A Mojave Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving turned out beautiful considering it began with a pitter patter of rain. Go figure that out of the 8 days of rain that occurs in the Mojave annually, it would happen on the day we planned on eating outdoors. However, after 30 minutes of rainage the sun brightened the day again and we were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving meal outdoors with friends, who like me, could not be home with their families. We invited some enlisted personnel who lived in the barracks, so they would be able to enjoy a home cooked meal on Thanksgiving. It truly was a wonderful time for everyone.



We had a bounty of food. We were blessed indeed.



Posing with my desert BFFs.



Some of my friends even brought their parents,
which gave it a sense of "home".



As the sun was setting, it got a litle cooler but a cozy outdoor fire was lit, which warded off the chill. While I missed my family in NC immensely, it was wonderful to spend Thanksgiving with friends, who in a sense, have been like family to me here. I was very thankful to have spent "family time" with them on Thanksgiving. Here's wishing that EVERYONE had a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING as well!

Gobbling Up Some Thanksgiving Trivia

'Twas the Night before Thanksgiving, and all through my blog were astounding Thanksgiving trivia that left me agog:
1. In 1941 Congress declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday, establishing the fourth Thursday in November as the day to celebrate.
2. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October.
3. Canadians sometimes call Thanksgiving in the U.S., "Yanksgiving", to distinguish it from their holiday.
4. Americans feast on 535 million pounds of Turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
5. Fossil evidence shows that Turkeys roamed the Americas 10 million years ago.
6. 91% of Americans eat Turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
7. Seasoned bread crumbs, cornmeal, or rice cooked inside Turkeys are called "stuffing", but cooked outside are called "dressing".
8. 50% of Americans put the stuffing inside the Turkey.
9. Black Friday, the 5th biggest shopping day of the year that occurs after Thanksgiving Day, has continued since the 1930s.
10. Corn, one of the popular symbols of Thanksgiving, dates back 7000 years and originated in Mexico.
11. Thomas Jefferson scoffed at the idea of proclaiming Thanksgiving a national holiday.
12. Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be a Turkey, but Thomas Jefferson opposed him. It is believed that Franklin named the male Turkey "Tom" to spite Jefferson.
13. Only male Turkeys (Toms) gobble. Females make clicking noises. The gobbling sound is a seasonal mating call.
14. More than 40 million green bean casseroles are served on Thanksgiving.
15. In the U.S. about 280 million Turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.
16. 20% of cranberries eaten are eaten on Thanksgiving.
17. The cranberry name was originally called "crane berry" because its pink blossoms and drooping head reminded the Pilgrims of a crane.
18. The freshest cranberries are ones that bounce after they're dropped.
19. Turkeys were one of the first animals in the Americas to be domesticated.
20. Columbus thought that the land he discovered was connected to India, where peacocks are found in considerable number. He believed Turkeys were a type of peacock and named them “Tuka”, which is "peacock" in the Tamil language of India.
21. The First Thanksgiving that the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians took part lasted for three days.
22. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.
23. Californians are the largest consumers of Turkey in the U.S.
24. Minnesota is the top Turkey producer in the U.S., and North Carolina is second.
25. Domesticated Turkeys cannot fly, however wild Turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour over short distances.
26. The heaviest Turkey ever raised weighed in at 86 pounds – about the size of a German Shepherd!
27. A Turkey under 16 weeks of age is called a "fryer". A five to seven month old Turkey is called a "roaster".
28. Wild Turkeys have been known to sleep in trees.
29. Contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims did not have big buckles on their clothing, shoes, or hats. Buckles did not come into fashion until the late 1600s.
30. The average person consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day. (Ugh!)

Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good bite!

