Tiffany

HapPy HoLiDayS

2012-01-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

For the Thanksgiving holiday I stay in California instead of flying home. This year I spent Thanksgiving day having dinner with Doug's family. I always end up making my own turkey for Thanksgiving so I can have leftover turkey sandwiches. I also made a homemade apple this year and ate the whole thing myself, it was that good. The next morning, Doug and I ventured out into the madness of the black friday sales and ended up coming back home because it was absolutely insane out there. We got back up at 5am that morning and ended up getting everything that I wanted but without the hassle of the lines and all the people.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Black Friday Buys

Homemade Apple Pie

We didn't get out of school until the Dec 22, which is typically late but considering I had the week after off it was extrememly nice. I flew home early on Friday morning, so early that I had to ask the security guard at the airport if I could get through because I had a flight at 6. She must have been in the holiday spirit because she let me through, otherwise I think I would have missed my flight.

I flew into the Salt Lake airport only to catch the Salt Lake Express to take me to Idaho. Mom and Dad picked me up at the gas station that it drops you off at and to my suprise Teresa had come into town and brought Niya. What a nice surprise!!! The whole family was home again for Christmas and it was really nice to see everyone. On Christmas day, we waited for Teresa, John and Niya to get to the house before we opened presents. It was so cute watching Niya, she was just trying to figure out what was going on. Later that evening, we have our traditional Christmas dinner with my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Bob. We usually have it at their house but decided to switch places.

I spent a few days hanging out in Blackfoot, and then made my way over to Burley to spend a night with Teresa and John. Mom then took me to Twin Falls, so I could visit with Allison and Ryan. Allisona and did some shopping. I got some really great stuff and a cheaper sales tax rate. I wish I could have spent more time with everyone. I went to Boise on Friday and spent the rest of my time at Mama Jo's house. I didn't have a car which was different but found a way to get me one to drive.

For New Year's Eve, I hung out with Erin and Greg. I went over to her house to visit and then went up to the Boise foothills to another one of her friends house. We were out by the bonfire looking out over the Boise Valley. It was so beautiful and peaceful up there. After midnight struck, we left and I went home to bed. Later on that week, I met with friends to visit and have dinner, and I can't forget that I had to walk CJ and Marilyn to school.

As I was packing to leave, I was extremely worried that my suitcase was going to be too heavy since I was bringing back more than what I came with. I had 2lbs to spare and had to stuff clothes in another bag to make it all fit. The break was nice and long and I had a really enjoyable time. I hope that 2012 can bring more good times like 2011 did.

she's rolling over

Niya and her pillow pet

Christmas

Opening presents

Niya got Dr. Suess books'

My favorite girl

Me & Allison and our matching headbands

Me & Ryan

Happy New Year
Me and Erin

BSU vs. San Diego State

2011-11-21T18:26:00.000-08:00

So I was debating on whether I wanted to go down to San Diego for the BSU game and asked Lovern (a guy I work with) if he wanted to go. So we bought out flights and bought game tickets and decided to head down. We stayed with his mom who lives in Cornado, so we didn't have to pay for a hotel room. We took Friday off from work and flew out on Thursday night. We went shopping on Friday and stopped by some Brewery that Lovern wanted to stop at. On Friday night, I met up with Christina and had dinner at an amazing Italian resturaunt. We waited for an extremely long time but it was so worth the wait.

On Saturday, we went down to Randy Jones Sports Bar and Grill to enjoy some pre-game food and watch football and enjoy the company of other BSU fans. We then rode the trolley down to the stadium so we wouldn't have to worry about parking. Our seats were really great and we were around other BSU fans so that made it nice. BSU ended up winning the game and afterwards, I went down to field level to slap hands with the players. I also slapped hands with Coach Peterson, I was kinda start struck for some odd reason. I even got a photo opp with one of the players that I knew as well.

On Sunday, we went down to Lefty's Chicago Pizzera. Lovern is a huge Bears fan and they just so happened to be playing the Chargers. So we went down there to watch the game and enjoy the Italian beef sandwiches. The Italian beef sandwiches were pretty awesome. I wanted to try more but the sandwich filled me up so unfortunetly I didn't get to experience the Chicago style pizza or enjoy a Chicago dog. I had a really great time only to come back an enjoy a week off for Thanksgiving break.

Italian Beef Sandwich

Bears Fan at Lefty's

Pre-Game meal @ Randy Jones Sports Bar & Grill

Team coming out on the field

Gettin ready to tear up my Italian Beef sandwich

HaPPy HaLLoWeen

2011-11-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

I usually don't dress up for Halloween but I was inspired this year to do it and so I decided to go back in time and be a chic from the 80's. I had Teresa make me the tutu, I made the shirt with puff paint, bought the rest of the stuff and even had my hair crimped to top it all off. The kids at school totally loved my outfit and even told me that I looked like a grown up teenager!!! haha. Lovern was "White Goodman" from the movie Dodgeball. In class that day, we had a class competition in dodgeball so his costume was fitting.

Cal vs. USC

2011-11-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

So a guy I work with asked me if I would be interested in going to the Cal vs. USC game. I jumped at the opportunity at going. I've always wanted to go and watch Cal play and they just so happened to be playing USC. Since Cal's field is under construction, they are playing at AT&T park, where the SF Giants play. So I went with Andrew, who is another guy I used to work with because he loves watching Cal and knows his way around San Fransico better than I do. So we rode BART and then caught MUNI down to the stadium. We had awesome seats, however we were behind the USC band and by the end of the game I was really tired of hearing them play.

a ViSit FrOm bAcK hOme

2011-10-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

Erin and her sister Chelsea came into town to visit and take care of some personal business. I took a day off from work to go to the doctor because I got bit up by some bug at school and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't allergic to anything. It also happen to work out that I got to enjoy the day off as well with Erin and Chelsea. We went to IKEA and other shopping stores and then had a late lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen.

The next day we went over the San Francisco early ad walked down the Pier and to the wharf. On the walk back more people were out so we took a detour and walked off the main street and found ourselves deep in the shopping area. I was in heaven with the Ross store in SF, there were rows and rows of size 10 shoes, which in other Ross stores, I don't have that many options. And oh the rows of purses!!!! Then off to a couple of other stores and then off to some Brewery that Erin wanted to go to. It felt like we walked 5000 miles, but in reality the total trip that we walked was 9 miles. I had an enjoyable time but damn my feet were hurting on th way home as well as the next day.

Raiders vs. Patriots

2011-10-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

National Anthem by Brian McKinght

me & Dougie enjoyin the game

Kickoff with another sold out stadium

Tom Brady

The following week the New England Patriots came into Oakland, and yet again this was another team that I wanted to see. It was another sold out game and the weather was awesome. The week before the weather was rainy and overcast, so it was nice to enjoy the game in the sun. The Raiders were doing a great hanging in with the Patriots, but with the interception and penalties it killed the Raiders going into halftime. The Patriots came back out after halftime doin what they do best and ended up winning the game. I still had a great time even though they lost.

Raiders vs. Jets

2011-10-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

Mark Sanchez

Tailgaiting in the parking lot

Sold out stadium

Enjoying the game

Kickoff after Raider touchdown

First home game of the season for the Raiders against the Jets. I wanted to go to this game because former BSU player Kyle Wilson plays for the Jets. It was an awesome game with great seats, great company and an added bonus with the Raiders winning.

meeTinG NiYa

2011-10-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

So I became an aunt in August and over Labor Day, not only did I go home for the awesome fair food, I came home to meet my sweet new niece Niya.

I flew into Salt Lake Friday afternoon and had mom and dad pick me up in Pocatello. I had called her earlier to see if she would take me to Burley to see Teresa. Of course mom didn't object because she would get to see the baby as well. Niya is so sweet and so precious that I just didn't want to let her go. I'm so happy and excited for Teresa and John.

We also had a baby shower for Teresa and Niya on Monday. Family and friends came to meet Niya showering her with hugs, kisses and gifts. I was pretty bumbed that I had to leave but I look forward to going home soon to see Niya again.

LaBoR DaY WeeKeNd

2011-10-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

Since I moved out to California 4 years ago, I haven't gone home for Labor Day which means no Eastern Idaho State Fair for 4 years either. However this year was different because Teresa had a baby and I wanted to come home and meet Niya, and what better time to do that than Labor Day.

