Get out the Legos!

Curtis is coming to visit for the weekend! We love having visitors, and I know that Justin is looking forward to counting this visitor as his very own. He's already mentioned a few activities he's excited about: hiking, xBox, sleep.


We're excited you're coming, Curtis!! See you Friday!

Pleasant surprise

Justin has been putting in his time on Sundays lately, so while he ventures off to work, I've been venturing out myself. A few weeks ago I decided to just drive around on side roads to see if I could find an easier way to get to work -- one that avoids freeways where all the crazies are in the morning. I found one, but that wasn't the most exciting part about that day.

Instead, while driving back home knowing Justin would still be at work, I decided I'd get a pedicure to pass the time. I don't know of any pedi places in the area, but we all know there are many around and they usually take walk-ins. I passed a place in Palo Alto called Happy Feet Spa, assumed it was a place where services focus on feet, and flipped around to run inside to ask about open spots.

I was quickly asked to whisper while I took in my surroundings - this was not your typical pedicure place. The reception area was very simple, crisp and white. There were no TVs playing old soap operas, magazines or nail polishes. The room behind the desk was dark and filled with lazy-boy-looking chairs. Some were filled with people laying completely reclined and covered in towels. I whispered to the man I was interested in a pedi and that I didn't have an appointment. He pointed for me to go to the back corner and have a seat -- I didn't understand completely what he said, but I was glad they had time to fit me in. Soon, someone delivered a bucket of hot water for a foot soak, and then about 5 mins later, they reclined my chair and started in on a scalp massage.

"Wow, this is nice," I thought to myself. "Maybe they just want you really relaxed." Next, she moved to my arms and then shoulders. "Crap...," I thought then. "This is going to cost way more than a pedicure...I don't look forward to telling Justin about the cost $$$$$$$..."

About a half hour later she had me flip over for a back rub, where again she started with the head and then moved on to my back. I decided if it was outrageously expensive, I'd put it on my credit card. Then I began to wonder about that pedicure... Eventually she moved onto the feet/legs, but never whipped out a pedicure kit. Ha!

About an hour after I sat down, she declared she was done and brought me a glass of water. I looked around the room and there was another woman a few chairs away that had a look on her face that was similar to mine. It looked like, "WTF did I just stumble into and how much is this going to cost me??!!"

I walked up to the front and scoured the room for a pricing poster as I pulled out my credit card. "Cash only," said the receptionist.

"Ha uhhh Aaaa haha, I don't have cash..." I said. "How much is it?"

"Twenty-five," he said. "There is an ATM down the street at the gas station."

"Pardon me," I said. "Twenty-five, twenty-five? Ok, I'll be right back."

I walked down the street laughing hysterically because I just got a one-hour massage for $25 when I thought I'd get a pedicure for at least $30, plus a tip. I got more than I needed from the ATM because I was still sure I had misunderstand him. But no, it was still $25 when I left.

Turns out Happy Feet Spa is a service where "reflexologists use a series of pressure techniques to stimulate specific reflex areas on the feet and hands with the intention of invoking a beneficial response in other parts of the body." It is truly only $25 an hour, and yes, next time you come to visit, we can go.

While Justin was working yesterday, I drove out to Half Moon Bay to sit at the beach and check out the little town. Not quite as exciting as an hour massage, but it was a nice trip. I was lonely by myself though - next time I'm definitely taking Justin!

It doesn't look all that nice, but it was a warmish day and if you look at the far right of the photo, you can see blue sky. It was just the beach that was covered in fog.

Ted Kennedy Jr. remembers his father

I watched Ted Kennedy Jr. speak at his father's funeral while at the gym Saturday (yes, there are TVs on the equipment at our gym). I thought it was a wonderful, encompassing and moving tribute to Sen. Kennedy, and one part in particular stuck with me. Ted Jr. was talking about when he and his father were going sledding the winter after he had his leg amputated due to cancer. Climbing the hill was no easy task for Ted Jr., but his father taught him an important lesson that day:

"You see, my father taught me that even our most profound losses are survivable and it is what we do with that loss, our ability to transform it into a positive event, that is one of my father's greatest lessons. He taught me that nothing is impossible."

His speech in its entirety can be found here.

Yea for visitors!

