tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85577302403133119192024-02-07T17:02:23.769-09:00A Grand Adventure<center>Travels & Shenanigans of a Coastie Wife</center>Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-39798720131113614012017-09-13T15:52:00.001-08:002017-09-13T15:52:57.652-08:00Another PauseHey there! It's been quite some time since I've written anything here, so I figured I should probably go ahead and make my blog break official. <br />
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When will I be back? Hmm. Not sure about that one. My focus has been elsewhere these days. Elsewhere meaning I'm back in the job market, trying to get settled here, attempting to get all our ducks in a row with the new home we purchased, (and ever present problems that seem to keep popping up with what we've now fondly nicknamed the money pit).<br />
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We actually watched <i>The Money Pit</i> a few weeks ago just for perspective and laughs. What a riot that one is! I guess we should be thankful no one's wrapped in a a rug, stuck in a hole in the floor.<br />
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So, we'll be around...and I'll be back plinking away at the keyboard soon enough. Perhaps in time for some harvest or holiday craftiness. Cheety will miss you. Be back soon.<br />
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Ta ta for now. <br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-91242983044187736322017-07-31T09:18:00.002-08:002022-01-03T10:08:27.019-09:00Snapshot MomentsEver given this idea any thought? I bet like most people, you have your share of remarkable memories from over the years.<br />
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But, I'm not just talking about good memories. I'm talking about those unforgettable moments from over the course of your life that for one reason or another, tattooed the occasion in your mind and forever marked it as exceptional. Those are your "Snapshot moments."<br />
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Now, I'm not talking about heartbreaking moments or tragedy. Of course, we all have those, too. I mean the moments that can make you smile just thinking back on them. And they don't even need to be grand, outrageous memories. Sometimes they're anything but!<br />
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They're indelible simply because they captured an instant of joy. Or humor. Or anticipation. Or maybe just pure wonder.<br />
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I had this conversation with one of my oldest friends recently, and it got me thinking. <br />
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As I let the idea marinate in my mind for a few weeks, a few of my snapshot moments started to climb their way out of my dusty memories. I'll share two with you.<br />
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<u><b>The Big Four-Oh Snapshot</b></u><br />
This one will be forever seared in my mind! Because of the location, because of the breathtaking scenery, the vibrancy, the milestone birthday...I could go on and on. <br />
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It was my 40th birthday & the hubby and I were on vacation in Italy, and it was our first night in Florence. On a whim, we decided to check out the rooftop restaurant in our hotel for dinner that night. We wandered up the dim, steep stairs to the roof anticipating a lovely dinner, with absolutely no concept of the scene about to greet us at the top of the staircase. As we strolled up to the host to request a table, I casually glanced over the balcony. And...Good Lord. <br />
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Imagine a postcard brought to life right in front of your eyes. It was quite literally Florence at its best: Bathed in that perfectly warm sunset light that
highlighted all the shades of amber, auburn and orange from every
rooftop. It was stunning. I'll never forget how awe-inspiring that sunset was...and I've seen my share of sunsets. Che magnifico, to say the least!<b></b><br />
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<u><b>The Grease Snapshot</b></u><br />
This one makes me laugh when I think about it. It was during the short lived time when two of my sisters and I all lived in Florida together. Here's the scene: Two young women pull up to a neighborhood Italian restaurant and park in an available spot. Right as they park, the song "Summer Nights'" from the movie Grease comes on the radio. (This is when you realize I'm talking about me and my sister, by the way.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_i6JnoZyvM-d57-K5TNScjG4IIq4znhUiGzEF5RtwUR8WXT9U1dHCwvHFEq97NUDARdaJQhK_IeD4FlkvgGgfK2VNWbbg953ZhJNh7ulDKktlvL1WeOHoSuTgFx6uxqYuedTT-fIM161F/s1600/Grease.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1024" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_i6JnoZyvM-d57-K5TNScjG4IIq4znhUiGzEF5RtwUR8WXT9U1dHCwvHFEq97NUDARdaJQhK_IeD4FlkvgGgfK2VNWbbg953ZhJNh7ulDKktlvL1WeOHoSuTgFx6uxqYuedTT-fIM161F/s400/Grease.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: A. Currell via Flickr </span></td></tr>
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Without consulting each other, they both immediately start duetting. The radio is blasting on volume 10, practically vibrating the windows through the little Toyota...and two egregiously off-key, but enthusiastic singers are belting it out at the top of their lungs.<br />
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Windows cracked just enough that anyone unlucky enough to be strolling nearby would be...ahem...regaled with our mostly tone def rendition of the classic ditty. <br />
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I'm pretty sure I sang the part of Danny. Once the song finished, there was a second or two where neither one of us acknowledged the ridiculous, spontaneous duet we just collectively massacred.<br />
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Then we looked at each other and busted out laughing. Gotta love sisters.<br />
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Now it's your turn. Dig deep...what are some of your snapshots?<br />
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♪ ♫ "...Summer lovin', had me a blast..." ♫ ♪ <br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-55341183684977603792017-07-11T11:33:00.001-08:002017-07-11T11:33:32.356-08:00Tales from Kansas♫ ♪ "Aaaa-OOOH...werewolves of London..." ♪ ♫<br />
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Do you know that one from Warren Zevon? Well, that would be an appropriate theme song for one of our camping overnights on our road trip from the west coast to the east coast about 8 weeks ago.<br />
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Our "Werewolves of London" camp out was one of my favorites from the trip. Which is a little surprising, considering it was Kansas.<br />
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Nothing against the sunflower state, but come on - what's Kansas known for? The Wizard of Oz. And...tornadoes. Not exactly a top destination for R&R.<br />
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But Wilson Lake? Beautiful! We scored a prime spot right on the lake, and it was by far our best camp location on this road trip.<br />
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You couldn't beat the view, and the breeze off the water was perfect. Actually, it turned out to be super windy overnight, but it was so fresh and kept the bugs down.<br />
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I loved the landscape and our view, but that quickly took a back seat once the sun went down. I only wish it was because someone was playing Warren Zevon too loud.<br />
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Alas, it was more mundane than that. The short answer? Rednecks.<br />
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We're talking an impressive barrage of cursing, fighting, yelling, and literal howling at the moon by our remarkably inebriated camping neighbors.<br />
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Yes...actual howling. It was sumthin' alright. I wasn't bothered as much by all the commotion because I had earplugs to block out the nonsense.<br />
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The hubby wasn't so lucky. He got the full brunt of all the angry hollering and f-bombs. Till about 3 or 4 in the morning. Nice, right?<br />
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But, did I mention the beautiful view? Ha.<br />
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We were ranking our campsites as we traveled, and despite the evening's yokel-tastic entertainment, we decided when all was said and done that Wilson Lake was the winner on this road trip. <br />
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A lovely campsite, a welcome break from the road, and another step closer to our new home on the east coast.<br />
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Rowdy rednecks be damned.<br />
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♪ ♫ "I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand..." ♪ ♫ <br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-31832995206716802982017-06-26T07:23:00.003-08:002017-06-26T07:23:37.281-08:00The Sh!@# Sandwich<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: Steven Groves from Denver, CO, via Wikimedia Commons</span></td></tr>
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You know how "they" (whoever they are) say bad things happen in threes? Well, I must be an over achiever, because it seems the sh!@# has hit the fan across the board lately. <br />
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I'm going to try not to sound like a whiner - I'm striving for straight up documenting the crap reality that's happening at the moment. Which I've come to fondly refer to as the sh!@# sandwich.<br />
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I was joking with a friend the other day about how our sh!@# sandwich has 3 different kinds of cheese, fancy bread, 4 different kinds of meat, etc.<br />
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Not only have we moved from one side of the country to the other, (which alone comes with its share of stress) we've managed to check off way too many other boxes. Now, for my unnecessary visual aid:<br />
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Our new home, the dog's health, my health, the vehicle...it seemed to keep piling on.<br />
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The abbreviated version is that we bought a new home and immediately discovered a persistent, mysterious, musty smelling odor. We thought a new dehumidifier in the basement would do the trick. No such luck.<br />
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The dehumidifier was our first attempt at mitigation, and we quickly racked up a laundry list of further attempts at solving the problem:<br />
<ol>
<li>A commercial grade ozone air purifier similar to what's used to clean the air after severe smoke damage</li>
<li>Strategically deploying pouches of activated charcoal (an odor absorber)</li>
<li>Having the pipes professionally hydro-jetted to blast out any built up mold and funk (a drain snake with a pressure washer attached the the end)</li>
<li>Dumping live powdered enzymes that eat organic waste like mold, grease,
hair, food particles, paper, cotton & sewage down all the drains </li>
</ol>
Everything we've done to get a handle on the odor has helped enormously, but there's still a faint smell in the air.<br />
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We're giving it a little more time for the enzymes to eat their way through any residual funk and hopefully fully take effect, so here's hoping. It's been exhausting. And stinky. No one wants to live in a musty house!<br />
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While dealing with the house smell, we found a lump on Cheety's tail that turned out to be a malignant mast cell tumor. Cue the hysteria here.<br />
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He had surgery to get it removed - along with 4 vertebrae in his tail - the poor thing. He still has his signature curly tail, but it's significantly shorter.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4PJmCJm0KAlF6mODvFYWylgVcyW4B8929hXTB_g2t3RiTdchnRUN54FqVrQWJRj7I3hodE_UyXv9N-r0P5OOB7wV21C6T1r7fnFyEBhc8m1dOVjZfI1FKAyY2XoOHjjpIJ9gmhDMaQ4U/s1600/Cheety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="818" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4PJmCJm0KAlF6mODvFYWylgVcyW4B8929hXTB_g2t3RiTdchnRUN54FqVrQWJRj7I3hodE_UyXv9N-r0P5OOB7wV21C6T1r7fnFyEBhc8m1dOVjZfI1FKAyY2XoOHjjpIJ9gmhDMaQ4U/s640/Cheety.jpg" width="544" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's high as a kite and more than a little freaked out about it in this picture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Then the Jeep crapped out, and the cherry on the cake was breaking out in hives from below my neck to my knees. That was stupendous.<br />
<br />
But as these things go, we're back on the upswing. Pathology came back on the pup and he's all clear. Low grade tumor, completely removed, little chance of future spreading. Can I get a hallelujah?!<br />
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Hives are long gone and I'm no longer trying to itch my skin off. Wouldn't wish that one on anyone.<br />
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Jeep was fixed without a heart attack inducing price tag. Well done my trusty, 14 year old bag of a car!<br />
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The lovely house odor is getting better, but I'm calling that one still pending!<br />
<br />
So all in all, things are starting to look up. Dare I say we might be over the hump? Good Lord, I hope so. We already have enough fancy cheese on our sandwich!<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-88317549063395475492017-06-08T17:21:00.000-08:002017-06-08T17:21:46.077-08:00The Loneliest Road in America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-OnbBFZn4nq1bLDU6TUJ2KRbaRSmwChJRZXEVursMEywXE3RlKDKdqF6Dnb5FSlmhr3ed5bMIKsXvFeOJyzNo5YYkE9Ixu9SNyqZyvWX6waRmIgUWj4JyrrpFWkIFoOqJpHMb7bo9Xcg/s1600/fullsizeoutput_128a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="1600" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-OnbBFZn4nq1bLDU6TUJ2KRbaRSmwChJRZXEVursMEywXE3RlKDKdqF6Dnb5FSlmhr3ed5bMIKsXvFeOJyzNo5YYkE9Ixu9SNyqZyvWX6waRmIgUWj4JyrrpFWkIFoOqJpHMb7bo9Xcg/s320/fullsizeoutput_128a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final mileage count</td></tr>