I've been going to fair since I was a little kid and as my dad says "it's tradition". When I go to the fair all I do is eat, eat and eat. There is so much good food, it's just so hard to decide what to eat first. However, I have my usual which includes: Pronto pups, Indian Taco, scone nuggets, chicken-teriyaki bowl, bread from the bread barn with honey butter and much more.

At the fair they also have their entertainment which includes a wide variety of stuff. Well on Sunday night me, Tammy and Craig went into the fair to get some food and wander around. We lucked out and got to watch the tractor pulls for free and it was pretty awesome. It's hot-rod tractors pulling a weight as far as they can go and it's hella loud and so country, that I love it. Even though I didn't get to spend as much time at the fair that I wanted, the 4 years was so worth the wait.

Tractor Pull

Two Thumbs Up!!!

Tiger Ears

i'M aN aUnT

2011-08-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

Niya Louise Shaw
August 13, 2011
11:30 pm
7 lb 2 oz, 20 in.

IsLaNd PaRk

2011-08-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

Island Park River

chillen on the boat, tryin to catch some fish

out on the boat fishin

Me out on the tube

Colt getting pulled on the tube

For our family vacation, we wented a cabin in Island Park for a few days. Everyone was at home to go except Teresa and John because she can't travel to far because of the pregnancy. They were bummed they couldn't come and so were we. Grandma decided to come up with us, so that was nice to have her there with us.

The first night (Tuesday) we got there we made fried chicken, scones and corn on the cob. Let's just say the entire time we were there we ate really well and had lots of good food. So much food I think I gained like 5 lbs., oh well it was good anyways.

We also had a few fire scares as well. Craig was cookin some ribs on the grill and since it hadn't been cleaned, the grease from our food and previous food, started the grill on fire. We lost a few rack of ribs. There was also a fire pit were we dumped our grease and one night we made dutch oven peach cobbler, and I think Colt put the hot coals in that fire pit that started that grease on fire. It was a good thing there was a hose with running water available to put those fires out. Aww the memories

AFter a big breakfast the next morning, we made our way onto the boat to do some fishing. Our first spot to launch the boat didn't have a dock because apparently it was a private launch. So we went further down the road and found a dock that would be easy for grams to get in and out of the boat. Once the boat was in, we all piled into the boat and went to Craig's nephew cabin dock and dropped off Tammy, Craig and grams to fish there off the dock. The rest of us went out on the boat to do some strolling and attempt to get us some fish. AFter a an hour or so of strolling and no bites, we headed back to pick up the rest of the gang and head back.

Colt and I wanted to get pulled on the tube so we went back to blow up the massive tube so we could get ourself a ride. Tammy, mom and grams stayed behind, while the rest of us went out on the boat. I went first on the tube and didn't do to bad. I think dad wanted to go faster but it felt like I was goin fast enough. Craig helped us in and out of the boat off the tube and I think he was so wanted to dump me, but I wouldn't allow that to happen. Dad didn't flip me off the tube, but he did his a few of waves on the second way around. My arms were getting tired so I told him to stop, then it was Colt's turn.

The next day we all went down to the river to get ourselves a tube to float the river. It was a 4 mile river and it took us about 3 1/2 hours to float. The water was FREEZiNG, my butt was pretty much numb the whole way down. Talk about a good laugh, watching Tammy and mom come down the river. Tammy kept running into the bushes, and mom couldn't quite figure out how to use her oars, so she ended up going down the river in circles. On our way down the river we also ran into a mama moose and her calf's, so we paddled the other direction only to run into some more moose crossing the river. Mission accomplished!!

I had a really great time spending time with the family and look forward to another great family vacation hopefully next summer.

SuMmEr vAcaTiOn 2011

2011-08-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

School's out for summer!!!! Spent the first half of my vacation just relaxing and watching a lot of Netflix and going to the gym. I was ready to get the heck out of here and yet again I decided that I was going to be driving back to Idaho. I left on the 9th of July and made my first stop in Boise. It was an extremely long drive but after 10-11hrs. of driving I finally made it. When I got there I stopped at gram's house because mom and Teresa we already there waiting for me. So I spent the evening visiting with them and catching up. Of course when I go to Boise I always stay at Mama Jo's house, so after I was done visiting I made my way over there.

On Sunday morning I went back over to gram's house and ended up watching the women's world cup. I really got into the women's world cup this year. When the game went into extra time, we decided to leave and go and have breakfast at IHOP (wished I didn't leave b/c the woman ended up winning that game in penatly kicks). After IHOP, mom and Teresa left to go back home.

The next day, I went out to LaFever and had lunch with Sandy and visited with her. It was really nice to see her since it's been a while. Later on that evening, I went back to get Mama Jo and met up with my friend Erin down at Old Chicago for dinner. It's so nice to be back and see old friends that I haven't seen in a while.

The following day, I spent the morning watching the women's soccer game again. After the game was over, I went over to Jill's house because she just had a baby. It was good to see Jill but weird to see her with a kid. That's something that I'm gonna have to get used too.

I made another trip out to Meridian to visit with Sandy at her house. She made dinner as well. Her son Ryan was there with his kids too, so I got a chance to visit with him and play with his kids as well. Later that night I went over to Home Court in Meridian to watch Terriel and Tirrell play in a basketball league. I wasn't there for long until Tirrell hurt his knee (later found out he tore his ACL and had surgery). I swear I'm bad luck when I watch him play. He hurt himself last time I watched him play as well. Its always nice to visit with my boys. I also went and had dinner at the Olive Garden with Sto and Terriel as well. I had a really enjoyable time visiting with them.

On Saturday I left Boise and drove to Twin Falls to stay the night with Allison and Ryan. They finally moved back to Idaho which is nice to know that I have someone to go and visit besides family. Ryan is an ER doctor at the new St. Lukes hospital. I got the grand tour of her new home, which is big and beautiful. We had dinner that night and visited. I sure have missed both of them, and I'm glad their back, even though I'm not. Its just hard to find good friends and I can honestly say I've found some good friends. On Sunday morning, Ryan made cinammon twists for breakfast which is something we had for breakfast when we used to live together; brought back some memories. Logan, Jordan, Kaden and I then went upstairs to play super mario brothers on the Wii, and had a good laugh and good time playing with them. Watched the first half of the world cup soccer before I left to head to Burley to see Teresa and John.

Teresa and John moved to Burley in April and they are expecting their first baby in August. I'm so excited to see both of them. They too have a big and beautiful home as well. When I got there, we ended up leaving again to drive to Pocatello to have dinner at grandma's because Linda and Charlie were there. All I have been doing is driving so after eating dinner and visiting with everyone, I fell asleep on the couch. I went back to Burley to spend a few days with Teresa and John and just hang out with my sista. We didn't do much since there is not much to do in Burley so we went to Twin and had dinner and also went to the movies. AFter all the fun in Burley I was goin to have more fun in Blackfoot.

Got to Blackfoot on Tuesday and didn't do much of anything but chill and hang out with the parents. Helped mow the lawn, saw myself a snake while mowing and about freaked out. It's a good thing I was on the riding lawn mower, cause I would have run away screaming. Went to Idaho Falls almost everyday, either with mom or goin to meet my other friend Erin for dinner. Tammy, Craig and Colt came up on Saturday in preparing for our family vacation to Island Park (in another post).

This trip has been very eventful with visiting family and friends. Usally 3 weeks is too long for me but I have truly been enjoying every minute it.

bObbLeHeAd dAy

2011-08-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

I called to ask Julie if she would like to make a trip down here to go to an A's game and plus there was a free give away, a Rickey Henderson bobblehead. So Julie decided to come down for the weekend to get herself a bobblehead. He is the all-time leader is bases stolen and he also threw out the first pitch of the game as well. We rode the BART down to the stadium and when we got there, the line was a mile long, who knows it could have been longer. I for sure thought, there is no way we are going to get us a bobblehead. The line started to move pretty quick and luckily enough we got one. Doug and some of his friends were supposed to meet us there to get one as well but they showed up late and I wasn't for sure if they were going to get one. Even though they showed up late, they too also got themselves a bobblehead. It was a perfect day for baseball because the weather was beautiful. Thanks for comin Jules.

spRinG bReAk pArT 2 -- Phoenix

2011-08-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

So the second half my spring break included a stop in Phoenix to visit my BFF Julia and Mo. When I got there we had to make a stop at Chick Fli-A since we were both hungry as well as Ethan.

