As a serious surprise this Holiday, I got Danny Boy some new female friends. Keep in mind, he asks me like every week, "Can we get a new Smokey(old rat)? When can we get a new one?" and with quick response I say, "NEVER again!" or, "No. F*cking. Way." which was more common. Now, some of you may remember that our old rat, Smokey, nearly broke up our marriage, the little beast, so in Dan's head it would never happen. However, being that I am a totally awesome and loving wife, well SURPRISE indeed. Check out some pics and video of our new baby devils....Names to follow....
**these critters are VERY difficult to snap photos of.
playtime includes climbing all over me.
Danny meets his tiny coffee and white colored hooded rat.
My little wheat gray friend trying too see if I am a friend or a piece of food. Friend wins.
Trying to see if they can escape without us noticing.Danny reaches out to block my rat from jumping. Lucky she hasnt learned that trick yet....
Playtime starts in the bathtub, with lots of toys purchased, they prefer to chew on the drain cap. sheesh.
The little cream and coffee colored one is very timid and shy and stays around her bigger sister. But she likes to be snuggled with and will "chirp" and "squeek" when she's playing. She chomps her teeth when she's happy and likes to groom my fingers by nibbling on them and licking them.
The bigger gray wheat one is very curious and a risk taker and very smart. She watches out for her lil sis and bring her food inside the cage and plays with her constantly. Its very cute. She is an excellent climber and dare devil. She likes to sit on my shoulder but often sticks her nose in my ear and it tickles.
My curious rat wants to smell the camera. say "cheese"!
trying it out with no flash. They are still very young and small, but I think in a couple of months might be as big as cats.....
Monday, December 21, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
TAG ZWEI
Woke up at 4am.....actually Dan woke up and then woke me up with his incessant pacing. It was torture waiting for the sun to rise at about 730am. Our Pension Raidel provided us with breakfast, white bread, cheese, jam, butter, tea, and coffee. Yum. We didnt really care cos it was FREE so, we thought, can't go wrong with white bread and cheese.
The owners cat sat behind me the whole breakfast.
The day was spent mostly on a walking tour of the inner city of Rothenberg. It was cold, quiet and rainy. but it was fun.
We noticed many many many bakeries with bread and donuts and odd pastries called Schneeballen. What the f*ck is a schneeballen? you ask..
Well, Every German city has its food speciality, such as Berlin which is famous for its jelly donuts and Nürnberg which has its Nürnberger Bratwurst. Rothenberg ob der Tauber is famous for Schneeballen (Snow balls) which are strips of noodle pastry, formed into a ball and deep-fried for four minutes in hot fat, then dusted with powdered sugar,served for the first time in 1719 on the occasion of an inspection of a mill.
Hmmm, well I got to try that! Who wouldn't? YUM! let's see cinnamon, dark chocolate, or powdered sugar.
So we bought a powdered sugar minischneeballen to share. I took the first bite. er, tried to anyway.
wtf is this? yeah, I'm over the schneeballen and gave it to Danny to finish.
We then went on a walking tour of Rothenberg that allowed us to check out the city walls, gates, bastion, and even walk out on top of the wall where archers would have been. It was pretty amazing and you can check out pics from the trip by clicking here (more get added everytime I post new days so check back)
This is the outer bastion. I guess they kept large amounts of troops hidden here, along with canons and pitch.
There are MANY great pics so i suggest clicking the link to get the full effect.
After morning in Rothenberg, we hit the road and headed south along the "Romantic Road" to Fussen. Which is a border town. (Austria for the geographically inept, kidding.) We stopped at McDonalds along the way. Yes, McDonalds. It was the only healthy place we could find. I know, it sounds like an oxymoron but really, they had 100% fruit smoothies. YUM.
We arrived Fussen and found our Pension Romantik. (seriously, thats the name) It was IDEALY located within walking distance to BOTH castles. find out more during day 3!
Since we arrived so late, we had a very difficult time locating a place to eat. Eating was challenging since NOTHING was in English and our phrasebook only went so far.
So we spotted a "Mediterranean" fast food joint and ordered Donor Vegetarische. Which, once served, we found out was a tortilla filled with iceburg lettuce and smothered in cucumber yogurt sauce with sliced tomatoes on the side. (which i cant eat due to my allergy). So......yeah. dinner is served.
Anywho, after that we found a cafe and ordered cheese pizza, otherwise known as white bread and cheese. hmmmm seems familiar. Oh well. Back to our Romantik Pension to get some beauty rest. After all, it was 9pm!!!!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Hallo aus Deutschland!
Traveling to Germany and Rothenberg Ob Der Tauber
Day One:
Dan and I leave for SFO at 11am bags in hand, Euros in our pockets, and adventure in our hearts!!!! We ar
e so excited, it may not be Vietnam, but hey, at least its another country!!!
So we get to the airport and after a long 2 hour sit on the plane, we have to get off. The PA system was broken and we all needed to head over to another gate and another aircraft. Yep, all 300 of us. hahaha. Oh well. er, at least all was well, until we get to the gate and find out our 2pm departure is now leaving at 930pm. *sigh*
However, our tears quickly dried as we boarded and snuggled int
o our *clears throat* First Class seats. snicker. Fate was on our side, and the gate agents too!!!!

