San Diego Wedding Weekend!

The bride, groom and a photo bomber!

SMS and I are in San Diego for the wedding of SMS' childhood best friend.  They've known each other since first grade!  SMS was the best man and the last two weekends have been wedding-focused.  Last weekend, he came down for the bachelor party where they shot lots of guns, went out to Ironside and then partied late into the night at the Andaz Hotel rooftop.  I stayed home and drank green juice.  Boring!

Academy of Our Lady Peace, San Diego (Wedding Venue)

This weekend, we both came to San Diego for the actual wedding weekend.  After a delay on Southwest, we arrived in San Diego at lunchtime.  Rip and Linda picked us up and we had lunch at El Indio.  Yum!  SMS and I shared several Mexican food items- a tamale, enchilada and California burrito (steak, fries, cheese).  We only ate half of the burrito though but never fear, it was still at least three pounds of food!

After lunch, we headed back to the Homestead where we spent a lazy afternoon.  SMS and I headed out to the rehearsal around 4:30.  The rehearsal started at 5 and I very quickly realized that it was going to be a long one.  So, I texted a residency friend and we met up for Sangria at Cueva- a much better plan!  We caught up on work gossip and talked about our respective new jobs coming up this Summer.  It was so great to see her and I really had a great time.

SMS texted a "SOS" so I headed back to the Church.  The head camp counselor, aka the wedding coordinator, still had about 20 minutes of talking left but finally, we made it out of there.  We went to Kahn's Cave for the rehearsal dinner.  It's an Asian fusion/tapas type place and it was really tasty.  I liked the sesame chicken and the calamari the best.  The beer came in close second.  I had a milk stout and a Belgian gold style- eclectic choices but delicious.

It was great to catch up with the bride and groom, plus his sister who's a really close friend of mine. After dinner, we headed home and went to bed.  I slept well, which was great after a really tiring week.

Caffe Calabria!

The next day was wedding day!  SMS and I did some fun errands after a lazy morning.  We went to North Park and hit up Caffe Calabria *my heart* and Pigment.  Then we went to the Exchange where I stocked up on some makeup.  It was definitely worth the savings!  We headed back home where SMS got ready.  He looked great in his tuxedo!

My wonderful in-laws!

Wedding Party

Rip, Linda and I went to the Church together.  The wedding was nice with a Priest who fancied himself to be quite the comedian.  After the ceremony, we headed over to the Admiral Kidd where they had a beautiful, huge (300 people!) reception.  SMS did a great job with his best man's toast and we had a lot of fun.  We're so happy for John and Grace and wish the very best for them!

Sailboat on San Diego Bay.  And me!

BEST best man!

Best man duties!

San Diego Sunday

East Village with very retro-looking trolley

SMS and I had a wonderful Sunday in San Diego.  We saw so many things over the weekend, it made me wonder what I did when I lived in San Diego.  Oh yeah, work.  Not that I was terribly overworked but residency was busy.  Moreover, it's different to vacation in an area than to live in it.  Example A: All the people who live in San Diego and rarely go to the beach!

On Sunday morning, we were a little lazy.  Then we decided to grab a pre-brunch snack.  We were thinking of Hillcrest but ended up in Little Italy due to parking issues.  We went to Cafe Zucchero, where SMS bought the heaviest doughnut I've ever picked up.  It looked light but the middle was stuffed with dense, delicious cannoli filling.  It was delicious.   We split the doughnut (so restrained!) and had an espresso each before heading to Bottega Americano for brunch.

Bottega Americano

Beautiful sugar cookie, looked better than it tasted :/

The whole family was there for Rip's birthday brunch.  We had a great time.  The brunch got off to the perfect start with present opening.  Who wants to wait in suspense?  SMS and I went the classy route with a bottle of wine but we got beaten in every other way by his sister and Michael's gift.  Starting with the unicorn card, the present ended up being a squatty potty.  And in looking up the link for all of you gentle readers (you're welcome!), I realize even more how awesome the present is.  Especially when opened up in a public place.

Smoking Salmon

 We had a delicious leisurely lunch.  The food was awesome and everyone was really happy with their choices.  Afterwards, SMS and I went to the Hillcrest Farmer's Market.  I wanted to see if the handbag maker was still there, but I didn't see him.  There were also amazing food stands (poke bowls, uni, Thai food, BBQ, smoked salmon) but we weren't hungry at all.