We sat and visited until Mo got home and then we went to the park with her kids so Ethan could run all his energy out. We also drove by some houses that they were looking into buying. Later on we went to a resturaunt that Julia had been wanting to try and plus they had custard for dessert. This resturaunt reminded me a lot of Arctic Circle back home, which I also love. After that we couldn't pass up the custard, so we ordered that to go.

The next morning my former boss Ron, who also lives in Phoenix for the winter came to pick me up and we had breakfast and Cafe Mimi's. It was nice to visit with him as well. Later on that morning, Julia and I took the kids to the Phoenix zoo. This should be interesting because all Ethan wants to do is be a big boy and run around all by himself. When we got there talk about millons of parents with strollers bathman, they were everywhere and we were adding to it. The weather was great, however a little warm but it was a nice day to spend it at the zoo. We walked up to the monkey exhibit and this monkey came right up to the window and Ethan was pretty excited. We found the petting zoo for kids, so Julia took Ethan in there to feed the goats and to get him out of his stroller to run around. He also played in the playground area and had a fit when it was time to leave.

Later on that night, we went to dinner at this Mexican resturaunt that I had been telling Julia about that I went to the last time I was in Phoenix. However we didn't really get to enjoy it at the resturaunt because Ethan was tired and fussy after a long day at the zoo and no nap in between. So after ordering our food, we had to ask for a to-go box and eat it at home. Oh well, we tried, but it was still good to me no matter where I would have ate it.

On Friday, I decided that I would spend the first half of the day enjoying the Phoenix heat and lay out by the pool and read a book. It was so relaxing that I could have probably stayed there all day. I even saw me a lizard run across the hot rocks trying to find itself some shade. Later that night, Julia got a babysitter for Ethan so we could go to the Diamondbacks game against the non-other S.F. Giants. We had great seats along the first baseline. That stadium is pretty sweet itself with a retracable roof, but the weather was so nice that night it was open. The Diamondback ended up losing but after the game was over they had a firework show, so we stayed to watch.

I really enjoy Phoenix and could really see myself living there at some point in my life. I left on Saturday afternoon and really enjoyed visiting with Julia and Mo, as well as Ethan and Austin, even though Ethan tuckered me out. Thanks again Julia and Mo for letting me stay at your home. Until next time....

SpRinG bReaK pArT 1 -- Las Vegas

2011-08-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I've last posted so I thought I take the time before school starts to update my blog.

In April, I flew down to Las Vegas to visit Tammy and Craig for a little rest and relaxation. Colt also drove to down to Vegas to spend some quality time with us. I was hoping that the weather would be nice but when I got there it was raining, (I just left the rain), but it didn't last long as the nice weather of Vegas came out in full force.

When I first landed, I insisted that we find a Jimmy John's sandwich shop, since my mother has been telling me how great it is and besides they don't have one up here in the Bay Area. So I saw that Vegas had one so we drove to tim buck to and back to have myself a Jimmy John's sandwich, mission accomplished and now I love me some Jimmy John's.

The next day we took Colt down to a craft fair, thinking we could find some cool trinkets but we didn't find too many. We then roamed over to the outlet malls and wander around in the blasted heat and didn't find too much there either. So we headed back home but first we had to make a stop at Costco to get us some stuff for dinner that night, we had BBQ steaks, baked potatoes and salad. It was some good lovin stuff.

We also made a visit to our Aunt Linda's and uncle Charlie's condo that they bought to live in during the winter. It was nice to visit with them since we don't get to see them very often. We also spent some time at another craft store with them and found some good trinkets there.

Being in Vegas I couldn't miss out on spending a little money on the slot machines. I spent most of my time (ok the whole time) on my favorite slot machine, which is "WHEEL OF FORTUNE". I did great on the first machine with winning me some cash, but then over time I got greedy and sticky fingers hoping that I can hit it big, but instead I lost it. DAMN!!! And secondly, you can't leave Vegas without going to the buffet, so we stuffed ourselves full there only to wind down by going to the movies later on that night.

I had a really great time spending it with my family that I don't see too often and hopefully can do it again sometime soon. Now it's off to Phoenix.

31

2011-04-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was younger, I'd always say I can't wait till I'm this age, well now that I'm at that age, I wish I was young again. This year I celebrated my 31st, and the thought of getting older just freaks me out. My birthday was nice and relaxing, I took the day off from work cause who wants to spend the day with their students. Not me anyways!!! I got to sleep in which was nice. Doug and I went to breakfast and then headed over to the bowling alley to knock down a few pins. I beat him one game and he beat me the other game. After bowling, we went to Baskin Robins and got some icecream, and I got myself an icecream cake for later. Came home and relaxed until later that evening and then went had my birthday dinner at the Texas Roadhouse. At the end of the day I had a really nice birthday and want to thank everyone who sent me birthday wishes.

gOoDbYe 2010, HeLLo 2011

2011-04-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while, but 2010 is behind me and 2011 has already begun. I spent the last few weeks of 2010 in Idaho. I always like to spend a few days in Boise so my first few days of my 2 week vacation were spent there visiting with old friends. Then I headed home to spend it with the family. It was really nice going back home because we were all home for Christmas.

In January, I made a trip up to Monterey to see an old friend from back home. Since I've been here, I've been wanting to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and finally got the chance to check it out. It was pretty awesome and have to say the marine life soothes my mind. My favorite exhibit had to be the jellyfish and the coral reef.

Growing up I've always been a Jazz fan, and since I've known Doug he's always talked about how his Warriors are better. So I got the opportunity to watch them play against the none other Warriors. We had great seats that we got for cheap off a stub hub.

In February, I had another opportunity to see the Boston Celtics play. I've always been a fan of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. I also enjoy watching Rondo play as well. The seats to this game weren't that great but it was a sold out game. The Warriors played well for the first 3 quarters but then the Celtics took over and won the game.

I took another trip up to Monterey to see Julie again and ended up doing the 17 mile drive along the coast and up to Pebble Beach, where the professional golfers play. The weather was windy and rainy but it was awesome seeing the waves crashing up against the rocks. The power of the ocean is just amazing to watch. Watching those waves made me think of the tsunami that hit Japan eariler in the month. On our way out from the drive, there were several surfers gearing up to take on those "Heavy" waves. It was pretty sweet to see them actually get up and ride the waves.

BSU vs. San Jose State

2010-10-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

It's always nice to know that once every other year BSU comes out to play San Jose State. A couple of years ago I went with Doug and Sandy but this year I went with a guy I used to work with. The weather was nice an cool and breezy, cool enough to have a hot chocolate. I knew the game was probably going to be a blow out but it is always nice to see my Alma mater play and come out victoriously. There were a lot of BSU fans there and I wasn't sure if the fans of San Jose were there for their team or just to see BSU. I only ask this because even though it was a blowout the San Jose fans didn't seem to really get into the game. There were only a few plays were you'd hear them cheer.

GO ORANGE, GO BIG BLUE, FIGHT, FIGHT BSU!!!!!

CoLt's viSit

2010-10-17T13:22:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Colt came into town for his first Raider game against the San Diego Chargers. He flew in on Saturday morning and we went over the San Francisco for the day. While we were over there it was Fleet Week for the Navy, so we walked up and down the pier. There were so many people there and I think we walked a total of 10 miles the whole day. That morning there was a Navy ship parade but we missed that but there were still a few ships out on the water that eventually docked at the pier. We got lucky and got a free showing of the Blue Angels. I've never seen the Blue Angels so it was really neat to see them and not to mention that they were extremely loud. They were flying really low and I guess San Francisco is the only place that allows the Angels to fly that low. We then walked down to Fisherman's Wharf and then up to Ghiradelli Square for some chocolate. Colt had never had it before so he got a bar and that night he ate the whole thing.After we got back from San Francisco we had to go to Kohl's to get Colt a Raider jersey for the game.

