Spirit Week

This week, Diablo held Spirit Week, which was a chance for employees to get excited and recharged for work. Here is a re-cap of the events. It was truly a blast, but I can't even think about how much work I've got to make-up next week.

Monday - Pajama Day
Our Operations team started off the week by serving the entire office a gourmet breakfast buffet. We even had flowers on the tables, tablecloths and nice dishes to make it feel like a real restaurant. At lunch we had a "slumber party" where we served girlie snacks and played board games.


Tuesday - Green Day
In honor of Earth day, this day was centered around educating the office on being more Green-friendly. We were served fresh smoothies in the morning and a hike took place in the afternoon.


Wednesday - American Idol
Randy, Paula and Simon made a special guest appearance to give the routines some harsh critiques. Our group did a Village People mega-mix to YMCA, Macho Man and In the Navy. We were able to throw together our routine in about an hour and I will say it was pretty impressive (even included a kick-line).



Thursday - Office Olympics
OK...this was the best day! We competed in teams of two.


1) 3-Legged Race: Anyone who has been up our work drive-way will understand it is quite a work-out. Well...we had timed races where we were tied to a partner and had to run up the hill and unlock the front door. My partner and I got 3rd!


2) Chair Race: This consisted of pushing your teammate through an obstacle course while they sat in their office chair. Lots of knees and fingers were almost lost at the high speeds. This was the funniest event to watch. You can't imagine how fast these chairs go. It was a true adrenaline rush.

3) Waterballoon Toss: Brought back some good childhood memories.


4) Tug of War: The rope gave everyone severe rope burn, so this event was short lived. I think I let go 30 seconds in due to my hand on fire.


Friday - BBQ and Secret Buddies Revealed
All week long we had secret buddies that we would leave fun notes for. We reveavled our identities today.

Can you believe they call this work?

Happy Birthday Heidi!

Wanted to wish my sister Heidi a very Happy Birthday. If anyone deserves a good one, it is her. She has been through quite a year, but has handled everything with such grace, optimism and courage. I feel so lucky to be blessed with such an amazing sister and she inspires me daily to be a better person. We always find a way to laugh together, even at the hardest times.

Here are just a few of my favorite things about her:
-Her contagious laugh and smile
-Her strong faith
-Her relaxed attitude
-Her trust
-Her amazing parenting skills
-Her generosity
-Her competitive spirit
-Her willingness to always help anyone in need

Growing up, we were kind of opposites but as we grow older we begin to become more and more alike. I am so appreciative of all the support she has given me through this difficult time in my life. I look at what she has been through and it is always a reminder for me to keep looking forward and never give up. I thank her for blessing me with amazing nephews and allowing Uncle Jay and I time to have such fun times with Scott and Tyler.

Happy Birthday Heidi! Wishing you a year filled with nothing but happiness.

Danny, the photographer

So these pictures of Marley are pretty amazing. Not only are they beautiful, but they also make her look like an angel. I would like to admit that they are because my dog is so well trained, but really this was the work of a wonderful photographer I like to call my brother-in-law, Danny. Danny is a man of so many traits: a dentist, a car mechanic and now a photographer. He is so patient and quite a perfectionist when is comes to getting just the right lighting. Thank you Danny for helping capture the beauty of Miss Marley. Next up...I'm gonna request a photo of my recluse cat, Sage. That should be a real challenge, considering she only sees light for about 2 hours a day.

If you are interested in having Danny take some photos for you, check out his new blog:
LINK HERE
Danny McMillan Photography

Arizona 2008

We just got back from Arizona and had an awesome vacation with friends from ASU. We rented a house that came with everything we could ever need: a fire pit, pool, spa, grill and close to downtown Scottsdale. Since all of us live in different parts of the country, we've been really good about meeting up every year for some fun. This year was truly the best yet!

Here are some pics and highlights of the weekend:

We visited ASU campus to see everything that has changed. It is amazing how much has been built on campus. Sadly, our favorite College Street Deli is now closed. However, one thing that hadn't changed in 10 years is Jerry from "Jerry's Drive-Thru Liquor". He was still there and looking as good as always. We couldn't resist taking a picture with him at the drive-thru window.


Ryan and Jason enjoyed a morning dip in the hot tub. Our backyard was so relaxing with an amazing, dramatic view of Camelback Mountain. There truly is something so peaceful about the desert.


Cheers to dinner at the Pink Taco.


What is a trip to the Devil's Martini without dancing with a random old man? This guy was hilarous and knew all the words to every song. We couldn't get enough of him all night long. Even the guys had to get a picture with him.



