Summer Vacation, part 1

I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in my brother-in-law's wedding on June 12th in Lake Tahoe. This wonderful event kicked off a twelve day vacation for Michael and me. We flew in to Reno, NV on Thursday, June 10th and rented a car to drive to Tahoe. It was our first time visiting this picturesque vacation town in Northern California. I've always loved hanging out with my in-laws, and I feel pretty close to the bride and her family too. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding last year. The weather was colder than I expected, so I ended up buying a cheap sweatshirt to use for the few days we were there. Saturday morning was bright and beautiful for the wedding, and when the wind wasn't blowing, it was quite nice. The photo shoot was fairly windy, however, and I was shivering and covered with goosebumps. The ceremony was beautiful though, and the reception was inside (delicious food too!).

beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe

photo by Andrew Chu

photo by James Glover

We stayed in great rental condos right on the beach, and the whole weekend was spent with family. We even had a make-shift church service led by the officiating pastor on Sunday morning. We also set the standard for the whole vacation of eating well and eating a lot. Fortunately I got in three decent runs while we were there.

We left on Sunday afternoon to drive to San Francisco. We only stayed a night there because we left from the airport in the morning for Hong Kong. With only a brief stay, we still managed to take in some sights. Michael's uncle lives in San Francisco, and he took us to Old Mandarin Islamic restaurant. We followed that with a walk along the beach and a hike through a beautiful wooded area with views of the the Golden Gate bridge.

We also made it over to Fisherman's Wharf where we had dessert at Hard Rock Cafe. It was my first time visiting San Francisco, and even though I know I only skimmed the surface of what there is to do there, I'm glad we made the most of our time.

Polo's first run

We're trying to teach Polo how to run on the treadmill.

P.S. The Cheesecake

I can't believe I forgot to mention the delicious cheesecake Michael and I received for our anniversary. Our dear friend Laura, who lives in Brooklyn, sent us a Junior's cheesecake, which is Michael's favorite. Of course, I love it too, but one of Michael's favorite desserts is cheesecake, and his favorite cheesecake just happens to be a New York classic found only in the Big Apple. Thank God for overnight delivery and dry ice!

And thank you, Laura!!

One Year Anniversary

On May 23, 2009, Michael and I said our vows and became husband and wife. Yesterday, we celebrated our first anniversary. It was a wonderful anniversary weekend. On Saturday, we went to the zoo together and enjoyed seeing the new polar bear exhibit (polar bears are one of my favorite animals).
We also bought a treadmill, and spent half an hour trying to finagle it into the house. It still has yet to make it the basement, which is supposed to be its permanent home. I put it to the test though with a 14 mile run, and the treadmill and I both survived.

For dinner, we tried out a Greek restaurant just up the street that we've been wanting to go to for a while. They had flaming Saganaki, which alone would make me want to return, but the gyro and lamb kabobs were also tasty.

On Sunday morning, I made pancakes for us, and we exchanged cards. Turns out we both purchased Papyrus cards from different Targets last Friday and almost bought the same one. A year in, and we're already thinking alike. We went to church and the grocery store like we always do on Sundays, but in the afternoon we went to see Date Night, which we both thought was funny and appropriate for an anniversary movie. Michael made reservations at Akai Hana for dinner, where we devoured a party boat of sushi. Yum!

The activities were great, but it was the conversation and company that really made this weekend special. I love you, babe!

Durmstrang

Sometimes when I learn or discover something new, what I realize is how little of the world I really know. For example, there was a reference to Sturm and Drang in the book I'm currently reading (Cutting for Stone). At first I thought, That seems so familiar, but I don't know what it means. Naturally, I did what I always do when I don't know something: I Googled it. Apparently, Sturm and Drang was an anti-Enlightenment movement in Germany in the late 18th century, and it is commonly translated as Storm and Stress*. That, however, is not why it was familiar to me. I have not studied much of the various movements in music, art, and literature, not as much as I would have liked anyway. No, it was familiar because of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling named one of the other wizarding schools Durmstrang. I'm sure it's not a coincidental spoonerism, and I'm even more sure that countless people realized this connection long before I did. But in case you didn't, I'm glad I could share my enlightenment with you.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturm_und_Drang

Florida trip

Where does the time go? Michael and I went to Florida two and a half weeks ago, and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. A friend of ours from college invited us to her wedding in Anna Maria Island, and we were only too happy to attend. Not only did we get to be the sole representatives from her time in Arizona and be blessed to be a part of this joyous and important occasion in her life, we also got to make a vacation out of it. We spent some time on the beach, ate great food (both wedding-related and at restaurants), and enjoyed seeing the bride and groom and meeting the other guests. After a great couple days of wedding festivities, Michael and I headed back to grandma's to get in some family quality time too. We had lunch at a place called RJ Gators, and I can hardly believe myself, but I tried alligator! That's right. It was in the form of popcorn chicken, but I wouldn't say it tasted like chicken. The texture was somewhere between chicken and clams, but the flavor came mostly from the spicy batter in which it was fried. It was actually pretty good.

The beginning of a bird pyramid

After breakfast on the pier

With the bride before the ceremony

Picture perfect setting for saying "I do"

Making pizza with grandma

Waterlogged

The weather in Columbus lately has been beautiful. I absolutely adore the spring colors, the flowers, the blossoming trees. People always talk about how pretty autumn is, and I agree, but I think spring doesn't get enough credit. Perhaps it is because so many people are suffering from allergies that they have trouble appreciating the beauty surrounding them. I am sorry for those of you who are sufferering, but as I don't have any allergies, I am totally and completely loving spring. The sun, the warmth, the delicious smells and gorgeous sights of all the blooming life.

Of course, all this life needs to be watered. Here comes the rain. On Friday, there was a nice little April shower. Clouds moved in that morning, and when I got home after school, I was pretty sure that if I didn't lace up my running shoes and hit the pavement soon, I might be tempted to stay inside once the drops started falling. About five minutes into the run, I was being misted. It was actually kind of pleasant, but ten minutes later, I was in the middle of a torrential downpour. I could barely see and was 100% soaked through. As I headed home, I was a complete mess. I had one eye closed as water had gotten in and shifted my contact, and I looked like I had just jumped in a lake. Just as I rounded the corner of my street, the rain turned back to mist, naturally, but I was done for. Two and a half miles, and I probably had two and a half cups of water to squeeze out of my clothes and shoes. Despite all that, it really wasn't so bad except I think the water got into the Nike+ sensor in my shoe. It hasn't worked since, so I'm headed out today to get a new one. Note to self: Remove sensor before running in the rain.