Monday, November 29, 2010
A Few Pics of Stanford
I had a little extra time yesterday to wander around Stanford and grab a few shots. It is really a beautiful campus. Lucky students who get to attend such a beautiful school! I hope they all have the opportunity to get acquainted with Thomas Sowell, as he is the finest and most intelligent man around!!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Biking Half Moon Bay
So this morning I got out of bed at a decent hour and decided to load my bike into the car and go to Half Moon Bay. It proved to be a fine decision, as it was an excellent way to spend the morning hours. My off road biking skills are basic, but it is so much fun to get off the pavement and onto the trails. The path is on the cliffs overlooking the ocean and provides stunning views of the coastline. The beaches are so different here than the Carolina ones that I am used to, but I like them both so much. The beauty here never ceases to amaze me, and I had plenty of moments this morning to park my bike, take in the scenery, breath the fresh morning air, and to take some pictures.
On days when the sun is out Half Moon Bay is such an inviting and quaint village. There are so many people out and about enjoying themselves. It is amazing the difference when it is cloudy here though. The towering cliffs with their wind-blown trees along the with intense surf give off very mysterious and eerie vibes! Rain or shine, it is most certainly a favorite place to visit, and we are so lucky that it is only a few miles down the road. I think we might go back on Wednesday, and I already can't wait!!
On days when the sun is out Half Moon Bay is such an inviting and quaint village. There are so many people out and about enjoying themselves. It is amazing the difference when it is cloudy here though. The towering cliffs with their wind-blown trees along the with intense surf give off very mysterious and eerie vibes! Rain or shine, it is most certainly a favorite place to visit, and we are so lucky that it is only a few miles down the road. I think we might go back on Wednesday, and I already can't wait!!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
It is so hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only two days away. I have cooked all day for our early T-day feast with fellow travelers tonight. Not having a mixer is challenging and adds plenty of minutes to preparation time. Oh well, at least my arms are getting a nice workout. I am looking very forward to once again sitting around the dinner table with friends and good food. Let's see, I have prepared a baked chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, and some delicious nutritionally dense ooey-gooey pumpkin bars. The girls will be bringing over all kinds of yummy items as well, so it will most certainly be a great night. Aaron even said that I have outdone myself!
Lately work has been rather sad, and I find myself becoming quite emotional about many of our sweet little patients. I think it is especially sad this time of year with the holidays just around the corner. Ever since I walked the halls of the hospital on Halloween to accompany my patient for trick-or-treating I just haven't been the same. Random little insignificant moments (joyous or sad) make me very emotional. I loved seeing the patients all dressed up and festive, so that their iv polls carried along weren't even noticeable. There were plenty of witches, princesses, batman's, and even a little girl dressed as a teapot. It is so easy to forget what 'normal' is when working in the ICU setting. The hospital did such a wonderful job hosting this event and making all of the children feel special. It was awesome, and it left me with a greater appreciation for what I do as a nurse and for the people that I work with here. So even when the days seem long and I feel overworked, I think back to Halloween and am reminded why I became a nurse.
So anyway, I have so much to be thankful for this year as with all of the previous years. It is great to live here in the bay area with my little family. We get to explore and have so much fun on our days off. I have really loved working out here, and I find my job very fulfilling right now. It will be bittersweet to say goodbye to all of the nice folks I have met in the next couple of weeks. We are so excited about the spending the upcoming Christmas season with our families and friends. I got to spend six months traveling the world last year. Oh my, the list could just go on and on, but these are some of the things that come to mind. So much to be thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Lately work has been rather sad, and I find myself becoming quite emotional about many of our sweet little patients. I think it is especially sad this time of year with the holidays just around the corner. Ever since I walked the halls of the hospital on Halloween to accompany my patient for trick-or-treating I just haven't been the same. Random little insignificant moments (joyous or sad) make me very emotional. I loved seeing the patients all dressed up and festive, so that their iv polls carried along weren't even noticeable. There were plenty of witches, princesses, batman's, and even a little girl dressed as a teapot. It is so easy to forget what 'normal' is when working in the ICU setting. The hospital did such a wonderful job hosting this event and making all of the children feel special. It was awesome, and it left me with a greater appreciation for what I do as a nurse and for the people that I work with here. So even when the days seem long and I feel overworked, I think back to Halloween and am reminded why I became a nurse.
