Touching Base

Need to be creative?

I never thought of myself as creative. When I was growing up, I couldn’t draw good stick figures, people or animals. Since meeting my friend Sheli, she has opened my eyes on things that I have always wanted to do but I felt I was lacking creative skills.
I have started scrapbooking and find it very fulfilling. A very good way to use up all those loose pictures that are just sitting boxed up with no one to look at.
I have made flower pens. Yes, I know I am 4 years behind on this but I made 9 flower pens last night, arranged them in a mini flower pot with rice to hold the pens up. It’s super cute.
With the know-how for scrapbooking, I can know make really great homemade cards. I made one for my folks on Valentine’s Day. I made my niece, Jade a really creative birthday card for her 4th birthday with 3D art, a coloring section, stickers, and creatively cut pictures with my different scissor shapers. Making homemade cards is a lot of fun. Of course it takes more time but reaction from the receiver is worth it.
Go out and be creative. Do the things you never thought you were good at. Drawing stick figures, people and animals is a little easier since there are more tricks I have acquired over the years.

Thanks JENNIFER

My friend Jennifer made this website for me and she recently updated it, it looks great.  Thanks for the upgrade.

Happy to be staying home this weekend….

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the fact that every weekend is bogged down with something to do?  I have felt this over the past month of April.  It has been non-stop.  Non-stop in a good way- vacation, hanging out with friends, etc. 

When it rains it pours….

I try to to keep it interesting, my posts are interesting to me and that is really all that matters.  I Post close to everyday because there are so many interesting things out there and I try to let others know of my interesting escapades.  Then, when I don’t write for at least 8 days, people ask why I don’t post more frequently or that they miss my posts.  So, now that I have been posting nearly everyday, no one except my special cuz Stephanie decides to shoot me a comment.  Why is this?  Do people browse over my post, and continue on with their life.  Sometimes a little comment here or there shows that you care.  OR maybe, just maybe, my posts are boring to everyone else other than me, who knows?

Did you knows….?

Did you know that an ant can be submerged underwater for approx 36 hours before dying?

 Did you know that soapy water suffocates a bee, wasp or hornet?

 Did you know that pistachios float while the empty shells sink?

Did you know that alcohol does not freeze unless it has low concentrations of alcohol and hich concentrations of sugar?

Did you know…. when bugs get caught in the downward draft of a moving vehicle passing by they have no control over where they will go…?

Did you know that a filler ingredient in dog food is saw dust?

Did you know that “Sea Hares” “sea slugs” and “sea cucumbers” have both male and female reproductive organs?

Did you know that owls can rotate their heads 360 degrees?

Did you know that your foot’s length is between your elbow and your wrist?

 Did you know that most people’s credit history is in the toilet?

Cut Glass is really expensive….. :(

We just recently acquired a really pretty China Hutch with glass shelving. The previous owners were moving around the glass shelves and one slipped and crashed. It was the largest chunk on each shelve- approx L 30.1″ x 13″ W. So, this piece of glass was measured and beveled and it cost just under $20, crazy, huh?

Betcha’ didn’t know this……..

Do you know what Wendy’s uses as their thickening agent for their Frosty’s?  Well, it’s potatoes.  Pretty interesting, huh? 

Copying Meme’s

A is for age: 31

B is for booze of choice: Limoncello

C is for career: Inside Sales Rep

D is for your dog’s name: Dusty, what about my cat- Peanut.

E is for essential item you use everyday: Computer and cell phone

F is for favorite song at the moment: I Want You by Third Eye Blind

G is for favorite games: Boggle and the online version- Joggle, Last 20 years Trivia Pursuit and Scattergories

H is for Hometown: Pittsburg, CA until 8 but my what I consider my “home town” is San Ramon, CA

I is for instruments you play: Used to play the Piano and the Recorder as a child

J is for jeans: Banana Republic or Tommy

K is for kids? None Yet, but by the time I am 34, or at least that is my plan.

L is for last hug? Jade, my niece. She hugged me last today.

M is for marriage: Yes, it will be 2 years on May 1st.

N is for name of your crush: Can a husband still be a crush? It’s Jason.

O is for overnight hospital stays: 2nd Grade for a hernia operation, when my Grandma was sick, spending time with my Dad re-cooperate nights on end after his double bypass surgery, spending time with my Mom while she re-cooperates from her appendix bursting and another surgery she had.

P is for phobias: heights, tornadoes, and hairy big spiders, actually all spiders
Q is for quote: My favorite quote that I live by…. “Patience is a virtue”

R is for biggest regret: Some things are better not to be told to the public

S is for status: Married

T is for time you wake up: 6 am M-F, Saturday- anytime before 11 am, Sunday- up in the air- depends how Saturday night goes.

U is for underwear: Victoria Secret Bikini Stretch & Hanes her Way- it’s all about comfortability

V is for vegetable you love: Asparagus, especially grilled, Eggplant- lightly grilled or fried, Artichoke- boiled and served with Mayo, and the list can go on.

W is for worst habit: Interrupting people while they are talking- it’s a very bad habit and I know I DO IT.

X is for x-rays you’ve had: Let’s see: fingers, chest, knee, mouth, and head

Y is for yummy food you make: Vanilla Flan, BBQ steak with a tasty marinade, lumpias, wontons, and today I am making for the very first time- Fried Ravioli- stuffed with Spinach, Feta and a Ricotta Cheese mixture. Doesn’t this sound divine; I saw recipe on “Everyday Italian” except mine would have a different filling.