On Sunday, we took the BART to the Collesium instead of paying for parking. It was a perfect day to watch football, the sun was out with a slight breeze. We had pretty good seats as well that let us see the entire field. The first two series for the Chargers were blocked punts by the Raiders special team, one for a safety and one for a touchdown. The defense played great and it wasn't until the 3rd quarter that the Raider offense started to do anything but by that time the Chargers had gotten themselves back into the game.

It was a back and forth battle down to last 2 minutes of the game. After 7 years the Raiders finally broke their losing streak against the Chargers. After the game every Raider fan in the stadium was going crazy. AFter the game was over Colt and I went and had a nice steak dinner at Black Angus. It was really nice going to the game with Colt and seeing the Raiders win.

College Game Day

2010-10-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

ESPN's college game day finally decided to make their first appearance to BOise. It was a big game against Oregon State and so I decided to take a trip to Boise. I was hoping to get tickets to the game but unfortunately the game was sold out, but I still had a great time seeing family and friends. My mom came up to hang out with me for the weekend and she was the only brave one to get up early with me for game day. I couldn't think of what to write on my sign and so I called Doug and he came up with my poster, so I was up till 12:30 the night before making my sign with Mama Jo and then got up at 5:45 to go to Bronco stadium. I also ran into a Brandon an old friend I used to work with sat with us.

After college game day was over my mom, me, Sandy and Mama Jo met up for lunch at Jalepenos. After lunch we headed home for a little nap before the game. I went to my friend's Erin's house and watched the game with some other friends.

sUMmeR vAcaTioN 2010

2010-07-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

After school got out I decided that I would drive to Idaho instead of fly and after the 2 week trip was over, I don't plan on making that drive again. I drove through 5 states, over 2000 miles and many gas breaks, I had one sore butt by the time I got back home. But over that 2 week period I got to see and spend time with family and friends. I started out in Boise spending a week there where I had the opportunity to see Allison and her family, which I haven't seen in three years. I went over to the Fortner's for a classic BBQ and then another night for game of Hearts. There is nothing like having a game night at the Fortner's!!!!

I was the maid of honor for Jill's wedding.

Whenever I am in town, Erin and I have our usual slumber party. Watching movies, eating pizza and them making a late night stop and the local Dairy Queen.

After Boise, I made my way out to my parents house in good ol' Blackfoot and spend a few days there. I got to see my best friend Julia and her baby and lunch at the famous Hong Kong. We then went shopping in Idaho Falls and sometimes I forget that shopping with Julia can be a chore but she did good this time. I helped my parents out by mowing their lawn which took an hour and a half, talk about a freakin jungle of trees. Spending four days in Blackfoot is extreme for me, so I had to take my adventures down to Utah to see Teresa, John and Colt. On my way out of town, I stopped at Martha's and had breakfast with Marci and her kids.

I headed down to Utah for the weekend to spend a few days with Teresa and John. It was hot and lots of construction but the visit was nice. We had dinner at the Olive Garden on Friday night. Went shopping on Saturday afternoon and then met up with Colt for lunch and a movie. Then on Sunday it was a long drive back to the Bay Area, but in the end, it was a nice visit in Idaho and Utah!!

BIG 30

2010-07-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

I turned the BIG 30 this year, ARGH!!!! The thought of getting older just freaks me out but besides that I had a great birthday. I took the day off from work and Doug took me to my favorite place, Olive Garden. A week after my birthday was Spring Break, so I continued to celebrate my birthday and went up to Boise for the week to spend with friends.

STANFORD vs. PENN STATE

2010-07-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to experience my first National Championship game, and no it wasn't a football or basketball, it was in Men's volleyball. It just so happened that the women I coach with invited me to go as a belated birthday present and I couldn't pass up an offer like that. It was being held on Stanford's campus so that made it even better. I was amazed at how hard and how high those guys can get up to hit that ball, and the blocking, oh how sweet the sound!!! Not only was it on Stanford home court, but Stanford ending up winning.

RoLLeR dErbY

2010-07-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since I've last posted but have no fear I have captured a few photos to keep you up to date on what I've been doing.

So I experienced my first roller derby and let me tell you how freakin awesome it was. I thought it would be a bunch of young skaters but not so much, it was older people crusin around. I couldn't believe how physical some of those players got. They punching, pulling hair and throwing each other over the railing and fighting. There wasn't even padding on the ground and they were landing on the concrete. I got so into the fighting and everything else that was going on that some lady asked if I could explain to her how roller derby worked. I told her that it was my first derby and she said "OH", I thought you have been here before because you are so into it. How could I not, it was some great action. It wasn't until the end of the last few quarters that I finally figured out how they were keeping score. I tell you what, there is no way that I could do what they do and not be in some serious pain at the end of the night.

Fiesta BowL FeVeR

2010-01-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

As we all know Boise State made it to the Fiesta Bowl against the TCU Horned Frogs. BSU were undogs in this game, but in typical BSU fashion, they proved thier critics all wrong!!!!! Doug and I flew out to Phoenix for the game and had a great time. It is an expierence that I won't forget and look forward to many more.

Donavan McNabb

2009-12-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

I've always been a big fan of Donavan McNabb and I finally got the opportunity to see him play. It was an awesome game too because the Raiders actually won that game. Doug and I usually leave the games early because the Raiders are usually losing, but not this game we stayed till the last minute of the game and enjoyed every minute. Even though the Raiders won, I still love Donavan McNabb.

Teresa's Wedding

2009-12-06T13:40:00.001-08:00

At the end of October Teresa and John got married in the Bountiful Temple. I flew out to Salt Lake to support her as well as see family. It was nice to see family that I haven't seen in a while.

LeT's gO oAkLaNd

2009-09-19T12:01:00.001-07:00

One of the great things about living in a city is that there are several things to do and to choose from. My favorite thing is being able to check out a baseball, basketball or football game any time I want to go. I've never really had any favorite sports team when it comes to baseball or football, but since moving to the Bay Area, I've enjoyed going to the A's and Raiders games.

I went to a couple of baseball games this summer but there was one team I've been really wanting to see. No it's not the Red Sox cuz I've already seen them play twice now, but it's their heated rivals "The Yankees". Yep a little Derek Jeter and A Rod (yUMmmmy). Even though the A's lost the game, I can now say that I've seen the Yankees play.

For the second year now, Doug and I have gone to Monday Night Football to watch the Raiders play. Last year's Monday Night against the Broncos was a complete disappointment and BLOW OUT and we ended up leaving the game early. This year we were hoping for a better game against the Chargers and that's exactly what we got. The game was sold out and plenty of crazy Raider fans there to support their team. I met up with a couple of people that I used to work with and did a little bit of tailgaiting. What a freakin mad house walkin through all that tailgaiting mess. The game was freakin awesome!!! I didn't know a soul in that stadium, but now I know why they call it Raider Nation!!!! Doug turned to me during the game and asked me how it felt to be a part of the family??? It would also be my luck to sit next to a Charger fan too. I know she so wanted to cheer but she would get booed if she did. For those of you watching the game, the Raiders got screwed on that touchdown and should have won the game. But it took the Chargers until the last 18 seconds to score, damn you Philip Rivers!!!!! I'm just hopin that this season is going to be a lot better than the last. GO RAIDERS!!!!

wHeeL oF fOrTune

2009-09-19T11:48:00.001-07:00

Right before the end of the summer and before school started, Doug and I decided that we were going to take a trip to Reno. We have been talking about going for a while and we finally got to going. Instead of flying, we turned it into a road trip. I have never been to Reno so I was excited to go. When we got there it was nothing like I thought it would be considering I've been to Vegas several times and thought it would be similar. Um not so much!!!!

I don't gamble much but I sure did get hooked on the Wheel of Fortune slot machines and they were pretty good to me as well. I won about $200 so I couldn't complain. Doug also had to show me where he went to his bowling tournament that took place in Reno as well. You know Dougie and his bowling.

cAtcHinG uP

2009-08-04T15:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since my last post. The one thing I hate about this stupid thing is uploading the photos from my camera to my computer. Well since my last post there have been a few things that's happened since then until now. So I'll try to back track and remember as much as possible without boring everyone.

