searanch

the most lovely place on earth. the sea ranch. peter and i just got back from our new all time favorite place. this place is truly magic. there is no cellphone reception which makes it even better. we cooked, drank wine, hiked, frisbeed, played at the beach, cooked some more, hot tubbed, slept, read, played lots of cards, cooked some more and really understood that we now have our very very special place. we already have been making planes to rent the house in the spring. we'll always have the sea ranch.

memories

it was almost three years since this photo was taken (by my darling friend hilary). ahh how time flies. the last couple of weeks i have been traveling a lot down memory lane. i've been reflecting a lot on the good and the bad. i think it's healthy to revisit different times in your life with a new perspective. sometimes things make more sense or you get a new lesson or sometimes things just don't matter anymore. this memory however always stays the same. it was a wonderful day full of lots and lots of love. i would love to plan another big celebration. i've been thinking of a reason why? maybe no reason is a good reason. maybe next summer peter and i should have a huge party just because. it could be called the "just cus party". we could have it catered by a taco truck and have a band and a pinata and we'll invite all our buddies from all over the country. then we could rent a huge house up in searanch and have another bash. ohh what fun it would be. sometimes i think i missed my calling. maybe i should be a party planner. maybe that will be my next career. ohh how i love a good party but, i love party favors even more.

first

he's not zero anymore! last thursday riley turned one. it was one action packed day of doggy business. the beach, the pet store, a new collar, a new leash, a big boy dog bowl, lots of new toys, and finish it all off at his best buddy poppies house for dinner. it was the best day of his whole life. my mom was here this weekend so he got to continue the celebration of all that is riley. he gets so excited when he sees her. he even wets his pants a little.

searanch

last weekend we went up to sea ranch. our friends julie and diana rented a house up there. it was such a special time. it was also super fun for riri too. julie and diana both have dogs, poppy and buddy. it was one big sleepover fest. i made a whole bunch of food, we drank some wine, played balderdash and star gazed. the stars were by far the most amazing part of the trip. i don't think i've sen stars like that in a long time. there are no city lights to get in the way. it was such a wonderful time. i'm already planning my next visit.

lots and lots been goin on around here. peters been in and put of town. got in a little car accident. rosie came to visit. heath is in town. my uncle is coming to town. we're going out of town. pilates twice a week plus homework.farmers market every saturday bright and early. beautiful san francisco summer. fort funston happiness. lots of riley making funnies. lots and lots of cooking. can't believe how fast it all goes by.

lalalalala

this picture reminds me of summer. not really sure why but it does. maybe it's the lighting. it was supposed to be super hot here again but it looks like we lucked out. it's actually perfect summer weather. today i went to the best drugstore i've been in a long time. it was huge, well stocked and full of tons of crap i didn't need. i love that! i refrained from buying a pair of portable ipod speaker that light up to the beat of the music. i am still thinking about why i just might need to go back and get them. it sort of a tough one though cuz i live in a loft and there is no need for more speakers. the bathroom might need it's own set of light-up speakers? huh, that's an idea. i had such a great time at the drugstore.as i was running from isle to isle trying not to buy stuff but reminding myself to put it on my imaginary might need this list, it dawned on me i hadn't done a drugstore in awhile. yeah i know this may sound weird but drugstores are a major part of me. i grew up biking to the one closest to my house and doing exactly what i did today. slowly walking down the isle wanting so many useless items and then selecting the ones i could afford. when i first moved away from home i had to start all over with a new drugstore but i found the right one. for years i cherished that drugstore. it helped that my first job was right next to it so that we could spend lunches together. chicago was a hard one for me. i never really found my special place. new york, ohh new york. there were so many but my favorite was only a short block away. that drugstore had the best picture frames and tastey snacks. weird combo but totally makes sense at the drugstore. so now it looks like i might have hit the jackpot. i already have plans to go and purchase the rest of the new hair product line that i'm testing out.

nanabread

when sam was here we decided to make some banana bread. we made two versions, plain and chocolate chip. they were both delish especially toasted with butter. those were the good ol' days. now it's a banana minus the bread part.

roadshow

went to the antique roadshow when it was in my hometown of palm springs. what a interesting experience it was. my aunt sandy and i had a real bonding experience. there was all kinds of people watching,which is one of my favorite hobbies. i do have to admit the roadshow is a lot different then what i expected. i had imagined it was more like some experts that will give you a genuine appraisal and if you have something really awesome they ask you to be on the show. no this was not the case. it's more like an audition and if your stuff fits the description of leading lady then you're in. sort of a killjoy. what's next the easter bunny isn't real?