Yearbook Do's That Definitely Don't

This was hilarious! Obviously, I had alot of time on my hands today, as I grew tired of watching movers load up my things from truck-to-house-to-truck-to-house. It was like watching a game of PONG - on dollies. With trusted laptop in hand, I disappeared into the the nether regions of the web, a.k.a. Cyber Crack, and came across yearbookyourself.com . This website had me rolling in stitches because it's a site where you can go and do self make-overs from different yearbook eras - FOR FREE. What? Make fun of yourself for free? Are ya kiddin' me??? Sign me up! Yearbook eras stretched from the 50's to current decade, but these were my absolute favorites below.... and I was just thinking about getting a new do for the new year.... but now, I'm not so sure. LoL. Anyhoo, let me know which of my fave 5 is your fave 1:

STYLE #1: Kiss Me I'm Sweet


















STYLE #2: An Angel with Wings


















STYLE #3: I'm the Cat's Meow


















STYLE #4: Honey-Do Honey True


















STYLE #5: Move Over Cleopatra Jones

My House is Homesick

It's 6pm and I am completely exhausted. The movers have JUST left. Today was packout day. My second one truth be told because I had a small one (2,000 lbs) a couple Fridays ago. That one was going to Egypt by cargo barge. Items that I can do without for a month upon arriving, since said items will still be chugging across the seas. My flat in Cairo will be furnished and is located in the part of the city where the Westerners dwell--- oil people, military, diplomats, ex-patriots, and of course Egyptians thrown in the mix. Should make for an interesting social that I'll throw when I arrive, or rather when my social platters and wine glasses arrive. As my friends can attest, I'm an Asian-eyed Martha Stewart.

But I digress.... Today was the big packout: 10,000 lbs that will remain stored in the States while I'm living abroad. Furniture, books, decorative items, exercise equipments, winter clothes, and other odds and ends that I've managed to collect. It's sad that for a single gal, I have accumulated a total of 13,000 lbs of household schtuff .... um, this is household weight mind you that is normally attributed to a "family".... and something that "I" managed to do on my own. Have I mentioned that I have one more packout left to go? Wednesday's packout, however, will be short and sweet. Basically 1,000 lbs worth of clothes, hygiene and beauty aids, linens, and professional and personal files that will be flown over waiting for me when I arrive in January. Sadly, my shoes alone will make up half of my packout weight. Sigggh... I do share the same nationality as Imelda Marcus, lest you forget.

My home is gone and in its stead is a house. 2400 sq ft of bare rooms echoing sadly for the comforts that made it home. And, on top of everything else I am missing Dancing With The Stars tonight because my tv is packed up. I could go over to a friend's house, but I am tired and I want to zzzzz off to dreamland. I've been up since 3:30 and the packers will be here at 7 am again tomorrow to load up what they packed up today. Hopefully someone recorded DWTS, so I can catch it later. It's Season Finale Week (Go Team Burke). While everyone has been gearing up for Thanksgiving, I've been focusing on this move... but ever the entertainer, I'm helping a friend with a Thanksgiving feast at her house. I'm doing the turkey and some trimmings as 25 people are expected to show. Should prove to be a festive day.... but I'd rather be home with my family in NC.... Wishing Happy TG thoughts with heavy-lidded might.... Off to bed I go .... To all.... a g'night.

Blog Tag, You're It!

Tagged!


RULES
1- Post Rules on Your Blog
2- Answer the Six "8" Items
3- Let Each Person Know They Have Been Tagged

8 Favorite Shows:
1. Dancing With The Stars
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Life on Mars
4. Little People, Big World
5. The Office
6. Biography
7. Antiques Road Show
8. Weeds

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Went to work an hour late! Set my alarm for "6 PM" :(
2. Cleaned out my desk
3. Boxed up my files
4. Removed wall and desk decorations
5. Stopped by Taco Bell for my weekly Meximelt
6. Went home and boxed up more items
7. Blogged
8. Went to sleep, ensuring alarm was set correctly

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. Going home to NC for Christmas
2. Seeing my family - particularly my niece and nephews!!
3. Touring the (Vanderbilt) Biltmore House in Asheville, NC
4. Seeing "Australia" over the holidays
5. Yummy Holiday Food
6. Presents at Christmas
7. Going to Ober Resorts in Gatlinburg, TN over New Year's
8. Moving to Cairo, Egypt

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Venta Vaca (Spain)
2. Elijah's Restaurant (Wilmington, NC)
3. Wang's (Palm Springs, CA)
4. ANY restaurant in Italy
5. Jerk House (Cuba)
6. Jewish Mother's (Virginia Beach, VA)
7. Clawson's (Beaufort, NC)
8. Crossroads Cafe (Joshua Tree, CA)

8 Things On My Wish List:
1. A new Coach Bag
2. Tiffany & Co silver bracelet
3. Flat screen tv
4. A stress-free job in Cairo
5. African, Asian & European travels
6. Retirement lake front home
7. Post-Navy event planning business
8. A beautiful man, inside and out, worth the wait

8 People to Tag:
1. Anyone
2. Willing
3. To
4. Partake
5. In
6. Blog
7. Tagging
8. Fun

Fun With Mosaics

Here is a fun blogging art project. Make your own personalized mosaic! Have fun with this electronic art. Can't wait to see the finished results!