Phoenix:

At the end of April, I flew out to Phoenix to see Julia, who is one my best friends from high school. She had called me a while back and asked if I wanted to come and visit and most importantly see Britney Spears in concert. I told her I would have to think about it. When I saw that there was a great flight, I couldn't resist and told her I was coming down and that we might as well go see Britney. Now I can say that I've seen Britney in concert. It was a really quick trip, but it was very nice to get away and be in the company of great people. I got there on a Friday and went straight from the airport to the concert. As we were waiting in line, I couldn't help but notice all the trashy lookin girls that were there. Lets just say if a guy was trying to find some hot chics, that would be the place to start on Friday night. I turned to Julia and told her I felt like a grandma!!! The concert was great, the Pussy Cat Dolls opened for her and sounded great. Didn't take pictures because it was too dark and we were far from the stage. Britney's dancing was great, but singing was more lip syncing than anything else. On Saturday we had lunch and went shopping at a great outlet mall, but I forgot who I was shopping with. Anybody that knows Julia should never go shopping with her. She touches, looks and tries on everything and doesn't end up getting anything. Love ya Jules!!!!! I told her I had to get near a catcus because I've never really seen one growing in it's natural environment. She took me to some hiking place and I got out and she snaped a few pictures. NOTE TO SELF: DO NOT GET TOO CLOSE TO THE CATCUS!!!!

School:

As the school year came to an end, I didn't know if I would have a job for the next school year. So with an emotional goodbye, I told all my students thank you for a wonderful year and wished them the best of luck. It's weird though, as much as those kids drove me crazy on a daily basis, they grew on me and it was hard to say goodbye.

Boise:

I left for Boise, a few days after school got out. I was ready for a break and ready to go to a place where I knew I was going without having to use my GPS to get me there. I didn't do much but eat breakfast/lunch/dinner depending on which friend I was with and working out. But my usual visit usually consists of stopping at my friend Tiffani's hair shop to get my ends trimmed and to catch up. I spent most of my time chilling on the couch at Mama Jo's house listening to her judge shows or the daycare kids playing/fighting or being followed by CJ (Mama Jo's granddaughter). I even got to see a couple of daycare kids (Taylor and Sarah) who have now grown up and have come back to visit and swim. I would show you the before pictures of the kids but that requires me to scan the pictures, so you'll have to deal with the after pictures. Do not be frightened by what you see!!!! The daycare kids spent a lot of their time getting me wet or trying to get me under water while we were swimming, but you know who won that battle. I had a slumber party at Erin's house as we ate pizza and watched the bachelorette. Later that evening we went for icecream and watched a movie. Thanks for the slumber. I then headed over to Blackfoot for pure bliss, uh not so much!!!! I was there for a few days and just chilled and chilled some more. I didn't know if I was bored, didn't have anything to do or didn't have anyone to see. I called a few friends but things just didn't work out. I thought I would help mow the lawn for my parents while I was there. Keep in mind that this mowing job doesn't take 30 minutes, oh no it took me about 2 1/2 hrs to trim and mow, and even got into a fight with the pine trees. Teresa came up for the weekend, even though I didn't see much of her. I met her fiance` John, who is a very nice guy. She wanted me to go to some white trash birthday party, and one minute I said ok and the next minute I was changing my mind. Afterwards, they told me the party was pretty boring and not many people dressed up, but Teresa sure did. After 2 weeks in Idaho, I was ready to head back to California. It was nice to be away but I was ready to get back to the comforts of my own bed and home.

LA: In mid-July, I met my mom and Teresa in LA for a short trip. Teresa had gone to one of those time share things and in return she got a free trip to LA. So she had invited me to come since I would be on vacation. They had gotten there before I did, but as soon as I got there we headed down to Hollywood because we were going to a taping of the Jimmy Kimmel show. John's brother works for a security company that happens to do security for Jimmy Kimmel and so we got hooked up with some tickets. We had time to spare, so we went at ate and then wandered down the Hollywood star sidewalk. There were plenty of stars to see, but I really wanted to go to Michael Jackson star. I also took a few other pictures of some stars, but there were just too many. There were people dressed up for tips to have your pictures taken and I just happened to get one with Bart and Homer. We headed back to where the Jimmy Kimmel show was airing so we could get in. We were taken to a private room, where they served drinks and hors de ordervs, had TV's and pool tables. I felt pretty special. They took us to our seats, and the guests for the evening were Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Lynn Spiegler and music guest Sean Patrick McGraw. It was pretty neat, I've never been to a taping of a show, the studio was smaller than I thought. They even had signs to tell us when to applause.

The next day we drove out to some outlet malls that were in the freakin desert because it was blasted hot out there. We didn't spend too much time there because a lot of them were closed down probably because of the economy, not to many stores to look through and didn't want to get stuck in traffic. We even got back to our hotel without getting stuck in traffic. Our hotel was 15 min. walking distance to Disneyland so we made the trek to Disneyland. I had forgotten my camera so there won't be any pictures, so sorry!!! We went on a lot of the rides but spent most of our time standing in line. Teresa and I went on splash mountain and came out like we just finished with a shower. Next time I go to Disneyland, I'll invest in the fast pass or something. My flight left the next day at 1pm; mom and Teresa's flight left later that evening. So we went to get some food and they took me to the airport while they went back to Hollywood to check out the celebrity hot spots.

I'm sure there will be a few more adventures before my summer comes to an end so make sure you check back to see what else I've been up to.

SpRinG bReAk

2009-05-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Colt came out here for spring break and we had a great time. I took him over to Alcatraz on Easter and then we went to the A's Game vs. the Red Sox on Monday. The weather was great but a little windy. He was pretty excited about the A's game because the seats were pretty awesome. I think he was a little suprised about how close we were, not to mention that he has a awesome camera. We went shopping and he picked up an A's hat and shirt to wear to the game and the A's even ending up winning the game.

eAsTbAy aLLsTaR gAmE

2009-05-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Over spring break, I was an assisstant coach for the Eastbay Allstar Team. I coached with the coaches from the high school I coached at. We ended up winning the tournament and one of our players was voted MVP of the tournament.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy tO mE!!!!

2009-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

I know it's a little late but at the end of March (29th to be exact) I celebrated my 29th birthday. It is so weird to think that I'm 29, who knows what will happen when I hit 30. Well I had a nice birthday except for the fact that I was sick and am still sick. On Sunday, Doug brought me his favorite breakfast from McDonalds (sausage and cheese mcmuffin) and shared that with me. Later in the afternoon we went over to his parents house and opened the cards and presents that he and his parents got for me. I recently bought a Nintendo Wii and so his family got me Mario Kart and the Wii Fit. That evening we went out to Union City and had dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Somone must have known it was my birthday because we got front row parking and didn't even have to wait 5 minutes to get seated. Gotta love those rolls!!!!! I told Doug that I wanted a white birthday cake and so he went out and got this for me at the store. He's not much a white cake eater, but it was sweet that he got what I wanted. My mom got me the Boise State blanket and I've been curled up in since I opened the box. You can never go wrong with getting me anything with Boise State on it.

Championship Game

2009-03-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

Well the basketball season has come and ended. For those of you that didn't know I have been coaching since November and just recently finished last Thursday (March 5). I was an assisstant coach for the varsity team at the high school and then the head coach for the 8th grade girls at the middle school I teach at. The varsity girls finished the season 3rd in the league and for the second year in a row made it to the North Coast Section, which is equivalent to playoffs in Idaho. They do things a little different out here in California. Anyways the girl's lost their first round game to a tough Alameda team but it was one hell of a game.

During this same time I was managing a 8th grade team. We started out strong and ended our regular season 7-1 and ended up with a first round bye. In the championship game we were facing the same team that gave us our only defeat of the season. It was a big game for the girls and for me as well considering that not many of the girls have ever played in a championship game. In the history of Washington Manor Middle School (WMMS) athletics no other team has made it to the championship game besides the softball team, so we were trying to make history that night. It started out pretty rough but the girls kept fighting and at half time we were only down by 10 points. However in the 3rd quarter, Creekside went on a splurge and outscored by quite a bit. At the end of the 3rd quarter we were probably down by 22 points. I told the girls that there was nothing else I could do but they needed to play basketball and the 4th quarter is the time to do it. The girls never gave up and kept fighting for every loose ball and for every rebound. The 4th quarter was too late for the girls to play and they ended up losing by 9 points. It was pretty emotional for all of us but I can't complain about how they played or the heart that they showed. Overall we had a great season and ended up being 8-2. I built some great relationships with the students outside of class and it so rewarding to see what kind of difference you can make in an athlete's life.