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We're on the other side of our fifth Coast Guard move...hallelujah! It wasn't nearly as long as some of our other massive, cross country road trip moves over the years, but it was still quite a haul.<br />
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We made a slew of stops along the way to visit family, took out a bird and a snake in the road kill tally, and ogled at this massive, geographically diverse country we call home.<br />
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We started our journey on the aptly named "Loneliest Road in America." Also known as US-50. That nickname was news to me, but after traveling on it, I can't argue.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhRyvWVMFGkL68pUva7APFvdYrVo92I8XHd_8KWUdSCRHuBcyhlxlnnag_nxUw-AkobWG2-VS4koCHSrWrQ-L_ohJ5eCKZ6wd13gBCt1tCbcGrJmG63pKetnoacE3dtKQUVQRm2I2EHkp/s1600/LoneliestRdPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhRyvWVMFGkL68pUva7APFvdYrVo92I8XHd_8KWUdSCRHuBcyhlxlnnag_nxUw-AkobWG2-VS4koCHSrWrQ-L_ohJ5eCKZ6wd13gBCt1tCbcGrJmG63pKetnoacE3dtKQUVQRm2I2EHkp/s640/LoneliestRdPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These road signs were dotted periodically all along the way through Nevada & Utah</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As we trucked along, the word that continually went through my mind was isolated. There isn't a damn thing anywhere around you on the loneliest road except the sage grass and distant mountains. Think High Plains Drifter scenery. Minus Clint Eastwood.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7H3AKghJZH0B3w4WBirz4I3UnESpltQaJMvWFz_AlWLpllSHrmB_K4KAjrM5UhXRqJ_RTdwmp6meodcA2aVWZ_k9yE3fRBfOHcm7U7ThDFu6bmC3d1yfGXi4rnpsvauJbtPR-PAMF-1Sz/s1600/fullsizeoutput_10e6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7H3AKghJZH0B3w4WBirz4I3UnESpltQaJMvWFz_AlWLpllSHrmB_K4KAjrM5UhXRqJ_RTdwmp6meodcA2aVWZ_k9yE3fRBfOHcm7U7ThDFu6bmC3d1yfGXi4rnpsvauJbtPR-PAMF-1Sz/s640/fullsizeoutput_10e6.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a whole lot out here!</td></tr>
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It was a little less lonely with these characters, I have to say.<br />
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The landscape in Nevada and Utah was a departure from most of the
other incredible scenery we've seen during our time traveling and moving
around the country - and just as awe inspiring as the green mountains
of Kodiak and stunning blue mangrove shallows of Key West. <br />
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The take-away? We live in a beautiful world! C<span class="vmod">liché</span>, sure. But, that doesn't make it any less true.<br />
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On this trip, we alternated between camping in the Cricket, spending the night in hotels, and plopping down with family along the way - which was from Sacramento, CA to Arlington, VA for those who may not know. <br />
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Our first stop was in Eureka, NV. That one was...unique. It was a strangely dead town.<br />
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And I don't mean that it didn't have entertainment. I mean it was literally like an old west, abandoned town. <br />
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The main drag was deserted, forgotten storefronts, neglected buildings, and an eerie sense of a place that's been cast aside. The kind of main street where tumbleweeds blowing down the road wouldn't seem out of place.<br />
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We managed to find one spot open for dinner called The Owl Club. First time in a long time I'd seen a place that still allows smoking inside. I forgot how gross that can be. Guess it jives with the whole wild west vibe they had going on.<br />
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So naturally, we got take-out and brought it back to our room. Plus, we had the boy and I don't think The Owl Club would take kindly to Pugbulls at dinner. Despite the fact that they have excellent table manners.<br />
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Along with the deserted old west feel, there were some beautifully restored and historic buildings. Talk about dichotomy. I think this one was a courthouse, or town hall - some kind of government building. It was striking amidst the dilapidation surrounding it.<br />
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On our way out of town the next morning, we found a cute little coffee & breakfast joint right at the edge of town. We had a few surprisingly good egg sandwiches at their picnic table before hitting the road again for day two.<br />
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Not a bad start to our trip. And now I have to share the Nevada-tastic roadside art we saw. Yes...that's an Elk, a Bighorn Sheep, and a bench all sculpted from horse shoes. It was pretty cool!<br />
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After our first overnight in Eureka, it was back to the loneliest road toward Utah. Whoever gave US-50 that nickname was was spot on. I think Clint Eastwood would agree.<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-21035729596769973312017-05-21T16:34:00.000-08:002017-07-27T09:13:33.334-08:00One Last Cali Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had to have our 'one last Cali thing' before our cross country road trip and move back to the east coast, and we pulled it off a few weeks ago. <br />
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It was a life list trip for me and it was excellent to finally get to cross it off!<br />
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What was this life list trip of mine? Trees. Really, really big trees. Also known as the giant Sequoias. And man, were they giant.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJOc3evXXyujP6JVYPy1u7D3tsOmxMXU4cDVQ0c9NO6vp0QWS-pGmXF2JZug_e6YlNMzSCu7R2ioKPql0qfMI3p8Ct21jgmZ6gRbAiEbASBVEPxwfVlE2G_Z-NC7Pf2Y3AQWBh0UUrd10/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1060.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJOc3evXXyujP6JVYPy1u7D3tsOmxMXU4cDVQ0c9NO6vp0QWS-pGmXF2JZug_e6YlNMzSCu7R2ioKPql0qfMI3p8Ct21jgmZ6gRbAiEbASBVEPxwfVlE2G_Z-NC7Pf2Y3AQWBh0UUrd10/s640/fullsizeoutput_1060.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How 'bout this muthah?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Full disclosure, though - we didn't even get to see the truly massive trees because the road was closed to The Trail of 100 Giants, which was where we had hoped to go.<br />
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It was a bummer, but we were still able to hike around and see some legitimately BIG Sequoias.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1DVUnlJOas0UVZySIsQeu3_LMbHCjUnJkevhqOfesi9RATQ-Y8XwUgbE-PxtpfMvkABkLGu7QKYq-AG8tqoSJpyNAxVoJLMVN_yytj0icdRWEnOk2whtWIZRlWrpC-XauyFsXnICX_MF/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1063.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1DVUnlJOas0UVZySIsQeu3_LMbHCjUnJkevhqOfesi9RATQ-Y8XwUgbE-PxtpfMvkABkLGu7QKYq-AG8tqoSJpyNAxVoJLMVN_yytj0icdRWEnOk2whtWIZRlWrpC-XauyFsXnICX_MF/s640/fullsizeoutput_1063.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We wandered around the forest saying. "Ooo, there's a big one" over and over.<br />
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We stayed in an Airbnb mountain cabin I found just outside Springville, CA, and it was nothing short of peaceful, quiet, solitude.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JQB-9nvD_sQag50ZJNi9fX60f1qtpuvJXRqWNRdQJ0EHkwKjoi8j8EMhv4cB0KucL1qX-TadTAbKkg7uAnDcLzPooamYdW_j58XdfqmJwxiJsBXdzizJ7WJ6uvjRZSzcZjIfjicu3ssg/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1072.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JQB-9nvD_sQag50ZJNi9fX60f1qtpuvJXRqWNRdQJ0EHkwKjoi8j8EMhv4cB0KucL1qX-TadTAbKkg7uAnDcLzPooamYdW_j58XdfqmJwxiJsBXdzizJ7WJ6uvjRZSzcZjIfjicu3ssg/s640/fullsizeoutput_1072.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I didn't expect us to be able to have a fire, but the altitude was high enough that it was chilly at night, so we cranked it up.<br />
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This trip was the perfect unwind before chaos. Our timing was less than stellar, considering the movers were scheduled to come and pack us up right after our weekend away.<br />
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Bad timing, but great unwinding!<br />
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The Pugbull enjoyed the mountain views, too. Ha.<br />
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During the days, we drove further up into the mountains on winding, picturesque roads to get to the Sequoias and did lots of hiking through the National Forest. I definitely got winded more quickly at the higher altitudes! (Somewhere around 7k feet up)<br />
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At night, we cooked up some comfort food like grilled steak with sweet potato and veggies and spaghetti & meatballs, listened to music, and enjoyed some of the wine we picked up during our Sonoma trips over the last year.<br />
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One of the things I loved about the location was that we could hear the cascade of the waterfalls just below the cabin while we were out on the deck.<br />
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And when we opened the window at night - it was like nature's sleep machine. And the stars? Good Lord, the stars! The nights were beautifully clear.<br />
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The cabin truly was off-the-grid with no TV, just a selection of DVD's. Somehow we ended up watching <i>Fantastic Mr. Fox</i> on repeat all weekend. (The hubby has a thing for Wes Anderson.)<br />
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Which inevitably resulted in us singing ♪ ♪ "Boggis, Bunce, and Bean..." ♪ ♪ all weekend. Those of you who've watched <i>Fantastic Mr. Fox</i> more than once might know what the hell I'm talking about. The rest of ya? Moving on...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafFkoZU35VAVD1sceU8wooqQLrKUKOs0a_lMj2hjkMVUkrmmnrEhPzYEzGLFeINinAymy2_WpO7bSfNiZj2wT6uUMb4XROBhN3tz-bfrkHCMh0MHZDAKBbSeM_Y33MgmsUdaO81-Bp-U1/s1600/fullsizeoutput_10a0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafFkoZU35VAVD1sceU8wooqQLrKUKOs0a_lMj2hjkMVUkrmmnrEhPzYEzGLFeINinAymy2_WpO7bSfNiZj2wT6uUMb4XROBhN3tz-bfrkHCMh0MHZDAKBbSeM_Y33MgmsUdaO81-Bp-U1/s640/fullsizeoutput_10a0.jpeg" width="596" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The deck had a lovely view overlooking the mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So I have to say, it was a pretty excellent 'one last trip' in California for us. And now? East coast bound, baby!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitONB95OckcixOpZgNPco52Hy5wid5KrfwmSbOV4R44HMMz1oWpuvgGvegD2H1oSy4esP7Im2RTAmGu2_ef-fbXuidUa4OiU2Hc8TY0rD16ZRQZ3iYrvdsgA95BZoB-cMs-2Wloeri96t5/s1600/fullsizeoutput_107f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitONB95OckcixOpZgNPco52Hy5wid5KrfwmSbOV4R44HMMz1oWpuvgGvegD2H1oSy4esP7Im2RTAmGu2_ef-fbXuidUa4OiU2Hc8TY0rD16ZRQZ3iYrvdsgA95BZoB-cMs-2Wloeri96t5/s640/fullsizeoutput_107f.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-15455744120417099382017-05-09T20:11:00.000-08:002017-05-09T20:11:52.236-08:00Fourth Blog-a-versary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ngqp9ChreOWYF_bjy2nWkFM3nvfzy7KkUY4J-8RJrNTr45JozaSjZXFQwO2Kcd89R1MEs103qrotIG3ryqcPba75vIvjtVMUXVRq-6f0HTUUe3wJu9aHOaNAptCnHHC7jp4KNBFt1Z9L/s1600/Fourth+Blog-a-versary.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ngqp9ChreOWYF_bjy2nWkFM3nvfzy7KkUY4J-8RJrNTr45JozaSjZXFQwO2Kcd89R1MEs103qrotIG3ryqcPba75vIvjtVMUXVRq-6f0HTUUe3wJu9aHOaNAptCnHHC7jp4KNBFt1Z9L/s640/Fourth+Blog-a-versary.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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It completely slipped my mind that my fourth blog-a-versary was imminent. Slipped my mind so much so that it came & went!<br />
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I started blogging on May 4, 2013, right before we were on the verge of moving from Key West, FL to Kodiak, AK.<br />
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And now we're on the verge again. This time, it's Sacramento, CA to Arlington, VA. So that's my excuse for forgetting about my blog-a-versary.<br />
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Considering we just bid farewell to this round of movers and all of our worldly possessions, and were holed up in a hotel for a week before starting another cross-country road trip and move...I'm gonna go ahead and give myself a pass on this one!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KHhbZ899P_6LgbiGTtwdu4cUkxITBLb5xNJX80fh_JvD93gGkcnm1cMDiDLjOSEWbQV5QSZbVnQsnvVRIH_k4QJiRkAbIfTa9n030EJO1Ga2TwklsVq8chE7Af6eNb4SBGUCtqr26IbC/s1600/MovingTruck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KHhbZ899P_6LgbiGTtwdu4cUkxITBLb5xNJX80fh_JvD93gGkcnm1cMDiDLjOSEWbQV5QSZbVnQsnvVRIH_k4QJiRkAbIfTa9n030EJO1Ga2TwklsVq8chE7Af6eNb4SBGUCtqr26IbC/s640/MovingTruck.jpg" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always nice to have all our crap in the driveway for all the world to see</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5p0EVpLo0cLnKoe53Gl2SS44rARF0bbleHrP2mUP5TRI_5jkgDat0ywyHqJM_ux6HxbUS3kXnk7CkZRBycxEI1u7G8ueiFtZkw1lkFB_1GJNd9lkwN5MIZjgkbv84ib2oQcYsV_Z01yct/s1600/fullsizeoutput_10a1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5p0EVpLo0cLnKoe53Gl2SS44rARF0bbleHrP2mUP5TRI_5jkgDat0ywyHqJM_ux6HxbUS3kXnk7CkZRBycxEI1u7G8ueiFtZkw1lkFB_1GJNd9lkwN5MIZjgkbv84ib2oQcYsV_Z01yct/s640/fullsizeoutput_10a1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Someone's not a fan of the chaos</td></tr>
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I'm not surprised I feel the same way that I do every year when this time rolls around...which is it's hard to believe I'm still blogging. I didn't really think about longevity when I started or where I thought I'd go with my little project.<br />
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I certainly didn't think years would pass and I'd still be at it. Yet another example of my penchant for routines, I guess.<br />
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Cause here I am, 4 years later - still cranking out my two cents to whoever wants to tune in.<br />