Video of our First Class seating.
Our ten hour flight to Frankfurt airport was a breeze, especially since the United First Class Suite seats can make a bed! ~Although I was scared sh*tless when we hit turbulence over the water and could no longer speak. Luckily that didn't last too long. *wince*
Arrived in Frankfurt the next day, which I still consider to be Day One.
We rented a car and drove to Rothenberg Ob Der Tauber, 7 hours behind schedule. Thanks to Luke for emailing our Pension for us so they wouldn't give up our room. We quickly learned that was unnecessary since it was the off season and they only had one other guest. Also, since we arrived at 8pm, everything was closed, including places to eat. So we walked around in the 30 degree cold weather and admired what we could. It was actually very peaceful and beautiful in a way.

This is the Town Hall where the Night Watchman was talking to a group of locals and telling stories. All in German of course!
Bells would chime on the hour at the church adjacent to the Hall. (not shown)

We also spied a lot of cool shops and homes and streets. The whole upper town is completely enclosed by a City Wall and Gate Houses. Just like in a fantasy novel, but real. It has soo much history.

Did I forget to mention this is the place where Disney's Pinocchio was inspired after? Well it was. and No joke, looks just like it!!
A long time ago, cant remember exactly, when the Catholic Church was taking over the world, a Priest threaten to completely destroy the town and on a WHIM he decided if someone from the town drank 3.5 liters of wine he would spare them from ruin. And so a townsman accepted and won. He was drunk for like 3 days, but he didn't die and now he's famous for saving the town from destruction. They built him a fountain in his honor.
Off to bed, hungry at 1030pm. I don't think I have ever gone to bed so early.
Day Two to follow shortly.
Day One:
Dan and I leave for SFO at 11am bags in hand, Euros in our pockets, and adventure in our hearts!!!! We ar
So we get to the airport and after a long 2 hour sit on the plane, we have to get off. The PA system was broken and we all needed to head over to another gate and another aircraft. Yep, all 300 of us. hahaha. Oh well. er, at least all was well, until we get to the gate and find out our 2pm departure is now leaving at 930pm. *sigh*
However, our tears quickly dried as we boarded and snuggled int
Video of our First Class seating.
Our ten hour flight to Frankfurt airport was a breeze, especially since the United First Class Suite seats can make a bed! ~Although I was scared sh*tless when we hit turbulence over the water and could no longer speak. Luckily that didn't last too long. *wince*
Arrived in Frankfurt the next day, which I still consider to be Day One.
This is the Town Hall where the Night Watchman was talking to a group of locals and telling stories. All in German of course!
Bells would chime on the hour at the church adjacent to the Hall. (not shown)
We also spied a lot of cool shops and homes and streets. The whole upper town is completely enclosed by a City Wall and Gate Houses. Just like in a fantasy novel, but real. It has soo much history.
Did I forget to mention this is the place where Disney's Pinocchio was inspired after? Well it was. and No joke, looks just like it!!
A long time ago, cant remember exactly, when the Catholic Church was taking over the world, a Priest threaten to completely destroy the town and on a WHIM he decided if someone from the town drank 3.5 liters of wine he would spare them from ruin. And so a townsman accepted and won. He was drunk for like 3 days, but he didn't die and now he's famous for saving the town from destruction. They built him a fountain in his honor.
Off to bed, hungry at 1030pm. I don't think I have ever gone to bed so early.
Day Two to follow shortly.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Vietnam, or not.
So our big vacation to Vietnam has been put on hold, AGAIN. Just because of some stupid shots. SURE, you avoid getting Hepatitis if you have them, but STILL!!!! argh. Well, we are trying to decided where we can go instead. Its been a long battle: London, Germany, Hungary, Brussels, Germany, Spain, England, Argentina, Greece, London, ok- Scotland. I think we have winner. Regardless, I know we'll have a good time, I guess once we land in another country this coming week, we'll have decided. Pictures to follow.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Good Morning Vietnam!
Danny and I are finally starting our preparations for our big trip to Vietnam. Immunizations, Visas, currency conversion, maps, phrasebooks, and our sense of adventure is all underway. The big plan, fly into Ho Chi Minh city, and then, who knows. Just go and see. However, I am hoping to visit an orphanage while we are there. It might help to give Danny some perspective on what it might be like for the parent-less kids of the world. I am very very excited. pics are inevitable...
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Logan and Me
I got to babysit Logan last Sat while Jon and Bree went on a date. It was great timing because Dan was off working and I had nothing to do but play Farm Town on Facebook. So off I went.
Logan had just woke up from a 4 hour nap when I arrived and Jon was running some last minute errands, so I got to kick it awhile with Bree and she gave me the run down for eating and bedtime.
When Jon got home, he mentioned that when Logan gets sleepy he will get cranky (don't we all) and may go from grumpy to silly and back again. I thought, no worries, I can handle him. ;)
Logan decided as mommy and daddy were leaving that he wanted to go outside and play. So saying his goodbyes and waving, while holding him, I thought at any moment he would realize that he doesn't have a clue who I am, thus freak out and cry, but nope; he wanted to play ball.
NOTE: I am VERY loud on the videos, may want to turn down the volume.
Logan had three balls; a soccer ball, a plastic bouncing ball, an SF Giants baseball, (which Lola chewed up and I will replace. My bad) and he had a yellow ring toy he used as his croquet mallet.
Logan playing croquet with his toys, he lined them up every time. And I mean EVERY time. It was very cute. Once he even tried to balance the baseball on top of the others. Didn't work out so well.