Remembering Jaime

2009-01-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

On this day 6 years ago I'll never forget the news that I recieved, my best friend had been killed in a tragic car accident. Wow, I can't believe how fast time has gone by, it only seems like it just happened yesterday. Not a day goes by where I'm thinking about her and all the good times that we shared together. I always wonder what life would be like if she was still around. So today is a day for you Jamie and know that you will always be in my heart. I miss you and love you!!!

Happy New Year's

2009-01-01T22:21:00.000-08:00

I flew back from Salt Lake on New Year's Eve to spend it with Doug. As long as we have been together, last night was the first time that we have spent New Year's Eve together. It was nice just to hang and chill with him. We watched a movie and then watched the count down with Dick Clark.

I can't believe it's already 2009 but I do hope that things go good this year and my resolution is to work on some personal flaws and goals. I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year and that you may uphold your resolutions.

Jazz vs. 76er's

2009-01-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

I know I live in an area now where there are plenty of sports teams to watch (Golden State Warriors/Oakland Raiders) but I will always be faithful to my home team (Utah Jazz). Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I'll go to some basketball games out here but it's always nice to be on the home side and not on the visitors side. Oh and with a winning team (sorry Dougie)!!!! Teresa and I ended up in the nose bleed section of the Jazz game but it was still fun being there. It was a good game through the first two quarters but in the second half the Jazz went on a scoring spree and ended up beating the 76ers 112-95. After the game was over Teresa and I wandered down onto the floor to get a couple photos. I was hopin that we might get close to one of the players but no such luck.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009-01-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

There are so many benefits of being a teacher and one of the comes during winter break and getting 2 weeks off. I flew back to Salt Lake on Christmas Eve to be welcomed by lots of snow and chilling cold weather. I rode back with Teresa and Colt to Idaho only to be welcomed by lots of snow and freezing cold weather. Don't get me wrong, I grew up in the snow and cold weather but now that I live in California I have grown attached to the sunshine and warm weather during the winter months. I do get depressed though when Christmas comes and there's no snow because for me it's not Christmas unless there snow.

Christmas was nice and I got wonderful gifts but when it came time to go to my aunts house for our traditional Christmas dinner it was disrupted because of the drifting snow and closed highways. I was so bitter and I told my family, I didn't fly all the way from California to get snowed in. It's one thing to come home and drive in the snow, but it's another thing to come home to snow and not be able to go anywhere because you're snowed in!!!! So basically all we did on Christmas day was lounge in our pajamas, ate food and watched TV.

I was getting antsy and I was so happy to hear that a snow plow had cleared the highway but before we could get to the highway we had to plow our own driveway. Dad and Colt got a head start but we soon realized it just wasn't a two person job, so it turned into a family activity where all of us were out shoveling snow. It took us a good hour to get to the street that gets us to the highway. Don't worry Teresa's car got stuck but thanks to mom's jeep we had a path to follow to shovel snow.

Finally we were out, but once we were out we weren't sure if we would be able to get back in so we ended up having a slumber party and grandma's house in Pocatello for a few days. It's been a while since I've had one of those.

We went to the movies (cinematic adventure) and went and saw Marley and Me and Seven Pounds. We went over to my aunts house and had a traditional Christmas dinner a few days later with leftovers, but they were just as good. It was nice to visit with my aunt, uncle and grandma. It's been such a long time since I've seen them. Oh and my aunt has such the cutest dogs, Missy and Joey (maltese) in their winter coats.

We didn't know what the weather was going to have in store for us so I went back to Salt Lake with Teresa and Colt on Sunday. The roads were terrible and there was supposed to be another storm coming through and I didn't want to take the chance of being stuck when I have a flight to catch on Wednesday. All in all, I had a nice a Christmas even if we did get snowed in and it was nice to spend time with the family.

Stanford vs. Rutgers

2009-01-01T21:11:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since I've updated so here goes. Back in November, I went to see a women's Stanford basketball game. I coach at one of the high school's here at we took some of the girls from the basketball team. I didn't get the chance to see all of the campus but what I did see Stanford has an amazing campus and oh the facilities!!! At the time the Rutgers women's was ranked #3 in the nation and Stanford was ranked #8. It was an awesome game to be at even though Stanford ending kicking Rutgers trash (81-47)!!! Can I tell you that Jayne Apell (#2) is such an awesome post player and can dominate anywhere on the floor. I really don't watch to much women's basketball but it's great that I live in an area where there are two great women's basketball teams. Cal Bears or Stanford??

nEw gLasSes

2008-11-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

So I had my yearly eye appointment and I decided to upgrade on glasses. I spent about 20-30 minutes in Costco deciding on which ones to get. I had narrowed it down to 2 pairs and I had to ask some woman which one she liked best. After I ordered them and paid for them, I was nervous that I wasn't going to like them. When I went to pick them up I asked the sales woman behind the counter for her honest opinion, she told me that she liked them better than my old ones. When I told Doug that I picked up my new glasses, I told him that he couldn't laugh at them. His reaction was the opposite of what I thought he'd say. He actually really likes them and told me that they make me look smart. His dad even said they even make me look like a real school teacher. So what do you think??

Boise State vs. San Jose State

2008-10-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

I took Friday off to spend the day with Sandy and prepare ourselves for the Boise State vs San Jose game. Sandy flew in on Thursday night, Doug and I drove out to San Jose to pick her up. Why she didn't fly into Oakland is another story. On Friday morning we went shopping at IKEA and had lunch at In-and-Out. We then left around 4pm to fight the traffic to get to the game. It took us an hour to drive out there, which is not as bad as I thought it would be.

When we got there we were greeted with boo's. I told Doug I don't think I've ever been booed in my life. But I felt proud with Boise State on my chest. We had awesome seats, we were 2 rows up from the field and near the endzone. So when BSU was going in our direction it was great to see them score. I was suprised that the game did not sell out. There were lots of rude fans from San Jose who didn't appreciate when we started chanting Boise State. I couldn't believe how many penalties were called and how slow the game moved. I didn't think the game was ever going to end. A security guard came over and took a flag pole away from the guy sitting next to us. He really didn't appreciate that one, but I guess it was for safety reason. Speaking of safety reason, the consession stand people even took the lids off our water bottles. Don't ask me why but I guess it's a safety concern as well. Sandy, Doug and I were even on TV because the game was on ESPN. I've always wanted to be on national television.

We left the game after the last touchdown so we didn't have to fight the traffic, but we got lucky and got out pretty fast. I had a great time and can't wait for the next time I get to see the boys in blue play again. GO ORANGE, GO BIG BLUE, FIGHT, FIGHT, BSU!!!!!!

So You Think You Can Dance

2008-10-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

I don't know if any you watch or watched "So you Think you can Dance" but I do and last night I got to watch the Top 10 dancers perform live. It was so awesome and I have to say that Twitch is my favorite. I went with Doug's mom and aunt and had a great time. The show was 3 hours long and they basically performed some of the top dances from the show. I tried to take pictures but they didn't turn out to clear so I went to the Fox website and downloaded some photos of the dances that they performed last night. Katie and Josh were the obvious favorite couple. They had a lot of good dances during the regular season and performed them again last night. They had a lot of talking and video hightlights from the show that could have been cut out. It was like watching the show all over again but this time I was there live watching it.

