34 Years August 31, 2008

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad.

I love you. xo

Surf, Sun and Finally Some Good Wine August 28, 2008

I love Santa Barbara. It is definitely my favorite place in California. You have wine country, the mountains, the beach, the sun, and perfect temperatures all year round. (Disclaimer: when I say wine country, I mean really good wine country. Not like that of the other Southern California wine region which shall remain nameless.)

I hadn’t been to Santa Barbara since well before we moved to Sydney so it has probably been about four years since my last visit. I was itching to get back there and luckily Sister and Paul wanted to go, too. We hit the open road for a long drive to SB so once we got there we were ready to quench our thirst. First stop- wine! Santa Barbara has a few different wine valleys and all of them are excellent. We decided to focus on the wineries of the Santa Ynez Valley, home to two of our favorite boutique wineries, Sunstone and Kalyra.

Sunstone has a great tasting room in the style of a provencal french winery and their wines are certified organic and bio-sustainable. All of which make me very happy to support and enjoy. Sunstone produces a great viognier as well as some nice reds and what’s wonderful about this boutique winery is that they even have the wine makers pouring the wine.

After Sunstone, we went to our most favorite winery, Kalyra. It’s actually owned by the Brown Brothers who are Australian and produce some fantastic wines down under. And no, it’s not our favorite because we lived in Australia. We actually have been going to this winery since they opened their doors, well before we even knew Australia would be in our future. Now it’s kind of fitting for us even more so and it fixes our craving for some good ol’ Aussie Shiraz and Semillon. One of the things I like about Kalyra, other than it being, “a wild and pleasant place” as their Aboriginal name states, but they feature wines from Australian and Santa Barbara that have blended together. The other thing is that the staff is always friendly, generous with their pours and overall, it’s just a great wine spot. If you like dessert wine, they make a mean orange muscat… definitely one of the best stickies we’ve ever had.

On a side note, Kalyra was also featured in the movie “Sideways”. You know, the one that gave Merlot a bad wrap. Yeah, that one. Unfortunately, there have been some changes to the winery itself as result of the movie being filmed there and it’s definitely more crowded than it was five years ago, but it’s still a quality winery.

After our wine tasting, we headed to what I think is the ultra touristy Solvang, which is considered, “the Danish capital of America.” It’s this windmill lined, Danish architecture filled town selling clogs and garden gnomes with windows of delicious pastries in the middle of wine country. Of course we needed something sugary and sweet to go along with our tastings so naturally we had to have a Danish pastry tasting at the various shops. Once we were satisfied with our tastings and after we took heaps of touristy photos we finally headed back to Santa Barbara’s State Street for some dinner and drinks and turned in for the evening.

The next day was spent relaxing along the beach and going for a coastal cycle ride in our “beach tuk-tuk.” After our two hour work out, we hit the pier for some much needed libations followed by ice cream followed by more libations and live music at a new wine bar on the pier. It was a great way to end our weekend in SB. As you can see, we like to eat and drink when in SB. It’s not good for the waist line, but it sure is good fun. I hope we’ll be back soon.

Big Bear August 24, 2008

“Oh, I love that little bear town.” These are the immortal words of Sister that we hear just about every day when she’s visiting California. EVERY time Sister comes home for a visit, we MUST go to Big Bear, otherwise re-named, “That Little Bear Town” by Sister. And I don’t mean we go just once. We go over and over again.

On our most recent trip to That Little Bear Town, Sister and I drove up the windiest mountain in the world and finally arrived just in time for some lunch. We have a bit of a sisterly ritual where we do just about the same exact things every time we go.

Our first stop is for some much needed grub at the little bear restaurant. After we stuff ourselves silly, we suit up and hit the lake for some kayaking followed by some much needed ice cream and chocolate from the little bear candy store. There’s nothing like some good old-fashioned sister bonding time.