Directions:

1. First create a free Big Huge Labs account. Go to http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php
2. Select 4x4 with large center option
3. Select Individual URLs image download option
4. Download pics into your Big Huge Labs account
5. Upload selected pics onto correlating question line
6. After mosaic is complete, save mosaic onto your desktop
7. Upload mosaic pic into your blog

Questions:

1. Favorite flower?
2. Favorite food?
3. Favorite book?
4. Favorite tv show of all time?
5. Favorite celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. Favorite movie?
10. Favorite pastime?
11. Desired car?
12. Something on your bucket list?
13. Favorite fresh fruit?

Road Trip 2010

I came across this kewl blogger toy. Looks like I am halfway from hitting all 50 states. I'll be back in the States in Summer 2010. States to focus on are the Midwest and Northwest. Anyone game for a Cross-Country Road Trip in 2010? It's gonna be a blast!!!


visited 25 states (50%) . Now it's your turn!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Click on the link below:
Create your own visited map of The United States

2. Select states you have visited.

3. Cut n' paste HTML code onto your blog.

4. Voila! You've created your on visited kewl map. Enjoy!

So Close to the SoCal Fires!

Yesterday friends and I headed to Knott's Berry Farm Theme Park, blithely continuing with plans made weeks ago. We made our usual pit stop at Water Canyon Coffee Co. before heading out, and lively chatted along the way, excited to be getting out of the Mojave for a little day trip. However, our trip was marred by the Southern California (SoCal) wildfires that have made headlines since Thursday. Tucked safely a couple hours away, we were concerned but physically detached from the devastation that was occurring West of us. It wasn't until we were about a li'l over an hour up the road that we immediately saw the ominous clouds of smoke from new fires that were starting in the next county over! In the pic below you can see homes in the midst of all the billowing smoke in the distance.

It brought me back to the nightmare of last year's SoCal fires that blazed right around the same time. It was a surreal deja vu that was occurring again.

I took these pics and could not believe that we were experiencing the fires firsthand!

A smoky haze engulfed the skies and the smell was discernible from even the confines of our car.

Traffic came to a standstill as emergency vehicles made their way past us on the emergency lanes.

Traffic finally continued after a 40 minutes lull, and we resumed without detour.... and ironically, without apprehension of danger. I don't know if it was because of "ignorance is bliss" or because the fires were 25 miles away, but we watched the billowing smoke through the windshield of our vehicle as if it were a television screen.... and like the detachment of a tv viewer, we felt safe. It didn't hit me that our safety could have been compromised until I saw the evening news and saw the thousands of residents fleeing and the sad news of injuries, fatalities, and hundreds of homes burnt to the ground. Please say a special prayer tonight for the SoCal residents who have lost so much right before the holidays.... and when Thanksgiving approaches, be thankful that you are able to spend it with loved ones and that you are able to rest your head under the haven of your home. We have much to be thankful for and that knowledge should never be taken for granted.

