but I think he looks more like a yak. Regardless, they were pals from the start and the honking from the squeaker went on for a good 20 minutes.

Happy Birthday, Koa. You’re a good dog.