My Tire.

So yesterday at work was not the best day but I managed to pull through. I made it all the way home, got out of my truck and heard this strange whisteling sound. It was already dark but I used my handy flashlight app on the good ol Iphone and discovered that one of my tired was loosing air! Not because it had something stuck in it but because the valve where you put the air in had a huge crack! First thing I did was call my husband (who is at work of course) and ask him for some suggestions. He said for now I should put the truck up on a jack so that when my tire goes flat it won't bend my wheel.

So I usually woun't take pictures of myself changing a tire but I happen to have pictures because Zac wanted to make sure that I put the jack stand on the frame rail. Im not some car savvy girl but I know how to jack up a truck and put a jack stand under the frame rail. It was cold last night and I could barely see so I thought I would just get things ready and then tomorrow (today) would be go time.

My day to sleep in I woke up at 7:30. I guess thats an extra hour and a half then usual. I wanted to go back to sleep but I could NOT stop thinking about my flat tire and my hair appointment I had to get to by 2:00, so up I got. I dressed warm because its been SO cold lately and its going to rain today. I got my manual out from my truck and got started. I had my spare tire down from under my truck in no time. Once I moved over to the tire with the flat, well thats when it got difficult. I knew what I needed to d, loosen all the nuts and remove the tire and pop the new one on. I tried my very hardest to get those suckers off but they were on there tight! I even wanted to use Zacs new impact gun but the garage is such a mess I don't know how I would find a socket to fit. So after trying for a bit and hurting my hands I ended up calling my father in law. He told me to be safe he was going to come over and help me. Thank goodness!

He was over and had my spare was on! He did tell me that those nuts were on there so tight that there is no way I would of been able to get them off. He was also impressed that I was able to get that far on my own. So what did I learn today?A) I KNOW how to change a tire B) Im not strong enough to get my tire off and C) It might be a good idea to get AAA. Anyways almost time to get ready to go to my hair appointment. Hope you enjoyed this little story!

It finally happened.

Well its here people. I finally got "sick". The other day I woke up with a sore throat. I made it through the day and went to bed early but today, not so good. My voice sounds like a man and I felt like I wanted to just lay down! Well thankfully I have the nicest co-workers! Yesterday my friend Martha brought me chicken noodle soup and a cookie and Dr.Wyatt gave me some sudafed! Today my friend Melinda bought me some tea, a tangerine and this drink thats called Synergy. Now, this drink is suppose to help me feel better but its tastes...weird. It almost is like a fizzy vinegar. I'll do anything to feel better, so down the hatch it goes.

I must say on my drive home I actually felt like I might be on the mend. I really think that all my sweet co-workers coming to my aid has boosted my spirits. The other day my friend Martha wrote on my facebook:

"If knowing that someone cares
helps the healing process...
.... Then you should be feeling better already. :)"

Thanks to all the great people in my life!

On a second, not so good note. Zac found out yesterday that he did not get the full time position at Mill Valley. To say he was disapointed is an understatment. However, today is a new day and we are both feeling better! We are keeping our heads held high and we know that his day will come! Better luck next time. Here is something my momma sent me the other day to help lift mine and Zacs spirits.

I'll be happy when...

 

     We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get

married,  have a baby,  then another.    Then we are frustrated that the

kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are.    After

that,  we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with.    We will

certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.    We tell ourselves

that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act

together,  when we get a nicer car,  when we are able to go on a nice

vacation or when we retire.

     The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now.

If not now, when?    Your life will always be filled with challenges.

     It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

Happiness is the way.

     So,  treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more

because you shared it with someone special,  special enough to spend

your time with ..... and remember that time waits for no one.

     So,  stop waiting

Until your car or home is paid off.

Until you get a new car or home.

Until your kids leave the house.

Until you go back to school.

Until you finish school.

Until you lose 10 lbs.

Until you gain 10 lbs.

Until you get married.

Until you get a divorce

Until you have kids.

Until you retire.

Until summer..