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I won't pretend I hadn't hoped regularly blogging might lead somewhere, writing-wise. But I'm okay with it just being my little hobby and writing routine kick in the butt. Because I still believe, "hey, who knows where it might lead?"<br />
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So here we are, about to head into another overhaul of the familiar. What can I say? Here we go again.<br />
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Happy 4th blog-a-versary to me. <br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-10204095709919847462017-05-01T18:44:00.001-08:002017-05-01T18:44:55.726-08:00Bike DogYou really can't beat philanthropy and beer. Ammaright??<br />
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We've made a valiant attempt at checking out the giant variety of craft breweries in the Sacramento area since we've been here, and not too long ago we took a ride over to Bike Dog Brewery in West Sacramento.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihT1VXs51clZMzAHiK9W64O7eq7gCP5n-eJFDBP2V7z2-4i9tWYwPTbT9qfCNI_SX-lU_HnVkMLNc4FBVmTiysJIx6EWst8PvFwORz22IXhDGZmIzmx9ZjwJ2UNW2Rr6HYqb9FVpakVk6t/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1036.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihT1VXs51clZMzAHiK9W64O7eq7gCP5n-eJFDBP2V7z2-4i9tWYwPTbT9qfCNI_SX-lU_HnVkMLNc4FBVmTiysJIx6EWst8PvFwORz22IXhDGZmIzmx9ZjwJ2UNW2Rr6HYqb9FVpakVk6t/s640/fullsizeoutput_1036.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The day we went, Bike Dog was having a fund raiser for one of the local dog shelters. A dollar for every beer sold went to PBSOC - which is the Pitbull Socialization and Obedience crew.<br />
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It's a section of the Bradshaw Shelter that focuses on making the Pitbull breeds available for adoption as appealing as possible for potential adopters.<br />
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Because the reality is that many of the "Pitbull" type dogs are overlooked in the adoption process. They have an inaccurate reputation for aggression and often sit on the adoption floor for longer than other breeds. Kind of like black cats.<br />
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As an owner of a Pittie mixed breed, I can say with authority that they are one of the sweetest, snuggliest pups out there. So checking out a brewery we haven't seen yet while also supporting PBSOC was a win-win.<br />
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Of course, we brought the boy with us. Because we could. Bike Dog was pretty standard as far as breweries go. An industrial vibe, friendly atmosphere, and an unexpectedly excellent band called The Sasha and Jimmy Show.<br />
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We sampled the local brews, and to be honest I can't even remember what I had...but if I had to wager a guess, I'm sure I ordered a wheat, a pilsner, or perhaps a Kolsch. But I know for sure we enjoyed the afternoon, the music, the sunshine, and the beers! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage-cool Sasha and Jimmy Show</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkByz7Tgkl0QKILj26ghnzHlwP3xpQsmqEUPYyT8QO95KCaLxMIOQorlwSDZ46ZJSRRIEFoL4j77VEUERJsTP9si4afUyQ27MLCq9siCR8OLWL8VFCOR3c9Y38PiCJmJUCrb064n__-8Xp/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1033.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkByz7Tgkl0QKILj26ghnzHlwP3xpQsmqEUPYyT8QO95KCaLxMIOQorlwSDZ46ZJSRRIEFoL4j77VEUERJsTP9si4afUyQ27MLCq9siCR8OLWL8VFCOR3c9Y38PiCJmJUCrb064n__-8Xp/s640/fullsizeoutput_1033.jpeg" width="552" /></a></div>
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The boy did his job helping to dispel the myth that Pitbull breeds are somehow meaner than other breeds...as only he can.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmOGPv4VctfTtyPab07sWbdifV2f98BTNHtBSkxFAx2RvtEMR_iYtn3_wgXOYYeHJcdnJMJXgPmz4NNQYZ5NFCKQaSBgkJzPCv9Um94X05IV_KthwEryspKZcd8mhFdtTnQv5BdWdhVWU/s1600/fullsizeoutput_103d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmOGPv4VctfTtyPab07sWbdifV2f98BTNHtBSkxFAx2RvtEMR_iYtn3_wgXOYYeHJcdnJMJXgPmz4NNQYZ5NFCKQaSBgkJzPCv9Um94X05IV_KthwEryspKZcd8mhFdtTnQv5BdWdhVWU/s640/fullsizeoutput_103d.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently it was Converse Day at the brewery. ;)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpYL6YVsTsVavkGdgx7JNrZIdFyAxo8MJnM1QBPvseeRkUFmy7xcZvzCnXytS4SJABHaSm_rGkANb-L3MkbKyuA2Vb4Xz-klMWlJY_uJtXvT1omSh4pvnRzUvLH-zZTV9g7WXJqDVVnpB/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1032.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpYL6YVsTsVavkGdgx7JNrZIdFyAxo8MJnM1QBPvseeRkUFmy7xcZvzCnXytS4SJABHaSm_rGkANb-L3MkbKyuA2Vb4Xz-klMWlJY_uJtXvT1omSh4pvnRzUvLH-zZTV9g7WXJqDVVnpB/s320/fullsizeoutput_1032.jpeg" width="320" /></a>I had to snap a photo of the bumper sticker I spotted on one of the musician's guitar cases because it made me chuckle. <br />
<br />
Mostly because "Janky."<br />
<br />
I need more scenarios where I can relevantly use that word.<br />
<br />
Bike Dog was a fun day out and one of the last Sacramento breweries we managed to check off our list. I bet we'll make a dent in the DC craft brewery scene when we relocate! <br />
<br />
Hopefully they're not too janky. Too soon? Yeah. Too soon.<br />
<br />
Ta-ta for now. <br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-46275267690366323162017-04-14T13:17:00.001-08:002017-04-14T13:17:54.690-08:00The Top of the Slide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg1A1_J05ygku5-j1eZEd2cs6yANxQdFVwpLDuqEvbJ6cdQYMZfLpMBeCb6XttAvp6g4D4qIApLEAh2eA4O23jig-uiX9f3Z_Kc64Y2Usw_-CL9N4BjKqE4QFhUNNIBnrLrHbJovaNQaX/s1600/The+Top+of+the+Slide%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg1A1_J05ygku5-j1eZEd2cs6yANxQdFVwpLDuqEvbJ6cdQYMZfLpMBeCb6XttAvp6g4D4qIApLEAh2eA4O23jig-uiX9f3Z_Kc64Y2Usw_-CL9N4BjKqE4QFhUNNIBnrLrHbJovaNQaX/s640/The+Top+of+the+Slide%25281%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Man, I'm starting to sound like a broken record. Why? Because here I am spouting the same shpiel about being on the verge of moving. Again. Tough to believe we're staring down that barrel. Again.<br />
<br />
This time is slightly different, though. We haven't even lived here in Sacramento for a full year, and we're already prepping to leave. Sacramento has been many things, but mostly...fleeting. <br />
<br />
A normal Coast Guard tour is usually 4 years, but since the hubby advanced to a new rank, this tour was cut significantly short. So here we are again...at the top of the slide.<br />
<br />
Just a little more time and we'll be pushing off, gliding down to another cross-country road trip, another life overhaul. I'm hoping that easygoing playground vibe follows us on our trip down the slide! <br />
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The prospect of doing it all again - only 10 months or so after our last move - is slightly daunting. But I will say that my love of list making has helped me get a handle on it.<br />
<br />
Between my pre-move checklist, my post-move check list, my master PCS packing list, and my road trip itinerary spread sheet...I've got this shit down. Let's hear it for fastidiousness.<br />
<br />
So now it's just a matter of pushing off the slide. Wish us luck!<br />
<br />
Ta-ta for now.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixptjAGjdau8SjM_hk08EchNHqMnXPhG1WLjuUUNvX0vYlRJfMPAr4TEK1LZsEmsv0Fz5uscn6XoX-klTy56ocyEsyRonYdMwGwtfIyEqKhyphenhyphenalid57w2hXqnAhppCfq6Eat71jn-zohrBF/s1600/fullsizeoutput_f70.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixptjAGjdau8SjM_hk08EchNHqMnXPhG1WLjuUUNvX0vYlRJfMPAr4TEK1LZsEmsv0Fz5uscn6XoX-klTy56ocyEsyRonYdMwGwtfIyEqKhyphenhyphenalid57w2hXqnAhppCfq6Eat71jn-zohrBF/s640/fullsizeoutput_f70.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm sure this exceptionally cute travel companion will boost our morale!</td></tr>
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-4327842627168818442017-04-04T10:34:00.001-08:002017-04-04T10:40:19.336-08:00More Trippin'That would be ROAD trippin', for all you delinquents that may have thought otherwise. Ha. We're tip toeing toward the end of our tour in California, so it's about the time to start doing those last few things we want to cross off the Cali list before we leave.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UnPr9z0hdsN2JMK1TBGcw9Ue2AzBm8FIGt_tlfXJjdmK9U0Foi6jT-JEsFhNPvbxcRiYcwMN8KmNZl830cQK1BQXs3DuEinwiWaiff6jSdxXvgLDBhZVrkv4D-qV106zlUWb36xvQkHB/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1009.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_UnPr9z0hdsN2JMK1TBGcw9Ue2AzBm8FIGt_tlfXJjdmK9U0Foi6jT-JEsFhNPvbxcRiYcwMN8KmNZl830cQK1BQXs3DuEinwiWaiff6jSdxXvgLDBhZVrkv4D-qV106zlUWb36xvQkHB/s640/fullsizeoutput_1009.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhhh...the beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And that included a roadie out to Bodega Bay. Why Bodega Bay? Well to be honest, the answer is chowder.<br />
<br />
Chowder, and my low beach light was blinking. The American River here in Sacramento is great and all, but I've been jonesing for the beach.<br />
<br />
So, off we went. Bodega Bay is about a 2 hour drive west of us, so a nice leisurely drive through wine country. <br />
<br />
I tracked down a dog friendly hiking trail down to a secluded beach, a pup friendly cafe, and we tooled around the zig-zagging Bay Highway and Westshore Rd. along the bay. Which predictably equaled a good time had by all!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgripCCxo1BcNZJ2govQ6Pd-0ARzTtH6pGQZkJC0EWz6RYE-o_OcrRrIhuo-eOjvU73Fc_oyGDi94uxq38yfgisA22bxgPyAykAeRuF2hAXu6mXkF7wqg0fwKNiR0EmsgOA07DL1RmEizD-/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1004.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgripCCxo1BcNZJ2govQ6Pd-0ARzTtH6pGQZkJC0EWz6RYE-o_OcrRrIhuo-eOjvU73Fc_oyGDi94uxq38yfgisA22bxgPyAykAeRuF2hAXu6mXkF7wqg0fwKNiR0EmsgOA07DL1RmEizD-/s640/fullsizeoutput_1004.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cheet got to run around off leash at the beach with some new pup friends, which of course is his own personal doggie nirvana.<br />
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What I need to remember - which for some reason I'm severely challenged with - is remembering to throw a towel in the Jeep before we go out adventuring. We inevitably end up with a sandy, salty, but decidedly satisfied dog when we're done. And a dirtier car. Gotta remember the damn towel.<br />
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Which brings me to the chowder. After our mile long, tomato-face inducing hike down to the beach and back, we headed over to a cafe overlooking the bay for some lunch and beers. And the aforementioned chowder, of course. What a beautiful day. And rest assured, top notch chowder & fish tacos were had. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpALjWqbIp5-UGQ8vpEm9Ayq-qlt-S5rpQ7c_euE36TrJaCl2WgKFQ-cDhZwu-SBry0pdud8g81F4wsYWsqIXmB2uCnElJpoaZ0ko-lhS06nT3tz1tpljiVTPJKHnSGUh4L44n77W6XEf/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1014.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpALjWqbIp5-UGQ8vpEm9Ayq-qlt-S5rpQ7c_euE36TrJaCl2WgKFQ-cDhZwu-SBry0pdud8g81F4wsYWsqIXmB2uCnElJpoaZ0ko-lhS06nT3tz1tpljiVTPJKHnSGUh4L44n77W6XEf/s640/fullsizeoutput_1014.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The hubby had mentioned that Bodega Bay is known for good chowder and oysters, and that was all it took to plant the road trip seed. Fun day trip for sure.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, my low beach light isn't flashing quite so brightly after our roadie to Bodega Bay.<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWKjDDPJjxgWbkPLgbZYrm3hq3y9aI5Zb5wITR18KCIrzXIYz1StIy5wmQ3tqmaNDVr74XC9DGsw3pIC9DxKwIToQOQEpA4NBgpzcDRW3O4BRaK4yzt-iZNljiVOH13c_PFlsuqmhvoZr/s1600/fullsizeoutput_100c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWKjDDPJjxgWbkPLgbZYrm3hq3y9aI5Zb5wITR18KCIrzXIYz1StIy5wmQ3tqmaNDVr74XC9DGsw3pIC9DxKwIToQOQEpA4NBgpzcDRW3O4BRaK4yzt-iZNljiVOH13c_PFlsuqmhvoZr/s640/fullsizeoutput_100c.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-4764238527541014012017-03-02T15:50:00.001-09:002017-03-02T15:50:41.320-09:00After These Messages...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWa7zukFMZZ702ZOn4-1N7bQAoVTXYciXtyNryGcZYXXQNgmlpbJKzz87z-4oKoOx38rNk7bYOvtpEY_9j0G1ztyg62L9tgfzUH9RcfESAGY05AyhFfBzQEtrJpQJRDDgKSvd_Aw0bRUg/s1600/fullsizeoutput_ffd.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWa7zukFMZZ702ZOn4-1N7bQAoVTXYciXtyNryGcZYXXQNgmlpbJKzz87z-4oKoOx38rNk7bYOvtpEY_9j0G1ztyg62L9tgfzUH9RcfESAGY05AyhFfBzQEtrJpQJRDDgKSvd_Aw0bRUg/s400/fullsizeoutput_ffd.jpeg" width="242" /></a>Those of you who read my blog regularly may have noticed I've dropped off on posting anything new lately.<br />
<br />
Yeah. I know. I guess I'll chalk it up to being less than inspired.<br />
<br />
Since I don't want to write a new post that's lacking in substance or that certain "something" I strive for in the tone for my little corner of the internet, I've decided to take a short break from blogging for a bit.<br />
<br />
Not too long...just a blip. I'll be back soon! <br />
<br />
The hubby, Cheety and I will be gearing up for our next move, (which will be here before we know it) and I'll be back sharing our nonsense soon enough. <br />
<br />
For those who find their way here on occasion, I'll see ya soon!<br />
<br />
Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-54010633801340783042017-02-07T15:18:00.002-09:002017-02-07T15:18:18.850-09:00Five Favorites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo64mk6gwX5o_hNGoPTJHLuhHNVgOanVH9uWtqH-t_J1PBic0O54fI4KzXcVvX-3DnYeD_20Ft-YNZe8LfIiZKq6n_Tr3vL10ZcOuyXY-6Tc3HU4X19oXrpaIyIVSJtFG8doUtr7yIv4J/s1600/Five+Favorites.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo64mk6gwX5o_hNGoPTJHLuhHNVgOanVH9uWtqH-t_J1PBic0O54fI4KzXcVvX-3DnYeD_20Ft-YNZe8LfIiZKq6n_Tr3vL10ZcOuyXY-6Tc3HU4X19oXrpaIyIVSJtFG8doUtr7yIv4J/s640/Five+Favorites.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo Credit: </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Keith McDuffee, Northborough, MA, USA (Oven roasted
french fries) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons </span></td></tr>
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<br />
Come on...you know you love my occasionally recurring five favorites posts! Five favorite what? Anything!<br />
<br />
Anything slight or substantial in life that causes joy, soothes my spirit, makes me smile, fills my belly...you get the idea. Here's hoping you try something new or find a favorite for yourself!<br />
<br />
<b>1. Cold Bananas</b><br />
This is for real. I