Then he noticed something off over by the trees. and stared and stared. Then began telling me, but um, I don't speak his language. So I told him to show me. We walked over to the side where a big ass lemon tree was and pointed at a lemon on the ground, "ball." And so it is.
Logan stared at this very large lemon on the ground for some time and seemed to be trying to figure out what exactly it was. He felt very confident in his discovery. Its bright, roundish in shape, and rolls. It must be a ball.
Logan shows off his mad basketball skills. We played this game TWICE. As in, putting it back into the garage and everything, then going back out and playing all over again. It was just too much fun to only play once.
After basketball, we took a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood and Logan mimicked everything I said, "flower" = "ower", "bird"="erd", "bubble"="bubbo" etc. And of course, "oh no, ball" in reference to Lola chewing up his baseball.
So we headed inside and had some snacks, watched Follow That Bird, took a bath, read a book, and went to sleep. JUST. LIKE. THAT. No crankiness, no grumpiness, just kisses and hugs and "night night".
AWESOME. And now time for X-Men on Bluray.
oh, and one last check on my farm, you can never be too careful.
Logan had just woke up from a 4 hour nap when I arrived and Jon was running some last minute errands, so I got to kick it awhile with Bree and she gave me the run down for eating and bedtime.
When Jon got home, he mentioned that when Logan gets sleepy he will get cranky (don't we all) and may go from grumpy to silly and back again. I thought, no worries, I can handle him. ;)
Logan decided as mommy and daddy were leaving that he wanted to go outside and play. So saying his goodbyes and waving, while holding him, I thought at any moment he would realize that he doesn't have a clue who I am, thus freak out and cry, but nope; he wanted to play ball.
NOTE: I am VERY loud on the videos, may want to turn down the volume.
Logan had three balls; a soccer ball, a plastic bouncing ball, an SF Giants baseball, (which Lola chewed up and I will replace. My bad) and he had a yellow ring toy he used as his croquet mallet.
Then he noticed something off over by the trees. and stared and stared. Then began telling me, but um, I don't speak his language. So I told him to show me. We walked over to the side where a big ass lemon tree was and pointed at a lemon on the ground, "ball." And so it is.
Logan shows off his mad basketball skills. We played this game TWICE. As in, putting it back into the garage and everything, then going back out and playing all over again. It was just too much fun to only play once.
After basketball, we took a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood and Logan mimicked everything I said, "flower" = "ower", "bird"="erd", "bubble"="bubbo" etc. And of course, "oh no, ball" in reference to Lola chewing up his baseball.
So we headed inside and had some snacks, watched Follow That Bird, took a bath, read a book, and went to sleep. JUST. LIKE. THAT. No crankiness, no grumpiness, just kisses and hugs and "night night".
AWESOME. And now time for X-Men on Bluray.
oh, and one last check on my farm, you can never be too careful.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
A really big ass hole in the ground
Dan and I had this great vacation planned for these last couple of weeks to go to Vietnam. I have been crazy excited to go, planning, and reading all about the country. But then, oh wait, we had to PAY taxes. Yep. Came out of no-wheres. TAXES. $1538 smackers. Bye bye Vietnam, hello Grand Canyon. So we may not have been about to leave the country but we were determined to go on vacation anyways, and whats cheap you ask? CAMPING.
I have never been to the Canyon before and we had plans already to drive to San Marcos for a wedding so, heck, we decided to keep on rollin straight through to the rim. Ok well, we did pick up our buddy Shawn in Pasedena, but then we rolled on through.
Everyone and anyone who has ever visited the big ol canyon, will tell you, "oh its sooooo amazing, it takes your breath away." Yeah, yeah, sure. I had seen pictures before. I get it, its really big. Well Holy Crap, it IS really really big and although I did not stop breathing when I got my first glimpse, it was pretty overpowering.
Shawn, Dan, and I set up our very modest camp supplies (we somehow crammed it into my Scion, with 3 peeps, and wedding gear) and headed out for some grub and to take in a small rim walk. We had been driving for around 9 hours and we needed to eat some damn camp food. Surprisingly, there was a decent cafeteria style restaurant and if you know camping, then you know that the crappiest of food any other time would not be acceptable, but while camping, YUM YUM YUM.
After a night of sleeping on a rock, we headed out to hike the Bright Angel Trial. Shawn was determined to do some crazy ass 10 mile hike or something and if you thing about the hiking........ the farther you go, the more you got to hike UP to get out. SO when Shawn asked if we wanted to hike with him.........
"um,no." Said Catherine.
And so we split up and Dan and I hiked alone. The trail was very dusty, had TONS of peeps, lots of mule crap and the stench that goes with it, multiple mule trains(see video), hot dry weather, and a wonderful view.
I sort of underestimated myself and my awesome hiking abilities because I only hiked down into the Canyon about 3/4 of a mile before I thought it would get too hard for me to hike out. I was seriously wrong. At the rim, after the hike was over I wasn't even winded. I guess it must be due to all the working out I had been doing prior to the trip!!! oh yeah.
So Dan and I spent the rest of the day exploring and taking pics and eating and building campfires and wondering when we would have to report Shawn missing to the Rangers, when he painfully strolled into camp.
We chilled around the fire, drinking King Cobra, and staring into the flames thinking we might see into the future.