101 Inanities On Yours Truly

1. I am a slushy afficionado especially in the summertime.
2. My favorite colors are sage green and chocolate brown.
3. I am a Taurus. My colors are earthy just like my sign.
4. I love me some Dancing With The Stars !!! I so want to take ballroom dancing lessons and compete in frilly sequined costumes too. Gosh. Did I really write that out loud?
5. I have sky dived. Once.... 'nuff said.
6. I got scuba certified in my 20's, but sadly never pursued it. Sheepishly I admit I took the course because of a crush I was secretly stalking.... admiring.... observing.... which sounds less psycho-ish?
7. I enjoyed parasailing in the the Bahamas. I was pulled by a boat whose driver looked strangely enough like Ziggy Marley. Yah, mon.
8. I love sushi rolls dipped in wasabi and soysauce... yummy yummy in my Asian tummy.
9. I remember when PONG, the first revolutionary tv interaction game, was introduced. Sheesh. I'm dating myself.
10. I climbed the steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, and Notre-Dame.... steps that totaled over 1000 steps collectively. Needless to say I slept well that night.
11. I have toured the Colosseum amphitheater in Rome. In my mind, I could hear the roar of the crowd rooting for their favorite gladiator, a prequel to today's Superbowl game frenzy.
12. My favorite Filipino cuisine is pancit (rice noodle dish).
13. I have loved three men deeply in my lifetime.
14. My favorite holiday is Christmas.
15. I was awarded a free summer camp experience in 5th grade for being the school's "Best Safety Patrol Officer" (Think hall monitor with crossing guard belt and badge. Yep. I was Barney Fife).
16. I was working in the hotel that Brandon Lee (Bruce Lee's son) was staying at when he was filming The Crow. I worked the night he died from a freak filming accident. The hotel was flooded with so many calls that night. One of the calls I took was from Johnny Carson.
17. I have been on a gondala ride in Venice.
18. On my first L.A. visit, I did the tour of celebrity homes; Universal Studios; Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater; and participated as a studio audience for Michael Rapaport's then sitcom show, The War at Home, cancelled last year. During each take, my sister and I would try out distinctive laughs to see if we could tell it was us when the episode aired. Sadly, I never saw that episode. Anyone see the episode where Michael and son go to a Star Trek Convention? Yep, it's a wonder the show cancelled....
19. In college I was awarded an all expense paid cruise to the Bahamas for being the "Best Blockbuster Employee" in the SE region.
20. I am very close to my family and I love each of them dearly. They are my foundation.
21. My grandmother and mother are women I admire the most. Both have emparted values and strength of character that have carried me far in life.
22. I am an antique mall, thrift store, and yard sale afficionado.
23. The last time I wore gold jewelry was in the 80's.
24. I am a Naval Officer. I climbed my way up from the enlisted ranks and have not forgotten my roots.
25. In the 80's I sported the "big hair" look, and have since hidden all pics.
26. My favorite classic book of all time is Pride and Prejudice.
27. I have seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris and found it to be smaller in person.
28. My favorite castle that I have toured is the Tower of London.
29. I am an Antiques Road Show afficionado. My secret fantasy is to one day get on the show with my $1 yard sale find and have it valued for over $100K!!!
30. I have seen the reconstructed T-Rex skeletal exhibit at the the Field Museum in Chicago. Needless to say I got a crick in my neck.
31. I have been to the top of the Empire State Building and the Sears Tower Building. I took the elevator on both visits. ;)
32. I love Taco Bell Meximelts.
33. I love driving around Coronado, CA and ogling yummy Navy SEALs working out. Sigggh.
34. I have been to the top of Mt. Etna, Sicily's still active volcano. Being high up in the clouds, I felt like I was on top of the world.
35. I am a day spa / resport spa afficionado. I so love massages and body pampering treatments!! Enough so that I budget it on a monthly basis. Ahhh, joys of single life...
36. I have toured the excavated ruins of Pompeii and was so impressed by its preservation.
37. I have joined hands with strangers at a dinner and dance show in Greece and shouted "Opaaaa!" in unison.... apparently this is what Greeks shout when caught in a fervored Greek state.
38. I have toured Stirling Castle in Scotland, where William Wallace (Brave Heart) often frequented.
39. When I did the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, Austria I danced around the infamous Gazebo singing "I am 16 going on 17".
40. After watching a horror movie, I still leap to my bed from the doorway to keep the monster from under the bed from grabbing my feet. Sigggh. Yes..... sad but true.
41. I am an amusement park afficionado.
42. I have visited the Amish farming communites of Lancaster County, PA and Berlin, OH. It is astounding how the Amish have maintained their culture and traditions in 21st Century America.
43. I have been to the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia.
44. I have been to the grave site of Ben Franklin in Philadelphia.
45. I have participated in a St. Paddy's Day pub crawl in historic downtown Charleston, SC where 20 bars were frequented in about 3 hours... and green drinks downed at each bar... needless to say I was peeing green all night.
