Happy Birthday, Dan

My friend Dan turns 50 on May 3. His girlfriend Beth threw together a last minute surprise dinner for Dan this evening. We had dinner at Firestone Brewery in Buellton. I'd never eaten there before and the food was quite tasty.
Picture #1: The birthday boy.
Picture #2: Beth, Tatiana, Karen, Dave, Dan.
Picture #3: Tatiana, Karen, Dave, Dan, Beth.

Callie Found A New Place To Rest

I found Callie snuggled very comfortably on Ted's pillow this morning. Very sweet girl.

Jackpot

The Borders near my office is closing and they are having a going out of business sale. I went during lunch today and scored 10 new books all for 60% off. It's too bad the store is going out of business but I love a great deal.

Fit-Friendly

My company received the Fit-Friendly Company designation from the American Heart Association (AHA) today. The Fit-Friendly Companies program recognizes employers who support the health of their employees and work to create a culture of physical activity and health in the workplace. My company was recognized for the health and wellness initiatives we've put in place over the last year. The Executive Director of the Central Coast Division of the American Heart Association presented this plaque to the CEO during our staff meeting today. We have a lot more we would like to do in the way of wellness initiatives at my company but it is nice to have our current efforts recognized.

Cool Bean Mints

I attended a wellness forum at Neovia, my company's health insurance broker, this afternoon. They handed out tins of cool bean mints. I don't know if they are healthy but they sure are delicious.

Library Day

Saturday was library day. Seven new books to read. Woo hoo.

Cyrus

Ted and I watched Cyrus this evening. It is a quirky film, and despite several very uncomfortable scenes, we both really enjoyed it.

Lompoc Spring Arts Festival

The Lompoc Spring Arts Festival is going on and Ted and I
Picture #1: Hula dancers.
Pictures #2-4: They had a whole section of carnival rides and I decided to ride the Ferris Wheel. Even though I was the oldest person riding the Ferris Wheel, who was not assisting a young child, I had a lot of fun.

Ilaria Is Turning Two: Part One

Ted and I had the distinct pleasure of helping Ilaria celebrate her 2nd birthday today. After a yummy dinner at Madam Lu, we went to Carolyn and Vince's house for presents, cake and ice cream.
Picture #1: Ilaria at Madam Lu.
Picture #2: The hostess at Madam Lu could not get enough of Ilaria.
Pictures #3-5: Ilaria sitting on her new pink chair (a gift from her grandmother) and playing with her new toys.

After Stacy's Bridal Shower

After Stacy's bridal shower I met Ted and Edward for dinner. Edward took us to a New York style pizzeria and afterwords we bought cupcakes at Crumbs Bake Shop. We bought red velvet, vanilla lemon and vanilla raspberry cupcakes. They were all delicious.

*These pictures were taken 4/9/2011.

Easter Candy

I bought these bags of Easter candy even though I don't have any children to give it to. I guess I will have to eat it myself.

Water For Elephants

I received this book as a gift several years ago and I started to read it but I couldn't get into the story. My coworker Francee mentioned she is going to see the movie this weekend because she loved the book. Her description of the book was so intriguing I've decided to give the book another shot.

Stacy's Bridal Shower: Part Three

Picture #1: The scrapbook page I made for Stacy and Edward.
Pictures #2-3: The party favors.

*These pictures were taken 4/9/2011.

Valentine's Day

Ted and I watched Valentine's Day last Friday night, and that's all I have to say about that.

Better Than Summer

Ted and I spent this afternoon in Pismo Beach. The temperature was in the low 80s. I initially said the weather felt like summer, but then I revised my observation to say it felt better than summer (because we never quite know what type of weather we will get in the summer months). It was the perfect day to be at the beach.

Atlas 5 Rocket

An Atlas 5 rocket was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base last night. The pictures I took didn't come out great but this picture came out the best. The rocket is the small dot to the right of the moon.

Joy To The World

My friend Kitty brought, Joy to the World, the holiday album Pink Martini released last year for me to listen to. It was kind of strange listening to holiday music in April, but I really like the music and will probably end up purchasing the CD.

You Know Easter Is Around The Corner When...

you find pastel wrapped candy in stores.

Road Safety

I wasn't able to get the best angle for a picture but on my way to Ted's office this afternoon I spotted these two ducks seemingly waiting patiently for traffic to subside before crossing the street. Very smart duckies.

Unstoppable

Ted and I watched Unstoppable last night. The movie was inspired by true events which we found interesting because neither of us has any memory of this event.

Stacy's Bridal Shower: Part Two

More pictures from Stacy's bridal shower.
Pictures #1-3: Stacy opening gifts.
Picture #4: We only played two games during the shower (thank goodness!). Stacy pictured with the game winners.
Picture #5: Stacy with the hosts of her bridal shower.

*These pictures were taken 4/9/2011.

Stacy's Bridal Shower: Part One

Stacy is marrying Ted's cousin Edward in May. I've gotten to know Stacy fairly well over the last two years so I decided to attend her bridal shower this afternoon. Despite the fact that Stacy is the only person I knew at the shower I did have a nice time. Stacy's friends were welcoming and friendly so it wasn't too weird that I didn't know anyone besides Stacy.
Picture #1: Each guest was asked to create a scrapbook page for Stacy and Edward.
Picture #2: Bridal shower guests.
Pictures #3-5: Guests were asked to bring a gift off of Stacy and Edward's Macy's registry or some type of lingerie. Most guest brought lingerie but some (myself included) brought gifts from Macy's.

Incentive

I am attending a bridal shower tomorrow in LA and we have to leave at 9:00 in order for me to get there on time. I want to go to the gym before we leave so I have to be at the gym when it opens at 7:00. I don't look forward to getting up that early so I bought this magazine as incentive to make sure I get up and go to the gym.

Lompoc Wine Trail

The picture quality is not great but I snapped a photo of one of several new signs around Lompoc advertising different stops on the Lompoc Wine Trail. Pretty neat.

National Start Walking Day

Today is National Start Walking Day. "Start" is the American Heart Association's (AHA) national program that calls on employers to create a culture of physical activity and encourages employees to live healthier lives through walking. My company is participating in the AHA's Heat Walk again this fall and today we hosted a walk in recognition of National Start Walking Day and to kick-off our Heart Walk training. There are only three of us that participated in the walk but we did not let the low participation stop us from having a great time.
Pictured from left to right: Beth, Paul, Sharon.

Belle

My coworker Cynthia's daughter Maddie is raising a pig through 4-H to show at the 2011 Santa Barbara County Fair in July. They picked up Belle last weekend and Cynthia emailed me a few pictures. Belle is about 65 pounds now and I'm hoping Ted and I will get a chance to meet her before she gets too big. I think pigs are cutest when as piglets.
Pictures #1-2: Maddie and Belle.