Torrey Pines

We went to Torrey Pines and walked the beach and then into the cliffs along the path.  It was a really beautiful day and we had a lot of fun.

We went back to the house, had chili with a tamale and after our last Mexican food meal of the trip, headed to the airport to head back to San Jose.  I had such a great time and I feel very lucky to be able to head down to San Diego for a weekend!

Sunny San Diego Weekend!

SMS and I are in San Diego!  Yay!  As much as I try to pretend that there's no difference in the weather, it's definitely warmer here.  All Winters are not alike!

We came down Thursday night and were picked up by his parents.  It was pouring rain!  Apparently, it had been raining for almost four days straight.  There was some flooding earlier in the week, made worse by people thinking their cars were amphibious.  This was incorrect.

If you have a Amphicar, though, it's ok!

Friday was our errand/"work" day since we were in town for SMS to photograph our friends' wedding.  SMS went to the camera store to pick up his expensive Nikon rental.  Then we went to Miramar so I could pick up a medal for my dress uniform.   For some reason, I was unable to mount my medals well, sliced open my thumb on the bracket and bled on three of the medals.  That's about $25 down the drain, whah.  At least I didn't get it on the uniform.  After my year's quota of F-bombs, it turns out I wasn't even needed since one of the Marines backed out last minute (as happy as I was to get out of it, who does that the day of the wedding?!?!) and a Navy person had to volunteer to drop out.  I beat another guy to the punch and I got to change out of my uniform.  Yay!!!

The wedding was really nice and SMS got some great pictures.  I was his trusty assistant and it was a lot of fun!  I got to mingle a little bit but since we didn't know anyone at the wedding apart from whom we met that night, it was fun to have something else to do, too.

Saturday was our Fun in San Diego Day!  We got up and had a delicious breakfast of avocado sourdough toast and poached egg, made by Rip.  Yum!!!  Then we were off on adventures.

First, we went to Cafe Calabria.  It's my favorite coffee shop in San Diego and I was so glad to go again.  We each tried something new.  I tried a Bicerin, espresso+ steamed milk+ Nutella and SMS got a Caffe Vienesse, espresso, steamed milk, honey and cinnamon.  Both drinks were great and I also got a small coffee to-go.  Also, there is now a seating area in their roasting room so it was pretty cool to see the equipment up close.  Then we walked down the street to Pigment and looked at all of the super cute, on trend housing goods, cards and other awesome stuff-I-didn't-know-I-needed-until-I-see-it!

Farmer's Market

After North Park, we drove through South Park on our way to the Little Italy's Farmer's Market.  It wasn't the most direct way, but I wanted to see more of the two neighborhoods.  We were pretty lucky with Little Italy parking.  We walked through the entire Farmer's Market.  It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun.  We ran into a friend of mine from Yokosuka, which was pretty awesome.  He's currently at NMCSD so it's not as random as it sounds.

Beautiful view of Coronado from Cabrillo National Monument

Our lunch was from the Farmer's Market- two samosas, one butter chicken and one saag paneer.  Then we went to Point Loma and toured an Open House.  Someday...

So happy!

One of my favorite places in San Diego

After our Open House dreamfest, we headed to Cabrillo National Monument.  There was a slight backup getting in but parking was pretty easy.  We enjoyed the view and then headed down the road to the tidepools.  We walked down since the parking lots were full.  It was a lot of fun to take in the view by walking, even though it's slightly hazardous without a shoulder or sidewalk.

Although SMS is a great photographer, he is meditating on how his wife is able to take such amazing shots.  Is the
shoe there on purpose or by accident?  Is the rock the same size as his head?  How many drops of
water are in the ocean?  Imponderables...

The tidepools were beautiful and we walked around, looking in the pools and trying not to fall in.  We headed back up the hill and headed downtown to Zymology 21, a bar that specializes in shrub and bitters drinks.  The coolest thing is the Shrub Sampler, which is 5 test tubes of shrubs to mix into one spirit of choice.  Since the spirit is about 5 shots worth, we passed but we did enjoy the "Fire and Ice" show that accompanies the presentation when other tables ordered it.  The server lights 151 liquor on fire, swirls it, waits about 30 seconds and then pours it into the beaker holding the test tubes.  The beaker contains dry ice which causes a cloud waterfall-like effect while the fire goes down the poured out liquor stream.  It was pretty cool!