Until spring.

Until winter.

Until fall.

     There is no better time than right now to be happy.     Happiness

is a journey,  not a destination.    So work like you don't need money,

love like you've never been hurt,  and dance like no one's watching.

More Family!

Now that I have your attention with that gorgeous photo above I'd like to share with you all the wonderful weekend I had with my sister and her hubby. Makes me look like a pretty good photographer living up here, all I have to do is point and shoot. This was taken with my canon at Bennett Lane winery.

So I guess the best place to start is at the begining. Bobby and Jenny drove up after work on Thursday night. My sister and bobby were coming up north to celebrate my sisters birthday which was Thursday. They probably didn't get in till 1:30 or 2:00. Friday morning Zac left in the morning to head over to Mill Valley for his big cheifs interview. He said that it went really well but he won't find out if he gets the full time position until Monday. So we are back to waiting! While Zac was gone I cooked breakfast for Jen and Bob and then we got ready for our day. Once Zac got back into town we decided we would take a little bike ride around Calistoga.

After riding around for a bit and getting some great pictures we decided we would ride our bikes over to Summers Winery and do a wine tasting. The great thing about being a local is that we got our wine tasting for free! We of coarse bought some bottles. We had Jen choose her favorite and got it for her for her birthday. It was a good tasting which included a little chocolate and even tomatoes. I skipped the tomatoes. Yuck!

When we finished up at Summers we went across the street to Envy but they were having some issuses with their pipes so they we closed for the afternoon. Well luckily wineries arn't to hard to find around here. Back on the bikes and further down the road we hit up Bennett Lane winery for one last tasting. We had a really good time tasting at Bennett Lane and actaully learned a lot from the man doing our tasting.

Okay so I know that was a lot of pictures to go through but I just have so many great ones it is really hard to pick just a few. After we were done at Bennett Lane we were a little hungry so we wanted to get a snack before our big meal at Rutherford Grill. I was happy to drive everyone to Barolo for some of their delicious bruschetta! Im not a tomatoe fan but this bruchetta has only veggies on it and it is SO good! I just love it.

So the snack made us all even more hungry! So we drove down to Rutherford to enjoy some dinner at The Grill. When we got there it was an hour wait! I tried to make reservations but the only opening they had was at 9:00 and we did not want to wait that long! So we brought Jens bottle of wine for her birthday and they enjoyed a bottle while we waited for our table. The wait seemed to take forever but once we sat down to eat oh man....it was worth it. Yum!

Finally our day had come to an end. We headed back to Calistoga and Zac and Bobby made us a nice warm fire! We had our hot cocoa and movie and we were good to go.

Day two: Hello Saturday! And hello rain! What can you do in the rain? Well I like being out and about but the rain doesn't really allow for that. After having another delicious breakfast we got ready for the day and decided that we would go drive by some houses that Zac and I have been looking up on Redfin. When we finished that we thought it would be a perfect day for a movie! We all felt like something light and funny so we went with Puss and Boots.

The movie ended and it was time for the good stuff, Tex Wasabi! Zac really wanted to sit upstairs and we were able to. I had my favorite the tootsie roll and Jen tried something off the menu called the Leprechaun roll, it was delish! I think I might have to try that again when I go back.

Even sitting here right now I am thinking about that delicious sushi. Its weird because like my sister says sushi has everything I don't really like! But when its all together I really like it!

Once sushi was finished we thought we would head up to the casino and try our luck! The tables were all at $10 so the boys didn't want to spend at least $20 only to be able to play twice ( if they lost).Zac and I decided to try our luck at the slots. I think some of Zacs moms luck has rubbed off on him because he put in a dollar and won $10! I know thats not much but its better then going to a casino and loosing your money. We stayed there for awhile and Zac got down to +5 and then called it quits. Not a bad day spent in the rain!