party

dog party that is. when i was in palm springs rosie and daniel stopped by on their way to joshua tree. they were dog sitting charlie so there were four heelers at this party two red and two blue. of course dina was the only girl but she can handle it. these guys were so funny cuz the whole time they were all bent on trying to get inside the house. charlie was especially funny when he decided to try and fit his whole body in the water bowl. i guess he was trying to cool off. he was even funnier when he attacked the sprinklers. what did i ever talk about before i had a dog? probably just boring human stuff.

home

been back home for a week now. time sure does go by so fast these days. i guess that's the difference of being happy and sad. when you are happy days just fly past you and when you're sad, well you get the idea. california is experiencing a heat wave. i sure am glad to be experiencing san francisco's version of it. i went to venice beach a couple weeks ago and cut my trip super short because i couldn't deal with the amount of perspiration pouring out of my body. not to mention trying to sleep in that. riley and i spent most of the night awake wondering if we should just get in the car and go. i am glad i went though cuz i purchased my favorite new shirt there. it's a lovely knit top by margaret o'leary. i also got to spend a great day with rosie. we went to the santa monica farmers market (not bad), did some shopping on abbot kinney, montana and drank some delish coffe from groundworks. my dad and i also got to spend some quality time. although our plan to take the dogs to the dog beach washed away when we arrived to high tide and no beach. all in all it was worth the pain and suffering. i am such a baby when it comes to being hot and even more of a baby in humidity. thank the lord those summers of chicago and new york are behind me. san francisco summers are all about cute light sweaters. how happy this makes me. especially since saks was having this crazy sale in palm springs and no one was snatching up the warmer clothes so i was able to make my second favorite new purchase. it's sort of a three quarter sleeve sweatshirt jacket that doesn't button up. it's super cute is what i am trying to say. i have already put it in the rotation. so i'm super happy to be back home and welcome the high tempature's of 75 when i know how bad it could be.

होम

boys

happydog

riley has decided that sam is his best friend. he loves sam with all his little heart. he looks to see if he's awake in the morning, he jumps on him everytime he enters a room, he just loves the guy. sam is a pretty good best friend though. sam is constantly playing with him, he gives him treats, takes him on walks and throws the ball just right. sam and i have been trapped at the house waiting for the cable guy to come. peter has to have HD to go along with his new buddy "big guy" the tv. they were supposed to come yesterday and did but the guy was a real piece of work. let's just say he was here for less than five minutes and walked out. ohh the life of a wife of a union negotiator, they don't take shit from anyone. it's nice cuz i know i always have someone to fight my battles for me. although, i have gotten better at standing up for myself. i'm determined to be a "no shit chick". if i still made t-shirts i would make one that said that. maybe i'll make some greeting cards that say that and sell them on etsy. so sam and i have been hanging working on some art projects and making banana bread. so far the nana bread smells like it's gonna be a winner. we'll see after the taste test. still waiting..... i really hate waiting for stuff like this. the dispatcher called me a while ago and said the guy was on his way. uh huh okay... still waiting.....

chillin

sams been here a week, my mom came and went and now we're gettin ready to go back down to palm springs. sam decided to extend his stay to check out welding schools. it was a lot of fun with my mom here. friday we went up to petaluma to check a yarn store. my got some good stuff. then we went to berkeley to my favorite mexican food place. my mo was instantly in love and kathy dorfer does not fall in love easily. we did some shopping on fourth street and for sure stopped in castle in the air. we picked up some fun paper supplies. that store is always such an inspiration. saturday we went to the farmers market where i ran into an old buddy from new york. i knew she was living back here and i keep meaning to arrange a date but you know how things go. i always remeber to call her at three in the morning when i'm getting a glass of water. well, she's going to be living close by for the summer. no more execuses. we made a lovely dinner saturday night and had a grand ol' time. sunday was more chill, my mom went over to stinson to hang with her bff's. monday we ate a delishous lunch at del fina pizzeria. that place is the most amazing meal everytime. we drove arround and did a little fantasy house hunting. all in all we've been on the move at a chillin pace. same and i went to the beach for three hours yesterday. we had no idea we were there for so long.
ohh i forgot to mention peter bought two flat screen tv's on saturday. the one he has upstairs is crazy big. i personally am not a fan of such a big tv but sometimes you have to let the man have his way. he does give me total freedom in the house as far as decorating and color choices. i guess he can have a monsterous tv if he wants it. well, we're off to see where today finds us.

