Have you ever had a day when everything tasted “drab” until you bit into a fresh piece of fruit? Nothing tasted good today except for the taste of a fresh orange. I guess my body was craving nature’s best- fresh fruits. Grapes tasted great, oranges refreshing, I even had some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. I am definitely looking forward to the Farmer’s Market on Thursday. YUMMY !!!!! 
We hit the road at 3 pm on Saturday for a journey to the city of Carmel. The last time Jason had seen Greg was in 1998. They met after during Jason’s internship in Clearwater, Florida. They have been friends since. They (Greg and his new wife Bridgette and another couple Chris & Pam) were staying at this treally cute inn called Lincoln Green Inn. White picket fences line the 4 cottages and a brick walkway with small hedges, tons of lavish flower beds and a private lawn area enclosed around each cottage. These cottages were a several blocks from the downtown.
We sipped on wine, ate cheeses, rosemary crackers and Blue Diamond smokehouse nuts. This was our small appetizer until we figured out where to go to dinner. We had appetizers, one was called a Humungous Fungus, another was an artichoke, crap dip with crackers and the third was seared ahi tuna. All were great with our mixed cocktails.
Off to dinner we ate at this really great restaurant called the Carmel Bistro Giovanni. One thing that struck us as a shock…… the corkage fee per bottle was $25.00., we talked our way into a discount of $15.00 per bottle but then the corkage fees never made it onto our bill. A glitch, yes! Did we mind. NO!! Dinner was great, I had Salmon Dijon which was grilled Salmon served a top of mashed potatoes with a lemon butter sauce, and grilled asparagus with melted parmesean cheese.
Our 2 expensive bottles of wine consisted of a Sterling 1999 Reserve Cabernet and a 2001 Wildhorse Pinot Noir. Both were esquisite- very clean, not sharp, very smooth. The Cabernet was full bodied and the Pinot Noir was lighter. The Cabernet had deeper flavors, more enriched and the flavors of each wine complimented each other.
Sunday
Jason and I went to the downtown area to site see the shops of Carmel. The weather was chilly and I found a great fleece for $12.99 and some cute short socks that are silver with black that read “glamour”. Their super cute. We strolled looking for a place that served Sunday Brunch since Greg and his friends all wanted Sunday Brunch!!! Jason and I didn’t care, we were just hungry. We ended up at this place down away from the downtown called Mission Ranch which is owned by Clint Eastwood. I was dressed in white sneakers, oversized shorts and my light blue long sleeve shirt which I was completely under dressed and I felt uncomfortable compared to everyone else but I completely enjoyed the brunch. I will have to write Clint and tell him about his fabulous place to eat in Carmel. I ate a rich buttery eggs benedict, so lushious and so good. I ate clam chowder, poached salmon with dill sauce, fresh pieces of fruit, french toast, plain yogurt with granola and cranberries, a huge chocolate dipped long stem strawberry, a slice of key lime pie and a fresh peach tartlet. They had a station that made omelets and so much other food. Complimentary orange juice and mimosas were served.
The drive home was hard since our bellies were full and full tummies can make someone severly tired. Jason drove home and I slept, so the drive was good for me.
I have a hummingbird feeder outside my window at work and these birds are so small yet move so fast. If they sit down long enough, they are soooo cute. The colors on their chest are so vibrant- greens, reds, black, white, yellow and the colors look like silk.Â
I have the option to move into a larger office with a larger desk. That other office has bad karma and I am content with my location. I have an office that looks outside into the landscape with bushes, ground cover and a tree with my hummingbird feeder that gets used throughout the day with happy thirsty birds and every now and then there is a cat that roams around that looks like Peanut. I also do not get any direct sunlight which makes my office nice and cool in the summer time. The only two downfalls for the location of my office is my loud co-worker in the office next to me (there is even a storage office between our offices) and he is just a loud talker and I always have to close my door. Also, there is this huge industrial metal company next to our company and they drop these huge industrial metal bins on the ground that rattle the ground, make a huge ruckus and sometimes it’s so loud, I lose my train of thought while on the phone with the customer (this is with the window closed). This company next door also works with chain link fences and when those are dropped on the ground, it’s not a pleasant sound. So, since the karma is good in my office, I have all sorts of inspiring artwork, pictures, colors, there is no need for me to move office. Plus, if I move offices, I will be in direct sunlight during the summer, there is mold on some of the ceiling tiles which means there is a roof leak and the smell of mold isn’t appealing in the dead of summer. Bad karma exists in the office, the window looks out onto asphalt and the yard workers, cobwebs line the exterior window and there wouldnt’ be a place to hold my hummingbird feeder in the shade.Â
Â
I am a cat lover but I am not a bushy cat lover. If Dusty wants to chase a bushy cat while I am on a walk, I will run with Dusty on her leash while she chases the cat. The cat scurries away and I find it hilarious. Dusty doesn’t get close enough to harm the cat but Dusty enjoys the chase while it lasts.