Kadie and I thought it would be hilarous to try and get everyone to play "Light as a feather, stiff as a board" when we got home. Sadly, didn't work quite how it used to.


One of our favorite activities of the weekend was sitting by the firepit. I've put one of these on my wish list for my next birthday.


On Sunday, Jason and I went to breakfast with Michelle and then got to see her place in Scottsdale. I loved being able to spend some time with her and meet her doggy, Sabo.


What a wonderful trip! Can't wait for next year. I'm voting for a tropical location.

MIGRAINE

Sadly I had to miss out on Calistoga this weekend due to having a migraine starting Friday night thru Sunday. I've only had one previously and can't believe how debilitating they are. I feel so bad for anyone that has ever been cursed with them and am hoping this past weekend was a one time deal. I feel so much better today and am hopeful that they don't come up again. The scariest part about having them was the flashing lights that come on prior to the headache setting in. You truly can't even see straight and everything turns to blurry vision.

If anyone has any good advice on treating them, please send along.

Calistoga

Jason and I are looking forward to heading up to Calistoga tomorrow for the weekend. Every year (for the last 20 years), Jason's family has spent a weekend in March in Calistoga with family friends. We always look forward to going since Calistoga is such a beautiful spot in the Napa Valley that has so much small town charm. Marley is coming with us, so I was lucky to find a cottage where we can stay with her. We are looking forward to relaxing, reading, visiting a few dog friendly wineries and of course, eating.

Tyler's 2nd Surgery

So Tyler has completed his 2nd heart surgery and recovery seems to be going great. I just got back from visiting him and Heidi at UCSF for the day and it was amazing to see how good he looks just one day after surgery. His breathing tube has been removed and although he is still pretty sedated, all his stats are looking where they should be.
I don't know how Heidi and Danny do it. It is exhausting to be at the ICU all day, but they never complain. Heidi is on top of it all and has become a real advocate for Tyler. You realize when you have a child in the hospital, you are their voice. I'm so proud of Tyler. He is a true angel to me.

Conehead

Our little Miss Marley got fixed yesterday and she is doing great!
Sadly, she now must wear a cone for a few days. Jason sent this to me while I'm at work with the caption, "I'm sick of wearing this thing!" Look at that face...too cute, makes me want to cry.

A Big Week For Tyler

This is an important week for Tyler as he heads back to UCSF on Wednesday for his catheritization and then on Friday he will have his 2nd heart surgery. Please keep him on your prayer list throughout the week. I know how important each and every prayer can be.

We were lucky to be able to have him over to our house tonight and he looked great. Better than he has for months. He was happy, which was amazing to see.

We send him, Heidi and Danny all our love as they prepare for a challenging week ahead. We are so proud of your constant strength, faith and patience you have portrayed through it all. You are truly AMAZING. We love you!

Little Miss Marley

Our little Marley will be 6 months old in just a few days and just weighed in on Friday at 39 pounds. She is a bundle of energy and keeps us busy and laughing throughout the day. We feel so lucky to have her since she has the best personality and also the most adorable little face.



Some highlights of the past few weeks include:
*Graduating from Puppy Manners class at ARF. She mastered sit and down and we even learned some tricks. She definitely wasn't the valedictorian in the class, but she sure was social. Hey, just like her parents.
*Sleeping in bed with us. Yes, I know this is the cardinal sin in dog training, but we couldn't resist. She loves to snuggle up on the pillow at night.
*Visiting the dog park. We are so lucky to live so close to the Heather Farm's dog park. I love going on the weekends. It is so fun to watch all the dogs play together. She has no fear and wags her tail even at the 190 pound mastiff.


I feel so lucky to be blessed with Marley. She has brought me so much happiness when I needed it most. Dogs are such amazing animals and Jason has quickly realized why they are called "Man's Best Friend". He keeps begging me to get another, but I think we are set now with our cats and pup.

My New Hairstyles

OK...you've got to check out this site. It is hilarous and has been entertaining me for hours. You can upload a photo of yourself and then experiement with hundreds of celebrity hair styles.

Go to In Style Makeover

Check out my inspirations:

Jennifer Aniston, yes I won't ever be a blonde.

Inspired by my mother. Can you believe how much we look alike? AHHHHHHH!!! I couldn't stop laughing at this one. I think it scared Jason.

ROCK ON JASON!

