Picture Blog

Regina, Tiana and I recently went on a mini road trip to Monterey for some yummy clam chowder. On the way, we stopped in Moss Landing and took some scenic pictures. The area was gorgeous and the photo-op conditions were to die for. The water was glassy and reflected the popcorn-like clouds to perfection. It really was a photographer's utopia.
Power plant across from Moss Landing

Closer view of power plant

Boats at rest at Moss Landing (see the seals?)

Closer view of seals...guess they opted out of the trip to Oregon

Reflection at Moss Landing

Glassy bottom

Popcorn clouds at Moss Landing

Eye on the Sun

Tugboat on the Bay (Monterey) Black and White

Tugboat on the Bay (true colors...I did not enhance at all)

A night at Winchester Mystery House

During the holidays, I took Caroline to the Winchester Mystery House. We arrived late in the afternoon so half of the tour was conducted in the dark. We decided to do the regular tour of the house plus the behind the scenes tour, which included a trip into the basement. (cue scary music)







I was pretty bummed to learn that we couldn't take pictures anywhere inside of the house. So, I was limited to exterior shots. By the time we got outside though, it was dark AND cold. So the pictures I took are grainy and shaky (from my shivering), but I have to share them because this house is amazing.









For those of you who live under a rock, here's a little background on the Winchester House and it's eccentric owner. Sarah Winchester was a very superstitious woman. She was obsessed with the spirit world. One day a Boston psychic warned her that the spirits of all the men killed by the Winchester rifle would come back to haunt her, and that the deaths of her husband and child were a way of exacting their revenge.


Upon the advice of said psychic, she bought a farmhouse in San Jose and spent the next 38 years building onto it. She had been told that constant construction on her house would confuse the spirits, keeping her safe. On the day that Sarah died, construction finally stopped. But that's not the weird part.


Mrs. Winchester had designed the house in such a way that behind some doors are brick walls, one opens to a two-story drop, stairs lead to the ceiling, all of the pillars are upside down, etc.
The basement was the creepiest part by far...not only because they made us wear hard hats, but it's easy to imagine ghosts creeping along down there.


Caroline really enjoyed the tour. Hopefully I'll be able to take her back for the flashlight tours next time. Same tour, only they turn all the lights off and you have to navigate by flashlight. The best time for this is Halloween, but Friday the 13th works just as well. =)

Tis the Season....

I know I have been a very bad blogger of late, but hopefully with the holidays behind me, I can make up for lost time. I am making it one of my resolutions to post at least one blog per week. *fingers crossed!*










Another Missed Sunset





The holiday season was a blur for the most part. I was up at 5 AM (mostly) and home at 6 or 7. Needless to say, the sun and I have become distant friends.




Caroline came up from San Diego with her boys, Chunky and Tux. They were sooo cute! Mochi was a little bit of an instigator, and we had to break up a few fights and humping sessions. (EW...do the three dogs not know that they are MALE??)


Chunky and Mochi



I didn't get to spend as much time with Care and the family as I would have liked, but that's retail for you baby! We did go and see Avatar in 3D..I highly recommend going to see it, even if you aren't a sci-fi buff. It was fan-freaking-tastic! We also saw Sherlock Holmes, which was pretty good.




The first night she got here, Caroline, the girls, and I were in her room catching up. My nephew Anthony came in and the dogs immediately got antsy. Anthony got too close to Tux (the mellowest of dogs) and Tux let out a warning growl. Anthony did not heed the warning and therefore got what was coming to him. I kid, I kid...it was really horrible. There was blood everywhere...thank got I got my TB shot...I kid, I kid!!


On Christmas day, we ended up opening our gifts quite late. We had to wait for my niece Alyssa, and Tiana to get home from spending the day with their other families. (The dark-side..haha)
Even the boys (dogs) got into the action. I have to say that secretly the best gift I got was the one I gifted myself...new golf clubs!! More deets about my new gear in an upcoming post...be on the lookout!!

YUM!!

To recap, the food was awesome (I did not cook, although I did contribute a couple of pumpkin pies..thanks Safeway!), the gifts were grand, and the mood was merry. We topped the night off with some board games, and because we are all lame, were out the door and on the way home by 11 PM.
New Year's was another fun-filled evening of board games and watching the ball drop in Times Square via TV. I have to admit, spending time with my sister's is actually good for my soul. I always come away feeling closer to them and being thankful to have them nearby. I just hope Caroline doesn't get shipped off to Afghanistan in the spring. *fingers double-crossed!*

So, let's get to the good stuff...I received a $100 Macy's card from Mom and Dad (thank you!!), a super soft fleece robe from ...uh...one of my sister's (oops, can't remember which one!), a really cute jacket from Tiana (She spent a gift card she received as an early gift to buy it...what a sweetheart!), a very chic glass hurricane tealight holder from Caroline (you can add potpourri or other goodies inside to make it festive, some giftcards, lots of bath boutique toiletries (I LOVE bath products!!), and a crockpot and cookbook from Madalene and Howard. I know just where it will go, right next to my other crockpot in my cupboard until I have time to actually figure out how to use it without burning the place down!! All in all, work aside, it was a very wonderful holiday! =)




Our First Tree!