Being the escape artist she is, “Peanut” escaped out yesterday evening before dinner. We have a whole cackle of crows that make such a ruckus when Peanut is out frolicking in the grass or in neighbors yards so I can tell exactly where she is based off the crows. Yesterday evening there were 10 crows sitting in the tree across the street, making all sorts of noise- LOUDER than usual. I go outside and there is PEANUT on my next door neighbors roof top. They have a two story too. She is just meowing and walking around and driving the crows bonkers. I don’t know why the crows don’t like her. So, I go stand on a table on my neighbors porch and Peanut comes over, sniffs my hand and runs away to the other side of the house. SHIT, I am thinking….. two crows if really pissed off can carry her away because Peanut maybe weighs 9 pounds- not sure. So, Jason comes outside to assist me with a crinkly item. Anything crinkly (in sound), Peanut thinks it’s a cat treat. She wanders over to the gutter and I reach up and grab her scruff, and proceed to drag her off the roof, she is grabbing at the gutter and scraping her back claws on the shingles and spraying all this shingle material in my face. WHAT FUN!!!! I did get her off the roof and eventually all the crows took off somewhere else.Â
I hate taking over in the middle of things. I don’t know the last “say” or what was done. It’s very difficult plus I have to do extra finish to come to a conclusion to move forward. It’s ssssoo frustrating that my brain is fried, scrambled and mushy and it’s merely Wednesday- YIKES.
RAIN that is. Buckets came down yesterday afternoon, I recorded some video off my camera. It also dumped buckets last night too around 10 pm. Whenever the sky has that dark nasty gray, anytime now, you know it will dump and it DID. Our street gutters were overflowing like rivers, the leaves that collected at the underground run-off was like a dam, trying to hold back the rushing water but the leaves gave way and it looked like the dam burst. At least all the water was drained off the street. There were streams of water coming out of the rain gutters on the house, dumping water into the grass and the water run-off from the grass was colliding with the water in the street gutters- downhill effect of gravity. We have an aluminum patio covering in our backyard PLUS we have 3 sky lights. The combination sounded like a monsoon without all the wind. Mother Nature at her finest, the only thing missing was the thunder. If it’s gonna be a strong downpour like that, at least have THUNDER!!!!!
Good thing garage sales are not taxed. I am glad for this. If the state of California did find a way to do tax people who do garage sales, that would take the fun out it. But since there isn’t a paper trail, I will enjoy garage sales for now.
It’s time to sell more shit. Saturday for sure. Jason and I moved out two boxes of Lennox wine glasses, with butterflies and flower. Yes, the glasses sound busy with designs but they sure are pretty.Â
I packed things up for Jennifer’s move to Las Vegas and I will see her in two weeks. Moved stuff around the house and getting things ready for this upcoming Saturday only garage sale.
Yes, it’s Friday. I have been waiting for this day all week. This week has been soooooo loooonnnnnggggg. Not just the 5 days but I have put in close to 60 hours this week- INSANE. I hope all my hard work pays in my benefit SOON.Â
The agenda this weekend is to go with my neighbor to this huge garage sale in San Jose (30 people will be hosting this massive event all on the same street) in the morning. Please keep in mind that this kind of thing is very fun for me. Plus, yesterdays post regarding Farmer’s Markets are fun. I am really social and anything social, I am down for. I actually really have a fun time giving a garage sale. My husband thinks that I am crazy but it’s true.Â
Anything “festival” in or around Livermore, I want to attend. This Saturday, Livermore is having a Motorcycle festival. I don’t mind motorcycles, I am not against them, I think they look really cool, and attending this will open my mind a little more. Yes, they are dangerous and I hate it when they weave through the lanes on the freeway but they are really cool with all the colors, their mechanicals, speed, etc. So, it will be fun to attend.Â
Finally, I have never been to the Scottish Games, I don’t know which Annual one 2006 is but it will be my first annual. Check out google and research Scottish Games in Livermore, CA and see what it’s all about.
I am probably one of the rare few that gets excited for a Farmer’s Market. Livermore’s Famer’s Market opens today and will be around every Thursday until October. I have been waiting for at least 3 weeks now for some yummy fresh produce, besides what I can grow in my own backyward. Also, every 3rd Thursday, Livermore has the Thirsty Thursdays which includes wine tastings and a featured band. Did you know that Livermore has 34 local wineries?Â
It’s a chance for me to be outside, listen to music, shop for fresh produce, shop amongst the local vendors, such fun.