B+I just came back from Tahoe last night. The weather was beautiful when we first arrived, and then the snow came on Sunday and Monday. I’ve never been in the snow while it was snowing. It had always been sunny for all the other times I’ve been up there. Lola, (my sweet little Honda CR-V), did so well, and busted out her four wheel drive and her shiny new snow tires to help us get through the snow. However, some lame woman in her compact BMW almost ran into Lola while we were going back to our cabin. Apparently, beemer lady in front of us thought that she could go up hill on an icy road without any chains on. Everyone else pulled over to the side of the road to put their chains on, but apparently, she believed with all her might that she could do it. Much to her surprise, she could not. So, she slowly started sliding down the hill sideways as I looked at her in anger and horror. “Just don’t hit Lola, you stupid idiot,” was the only thing on my mind. Our hearts were pounding as we saw her getting closer and closer to us. She had no control, and her brakes just made her slide even more. Luckily, the car coming from the opposite direction realized how much of a moron this beemer driver was, and gave us room to go around her. I can’t imagine the frustration the locals have dealing with lame and irresponsible tourists who think they can drive. I am very thankful that we made it out of there admidst all the crazies.

B went snowboarding, and I finally realized, (after ten years), that he’s pretty good. He went with a couple other people, who confirmed it for me. How was I supposed to know? I don’t go on those double black diamond runs. In fact, I don’t go on runs at all. I’d rather hang out in the lodge where it’s warm. I’ll go out and play in the snow, then go back to where it’s warm. Just not my cup of tea….. ahh… now tea, I can do.

We left yesterday at 11am, and did not get back until 5pm. Yeah, it took a long time, but at least we had some time to rest before we got ready to go to a dinner party. The dinner was scrum-diddly-umptious, and the company was equally good! I also got the chance to finally meet a person that I’ve been wanting to meet for a long time. She was super nice, had a great sense of humor, and not to mention, super cute.

Now for next weekend, I’d like to climb a mountain, finish my thesis, and celebrate Nigel’s second birthday.

Procastination…………… ain’t it the truth?

B and I went out on a date Saturday night. Since I’ve been gone, we decided to get our butts out of the house and do something fun. We got a gift certificate to a restaurant in Walnut Creek called, *Bing Crosby’s* from work. So, we set up a reservation and drove out to the land over 24. The place was crowded, and full of old walnuts and creeks. The middle of the restaurant housed a pianist and vocalist who sang old jazz tunes. There were black and white pictures of Bing everywhere, and they had these gigantico booths on the outer sides of the restaurant. The food was good (and expensive). The special appetizer of the night was grilled sardines with a light arugula salad and bread sticks. This was alright, but it reminded me of the mackeral that I make at home, so it was no biggie. The crabcakes were good, and the sauce that came with it was yum. B ordered the lamb three ways, and I ordered the seared Ahi Tuna. For dessert, the chocolate souffle was definitely worth the wait. They say to allow 20 minutes, but with a couple glasses of wine in our tummies, 20 minutes seemed like 20 seconds. Oh, and we sat across from Dennis Richmond of Channel 2 news. Though, it is always strange to see famous people in person because they seem to look very plastic. Of course, I’m being purposely naive here as to not offend anyone…… cough…. cough…. surgery.

After dinner, we caught Charlie Wilson’s War in Emeryville. It was a good movie, and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character was awesome. It’s worth it to just see him.

Good date night. I taught five kids earlier that day, so it was nice to have a couple glasses of wine that night. I was a little tanked….. lightweight, remember? The kids were good though, and super cute. But my butt was definitely hurting after the fourth hour of teaching. Getting old.

I just got back from NYC last night, and I will admit that I’m not all that thrilled to unpack again. But once again, NYC did not fail me and I had a very fun trip! We stayed at the Pod Hotel, (picture of lobby above), in Upper Midtown, and our little bunk room was small, cozy, and sufficient enough for two. You have to share bathrooms, but there are four per level, and they are clean and nice. New York is ALL about the food, and I just can’t stop saying it. We went to a lot of neighborhood restaurants, and I think it’s the best to find hidden gems in the less tourist-y areas. Let’s just say that after the cruise and this trip, I need to seriously go back to the gym. It’s 2008, right? Let’s make another resolution to lose weight… hehe.

It’s a new year, let’s get this party started.