Well, it's done. The last of the intra-CS/Geek couples are married.
Over six years ago, a group of us in the Computer Science department as UCSB started getting together and hanging out socially, taking a break from the our hard work in the computer lab to have dinner, see movies, and go drinking. We aptly dubbed ourselves the "Geeks", and eventually, a group even rented a house together-- the Geekhouse. There was a surprisingly decent percentage of females among the group, and it wasn't long until romance began to blossom, and one by one, we tied the knot.
Allan and I were the first to wed in 2003. Ariane and Chris in 2007 (?). Then John and Golnaz this past May, and, finally, Sara and Jason this weekend.
Since the newest pair of newlyweds is well-known for their love of the outdoors, it wasn't surprising that the wedding itself took place at the Sequoia Retreat Center, nestled amongst the tall redwoods in the mountains north of Santa Cruz. (although one friend did comment that maybe having the ceremony at the computer lab might've been appropriate too ;-) )
Saturday morning we made the almost 5-hour-long trek up north and checked into the Quality Inn a couple miles down the road from the retreat center. Apparently, we were the only ones who booked a room there, everyone else who came in from out of town stayed in the cabins. We got a suite, which was basically a stand-alone cottage sitting to the side of the rest of the typical row of motel rooms. And it was grand! Larger than our own spacious apartment, it had a full kitchen, dining room, living room, and a huge bedroom with a king-sized bed and a chaise by a fireplace, plus a whirlpool tub in the bathroom! Were it not for the grade (the cottage sloped downward, one of the less sturdy drawers in the living room's TV cabinet kept rolling open and would not stay closed) and the wood floors, you could hardly tell we were in a small town in the mountains. I, unfortunately, left my digital camera at home, so we had to make do with snapping pictures of the suite with Allan's phone. Hopefully they'll turn out okay, and I can post them to Facebook soon :-)
We washed up and headed to the retreat center, where we drove up some windy, steep, narrow roads... only to make a short hike up to the ceremony site in a meadow, where the altar framed a giant redwood tree known as the "mother tree". After the ceremony, we had yet another hike ahead of us to the lodge for the reception. Yes, I brought my Vans and socks to wear as we trooped along the trail-- no way I was walking in even flip-flops, let alone heels! Allan was decked out in hiking boots, so his feet were fully prepared :-) I changed into my heels once we got to the reception.
After the girls crowded around the lodge's restroom sink to wipe down with wet paper towels in a makeshift sponge bath (hiking in the heat makes us sweaty!), we settled down for dinner and drinks, the highlight of which was bacon-wrapped pork (heaven on a platter!) and blue mashed potatoes. Ever have blue potatoes or blue chips from Trader Joe's before? Remember when I blogged about it on Myspace 2 years ago?
The evening was a LOT of fun, especially since we got to reunite and catch up with all the other Geeks who have since scattered to the four corners of the earth. We'll have to make it a point to hold reunions more often.
After the reception, Allan and I came to the adventurous part of our evening: making our way back to the car at the bottom of the hill, in the pitch black night. We stuck to the paved (if you can call it that) road and used the light on Allan's phone's camera to illuminate our path. It took us about half an hour, but we made it safe and sound-- although walking down a very steep slope is more difficult than it looks. Because of the darkness, I had to be extra careful not to walk too quickly, lest I stumble and fall down a ravine, but maintaining balance and control of my speed required the use of muscles I normally don't use when walking straight (or even uphill). Needless to say-- by the next day, my butt was sore. How often can you say were sore the day after a wedding, when you weren't up all night dancing or weren't the bride and/or groom? ;-)
We were glad to collapse into our comfy suite and retire early, have breakfast in our little dining room, and then relax in the hot tub to soothe our sore muscles. I didn't think I wanted to have a large tub in the master bathroom of our future house, but I may have changed my mind-- having that tub to relax in was sooooo nice!
After battling traffic to get out of the Santa Cruz area, stopping for lunch at Applebee's, and then dropping our friend off in downtown Santa Barbara, we were finally home, home sweet home, by 7:30pm. And yes, we're saving the laundry and vacuuming for tomorrow. Tonight is for resting... and letting my butt muscles recover :-)
All in all, we had a great weekend-- nice little getaway in a cozy cottage and a fun wedding with old friends. Sigh... we're all married now. Life does go on. Now the question is... when will the babies start arriving? ;-)
La Maison des Tortues: One third of the "heckled trio" writes...
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Frozen Yogurt
aka "Fro Yo". First time I ever heard the term, it was uttered by the mean, blonde, yuppie cheerleading captain from Bring It On 2. It sounded like something out of Lord of the Rings. It took a few minutes to realize what she meant, but the notion that "fro yo" was a term used by her ilk, was permanently seared in my brain.
So, I always do a little double-take when I see my friends speak of it-- in Facebook statuses, for instance. Especially when they're the antithesis to the jealous, petty, scheming cheerleader. And I wonder if it's really that good.