Bread & Jam August 22, 2008

Paul and I have been experimenting lately with making homemade bread and jam. Surprisingly, it really is quite easy. We did everything by hand and only used the oven for baking the bread and the stove for sterilizing and sealing the jam.

We got our inspiration from our favourite British chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who is a “real food” campaigner with his back to basics philosophy. We first found out about him during our time in Australia. He’s a British chef with several books and a few TV shows about River Cottage. I know, TV shows, books… trust me, he is not a celebrity, flashy chef. In fact, he’s a country farmer chef. His food philosophy is all about self-sufficiency, food integrity, and the consumption of local, seasonal produce. He farms, he fishes, he forages, he kills livestock and eats it. Hugh supports the environment, the local economy and takes advantage of mother nature’s gifts. It’s basic, simple, real cooking.

After a recent viewing of a few episodes of River Cottage, we decided to make blueberry jam and sourdough bread loaves. I could tell you how we did it but then you wouldn’t check out Hugh and I want you to! So instead, I’ll leave you with pictures of the fruits of our labours. Now go buy his DVDs and books- you’ll love him!

Worst. Wine. EVER. August 18, 2008

I admit it, Paul and I are winos. We love the sauce- white or red but definitely NOT pink. Sorry, pink is just not for us.

Anyway, it’s normal for us to go wine tasting and come home with two or three cases of wine. I don’t know what it is, but when we go tasting, we get rather friendly with our barista or even the wine maker, if it’s a small boutique winery. This often leads to exclusive wine tastings, back cellar tours and heaps more pours that the average patron would consume.

Case in point, note the 21 bottles in between Paul and I at a recent wine tasting… yes, we tasted all of them in one go.

Anyway, Sister, Paul and I decided to check out a small yet upcoming wine region, Temecula Valley, in Southern California. Boy, were we sorely disappointed. This has got to be the worst wine region we have ever sampled in our lives. It was really quite horrible and so completely overpriced for what it was, it was a bit ridiculous. At the Temecula wineries you have to pay to taste. In different wine regions, this is normal practice although a lot of times, tastings are free or you’re charged a very nominal fee. Well, not only did you have to pay but tastings were each a minimum of $10-$15 per person for about four tastes. At each winery we visited it was at least $30-$45 down the drain. I would not have minded paying if the wine was good, but, it wasn’t. Personally, for an “emerging” wine region, I think their tasting prices are very steep and the number of pours chintzy, but now I know why… no one is buying their product! I am not kidding when I say at one winery, my wine smelled and tasted like manure. I promise you, I am not lying or being overly dramatic. I paid $15 for a sip of cow poo. It was so bizarre. It’s like you could taste the chemicals and fertilizers they used on their vines. Needless to say we did not purchase any wine from any of the five wineries we visited and from what we could tell not many patrons were buying, either. They were all pretty bad or insanely overpriced for what it was. Being the winos that we are, Paul and I were shocked that we could not find one bottle we liked. We had no guilty feelings about walking away from the bar without a bottle or two in hand, after all, we did just pay $15 each for a glass of fertilizer.

Despite our disappointment in the wine, we still had fun in our wine misery and enjoyed the gorgeous, summer day.

Tag August 14, 2008

I’ve been tagged by the lovely, Christina to give some answers so here they are:

1. My uncle once: let me drive his boat when I was 16.
2. Never in my life: would I have thought I’d live in Australia.
3. When I was five: I loved Holly Hobby. Mostly b/c her name was Holly, too!
4. High school was: so long ago but overall, pretty good.
5. I will never forget: the moment I first thought Paul and I could be together and my wedding day.
6. Once I met: several celebrities- the nature of the TV biz.
7. There’s this girl I know: who is incredibly talented, beautiful and loved by everyone.
8. Once, at a bar: um… too many to pick just one!
9. By noon, I’m usually: going to the gym.
10. Last night: I slept from 6pm until 9am this morning. I’m sick.
11. If only I had: more time, more money and more knowledge.
12. Next time I go to church: it will be with my family.
13. What worries me most: is my family’s situation.
14. When I turn my head left I see: a lamp.
15. When I turn my head right I see: puppy sleeping on the couch.
16. You know I’m lying when: I crack a smile while telling a lie.
17. What I miss most about the Eighties is: definitely NOT 80’s music. I hate it!
18. If I were a character in Shakespeare I’d be: Juliet except I won’t kill myself.
19. By this time next year: I will be residing in Boston.
20. A better name for me would be: Kelly. My Mom’s other name option for me when I was born.
21. I have a hard time understanding: why bad things happen to good people.
22. If I ever go back to school, I’ll: study something more useful in life like business, medicine or law.
23. You know I like you if: I email you back.
24. If I ever won an award, the first person I would thank would be: Paul and my family.
25. Take my advice, never: have any regrets in life- it’s too short.
26. My ideal breakfast is: None. I don’t do brekkie.
27. A song I love but do not have is: Colbie Caillat’s Bubbly.
28. If you visit my hometown, I suggest you: leave as quickly as you can before you become a townie! We were in the Guiness book for most people who are born, live and die in the same town- no one ever leaves! (except for an odd few, like my family)
29. Why won’t people: be a little kinder to one another.
30. If you spend a night at my house: I’d clean top to bottom before you arrived.
31. I’d stop my wedding for: my family.
32. The world could do without: poverty, disease, war, hate, guns, drugs, crime, global warming.
33. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: eat the beating heart of a cobra.
34. My favorite blonde(s) is/are: my sister.
35. Paper clips are more useful than: rubber bands.
36. If I do anything well it’s: organize and plan.
37. And by the way: I tag Libby, Casey, Janine, Lane and Brianna

Home August 11, 2008

Dad is home from the hospital and seems to be doing well. The final word from the doctors is that Dad has a massive pulmonary embolism in his right lung. He’s restricted to bed rest for a while but we’re so happy he’s home. Dad has to take blood thinners and have his blood levels closely monitored for the next six months. God willing, everything should be okay and Dad will be fine. Most importantly, Dad is alive and that alone is all we could ask for. 

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and thoughts. We sincerely appreciate all of your calls and kind messages. Thanks. 

You can read more details about Dad’s care and release from the hospital on my other blog, lewy body dementia

Bad News August 5, 2008

Unfortunately, Dad is back in the hospital. After some panic and a lot of stressful, sleepless hours in the hospital for the past few days, we’ve discovered Dad has a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot, in his right lung. Apparently, the blood clot is pressing on his nerve which is causing him extreme pain; however, if it wasn’t for the pain, we would have never known Dad had a blood clot until it was too late. I consider it a blessing in disguise.

Luckily we caught the blood clot early enough and the doctors are able to treat it for the next six months. There will have to be more meds, blood thinners, injections at home, a new diet that limits vitamin K, careful monitoring of his blood every other day with blood tests, and careful monitoring of his daily activites to prevent injury. 

I’ve written more about the unfortunate events on my other blog, Lewy Body Dementia, so I’ll keep this entry short.

I just wish Dad could catch a break. He such a good guy with so much life in him but lately, it just seems like it’s one thing after another for Dad between the brain tumor, the Lewy Body Disease and now this.

I Survived August 1, 2008

Anyone who knows me, knows that hiking is definitely NOT my favorite thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love being out in nature, breathing that fresh, mountain air; however, hiking just kills me. I mean, I like outdoor activities such as kayaking, biking, white water rafting, camping, etc. I can even do the short, simple hikes, but the kind of hiking I’m talking about is the all-day, strenuous type of hike that makes you paralyzed for days afterwards because your body is so sore from the unforgiving trail. I hate it so much that I throw a hissy fit every time we go. I end up turning in to a raving biatch that often ends up in some sort of melt down during the hike resulting in Paul being pissy and livid that his wife doesn’t like to hike. I know, sounds like fun, right? Well, I’ve examined why I have such a disdain for hiking and I’ve come up with the following four reasons:

