B2B

This morning we ran the Bay to Breakers race.

This year marks the 100th year of the the race!

Our costumes were 100% made up from items we had at our house and incredibly tame compared to others. Yes, I'm wearing a neon leotard  and side ponytail (B said that really made the outfit). B cut those jorts last night. I think his fanny pack really made his outfit (and was quite handy!).

This year we ran 100% of the race completely sober. In years past we've only celebrated and never made it to the finish line. While both are fun, I'd have to say running is my favorite; you can enjoy the craziness and feel accomplished, all by 9:30am.

After the race we stopped for a few celebratory drinks in honor of a successful B2B and to kick of B's birthday weekend!

In my opinion...

Best group costume: A group of salmon, walking the opposite direction of the race.Hilarious!

Worst group costume: Where's Waldo. Hello, that's so last year.

I feel like this was stitched just for me.

{chez sucre chez}

Happy to report (from the artist): coming soon -- follow your heart... ...to ...... -- custom stitched with whatever place you want...  Hmmm, I choose Colorado!

Quite a sight

Last Friday I was offered a last minute (free!) ticket to the John Mayer concert. It was my fifth time seeing Johnny and, as with every other time, I was extremely pleased. He is an amazing musician. I'm always reminded of this when he jams (for lack of a better word) in between songs or covers a song from another artist. My favorite this time was Otis Redding's Sitting on the Dock of the Bay (very fitting for a concert in the 'frisco bay!) 

As I was enjoying JM from afar, I was also enjoying the almost full moon. As the evening played on, we also got to watch the fog roll in. When you're sitting in the cheap seats, it's hard to get a good picture of the performer. I am pleased with this shot: Mayer, moon and fog. Happy I was able to capture the sights to remember such a fun night! 

Brrr

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."  - Mark Twain 

Current temp: 58 degrees
Today's high: 65 degrees


Here's to hoping summer greets us soon!


Photograph by Brian

You get what you need

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need   ~Rolling Stones 

I started writing this post May 7 but didn't finish. I was looking through my old posts and re-read what I'd wrote. The quote above still means as much to me today as it did on May 7. Let me explain...

For the past 2-ish years B and I have been working on living in the same city. The plan has been ever evolving, but for a good part of the time, B was applying for jobs in the Bay Area. Meanwhile we lived 90 miles apart during the week and together on the weekends in Sacramento or the Bay Area. It worked, but we knew being together would work even better.

Fast forward to October/November 2009, maybe the lowest point of the recession, and the highest point of frustration that we both reached for trying to both be in the Bay Area. We brainstormed and B suggested transferring with our companies to a Denver. At first I wasn't sure I was ready to leave CA. So much still on my bucket list to see and do. After a day or two, I was completely on board (110%, even) . 

We thought transferring with our companies would be fairly easy. Since we'd both been able to move out to California on a transfer, why would going back be any different. I had one interview and B had three. None of which produced a job. We started talking about if one gets a job, do we both go...at what point do we pull the plug and both move. During this what do we do next contemplation, B was contacted out of the blue by a recruiter in the East Bay. He'd interviewed with the company over a year earlier and they wanted to see if he was still interested. He met for coffee and next thing you know, he had an interview.

Meanwhile I FREAKED OUT. In my mind, we were half way packed up and planning our move to CO. Once we had jobs, we were out of this state! I'd already thought about where we were going to live, how fun it would be to be close to family and friends, not to mention we'd worked pretty hard on crossing items off our CA bucket list. Thankfully at that same time my mom had planned a trip to CA. Having her here was a life saver. Her perspective, encouragement and "go with the flow" attitude was exactly what I needed. 

Two interviews in, I stopped looking for jobs and started looking for apartments here. At that same time my promotion was up for discussion amongst the management team. I'd been unofficially in the role since July 2009 and officially (minus title or pay) in the role since December. I was cautiously optimistic. 

Thursday, May 6 B was offered a job (YAY). Step-up in job, with a great company and IN the Bay Area. Double bonus - they also have an office in the Denver area!

The weekend of May 16 we celebrated B's birthday/new job, enjoyed time with friends and participated in Bay to Breakers. An all around fabulous Bay Area weekend. 

Monday, May 17 B gave his noticed and worked his last day in Sacramento.

Wednesday, May 19 I interviewed (aka jumped through corporate hoops) for the promotion. I also looked at an apartment that felt like 'the one'. 

Thursday, May 20 I was offered said promotion (YAY), we submitted our application for said apartment, OH and celebrated my birthday. My dear friends threw me an amazing birthday fiesta!

Friday, May 21 our references and background were checked and we were offered the apartment (YAY). We paid the deposit, signed the leased and capped the day off with a celebratory drink. 