Every Wednesday I have singing class with my friend Leah. The other night, we stopped by McConnell's (which has a really awesome selection of ice cream and frozen yogurt) after class and got some frozen yogurt. Just the ticket to soothe our worn throats! It also got me hooked-- for just $3.50 I got a large enough cup of it (I mixed chocolate with coffee) that I had plenty to share with Allan.
So when Sunday rolled around and temperatures started rising, Allan and I decided to try the new frozen yogurt place that had just opened near our place: Yo Yum Yum. (if you click on the link, you'll see a pic of the outside of the shop we went to) We had seen the sign twirlers on the street in the days prior, and grew curious. Note to marketers: I guess those sign twirlers actually do work!
As soon as I stepped in, I was greeted by the the sight of a large wall adorned with an array of ice cream dispensers. Each dispenser had 2 flavors and 3 "faucets"-- one for each flavor and one for a combo of both, I guess. Kind of the like the soft-serve ice cream you get at buffets. This WAS a buffet of frozen yogurt choices and toppings-- just 35 cents an ounce! I did some quick mental calculation and figured that it came to about the same price as a cup from McConnell's. Better yet, I had the freedom to mix and match as many flavors as I pleased. No feeling guilty about making repeated requests to the server behind the counter. I wound up getting about a half dozen different flavors-- stuff like chocolate, cookies 'n' cream, cappuccino, and some fruity ones, like Hawaiian delight and tart pineapple. Topped it off with a few sprinkles and I was all set with enough to last me for dessert both after lunch and after dinner :-9
They SAY frozen yogurt is supposed to be healthier than ice cream. Not sure how much merit there is to that, especially with large helpings, but the flavor is pretty good! And at McConnell's, at least, it's a little cheaper than ice cream.
I think Yo Yum Yum has a couple of new fans. So does frozen yogurt, period. Or should I say... fro yo! :-D
So, I always do a little double-take when I see my friends speak of it-- in Facebook statuses, for instance. Especially when they're the antithesis to the jealous, petty, scheming cheerleader. And I wonder if it's really that good.
Every Wednesday I have singing class with my friend Leah. The other night, we stopped by McConnell's (which has a really awesome selection of ice cream and frozen yogurt) after class and got some frozen yogurt. Just the ticket to soothe our worn throats! It also got me hooked-- for just $3.50 I got a large enough cup of it (I mixed chocolate with coffee) that I had plenty to share with Allan.
So when Sunday rolled around and temperatures started rising, Allan and I decided to try the new frozen yogurt place that had just opened near our place: Yo Yum Yum. (if you click on the link, you'll see a pic of the outside of the shop we went to) We had seen the sign twirlers on the street in the days prior, and grew curious. Note to marketers: I guess those sign twirlers actually do work!
As soon as I stepped in, I was greeted by the the sight of a large wall adorned with an array of ice cream dispensers. Each dispenser had 2 flavors and 3 "faucets"-- one for each flavor and one for a combo of both, I guess. Kind of the like the soft-serve ice cream you get at buffets. This WAS a buffet of frozen yogurt choices and toppings-- just 35 cents an ounce! I did some quick mental calculation and figured that it came to about the same price as a cup from McConnell's. Better yet, I had the freedom to mix and match as many flavors as I pleased. No feeling guilty about making repeated requests to the server behind the counter. I wound up getting about a half dozen different flavors-- stuff like chocolate, cookies 'n' cream, cappuccino, and some fruity ones, like Hawaiian delight and tart pineapple. Topped it off with a few sprinkles and I was all set with enough to last me for dessert both after lunch and after dinner :-9
They SAY frozen yogurt is supposed to be healthier than ice cream. Not sure how much merit there is to that, especially with large helpings, but the flavor is pretty good! And at McConnell's, at least, it's a little cheaper than ice cream.
I think Yo Yum Yum has a couple of new fans. So does frozen yogurt, period. Or should I say... fro yo! :-D
Saturday, July 11, 2009
4th of July Campout 2009
A whole year has gone by since we attended our church's first ever 4th of July Campout at Rancho La Scherpa. You can read about last year's details, including my missives on camping and the outdoors in general, here.
Photos from last year are here.
Photos from this year are here.
As you can tell from the group shots on the stairs, last year was a pretty small group. We'd only been going to this church for about a month and a half when we went on the campout, and it was where we met many of the people we now see on a regular basis, especially the photographer, Matt, and his wife Erin.
This year we decided not to bring Todd. Not only would it have been cumbersome to schedule time to drive down to LA and pick him up, but I remembered that last year was kind of boring for him-- there weren't many kid-friendly activities. Moreover, there weren't many kids his age, period.
We departed work early on Thursday evening, driving up a surprisingly-traffic-free highway to the campsite and arriving just in time for dinner. The evening began with a slideshow highlighting last year's photos, and then the games began-- we played Taboo, followed by Fishbowl (aka Celebrity, a sort of combination between Taboo, Password and Charades). Lots of fun-- and the older kids enjoyed playing, too.