After Zymology, we headed to my favorite restaurant, Banker's Hill Bar and Restaurant!  Although there are so many amazing places in San Diego and new ones I should explore, I like going back to old haunts.  We had the potato chips, salad (a little yin/yang action there), charred brussel sprouts and roasted parrotfish in a cioppino-type sauce with calamari, tomato and sausage.  The chef was a little heavy with the salt but we will still go back!

Finally, it was time to go home.  It was a great San Diego day!

Gobble, gobble: Thanksgiving in San Diego!

In the San Jose Airport, ready to go!

Time to celebrate Thanksgiving, the secular eating fest where a turkey is sacrificed on the alter of gluttony!  Rejoice and be glad!!!

SMS and I decided to head down to San Diego for Thanksgiving so we could spend some holiday QT with his family.  We headed down on Thursday morning and were picked up by Linda and Rip.  We headed over to the house and were joined shortly thereafter by SMS' grandfather Marty and his lovely girlfriend Pam.  We hung out and had a great time talking throughout the afternoon.  I tried to have a semblance of manners and talked about things other than how excited I was for Thanksgiving dinner and was it time to eat!?!?!?!  With my inner Piggly-Wiggly under reasonable control, our party expanded when SMS's sister and her husband arrived.

About an hour or two later, it was time to sit down for the feast.  We had turkey, stuffing/dressing, mashed sweet potatoes, rolls, kale salad and cranberry.  It was all pretty delicious.  Afterwards, we had three kinds of pie and yes, I managed to sample them all.  The apple crumble pie was pretty good but for tradition's sake, I think I'll crown the pumpkin pie as my personal favorite.

SMS in Cafe Calabria

On Friday, Linda, Pam, SMS and I made the slightly ill-considered decision to brave the crowds of Black Friday at the 32nd St Exchange.  While we got a few good deals, the line-waiting (done mainly by St. SMS) was pretty excessive and I think we were all glad to get out of there!  Getting out of there was also nice because it meant we headed home and had Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches, yay!

That night, we met up with family sans Marty and Pam to eat at Davanti Enoteca.  It wasn't bad but I feel like it was better in the past.  It was fun to hang out though and I got to enjoy Aperol Spritzes, which is a fine beverage!

Del Mar, at the turn-around point

On Saturday, I headed up to Cardiff to do my 13 mile long run after stopping at Cafe Calabria for a coffee.

I started on my old 4-mile loop to downtown Encinitas and then ran along the 101 just past the Del Mar dog park and back.  It was a gorgeous day and amazing run.  I'm so happy I got to run such a scenic route.  Because I was hungry, I stopped in at the Seaside Market to buy some Cardiff Crack (burgundy marinated tri-tip) for dinner. I also stopped in at VG's Donuts and bought some buttermilk bites.  Delicious!

I got back home, showered and then headed out to Mission Gorge with SMS.  We went rock-climbing with our friends Eric and Angela and had a great afternoon.  To be honest, I was frustrated a little bit at my lack o'skill but mostly because I was additionally handicapped by ill-fitting shoes that were simultaneously too big to get a good hold but still able to hurt my toes.  Whah!  *pout, pout*  But, overall, it was a great, social afternoon and even though I didn't get the best climbing day in, I felt like I had checked my "active self" box due to my run in the morning.

On Saturday night, John and Grace came over and we ate the Cardiff Crack which Rip BBQ'd up beautifully.  It was so amazingly good.  We also drank a lot of wine and cabernet sauvignon goes very well with Cardiff Crack, in case you came to read this blog for food-wine pairing tips.

Ladies who brunch.  

Sunday was our last day in San Diego but we had a pretty full day.  SMS hung out with his friend Oscar while I headed out to brunch at the Patio on Goldfinch with some of my SD friends.  A big group of us used to go out for brunch and even though we've lost a few members to moves, we had a great time catching up and eating a delicious breakfast.

Afterwards, I went to the Miramar PX to buy a Sonicate toothbrush head (highlight of the weekend) and then headed over to my former co-resident's house where he, his wife Erin and I shot the breeze for a little while.  It was nice to catch up on San Diego ENT gossip and also just catch up in general since it had been about two years since we've seen each other.

Then, I headed back to Rip and Linda's where we all hung out until it was time to go back to San Jose.  It was an incredible weekend and I didn't want it to end!

San Diego Visit Recap- Newport Beach Weekend 2!

The weather wasn’t as nice, but we still had a great time.  We hung out with SMS’ grandfather Marty.  We went to the Elk’s Club, which is a long-standing favorite of Marty's.  Now I just need to go to the Chicken Coop and I'll really be family!

