Welcome to your fifth decade, Dude. Hard to believe. Don’t listen to Hillary – I love the shirt.

Thanks to Debra for throwing a super surprise party. More images here.

It’s Windows wallpaper season in California. And that’s no bull.

For those who don’t know, most of California looks more like this most of the year.

You may be interested in learning more about the the Window “Bliss” wallpaper.

One more thing — if you like whacked-out wallpapers, check out these beauties.

Our foodie friends Jim and Wendy dropped in while celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss. Congratulations to both of you, and thanks for giving us a reason to visit some of the best the Bay Area has to offer. I’m full now.

I attempted to recreate exactly the black and white photo, shot in 1962. I took several shots, but could not seem to find the exact spot the original was taken from, but one thing seems clear – the middle of the road has shifted somewhat to the left.

Thanks, Tom and Julie for a wonderful party last night. As always, the food and the company were exceptional!

A few more images can be viewed here.

I love barter. In trade for some web work, I get days at this fabulous house. This works out great for everyone involved, but the biggest beneficiary is definitely me. Its on trips like this that I am reminded how great my friends are and that I have the most wonderful wife in the world. Lucky me!

With temperatures on the bay hovering around 50 degrees, it might not have been an ideal day for a Hornblower Cruise. Nevertheless, the mighty IT team braved the elements and posed for the obligatory group shot.

We spent the last day of our four-day weekend at Muir Woods with Andrew, Jeri and the girls. After a hike through the breathtaking redwoods, we stopped at the Pelican Inn for fish & chips, bangers & mash and a few pints. A delicious way to end the holiday weekend!

Kelly and Tilly spend some quality time on the 350 acre Reinstein Ranch.

Yes, I’m still taking pictures, and Kelly is still volunteering at Xenophon, where we get to hang out with the nicest imaginable kids, horses and volunteers. Wonderful.

We decided we had had it with the white tile and grimy grout. We decided to go in a completely different direction. We think it was a good decision. I can’t decide what I like most, the fabulous shower or the speakers in the ceiling. :)

The mood around here is definitely up-beat. Turns out we all love the bathroom, except of course, the birds, who are totally mortified by this new dark space. Ahh… Life is good.

This was our first visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It did not disappoint. the fact that we were there on a slow weekday made it that much more fabulous. Highly recommended!