Jen came to town!

My dear friend Jen came to town in February. She was on an awesome, super-secret business trip to LA from NY and decided pop up to the Bay Area to say hello. It's not every day you're in California when you live in New York, so we were SOOO happy to have her come visit!

I've mentioned Jen a few times here on the ol' blog, but here's a quick recap: I call her "Jenny from Georgia" in conversation because it seems I have heap of friends named Jen! Funny thing is, I've never actually seen Jen IN Georgia...unless you count the Atlanta airport, which I guess you could if you get technical. However, I've only ever seen Jen in Australia (the place we met), Kentucky, Indiana, London, Ireland, Washington and California. And now she lives in New York. Good golly!

Although we only see each other every few years, we can hop on the phone any time and talk as though we live across the street. 

It was a quick visit, but we got in some sight seeing and shopping before getting Jen back to the SF airport Sunday morning. It was a good time to have a visitor because there was one last place I wanted to go in California before we left...I wanted to go to Pescadero when it wasn't work related and I wasn't tromping through a chicken ranch with a film crew (which was fun, by the way...if you want more details, look up my employer on YouTube). 

Pescadero is on the coast between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz...a little more of a secret than the two aforementioned tourist hot spots! Pescadero is also home to the legendary Duartes Tavern, made famous by its olallieberry pie and artichoke soup. It's one of the first places I was told to visit when we arrived in California, so it's fitting it's the last place we visited before leaving. 

Jen and me on a log.

Jen and me in a cave (we have a similar pic like this from when we were in Sydney)

Justin's awesome ocean pic, courtesy of the new camera

Again

A windblown Jen and me

The California coastline

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

We went to the lighthouse to see the sunset...it was way too cloudy to see the sun, let alone see it set, but we braved the wind and the salty sea air for a while

Thanks so much for visiting us, Jen! Thanks also for helping me find a pair of boots!! I love our quick reunions and cherish our friendship. 

Oh yeah. Boots? That's right...I finally joined the boot bandwagon, folks...you'll just have to take  my word for it because my maternity pants don't necessarily allow me to wear the boots on the outside like all the cool kids. I'm not sure how I feel about wearing skinny jeans while pregs..."skinny jeans" and "pregnant" don't necessarily go well together in the same sentence...but...we'll see if I change my mind. I'm really diggin' these boots!

Thompsons' Visit -- November 2011

Soooo....I thought we published this post weeks ago, but it looks like that didn't happen. Sorry, Thompsons!!

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Justin's parents came to visit in mid-November. They hadn't been to visit since May 2009, so it was great fun to have them in town for a bit and to show them our new San Jose digs.

Justin took us all to dinner Friday at a delicious little Italian restaurant in Campbell:

Saturday we lounged around in the morning and then headed south with the intention of perusing Monterey and then hitting up the 17-Mile-Drive. We didn't quite make it to the 17-Mile-Drive because of something very nostalgic just north of Monterey: Fort Ord!

Lee trained at Fort Ord for a few months in the National Guard. That was, of course, before Fort Ord looked like this:

It seems the salty sea air proved too much for the wooden buildings, and the fort closed this portion a few years back. However, the abandoned barracks served as a great place for wandering and exploring that afternoon.

If we're being honest here...and if you can't be honest on your own blog, where can you...army bases don't exactly give me a warm fuzzy feeling. And we all know why. Turning into the base brought that ol' achy heart, icky feeling for me; the one that creeps up from behind and attacks me from time to time, like at large family gatherings. Luckily (?) I'm getting better at shoving Mr. Creeper aside; try as he might, he didn't bring me all the way down that day, especially because it was so neat to watch Lee exploring and remembering that afternoon!

We walked among the buildings, each mirrored the other, except for a few marked Arms or the like. Lee looked for little memory triggers and took lots of pictures to send to his brother. We felt like trespassers, but no one came by to shake their finger at us and tell us to leave, so we spent as much time as we wanted just wandering.


I can't imagine what it would be like to come across just a formative place from my history and find it abandoned. It might be like going back to Australia and finding Bond University abandoned and overgrown. However, no matter its fate, I know it would be special to get an opportunity to explore something like old Fort Ord, and I'm glad we stopped for Lee to spend some time there.


After a stroll up and down the hill at Fort Ord, we crossed the freeway to check out the old shooting range. It's now being restored to nurture the growth of native plants, but the dunes and hills still held plenty of memories for Lee. We also wandered down to the seaside to take in the view.

 

 

 

We worked up an appetite with all the exploring, so we drove down to Monterey for a late lunch and to check out the treasures along Cannery Row.

Sunday we went to church and brunched at Bill's Cafe down the street from our place. Afterward, Justin, Karen and Lee went on an afternoon hike while I stayed back to do a quick babysitting job for some buddies. We dined at home that night, enjoying some homemade lasagna. Then I kicked everyone's bootie at Apples to Apples.

The Thompsons headed back to Washington on Monday after spending a bit more time with Justin before he took them to the airport. We had a great time during your visit, Lee and Karen!! We hope you are able to come back for a visit before another two and a half years go by!