sunnydays

got myself a little sun yesterday. it is not as bad as it could be. stupid me didn't think to put sunscreen on before spending the whole day outside. sam and i went to albany to get my first car tune up. ahh how fast my little car is growing up. we then went to bake sale betty's for fried chicken sandwich's, frozen lemonade and chocolate cupcakes. diet food more or less. next stop was the skate park in pacifica. then one last stop at for funston. all of this was done outside in the sun. now i have myself have a nice little pink tone. ohh well, at least it doesn't hurt. tomorrow my mom comes and the fun continues.

visits

my cousin sammy is coming to town today. him and his two buddies are driving up. he's going to take turns staying at my house and his brothers down the street. it's been awhile since sammy has come for a visit. he's actually been staying with us since he was 10 and now he's 18. crazy!! actually the first time he came to stay with me i was living with peter in this tiny studio and peter was away in las vegas for work part of his stay. well, what do you know peter is in las vegas and sammy comes today. how weird is that? sometimes life can't help but be circular. this time though this is a good circle. not one of those "why does this keep happening to me?" circles. so i think we'll have a pizza party tonight. i have stuff to make fresh pesto so maybe we'll make a pesto pizza too. on friday my mom is coming for a visit too. she'll be staying here and sam will go to mikey's house. monday the two of them will fly back to palm springs together. i am looking forward to having all the familia around. this is so the best part of being back home. till later

वीकएंड

time flies when you're happy. this weekend went by in turbo speed. saturday we went to a barbecue at our friends cat and garner. it was cat's 30th birthday. i made strawberry lemonade along with my orzo salad and pineapple upside down cake. the strawberry lemonade was much better than i anticipated. it's all about the simple syrup. after our barbecue we went and met up with jessica, michael and jessica's brother, who was visiting. we had a lovely evening of burrito's and exciting conversation such as hot sauce addiction and cold pizza appreciation. peter had to take off for vegas this morning so the good times had to come to an end. i realized i was kind sad and so was riley. we were talking and it's just that the guy is so lovable. riley is learning to become my protector. we were on a walk this afternoon and he totally doesn't like it when we are the only ones on the street and someone is walking behind us. he sure is growing up. the second time this happened i just pulled over and had him sit so the person could walk by. the guy was like " he's got your back. you know what they say when someone is walking behind you. turn around" and turn around he does.

we miss roro

last night roro was in my dream. i miss that nut. i'm sure riri misses him too. man oh man it sure has been warm the last few days. it's like a whole different city. yesterday afternoon we went to the beach and it was crazy. there were mobs and mobs of people. parking was not to be found and people were actually in the water. everyone was out and living it up. i guess we were just like everyone else cuz we were right up there with them. it was actually a lot of fun for a thursday. peter and i both agreed that it's fun for a couple of days but we like mild weather. we do not miss new york or chicago summers. yuckers!!! growing up in the desert i hated the heat i never imagined there could be something worse. then i learned what humidity is. i longed for the dry heat during those painful summers. the worse part of new york summers were the smells that were released from whatever. ohh and the rats. i do not miss the millions of rats. i am happy to say that i can comfortably sit through a movie at the movie theatre without having to tap my foot on the ground like a crazy person. i use to drive peter crazy. i'm not saying that i don't still drive him crazy but now he can take "paranoid movie patron" off the list. although, we've barely been to a movie since the little guy came into ours lives. our friend jake was in town this week and he calls riley our fur-child. this is totally appropriate since, i am totally obsessed with my dog. well, i'm off to the grocery store. gonna make some pineapple upside cake and an orzo salad for a friends birthday barbecue tomorrow. should be a lot of fun. till then

r

greeny

new iHotto special delivery

chandy

my new car chandy. yes this is for real. real as in it is a miniature chandelier and it does work. my cousin rosie and i were joking about how i should pimp my car out with a chandelier. well, a couple days later my mom and i found one in this cute this store in venice beach. of course i just had to get it. not exactly sure where it's permanent residence will be yet. for now it will go in my car but i think i'll limit it to special occasions. hmmm....

ahhh

my dad and riley at fort funston. peter got us one of those things that looks like a long plastic stick and attaches to a tennis ball. the whole point is so that you throw the ball really far and you don't have to pick it up when it's all gross. everyone has one of these things so naturally i thought they were stupid. well, boy oh boy was i wrong. it's the greatest thing that's happened to riley since he discovered toilet paper. we've been having a blast with our new toy. it was my mothers day gift from riley(peter). he's so smart.