Hello, blog friends! We've had some visitors in town throughout the last week - it's been great to see some familiar faces and share laughs. To start off the visitor train was my friend "Jenny from Georgia." You may remember the little piece I posted on her a few months ago. She's a dear friend that I met during the semester I studied abroad in Australia. Jen was on a road trip through California with some friends from grad school and their last stop happened to be San Fran! We met up with her in San Fran on Saturday, which was really convenient because we already had plans to go to a WSU Alumni Pub Crawl in the city!

Justin and John - Go Cougs!

We had a great time at the crawl, and Jen was welcomed as an honorary Coug. I saw a gal I was in the Student Alumni Connection with and we also met up with our newlywed buddies John and Emily O'Brien. We made some new friends, too, including a barkeep who is very passionate about The Killers on his iPod. He even gave us a listen. Now we have ear cooties. We finished the night by eating at Nick's Crispy Tacos which is in a building that transforms into a night club after the sun goes down. They make a mean taco! Oh! And John and I spotted Sherry, a former co-worker, at Nick's who had just finished moving into her new SF apartment that day - she moved here from Seattle about 2 weeks ago. Can you say small world?

Jen came back to Mountain View with us that night and the next day we and I grabbed crepes at The Posh Bagel on Castro (leaving JT at home as we needed some serious girl-catch-up time!). Afterward, we headed south to do some wine tasting and site seeing because Jen mentioned they stopped at a winery -- the very first winery she'd been to -- on the way up that was in the middle of the city...no vineyards to be seen...she was a little disappointed so we helped make up for it by visiting wineries in Morgan Hill and Gilroy.

The "backyard" at Clos LaChance winery in San Martin.

Finally Jen got to be up close and personal with the grapes.

Justin is an aspiring fancy photographer :)

Her stay was too short for my liking, but I'll take it! It's not often that I get to see Jen when we live on complete opposite sides of the country...just about as far away from each other as you can get! Come back soon, Jen!

On Wednesday we met up with cousin Drew (Maggie's husband) who was in town on a business trip. We picked him up at his hotel, which was on top of the steepest hill my little Mazda has ever had to ascend, and then had a yummy dinner at Fior D'Italia over a bottle of vino at in San Francisco. It's hard to catch up on everything in a few short hours, but we most definitely enjoyed our time with Drew! Next time we'll have to make sure Maggie accompanies him on his business trip.

Who's coming next???

2 Corinthians 12:9

I have this one taped to my laptop:

But the Lord said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.
- 2Corinthians 12:9

Team Thompson = official residents of Cali

So...after putting off particular things that should be done when one moves (changing your address, registering your vehicles, changing your voter's status, etc.), I was summoned for jury duty back in Washington. Thus, the madness began.

I figured it would take a simple phone call to the admin in WA to explain that we were now living in CA and it would be difficult/impossible to do jury duty at the end of the month. Instead of getting a dismissal, I was told that I had to send a copy of my new license showing my new address in order to maybe get out.

"So [insert nervous laugh] I don't have a new license yet..." I said.

"Well in WA you have 10 days to change your address after you move, ma'am. I'm sure your new state has similar rules, so you're going to need to take care of that, aren't you," the admin said.

So instead of getting a dismissal, I was reprimanded for not taking care of business within the allotted time frame and basically told that whatever the situation I created for myself, someone with my name had better show up at the end of the month or send in a copy of a new license so they can be dismissed.

Shizz.

So Justin and I crammed last night, studying the CA driver's guide and taking the practice tests. Let it be known that the practice tests are nothing like the real test. They don't ask you, "when approaching the top of a hill that you can't see over, should you a). stop, pull over, turn on your hazard lights and wait for police assistance, b). slow down, honk your horn and proceed slowly, or c). slow down and summit the hill carefully. But I digress.

We woke early and arrived at the DMV at 8 a.m., along with about 125 other people - no joke - to stand outside in line waiting for the doors to open. Once the door opened, we were still standing in a line outside which grew and grew. DMVs are busy places, but I've never ever seen one this busy before.

Three hours later we had filled out all the appropriate paper work at the appropriate window and had finished the written test. Justin, being the speedy test taker he is finished before me, just like he would in college. He passed, took his pic and went outside to wait. I just about let my nerves get the best of me during the test, but I passed. Whew!

Now, all I need to do is send in a copy of my temp license, wait, and see. Then we need to take care of changing our car registration. Oh. And my name on the titles. Details, details.... whoopsie.

It's true, the devil is in the details.

John 14:6

Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6