don't know about you, but I've always stored my bananas in a fruit bowl
on the counter. Until the one time I didn't. It was actually on our
monster road trip when we moved from Key West to Alaska. I had a banana in the cooler,
which got all nice and chilled while it sat in the ice. Once I pulled
it out to snack on, it was so refreshingly cold and so much better than a
room temperature banana that I had a banana epiphany. That's right. A banana. Epiphany. Cold is the way to go. <br />
<br />
<b>2. Harney & Sons Tea</b><br />
I have to thank one of my oldest friends for this one. From their fancy sachet tea bags to their excellent flavors, I can't get enough of their tea. A hot cup of Harney & Sons peppermint tea after a cold, rainy dog walk? Perfection.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Steak-cut French Fries</b><br />
It's hands down the best cut for french fries. No contest. Beats out waffle cut by a mile, that's for sure. And shoe string? Don't even bother with that nonsense. With steak cut, you know you're eating a potato. And isn't that what the fry is all about??<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>4. Guinness</b><br />
That is all.<br />
<br />
<b>5.</b> <b>Stitch Fix</b><br />
I might need an intervention here. This personal stylist service is a blast. Fill out a short style assessment online and you're on your way. If you don't like some or any of the pieces they pick, send them back - free shipping. It's a super fun way to branch out and get out of your style comfort zone. It's worth trying at least once...but like me, I bet you'll keep going back for more.<br />
<br />
First five favorites of 2017...done! <br />
<br />
Ta-ta for now.<br />
<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-73890804282560348542017-01-24T17:12:00.001-09:002017-01-24T17:12:01.566-09:00MontereyI'd read that the Monterey/Pacific Grove/Carmel/Big Sur areas were among some of the most beautiful parts of California. Well, thanks to a travel-centric few weeks, I can say with confidence that everything I read was spot-on.<br />
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I mean...really. Just look at this coastline!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFdHlLTJkQOUm_pOEibV5mdvSXANnGdN2NsBkFUFNVQcPCE4oXMN0ZNEEhZ14P8Vw19uw3waS6rVMvcM3YRPSwp5jNQcvd9eaqZb4Wd3WupmPmEZmPCQ7dgn_Q-1rpEfund8ug4szoiFV/s1600/fullsizeoutput_fc8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFdHlLTJkQOUm_pOEibV5mdvSXANnGdN2NsBkFUFNVQcPCE4oXMN0ZNEEhZ14P8Vw19uw3waS6rVMvcM3YRPSwp5jNQcvd9eaqZb4Wd3WupmPmEZmPCQ7dgn_Q-1rpEfund8ug4szoiFV/s640/fullsizeoutput_fc8.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pacific Grove</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd4-Z7E_77uAPK-vukealARydJQQtdgmfcwmMpk6FT79VDryyHkmvj-r_f-aJ7wMLwKx5gjvGmmnqfrrsmKa4o0D8JbvmoKEBXZmeJyqOeSFgqLBknMQ4keqlGJsxq8PQYE5HYEKYotsm/s1600/fullsizeoutput_fdd.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd4-Z7E_77uAPK-vukealARydJQQtdgmfcwmMpk6FT79VDryyHkmvj-r_f-aJ7wMLwKx5gjvGmmnqfrrsmKa4o0D8JbvmoKEBXZmeJyqOeSFgqLBknMQ4keqlGJsxq8PQYE5HYEKYotsm/s640/fullsizeoutput_fdd.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pacific Grove</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I was in love with the crooked, unique looking Monterey Pine trees. Just beautiful and windswept all along the coastline.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3YycUNs1DF7WFzzEkH6sqkBwHo6T2yOAL-DizFixCiHlw0h6T5mOfEQsMYB_NWEpQn_ShmXrC_Qs3evVep43XWZu_vKttubO0m8QsNKOEaEnTMxV5xB1rE5zDZNv_NUIRMH_vpUi4leH/s1600/MontereyPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3YycUNs1DF7WFzzEkH6sqkBwHo6T2yOAL-DizFixCiHlw0h6T5mOfEQsMYB_NWEpQn_ShmXrC_Qs3evVep43XWZu_vKttubO0m8QsNKOEaEnTMxV5xB1rE5zDZNv_NUIRMH_vpUi4leH/s640/MontereyPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The hubby was on leave over the holidays, so we took lots of day trips and a few quick overnights while he was off. December was a very full month!<br />
<br />
On one of our trips, we loaded up the Cricket for our first California camping expedition, and headed on down the road to Monterey for New Year's weekend.<br />
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We set up camp at a military campground called - appropriately - Monterey Pines.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpg-B3X8AJiCJ88rTMVeT25RLw-tqINiYm-OXkpXrd8DjrEh4vlbXbeYYSb-4aaeZhSLl27MdEKI8sqz_EFzQmDZsGoCctE0kMtZJ_LqNeeGXeEoQbJfR7_wIsGDgoavG-4s8SZnyccDVW/s1600/CampingPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpg-B3X8AJiCJ88rTMVeT25RLw-tqINiYm-OXkpXrd8DjrEh4vlbXbeYYSb-4aaeZhSLl27MdEKI8sqz_EFzQmDZsGoCctE0kMtZJ_LqNeeGXeEoQbJfR7_wIsGDgoavG-4s8SZnyccDVW/s640/CampingPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, the Puggy Boy got his own doggie sleeping bag mat for the occasion. Only the best for the spoiled pup, right?<br />
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We spent most of our time exploring the towns in the area, and my favorite was Pacific Grove. It was such a beautiful coastal town with lots of dog-friendly beaches. I couldn't get enough of that salty, sea air.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmel Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Can't you just smell the beach? It was the perfect blend of breezy, salty, and misty.<br />
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We had some excellent meals both out at a few restaurants and a few at our campsite. Overall, it was a great trip!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgzYbn-t-QatC09su-6wWAFDkN-0Hfp01XS7TBYxWUWYhHtp3rbEuoG1Ky82L_9AcbeAbt_nTmeFlrX32diF-js8FqfWQNDCDN2UDj-Z8UvOj1a1-QqOAqV01aNjJzpaC_oJyIxK4jpev/s1600/fullsizeoutput_fa7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgzYbn-t-QatC09su-6wWAFDkN-0Hfp01XS7TBYxWUWYhHtp3rbEuoG1Ky82L_9AcbeAbt_nTmeFlrX32diF-js8FqfWQNDCDN2UDj-Z8UvOj1a1-QqOAqV01aNjJzpaC_oJyIxK4jpev/s640/fullsizeoutput_fa7.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pup friendly dining in Carmel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgNSLu2TvDvQqDgpxLvRM4jGZFX5n33oY74pSMN-tKbBQXNvpwASmf4R-5kw1xVbxMw_YI3TjY6-twPT_jrx1BSWb2ggPkds6w30Mh7f90vCv2ZaWGMtpP5q9OzudR7Pdbd1jnq-pEZXs/s1600/cricketdinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgNSLu2TvDvQqDgpxLvRM4jGZFX5n33oY74pSMN-tKbBQXNvpwASmf4R-5kw1xVbxMw_YI3TjY6-twPT_jrx1BSWb2ggPkds6w30Mh7f90vCv2ZaWGMtpP5q9OzudR7Pdbd1jnq-pEZXs/s640/cricketdinner.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Year's Eve Dinner in the Cricket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I think we've packed quite a bit of travel in our short lived Sacramento tour. I have a few more trips up my sleeve, but they'll have to be quick because when we blink, it'll be time to move again. <br />
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Such is the nomad Coastie life. But hey, nomad ain't so bad when we're calling California home. For the moment, anyway.<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd__PQXZgKWVIgxZCwqy-K0yNlOq9zmdYnm0DzdhbPGVOQkmCrdQwtVSvbMlmtjJ9k4-i_jyQFpyuVrtkMjSu2qp7FdHfw0SSiBcVUmOkEcEokuq7Qlzvr_7uuWyWabyz5beiaMUnMhylt/s1600/fullsizeoutput_fd1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd__PQXZgKWVIgxZCwqy-K0yNlOq9zmdYnm0DzdhbPGVOQkmCrdQwtVSvbMlmtjJ9k4-i_jyQFpyuVrtkMjSu2qp7FdHfw0SSiBcVUmOkEcEokuq7Qlzvr_7uuWyWabyz5beiaMUnMhylt/s640/fullsizeoutput_fd1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-78054280295886737442017-01-14T11:41:00.003-09:002017-01-14T12:44:03.972-09:00Year of the...?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKNrxyR-0MYxOLB50pY4ppjHVaXHCsdImPJ1B4yDexL12wWLDcZD27sb4YOIgVsJOfr0RIEikHuNLG2dDEZH5BJ9LMn4RAWvSoWAh_THoAyBEI6Evm5oPQAe8iK-BRSvoLJRYQo7rIUrx/s1600/YEAR+OF+THE..._.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKNrxyR-0MYxOLB50pY4ppjHVaXHCsdImPJ1B4yDexL12wWLDcZD27sb4YOIgVsJOfr0RIEikHuNLG2dDEZH5BJ9LMn4RAWvSoWAh_THoAyBEI6Evm5oPQAe8iK-BRSvoLJRYQo7rIUrx/s640/YEAR+OF+THE..._.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Birds. Yay, nay, or indifferent? I'm a resounding yay in that category. Love 'em! I've fancied myself an extremely novice birder for a while, but I can hold my own with lots of common bird id's. <br />
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I watch, think about, and attempt to identify birds more than I'd like to admit! Especially when we hike and travel.<br />
<br />
To the point where when I I see a bird and don't know what it is, I try to commit the main features to memory so I can look it up to hopefully id later. You know, to add it to my slowly growing bird arsenal.<br />
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My latest newly identified bird was an Oak Titmouse in my neighborhood. What a little cutie pie!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iJuxJhpWdRZ1PQei9d7SCFZGH5eIL2w-rf6o5FGh5M_Uc_QSEVTNoSCBFYhUAVfaG-j-H2uA-Hx8MHzWvnbogtWBp6jXqIlAWwHN9lJbpFvYFUQEvoKQQNXNz61TePL-pTqKdT1SDO9e/s1600/Oak_Titmouse_in_the_Shade.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iJuxJhpWdRZ1PQei9d7SCFZGH5eIL2w-rf6o5FGh5M_Uc_QSEVTNoSCBFYhUAVfaG-j-H2uA-Hx8MHzWvnbogtWBp6jXqIlAWwHN9lJbpFvYFUQEvoKQQNXNz61TePL-pTqKdT1SDO9e/s640/Oak_Titmouse_in_the_Shade.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Oak Titmouse </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: By Ingrid Taylar from San Francisco Bay Area - California, USA (Oak Titmouse in the Shade), via Wikimedia Commons</span></div>
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<br />
Got that one now. I won't wonder about what kind it is anymore! <br />
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I can remember one time when we lived in Florida, I was driving past a small pond and saw a substantial flock of Wood Storks wading and chilling around the pond. I got so excited about seeing almost a dozen Wood Storks all in one place that I almost drove off the road.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ycRNEsqYHD9-chNS7hB8fTS7sHnNofYJfqFJrIZInBLZzJaWSiYM4cFjzoxmPQjpiUkwQiqpM0abYpGdVfsQK4HX6LubD4lZYdH8KTuUd1tpYUiSehqjWhj5JMeuPJEjgDtZ2KYnRkro/s1600/Wood_stork_%2528Mycteria_americana%2529_and_Yacare_caiman.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ycRNEsqYHD9-chNS7hB8fTS7sHnNofYJfqFJrIZInBLZzJaWSiYM4cFjzoxmPQjpiUkwQiqpM0abYpGdVfsQK4HX6LubD4lZYdH8KTuUd1tpYUiSehqjWhj5JMeuPJEjgDtZ2KYnRkro/s640/Wood_stork_%2528Mycteria_americana%2529_and_Yacare_caiman.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The mighty Wood Stork </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: by Charlesjsharp (Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography), via Wikimedia Commons</span></div>
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What? It's a somewhat rare sighting! And if you're lucky you'll only see 1 or 2, but not over a dozen all together! It was super cool. Not to worry, I didn't actually drive off the road. It was close, though.<br />
<br />
Yep, I'm a bird nerd through and through. But, despite all my birding nonsense, I guess I wasn't <i>really</i> part of the club.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
Well, because I was completely in the dark about a fun little little New Year's Day birder tradition that exists. Now that I know about it, I guess I'm really legit. Ha.<br />
<br />
I can thank <i>Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds</i> by Lyanda Lynn Haupt for enlightening me. The gist is this.<br />
<br />
The very first bird you're able to identify on New Year's Day is your bird of the year. So whatever you identify becomes your "year of the <i>fill in the blank</i>."<br />
<br />
On New Year's Day this year, we were camping in Monterey, CA, so I knew I might have a unique opportunity to see a bird I possibly wouldn't normally see. <br />
<br />
Or so I thought.<br />
<br />
Turned out my bird of the year is one that I see every day in my backyard. But, it's also a species I identified only after moving to California. So, a common bird for this area, but still a new to me species.<br />
<br />
Ready? Drum roll, please.<br />
<br />
2017 is my year of the Western Scrub Jay. The name was just recently changed from Western Scrub Jay to California Scrub Jay. Which begs the question, "Why does California feel the need to appropriate the name?" But again, I digress.<br />
<br />
They're actually super vibrant, beautiful birds. Also on the irritating side because they're extremely screechy and loud. There's no mistaking their squawk when you hear it. Straight up obnoxious!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuf1uLcymYe3ZCVGKOYQv9za6E03PEbFkIlfBWd_YkDjgzHNE_tFbBjRK9CcHe4GDdD59j4Xyncgsk3g3Xh8JoEm3lb0cYCHZwvj1Y1K1peZ7dmNpL4tW23V0Ozba_yw48hFye9gE-AZrJ/s1600/Western_Scrub-Jay_5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuf1uLcymYe3ZCVGKOYQv9za6E03PEbFkIlfBWd_YkDjgzHNE_tFbBjRK9CcHe4GDdD59j4Xyncgsk3g3Xh8JoEm3lb0cYCHZwvj1Y1K1peZ7dmNpL4tW23V0Ozba_yw48hFye9gE-AZrJ/s640/Western_Scrub-Jay_5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Western/California Scrub Jay</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: by Jessica Merz (Flickr: Western Scrub-Jay), via Wikimedia Commons</span></div>
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I'm glad my bird of the year turned out to be the Scrub Jay. No, not because I can fully unleash obnoxiousness in 2017.<br />
<br />
Because it's a perfect geographic reflection of exactly where in the world we are in 2017 on our loony Coast Guard path. Year of the Scrub Jay! Bring it.<br />
<br />
Ta-ta for now.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-10906843899195280072017-01-03T10:42:00.001-09:002017-01-03T10:43:42.717-09:00Wining in SonomaOur time in Sacramento is rapidly become road trip-centric...and I'm more than okay with that! After <a href="http://www.agrandadventure.us/2014/02/chiniak.html" target="_blank"><b>living in a place</b></a> where a road trip meant driving about an hour until the road literally ended, it's a welcome change!<br />
<br />
We added to our arsenal of roadies a few days before
Christmas with a trip through Napa and Sonoma Counties to a tiny, winery-centric
town called Healdsburg, CA. <br />
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First of all, the drive through Alexander Valley was gorgeous. Granted, the vines are all dormant because it's winter, so we weren't driving through rolling, vibrantly green hills by any stretch. They mostly looked dead if you didn't know any better. Not too far off from this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4uEk3ioPFOGpobGyYTynnx2lLldoVAEnlKBXZqWxX2vvt-NG8NrkQq3ZPgA7jAnlfYP21AkqrK0gL1qP60GBzHQd3s5aUcwPrT6jVmXceM7ORHqffk-Y5CXrwyI8lWeDGOHtFcO9Quay/s1600/landscape-596593_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4uEk3ioPFOGpobGyYTynnx2lLldoVAEnlKBXZqWxX2vvt-NG8NrkQq3ZPgA7jAnlfYP21AkqrK0gL1qP60GBzHQd3s5aUcwPrT6jVmXceM7ORHqffk-Y5CXrwyI8lWeDGOHtFcO9Quay/s640/landscape-596593_1920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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But despite that - what a beautiful, idyllic, winding road through the vineyards! Truly a relaxing drive. Especially as a passenger. Ha.<br />