That whole week I had to pinch myself; it was a landslide of good things and something we'd tried for 2 years. Although it meant we were officially staying in CA, it was a good reminder of our ultimate goal through this whole process - we'd finally be together! The fact that it all happened at the same time also reaffirmed my faith in the universe.

So there you have it. It's not exactly how I thought it would be. I like to think that means it will be even better than anything I could have HOPED for and exactly what I need.

Lemons, melons and pears - oh my!

A few weeks ago my mom came to the bay area for a visit. The moment she booked her flight, I looked into tickets to Wicked. While they are pricey, the rave reviews made me think it was well worth it.  And I couldn't think of a better person to see the show with than my mom.

The first night of her visit was our Wicked date! We had a lovely dinner and drinks in the East Bay before heading to the show in SF. We got into the theater and took our seats. The curtains were drawn, but the stage decorations that climbed the walls surrounding and above the stage increased my excitement. We anxiously read our programs and kept our eyes peeled on the stage as we waited for it to begin. 

To say I was impressed would be a sore understatement. I've heard many of the songs, and knew the basic storyline but I was completely blown away. The costumes, the songs and the storyline, roughly incorporating the Wizard of Oz, were spectacular. 

With so much to pay attention to, it was hard to catch all of the lines, but there were some great one liners. A favorite of my mom's was "lemons, melons and pears - oh my!" And mine was when the "wicked" witch was holding her broom and the "good" witch said "you don't have to fly off the handle!" These are two of many hilarious lines. 

The next morning as we lazily ate breakfast and watched the Today Show we couldn't stop talking about the musical. It didn't take long until we were watching YouTube videos of the original Wicked cast and some of the most famous songs. I can see why people have been more than once, it's THAT good!

 

The rest of the weekend didn't involve watching YouTube videos, thankfully we got out of the house and had a really nice weekend. We spent time with some extended family, friend and with Brian in Sacramento, took walks and enjoyed the spring weather. Of course we told all the people we spent time with about Wicked - the costumes, the songs and the favorite one liners!

I am so lucky that my mom has come to visit so much. Although it's gotten much easier, I continue to miss home and a large part of that is my family and friends. Having my mom here, or any loved one for that matter, makes home feel a lot closer. So come back real soon, ya hear? I can't promise witches, wands and one liners (oh my) but I can promise a wicked vacation. 

Leaving Piedmont

Dear 533 Blair Avenue,

As you know by now I've left Piedmont. It wasn't you, it was me. I'm moving on to new, exciting adventures. Well technically I've "moved" on to Cragmont Avenue, but it's a step towards something exciting. It's been bittersweet. We had some good great times. I am so glad I had the opportunity to live in Piedmont and on Blair Avenue.

I remember the first time we met. I was so eager to get out of my crazy living situation that I replied to your posting the first day. I was impressed by your charm, nice owners and although the apartment was small it felt like a perfect fit. I'm glad your owners thought so too; getting out of my living situation was a much needed breath of fresh air! And we worked out a pretty sweet exchange of babysitting for lowered rent. The kids were cute and seemed harmless.

Turned out that the kids were cute, mostly harmless and taught me so many lessons that I'll never forget. Remember the time R locked herself in her room because she was soooooooo mad at me? I never thought I could be so defeated by a 7 year old. Turns out she wanted to be my friend just as much as I wanted to be hers; it just took time for her to trust me. We had so much fun in that short time before her bedtime reading books, play games, braiding hair and making paper dolls. I'm so glad we became friends!

Did you ever keep track of how many times E told me I could "go home" because his parents were there? I think I lost count. Poor guy didn't make the connection for quite a while that I lived there too. Once he realized I was there everyday, he would come out on the porch in the morning to say BYE as I left for work.

You know what I still don't remember? The words to the song Blackbird. You know it's one of a handful of songs R and E liked to sing before bed. No matter how hard I tried, I never got ALL the words right. It was fun to giggle with them when I messed up.


How crazy was it when that old lady was found mummified in the house down the street? Creepy! I'm glad you're on the other side of the street and farther up the hill. It's better that way...except when I'm riding my bike or trying to reverse my car into a parking spot. Did you ever think my car was going to just give up on that hill? Yeah, I did too.


Do you remember how I asked if I could take the huge table out of your kitchen, thinking I'd get a cute cafe table to entertain? That huge table turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the apartment. Who says you can't have a craft room and kitchen all in one? It was a multitasker's dream come true!

What wasn't a dream come true was how many times I blew a fuse while using too many outlets or couldn't for the life of me get an internet connection. I don't think Brian will miss having to duck so he doesn't hit his head on the stairwell. Or having to shut all four doors in my room to keep the boogy man out HEY....mummified body? Yeah, you never know.Although there were lots of doors, I was grateful for all the storage space behind two of those doors. The cheerful yellow walls made it a perfect little bedroom.

