Alabamians + My Parents

Jessica, Jessica, and Arlin came to California this week to surprise my cousin Vy before her big Iron Man tri (112mi bike, 2mi swim, and 26mi run) in Sonoma, so we had a little get together at Uncle Thomas' and Hong's house in south SJ. It was a special treat to see them all again, as well as the babies and my grandparents!



Grandma and Sara (3mos)




Grandpa and Amara (23mos)




Here's a great picture of the cousins who were able to attend

Lindy slept over that night and we just stayed up watching movies. When I dropped her off in the morning mom fed us the best Bi Cuon ever. For someone who doesn't eat fish sauce, she makes it quite well. The best, in fact.



Mom's bi cuon and nuoc mam

She also gave us four potted plants to add more life to our already lively apartment. My mom is the best! My dad got a new Galaxy Tab from work, which is his new addiction, and I am beyond jealous. I asked him to order one for me if he could get away with it (shh!). But seriously, it is so much better than the iPad in many aspects. I am waiting for the tablet market to mature and become more saturated so I have more options for my budget.




I am looking forward to my lazy Sunday.

The Wood

"I can't be walkin' up in there with my breath all tart and shit, man!" - Slim

cuteoverload

i die.

Like old times

Good chats and good food with my sister and cousins. First time we've hung out alone since I was in single-digits.

Mary brought mini red velvet bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes!!!

Deformed Flounder

I've picked up fishing as a hobby and boy, do I love it! I've only ever gone crabbing before, but this is a lot more challenging and a true test of patience. Here's a picture of the only fish I've ever caught by myself:

The deformed/cancerous flounder I caught and released @Pacifica Pier

We've been on several trips now and I've caught some monstrous crabs on my fishing line, only for them to unclasp and plummet back into the ocean. BOO!

Side note: The flounder in the picture had lopsided eyes, which is normal because flounders' eyes migrate as they mature. The weird/gross part was that this fish had lumpy tumors on it's underbelly. No way am I putting that in my tummy (yes, I'm aware we eat chicken and beef tumors all the time).

Japanese at home -- my idea of a romantic evening

disappointing steak & eggs (@Bill's Willow Glen w/ Juju, Moo, and Austin on 7/26)

Meghan's Bridal Shower + Wharf to Wharf

On Saturday EJ and Matt joined me on the drive down to Yosemite Valley for Meghan's bridal shower. They dropped me off at her parent's house in Oakhurst and left for an impromptu hike together (how romantic!). It was so good to see Meghan again after about a year! She looked vibrant and gorgeous as usual but with an extra bride-to-be glow. Her parents prepared a fantastic meal complete with delicious adult beverages, and her sister prepared two games for us to play, one of which I won! Their backyard was the perfect location for her shower, although it was extremely hot. We were all dripping sweat bullets. Their house sits on 5 acres of their own wild land. There is so much plant life and geological history in their own backyard. You can't even tell how big their backyard is because of all the shrubbery and boulders. I'd like to have a house like that some day. The shower began around 1pm but unfortunately I had to leave early because of the Wharf to Wharf race the following day, so the boys picked me up in the early evening to allow us to get plenty of rest that night.

We woke up the next day around 5am and Matt arrived at the apartment around 6am -- right on time! We were shooting to arrive in Santa Cruz by 7 and we met our goal. Traffic wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be so we got there pretty quick and managed to find a spot in the free parking lot where there was also a free shuttle to the race starting point. Since it was our first race, we weren't too sure what to expect but the Wharf to Wharf staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Really though, it's not that hard to figure out where to go even if there are 15,000 runners. The run itself was nowhere as tough as I had presumed, but I was definitely feeling the pain in my knees and ankles the following day. I had forgotten how tough it is to run on the asphalt. I should've known because I damaged my sciatic nerve a couple of years ago when I used to run on the street often. I finished in 1:07, EJ finished in 0:59 and Matt finished in 0:57. We all did alright but there is always room for improvement. We can't be too tough on ourselves considering it was the first race for all of us.

We drove past the biggest wildfire I'd ever witnessed. There was also a deer family crossing the freeway to safer grounds. Matt has a better picture of it. I shot this while driving.

adult beverage bar

Shrimp cocktail, beef kebabs, wild rice salad, pasta and fruit. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Criswell!

Meg, Martha, and Claire

The only pic I got at the race

This salon was handing out cupcakes after the race. It looks better than it tasted.