<br />
We joked that the entire town is "stuff white people like." Well, because it is. (Do you know that <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stuff-White-People-Like-Definitive/dp/0812979915/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482821749&sr=1-1&keywords=stuff+white+people+like" target="_blank"><b>satirical comedy book</b></a> from 2008? It's pretty damn funny.)<br />
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Healdsburg can only be described as a quaint, wine-happy town in Sonoma County. Wine tasting rooms for area vineyards every 3 feet, top-notch restaurants, antique shops, and I counted at least 3 over-priced doggie boutiques.<br />
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You know, the kind of shops that sell personalized dog pop art, Houndstooth dog coats, and gluten-free dog treats. (kidding about the gluten-free - but you get my point) C'mon, the place was named Fideaux. Need I say more?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfoMbEzfC2cQB55oMY_q1kPFNE1oYG36T1p6PozXxvztl-LkFvNK9UHuysO4SUo6e4fipkuqaIAR9U74uqzkHcRDFmT7_CF-jGHtc5RKUQoYfRkt7m1jCAJ1QecySAa4YZPH_taEgcMhmP/s1600/SonomaPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfoMbEzfC2cQB55oMY_q1kPFNE1oYG36T1p6PozXxvztl-LkFvNK9UHuysO4SUo6e4fipkuqaIAR9U74uqzkHcRDFmT7_CF-jGHtc5RKUQoYfRkt7m1jCAJ1QecySAa4YZPH_taEgcMhmP/s640/SonomaPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strolling downtown Healdsburg</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But aside from the somewhat hoity-toity factor, Healdsburg was a fun little town. We tasted some excellent wine, and I learned about a red I'd never heard of before that blew me away.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcDeYSdZI4g0utLGaYUcgVQqI5dTq30jAO813Dj5Xit6yMgzH0qg2oEgzwpJHw5hfwwfe5A2NBbi4TxEXZiUYil3OakTWpz7gGNmfgvZFtgTIp18HwdziedH2le6_8iXmPb0W7piJcjrr/s1600/fullsizeoutput_f14.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcDeYSdZI4g0utLGaYUcgVQqI5dTq30jAO813Dj5Xit6yMgzH0qg2oEgzwpJHw5hfwwfe5A2NBbi4TxEXZiUYil3OakTWpz7gGNmfgvZFtgTIp18HwdziedH2le6_8iXmPb0W7piJcjrr/s400/fullsizeoutput_f14.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portalupi Tasting Room</td></tr>
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Ever heard of a Barbera? (pronounced BAR-bear-uh) Me neither. But, oh my Lord was this a good wine. So smooth. So tasty.<br />
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We tried it at the <a href="http://www.portalupiwine.com/Tasting-Room" target="_blank"><b>Portalupi Tasting Room</b></a> and brought a very pricey bottle home with us. We'll have to pick our special occasion to crack that one!<br />
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Apparently in addition to northern Italy, the grapes grow well in Amador County, which isn't too far from Sacramento. Might be another wine-fueled roadie in our future!<br />
<br />
We ended up popping around to 4 different tasting rooms around the charming downtown, which was all decked out for Christmas.<br />
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Along the way, we learned from one of the sommeliers that each flight of wines generally adds up to equal about one glass of wine.<br />
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So, by the time we finished up at the 4th tasting room - we were ready for some food!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLggm1VSxEZbRp3ct2KHIMOxwXi9MlOsFSip6aXZ1ttX4xrdt1F9As8aEqUlmKwDlhSCnt9LsU4ZPhdxjBS91k9-QqTMQ_p7_RBXDJ1CYbR3lpFX0t48RV35OCT-GefK5sPZov4BhWNvYs/s1600/Sonoma2PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLggm1VSxEZbRp3ct2KHIMOxwXi9MlOsFSip6aXZ1ttX4xrdt1F9As8aEqUlmKwDlhSCnt9LsU4ZPhdxjBS91k9-QqTMQ_p7_RBXDJ1CYbR3lpFX0t48RV35OCT-GefK5sPZov4BhWNvYs/s640/Sonoma2PicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nonsense with the toad outside Toad Hollow & in one of the tasting rooms</td></tr>
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We had a delicious dinner at one of the zillions of restaurants there were to choose from, but were out of luck finding any live music to check out.<br />
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Such is the way of the off season. Still fun, though!<br />
<br />
Our second day brought us to Simi, a vineyard we stopped in on our way out of town. Classy with their fireplace, fountain courtyard, and balcony.<br />
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To be honest though, I was over-wined at this point! We hit the road back to Sacramento after that for another beautiful drive through the valley.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFumXpsF6zNwsi0GYe-N7xhrv6N-xEqDDU9vG23z_LElrWoIl_Q6-JTe19plhWZDbtvhqkUcYfw7wYiEZprxw9YaAb5tdCJJipPSM2sqnxFL9fJBZw6mkRYskQBc-r4Ws7dOAD9gfxRNJ5/s1600/SimiPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFumXpsF6zNwsi0GYe-N7xhrv6N-xEqDDU9vG23z_LElrWoIl_Q6-JTe19plhWZDbtvhqkUcYfw7wYiEZprxw9YaAb5tdCJJipPSM2sqnxFL9fJBZw6mkRYskQBc-r4Ws7dOAD9gfxRNJ5/s640/SimiPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simi Winery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So Healdsburg gets a thumbs up from me. But, of course it would.<br />
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A quaint, wine-centric town with a seemingly endless array of restaurants specializing in locally-sourced, farm-to-fork menus?<br />
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Umm, yes please. I say bring on our next road trip to stuff white people like!<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-24311343709329851632016-12-23T10:08:00.001-09:002016-12-23T10:08:20.220-09:00Our Kodiak Wall<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHzU0zyPsycn9Lu9e7uQT-zaXdelqqhPv8FWbJqbe_teCxRRtrVSOOkqE-S8dYbubBV9hZBQn4FVsD5qSFknU1D-qsPvJOKr3ghUEEBFaXVdzhyphenhyphenDB_D2L1AbeMJ3rHPT7zDExwlHXQTef/s1600/Our+Kodiak+Wall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHzU0zyPsycn9Lu9e7uQT-zaXdelqqhPv8FWbJqbe_teCxRRtrVSOOkqE-S8dYbubBV9hZBQn4FVsD5qSFknU1D-qsPvJOKr3ghUEEBFaXVdzhyphenhyphenDB_D2L1AbeMJ3rHPT7zDExwlHXQTef/s640/Our+Kodiak+Wall.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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This project has been a long time coming! I've been planning it and collecting pieces for a while, and it's finally come to fruition after painstakingly gathering everything I wanted to use. Wahoo!<br />
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I've been visualizing it, picking accessories and photos
out, having Alaska themed art professionally framed, and anticipating seeing the final project complete since long before we
even left Kodiak.<br />
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I was a little intimidated by the idea of a gallery wall. It seemed
like it would be difficult to get a handle on how to make what was in my
head look straight and appropriately spaced on the wall. <br />
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To the internet!<br />
<br />
I found a
few tutorials and jumped right on in. God bless the internet. How did
we even figure shit out easily before? It's exhausting just thinking
about how much more effort doing stuff inevitably was before we all had
google to tell us crap. Anyway...<br />
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The easiest way I found to tackle a gallery wall is to lay out the pictures and pieces the way you'd like them to be arranged on a large sheet of butcher paper. Outline each frame and put a dot where you want to hang each frame.<br />
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Of course, I didn't have any butcher paper, so I used what I had. Which was newspaper. Taped together in the approximate size of the wall I planned to use. Not pretty, but it worked just fine.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFQ3cC-36sGY-Fqdtk0yuLnlc2RjCWtfsH8i-n-Gzo6Py6uF5R3YX88EcgWNsPx_1NfBbSd-xRAbtNn3U0ypnQPzD85kup__xUL40awvSYcvrd-u1GCoOqb3yJptPHP0LT0Vy38tQaA4X/s1600/fullsizeoutput_f0a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFQ3cC-36sGY-Fqdtk0yuLnlc2RjCWtfsH8i-n-Gzo6Py6uF5R3YX88EcgWNsPx_1NfBbSd-xRAbtNn3U0ypnQPzD85kup__xUL40awvSYcvrd-u1GCoOqb3yJptPHP0LT0Vy38tQaA4X/s640/fullsizeoutput_f0a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I replaced all of the black and white photos with new Alaska pictures we took over the three years we lived there. </span></span></td></tr>
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I messed around with the layout until I found one I liked, and then I outlined all of the pictures with a black sharpie and marked the spot where each one was to be hung.<br />
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Next, I taped the giant mess of newspaper to the wall, and hammered a nail or hanger into the spots I marked for each picture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1iY9oNW95q4Npe5zGGN4-ETplpz5RDykEvGI9cNTF37YxJpzlnQKo5OqVUOkMJcHmipU-HLVoQHi8rQ-A2XQFnghJaYocykyVD0nRwnEhP2AOWktuGeWCG8AZMwRk-hRSrsh8SDg3SOR/s1600/fullsizeoutput_f0c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1iY9oNW95q4Npe5zGGN4-ETplpz5RDykEvGI9cNTF37YxJpzlnQKo5OqVUOkMJcHmipU-HLVoQHi8rQ-A2XQFnghJaYocykyVD0nRwnEhP2AOWktuGeWCG8AZMwRk-hRSrsh8SDg3SOR/s640/fullsizeoutput_f0c.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see, I started with paper I had, but quickly realized I didn't have enough and switched to newspaper.<br />
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Once I hammered a nail into each dot, I carefully ripped the template off the wall and started hanging. Truth be told, I had to readjust a few of the pictures, but overall everything looked good.<br />
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Not too bad for my first attempt!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvp2J44CWF-w6MvtsgE5MQp-7OrtV6yjfCnP9lVvxZuy4bgL4UE93O6AhwvUtSnBfM-4uj5Z4lpBrTHaHyqNQT7ooiKG8C5BGQeyjh2dw-JRR4rHCP3I90oPTmP8jbL3i3Vuj8VzVaH8sx/s1600/fullsizeoutput_f10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvp2J44CWF-w6MvtsgE5MQp-7OrtV6yjfCnP9lVvxZuy4bgL4UE93O6AhwvUtSnBfM-4uj5Z4lpBrTHaHyqNQT7ooiKG8C5BGQeyjh2dw-JRR4rHCP3I90oPTmP8jbL3i3Vuj8VzVaH8sx/s640/fullsizeoutput_f10.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUOFe-RYSwQVgsCj7pXFYGJwUY0ytJMYbIACnSADTmt7L6FMkSCJJryyRiQZFBS6QRo3uJzeqrRk1M4U5Dq81PiNJd7NEUaB-Sqpfif719bHHLKrZda6ICwu7VpwsGYRUHs5KzDaW7Tvv/s1600/FullSizeRender%252811%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUOFe-RYSwQVgsCj7pXFYGJwUY0ytJMYbIACnSADTmt7L6FMkSCJJryyRiQZFBS6QRo3uJzeqrRk1M4U5Dq81PiNJd7NEUaB-Sqpfif719bHHLKrZda6ICwu7VpwsGYRUHs5KzDaW7Tvv/s400/FullSizeRender%252811%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to specifically request he include Kodiak!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I collected art from local Kodiak artists while we lived there, but the bulk of the wall is my own photography. <br />
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One of my favorites is the reclaimed wood cut out of the state of Alaska. <br />
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I found an artist on Etsy and thought it would be a perfect addition to the wall.<br />
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Too damn cute! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2B7LMYdApyWx5TGr5CWoXW_vuxyHAK1qSFtYcTh60rw4ufINq_lJAffP40BYWGfoKxN-U2p3JWNzhooYDwHVBzX-3hfexSOX6yj0ZrR5PgYl9Xj39I1qE2XIeE04mB94rHu1xnhDgj4L/s1600/fullsizeoutput_f11.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2B7LMYdApyWx5TGr5CWoXW_vuxyHAK1qSFtYcTh60rw4ufINq_lJAffP40BYWGfoKxN-U2p3JWNzhooYDwHVBzX-3hfexSOX6yj0ZrR5PgYl9Xj39I1qE2XIeE04mB94rHu1xnhDgj4L/s640/fullsizeoutput_f11.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The colorful, rectangular piece on the top right is a picture by a local Kodiak artist of an old, historical cannery on Moser Bay. The hubby got it for me for one of our Christmases in Alaska. Another one of my favorites.<br />
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I've got an Alutiiq mask, a mini Alutiiq kayak paddle, the Crabfest poster from our first Crabfest, and all sorts of Alaskan photography.<br />
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I love it for my very first attempt! Let's hear it for my Kodiak wall!<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-4606235009704930932016-12-14T11:18:00.001-09:002016-12-26T22:09:15.120-09:00Sacramento's Oldest BarIt was only a matter of time, you know. Before I made my way to Sacramento's oldest bar, that is. As some of you know, I kind of have a thing. History & booze! It's a great combo.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C8bLoMx_Igp9jSN-x3FTn8G_-HbivyAGGVaisojNMH4MJN8M01ZcYxMvqY9nMQzP9H_GJZmoYSw5Zgdbx18RbNUmdV27Q9PzVCBwIkaW2mU8vIpfIs-lqCxSqfHe9J-DcWUku4CMk3PZ/s1600/fullsizeoutput_ebc.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-C8bLoMx_Igp9jSN-x3FTn8G_-HbivyAGGVaisojNMH4MJN8M01ZcYxMvqY9nMQzP9H_GJZmoYSw5Zgdbx18RbNUmdV27Q9PzVCBwIkaW2mU8vIpfIs-lqCxSqfHe9J-DcWUku4CMk3PZ/s640/fullsizeoutput_ebc.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My fixation started a few years ago when I came across an <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/america-s-oldest-bars-the-oldest-bar-in-all-50-us-states-and-washington-dc" target="_blank"><b>article</b></a> listing the oldest bar in every state.<br />
<br />
I thought it would be fun to try and see as many as possible. But, it doesn't even have to be the absolute oldest bar in the region.<br />
<br />
Historical works for me, but the <i>actual</i> oldest bar is ideal. #PubGoals.<br />
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I find myself typing "fill-in-the-blank-city's" oldest bar into trusty google whenever I go somewhere to see if some historical pub sleuthing can be in my future.<br />
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So far, I've been to the oldest bar in Rome, <a href="http://www.agrandadventure.us/2015/07/the-green-door-tavern.html" target="_blank"><b>Chicago</b></a>, and Alaska. A short list, so I need to get on it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_5-7DDrAbQA2hrKpw8T0aXCmE5atjZr7bCdJg0UaFcn_PZJtlIyzYTRN9ecqL36qpLgs_te6vF7c_cL9ok2KTRy9hM7Zt-9tsRiZrRPFp_LoFug_rej12SIEPrD_S-aVc8oU0je8k4Gz/s1600/fullsizeoutput_eb0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_5-7DDrAbQA2hrKpw8T0aXCmE5atjZr7bCdJg0UaFcn_PZJtlIyzYTRN9ecqL36qpLgs_te6vF7c_cL9ok2KTRy9hM7Zt-9tsRiZrRPFp_LoFug_rej12SIEPrD_S-aVc8oU0je8k4Gz/s640/fullsizeoutput_eb0.jpeg" width="451" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to head in with the Hubby</td></tr>