1. I’m clumsy and therefore I’m constantly looking down at EVERY step I take instead of looking around and enjoying my natural surroundings. I have *almost* died several times (being dramatic) while hiking and I even fell in to a river (yes, it happened). Another time, we were hiking to the top of a waterfall and I got attacked by leeches that had to be burned off. As you can see, I have rather unfortunate luck when it comes to the great outdoors. I just can’t look up. If I do, I’ll *almost* die; 

2. I hate the feeling of having to lean forward or backward. Every time we hike, it’s always in an upward and downward progression. I’m constantly leaning forward for the first part of the hike- I think due to my petite size- and therefore, end up as “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Going down, I’m leaning back so I don’t feel like I’m falling forward. It’s as if my upper body gets ahead of my feet and then gravity takes over pulling me downward faster than my feet can walk… it’s a recipe for a disastrous tumble. I guess I just don’t have a good sense of gravity and it drives me batty. I need to be on level ground… in fact, I crave it. 

3. I just want to get it over with and get to the top and back down as quickly as possible. I am generally not a patient person by nature (I admit it, it’s a fault of mine) and I often need instant gratification or a payoff of sorts, especially when it comes to hiking. I hate it when you hike for five hours to see some fantastic waterfall and when you finally arrive it’s a little trickle. Nothing irks me more! In general, hiking is not something I enjoy so why waste all day scaling a mountain (this is what I tell myself). This mentality results in me trying to be super woman and running my short legs as fast as they’ll take me. Not only does the upward motion kill me, but I add fuel to the fire by trying to speed things along and my body hates me for it. I know, I should change my outlook and be positive about hiking, but really, every time I try to it’s always the same pitiful result. Why prolong the agony?

4. Lastly, since I already have a rotten attitude about hiking, usually once we start I am just seething with anger and frustration. If anything goes wrong, I immediately blame it all on Paul even if it was my own doing because after all, it was his idea to go hiking. I also get pretty irritable resulting in my moaning and cursing under my breathe. This ticks off Paul to no end and of course he has to make a comment about me always complaining and why I just can’t enjoy it. His remarks send me in to a hissy fit and make me even more peeved.  

So, being married to someone who likes to hike, often leads to a battle of wills. Paul states his case for why we should hike and I have every excuse in the book to counter his arguments. Well, this past weekend I lost the battle and we hiked up Mt San Jacinto. There are several different trails, but the one we did was over SEVEN miles straight up a mountain with a climb in elevation of over 6,000 feet from start to finish. To even begin the hike, you have to take an aerial tram cable car partially up the mountain. Once you reach the top of the tram ride, then you begin your ascent up the mountain. This hike is one of Paul’s favorites. In fact, he wants to get a season pass to the park… I nearly fainted from the thought. Luckily, he took mercy on me and we didn’t get the pass, and we only hiked seven out of the possible 11 miles. Sister even joined us on the hike- her first time up the mountain- but she’s not a hiking hater like myself so she and Paul were in their glory.  

Tram Ride Up the Mountain

Park Sign

Sister Mountain Climbing

Which Way Do We Go

GPS Paul

Sister Climbing to the Top

Sister Made It!

We Made It!

View From the Top

Well, since I’m writing this entry, you can tell that I survived the seven mile ordeal. I’m not about to go running up the mountain anytime soon, despite what Paul thinks. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve done my fair share and that should hold me over for another few months. Then, it will be winter and too cold to go hiking up the mountain. See, I have a master plan, (evil laugh) bwah, ha, ha! The hike was painful and I *almost* got attacked by a black bear but I did it. I survived.

I realize I probably sound like a whiny biatch and I should just suck it up and get over my issues. But like they say, it’s easier said than done. Maybe some day my outlook on hiking will change but until then, I’ll keep on trecking… begrudgingly.