Monday Night Football -- Raiders vs. Broncos

2008-09-11T19:45:00.001-07:00

So Doug and I went to Monday night football game with Raiders playing the Denver Broncos. Well if any of watched it, it wasn't much of game. We sat in the car for an hour trying to get to the parking lot and by the time we got there the lot was full. If any of you know me, I can't stand sitting in traffic that long and when I do I start to get extremley irritated. I missed the kickoff which is what I really wanted to see. The game was sold out which was cool because the last Raider game I went to, there weren't to many fans at the game, but at least the Raiders won that time. The most exciting thing about the game was the fights between the Raider/Bronco fans. It was crazy, I could seriously hear the punches being thrown and the fans tumbling down the stairs. They arrested one guy and another guy had to be helped down the stairs because he either hurt his knee or his ankle. Not for sure though. Our seats we in the nosebleed section, but I actually enjoyed sitting up there because you can see the whole field. We didn't stay for the whole game because there was no need to. As we walked back to the car I hung my head in disappointment. Doug asked what was wrong and I told him I was disappointed because I paid the money to hopefully see a good game, I missed the kickoff and they got their trash kicked. So who knows if I'll be going to another Raider game again this season.

School is in session

2008-08-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

So today was the first day back to school. ARGH!!! I was so not ready to start, especially since I had to get out of bed early. No more sleeping in!!! So I'm back in the habit of hitting the snooze button. Luckily enough today was a short day so I didn't have students until 3:10, but tomorrow is back to regular schedule. I'm only teaching 5 classes, 2 those being 6th grade classes. I guess that's the perk of being the Athletic Director. It's going to be an interesting year considering all the construction that is going on at school, so wish me luck.

sAnTa CrUz

2008-08-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Doug and I took a day trip to Santa Cruz. The weather was perfect, not too hot/cold and not too windy. We had a nice lunch right on the beach and enjoyed a stroll down the boardwalk and time laying on the beach. I didn't get to far into the water due to a bad experience in San Diego with the waves. It was pretty cold though. I really didn't know what to expect going there, but I will next time I go. It was pretty cool to see all the sand volleyball courts as well. It was no Venice, but it looked like fun. I wanted to get out there and play with them. There were rides there but we didn't ride them because the lines were too long and the fact that I sometimes get motion sickness. They have a huge video arcade there, and if any of you know Doug, he loves his video games. He found a couple that he used to play back in the day, so we had to stop and play. As you can see he was getting in to it. He was playing a game called Track & Field. It was actually pretty fun. He got mad when I took the picture because of the glare on the screen. He was getting his workout though. It was really nice to just go and relax and enjoy the company of the one I love being with.

10 year class reunion

2008-08-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, I went back to Blackfoot for my 10 year high school reunion. It wasn't anything special, but it was nice to see old friends and what everyone has been up too. There wasn't too many from our class, which was disappointing but what can you do. Julia and Mo flew in from Arizona, so I was glad that I didn't have to show up solo. When we got there, Julia said she didn't want to go, but both Mo and I wouldn't let that happen. We had a sit down dinner and chatted with everyone. We then had a class group picture and then it was pretty much over. It was nice to see April, haven't seen her since high school. Everyone still seemed to have their little clicks like we did in high school, you'd think after 10 years we would move beyond that but some things never change.

GrOwinG uP in the DeSert

2008-08-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

The only time that I think that I really enjoy going to Blackfoot, ID is during the summer time!!! Why??? Well because my parents house is amazing because of all the trees surrounding the house. When we first moved into the house, dad had the brilliant idea to plant as many trees as possible. I said, "Dad our house is going to be a jungle". Now, 15 years later as you can see the product of what we planted. The only bad thing about all these trees is mowing the lawn. I had to privilege this last weekend to mow the lawn. This used to be my job growing up and it wasn't as much work as it is now. I was going to use the riding lawn mower but it had a flat tire!!!! So needless to say 1 1/2 hr later, I finished mowing the lawn with the push mower. I wonder how many calories I burned?????

If you squint really hard you can see one of the neighbors house in the back ground. Yep, that's what you see when you look out the front window of the house.

oLd fRiEnDS

2008-08-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder what old junior high school friends have been up too?? Well I have always wondered about my old junior high buddies since I left Arco, ID in the 8th grade.

I went out to Arco while I was at home these last two weeks to catch up with old friends. I went to lunch with Brandy (right photo) at the good ol' deli shop and had my usual turkey sandwich. Our family would go there all the time and it's still the same as when I left. The last time that I saw her was 10 years ago at her wedding and now she's got 3 kids!!! It was great to visit with her and catch up.

Marie (left photo), well we had some good times growing up. We even played little league basketball together. Watching those videos are always fun to laugh at. She would come play at my house as a youngster and now that we are adults now, she now lives in the house that I grew up in. With a new makeover to house, the inside looks nothing like it did when I lived there. The yard is pretty beat up due to house vacancy for 4 years, but the inside is amazing. I wish I could show you pictures from then/now. Again the last time that I saw Marie was 10 years ago and her wedding. Like Brandy, she also had 3 kids.

Thanks Marie and Brandy for a great day of catching up and reminiscing of the old days.

sMaRt cAr fOr TwO

2008-08-11T18:16:00.001-07:00

So how many people can say that they've got a grandpa that drives a 2006 Mercedes Smart Care for Two???? Well I can say that my grandpa does. It's pretty roomy inside, but I don't think that type of car is made for tall people. Grandpa is always concerned about gas mileage, but keep in mind that grandpa doesn't travel far. He travels to the senior center, grocery store, library, and any resturaunt to pick up lunch/dinner for him and grams.

We went out to breakfast one morning and he let me drive it back home. You don't realize how short the car is until you look out the rearview mirror. To start the car, it has to be in neutral, then you have to put your foot on the break and put it in reverse. The car can either be automatic or manual. It doesn't have a lot of gidup like my Mazda (zoom, zoom), but it was fun to drive. I can now say that I have driven a Smart Car for Two.

P.S. Grandpa also has a street scooter.

Cowgirls

2008-08-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

I flew into Boise on July 23, to visit out there for a few weeks. It was KJ's birthday on the 22nd and he wanted to me to fly out for his birthday. Well needless to say he had to wait till the next day for any type of birthday fun. For his birthday he wanted my famous fried porkchops (everytime I come back to Idaho, I always have to make him porkchops) and to hit up Cowgirls in Kuna. It was a good thing it was hip-hop night out there, otherwise you wouldn't have caught either of us out there. We played a few games of pool and then had a great time people watching. It's always a treat to see how people dress and wonder why they thought that looked good and to see how people think they can dance.

Aquarium of the Bay

2008-07-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

Again me and my mom went over to San Francisco. While we were over there we decided to check out the Aquarium of the Bay. We started the tour of "Discover the Bay", in this portion of the tour was the types of ecosystems that support the marine life of the San Francisco Bay. I am so amused by the ocean life that I could just sit and watch them all day long. Before we moved on to the sharks, there was a tank of jelly fish. I've never seen them before and I was amazed by them. Moving on to "Under the Bay", there were plenty of sharks, bat rays, star fish, whirlpool of anchovies and other types of fish. The next part we went to was "Touch the Bay" In here you had a chance to touch the bat rays, leopard sharks and other tide pool animals. The bat rays had just got done eating so they weren't in the mood to be touched. I did however get the opportunity to touch the leopard shark, who can say they've touched a shark?? I also got to touch a live star fish, it was pretty slimy. It was a short little tour but I really did enjoy it. Hope you had fun too mom!!!

San Francisco City Tour

2008-07-18T10:28:00.001-07:00

My mom came out for a week to take care of me while I had my wisdom teeth taken out. We had a great time together and I'm glad she came. I even got spoiled which I totally loved, my mom is the greatest!!!! The day before she left we went back over to San Francisco and took a tour of the city. We rode on a big charter bus through the streets of San Francisco and if you've ever been there you know how steep and narrow the streets are.

Our first stop was the Golden Gate Bridge. My mom was watching the news and she heard them say, "People walking across the Golden Gate Bridge". She then asked me if you could and I didn't know. Well on our first stop we got to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. I was pretty awesome. It was foggy up there so we could see to far. I wanted to walk to the center of the bridge and look over the edge and take a picture. The closer I got to the edge the more scared I got. I put my hand and camera over the edge and this is what came out. So now I can say that I have walked on the Golden Gate Bridge.

We then drove through Golden Gate Park. We didn't get out but it was a beautiful park. You could spend a whole day in the park, exploring everything that it has to offer.

Our next stop was a place called the Twin Peaks. Here you could look out over the city of San Francisco and see the Bay Bridge, AT&T Park and Candle Stick Stadium. It was to foggy so the pictures didn't turn out that great.