busy busy

since we've been back home we have been on the move. friday my grandma and dad came over for lunch, which was really nice. also, the first time for such an event. friday night dinner with julie and kevin at this new french place. it was very very delish and super french. peter wants to take my mom there when she comes up in a couple of weeks. saturday we had a little time to fart around which was nice. then saturday night michael and jessica came over for michael's belated birthday dinner. i made turkey meat loaf and pineapple upside down cake. i know too funny. it was all really manly man food. sunday, mothers day, we brought lunch over to my grandmas and had a nice outdoor picnic. my aunt nancy came down from sacramento with my cousin crystal and my uncle jack joined us too. after lunch we headed up to sebastapol to peters parents. where we hung out for a while and then i made us a lovely dinner of homemade pesto stuffed chicken breast, garlic green beans and salad. riley played in their yard until after dark. he's so funny like that. when it came time to go home riley wanted to go back in the house. i guess our next house needs a big yard. it's been busy busy around here. our buddy jake may stay over tonight and right now i'm off to hang with my dad. no time to be bored.

home

yesterday we roadtripped back home. my dad decided to come along for a visit. man oh man were we filled to the rim with decaffienated brim. what? oh i mean we had a lot of stuff to bring back with us. my cousin michael just had a birthday and everyone decided to send his presents with me. let's just say i think he did all right. riley had just enough space for his bed. he was up high and rather enjoyed the view. riley was so excited to be reunited with his peter. he went nuts! what a cute scene. well, we're back and there is so much to do.

bows

dina, rowan, riley

ps

we're still here. been living it up palm springs style. riley and rowan have been having the time of their lives. rosie was here for a week, which was a total blast. we cooked a lot, thrift shopped non stop, had lots of pool parties, laughed our heads off and much more. every night was a slumber party especially when you have three dogs in your room (rosie brought dina down). it was a truly special time. decided to stay a bit longer cuz peter had to go to memphis. happy i was able too since it's starting to get hot here which means no more devon in palm springs for awhile. i do not do hot never have. looks like my dad will drive up with me and then stay with his mom. that should be a nice surprise for her. especially since the last time i went over there she was showing me the fence she had just repaired and tree she had just trimmed. mind you she's in her 80's. i'm 31 and i wouldn't dream of getting up on a ladder and doing half the things she does. so my dad will probably help her in the yard. i can't believe i've already been here for over two weeks. the time has truly flied by. i feel so lucky to have such a wonderful place to come home to. i didn't always feel that way. at one point in my life i hated the thought of coming to palm springs. "why did people move there" was always a question of mine. well, now i feel otherwise. this is truly a beautiful place with a very special personality. the only criticism is the lack of good places to eat. they are trying but still a ways away. i think it's hard cuz in the summer months things slow way down. tomorrow my mom and i are going into l.a. there's a jewelry show at a gallery she likes. we'll hit up some other places too. it should be a nice day of mother daughter bonding. that's all for now.

one more day

decided not to leave for palm springs til tomorrow. one more day with the finn. my house is officially super clean. now let's see if that's what it's like when we get home. the finn will be in florida for a week so he won't be able to do too much damage. probably just a pile of bowls in the sink will be what i arrive to. considering he only eats out of bowls and he doesn't understand how to put a dish in the dishwasher. oh my god i sound like such a wife. wow!! i'm not sure what to say next. i guess i'll say nothing.

mundy

riley and i are heading to palm springs tomorrow. i'm thinking about having a little girly get to together while my parents are out of town. sure hope it doesn't turn into a rager. so this weekend was super awesome. the weather was perfect and totally awesome. there was just the right amount of socializing. we had a couple of awesome meals. starting with french vietnamese food on friday night. thanks to jackie and joe. they really are the sweetest. saturday we went over to our friends for korean barbecue. it was totally awesomely delish. riley was the star of the barbecue. he made many a friend. he was totally a brat and didn't want to have anything to do with his parents telling him no. saturday night we went over to my cousins house to meet his girlfriends parents. what an awesomely great saturday. sunday we went for a drive and a walk along the beach in pacifica. it was the most beautiful day ever. we ended our weekend in true finn style. delivered food and really bad television. well, not all bad television we did watch meet the press. it was one of the weekends where you are so sad to say goodbye but so thankful to have been able to taste it. tonight peter and i are going to the slow club for our goodbye dinner. i am really going to miss him while we are gone. until we meet again my true love, well in two weeks when we meet again my true love.

the weekend