On Sunday, we watched the Oscars with Marty and Pam before heading out to Gulfstream.  They were out of oysters!!!  I almost wanted to leave but we stayed and had a great meal.  

Monday, we drove to San Diego.  The flight was delayed and I called during our drive.  The lady said I would still make the plane and should stick with the itineray.  I had a gut feeling that this was NOT a good idea but hey, the United lady said to do it.  We got to San Diego and the woman at the counter was like, “Um, highly unlikely” that I would make the flight.   &%*$&$*!!!  After looking at multiple options, I got a flight out of LAX on Singapore Airlines.  Bad news: I had to get myself there.  So my awesome husband and I got more QT time although unfortunately in the form of a deja vu roadtrip north.  

Now I’m on Singapore Airlines which is the height of luxury, even in coach!  I have an aisle seat and they are feeding us like crazy.  I declined the Hagen-Daz and copious booze (free cocktails and after-meal apertifs).   Why?  Because I’m crazy!  Who wants free booze, not me!   Seriously though, I wanted to study on the flight so no drinking and as for the ice cream,  I’ve already eaten enough rich food that Hagen-Daz and I don’t need to be besties right now!

Also, although I have studied, I did sample the inflight entertainment.  It is AWESOME!  So many movies and TV shows.  I’ve already watched Dallas Buyer’s Club (sorry SMS) and August: Osage County.  I recommend both!

San Diego Visit Recap- San Diego!

We headed down to San Diego on Monday after our beach getaway.  The San Diego week was much busier!  SMS had his classes and some homework while I worked on my studying for boards.  We still had time for some nice dinners (always), but it was surprising how fast the week flew by!

We stayed at the Navy Lodge on North Island and had a beautiful view of the beach and Point Loma.  I went for a walk on the first day, which was gorgeous and a case of good timing since the weather wasn’t all that great for the rest of the week.  

On Monday, we had dinner at SMS’ parents’ house.  Rip cooked up a delicious marinated chicken thigh dish.  I also met up with a friend earlier in the day for veggie juice.  It was nice to have a friend date since I usually only catch up with people in big groups. 

On Tuesday, SMS had his first photo shoot.  We set up in Coronado across from the downtown skyline.  SMS had to move fast b/c of the changing light but he managed to get the conditions he wanted.  It was a gorgeous sunset with beautiful clouds so I think the pictures will turn out nicely!

After the photos, we met up with Linda and Rip at Banker’s Hill Bar and Restaurant.  That is definitely my top restaurant in San Diego (in case you are wondering, other favorites are The Smoking Goat, Enoteca Davanti, Starlite and Kitchen 4140).  I had a delicious salad, a deviled egg and for an entree, SMS and I split two dishes- the burger (awesome!) and “Crispy Eggplant Parmesegnia.”  Everything was awesome, incuding the butterscotch pudding and chocolate-coconut tart (with an almond joy taste).  The tart was served with espresso ice cream and spicy kettlecorn.  Awesome combo of textures.  I really don’t like firm toppings on ice cream (no chewing ice cream!) but the popcorn was awesome.  A little give which only increased as it got slightly soggy (but a good soggy!).

On Wednesday, I shadowed at Kaiser to get more neurotology exposure. I would really like to do my fellowship training in San Diego so I thought it was politically astute (read: brown-nosing) to shadow Dr. Cueva for the day.  It was really interesting and I think I made a good impression.  I followed that with a dinner at Cueva’s bar (no relation, just coincidence) with several of my awesome, long-time San Diego friends.  I really miss everyone and I was so happy to see everyone.

Thursday,  SMS and I took several pictures at Balboa Park.  He set up at the Organ Paviollion.  It was a nice setting with an afterthought bonus of being right next to where we met during December Nights.  We were a little late to meet Stacy and Michael for lunch, but it was really nice to see them and we had a tasty meal at Bread & Cie.

That night, I met up with my old book club, which is also composed of a great group of women.  We went to Wine Vault.  I was blown away by the food the first time I went several years ago but the other two times I went I’ve been less than impressed.  It’s still a cute place to go with excellent wine pairings but as you saw above, not in my top 5 SD restaurants!

Sunny San Diego!

Last Thursday, I left Tokyo and arrived in San Diego 5 hours before I left that same day!  Oh, things are wild and crazy when the international date line is involved!