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Sacramento's oldest is called <a href="http://theoldironsides.com/" target="_blank"><b>Old Ironsides</b></a>, and it's a short bike ride from our house.<br />
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We checked it out not too long ago. Fun!<br />
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I'm not sure why they chose their name, since it's the nickname that was given to the warship the USS Constitution after The War of 1812.<br />
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Sacramento isn't exactly a maritime city, so your guess is as good as mine.<br />
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What I do know is that it was the first bar in Sacramento to be issued their liquor license after prohibition in 1933.<br />
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Old Ironsides was established in 1934, and has been in operation ever since. Eighty-Two years.<br />
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A baby compared to some of the other oldest bars I've read about, but still counts on my grand quest to see historical pubs!<br />
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Most of the old bars I've been to have a huge medley of antiques
hanging from every available surface. From framed art, to primary source photos, to furniture, to flags, to newspaper articles...but that wasn't the case here.<br />
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It still pulled off that
vintage vibe, though. Somehow the vinyl stools and timeworn wallpaper subtly hinted at the history of the place. <br />
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I learned later that our bartender has worked there for 31 years. I kind of love that. Way to go, Al!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqjKoBZyqya3ndxe2ruYRU9T0TOMvWeNwpGLgkPgff2YL3I3OMTyJaKxyMuMT8R2dPd3AumR7nURsrHlb5rsWByq6sA4UV5J9L5UfbJI9SgeNjFxwZBFxFEeqn79wMl5qqbPuNu0wmusK/s1600/fullsizeoutput_eb1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqjKoBZyqya3ndxe2ruYRU9T0TOMvWeNwpGLgkPgff2YL3I3OMTyJaKxyMuMT8R2dPd3AumR7nURsrHlb5rsWByq6sA4UV5J9L5UfbJI9SgeNjFxwZBFxFEeqn79wMl5qqbPuNu0wmusK/s640/fullsizeoutput_eb1.jpeg" width="544" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby getting his oldest pub on</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stage & band setting up</td></tr>
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There was a funky band playing that night we were looking forward to checking out called <a href="http://www.dustbowlrevival.com/" target="_blank"><b>The Dustbowl Revival</b></a>. We'd never heard of them, and they rocked. Lots of folks on stage, all sorts of horns, a stand up bass, you name it. Good stuff!<br />
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Oh, and lots of beards! <br />
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So, I can tick off this box in our Sacramento escapades. I hear the oldest bar in California is in San Francisco, so maybe we'll take another roadie down to check it out. Worth a trip to me. History & booze...wheeeee!!<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-8012780439620344722016-12-04T11:16:00.001-09:002016-12-04T11:16:22.091-09:00The Negativity MonsterTalk about a surprise! My old boss contacted me recently with a completely unexpected and awesome creative opportunity. <br />
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Ready for this? She offered to hire me to create an altered book display for the library to promote the library association and the upcoming altered book art show.<br />
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Wait...what, now? That was pretty much my reaction! All I can say is that I was extremely flattered that she thought of me.<br />
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I've created my share of altered books over the years - you can check out a few of them <a href="http://www.agrandadventure.us/2014/11/autumn-pumpkin-centerpiece.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a> and <a href="http://www.agrandadventure.us/2015/12/altered-book-christmas-trees.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a> if you're so inclined. Crafting altered books was always just for fun, so the fact that someone wanted to pay me for something that had been a hobby in the past? Well, elated about covers it!<br />
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Along with feeling both flattered and enthusiastic, I was also freaking out a little bit. Because of course, the negativity monster popped up on my shoulder to add his horrible and unwelcome two cents.<br />
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You know the negativity monster. We all do. Mine is an ugly, pointy eared, little shit that asks patronizing questions like, "Who do you think you are? You're no professional artist, why would you ever agree to take this on?" And, "You know you're not artistically talented enough to make something that doesn't look like a 3rd grader did it, right?"<br />
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I told you - he's a shit. Not to worry. I told him to shut the hell up and I accepted the offer. And I'm so glad that I didn't give in to doubt and fear!<br />
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Once I agreed, it was time to ratchet up the creative confidence and know that I could pull it off. What fun it was, too!<br />
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The idea behind the project was to promote the Kodiak Public Library Association, emphasize that a membership to KPLA is an excellent holiday gift, and also to promote the upcoming <a href="http://www.agrandadventure.us/2015/02/the-altered-book-art-show.html" target="_blank"><b>altered book art show</b></a> that the Kodiak Public Library Association and Kodiak Arts Council puts on every year.<br />
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Again...fun! I started by viewing a few youtube tutorials on paper tree folding, as well as several step-by-step how to articles on carving books, etc. <a href="http://www.handimania.com/diy/3d-paper-christmas-tree-all-steps.html" target="_blank"><b>This</b></a> was what I used to make the trees, and it was super straight forward and easy to follow.<br />
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There was quite a bit of paper folding & cutting to craft Sitka Spruce tree look alikes, since that tree is predominant on Kodiak and was part of the request.<br />
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It was basically lots of this:<br />
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Once I refined the technique, I made about a half a dozen trees to make a little forest of various sized "Spruce" trees. They turned out cute!<br />
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After I made all the trees, I used an X-ACTO knife to cut out a rectangular shaped dropped space inside the main body of a hard cover book, using <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Hollow-Book" target="_blank"><b>this</b></a> step-by-step tutorial. The pages are sealed with Mod Podge, so the whole bottom half of the book is secured to the back cover.<br />
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I covered the pages with colored and patterned scrapbook-type paper to pretty-up the tattered and glue covered pages so the finished project looked a little sleeker and more polished.<br />
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The last step was to come up with a way to promote a KPLA membership as a holiday gift. Initially, I wanted to stencil on the opposite page, but I quickly realized that stenciling with paint was more challenging than I anticipated. It was coming out messy looking, and I totally effed it up not even halfway through. Case in point.<br />
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As you can see, I misaligned the M and the E and then promptly FUBAR-ed the last E. Not to mention it looked sloppy. So, I scrapped my grand plans to stencil, since it was my first time attempting it, and frankly I sucked at it!<br />
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I went in a different direction, and I think it's worlds better than my feeble attempt at stenciling. <br />
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Once I put it altogether, I was pretty happy with the final product.<br />
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Now all that's left is to ship it to Kodiak. It's still a little surreal to me that this was work. This? How could this possibly be work? It was nothing but fun, creative time for me, so I can't feel anything but gratitude that the opportunity came my way!<br />
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The author Seth Godin said it well: "If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try."<br />
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So there's only one thing left to say. Screw the negativity monster. Always say yes! <br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-42959126827566184042016-11-16T15:55:00.002-09:002016-11-16T15:55:42.063-09:00Overnight OatsHave you discovered this yet? I'm a little late to the overnight oats party, but man oh man what a tasty, easy breakfast.<br />
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I like the texture of overnight oats better than oatmeal prepared traditionally. It's almost like an al dente version of oatmeal. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPyfnpsDi2ngAMSbbEgHZdx74hVZiCuVsszMsYis6G-Ff_rWjkVoE6sdaJPUM66GTs1eEwqMSy5F4vzTd5KC5DsfLCe881Eo9cUXXhE4wjm-s6YsbsSSzHF9AgECyY5bT5vBaJiYXSbI7/s1600/fullsizeoutput_e78.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPyfnpsDi2ngAMSbbEgHZdx74hVZiCuVsszMsYis6G-Ff_rWjkVoE6sdaJPUM66GTs1eEwqMSy5F4vzTd5KC5DsfLCe881Eo9cUXXhE4wjm-s6YsbsSSzHF9AgECyY5bT5vBaJiYXSbI7/s640/fullsizeoutput_e78.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I usually add bananas, but I was out when I took this picture</td></tr>
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I've been fixated on this particular concoction lately that's packed with flavor and lots of protein. It's a recipe for peanut butter overnight oats, and it's fabulous.<br />
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It's really versatile, too. You can easily tweak the recipe by adding whatever floats your boat. Almond butter instead of peanut butter, walnuts instead of almonds, blueberries instead of banana. Whatever you like!<br />
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All I know is I've been eating it weekly since I discovered it! The above recipe is enough for 1 serving, and you can eat it cold right from the fridge or pop it in the microwave if you prefer it warm. (which is also delicious) Cold in the summer is perfect and refreshing. Also, the chia seeds really bulk it up, so I'm usually full until well after lunch.<br />
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How bout a little overnight oats experimentation? It's a tasty, healthy little breakfast!<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-27866873194083284542016-11-02T11:02:00.003-08:002016-11-02T11:02:51.341-08:00The Best of...Part 2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1kT65IHtPjXRtvyeFEuQZCX0WXnKyJFWgUQtFF07VqwpI2a3axCQokg0hV2hNqOAG1rJIDXEI2e_oAZEaYHIcAGk_mSLUo-zL7rynVN3TpB9Ic5yi_S0KhbaoZc0bLuusBcKVXyQaLI0/s1600/The-BEST-part-of-my-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1kT65IHtPjXRtvyeFEuQZCX0WXnKyJFWgUQtFF07VqwpI2a3axCQokg0hV2hNqOAG1rJIDXEI2e_oAZEaYHIcAGk_mSLUo-zL7rynVN3TpB9Ic5yi_S0KhbaoZc0bLuusBcKVXyQaLI0/s400/The-BEST-part-of-my-day.jpg" width="400" /></a>I was browsing through some of my old posts recently, and I decided it's time for another "<a href="http://www.agrandadventure.us/2015/05/the-best-part-of-my-day.html" target="_blank"><b>Best Part of My Day</b></a>" exercise. Because truth be told, I've been snuggling up a little too closely with apathy lately. <br />
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With all the chaos and movement of the move behind us, I've found myself feeling noticeably detached.<br />
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It's been difficult to engage, and motivating myself to get in the game here as far as rebuilding my life has been a challenge. I wrote about this very topic <a href="http://www.agrandadventure.us/2016/10/the-rut.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a> a few weeks ago.<br />
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The only one in control of changing that is me, so what better time to start focusing on what the best part of my days are than now?<br />
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I decided to start on October 4th, so it's not quite a full month of gratitude tracking. I'll take it - because I know it'll do nothing but help me fixate on all I have to be thankful for and I can pull myself out of this emotional stall I've been wallowing in for a few weeks. Gratitude reminders = healthier outlook. <br />
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<u><b>October 4th</b></u><br />
My best today had to be breakfast. We had some leftovers from dinner a few nights ago that transformed spectacularly into an egg scramble. Ready for this deliciousness? Roasted butternut squash and zucchini with onion, spicy sausage, and croutons combined with an egg for an out of this world harvest-y scramble. So. Good.<br />
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<u><b>October 5th</b></u><br />
Sitting in the sunshine on the patio in the backyard having a long, reassuring chat on the phone with one of my oldest friends.<br />
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<u><b>October 6th</b></u><br />
Watching the hubby run around the backyard playing with Cheety. That dog is the absolute doofy best. The hubby's not too shabby either.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAVZ8-UAGWQCsG3OxLzilzzVRbEiKWG9Ht1h5c6agXD6zUpzBvNXJmGegyYecjXUCtpbM304FwDlpVYXQKlP4hQD5lNqg_uVCHmNmyhVQqcJ5TAPpyBA-X91-vzrrS_VNYQLs-8b6xPGU/s1600/IMG_3170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAVZ8-UAGWQCsG3OxLzilzzVRbEiKWG9Ht1h5c6agXD6zUpzBvNXJmGegyYecjXUCtpbM304FwDlpVYXQKlP4hQD5lNqg_uVCHmNmyhVQqcJ5TAPpyBA-X91-vzrrS_VNYQLs-8b6xPGU/s640/IMG_3170.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture is just screaming to be captioned</td></tr>