We then drove to see what was left of the Victorian Homes. I can't believe how close the houses are here. All of the houses are 1 inch apart due to some type of fire code. The blue house is where Kindergarten Cop was filmed. The red house that I'm standing in front of just sold for over 2.5 million dollars. This park area was also where the beginning credits of Full House took place. When they were having the picnic outside. Inside this park was a shoe garden. Someone left their shoes in the park and the gardener took them and planted plants in them. Now everyone leaves shoes there.

The tour continued through Chinatown but the streets were so narrow that we didn't get a chance to get out and look around. I guess that will be the next time I go over there. We then drove through the financial district which is made up of banking and insurance. Our last stop was Lombard Street and is known as the most crooked street.

After the tour ended we walked up the street a few blocks the famous Ghiradelli Square. Ummm so much chocolate!!!! We didn't spend too much time there only enough time to buy a bag a chocolate.

After we got a small fix of chocolate we walked down the Fisherman's Wharf and had the famous In-and-Out Burger. Unfortunately I didn't get a hamburger because of my wisdom teeth so I just sucked on the fries and watched my mom eat her protein hamburger (w/out bun). We walked down the streets looking in and out of the shops. We trekked it 2 miles up the pier to the BART to call it a day. Thanks for such a great day mom!!!!

Wisdom Teeth

2008-07-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

I waited a tad bit too long to get my wisdom teeth out, but the dentist told me that I could keep them so I did. Well unfortunately I developed TMJ (lock jaw) and my wisdom teeth would touch before the rest of my teeth did so I had them taken out yesterday. I was so scared that I kept dreading it. I had some nasty nightmares the night before and butterfly's like I never had before. My mom flew in to take care of me, thank goodness. The doctor gave me some happy gas and an IV and the next thing I knew I was waking up. I didn't feel a blasted thing, thank goodness but I sure am feeling it now. I've gone through plenty of gauze pads!!!!! I've always had a round face and the swelling isin't helping either. My cheeks are starting to swell up, making it look like I'm storing food for the winter. I wish I would have gotten my wisdom teeth out when I was younger, cause this stuff sucks!!!!

Pier 39

2008-07-07T16:31:00.001-07:00

Julia had never been over to San Francisco, so I took her down the Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. We rode the BART (Public transportation) over to there. When we got on the BART, we were on the wrong train that was headed to Richmond. We got off and luckily enough we didn't have to wait long for our train. Julia freaked out when she found out that the BART goes beneath the Pacific Ocean to get over there. You really don't know until your ears plug up. Anyways after we got off the BART we had to walk 2 miles down to the Pier. I had shoes on but my socks weren't high enough, so I had some brutal blisters developing. Before they could get out of control I bought some flip flops to relieve the pain. We ate at a pizza resturaunt there on the Pier that had crappy service but the pizza was good. We did plenty of walking, shopping and people watching. After all was said and done we had to truck it back to the BART in hopes of not dealing with the rush hour traffic.

Giants vs Cubs

2008-07-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

Julia came into town because she was dying of heat stroke in Arizona, so she decided to come up and enjoy the Bay Area weather and atch a Giants game. The weather was perfect for the game even though there was a slight breeze in the air. We rode the ferry over from Alameda to AT&T park. The ferry dropped us off right outside the gate which was totally awesome. The game was great too, the Cubs lost in the 9th inning but they made a great run for it. Our seats we up there but the view was amazing. Living in Idaho you don't get to experience stuff like this. We rode the ferry back to Alameda, the Bay Bridge was lit up as well as the city, but the pictures didn't turn out that great.

Boyz II Men

2008-07-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

So we all remember junior high and how we loved Boyz II Men, well I got to expeience that excitment all over again by seeing them in concert. They were playing at the Alameda County Fair, which is located in Pleasanton, CA. I went Steve and his wife, I work with Steve at school. It was so blasted hot outside and I didn't think we were going to get in because the line was extremely long. We did end up making inside the amphitheatre and had some really good seats. They had two shows that night so they only played for an hour. Unfortunately there was only 3 of them instead of the 4. The guy that has the really deep base voice is no longer with the group.

gReAt AmERicA

2008-06-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the 8th graders took their trip to Great America, the weather was nice but it was windy. I had the opportunity to go with them as a chaperon. I had a great time even though the Invertigo rollercoaster got me, seriously I didn't ride any rides after it. I suffer from vertigo as it is and I was on the verge of puking. Steve and Jamal, the guys I work with made me sit in the front of every rollercoaster. We went on Flight Deck, Vortex and the Invertigo. A couple of our students refused to go on the Vortex with their friends, but with our warm comfort we got the students to go and they absolutely loved it. The bus ride home didn't help either considering we were sitting in traffic and I was amongst 50 8th graders talking about what they went on. When I got home I went and bought saltine crackers to help settle my stomach.

Memorial Day

2008-06-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Doug came home for Memorial Day. His parents had a BBQ at their house, we had so much good food that I stuffed myself. His dad asked me to make my potoato salad and needless to say that was the first thing gone. Between his dad, Brandon, myself and everyone else it was gone. The weather was nice and it was nice to have Doug here as well. We went down to the Marina and had lunch one afternoon. That is when we went and watched the Red Sox play but like I said my camera died so I didn't get any pictures.

My Birthday

2008-06-07T10:22:00.001-07:00

So this year I turned 28, argh!!!! But I had the opportunity to spend my birthday in Boise. I spoiled myself by getting a 1 hour massage, 1 1/2 hour pedicure and just relaxing and enjoying my vacation. I went out to dinner with friends at the Spaghetti Factory and came home to enjoy my cheesecake that Doug made for me. Doug also made me pork chops and mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner as well. It was nice being back home where I knew where I was driving and didn't have to worry about getting lost. The only thing that I didn't enjoy was the fact that it started snowing while I was there.

A's Games

2008-06-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

So the one thing that I enjoy about living in California is having the opportunity of being able to attend sporting events. I've been to a few A's games this year so far. I even got to see the Boston Red Sox but unfortunetly the A's swept them. Unfortunetly my camera died and I didn't get to take any pictures from the Red Sox game but we had awesome seats.

Alcatraz

2008-06-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

For spring break Teresa came out here to visit me. We had a great time and the weather was perfect. We went over to Alcatraz because neither of us have ever been there. A teacher from school lives over there so he gave us a ride down to the pier. We went to Alcatraz on March 21 and that was the day it closed in 1963. So it was kinda creepy walking down the halls knowing that 45 years ago, the same inmates were taking that same walk. After we came back from Alcatraz we went to the Hard Rock Cafe' and had some dinner. We then walked along the pier to all the shops and before it got too dark, we had to walk forever to catch the BART back home.

Happy Halloween

2008-06-05T18:01:00.001-07:00

So the guys I work with decided that we wanted to be 70's PE teachers for Halloween. Well I went out the youth ranch and found an awesome costume. The kids absolutely loved making fun of us, but we didn't care.

Leaving Idaho

2008-06-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

In August 2007, I accepted a teaching job in the San Lorenzo School District. The weekend of August 16-19th, Doug and I drove with a car load of stuff out here to find me a place to live. Not having enough time to find a place, I finally settled for a 1 bed apt. close to the school. I dropped off the car load of stuff and drove back to Idaho. I cleaned out my apartment and loaded up the rest of my stuff in my car and drove back out here with my sister on August 21st. I was sleeping on an air matress for a week until I flew back to Idaho over Labor day weekend to drive a Uhaul back with the rest of my stuff. So for 3 weekends in a row I drove too many miles between California and Idaho. I will never drive that stretch again, UNLESS I absolutely have to!!!!!!

Leaving Idaho was the hardest thing for me to do. Before I left I had a get together with some friends to say goodbye. I sure do miss all of you back home.

Ms. Evans

2008-06-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Well I just recently moved (August 2007) to San Lorenzo, California. It's located right outside Oakland, which is Northern Cali. I moved out here to take a teaching job at Washington Manor Middle School. I teach 7th and 8th grade PE and Health. The schools out here are not like they are in Idaho. All year long, I have been teaching without a gym, which is something that I am not used too. Needless to say I've had a killer tan all year long. It's been a learning experience this year, but I've enjoyed teaching.