So anyway, I have so much to be thankful for this year as with all of the previous years. It is great to live here in the bay area with my little family. We get to explore and have so much fun on our days off. I have really loved working out here, and I find my job very fulfilling right now. It will be bittersweet to say goodbye to all of the nice folks I have met in the next couple of weeks. We are so excited about the spending the upcoming Christmas season with our families and friends. I got to spend six months traveling the world last year. Oh my, the list could just go on and on, but these are some of the things that come to mind. So much to be thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Greetings! Last night was so much fun! Aaron and I had Tami and Jenn over for dinner. I managed to make a Thai coconut soup without botching it up too badly. The lemon grass was still a bit hard to chew, but it was edible, and we all seemed to enjoy it. For dessert I went ultra basic with a chocolate/cream cheese dip. Chocolate teddy grahams are just perfect for dipping into this delightful mixture! The girls brought over some fine white wines from Napa Valley. It was a lovely meal.
I just love having friends over for dinner, even though I am a very marginal cook at best. Nothing beats sitting around the dinner table eating, drinking quality wine, and sharing lively conversation. I met Tami and Jenn on my first day of orientation at Lucille Packard, and it has been wonderful getting to know them better over the past several months since moving to Palo Alto.
Today has been quite lovely as well. I managed to be out of bed by 7:00, so I made a quick breakfast, walked Zuri, and headed to the train station to journey into San Francisco for the late morning/early afternoon. Since we arrived here in August I have loved spending my days off riding the Caltrain into the city and wandering the streets aimlessly. San Fran is just such an interesting and diverse place, and it seems like each little neighborhood provides it's own unique culture. My goal today was to spend time in the SF Museum of Modern Art. I tend to be a bit leery about modern art, but I try to always give it a chance. After reading The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver I really wanted to see the paintings by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Rivera was so talented and had such an interesting life. I only found a handful of Rivera paintings and one by Kahlo, but it was just so great to see them in person. The museum also had quite a bit of Matisse on display as well. Seeing his Woman with a Hat painting just about made my day. It was perfect. Currently they also have a unique exhibit called "How Wine Became Modern," and it was fun to walk through as well, especially after our recent getaway to Napa and Sonoma.
After spending several hours in the museum I headed out to find a cafe for lunch. I stumbled upon a little sushi joint that had an inexpensive lunch menu. I found a quiet little table in the back corner to park myself. The miso soup, sushi and beer were excellent and provided me with plenty of extra energy to make the long walk back to the train station.
So it was a short day in the city, but that is just what I was looking for. A little bit of culture, art and sushi were just what I needed for a perfect experience. Now I am back in Palo Alto with Aaron and Zuri. We have spent some time calling various apartments in San Fran so that we will have a place to live in January when we relocate. I am looking very forward to our upcoming move!!! Getting ready to hit the gym, take my friends to the airport, and then relaxing with my book and a beer!
Cheers!!
I just love having friends over for dinner, even though I am a very marginal cook at best. Nothing beats sitting around the dinner table eating, drinking quality wine, and sharing lively conversation. I met Tami and Jenn on my first day of orientation at Lucille Packard, and it has been wonderful getting to know them better over the past several months since moving to Palo Alto.
Today has been quite lovely as well. I managed to be out of bed by 7:00, so I made a quick breakfast, walked Zuri, and headed to the train station to journey into San Francisco for the late morning/early afternoon. Since we arrived here in August I have loved spending my days off riding the Caltrain into the city and wandering the streets aimlessly. San Fran is just such an interesting and diverse place, and it seems like each little neighborhood provides it's own unique culture. My goal today was to spend time in the SF Museum of Modern Art. I tend to be a bit leery about modern art, but I try to always give it a chance. After reading The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver I really wanted to see the paintings by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Rivera was so talented and had such an interesting life. I only found a handful of Rivera paintings and one by Kahlo, but it was just so great to see them in person. The museum also had quite a bit of Matisse on display as well. Seeing his Woman with a Hat painting just about made my day. It was perfect. Currently they also have a unique exhibit called "How Wine Became Modern," and it was fun to walk through as well, especially after our recent getaway to Napa and Sonoma.
After spending several hours in the museum I headed out to find a cafe for lunch. I stumbled upon a little sushi joint that had an inexpensive lunch menu. I found a quiet little table in the back corner to park myself. The miso soup, sushi and beer were excellent and provided me with plenty of extra energy to make the long walk back to the train station.
So it was a short day in the city, but that is just what I was looking for. A little bit of culture, art and sushi were just what I needed for a perfect experience. Now I am back in Palo Alto with Aaron and Zuri. We have spent some time calling various apartments in San Fran so that we will have a place to live in January when we relocate. I am looking very forward to our upcoming move!!! Getting ready to hit the gym, take my friends to the airport, and then relaxing with my book and a beer!
Cheers!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)