It’s been far too long since we spent quality time with Andrew, Jeri and the kids. What a wonderful evening. Thank you so much for the great food and fun. Happy birthday sweetie!
Category: Bay Area
No Fireworks Here
According to weather expert Chris, The San Francisco Bay Area was the coldest spot in the US this Fourth of July, with the possible exception of a few locations in Alaska. Along with temperatures in the 50’s came the famous fog, which obliterated any hope of seeing any fireworks. Oh well… We did get to…
An Exciting New Direction
After ten great years at Affymetrix, thedude is moving on to what will hopefully prove to be greener pastures.
Gettin’ Better All the Time
Things just keep getting better and better in the Jack London District. It’s been a long time coming, but it seems almost every week, there’s a new and exciting business opening in the area. Last night we dined at a new restaurant two blocks away – Encuentro. The 100% vegetarian menu was 100% delicious. And…
Lunch With the Boys
Tom works in the iconic Transamerica Pyramid. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed anywhere near the place, so instead of taking shots of him in his swanky power office, we settled for Dim Sum at Yank Sing.
Happy Birthday, Laminator!
Welcome to your fifth decade, Dude. Hard to believe. Don’t listen to Hillary – I love the shirt.
The Golden State Turns Green
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.
Jim and Wendy Celebrate in the Bay Area
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.
1962 – 2009
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.
2009 Holiday Season in Full Swing
Thanks, Tom and Julie for a wonderful party last night. As always, the food and the company were exceptional!
Gualala
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….
Blustery Day on the Bay
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.
Muir Woods With the Girls
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!
Hooray Happy Horsie Day
Kelly and Tilly spend some quality time on the 350 acre Reinstein Ranch.
The New Bathroom
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…
Fabulous Fishies!
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!
The Club at Pebble Beach
Kelly, Kerry and Matt take in the view.
Bixby Bridge and Post Ranch Inn
On the second day of Matt & Kerry’s visit, we drove down past the scenic Bixby Bridge through Big Sur and on to our destination – lunch at the Post Ranch Inn. The overcast skies didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for this terrific lunch. I’m getting hungry thinking about that pork chop.
Kerry & Matt
Kerry and Matt paid a visit to the Bay Area. We spent a few food-filled days traveling up and down the coast.
He’s a Happy Boy!
My favorite shot from Lhotse’s second birthday party.
Beach Party? Not!
The buzz surrounding last night’s party was all about 200 tons of sand, five swimming pools and “swimwear encouraged”. Hm. Sounds like an indoor beach party, right? Well, the event resembled a beach about as much as I resemble Brad Pitt. Oh – there was sand scattered about the 250,000 square foot industrial space, but…
Lhotse is Almost Two Years Old
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Lhotse. She’s growing up fast.
Whisky Tasting
Andrew and I tasted a dozen Whisky’s last night at a nice event sponsored by the Whisky Shop. The tasting was held at the swanky E & O Trading Company, which means that in addition to the delicious spirits, we had fabulous food as well. If you get the chance, I highly recommend you attend…
Carnaval 2009
We almost didn’t go this year. We thought that the temperatures in the low-50’s with heavy overcast skies might mean fewer scantily-clad revelers. Luckily, we were wrong.
Hot Day, Cool Stuff
With temperatures more than twenty degrees above the average for this day, thedude decided to take the smartie to NASA’s 2009 Exploration and Sustainability Exposition, where we saw some pretty cool stuff, including a car I’d love to own. Well, OK just the car is just a brochure at this point, but it’s still a…
Carmel Weekend
One of the best things about the Bay Area is that you can drive two hours and see sights like these and end up in Carmel-By-The-Sea. And if you’re like us, you’ll take the wrong turn at least once and discover a cemetery bursting with colorful flowers, lush, green fields, happy cows and sea lions…
Horsie Day at Reinstein Ranch
thedude accompanied horsie-girl Kelly to her favorite weekend getaway. She had a great time with Tilly in spite of the muddy conditions, and thedude went a little nuts with his camera.
thedude Takes a Hike
When Andrew said that he knew of a place nearby where we could see “tens of thousands of ladybugs clumped like piles of scarlet coffee beans”, I knew I had to see it. It also happens that Andrew’s better half is an entomologist known to many as the Bug Lady, AND the topic for this…
Highly Motivated People
My Achiever wife and a couple neighbors got up very early this morning to participate in the KFOG Bridge-to-Bridge Run (OK – walk). I don’t know how they do it. I wish I had a fraction of that energy! While Jack and I were just too busy to squeeze in a 7K walk, we did…
Holey Christ
Here’s a sneek peek inside Oakland’s Cathedral of Christ the Light. Although the 190 million dollar addition to the Lake Merrit skyline will not be open to the public until 2:00 PM this afternoon, I was able to sneak in yesterday and shoot a quick panorama. After scratching my head about the outside of the…