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<u><b>October 7th</b></u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grabbing a beer with the hubby & the boy at The Shack</td></tr>
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Listening to "I miss the 90's" on Apple Music & having a Bell Biv Devoe dance party in the kitchen. Yes, I was alone. Yes, it was <i>Poison</i>. Never trust a big butt and a smile.<br />
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<u><b>October 8th</b></u><br />
Taking a road trip to Petaluma and gawking at the sweeping, beautiful vineyards of Napa Valley on our way. Gotta take a trip there soon!<br />
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<u><b>October 9th</b></u><br />
Taking a long walk down to a park near our neighborhood with the hubby and Cheety, hanging out under the trees in the shade, and then grabbing a beer at The Shack on the way home.<br />
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<u><b>October 10th</b></u><br />
We both had a serious wilderness deficit going on, so we took another road trip outta town about an hour northeast of Sacramento & had a great day hiking around Jenkinson Lake in Placerville. Beautiful day, excellent hiking, and a tired Pugbull. Perfect.<br />
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<u><b>October 11th</b></u><br />
Another breakfast best. I'm late to the overnight oats party, but I've found a recipe for peanut butter overnight oats that I'm fully in love with. So tasty!<br />
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<u><b>October 12th</b></u><br />
Cooking up a big pot of meatballs for dinner. Bring on comfort food season!<br />
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<u><b>October 13th</b></u><br />
Appreciating the first real rain storm since we moved here. Three and a half months without a drop. It's a long way from what used to be a day to day occurrence in Kodiak! It was welcome and cozy as I snuggled on the coach with tea, pumpkin pie homemade by the hubby, and a bad 80's movie remake on TV.<br />
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<u><b>October 14th</b></u><br />
Curling up with the book I'm reading at the moment, <i>Oryx and Crake</i>, by Margaret Atwood. <br />
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<u><b>October 15th</b></u><br />
Sleeping in without having to get up and walk the pup in the morning!<br />
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<u><b>October 16th</b></u><br />
Waking up to another rain storm tapping at the bedroom windows. Can't beat a rainy Sunday morning where I can snuggle up with Cheety. In case you're wondering, the hubby gets up God-awful early, every frickin' day. I'm a night owl, he's more of an early to bed, early to rise kinda guy.<br />
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<u><b>October 17th</b></u><br />
A hot cup of peppermint tea before bed. A touch of honey, a touch of milk & it's perfection.<br />
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<u><b>October 18th</b></u><br />
Sitting on the front porch in the sunshine with the pup and the hubby, chatting & having a few <span class="st"><i>Kölsch-</i>style beers</span> from one of our favorite breweries, while chili simmered on the stove for dinner.<br />
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<u><b>October 19th</b></u><br />
Going to pick up the hubby's surprise birthday pie at a 50's style dessert diner in midtown. The place was authentic, and exactly what you'd imagine it to look like: bright & shiny, with checkered floors and red vinyl booths galore. Adorable! (it was a buttermilk pie, by the way)<br />
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<u><b>October 20th</b></u><br />
Celebrating the hubby's 45th birthday at 2nd row seats to a Jimmy Buffett concert at the new arena that was just built downtown. My favorite part was when Jimmy first walked out on stage - he immediately flipped off both of his flip flops and started rocking out. What a fun show!<br />
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<u><b>October 21st</b></u><br />
Walking down to a phenomenal local breakfast joint called Bacon & Butter with the hubby for a terrific ham hock omelette.<br />
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<u><b>October 22nd</b></u><br />
Taking a road trip out to Truckee and Lake Tahoe, hiking around Donner Lake, and checking out Fifty Fifty Brewing Company for lunch and a few beers with the hubby & Pugbull. But the true best part? Spotting a Steller's Jay in the trees on our hike and correctly identifying it. Even though it's a pretty easy bird to identify, I was elated to see it <i>and</i> to know what it was! I believe it was an uber-nerdy, "Is that a Steller's Jay? YES! Yes it is!!" moment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9m4QUBmwJ4L_X_sz3PEYeXGWLQzJ7zF1pB7gfc1DSg7VyrIyW4AlI-tybSiHEcNVJcKD-bF32ryuFU09luPFfj2Pr8hCIggTgHiJ2jxK-Xx4yircWmfbrgfTWVqb1hGZCW1EhZEua5Db/s1600/StellersJay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9m4QUBmwJ4L_X_sz3PEYeXGWLQzJ7zF1pB7gfc1DSg7VyrIyW4AlI-tybSiHEcNVJcKD-bF32ryuFU09luPFfj2Pr8hCIggTgHiJ2jxK-Xx4yircWmfbrgfTWVqb1hGZCW1EhZEua5Db/s640/StellersJay.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com via Wikimedia Commons</span></td></tr>
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<u><b>October 23rd</b></u><br />
Sitting on the couch in the evening in pj's, with a hot cup of peppermint tea to finally relax after a busy day.<br />
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<u><b>October 24th</b></u><br />
My morning walk with Cheety. I love being able to start the day with a quiet, leisurely walk through our neighborhood.<br />
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<u><b>October 25th</b></u> <br />
Talking on the phone with one of my sisters and hearing some excellent, happy news from her. <br />
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<u><b>October 26th</b></u><br />
Discovering and applying for a position at one of the local colleges that's been a long term goal of mine for years. Super happy that it was available to pursue, and I guess we'll see if it pans out!<br />
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<u><b>October 27th</b></u><br />
An afternoon nap with Cheety while it was gray and drizzly outside. I've never had a dog that snuggles as much as he does. We're talking expert-level snuggling here! I can't complain.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMa7hUjAdjj5OTmKdetQHhLFWN3Qfc0qJaPVMbcQpTmBPkgJ8rXSX6ardI2WL13bM8b7VjudJLxQcgPXhFw-fK1GI-Daf1x6J9hYvpzCSJyXaihgPWJb3koJi395ypJsk1CU9ZoSsv2DG/s1600/fullsizeoutput_96c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMa7hUjAdjj5OTmKdetQHhLFWN3Qfc0qJaPVMbcQpTmBPkgJ8rXSX6ardI2WL13bM8b7VjudJLxQcgPXhFw-fK1GI-Daf1x6J9hYvpzCSJyXaihgPWJb3koJi395ypJsk1CU9ZoSsv2DG/s640/fullsizeoutput_96c.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snuggle King</td></tr>
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<u><b>October 28th</b></u><br />
Whipping up some shrimp scampi for dinner - the hubby was out doing Coast Guard things, so I didn't have to hold back on the garlic. I kept the vampires at bay this night! <br />
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<u><b>October 29th</b></u><br />
Starting the second book in the <i>Outlander</i> series, <i>Dragonfly in Amber</i>. I'm all in with this series. <br />
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<u><b>October 30th</b></u><br />
The hubby makes pizza from scratch every Sunday - it was extra good this week.<br />
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<u><b>October 31st </b></u><br />
Sitting on the porch with the hubby with a glass of wine, listening to The Grateful Dead, doling out Halloween candy to trick or treaters. (plus indulging in more than a few pieces for myself. I'm a sucker for Snickers and Twix bars)<br />
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So, there ya have it. Once again, after reading through my list in its entirety, I can't help but feel gratitude. And it really is from simple things like hot tea and dog walks.<br />
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Once you decide to be more aware of the moments that make you thankful, it's a little harder to wallow in whatever it is that's bringing you down.<br />
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At least, that's how it goes for me. Hey - give it a try for a month, or even just a week. I bet you'll come out the other side feeling more positive.<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-83998723489700240532016-10-27T14:35:00.000-08:002016-12-26T22:10:36.980-09:00Nature Deficit!One thing I can say for sure since we've relocated from rural Alaska to less-than-rural California is that I miss the wilderness. Truly miss it.<br />
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The unbelievably crisp, fresh, clear air. The stunning views from the top of any given peak we hiked.<br />
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The irreplaceable calm that results from being able to just <i>be</i> - in a natural environment, almost completely untouched by the hand of man. Heavy-handed, I know. But oh, so true.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our first California hikes at Eldorado National Forest</td></tr>
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John Muir said it best: "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity…”<br />
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I couldn't agree more.<br />
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That's why our road trip about an hour or so out of town to the Eldorado National Forest in the central Sierra Nevada not too long ago was so necessary. Now this isn't exactly "untouched by the hand of man," but I'll take what I can get!<br />
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We hiked around Jenkinson Lake during a lovely fall day. Not too hot, a delicate breeze, waterfront trails. It was perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SoSKxMCxKszTzybwU7Gcz8ngM42bwMi2Gr_1_zX9uqrGAyLQBZeKeMTSR4lYnbqcxcR471kuGRMt8bGALeBPdVpKJiBnRdMxPBa1nmNVmbhQMRZe8a5q_IaYZy0dk_sPSZdN9IQOvQoC/s1600/IMG_7816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SoSKxMCxKszTzybwU7Gcz8ngM42bwMi2Gr_1_zX9uqrGAyLQBZeKeMTSR4lYnbqcxcR471kuGRMt8bGALeBPdVpKJiBnRdMxPBa1nmNVmbhQMRZe8a5q_IaYZy0dk_sPSZdN9IQOvQoC/s640/IMG_7816.jpg" width="582" /></a></div>
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After hiking around the lake and checking out some of the campsites, it's safe to say we were all rejuvenated. Including the Pugbull. Nature deficit begone!<br />
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The location is definitely a contender for a camping trip at some point. Might need to be the <a href="http://www.agrandadventure.us/2016/04/inaugural-cricket-camping-trip.html" target="_blank"><b>Cricket's</b></a> inaugural California camping excursion.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwMvXBxBHUcB_QEAX9B4dJBrUpC_jIjz6K6hj6XFa-cy7XS7mpqQ1qK-gA_MqPXptfUpPUy4ARp2agGbnNwnl3T2O3PDyFSjRG4rq7C7QfgV19cKCBWvebultTZJVITVeqJERuZx5RrE3/s1600/JenkinsonLake+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwMvXBxBHUcB_QEAX9B4dJBrUpC_jIjz6K6hj6XFa-cy7XS7mpqQ1qK-gA_MqPXptfUpPUy4ARp2agGbnNwnl3T2O3PDyFSjRG4rq7C7QfgV19cKCBWvebultTZJVITVeqJERuZx5RrE3/s640/JenkinsonLake+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The forest smelled so piney and fresh</td></tr>
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It's funny - I appreciate Kodiak more now that I'm not there. I realize this smacks of a classic idealizing the past scenario, but it's true. I miss the raw, natural beauty that was right outside our front door.<br />
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Not the climate, mind you. But, that unforgettable environment and magnificent landscape that was so accessible to us.<br />
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I guess that means we're going to have to step up our road trip game and get outtta town more often now that we're in the land of the light rail, sports arenas, and traffic.<br />
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<i>"Wilderness is a necessity..." </i>I hear ya, John Muir. I think I have Kodiak to thank for that.<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-2955483119629975212016-10-19T15:50:00.000-08:002016-10-19T20:52:01.087-08:00Halloween WreathFull disclosure - this one was a teensy bit tedious. It took me weeks to make all the pom-poms that make up the bulk of this wreath. Mostly because lazy.<br />
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My grand plan is to make the accessories exchangeable, so I can flip it from Halloween to a Thanksgiving or harvest theme. The orange color pallet makes for a nice autumnal blank slate to play with, and I think it looks nice just on its own, without adding any accessories. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgjCbs8GYz1XBvwt4rP-cEhPZz7eehkY1OSZZV8zRc0dvK2f4-DpNpysO0MvBYZZOs13_QN6W7AR37kkHDzTYPnMRnqD-hObWQcJT3t7G0u-vehKazWeZRTe6C99DrRVE2x0nIyINpAmf/s1600/WreathPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgjCbs8GYz1XBvwt4rP-cEhPZz7eehkY1OSZZV8zRc0dvK2f4-DpNpysO0MvBYZZOs13_QN6W7AR37kkHDzTYPnMRnqD-hObWQcJT3t7G0u-vehKazWeZRTe6C99DrRVE2x0nIyINpAmf/s400/WreathPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a>Supplies are pretty simple: a straw wreath form, two different tones of orange yarn, floral pins, and scissors. I used two packages of the light orange yarn, and 1 for the darker orange. <br />
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The pom-pom tutorial I followed can be found <a href="http://missmustardseed.com/2014/12/make-yarn-pom-poms/" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>. Super easy, by one of my favorite crafty gals, Miss Mustard Seed.<br />
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I interspersed the darker orange yarn amongst the pumpkin colored yarn, which I chose as the primary color.<br />
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Once you've made the pom poms, it's just a matter of attaching them to the wreath using the floral pins.<br />
