August 27, 2007 Who's That Girl?
Beijo has been really suffering in the heat with all her massive fur, so we finally decided to get her shaved down. She looks SO different and it is kinda hard to get used to, but she is thrilled and it will be easier to lose those extra pounds. The groomer thought she was a husky mix, due to her felty undercoat. She looks like a puppy now!
As apposed to a big furry panda bear before
oops! That's not her...
There we go.
August 13, 2007 Upgrade
Due to some strange family conflict with my niece's maid of honor, she has 'quit' the wedding and Nicole has now asked me to be the maid of honor. This is so exciting! I'm not sure how much I can help out, but I've already assured my sister that Tom and I would make sure that Nicole and Mike are relaxed the week before and we would do everything we could do to make sure that things run smoothly. I am going to make Nicole a make-up appointment the week before, and we are going to purchase some make-up for her to wear, and I will apply it on the big day. I guess this is a start. I am also making her a surprise book for people to sign at the wedding, which I think she will really be into.
I took this video of Tom and Beijo in Glen Park Canyon with my Blackjack phone, so the quality isn't that great (sorry about the audio). This was actually about a month ago when we learned that Beijo really likes to play soccer (football, futbol- whatever). Now she is ace at it and she can block it so well we often end up booting her in the face or the side, but she loves it anyway.
July 24, 2007 Wild life
I got bonked in the head in the roda at Capoeira last night. It shook me brain up and I have a mild concussion. I felt pretty strange last night so we went to the emergency room (yay insurance!) just to make sure everything was ok, and it was.
This morning Beijo chased after a wild coyote in Glen Park Canyon. It was crazy, it just stood there and looked at us. It was pretty foggy so it is hard to say if it could see us. Just makes me sad after this.
Have been incredibly busy with work. I've got 5 Adobe projects going on concurrently at the moment and it is making my head spin even more. I've also been doing some work for the capoeira studio so I've pretty much been working, training, or doing stuff around the house. Speaking of which, Tom and I are moving on with the trim/baseboard we need to finish upstairs. I think it will take 3 weekends to get it done. Good news is, after that and hiring an electrician to work out the wiring in our new shelves- the upstairs will be complete!
June 3, 2007 Italy
Last month we took our trip to Italy for James and Amber's wedding in Spongano, and our first trip to Rome. It was amazing and we got to see so many people - some we haven't seen in a decade.
First, we arrived in London and visited our friend Vicky and had a pub lunch with our friend Mark. We then took the train just outside Oxford where we stayed a night with Vicky and her husband Dan. We got to meet Quila- their border collie puppy- which was bittersweet because she was adorable, but we also felt guilty and missed Beijo. We took the train the next day back to London where we flew out to Brindisi, Italy. From the airport we rented a car and tried to find our hotel (at night, in the dark, in a place we've never been). Let's just say that Tom could still speak Italian and we found our way. The hotel was next to a UN base so we woke up to see rows upon rows of tanks. A bit surreal. In the morning we checked out and made our way to Porto Cesareo, where we rented an apartment for 5 days. It was amazing- the place was super cute and modern and had a massive back deck patio with a sea view (well, in the distance) and a barbeque. We were in Porto Cesareo off season, so a lot was closed, but that also meant that it wasn't full of tourists. The beaches were incredible and the coastal area is known for its towers, caves, and ancient structures.
Tom' s brother Sam and his girlfriend Emily met up with us in Porto Cesareo and stayed with us for a few days. It was really great to see them and to chill by the sea. We barbequed on the patio, drove along the coastline and had an amazing meal at this incredible sea side restaurant which was completely empty except for us...aparently when things are off-season it is truly quiet. It was here that we saw this incredible sunset.
It was sad to see Sam and Emily go...and we made our way to Spongano for James and Amber's wedding. We stayed in this massive villa that was built by five brothers who owned the land, but couldn't stand each other. Each house was joined together but were private and separate from one another. In the center courtyard there was a garden and an orchard as well as a big pool in the back. Most of James' friends stayed in this villa. We met up with people we hadn't seen in ages- some we haven't seen in nearly ten years. It was remarkable. All of the guys in the wedding party lived with Tom in college. A lot of the other guests used to work at Colors Magazine or Fabrica when we were there. We had a beautiful meal followed by a night of partying the evening before the wedding. It was an amazing reunion.
The day of the wedding was spectacular. James had arranged for a procession of train buses to pick up all of the guests and transport them to the location of the wedding, which was at an ancient Agriturismo (although Christiano and Damian tried to go via the Cinquecento but that didn't work out too well- doesn't Christiano look like Borat in those photos?). The trains blasted music and the locals working in their vineyard looked puzzled as we passed. The wedding ceremony was held in the wine cellar and then we ate in the back courtyard. We then danced as our friend Christiano spun music.
Before the ceremony, the groomsmen all grew out their hair and beards. On the day of the ceremony they went to the local Italian barber and got a traditional shave and a hair cut. The transformation was amazing.
They also had a dance routine rehearsed and performed it after the ceremony.
It was really hard to leave as we departed for Rome. It just didn't feel like we spent enough time with our friends...people we haven't seen in so long.
We met up with Tom's dad in Rome, along with our friends Josh, Kris and Josh's mom, Michael. We were really taken by Rome, although the tourist side of it was depressing (not a surprise). We stayed at a hotel close to the Coliseum and in the five days we were there, we the forum, the Coliseum, the Vatican City and St. Peter's Basilica,the Pantheon, Trevi fountain, and were also able to tool around the less touristy bits of the city. I really enjoyed Rome and although it was expensive and touristy, I would love to go back some time.
June 2, 2007 House
I don't have pictures yet (I think I am waiting for more things to be finished) but the front shelving structure is about 90% complete. It looks amazing and it will become the centerpiece of the room. We still have to finish the fireplace and the trim before the room is complete- so close! We also got a new vinyl floor in the backrooms (kitchen, breakfast nook and sunroom). We had to go with vinyl because there wasn't enough clearance between the baseboard and the bottom of the dishwasher to go with hardwood, but I think it turned out great and will end up being more durable in the long run.
June 1, 2007 Work
I have been quite busy lately as I've taken on more work on top of my full-time job at Adobe. I like the work I do at Adobe, but it isn't consistent and my team has been going through a transition for some time which is a bit awkward. I am working from home part-time, which allows me to have a more flexible schedule. Mostly, this translates into me working nights and weekends a lot, but I am able to get all of my work done which is good.
The additional work is for the capoeira studio- I have always done bits and pieces of graphic design for them, but now I am the sole owner of their marketing and outreach materials. It is very exciting and I feel great working for an organization that I have an investment in, and one in which has an investment in youth and community in San Francisco. I'm looking forward to re-branding their identity and creating a kick ass website for them. I have so many ideas. Of course, time is limited do to my Adobe job responsibilities, but we will see how it goes.