Yes, it's time to see SMS again!  It had been a month since I'd seen him and in the interim, two snowstorms had hit the greater Yokosuka area.  This was much to SMS' chagrin since he would have liked to see it although knowing his allergy to cold, it probably wouldn't have been that cool.  It would have been fun to go sledding together- if he had been there, I would have gone out in the crazy wind and snow rather than staying comfortably inside.

But all that bad weather is left far, far behind now that I'm in the completely gorgeous, 60-70s degree temps and completely loving it!  My appreciation for San Diego is renewed.

Anyway, enough weather talk!  Small talk, chit-chat, boring!

So, SMS picked me up at the airport.  We waited for my billion-pound bag together and then hopped in the car.  I thought we were going to Newport Beach but he missed the first turn-off for the I-5 and then he missed the second.  He pulled into Little Italy and I thought, "MACAROONS!" because I thought he was taking me to the bakery where they are delicious and not stupidly priced.

Instead, he clicked a button and a garage door swung open.  He had planned something much, much better than macaroons (I know, how is that possible?!?).  We were having a mini-vacation in Little Italy!  Hooray!  My travels were done!

We stayed at the Pensionne Hotel.  It was very cute and in the heart of Little Italy.  I love that neighborhood.  We walked down to the harbor and then to dinner at Davanti Enoteca.  Dinner was outstanding!  We had their focaccia, which is more like a really cheesy double-crusted crispy flatbread.  It was awesome.  We also had a delicious mascarpone polenta with lamb shoulder ragu, yummy green salad, anchovies and a cheese plate.  I had two new-to-me cheeses at SMS' recommendation.  Both were terrific: La Tur and Robiola Bosina.

The next day, we had breakfast at Extraordinary Desserts.  We had coffee and granola.  It was good but I would like to go the Sunday breakfast spread at some point.  That sounds amazing.  Then, it was off to Newport Beach for a sunny, awesome beach weekend.

On the way, SMS stopped by Suny's camera store to get the last few details of his Toyo GII 4 x 5" camera rental for his San Diego film photo shoot.  We went to Santa Monica Seafood for a delicious (and somewhat pricey) lunch.  Finally, I got my hair cut for the first time since last Summer.

Then, it was time to kick back at the beach.  We had a great weekend, but more to come in another post!

San Diego, Part 2

On Friday, SMS and I headed out to Idylwild/Tahquitz for a day of climbing. It was so much fun. The weather was perfect and the area was gorgeous. I definitely see why it’s SMS’ favorite area. I really liked the climbs and rock quality. We started with a 5.9 single pitch, followed by a four pitch route. Both were awesome and we had so much fun.

 That night for dinner, we went to Aroma Café in town. I had their delicious bread, followed by spaghetti and meatballs. It was so good, plus I was really hungry! SMS had the sausage lasagna that was incredible. Overall, it was a really great day and I got introduced to a few more of SMS’s things. He’s always talked about Idylwild but the 2 hour drive kept us away until now! 

On Saturday, we went to Rip and Linda’s house and hung out by the pool. Then we went to Starlite and had a delicious dinner. We had mules, cheese board, arugula/ricotta flatbread, kale salad and polenta fritters. It was all so delicious. We finished up the meal with an ice cream sandwich- yum! 

Then, unfortunately, it was time to go. But really, the weekend was so perfect I wasn’t even that sad. The whole time felt like a bonus vacation since it was fairly impromptu and we had the best time. One month until Hawaii!

San Diego mini-trip

Mid-September, SMS and I decided we didn't want to wait until the end of October to see each other. So...I saw clinic Monday and Tuesday so I could head home to San Diego for the rest of the week!  It is SO nice to see SMS- he is very missable and although Skype is wonderful, it's great to be home!

We've also seen a few other people since being here. I think the highlight was going out to dinner last night (Thursday) with Linda and Rip. We arrived at the restaurant first and they were shocked when they saw me.  We wanted to surprise them and we definitely did!  It was pretty awesome and we had a great yakitori meal together. 

On Wednesday, I went out to dinner at Stone with several of my friends. No pictures, unfortunately, but I have lots of mental snapshots and memories from dinner. I feel very lucky that 7 of us could get together. There was the added bonus that SMS actually got out of class early and hung out with us. It sounds silly, but I love when our lives become more intertwined and when we hang out with great people together. 