The next day, and very sleepless rock hard night for me, we decided (after MUCH debate from Dan) to hike South Kaibab Trail. Danny was seriously concerned about the sun exposure, so Shawn headed out early in the day to hike another, oh, 100 miles, and we opted to go out around 4 pm. Since the almighty SUN wouldn't kill Dan around then, hopefully. Dan and I relaxed the first part of the day walking along the Rim Trail. As we looked out into the G.C. we noticed a BIG ASS bird flying around. See now that I am a Golden Gate Raptor Observatory bander I am an expert at raptor ID. (ok not an expert but better than most.) I yelled out, "HOLY CRAP!!! Its a Condor!!! Dan get the f*cking camera!!!!"

I can easily say that it was one of the best experiences I have had in my life. (being that there are only around 300 left, up from 22, with around 60 living in the G.C.)
So after spending around an hour staring at this bird (#52) on a freakin rock ledge in hopes that it will take flight again, we left. (Dan made me.)
Off to South Kaibab for another hike. I was VERY excited to hike this trail. I am glad we were able to convince Dan to do it. It was BEAUTIFUL! There were hardly any people, no poop, no mules, lots of shade, and an incredible view. It was my favorite hike. We hiked down about a mile and the canyon opened up before us. I was completely mesmerized by it. It convinced me, this is truly a wonder of the world.
All in all, it was a wonderful camping trip. I had such a great time. Having Shawn there, Dan, and I just relaxing and enjoying nature and each other. If you get the chance to go, I recommend staying at a campground, not in a lodge.
I have never been to the Canyon before and we had plans already to drive to San Marcos for a wedding so, heck, we decided to keep on rollin straight through to the rim. Ok well, we did pick up our buddy Shawn in Pasedena, but then we rolled on through.
Everyone and anyone who has ever visited the big ol canyon, will tell you, "oh its sooooo amazing, it takes your breath away." Yeah, yeah, sure. I had seen pictures before. I get it, its really big. Well Holy Crap, it IS really really big and although I did not stop breathing when I got my first glimpse, it was pretty overpowering.
![]() |
| Grand Canyon 2009 |
Shawn, Dan, and I set up our very modest camp supplies (we somehow crammed it into my Scion, with 3 peeps, and wedding gear) and headed out for some grub and to take in a small rim walk. We had been driving for around 9 hours and we needed to eat some damn camp food. Surprisingly, there was a decent cafeteria style restaurant and if you know camping, then you know that the crappiest of food any other time would not be acceptable, but while camping, YUM YUM YUM.
After a night of sleeping on a rock, we headed out to hike the Bright Angel Trial. Shawn was determined to do some crazy ass 10 mile hike or something and if you thing about the hiking........ the farther you go, the more you got to hike UP to get out. SO when Shawn asked if we wanted to hike with him.........
"um,no." Said Catherine.
And so we split up and Dan and I hiked alone. The trail was very dusty, had TONS of peeps, lots of mule crap and the stench that goes with it, multiple mule trains(see video), hot dry weather, and a wonderful view.
I sort of underestimated myself and my awesome hiking abilities because I only hiked down into the Canyon about 3/4 of a mile before I thought it would get too hard for me to hike out. I was seriously wrong. At the rim, after the hike was over I wasn't even winded. I guess it must be due to all the working out I had been doing prior to the trip!!! oh yeah.
So Dan and I spent the rest of the day exploring and taking pics and eating and building campfires and wondering when we would have to report Shawn missing to the Rangers, when he painfully strolled into camp.
We chilled around the fire, drinking King Cobra, and staring into the flames thinking we might see into the future.
The next day, and very sleepless rock hard night for me, we decided (after MUCH debate from Dan) to hike South Kaibab Trail. Danny was seriously concerned about the sun exposure, so Shawn headed out early in the day to hike another, oh, 100 miles, and we opted to go out around 4 pm. Since the almighty SUN wouldn't kill Dan around then, hopefully. Dan and I relaxed the first part of the day walking along the Rim Trail. As we looked out into the G.C. we noticed a BIG ASS bird flying around. See now that I am a Golden Gate Raptor Observatory bander I am an expert at raptor ID. (ok not an expert but better than most.) I yelled out, "HOLY CRAP!!! Its a Condor!!! Dan get the f*cking camera!!!!"
I can easily say that it was one of the best experiences I have had in my life. (being that there are only around 300 left, up from 22, with around 60 living in the G.C.)
So after spending around an hour staring at this bird (#52) on a freakin rock ledge in hopes that it will take flight again, we left. (Dan made me.)
Off to South Kaibab for another hike. I was VERY excited to hike this trail. I am glad we were able to convince Dan to do it. It was BEAUTIFUL! There were hardly any people, no poop, no mules, lots of shade, and an incredible view. It was my favorite hike. We hiked down about a mile and the canyon opened up before us. I was completely mesmerized by it. It convinced me, this is truly a wonder of the world.
All in all, it was a wonderful camping trip. I had such a great time. Having Shawn there, Dan, and I just relaxing and enjoying nature and each other. If you get the chance to go, I recommend staying at a campground, not in a lodge.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Betty Crocker got nuthin on us!!
Basic Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Creme frosting and sprinkles.