 

Run to the Hills

Justin and I like hiking. Hiking is something Justin did often during his childhood. It's something I never did during mine. I wouldn't say we're hardcore hikers, but maybe we will be someday! If we keep it up this summer, we're thinking of trying an overnight hike where you walk into your campsite.

We have experienced those so called "walk-in campgrounds" around these parts...but this time we're talking a real walk-all-day-to-the-site type walk-in campground...something we're prepared for going into it.

Last weekend we headed up to the hills west of Palo Alto for a quick hike. It was sunny and warm in San Jose so we were surprised to find fog and the weather to be about 20 degrees cooler in Palo Alto...that's the Peninsula for ya! I'm glad I grabbed my sweatshirt on the way out the door.

 

At he peak of the hike

Lunch break

Suddenly the fog rolls in like crazy!

Here's a video of it coming in...

Then the backdrop is completely covered in fog

We found a cave!

Giants in the fog

Gumdrop tree in the fog

The end of the trail.

The Emersons know the way to San Jose

As luck would have it, Dad was approached and recruited by a new bank in early December, providing him with a lovely Christmas holiday vacation between jobs! Having found themselves with heaps of unexpected vacation time on their hands, mom and dad booked themselves a quick trip down to see Team Thompson!

They arrived the Tuesday after Christmas. That evening, we went to dinner at Frankie, Johnnie & Luigi, too in Mountain View. In case you were wondering, I had the Mostacioli di Bari, Justin had the Spaghetti with meatballs and mushrooms, mom had Fettuccine Prawns Portofino and dad had a what is now listed on the menu as Tortellini & Scallops alla Vodka, though his dish was spaghetti and shrimp alla vodka.

While Justin and I were working Wednesday, mom and dad prepared a second Christmas dinner for us to come home to, complete with filet mignon and crab cocktail, a mandated Evans family Christmas meal component. After dinner we opened a few gifts, ate more fudge and enjoyed each others company.

Justin unfortunately had to work Thursday while mom, dad and I took a drive down the coast to Monterey, with a goal to see the RCI/Worldmark timeshare resort. We'll save you the time of checking it out for yourselves...it's nothing to write home about, at least compared to the Eagle Crest resort near Bend, Ore. That one holds a special place in the Emerson family's hearts.

While in the Monterey area, we sought out the Giant Artichoke at the Giant Artichoke Restaurant in Castroville, attempted to drive through Cannery Row in Monterey while every school-aged child and their parent were walking through Cannery Row, and also decided to see what the famed 17-Mile Drive scenic route was all about.

Yep, I bought a shirt to prove I've been to the Giant Artichoke!

As it turns out, the 17-Mile Drive was the definite highlight of our drive. The trail, which requires a $9.50 entry fee, weaves along the coastline to the Pebble Beach Resort, home of the Pebble Beach Golf Links. Along the route are scenic markers and points of interest, as well as beautiful, outrageous and ludicrously humongous homes. Here's a description of the drive from the Pebble Beach Resorts site:

17-Mile Drive is widely recognized as one of the most scenic drives in the world. The famous coastal landmark runs through Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach, from the dramatic Pacific coastline to the majestic Del Monte Forest. The awe-inspiring vistas and legendary sites can easily fill an entire day with exploration and discovery, although visitors with less time should not miss the opportunity to experience this wondrous journey as well.

Marvel at some of nature’s treasures found along 17-Mile Drive including The Lone Cypress – one of California’s best-known landmarks – Spanish Bay, Cypress Point Lookout and Carmel Bay. You can also see the emerald fairways of The Links at Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill and the world-renowned Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Despite the wind, it was a gorgeous day on the coast, making for many Kodak moments. We finished the drive with lunch at a resort cafe and a quick walk through the grounds, fancy shops and the Lodge. Mom and dad even got a picture on one of course holes, right where many famous golfers and celebrities have stood themselves.

Look closely for the sunbathing seals!

Just one of the many mansions overlooking Pebble Beach.

The "Lone Cypress" is the official logo/icon of Pebble Beach.

Thursday night we ate at home and watched the Stanford Cardinal women's basketball team beat UConn, the first game the UConn team has lost in more than 90 games. We also ate more fudge and watched those darn Huskies win against Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl.

We met mom and dad at their hotel for breakfast Friday before they left for the airport. Saying goodbye to our guests is never easy, especially when it's parents. It's so great to see both mom and dad in great shape after their surgeries -- it's amazing to think of what they've both been through in just the last year and to then watch them power-walking the Pebble Beach Golf Links like spring chickens.

It was especially wonderful to see dad because the last time I saw him, I was taking his temperature, administering a 1/2 cup of pills at regular intervals, and making sure he practiced his respiratory/breathing machine between pain-pill-induced napping episodes. Both mom and dad had their own struggles during recovery, from poor appetites to severe heartburn and leg infections, but their recoveries have been a success and they're here today with spanking new pipes in their tickers. We are so blessed!