Wednesday was actually the longest Wednesday ever since I left at 4 pm Wednesday and arrived in San Diego at noon on the same date. Since I left later in the afternoon, I actually got a fair bit done in Japan.  I finalized my car purchase and obtained base stickers. I also turned in my paperwork to arrange my "signing paperwork appointment" at the housing office. In the spirit of "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," I have nothing to say about the Yokosuka housing office. 

It ends up that I/we will live off-base. I found a great apartment in Miharucho. It's a 2 bedroom apartment on the second story of a five story apartment building right on Tokyo Bay. We have a full ocean view!  We also have covered parking and are only 1.7 miles from base. It's an incredible find and I'm really happy!  Pictures will definitely follow!  I am signing the contract on Wednesday, getting gas turned on Thursday and I'm going to have appliances and my express shipment delivered on Friday. I'll have a home by the end of next week!

As for the rest of my San Diego trip, SMS and I are going climbing at Tahquitz today and going to Starlite for dinner tomorrow before I go. We're going to use the birthday gift card I got from Brady.  I can't wait!

San Diego mini-trip!

Mid-September, SMS and I decided we didn't want to wait until the end of October to see each other. So...I saw clinic Monday and Tuesday so I could head home to San Diego for the rest of the week!  It is SO nice to see SMS- he is very missable and although Skype is wonderful, it's great to be home!

We've also seen a few other people since being here. I think the highlight was going out to dinner last night (Thursday) with Linda and Rip. We arrived at the restaurant first and they were shocked when they saw me.  We wanted to surprise them and we definitely did!  It was pretty awesome and we had a great yakitori meal together. 

On Wednesday, I went out to dinner at Stone with several of my friends. No pictures, unfortunately, but I have lots of mental snapshots and memories from dinner. I feel very lucky that 7 of us could get together. There was the added bonus that SMS actually got out of class early and hung out with us. It sounds silly, but I love when our lives become more intertwined and when we hang out with great people together. 

Wednesday was actually the longest Wednesday ever since I left at 4 pm Wednesday and arrived in San Diego at noon on the same date. Since I left later in the afternoon, I actually got a fair bit done in Japan.  I finalized my car purchase and obtained base stickers. I also turned in my paperwork to arrange my "signing paperwork appointment" at the housing office. In the spirit of "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," I have nothing to say about the Yokosuka housing office. 

It ends up that I will live off-base. I found a great apartment in Miharucho. It's a 2 bedroom apartment on the second story of a five story apartment building right on Tokyo Bay. We have a full ocean view!  We also have covered parking and are only 1.7 miles from base. It's an incredible find and I'm really happy!  Pictures will definitely follow!  I am signing the contract on Wednesday, getting gas turned on Thursday and I'm going to have appliances and my express shipment delivered on Friday. I'll have a home by the end of next week!

Epic Road Trip, Part I

SMS and I have done a lot of traveling this Summer.  It's been awesome!  We've seen so many cool, beautiful places and we travel so well together.  It's been an amazing newlywed Summer and I definitely feel very bittersweet about leaving San Diego.  But as I told SMS last night on the old Banker Hill apartment rooftop (my front door code still works!), I'm definitely going to be sad and miss him but I'm so glad I have him to miss!

So, yesterday marked our return to San Diego after an epic California road trip.  SMS had two weeks off from school after a crazy busy, successful Summer term and I was done with my job ages ago (ha, ha).  I checked out from the command on the 14th and on the 16th, we were off.

We got a slightly late start due to an id card appointment and last-minute errands at work.  By 1 o'clock, we were on the road to Morro Bay.  We hit some LA traffic but missed the worst of rush hour (I think).  We stopped in beautiful Santa Barbara for dinner at La Super-Rica Taqueria, which was delicious although the portions were smaller than I thought.  Never fear, the delicious cheesiness of our dishes were very sating.  I also loved stopping in Santa Barbara since I have a soft spot for the town.

From CW starting left: 1. SMS sets up his tripod 2. Underwater exploration vehicle dry-docked in MB 3. The Rock!

That night, we spent the night with 30 of our new closest friends at the Morro Bay State Beach.  SMS noted that, "I've been to many campsites and this is certainly the friendliest one I've ever been to."  He was referring not to the people themselves, but the fact that the campground was essentially a parking lot with tents pitched behind the car.  Our next-door neighbors were only six feet away.  Awkward when peeing at night, that's for sure!  (Kidding.  There were bathroom facilities that were actually quite clean and nice.  Although, when camping, clean = nice).