So Danny and I decided to get crazy and make some cupcakes. His sister De and fam gave him a Vegan cupcake book for Christmas and so we whipped up a batch, in fact, his first ever.

Now these seriously are the BEST cupcakes we have ever eaten. They were so light, moist, and fluffy and the icing tasted like Reese's Pieces. Oh, sooo good.

Who ever said vegan food can't taste as good as "the real thing" is an idiot. Clearly, this recipe proves all non-believers wrong.
So Danny and I decided to get crazy and make some cupcakes. His sister De and fam gave him a Vegan cupcake book for Christmas and so we whipped up a batch, in fact, his first ever.
Now these seriously are the BEST cupcakes we have ever eaten. They were so light, moist, and fluffy and the icing tasted like Reese's Pieces. Oh, sooo good.
Who ever said vegan food can't taste as good as "the real thing" is an idiot. Clearly, this recipe proves all non-believers wrong.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Hike
Today I met up with a friend, Jerel, south of Pacifica and went on an easy hike through McNee Ranch State Park. I am always amazed by how much beauty lies within just 20 minutes of a major city. It was breezy and chilly, but sunny and very pretty. Here are a couple of pics.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Shibuya
At Shibuya Station Mall looking out from the upper level.
We loved this area. There were a lot of things to see and do. Including shopping, playing arcade games, eating. It was great. Here is a video of the crosswalk.
We loved this area. There were a lot of things to see and do. Including shopping, playing arcade games, eating. It was great. Here is a video of the crosswalk.

Apparently in Japan they LOVE the mini-Belgian waffles. So we bought a cinnamon one at the train station at a small stand called Fresh Farm.

Taking the JR line to Shibuya at rush hour. Lucky for me, Dan was there to protect me from getting groped.

The most famous crossing in Tokyo at Shibuya. See video.

Cat takes a break on the fresh lawn at the Imperial Palace. We never did meet the Royal Family. Oh well.

At the Edo Museum. A very big unusual building built high above ground.