Do you remember when I hadn't received my new Real Simple and I thought maybe your owners were upstairs reading it? Ok, I didn't REALLY think that....but I was wondering where the heck it was. I know, silly me! Such nice landlords, neighbors and friends. I remember the night they came home from their date night, the kids were in bed and I'd had having a rough night. I tried to keep it together but being the kind intuitive people they are they said...everything ok? That's when the water works started on my end and the hugs and open, sympathetic ears on their end. I always knew they were a little more than just my landlords, they were like family.

You can see why it's been bittersweet. Change brings opportunity and excitement, but it also takes some adjustment. It's funny how much more emotional I am leaving you than I was leaving my crazy situation on Oakland Avenue. I know I had a great situation and I have you to thank. I'd always wanted to live alone and it was nice to have that opportunity, while having a family close by, just in case.

This isn't really goodbye, it's see you soon...only this time I won't blow any fuses!

Take care! 

Love always,
Chelle

11

this morning as i rode the #11 bus into work, i realized today is my last day riding this bus. over the last two years i've built a love/hate relationship with the 11. Here is a glimpse...

i love that i'm able to get to and from work without a car. i love that riding the bus is not only saving the environment, but saving me money (i pay $4/day to ride the bus vs a minimum of $7/day if i were to drive and park in downtown oakland AND my work provides me with a quarterly reimbursement). i love that it only takes 20 minutes to get to work. i love that i can completely zone- out, listen to music or check facebook updates while i ride. i love the people watching, especially the junior high kids that go to school in downtown Oakland. i love the people i've befriended on the bus, especially the bus drivers (there have been a handful of times they've waited for me in the morning as I come running down the street).

i hate waiting when the bus just doesn't show up. thankfully this has only happened after work, so its never made me late but its still frustrating. i hate when i've been running to catch the bus and it drives right past me (i realize this is more my fault than the buses but go with me, please). i hate riding the bus when its monsoon rainstorm. people get extra feisty and it smells pretty gnarly. i hate seeing how some people treat the bus drivers (i try to be extra nice to them on those days). i hate not being able to run errands during the day or right after work.

all in all, the love outweighs the hate. this is the first time as a professional i've relied solely on public transportation and i'm hooked.

it's been a great ride, 11. i look forward to the adventures that await me on my new bus/BART train!

Dear Govenator

I'm writing to call you out on your bad parking. Not so much the way you park your car, but the way you skip out of parking tickets. It seems to be running in your family too. While I agree that being Governor should have perks, I don't think this is one of them. I'm thinking more along the lines of a VIP parking space. Not so much parking illegally in a red zone.

The citizens of California are helping keep the state a float by paying our outrageously expensive parking tickets* and higher state taxes, I think you should too. Next time you are parking in a red zone and the parking meter comes to give you a ticket, take it like a man.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Oh and feel free to park anywhere, it will be a FREE DAY!

Regards,
Michelle

* Parking ticket for an expired meter in the City of Oakland is $70.

Read the full story here.
This is my favorite part: The governor spent the first part of the segment talking about his commitment to promoting green cars (a category which definitely does not include Porsches), and became noticeably hesitant when Leno asked him how long it's been since he's gotten a speeding ticket. "Not in the last six years," Schwarzenegger said, which is the amount of time he's been governor. Good thing Jay didn't ask about parking tickets!

I would like to introduce you to the Cheeseburger Bird

I must admit that I was pretty skeptical when Brian told me about a bird that sang "cheese bur-ger." I'd heard him imitate the whistle several times but still thought he was pulling my leg. It wasn't until recently while hiking in Tahoe I heard the chirp and knew immediately what I was hearing. It was THE Cheeseburger Bird! Throughout the hike we heard several calls for burgers but never managed to see the birds.

Fast forward to Sunday morning. While waiting in line at the grocery store I was browsing Sunset magazine. The first sentence of an article about Lake Tahoe reads, "Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheese." I couldn't help but laugh and immediately read the article to Brian.

I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about this apparently infamous little bird! A quick search on Google showed me that The Cheeseburger Bird is well documented. Also known at the Black Capped Chickadee, this little bird can be heard singing "cheeseburger" throughout the spring and summer throughout the Sierra's. The bird is heard much more than it is seen. I've attached a photo because this cute little bird looks like it probably only eats a small order of fries and not a whole cheeseburger!

Next time you're in Tahoe, take a moment to listen for the Cheeseburger Bird. Even if you can't hear the song, share the story; it's bound to get plenty of laughs!

Skydivers in San Francisco

Yesterday in San Francisco some 100 skydivers jumped in formation for a T Mobile promotion. The 'divers then descended upon the city, landing in four preselected spots - Justin Herman Plaza, the Pier 39 rooftop, Marina Green and the Moscone Rec Center.

While I wasn't able to see the skydivers from across the bay, I did enjoy flipping through the pics taken by spectators. Here are a few of my favorite for your viewing pleasure!