The next morning, we woke up and headed to Frankie & Lola's Front St Cafe for a little breakfast.  It was a cute place with delicious food!  We got the French Toast Brûlée, soufflé, flambé and the corned beef hash with poached eggs.  So good!  Before breakfast, we got a few pictures of the Rock, which was good since the fog rolled in during breakfast and completely obscured it.  Gooooooo, good timing!

Random spots in Big Sur.  Bottom left is Julia Pfieffer Burns SP with the waterfall on the beach

We hit the road and drove up the Coast through Big Sur.  We stopped at several beautiful places including Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.  SMS took some beautiful pictures and we stopped at the Big Sur Bakery for lunch after trying Nepenthe, which had a CRAZY line.  I turned it into a brunch and got the breakfast pizza (delicious!) and SMS got a fish special that was pretty good.

CW from top left: Cannery building, kelp forest, jellyfish lab, jellyfish!!!

Speaking of fish, we then headed up to Monterey to see the aquarium.  A childhood friend of mine from Rota, Spain lives there now and works at the aquarium.  Our tickets were comped and we toured the place.  The highlights for me were the jellyfish, sea horses and the kelp forest.  I could probably think of even more but I'll try and keep my favorites manageable!  Cat and Joe met us at 5 and we got a brief behind the scenes tour of the rooftop area where the kelp forest receives its sun and wave motion.  The rescue seal tanks are also on the roof.  We also went behind the scenes of the jellyfish exhibit and saw tanks and tanks of jellyfish.  Some were destined for display while others were destined to be the dinner of the other jellyfish.  Creepy!

We went to Lopez Restaurante Y Cantina, which was pretty delicious.  I had a molé dish that was awesome.   It was so much fun to catch up with Cat and meet Joe.  I feel very lucky to have rekindled a friendship from so long ago!

SMS and I left Monterey and headed to Big Basin Redwood SP for another night of camping.  The stars were amazing and this was real camping in real woods!  The next morning, we woke up and walked the .6 mile Redwood trail that hit a lot of the park's Redwood highlights, including the oldest and largest trees.  How courteous that all the highlights are in such close proximity!  We stopped by the gift shop where Mark advised me not to actually buy the coonskin hat I modeled.  Sad, but definitely the wise fashion choice.

Not a good look

To be continued!

Week 14

This weekend was so much fun! The week ended on a great note because my tympanic membrane perforation healed on its own after some mildly painful manipulation in clinic! Hooray! No surgery for me! So instead of being the patient, I got to operate and watch some really interesting pediatric cases. So, Friday was a pretty banner day. That night, I just chilled out at home while Mechen was on his golfing man date.

Saturday was a pretty awesome day too. It was very me-me-me since I felt very indulgent. I went to SPX, ran 4 miles, had a steam/massage/sauna at Sante Day spa and finished up with a pedi/brows at Noble Nails in Encinitas. The only thing I didn't do was nap although I was pretty close on the massage table a couple of times!

Then, I went to Blue Ribbon to put our names on the list for our couples double date with Cat and Gary. This proved key since our in-person wait was only 5 minutes while the total wait from when I put our names on the list was almost 90 minutes! We all got along really well and the food was awesome. We had the tuna crudo and bruschetta for appetizers. We split three pizzas- the Whole Hog (more pork than you could imagine), the Seasonal special (goat cheese, "nutless pesto" [snicker], prosciutto and mozzarella) and the Signature with arugula. DEEEELICIOUS! We then split a butterscotch pudding four ways which good thing we weren't germaphobes (and that no one had a cold!).

After Blue Ribbon, we went to Encinitas Ale House where we all got taster flights of beer. We all tried a Nitro processed beer, which we all thought was quite smooth. The rest were a smattering of different types but it was really a lot of fun. I had an "eh" Belgian gold, an interesting sour beer and a local porter from Green Flash which was tasty.

Today, we went to Jenny's for brunch which is the third time I've been for her Easter egg-stravaganza (oh ho ho!). The food was awesome. Before brunch, we went to the Presbyterian Church of Solana Beach that both Mechen and I really liked. I definitely think we'll be back!

This afternoon was a very lazy time of watching the Masters, which was excellent and quite exciting. We were both glad Bubba Watson won! Now, I'm off for a run that won't even dent my total caloric intake from chocolate today! We're going to have corned beef and cabbage tonight since weekend nights are the only time that I have to simmer without having dinner at 10 p.m.

