KA --- at least I have one picture....

Well...we got back from our short hop to Las Vegas. It seemed like we were there for a long time...but, I think it's because we were doing a lot of things...

On Friday, we ran some errands and met one of Jeff's friends, Patty, for lunch at the 4 Kegs. If you are a Triple D (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) fan, you may have seen the 4 Kegs on the show. They are known for the stromboli, but, their hot wings sure smelled good! We liked it so much, we got two to go on Sunday night! We had it for Sunday dinner, Monday breakfast and for a late lunch when we got home! HA HA HA! It was quite yummy!

I also found a GREAT QUILT store! I picked up lots of patterns, wonderful Asian fabric Fat quarters, a few kits and I finally found the Golden Pavillion Panel from Kona Bay that I have been looking for!

Friday night we took the boys to go see KA...a Cirque Du Soleil show. It was different from other shows because it was more like a story. I really liked it...and when you stopped to think about what they were doing, you were amazed! Jeff broke down and bought the above picture. It came in a nicely embossed album with two pictures. This turned out great since, I DELETED ALL MY PICTURES ON MY CAMERA!!!!

Saturday we drove to Hoover Dam. This was a really easy drive and it is amazing to see such a enormous structure! Plus, the dam was completed TWO years ahead of schedule, under budget AND the loan was repaid with interest! AMAZING...great tour for the family...

I have to give kudos to Lori's brother Perry for a tip he gave me years ago. If you forget a phone charger or in my case an iPod charger...check with hotel security. They have boxes of chargers that people leave in their room. YEAH!!! We didn't go iPod-less!!!!

Saturday we also ate at Pinks @ Planet Hollywood! I think they were featured on Triple D as well! Jeff actually had the two hotdogs in a tortilla with chili and cheese....it was quite yummy. And best of all...the dogs snapped!

The boys were up early on Sunday to hit the pool...they enjoyed it for quite a while until they got tired of the heat and rude kids. (Please explain to me why parents think that underwear is proper pool attire...gross...the kid also wore diapers...because I saw the father changing him before the pool opened!) After we showered, we hit Main Street up for a nice buffet and a nice walk!

Monday morning we left for home (and the Sheryl Crow concert @ Wente that night). It was a nice and short vacation...but, school starts tomorrow!!! YEAH!!!!!

If I can recover the pictures...I'll post them...until then...night!

GRRRRR!!!!

Okay, so, I have been a bad blogger lately...I remembered to bring my camera to lunch with Lori and Nick, dinner with Andi and Jeff, and lunch/playdate with Betty and Sandy...but, do I remember to take it out and take a picture...NOOOO!!!!! Do I even take a picture of Jeff's niece who stayed with us dancing to "High School Musical"? Nope...I'm such a slacker! I can't wait until school starts...then, maybe I will get my act together!

Not to mention that I didn't take pictures at the driving range...which would have been handy since this little brat (not mine) almost hit me with a golf ball. He isn't a brat because he almost hit me (actually, he did hit the guy sitting on the bench next to me)...but, he just giggled and didn't say "I'm Sorry"....GRRRR!!!! Not cool...btw: no parents in sight!

My latest GRRRR...is Jeff's iTouch. I am syncing it before "Our Last Hurrah trip". Three things are happening (1) I sync the music, then videos disappear; (2) I sync the videos, (and guess what!) the music disappears! (3) I finally get the music and videos on....then the apps disappear!!! I know it has to do with my settings...but, I am too fried today to figure it out.

Night folks....btw: I'll post when I get back...I am going laptop-less...I hope I don't have withdrawals!

The Ottinger's Housewarming Party

This past Saturday, we drove down to Castroville/Salinas to attend a housewarming party. Jeff's cousin Karen and her husband Jeff (aka: Haku) bought their house earlier this year and opened it up to the family.



Haku, Karen, me and Auntie Joanne (Karen's Mom). Haku likes picking on me. Jeff's great-aunties Marian and Sets with cousin Kimi.

Oh gees...here we go...starting on the left, Tami, Rika, Dylan, Great Auntie Junko, Marika, Bruce, Haku, Megan and in the front Rachel. (Megan and Rachel are Jeff's nieces.)

Here he is eating AGAIN, Tommy and his wife Peggy.

Cousins Richard and Robert kept Jordan entertained all night...


Pamela and Neil pose with Great Grandma Kobayashi.

Starting from the left: Rodney, Bachan (Jeff's grandmother), Auntie Dianne (Auntie Joanne's twin sister), Robert (yes, we have two Roberts, Jeffs, Franks, Georges), Neil, Lisa, Jeff (looking shocked?) and on the top row, Karen, Jeff's mom and our newest family member Marley.

Marley just married into the family in October/November (sorry!). But, Jeff's 2nd cousin Jerry couldn't make it, so Marley came up with Jerry's sister and mother.

Here is Marley, Karen, Jeff's Mom, Lisa and Pamela.

As you can tell, Jeff has a large extended family...Until recently, there were quite a few great-Aunties/Uncles....and now that the cousins (8 of them!) are older, lots of cousin-in-laws...it makes it fun to get together...

SAMURAI --- Asian Art Museum SF

Today we went to the Asian Art Museum with Jeff's Mother and Grandmother. I was a little worried about Grandma, she is 92 years "young", but she did really well!