46. I went white water rafting down the Nanahala River in NC with siblings and friends, and was thankful that I did not fall in its icy water. Not so with my boyfriend and bro. LoL.
47. I have toured the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, which incidentally was the model and inspiration for Disney's Cinderella Castle.
48. I have been to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany and never realized that live Polka music, German ale, and floppy festival hats could be so much fun!
49. I have seen Mozart and Beethoven's cribs in Vienna, Austria. Had MTV been around then, they definately would have had a showcase segment.
50. I have kissed a Frenchman in Paris. Oui! Oui!
51. My favorite chocolate bar is Almond Joy.
52. I did Dan Brown's Davinci Code walking tour in Paris. So kewl. We followed the pathway of location spots mentioned in the book.
53. I have toured the Vatican in Vatican City, the world's smallest country. Although it is located in the center of Rome, it is defined as an independent country because of its Papal system. Michaelangelo's masterpiece painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was reverantly beautiful.
54. I love Coach bags.
55. My favorite clothing store is Ann Taylor LOFT.
56. I am a closet Hollywood celebrity profiler; no trivia is too trivial.
57. I have explored the Rock of Gibraltar. Note to self: Do NOT feed the monkeys.
58. I have toured Madame Tuasard's Wax Musuem in London. It was kewl and freaky at the same time.
59. I have kissed the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle in Ireland, thus inheriting the gift of gab. (yeaah... riggghht, as if I needed to kiss a frickin' rock to achieve this phenomenon. LoL.)
60. My favorite car was my 2003 burgundy / black roofed MINI COOPER.
61. I was the volunteer coordinator for the the Meals on Wheels program in NC. I love seniors!
62. In my spare time, I used to coordinate Adopt-A-Highway clean-ups.
63. I enjoy coordinating large events (i.e. company picnics, formal balls, retirement ceremonies, professional seminars and conventions, etc.). The bigger the better!
64. I prefer crunchy peanut butter.
65. I enjoy weekend camping get-a-ways.
66. I enjoy snow tubing in daisy chains. Created by a group holding hands, feet, etc. while said bodies and inner tubes whoosh down the hill simultaneously!
67. Last year I saw the musical production of Mama Mia in Las Vegas. I laughed, cried and sang aloud unabashedly.
68. My BFFs are life sustaining forces that keep me sane, happy, and totally grounded. I am blessed.
69. I enjoy volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, albeit my limited carpentry skills... and I do mean limited. :)
70. I usually captain a team for Relay for Life. Anything championing the American Cancer Society is a worthy endeavor in my opinion.
71. A book that really moved me recently was EAT PRAY LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert.
72. I have ridden a camel in Morocco.
73. For a shoe fanatic, flip flops are my favorite shoes.
74. I can speed read if captivated. I have been known to complete a 700+ page book in 1 day (a week-end day mind you).
75. I toured a large windmill house in Holland. (Similar to a lighthouse.)
76. I am an avid movie goer. Stadium seat theatres are my faves. I go to the movies about 4-5 times a month.
77. I toured the Anne Franklin House in Amsterdam where Anne and her family hid in the attic for 3 years from Nazi tyranny. I was moved to tears.
78. I am an ethnic food afficionado - Indian, Greek, Ethiopian, Asian, Afghani, Italian, Lebanese.... the more exotic and spicy, the better! Ironically, Mexican food isn't a fave.
79. I love interior designing and enjoy helping friends with "room make-overs".
80. I am HORRIBLE at telling jokes. siggggh.
81. I love my Ann Taylor skinny jeans.
82. I only enjoy rainy days when I can be home wrapped in a chenile throw with my nose in a book and my fingers a grasp away from a steaming cup of herbal tea.
83. I read the last page of every book first.
84. I look alot like my mom.
85. I love chunky eclectic bling (bracelets!! rings!! necklaces!! Oh My!)
86. I am a winter scarf afficionado.
87. I love Cow Parade cows and collect only specific ones. By chance I happened upon a city exhibition while visiting Edinburgh, Scotland.
88. As a child, "cornflower blue" was my favorite Crayola Crayon color.
89. I rode the Eye in the Sky Ferris Wheel in London; the largest ferris wheel in the world. Each glass enclosed car holds about 20 people. Each wheel spoke alone holds 8 cars.
90. I got to see the Queen's Birthday Parade at Buckingham Palace on pure luck. Headed to the palace to see the changing of the guards, but saw the royal birthday procession and honor guard regalia instead!
91. My favorite word is afficionado.
92. I am a Sex in the City afficionado. ;)
93. My favorite pets were my Siamese-mutt cat Pepper and my kitty litter-trained rabbit Paco. Pepper and Paco were BFFs, and would often be found playing or snuggling together.
94. I love, love, love, love my niece and nephews: Yasmine, Rex, Zeb, and Skylar. I am their Pied Piper aunt, a.k.a. Aunt Ging-Ging.
95. Admittedly, I am technologically challenged.
96. I love rainbows. Hawaii was the only place I've visited where it was almost a daily sighting.
97. I love my mom's homecooking best!
98. My favorite ice cream is butter pecan.
99. My parents were going to name me "Mary Jane".
100. I am working on my third degree.
101. I retire from the Navy in 4.5 years.