Now we arrive at Sunday, the last day. Zac left early again, back to work. We decided we would go out to eat for breakfast. Jen had been to Hydro but she had never been to Cafe Sarafornia so she wanted to try that out. The food was good as always! The day before Jen and I had made reservations at Golden Haven to have mud baths. We had never had a mud bath before so we were excited to test it out and if your going to have a mud bath Calistoga is THE place to do it. Thats what we're known for.

We got a great deal for our mud baths. They are usually around $89 per person and we were able to get both of ours for $89! What a steal. So around 12:30 we headed over! First they give you robes and flip flops to put on and walk you to your mud bath room. Jen and I decided to wear swimsuits...I guess for our own ease of mind. The mud is very hot when you get in, it feels like a jacuzzi. You can't touch the bottom of the tub because it is very HOT so you have to ease yourself in. The mud has this moss in it that makes you float. It is the coolest feeling to just be suspended in that muck! I have to be honest though it does stink. It has sulfur in it which basically smells like rotten eggs. We laid in there for about 12 minutes and then showered off the mud because it was time for our mineral bath. You get to sit in a nice mini hot tub and relax. The point is to sweat to get rid of all your toxins. After being in the tub for awhile they take you to a room and wrap you up like a burrito and turn down the lights and let you just relax! It felt so nice!

Once we finished out burrito nap we were HUNGRY! Jen had been craving Guignis the whole time so this was the perfect time to head over to St.Helena and get a delicious Guignis sandwich. I love their sandwiches. On our way home I dropped Jen off at the Calistoga Inn becaue Bobby was at the bar watching the Charger game. I wanted to get home so that I could check on Hudson because I had left him in the house. When I got home he was laying on the couch :) Better then being covered in mud.

So tonight is our last night. I go back to work tomorrow and Jen and Bob our back down to So Cal. All in all it was a great weekend! Im so glad they were able to come up here and enjoy a little break. Happy Birthday Sister!!

perspective.

Good morning blog followers. Today I get to enjoy a day at home. We were a little over staffed at work so here I am. I woke up this morning and I was feeling in a funk. Every once in awhile I get in these moods and today was one of them. I decided to get out of this funk I would take my boy Hudson on a walk and enjoy all the fall colors and the beutiful weather we are having.

And this is where I live. Not to bad.

My weekend in a nut shell

My friend Melinda (who is in the middle) just recently turned the big 21. On friday night some people from work decided to take her out to celebrate. We headed over to to Johnny Garlics at about 5:30 to enjoy some food and some drinks. As you can see in the picture above us girls are enjoying whats called a "Bowla" quite delish. The food was great as well. Shout out to Dr.B for paying for everything. What a nice guy!

After Johnny Garlics we decided we would split up from the group and head down town to continue the celebration. We stopped at Christys first, I had never been there before but it was a pretty nice atmoshpere, with a live band. When we finished up there we walked across the street to Stout Brothers. It was a little more up beat there, Erica and I tried to get our groove on even though no one else was dancing. At the end of the night Zac came and picked us up. Thanks hubby!

Halloween at work

Well here we are, not all of us but most of us. My doctor likes to celebrate Halloween. Each assistant has an operatory that they get to decorate and then on the day of our party we vote for the best one. We also vote for who has the best costume as well as a pumpkin carving contest.

We had our party on Thrusday because Dr.Anderson was going to be gone on Monday ( Halloween day). We all showed up at 7:30 and everyone was checking out eachothers cotumes. Most people keep what they're wearing that day a secret so we show up to work suprised by everyones costume. At 12:00 we started our party which included food, games and of course pictures!

It was very difficult to have to go back to work after the party but we all had a really great time. Instead of writing everything in this blog Im just going to post some pictures that I took!

Taking a break

My mom came to visit me this last weekend. I am always so excited when she comes up and we are able to spend time together. I planned a little something special for her on Friday and I could not wait to show her. My momma was able to fly into Santa Rosa airport on Thursday night which is SO much easier then having to drive all the way to San Francisco or Oakland. Zac and I had a nice little dinner and then picked her up and headed back to good ol' Calistoga.

