The Journey is the Reward

Laughs, Lobster and Lori

Hi all,
Had a FANTASTIC weekend with my dear friend Lori and her boyfriend Bryce who were visiting from Lubbock, TX!

No visit is complete without a "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" experience. Pre game event was dinner at Gordon Biersch Brewery. We all hit up the Giant's game on Friday night and yes they won against the San Diego Padres. We enjoyed some fresh carmel corn, margaritas, and beers during the game.

Saturday had us touring the Napa Valley. This was an all day event featuring wine tasting at:

- Mumm Winery
- Whitehall Lane Winery
- DuckHorn Winery
- Chimney Rock Winery
- Miner Winery
- Alpha Omega Winery

We thoroughy enjoyed a yummy lunch at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen - a quaint little restaurant in downtown Napa; the sister property to this restaurant is Mustard's. Fried green tomatoes were a hit as our appetizer. All entrees were fresh, unique and super yummy. I would recommend dropping by for a lunch-time visit.

The Napa highlight was the First Annual Lobster Feast at Alpha Omega Winery. This consisted of all you can drink wine (of course), fresh lobster, artichokes, sausages, potatoes, and corn on the cob. The eating style was "all you can eat" with no utensils or plates. They pour the feast in the middle of the table and you pork out caveman style. Matt's favorite was the corn that was lathered up with Mayo; not my first choice but he devoured that corn. It was a great evening of laughs, meeting new people, tasting new wines, and the great beginning to a tradition.

Sunday was spent touring a few parts of San Francisco (the Presidio, Jones Street, Ghiradelli Square, Baker Beach (warning: lots of nude men). No SF trip would be complete without an honerary Irish Coffee at the Buena Vista. We had a delicious outdoor lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (9th floor of the Macy's building) in Union Square. Our romp back to the car greeted us with a man and his two pet rats (this was Lori's favorite part). The evening was wrapped up amongst friends at a BBQ at Matt's house.

It was a spectacular weekend full of fun, laughter, memories, new beginnings, and adventurous car rides (thanks Matt).

I was sorry to see it come to an end and I will miss Lori and Bryce mega bunches!! We will plan an excursion soon so we can all be together again.

Ya'll need to come back you hear!!
Fun times in CA!
Veronique

Over the Hill

On Saturday, Aug 16. we went to our friend Matt's 40th birthday. It was a fun gathering with friends, food and a lot of booze! Some victims swam while others just ate and relaxed. It was fun to see our friend at his finest! We collected a lot of good memories! Happy 40th Matt!! Can't wait to celebrate your 50th!
V

Need for Speed

Hi all,
Had a virgin experience this weekend. We went to Infinion Raceway to watch motorcycle racing (Greg's friend was competing). It was a unique experience! We enjoyed going into the pit area to see the set-up and preparation of the motorcycle; we enjoyed seeing the racetrack and all that's involved in setting up for a race; and of course we enjoyed the actual race -- what a rush! There were some minor crashes but nothing involving an ambulance. I can only imagine a NASCAR race must be very intense and exciting; maybe I should add that to my list.

Hope you all had a great weekend!
V

Tunes

Hi all,
Friday we had a great time at the Martina McBride concert. Our seats were great (7th row); I was able to get quite a few good shots (I will post those soon). She has a phenominal voice and she's so petite. I really admire her music. She had two openers: Chris Young and Jack Ingram -- both very entertaining.

Saturday we went to the Giants game -- YEAH; they finally won in the 10th inning. It was Outfielder Day so Barry Bonds made an appearance. He's well liked. It was a great game. My favorite part was the carmel corn--that stuff is yummy! They make it fresh -- it's warm and sticky! I loved it! It will have to be one of my favorites at each game.

Sunday was a day of yard work. We did a hefty trimming of the back yard. Felt good to get some clearance! We do this about twice a year. Everything grows so rapidly that we're never afraid to cut back.

Hope your weekend was fun!
V

Xtreme

We had the opportunity of attending X Games Fourteen in L.A.! What a rush! Those athletes sure live on the edge. It was wonderful seeing all the event live (skateboarding, BMX biking, moto cross, rally cars). The X Fest itself had a lot to offer -- tons of free giveaways, booths, food, and a skatepark for kids. We, along with 100,000 other spectators, had a blast! If you ever get the chance, I would recommend it. It's fun to see "the other side". Plus, I loved being in L.A. That town beems with fame, museums, state-of-the-art everything,glamour and glitz (yes - we rode down Rodeo Drive, Sunset Blvd., and Beverly Hills).

Yet another fantastic weekend!
V