Three Sisters Falls Hike

Cam, Becky, Delcie, Indigo, and I went for an all-day hike on the Three Sisters Falls trail. It was a blast! It was a very hot day, and the trail provided minimal shade, so it was especially refreshing once we reached the natural pools and waterfall to cool off! The strenuous day ended with the best Mexican food shop parking lot picnic I've ever had;)  

Nerd Alert

 Nerd alert! A bunch of people from my work, Veterinary Specialty Hospital, got together for our friend's "Nerdy Thirty" birthday party. There was live music, bounce house shenanigans, pocket protectors, and plenty of laughter!

Dance Like Nobody's Watching

Balboa Park Cherry Blossom Festival

 

Sakura are blooming and sun is shining at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park, while my future sister-in-law, future cousin-in-law and her girlfriend, and I partake in the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers (Hanami). I am also, of course, enjoying and appreciating the beauty of spending quality time with family. A blanket on a grassy hillside and some authentic Japanese food and drink including, but not limited to, Taiyaki (a fish-shaped Japanese cake filled with sweet red bean paste), Yakisoba (fried noodles), and Sapporo (beer) make for a splendid afternoon. 

 

Delightful Day in Fort Collins, Colorado

Last week I was fortunate enough to travel to Fort Collins, Colorado and spend the day with beautiful friends in a beautiful city. Angela, a friend of mine for over 20 years, and I started the day at The Bean Cycle in Old Town; known for having an ample supply of coffee & books, I am surprised that we ever made it back out the door for me to explore any other parts of Fort Collins. Unfortunately, I will now forever crave their delicious Lady Chatterly's latte, made with lavender-infused espresso. Though I did not leave with a copy of the novel that inspired the latte's name, I did leave with other treasures, including Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, Make Your Place a book of tutorials teaching "how to craft a sustainable domestic life outside of consumer consciousness," and a Colorado t-shirt, of course;) 

 

Having worked up quite an appetite from chatting over coffee and rummaging through used books, we met the lovely Crystal for lunch at Tasty Harmony. "No love lost when you eat at Tasty Harmony" due to their organic vegetarian goodness! Not only was there no love lost, but I'd have to say that there was definitely some love gained for this charming eatery and its scrumptious food.  

With bellies full and cheeks sore, we said our farewells to Crystal as she made her way back to Lyons and Angela and I made our way to Horsetooth Reservoir for a view of the beautiful Rocky Mountain Foothills.

Caravan of Thieves

One block from our house is a 100 year old church that is known for their concerts (AMSD). It is an intimate setting and can be trusted to bring in some very talented musicians. Last night, I decided to fly solo to the quaint venue to hear a folk group of "gypsy swinging serenading fire breathing circus freaks" also known as Caravan of Thieves. At the show, the group described themselves as "hams" whose music is "a little eerie and spooky with a twist of lime." I had fun watching their very theatrical performance and enjoyed their focus of interacting with the audience. The audience participation ranged from singing Bohemian Rhapsody...to a sort of mad libbing...to jungle animal calls and snake hissing. All in all it was an energetic and entertaining show. I think the following excerpt from their website is a pretty fair statement, "If Django Reinhardt, the cast of Stomp and the Beatles all had a party at Tim Burton's house, Caravan of Thieves would be the band they hired." 

Unfortunately, when I left the show I saw that my beloved bicycle that had been securely fasten to a well lit street sign out front was missing. Fortunately, I know my other half (Cameron) well enough to have pinned him as the culprit after only about 90 seconds. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw his truck parked a few feet away, with a bicycle tire sticking up out of the bed. He was on his way home from the Lake Elsinore area (about 80 miles north of San Diego) where he had been watching the Chargers game with his dad and sister. Knowing that I would be leaving the show within minutes of when he'd be passing by the venue, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to give me a ride home...but more importantly pull a fast one on me;)

Hey There Little Red Riding Hood

  

I have loved this song since I was a kid, back when my parents taught me the lyrics and used to find it hilarious whenever I would sing it (howl included). This Halloween, Li'l Red Riding Hood was the theme song for Cam and me. We had a fun night with our friends Becky and Sean at our neighbor's costume party (they invite everyone on the block to prevent any noise complaints:). There was music, a plethora of funny get-ups, and even a professional tarot card reader. I, of course, got a reading and found out that I have a very positive future in store!;)