I'm also busy planning for the Mercy trip. I'm trying to think of things I liked having on the Hawk and making sure I bring them, within reason. I am SO excited about this Summer!

Week 13

AKA, my birthday weekend! Actually, I had a small amount of birthday fatigue just before my birthday mostly because I was a little cranky and just needed nap- or at the very least, a good night’s sleep.

The weekend before my birthday, though, was pretty awesome. The aforementioned crankiness only hit on Sunday. Anyway, that Saturday, we went out on a bar crawl through North Park. It was organized by Matt and included a fair number of his MBA classmates. By the end, there were a fair number of Michelle’s friends though- Brooke, Cat, Colleen and her husband Izzy and me and Mechen! We started at URBN (where they hate the letter “A!”) and had pizza and beer. It only got better at West Coast Tavern where there was more beer and even better, an awesome Bloody Mary. We then went to Touranado followed by Ritual Tavern, which was much smaller than I expected. They have special events there that I’ve seen posters for and I just thought it would be bigger. Oh well, wrong! We ended up at El Take It Easy where I had ridiculously overpriced but delicious ramen. Hey, it was fancy ramen! Then Mechen and I split off and went to Extraordinary Desserts. It was a really fun day but I still feel totally beered out. I wasn’t hung over but I just felt so full. I think beer is slightly tough on my stomach even in smaller amounts. But I do like it- not just the taste but also, the ability to hang out and have a beer. I feel that connotes a more laid-back demanor and chill attitude than being a girl who “doesn’t drink beer.” I know this is ridiculous but still, it’s the association I make in my head.

The next day, Mechen and I made the bike ride to Torrey Pines and hiked the trails. It was so much fun! I felt very fit and North County! It was a 10 mile ride one way and the hike was gorgeous. We stopped at The Secret Cafe in Del Mar, a cute place with sidewalk seating that focuses on Brazilian cuisine. It was delicious! We had a pork sandwich and turkey sandwich prepared similarly. We split half-sies and it was so tasty!

The next day was my BIRTHDAY! Any ennui that I felt the night before was gone! I had a great day in the OR and managed to get out the hospital around 4:15. My car was no longer street legal since the registration had expired 3/26 so I went to get an oil change and smog check. Guess who had no oil and a filthy filter? This girl’s car! Whoooo, way to get my money’s worth! Kidding! I know, bad me, just b/c Bluey is rapidly approaching beater status doesn’t mean I should kick it and abuse the poor car. And bonus, my engine doesn’t rattle anymore (that was only going on for a couple of days. really!).

Then, I picked Mechen up at Santa Fe Depot. Oh, the Coaster, you’re the best! We went to Enoteca Devanti which was awesome! At first, we had planned to go to The Pearl so I could get a free entree. I liked the idea of a restaurant rewarding my birthday, yeah! But then I decided I wanted something different and I had heard amazing things about Enoteca so off we went with a pre-dinner stop at Starlite for drinks and happy hour appetizers, which consisted of a white fish salad on rustic bread and beer-battered fried mushrooms. Both were delicious and we drank Kentucky Colonels. Mmmm, I love you Starlite but I wasn’t craving your menu that night so off to Enoteca!

Enoteca was delicious! Jenny and Tawnne had been there and we basically got their recommended dishes. We had ricotta cheese mixed with honeycomb on rustic bread. This dish was awesome! I love the slightly sour taste and charred crustiness of the bread. Although neither of those two characteristics sound like they would be a good thing, OMG. It was so good. We also had a beef carpaccio on greens with cheese that was good but paled in comparison to the other two dishes. Plus, the cheese was so sharp that it overwhelmed the delicate carpaccio. But, still good!

Oh, but the best dish was the mascarpone polenta with the daily ragu, which was pork shoulder that night. A delicious, creamy polenta with a hearty ragu prepared separately then spread out onto a wooden serving board. The polenta was the base layer with the ragu in the middle. It was amazing. We ate almost all of it and were going to take a perfect lunch-sized portion home but someone who was in charge of remembering may have forgotten due to the haze of two birthday Chianti glasses. Oh well, more reason to go back!

When we got home, I saw a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a present underneath! Mechen is the most thoughtful! I loved the flowers with gorgeous, velvety roses, trumpet lillies and star lillies. The present was an owl pillow that I had like in a Solana Beach shop. He topped it all off with the sweetest card. It was an awesome birthday!