Friday arrived and I was hoping that it was going to be nice weather. It had been so foggy lately and it didn't usually burn off till 12:30 or 1:00. Mine plan for my mom and I was a relaxing day in the sun. Los Angeles has the Roosevelt Hotel for their pool and up here we have Francis Ford Coppola! I have seen so many people that have gone and used the pool and I have wanted to but just hadn't had the time. Well today was my day!

Zac had to get up early for work but I remebered to ask him if the sun was out and he said yes! I was so excited, this was working out perfect. I had told my mom to bring up her swimsuit but did not tell her why she needed it. I was trying to keep it a secret. We were able to sleep in and then we headed into town to get some breakfast. We ended up eating at Hydros which always has good breakfast food and then, time for my suprise! We made it to Coppolas around 12:30. My mom had heard of Coppola from his movies that he had done but she still had no idea why we were at a winery and had our swimsuits on. I went up to the desk and got our pool passes for the day and then suprised my mom with our towels and said we are using the pool for the day! She was so excited and so was I. The day was absolutely gorgeous the pool was gorgeous the weather was gorgeous, everything! We just laid out soaking the rays and enjoying our raseberry daquris!

We stayed till about 3:00pm and then thought we would head home and get ready for dinner, at solage of course.  Mom and I got all dolled up and had reservations at Solbar for 5:30. We were able to sit outside in the perfect weather and enjoy the live music and the freaking awesome food!

Saturday: We woke up late and went out to breakfast, again. I was planning on taking my mom to Cafe Sarafornia but they were packed as usual so we went back to Hydros. Zac was able to enjoy breakfast with us this morning. After filling our bellies Zac had to pick up a few things at Ace while my mom and I headed over to the Farmers Market.  Its pretty small but they had some beautiful flowers that my momma bought for my house. My mom has so many different talents and one of them happens to be arranging flowers. I wish she would of done my flowers for my wedding! I walked around and pointed  out what I liked and then we get home and BOOM, a beautiful bouquet.  She also bought me this really cute little bracelet that is made from an antique watch band. The french word etoile means star and that small white peice that hangs off is a salt water pearl in the shape of a star. I thought it was so cool and I love the fact that it was made from an antique watch.

After we were finished at the market we headed back home to relax for a bit. My mom helped me dye my couch brown which will hopefully hold me over till I am able to get a new couch. Zac was busy outside working on his truck while mom and I began to get ready for the afternoon. We decided to head over to Corte Madera to do some shopping at the mall and then have dinner at the Melting Pot. My mom had never been to the Melting Pot. Once we were done at the mall Zac drove us around Sauslito for a bit. It was so gorgeous being right by the water and it was still warm out! We were already hungry so off to dinner we went. The food was good but my favorite part about eating at the Melting Pot? Dessert!

Sunday: A day to relax! We woke up a little to late to have breakfast so it was straight to lunch for us. I decided to take my mom to a place in Santa Rosa called Crape Vine. They pretty much have everything there and big portions. We were stuffed and now it was time to do that Zac and I pretty much do every weekend, go drive by houses. We had a few houses that we thought were interesting so we took my mom to go see. Looking for houses can be so overwhelming. Zac and I are not  quite ready to buy yet but we are getting closer and closer so its nice to see whats out there. Fast forward to the late afternoon, I was going to make a delicious magarita pizza! While I was in Vegas I had THE BEST magarita pizza and I wanted to try to recreate it. Well lets just say it did not turn out how I planned. It was still really good but next time I am going to have the try a different way of making it. To end our chill day we watched a movie and went to bed.

My last day with my momma, so bitter sweet. I cooked her a delicious breakfast and we just relaxed at home. Before we took off to the airport we went into St.Helena to the Model Bakery to get some drinks and a snack. I of course could not visit St.Helena and NOT get my Guignis sandwich. Then it was off to the airport. I had SO much fun spending time with my mom, it is always a blast and goes by way to quickly! Love you mom!