Riding the train with Sanchez on our way to the Sumo Arena.
Dan at the Meiij Shrine in Yoyogi Park at Harajuku.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Land of the Little People
Konnichiwa!
So, we decided to take a trip to Tokyo, Japan to visit our ol’ skool friend Erin Sanchez (yep, he‘s Mexican). By ol’ skool, we mean Dan and Erin have known each other since Kindergarten. We’ve been meaning to get to Japan for 3 years, and finally are sitting in Business Class on a United 747-400, LAX-NRT. Woo hoo! Or as the Japanese would say, “yatta!”. Danny has already been asked about his long legs by a fellow traveler in coach class. And Catherine has taken 2 naps already, even though it has been only a few hours of flight time so far (we think). Something odd to point out is that it is still daylight outside with no sign of any approaching twilight. The weird thing is, is that we left at noon on Monday (actually @ 0830 from Palomar Airport) and get in Tuesday at 4pm, but I don’t think we will see any darkness for the entire flight.
And so our journey begins, loaded with a fistful of Japanese Yen, a phrase book thanks to Melissa, a computer print out of Narita airport, one camera, and a sense of adventure. Basically, we have no idea what we are doing and we don’t care as long as the wind blows through the cherry blossom trees, we shall go where the wind takes us.
Sayonara for now!
So, we decided to take a trip to Tokyo, Japan to visit our ol’ skool friend Erin Sanchez (yep, he‘s Mexican). By ol’ skool, we mean Dan and Erin have known each other since Kindergarten. We’ve been meaning to get to Japan for 3 years, and finally are sitting in Business Class on a United 747-400, LAX-NRT. Woo hoo! Or as the Japanese would say, “yatta!”. Danny has already been asked about his long legs by a fellow traveler in coach class. And Catherine has taken 2 naps already, even though it has been only a few hours of flight time so far (we think). Something odd to point out is that it is still daylight outside with no sign of any approaching twilight. The weird thing is, is that we left at noon on Monday (actually @ 0830 from Palomar Airport) and get in Tuesday at 4pm, but I don’t think we will see any darkness for the entire flight.
And so our journey begins, loaded with a fistful of Japanese Yen, a phrase book thanks to Melissa, a computer print out of Narita airport, one camera, and a sense of adventure. Basically, we have no idea what we are doing and we don’t care as long as the wind blows through the cherry blossom trees, we shall go where the wind takes us.
Sayonara for now!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
And the winner is......
Catherine!!!!!!
Ok, so now it seems totally rigged but I SWEAR I did NOT cheat. And for proof my 2 friends were watching with me, Megan and Manny. So you can ask them.
Here are the Results in order:
Catherine 19
Jeff 15
Alicia 13
Raul 13
Meg and Manny 12
Ryan 12
Cherise 12
Luke 11
Ray 11
Melissa 8
Rich 7
Amanda 6
Sarah 5
---but to Sarah's defense she is insanely ill and barely got her picks in on time.
Thanks for playing!!! Better luck next year...suckas! :)
Ok, so now it seems totally rigged but I SWEAR I did NOT cheat. And for proof my 2 friends were watching with me, Megan and Manny. So you can ask them.
Here are the Results in order:
Catherine 19
Jeff 15
Alicia 13
Raul 13
Meg and Manny 12
Ryan 12
Cherise 12
Luke 11
Ray 11
Melissa 8
Rich 7
Amanda 6
Sarah 5
---but to Sarah's defense she is insanely ill and barely got her picks in on time.
Thanks for playing!!! Better luck next year...suckas! :)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Oscar Picks
here is a list of everyone picks....
--I am still missing Megan
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! $130.00 pot.
ACTOR,LEADING
-Brad Pitt:
Melissa
Sarah
-Sean Penn:
Catherine
Alicia
Raul
-Mickey Rourke:
Cherise
Ryan
Amanda
Jeff
Luke
Ray
-Frank Langella:
Rich
ACTOR, SUPPORTING
-Heath Ledger:
Everyone except
-Josh Brolin:
Rich
ACTRESS LEADING
-Kate Winslet:
Melissa
Catherine
Ryan
Amanda
Raul
Rich
-Meryl Streep:
Sarah
Luke
Cherise
Ray
-Melissa Leo:
Jeff
-Anne Hathaway:
Alicia
ACTRESS SUPPORTING
-Amy Adams:
Luke
Melissa
-Taraji P Henson:
Amanda
Sarah
Rich
-Penelope Cruz:
Alicia
Catherine
Ryan
Cherise
Jeff
-Marisa Tomei:
Raul
Ray
ANIMATED FEATURE
-WALL-E:
Luke
Amanda
Alicia
Catherine
Ryan
Raul
Sarah
Cherise
Rich
Ray
-Kung Fu Panda:
Jeff
Melissa
ART DIRECTION
-Dark Knight:
Luke
Ryan
Cherise
Jeff
-Ben Button:
Melissa
Amanda
Alicia
Catherine
Raul
Sarah
-Changeling:
Ray
-Revolutionary Road:
Rich
CINEMATOGRAPHY
-Reader:
Amanda
-Dark Knight:
Melissa
Ryan
Alicia
Raul
Ray
-Slumdog Millionaire:
Catherine
Sarah
Luke
Cherise
Jeff
-Ben Button:
Rich
COSTUME DESIGN:
-Ben Button:
Amanda
Raul
Ray
-Milk:
Ryan
Sarah
Rich
-Australia:
Luke
-Duchess:
Catherine
Melissa
Alicia
Cherise
Jeff
DIRECTING:
-Reader:
Amanda
Melissa
-Slumdog Millionaire
Ryan
Luke
Catherine
Cherise
Alicia
Jeff
Raul
Ray
-Ben Button:
Rich
-Milk:
Sarah
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
-Man on Wire:
Catherine
Ryan
Luke
Jeff
Raul
Ray
Rich
-The Betrayal:
Amanda
Sarah
-Trouble The Water:
Alicia
-Encounters...:
Cherise
Melissa
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
-The Witness:
Catherine
Sarah
Jeff
Alicia
Raul
Ray
-Smile Pinki:
Cherise
Ryan
Rich
-The Final Inch:
Luke
Amanda
Melissa
FILM EDITING
-Slumdog:
Catherine
Jeff
Luke
-Milk:
Amanda
Sarah
Alicia