Irish Pub Crawl

Last night we headed into the city to attend Danielle's Irish birthday pub crawl. We had a great time and made it to 2 of the 5 bars (O'Reilleys in North Beach and Left Bank in Downtown). We had a blast and even woke up feeling good. I guess we are learning our lesson at 29 not to take Irish car bombs or shots.

The New and Improved Wish Dish

I am proud to announce that my new Wish Dish is up and running. I'm really excited and am so thankful to Zoe at
Chic and Sassy Designs. She is truly amazing and has transformed my blog into a fun and funky new design. Pretty soon, I'm going to be launching The Wish of the Week, so stay tuned.

If you happen to find an item online or while shopping that you think would be a good addition to The Wish Dish, please send along. I love seeing what everyone else is wishing for.

LINK HERE
The Wish Dish

Super Tuesday

WHO WILL IT BE?



So today is the big day for California (and other states) voters for the Democratic primaries. In case you are wondering, Jason was on the corner of Oak Grove and Ygnacio this morning from 7 - 9:30am and he will be heading back out this afternoon with his Obama signs. He said the honks really helped motivate him and his iPod kept him entertained.

I drove by and took a picture but didn't get a great shot. It was a little challenging to do while driving.

Scavenger Hunt

Last weekend, Melissa and I had a bday scavenger hunt and it was SO MUCH FUN! I was a little scared that not everyone would enjoy themselves, but afterwards everyone begged to have another.

Here is how it worked:

Teams of 5 were formed (we had 6 teams of 5) and everyone had a driver in the group. Each team was armed with a digital camera and list of tasks to complete around town. Melissa and I came up with a list of about 40 tasks with different point values assigned depending on the level of difficulty. Everyone had 2 1/2 hours to finish. We had a pitstop for all teams to meet at Artie's half way through.

Here are some of the tasks our team completed. Hopefully I'll have more pics soon. Thanks to everyone who participated. It was definitely a memorable event and tons of fun. Made me feel like a kid again.

Team must karaoke together


Propose with an engagement ring

Long's was a popular destination. Who knew they had such beautiful rings.

TP Someone's House

Sadly, Lex's parents got hit due to the close proximity to another task that had to be completed at NGHS tennis courts.

Guy to get make-up done at counter


*Mike and Jeramy were good sports!

Get in the Back of a Cop Car



Perform I'm A Little Teapot

Eat, Pray, Love...I did Love it!

I just finished reading this book last night and have jumped on the bandwagon of fans. I know you've probably already heard this by now, but I highly recommend this book. It is entertaining, thoughtful, helpful, adventurous and an enjoying read.

Simple Summary: The author brings you through her 1 year journey of traveling to Italy, India and Indonesia in pursuit of pleasure, devotion and balance.

My favorite paragraph from the book:
I keep remembering one of my Guru's teachings about happiness. She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you're fortunate enough. But that's not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have acheived a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.

Jason has wondered why I suddenly am persuading him that we should travel to Italy this Spring. I'm blaming the book!

Introducing You To Mika

The first song on my playlist is by Mika. I had to blog about him since I absolutely love his album and think it is something everyone might enjoy. His album, Life In Cartoon Motion is amazing and has a wide variety of fun dance songs, funky ballads and slower inspirational tunes. He is coming to the Warfield in Februrary, so we are hoping to be able to experience his music live.

Change He Can Believe In

I'm very proud of Jason! Last night he volunteered at the Obama phone banks to make some calls to local Democrats and Independents urging them to get out and vote next Tuesday. He said about 1/3 of people listened, 1/3 he left messages for and 1/3 of people told him to never call back. On Super Tuesday, he has been asked to stand on a corner and hold a sign. I can't wait to drive by and take some undercover pics. I imagine it being very similar to those guys that direct you to look at houses that dance with signs. I hope he does some good dance moves.
Jason loves following politics (it was his major and my minor), but I am getting ready for the primaries to be over. I love Chris Matthews, but he has been in my living room every night for the last few months. We will see what happens next Tuesday. Should be exciting.

Marley's New Mansion

So I came home the other night and Jason had purchased a new crate for Marley. I was amazed at the size he picked out. I think it is quite possibly the largest crate manufactured (probably made for Great Danes). I asked how it fit in his car and he then proceeded to tell me that he walked home with it (NO JOKE). Yes, he carried this crate about 1 mile from Pet Food Express to our house in the dark. So if you happened to see some man walking down Oak Grove after work carrying an extra large crate...it was Jason. The things we do for our beloved pets. (and yes, I'm pretty sure this thing can be broken down into 2 pieces to fit in cars)