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I hung a few Halloween-themed whimsical guys I've had for a while inside the wreath, and on the bottom. I got them at Pier One years ago, and I just love them. I break them out every Halloween. They make me happy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiG0tlkx_aRAoHE3TXXu9oEH6CRN2_1KHoXXsc41w28Ly84Q62ALHmeOhNzUaju90jIZuHGu5TWVuXbHxqunYBpfR-Zq3I0nq3L6hZ5dse6d8oULbc9IV7vJXTullWlwcmP2hhoZTXbr4/s1600/fullsizeoutput_d91.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiG0tlkx_aRAoHE3TXXu9oEH6CRN2_1KHoXXsc41w28Ly84Q62ALHmeOhNzUaju90jIZuHGu5TWVuXbHxqunYBpfR-Zq3I0nq3L6hZ5dse6d8oULbc9IV7vJXTullWlwcmP2hhoZTXbr4/s640/fullsizeoutput_d91.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's the full wreath in all its fluffy glory:<br />
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I think in a few weeks, I'll either replace the less than menacing monsters with pine cones or just leave it plain, so it's not Halloween specific, but just autumnal. It's a multi-functional wreath. Happy fall, y'all!<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-82443280507656604152016-10-05T09:45:00.001-08:002016-10-05T10:47:14.475-08:00The Rut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHN7ra4OuSID5kXFPFnOdLKi8sNHvgAL2NKUAN4vnjH-fV0DWPIZcVk8Dei6OkdQQpX_sGgSO20Dvj8iBvfbkOBqxU0BTH1bT63uGkxzE1CjqIqg6_LvPmOhKcXuY6I5sC_eQgQ-8XjlO_/s1600/CheetyCan%2527tAdult.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHN7ra4OuSID5kXFPFnOdLKi8sNHvgAL2NKUAN4vnjH-fV0DWPIZcVk8Dei6OkdQQpX_sGgSO20Dvj8iBvfbkOBqxU0BTH1bT63uGkxzE1CjqIqg6_LvPmOhKcXuY6I5sC_eQgQ-8XjlO_/s320/CheetyCan%2527tAdult.JPG.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm in one. A rut, that is. Let's call it a not exactly unpredictable post-PCS rut. I'm not following any of my own advice about adjusting to a new place after moving, and I'm spending waaay too much time hiding out in my house. Which as many of you know...I love to do. <br />
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I can putter around the house doing this, that and the other all day long. For days in a row. Without the least bit of desire to go out in the world. The house-gnome tendencies are off the charts lately. <br />
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And this is a problem. Why? Well, because I'm not engaging. I'm the opposite. Almost completely DISengaged from this whole process of rebuilding my life, finding a job, being social, etc.<br />
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I can't seem to get my momentum going. And truthfully? I'm just...tired. I'm tired of all the things I have to do to get my shit in order for yet another job hunt.<br />
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The resume updating, the hunting down of reference letters, the endless searching for interesting and relevant positions, applying for said positions, fixating on whether I'll be called for an interview, fretting about said interview, agonizing over whether I'll be hired, and on, and on, and on. I'm just weary of the whole process. I've done it So. Many. Times.<br />
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I've made very little effort toward finding a volunteer gig while I just barely job hunt, I'm not working out, it just goes on and on.<br />
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On top of the fatigue, the reality of knowing we'll only be here for 9 more months at this point makes it even more challenging for me to motivate the hell on up.<br />
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Man, do I sound like a whiny brat. It's not my intention.<br />
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But occasionally, this platform of blogging ends up being a sounding board for me. I guess this is one of those times.<br />
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Please standby for crafting, recipes and travel posts at a later date. <i>Insert high pitched emergency broadcast screech here.</i><br />
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I'm trying not to be too hard on myself. (Not one of my strong points) It's only been about 6 weeks since we've rid ourselves of boxes and unpacking. So, I'm trying to cut myself a break.<br />
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I realize the only person capable of changing this lovely attitude of <i>meh</i> I've decided to take on is the one tapping away at the keyboard<i> </i>at this very moment. You know, the lady who's been wearing the same t-shirt for almost 48 hours. And can't seem to peel herself out of her house. It's me. The answer is me.<br />
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Alright. Time to wrap up the sunshine and lollipops I've got going on here. I need another injection of Chucky Swindoll. Here goes:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hBRHASHWFaw0G8CJlA3ALRmzQpg1OJWxgHL34JDOqQpUwdc3mp4KsRblKc6102tAtA-xkCNSoZgLB6XOPQIYG4nwSB6YOfUlxJVc6dGF0Lk-RL63pXXx86RoekzcrJ9iJx_SC-S-BTDW/s1600/Attitude+-+Swindoll+Quote-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hBRHASHWFaw0G8CJlA3ALRmzQpg1OJWxgHL34JDOqQpUwdc3mp4KsRblKc6102tAtA-xkCNSoZgLB6XOPQIYG4nwSB6YOfUlxJVc6dGF0Lk-RL63pXXx86RoekzcrJ9iJx_SC-S-BTDW/s640/Attitude+-+Swindoll+Quote-1.png" width="426" /></a></div>
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Amen, Chuck. I've got some work to do.<br />
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Ta ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-45030765322156971212016-09-23T10:10:00.000-08:002016-10-17T22:29:09.244-08:00Summit Beer FestivalA summit for craft beer? You don't have to ask me twice whether I'm interested in going! We're talking 160 California craft breweries and over 450 different varieties of beer. Sign. Me. Up.<br />
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I think the first thing to ask is, "What exactly is 'craft beer'?" It sounds very hipstery and fancy, but it's really pretty simple. It just means the brewer is small, independent, and traditional.<br />
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And the state of California has almost 700 craft breweries in operation across the state. We got to sample a tiny sliver of them at the festival. What fun!<br />
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I sampled everything from Hefeweizens, to saisons, to <span class="st"><i>Kölsch</i> style</span>, to pilsners, to blondes, to stouts to sours. Such a variety.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHYQOm93HwSDPOk3OvzEDTsQAW-XM8JbqoBu86Sy1R_Zaq9caKldrVVDBcWKsn633XB0AUHjxTNoFLRI5ZjzXArV7LvCFub1c40E8YlfvRNhhVvkQX4rCT_CSeOfb79Bf5YKDV0Uakgk1/s1600/IMG_7740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHYQOm93HwSDPOk3OvzEDTsQAW-XM8JbqoBu86Sy1R_Zaq9caKldrVVDBcWKsn633XB0AUHjxTNoFLRI5ZjzXArV7LvCFub1c40E8YlfvRNhhVvkQX4rCT_CSeOfb79Bf5YKDV0Uakgk1/s320/IMG_7740.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
One of my favorites was this outrageous peanut butter chocolate cream porter called Nukin' Futz from Track 7 Brewery, which is here in Sacramento.<br />
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Is there such thing as a dessert beer? Because that's exactly how this tasted. I could imagine using it as a base for a boozy float with vanilla ice cream.<br />
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Another notable were the sours. Wow! Talk about a departure. We tried pineapple sours, honey ginger lime sours, orange sours, you name it.<br />
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Sours don't even taste like beer. They're so refreshing and cleanse your pallet right out. Perfect for summer and after a sample of a dense porter.<br />
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The festival was on the capitol mall, so we had the capitol building on one end of the street, and the Tower Bridge on the other. The street was blocked off, and lined with tent after tent of brewers, so we could wander up to whichever brewery we wanted and get a sample in our tiny, 3 oz pour cups.<br />
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If I had a buck for every hipstery, long bearded brewery guy we saw! They were rampant. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7JKmhqysVBdSMY_6oGH_DrEYFYumqbBpJCNrHTQvBGZhkCtaVNGRN0aZkvLZPP6uFogABkJYTwqxEboW8KL3Y-Agfv_k7JwyUkcM8zRs4BTukzi-uxzDGuYIaM7TDyPxbLcVaCja8Low/s1600/BeerSummitPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7JKmhqysVBdSMY_6oGH_DrEYFYumqbBpJCNrHTQvBGZhkCtaVNGRN0aZkvLZPP6uFogABkJYTwqxEboW8KL3Y-Agfv_k7JwyUkcM8zRs4BTukzi-uxzDGuYIaM7TDyPxbLcVaCja8Low/s640/BeerSummitPicMonkey+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As we were strolling around, we saw a brewery tent we absolutely had to beeline toward. Who knew the Dude had his own brewery? Ha. I tasted a peach wheat from the Dude's. It was extremely peachy. Or, I guess I should say it was veeery un-Dude. Not my favorite!<br />
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There were food trucks there too, but the lines were outrageous, so we ended up getting a bite after we had our fill of beer at the festival. <br />
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We took a short walk to a pub I'd been wanting to check out called The Fox and Goose. One mushroom Swiss burger later and I was ready to call it an early night! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOegALDyfEOa_n3DMCBfxLn7iGf682MCrRoifS3IXmjXDMwcDiVRDCE4Ho9cCgyHOHAJOjuARmXlR5V8G3TOY40uQnstIzLB6h95v8f2-beaLEaMN9yuQ4grqbiZAu8qbhsFedzVcjnit/s1600/IMG_7746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOegALDyfEOa_n3DMCBfxLn7iGf682MCrRoifS3IXmjXDMwcDiVRDCE4Ho9cCgyHOHAJOjuARmXlR5V8G3TOY40uQnstIzLB6h95v8f2-beaLEaMN9yuQ4grqbiZAu8qbhsFedzVcjnit/s640/IMG_7746.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That would be the fox. And the goose.</td></tr>
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Another dip into our new scene in northern California. I have no complaints! Bring on the bearded hipsters!<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557730240313311919.post-44997778875946563112016-09-13T13:04:00.001-08:002016-10-17T22:29:37.394-08:00Thirsty Thursdays<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEvSfkjsctNFzvJp90ssjJ0PbarPU-CDzuQCnYDUjFyWnah5ojsVKogkMrkmaSRD51i73k7I5b_x5meMg07fzAm3a3xEZeq3u9USSQP2F0IjkaClOBr8UhMhHL5wTyr9tjknVmIXO6951/s1600/IMG_7724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEvSfkjsctNFzvJp90ssjJ0PbarPU-CDzuQCnYDUjFyWnah5ojsVKogkMrkmaSRD51i73k7I5b_x5meMg07fzAm3a3xEZeq3u9USSQP2F0IjkaClOBr8UhMhHL5wTyr9tjknVmIXO6951/s400/IMG_7724.jpg" width="400" /></a>The hubby and I have been into going to minor league baseball games since we discovered the Clearwater Threshers back in 2004.<br />
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So, we were both pretty excited to be <a href="http://www.agrandadventure.us/2016/06/so-long-kodiak.html" target="_blank"><b>back in civilization</b></a> where we could check out a few games again at our new locale, which is home to the Sacramento River Cats. They're minor league for the San Francisco Giants.<br />
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Don't get me wrong - sports fan in any way shape or form I'm not.<br />
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I've been known to attend games and walk out the door trying to remember who the opposing team was. Yes, really.<br />
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I realize it's a little ridiculous, but the actual game doesn't really matter to me! Which of course, begs the question, "Then why do you like to go?" Allow me to enlighten.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAhUN4Me4_I2w-VuiGRD6DKabVt97iWIp0Df4py9G5Jp_f-0PgDtRgQ8opW5WOVuyVQ2ihEAydruchTkG8vg3KOKNZbojiF1RmximlBOheOTPnwnFq73sbJ6ZODqB0DqvZBrH99W7BYU4/s1600/IMG_7723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAhUN4Me4_I2w-VuiGRD6DKabVt97iWIp0Df4py9G5Jp_f-0PgDtRgQ8opW5WOVuyVQ2ihEAydruchTkG8vg3KOKNZbojiF1RmximlBOheOTPnwnFq73sbJ6ZODqB0DqvZBrH99W7BYU4/s640/IMG_7723.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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What I love is the atmosphere. There's something about minor league baseball. It's accessible to everyone, it's affordable, it's more small scale than major league games, it's laid back, and nothing but a good time. And a Thirsty Thursday special doesn't hurt one bit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcka7rcLojAsWpaSwpW91BgCZvRjuS0P5Qbcc_uwvgUd66zLaOL0ImfMvi9vzeJb4gsDd08JrDOo-KjoZXpthXS-1eYQ3x0Ih_cbA457eNjVpER_-CU-ZKl4ZRFDNP_3Qb1CvnvMRGNh7Y/s1600/IMG_7718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcka7rcLojAsWpaSwpW91BgCZvRjuS0P5Qbcc_uwvgUd66zLaOL0ImfMvi9vzeJb4gsDd08JrDOo-KjoZXpthXS-1eYQ3x0Ih_cbA457eNjVpER_-CU-ZKl4ZRFDNP_3Qb1CvnvMRGNh7Y/s320/IMG_7718.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No - I'm not double fisting. One beer is the hubby's</td></tr>
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I love to wander around the stadium in the crowd, people watching, beer drinking, and basking in the sunshine.<br />
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You can't beat the aroma of hot dogs, soft baked pretzels, and all the usual ball park food suspects wafting through the air.<br />
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Oh, and I occasionally glance at the field.<br />
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The Sacramento River Cats play at Raley field in West Sacramento, so we hop on the light rail and take a stroll over the Tower Bridge to check out the games.<br />
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Raley Field has a unique view of the Tower Bridge in downtown, and since most games are around sunset time, it doesn't take long for a beautiful scene to emerge.<br />
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The iconic gold bridge reflects the setting sun and shines a warm glow over the field, adding a unique ambience to the setting. Yet another reason to enjoy it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tower Bridge</td></tr>
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We caught two games before the season ended, but we'll be back at it once spring rolls back around again. <br />
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We've kicked around the idea of heading down to Oakland or San Fransisco to check out a major league game next season.<br />
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But, who am I kidding? I'll always like the minor leagues better.<br />
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Even if more often than not, I usually leave not knowing the final score. Yes, really.<br />
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Ta-ta for now.<br />
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<br />Peghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17841100584293402054noreply@blogger.com0