Unfortunately, we were not able to take pictures in the Samurai exhibit, but it was really interesting...we were lucky enough to catch the "Samurai Stories", so that got us in the mood for the exhibit.
I don't know if the boys really appreciated the exhibits, but, they did like the video presentations about Japanese Castles, Zen, Shinto and Tea Houses...(I just checked, they still remembered the topics :) ).
Here are the boys with Grandma. Don't they look good for the end of the day? On the way home, Jordan and Grandma went to sleep. In Jordan's defense, he went walking with Jeff this morning at 6:30 a.m.

This is one of the many "Buddhas" that are on exhibit at the museum. They are from all over Asia...you will notice that some are standing and some are sitting. Jodo Shinshu's Buddha is standing so I took this picture. (Phew! We asked Jordan the other day what sect of Buddhism we are...and he answered "Jodo Shinshu"....Good job Noreen!)
The next time you see Neil, ask him about the screen with the Dog. Can you see the dog in the middle, and all of the samurai on horseback with (egads!) bows and arrows? According to Neil, "The game is, you have to shoot the dog with an arrow. There is something on the end of the arrow, so the dog does not get damaged. They could not hit the dog on its head or back." It still sounds like it would hurt, eh.

This was not in the Samurai exhibit, so, I could take a picture (without my flash, I'll get to this in a second...grrrr).

Isn't this basket gorgeous? I love baskets, and there were BEAUTIFUL hand-woven baskets on display!

Here are my two angels....hee hee...at least they weren't "battling" while in the exhibits...

Okay, about the "no flash photography". It's getting REALLY hard raising two boys, you try to teach them "right from wrong", "good values" etc...then you have some a$$h0)e taking flash photography at a museum when there are signing saying that it is prohibited...plus, the guards told you the rules, plus, NO ONE else is....sigh, once again I had to have the "sometimes people don't want to follow the rules, but that is wrong" conversation with the boys. At least, they knew it was wrong....and I made sure to get us out of there before the guards came, since I had my camera around my neck...and YOU COULD SEE THE FLASH STROBES going off.

Sigh...I'm tired....nite!

Lunch with Andi

So, I am a little late with this post....YESTERDAY, we had lunch with Andi. I have know Andi since she was probably younger than the kids she is teaching...yes, this officially makes me OLD!

Anyways, one day I was clicking through the school website...and I see Andi's name...I thought "nah...that can't be the same Andi..."...I called my Mom and she said, "oh yeah, Andi's teaching somewhere in Fremont....". My response: "um Mom, she is teaching across the street at the boys' school". On Wednesday, we had lunch and got caught up...then we helped her set up her classroom a little..."destroy" boxes (the boys like the more violent words), and put up books etc...

I can't wait to see their pictures from their vacation in Spain! Fun Fun Fun...get it in now...before the kids!

Whoo HOO!!! GO Vikings!!!!

Last weekend was my 25 year High School Class Reunion! It was a lot more fun than I expected and it is great to see everyone...

Friday night was an informal get-together at Casa Sorrento...it's owned by one of our classmates, Mike Hackett, and I also went to grammar school with him...now that's going WAY BACK!

Tim Castro, me, Leonard Santiago and yes, that's JUDE URETA...our class president... Marsha (Queturas) Santiago, Jeff Lopez, Jim Innocenti, Sandee Nelson and me....talk about going WAY BACK...we all went to El Gabilan Elementary together....I think Mike is hiding!

We were running late leaving Fremont, so, Jeff dropped me off at Elizabeth's house, and Mr. Armstrong picked BOTH of us up! Boy, was he surprised to see me at Eliz's. (I don't know if it was a "pleasant" or "bad" surprise...)

Hans and Margie came all the way from Kent, WA for the reunion. Margie and I met at El Sausal Junior High. We were always seated close to each other (in class and yearbook) since both of our last names started with an "I". She is one of the sweetest people I know!

Suzette Tindall and I are catching up on life...we might have been talking about Girl Scouts, HAH!

Okay, let's talk about Small Worlds, Rob Tompkins and I were talking about "what are you doing now" and I found out that he worked with "my mother's cousins' husband" (did ya follow that?) ...funny huh? Then Rob and Jeff started talking about softball and they lost me...willingly...(I am so glad softball days are over...too many weekends freezing in S.F. with no bathrooms...or roasting in Sacramento....)

Our class Valedictorian, Chun Lee, came to his FIRST reunion! Now that I am "friends" on FB with his wife Rina, he has no excuse for missing any more!

Kim and I go back to Kindergarten! Isn't she pretty, just like back then! She had done a great job with all of our reunions...we are lucky to have her!

Marsha and me....we went together to the reunion while Pete played with the boys at my parents' house. Dad and Jordan dropped him off at Marsha's mom's house later that night...

More of the El Gabilan Elementary crew, Jim Innocenti (he came out from Colorado Springs), Sandra Villalobos, Marsha, Suzette, me, Lee Hickinbotham, Kim and Sandee Nelson.

The group picture....

Dinner at Fuddrucker's....again....but I love it!

We made it hope in time for Logan's 1st birthday party...unfortunately, I didn't have my camera since we walked to Evonne's Mom's house...oh well....I plead lack of sleep!

But, I did take my camera to Fuddrucker's after the last day of basketball camp! I couldn't resist taking this picture of the kids....look at them....and these are only the ones we went to dinner with... I am going through my reunion pictures tomorrow...look for a LONG post...or at least one filled with pictures! I'll also post pictures to FB.