-Frost/Nixon:
Cherise
Raul
-Dark Knight:
Ryan
Ray
Rich
-Ben Button:
Melissa
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
-The Class:
Catherine
Sarah
Amanda
Alicia
-Departures:
Melissa
Luke
Ray
-Waltz with Bashir:
Jeff
Cherise
Ryan
-Revanche:
Raul
-The Baader Meinhof Complex:
Rich
MAKEUP
-Ben Button:
Catherine
Raul
Jeff
Ray
-Dark Knight:
Amanda
Sarah
Alicia
Melissa
Luke
Cherise
Ryan
Rich
ORIGINAL SCORE
-Slumdog:
Catherine
Sarah
Jeff
Alicia
Luke
Cherise
Ryan
Ray
-Ben Button:
Amanda
Raul
-Wall-E:
Melissa
-Milk:
Rich
ORIGINAL SONG
-JAI-HO:
Catherine
Jeff
Alicia
Cherise
Ryan
Raul
Ray
Rich
-Down to Earth:
Melissa
Amanda
-OSaya:
Luke
Sarah
BEST PICTURE
-Slumdog:
Catherine
Jeff
Alicia
Cherise
Ryan
Raul
Luke
Melissa
Rich
Ray
-Ben Button
Amanda
Sarah
SHORT FILM,ANIMATED
-Presto:
Catherine
Sarah
Jeff
Raul
Luke
-Lavatory-Lovestory:
Alicia
Melissa
-Oktapodi:
Cherise
Amanda
Rich
-La Maison en Petits Cubes:
Ryan
-This Way Up:
Ray
SHORT FILM, LIVE ACTION
-New Boy:
Ryan
Amanda
Luke
Cherise
Raul
Ray
Rich
-Toyland:
Alicia
Catherine
-On the Line:
Jeff
-The Pig:
Melissa
-Manon on the Asphalt:
Sarah
SOUND EDITING
-Dark Knight:
Catherine
Alicia
Raul
Luke
Amanda
Jeff
-Iron Man:
Cherise
Melissa
Ray
-Wall-E:
Ryan
Rich
-Slumdog:
Sarah
SOUND MIXING
-Dark Knight:
Catherine
Alicia
Raul
Luke
Amanda
Jeff
Ray
Rich
-Slumdog:
Cherise
-Wanted:
Melissa
-Wall-E:
Ryan
Sarah
VISUAL EFFECTS
-Dark Knight:
Catherine
Sarah
Ryan
Cherise
Alicia
Luke
Amanda
Rich
-Ben Button:
Raul
Jeff
Melissa
Ray
SCREENPLAY,ADAPTED
-Slumdog:
Catherine
Jeff
Rich
-FROST/NIXON:
Ryan
Cherise
Melissa
Ray
-Doubt:
Alicia
-Ben Button:
Luke
Amanda
Raul
-The Reader:
Sarah
SCREENPLAY,ORIGINAL
-Milk:
Everyone except
-Wall-E:
Rich
Sarah
--I am still missing Megan
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! $130.00 pot.
ACTOR,LEADING
Melissa
Sarah
-Sean Penn:
Catherine
Alicia
Raul
-Mickey Rourke:
Cherise
Ryan
Amanda
Jeff
Luke
Ray
-Frank Langella:
Rich
ACTOR, SUPPORTING
-Heath Ledger:
Everyone except
-Josh Brolin:
Rich
ACTRESS LEADING
-Kate Winslet:
Melissa
Catherine
Ryan
Amanda
Raul
Rich
-Meryl Streep:
Sarah
Luke
Cherise
Ray
-Melissa Leo:
Jeff
-Anne Hathaway:
Alicia
ACTRESS SUPPORTING
-Amy Adams:
Luke
Melissa
-Taraji P Henson:
Amanda
Sarah
Rich
-Penelope Cruz:
Alicia
Catherine
Ryan
Cherise
Jeff
-Marisa Tomei:
Raul
Ray
ANIMATED FEATURE
-WALL-E:
Luke
Amanda
Alicia
Catherine
Ryan
Raul
Sarah
Cherise
Rich
Ray
-Kung Fu Panda:
Jeff
Melissa
ART DIRECTION
-Dark Knight:
Luke
Ryan
Cherise
Jeff
-Ben Button:
Melissa
Amanda
Alicia
Catherine
Raul
Sarah
-Changeling:
Ray
-Revolutionary Road:
Rich
CINEMATOGRAPHY
-Reader:
Amanda
-Dark Knight:
Melissa
Ryan
Alicia
Raul
Ray
-Slumdog Millionaire:
Catherine
Sarah
Luke
Cherise
Jeff
-Ben Button:
Rich
COSTUME DESIGN:
-Ben Button:
Amanda
Raul
Ray
-Milk:
Ryan
Sarah
Rich
-Australia:
Luke
-Duchess:
Catherine
Melissa
Alicia
Cherise
Jeff
DIRECTING:
-Reader:
Amanda
Melissa
-Slumdog Millionaire
Ryan
Luke
Catherine
Cherise
Alicia
Jeff
Raul
Ray
-Ben Button:
Rich
-Milk:
Sarah
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
-Man on Wire:
Catherine
Ryan
Luke
Jeff
Raul
Ray
Rich
-The Betrayal:
Amanda
Sarah
-Trouble The Water:
Alicia
-Encounters...:
Cherise
Melissa
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
-The Witness:
Catherine
Sarah
Jeff
Alicia
Raul
Ray
-Smile Pinki:
Cherise
Ryan
Rich
-The Final Inch:
Luke
Amanda
Melissa
FILM EDITING
-Slumdog:
Catherine
Jeff
Luke
-Milk:
Amanda
Sarah
Alicia
-Frost/Nixon:
Cherise
Raul
-Dark Knight:
Ryan
Ray
Rich
-Ben Button:
Melissa
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
-The Class:
Catherine
Sarah
Amanda
Alicia
-Departures:
Melissa
Luke
Ray
-Waltz with Bashir:
Jeff
Cherise
Ryan
-Revanche:
Raul
-The Baader Meinhof Complex:
Rich
MAKEUP
-Ben Button:
Catherine
Raul
Jeff
Ray
-Dark Knight:
Amanda
Sarah
Alicia
Melissa
Luke
Cherise
Ryan
Rich
ORIGINAL SCORE
-Slumdog:
Catherine
Sarah
Jeff
Alicia
Luke
Cherise
Ryan
Ray
-Ben Button:
Amanda
Raul
-Wall-E:
Melissa
-Milk:
Rich
ORIGINAL SONG
-JAI-HO:
Catherine
Jeff
Alicia
Cherise
Ryan
Raul
Ray
Rich
-Down to Earth:
Melissa
Amanda
-OSaya:
Luke
Sarah
BEST PICTURE
-Slumdog:
Catherine
Jeff
Alicia
Cherise
Ryan
Raul
Luke
Melissa
Rich
Ray
-Ben Button
Amanda
Sarah
SHORT FILM,ANIMATED
-Presto:
Catherine
Sarah
Jeff
Raul
Luke
-Lavatory-Lovestory:
Alicia
Melissa
-Oktapodi:
Cherise
Amanda
Rich
-La Maison en Petits Cubes:
Ryan
-This Way Up:
Ray
SHORT FILM, LIVE ACTION
-New Boy:
Ryan
Amanda
Luke
Cherise
Raul
Ray
Rich
-Toyland:
Alicia
Catherine
-On the Line:
Jeff
-The Pig:
Melissa
-Manon on the Asphalt:
Sarah
SOUND EDITING
-Dark Knight:
Catherine
Alicia
Raul
Luke
Amanda
Jeff
-Iron Man:
Cherise
Melissa
Ray
-Wall-E:
Ryan
Rich
-Slumdog:
Sarah
SOUND MIXING
-Dark Knight:
Catherine
Alicia
Raul
Luke
Amanda
Jeff
Ray
Rich
-Slumdog:
Cherise
-Wanted:
Melissa
-Wall-E:
Ryan
Sarah
VISUAL EFFECTS
-Dark Knight:
Catherine
Sarah
Ryan
Cherise
Alicia
Luke
Amanda
Rich
-Ben Button:
Raul
Jeff
Melissa
Ray
SCREENPLAY,ADAPTED
-Slumdog:
Catherine
Jeff
Rich
-FROST/NIXON:
Ryan
Cherise
Melissa
Ray
-Doubt:
Alicia
-Ben Button:
Luke
Amanda
Raul
-The Reader:
Sarah
SCREENPLAY,ORIGINAL
-Milk:
Everyone except
-Wall-E:
Rich
Sarah
Monday, February 2, 2009
Maui Madness
So at the last minute, before I become trapped in my own home I decided to go out to Maui with Dan while he works. The flight was pretty nice. A B777, which I may have flown on when I was little but wow, what a HUGE plane. We had a whole row to ourselves and I quickly passed out...