Z is for Zodiac sign: Aries

Eating Grass…..

Putting the knee pads on was a good thing. Putting the wrist guards on was a GOOD thing. Wish I would have wore a helmet but I did have a strapped on head light to see ahead in the dark. Jason carefully handing me Dusty’s leash (dog) and prepping my roller blades to face forward. I instantly got yanked from my standing position. Dusty is in control, pulling me hard on her harness, and I am zipping past all the neighbors homes. At first I thought this is great, with my hair blowing in the wind. Then, Dusty sees a cat and then I think “I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die”. Looking ahead we are heading diagonally through the street towards a curb. No, I am not an avid roller blader and we are heading towards a curb. Yes, a curb. I start to lift one leg and the other leg doesn’t quite make it off the ground. I am flying through the air at this point and I land softly on the ground. I lift my head up, my arm is still clinging onto the leash, Dusty is whining because she wants to eat the cat and I have a mouthful of grass clippings. YUM! The ride home was pleasant but still the wind was blowing through my hair.

Sunday & Monday (this past weekend)

Sunday 

Making the drive to Santa Barbara, Jennifer and I walk and window shop through State Street.  Santa Barbara has some really GREAT shopping.  Mostly Mom and Pop shops but those are the best ones, the most unique gifts.  We ate at this really great Italian restaurant that had really yummy food.  I ate a butter lettuce salad, with candied walnuts, sweet balsamic dressing, Gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries, sliced pears and a drizzle of balsalmic reduction.  I was looking for something light to eat with my salad.  An appetizer of 3 thinly sliced eggplant which is grilled and stuffed with Pancetta, sweet basil and a creamy mixture of ricotta and goat cheese is set atop mixed baby greens and some more drizzling of balsamic reduction was quite filling and really decadent. We finished with some tasty desserts.  Jennifer ate a flourless chocolate cake, which was really dense, and rich, with a drizzle of chocolate sauce, topped with whip cream and sliced fresh strawberries.  My dessert was called Sweet Banana Tart.  It was served in a dense, rich butter crust, filled with a textured banana concoction and sliced banana, drizzled with caramel and vanilla sauces.  I will have to insert some photos for this or on another post reflecting this one.  After lunch we did more window-shopping.  We walked all the way down to the water from Carrillo Street, which is close to 3 miles.  Jennifer and I had really yummy cocktails at El Torito.  She had a drink, which was aqua in color and had Hypnotiq in it.  I had an Orange Martini with a floater of grenadine to kick the taste of vodka out.  We ate some chips and salsa, drank our drinks, admired the view of the ocean and all the beautiful palm trees, the sunny skies, the warm weather.  A vacation from the rain was so energizing.  :)  WE took the 25-cent trolley back to the parking garage before venturing up the coast to San Luis Obispo.

Monday

Driving up 101 North, we exit Madonna Rd to look for a place to stay.  At $71.00 per night, we found our hotel of choice.  Ate dinner at Tahoe Joe’s, it was late and we needed to eat.  Drove around San Luis, visited the dorm side of Cal Poly, drove through the city streets.  We were driving back to the hotel when we noticed the brightly colored lights coming from the Madonna Inn.  I had never been to the Madonna Inn and it definitely looked better at night than during the day.  It was a gaudy pink nightmare adorned with so many lights.  Too gaudy for me but definitely an experience.  We took some pictures outside, inside, inside the men’s restroom.  The men’s restroom doesn’t just have a urinal it has a waterfall urinal with a sensor when you walk up to it.  I snapped a quick photo and then hurried out so that I wouldn’t run into anyone coming in.  We would be eating here tomorrow or just eating some cake so it was time to get going.  It was late but not that late; it was a long day and the bed sounded really nice.  Jennifer reminded me that we had free HBO.  So, we watched Constantine.  I had partially read the book and Constantine was in my next top 5 to see with netflix.  This movie was really graphic and really good.  I would definitely see it again to make sure I didn’t miss anything to the first time. 

Woke up, checked out of the hotel and headed for downtown San Luis.  Driving around the previous night really helped navigate us on Sunday.  We parked near the Mission to site see the Mission and the downtown life.  We walked by the Mission as the 12 o’clock bells were going off…. VERY LOUD!! I recorded part of the sound with my digital camera on video mode.  We ate lunch at this all-wood bar called “Mother’s Tavern” which was across the street from “Frog and Peach Pub”.  Jason used to attend Cal Poly and he said he really enjoyed the food at Mother’s Tavern and he called the one across the street, “Frog and Bitch”, ha ha!  Jennifer ate a Veggie Burger and I ate a Mission Taco Salad with all the best a salad can hold.  Black beans, tomatoes, jack cheeses, sour cream, guacamole, avocado, tortilla chips, salsa, black olives, good stuff.  With our bellies full, we proceed to do more window-shopping to walk off our lunch.  We end up back at the car and head over to the Madonna Inn for some “Pink Champagne Cake”.  Yes, I am still really full at this point but I have to indulge once, right?  Back at the Madonna Inn, we sit down at a table and order our cake.  There was a sugar container that held pink crystals of raw sugar.  Jennifer poured some into a plate and proceeded to eat them as two Grandma’s at the table next to us looked at her suspiciously- oh well Grandma!  We paid our bill, took our cake to go and realized that we had to get on the road.  Getting back to reality and having to go back to work really didn’t sound appealing at all.  The drive was long, at one point, I didn’t feel as if I would make it home awake but I did.  Such a fun, fun weekend.