Going a Yonder's Spell in Yosemite

Little would I realize that the fog I left in San Francisco would follow me on my journey to Yosemite National Park. Fortunately, the fog lifted and dropped throughout the day, thus allowing me to capture some truly beautiful photographs. Granted my photographs of Yosemite may not do for me what it did for Ansel Adams, but its final outcome was still personally satisfying.

Exploring Yosemite in the Fall was truly a magical journey.

Where's Waldo???

Yosemite in autumn accentuates Earth's natural attributes.

Discovering the giant trees or "Sequoias" at Yosemite's Mariposa Grove was a true delight! Sequoias are reportedly "the world's largest living thing", standing well over 200 ft high and its trunk easily measuring 20 ft in diameter. Here I am standing beside these woodsy giants.

Waterfalls are well acquainted at Yosemite National Park. Its cascading waters are fed by melted snow caps that run from elevation higher than 13,000 ft. Here is a pic of the double falls known as "Yosemite Falls".

Tree rings age these Sequoia trees well over 900 years old! See how these mammoth Methuselahs vertically contrast with this lone hiker.

Peeking through the eyes of an amateur photographer.

See how this Sequoia trunk compares with its "normal-sized" brethern.

The fog begins its descent again, leaving a hushed stillness...

...and lifts again to reveal a winding road that follows a spell-binding landscape.

Below is "Bridalveil Falls", a favorite amongst Yosemite's visitors.

Still waters run deep and mirrors the reflection of Yosemite's beauty.

Yosemite is a lure for the hard-core climber.

Keep in mind that every journey begins and ends through a portal, albeit literally or figuratively.... even in Yosemite.

Embracing San Francisco's Fog

Spent the Veteran's Day week-end visiting San Francisco for the first time AND had a blast! It is a city that will definately see my return. San Francisco's Bay boasts of 47 piers but the ONLY pier that counts is Pier 39, where the hub of attractive shops, gourmet food, and restaurants are attractively nestled on the pier and the proximity of Fisherman's Wharf is literally around the corner. The tantalizing smells of cooking seafood waft in the air, beckoning hungry locals and tourists to the outdoor market of restaurant vendors hawking hot clam chowder, fried oysters, fried shrimp, and steamed crabs, which hit the spot after a day of playing in San Francisco's fog.



Leaving Pier 39, you can't help but notice the Seal Colony located there! They were soooo cute!



Jumped on a bay boat tour that traveled from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Sailors enjoy sailing below the steely grey strength of the Bay Bridge.

In between was Alcatrez Island, once a federal prison for notorious criminals but now a part of the National Park System. Over my shoulder was a small glimpse of Alcatrez, but as the boat drew closer I captured a better shot.

Then the boat headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge, a reddish-orange feat of architecture that on a sunny day looks like a fiery sunburst shining in the distance. However, the fog that San Fran is famous for enveloped it the day I took this pic, and all I got was this soupy pic. Incidentally, the Golden Gate Bridge is only 1 year younger than its Bay Bridge brother, but it is the more reknown and more recognizable of the two.

Took a trolley down to Pier 5 and eagerly went from booth to booth and shopped to my heart's content at that pier's Saturday Arts and Craft Market.

But you can't shop in San Fran without experiencing the shops of China Town!

I enjoyed various murals outside of San Fran's many eclectic store fronts. This one was a book shop that I absolutely adored.

And of course, you gotta grab a trolley when you make your way in San Fran. Allllll Aboooard for a week-end of fun!

You Say It's Your Birthday!

hApPyBiRtHDaY

to mY bABy sIstEr :
PaMeLa

She loves new toys and

her boys !











kRAZeE!




31 & TONS of FuNnNnN!














and a GREAT mommy too!


I'm so proud of your growth and your accomplishments, Pamelama Pam Pam!