So we got to Honolulu and I dropped Dan off for work, er, well he was already there, and I waited in the terminal for the flight to Maui, which Dan would fly. Whoohoo! I got special treatment! free OJ! 
OK so here is one of the go! planes....
After spending a few days relaxing Dan and I went to the beach and Dan scared the locals with his bad ass white self. you can see him jogging in the background, he may be hard to spot against the white sand.....
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
On the move....


So as you may or
may not know Danny's bike (and helmet, gloves, and Bulldog lock) all stolen from inside, yes inside, our building a few months ago. He was so bummed since everyday he is home he rides around. It was a very shocking and disappointing event and no-one seems to know what happened. Well I decided that for Christmas I would get him a new one. Well, he finally got it, in San Jose while house watching for Jon and Bree. It was sort of fate because there is a bike shop down the street from their house and were having a great sale!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
School is in Session
Ok So I started school yesterday and I am already learning or should I say Re-learning all sorts of fun stuff about our Universe. Yep, that's right. Stars, Planets, Big balls of gas, and so on. I am taking Astronomy. So I thought with all my new found intellect I will share some tidbits here and there throughout my semester. Now I realize that everyone else on the planet most likely already knows this crap, but hey, I am a hermit, remember? Please feel free to leave comments!!!
~1 billion years ago: The most advanced form of life on our Earth was a worm.
~The farther away we look in distance, the further back we look in time.
~The number of stars in the observable universe is comparable to the number of grains of dry sand found on ALL the beaches of Earth.
~We can only see as far as 14 Billion light-years away. Beyond that, we would be looking back into time when nothing existed to see.
~1 billion years ago: The most advanced form of life on our Earth was a worm.
~The farther away we look in distance, the further back we look in time.
~The number of stars in the observable universe is comparable to the number of grains of dry sand found on ALL the beaches of Earth.
~We can only see as far as 14 Billion light-years away. Beyond that, we would be looking back into time when nothing existed to see.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Verdict is In
I want to say thanks to Luke for being there for me and helping me and being such a great brother in law. Without him, I would not be able to say that......My grade is in for Speech. I am proud to annouce...........A.
Thank you and goodnight,
Catherine
Thank you and goodnight,
Catherine
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
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