We retired in the exact same bunk beds we held last year, with the exact same cabin mates as last year, too.
The next morning (Friday) brought a slew of activities: short hike to the archery site, where I sat it out and played Bocce Ball instead. Then we drove to the zip line site, where it looked much faster from the ground than it actually is. The zip line harness brought back memories of rappelling and rope bridge exercises from my Army days. Alas, the instructors didn't tell us until later (after I'd already gone, so it was too late for me to try) that we could swing our legs up to cruise upside down (as you can see in some of the later photos), that looked like so much fun! We returned for lunch and I got a chance to cool off and rinse the dust off my body and hair by partaking of the makeshift slip-n-slide, which was just a giant tarp laid down on the sloping grass. Detergent was added for more lubrication. This was my first time on any sort of slip 'n' slide, period, and it was just the ticket for cooling and rinsing off.
After a short nap, Allan and I joined part of the group for paintball. I wouldn't have participated, except for the fact that it was just hitting targets in an orderly fashion. Our group was small enough that each person was able to navigate the course twice, so I got plenty of practice. I needed it, too, as it took me a while to hone my technique (I ended up applying some of the same rifle-shooting principles from the military) and finally HIT some targets. It was a lot of fun.
That night brought singing around a campfire and roasting S'mores (I left after the singing, as I didn't feel like getting too close to a fire and smelling like smoke afterward, especially since I'd already showered), but Allan stayed to roast and enjoy his first-ever S'more (did you catch the photo of him eating it, mouth covered in marshmallow goo?) Later that night we played another game, called Loaded Questions, which elicited some pretty hilarious answers.
The next day (Saturday) I was SORE! The uphill hike, the body-slamming from the slip 'n' slide, and 2 hours of heavy-paintball-helmet wearing had taken its toll. I was sore in places I couldn't even understand WHY they were sore! My stomach, for instance-- I chalk that up to too much laughter from the day before ;-)
I did go on the "official" paintball run (yesterday's was just practice) in the morning with everyone, but decided to rest in the cabin instead of participating in the geocaching treasure hunt, where everyone used GPS and a series of clues to unearth the treasure: cookies!
One last delicious meal at lunchtime and that was it-- the camping trip was over. We packed our stuff and headed home by 2pm. Since it was 4th of July, I had intended to go to the SB Courthouse and listen to the Symphony play patriotic songs. Alas, I was too beat, and actually napped for 3 hours. I forced myself to do laundry, since we needed to wash the bedding we used in the cabin, so we could sleep tonight. It was just about all I was able to do, though, and Allan and I simply lounged around the apartment, resting and watching a movie. We did step outside to watch the fireworks originating from a nearby park. One of the coolest fireworks? Smiley faces! :) (:
All in all, a fun weekend. It took me all week to recover-- I was so sore (and playing Wii on Wednesday night didn't help) that I didn't go swimming at all until last night. That helped loosen up some of the still-tight muscles, so I'm finally starting to feel normal again :-) Well, physically, anyway! ;-P
Photos from last year are here.
Photos from this year are here.
As you can tell from the group shots on the stairs, last year was a pretty small group. We'd only been going to this church for about a month and a half when we went on the campout, and it was where we met many of the people we now see on a regular basis, especially the photographer, Matt, and his wife Erin.
This year we decided not to bring Todd. Not only would it have been cumbersome to schedule time to drive down to LA and pick him up, but I remembered that last year was kind of boring for him-- there weren't many kid-friendly activities. Moreover, there weren't many kids his age, period.
We departed work early on Thursday evening, driving up a surprisingly-traffic-free highway to the campsite and arriving just in time for dinner. The evening began with a slideshow highlighting last year's photos, and then the games began-- we played Taboo, followed by Fishbowl (aka Celebrity, a sort of combination between Taboo, Password and Charades). Lots of fun-- and the older kids enjoyed playing, too.
We retired in the exact same bunk beds we held last year, with the exact same cabin mates as last year, too.
The next morning (Friday) brought a slew of activities: short hike to the archery site, where I sat it out and played Bocce Ball instead. Then we drove to the zip line site, where it looked much faster from the ground than it actually is. The zip line harness brought back memories of rappelling and rope bridge exercises from my Army days. Alas, the instructors didn't tell us until later (after I'd already gone, so it was too late for me to try) that we could swing our legs up to cruise upside down (as you can see in some of the later photos), that looked like so much fun! We returned for lunch and I got a chance to cool off and rinse the dust off my body and hair by partaking of the makeshift slip-n-slide, which was just a giant tarp laid down on the sloping grass. Detergent was added for more lubrication. This was my first time on any sort of slip 'n' slide, period, and it was just the ticket for cooling and rinsing off.
After a short nap, Allan and I joined part of the group for paintball. I wouldn't have participated, except for the fact that it was just hitting targets in an orderly fashion. Our group was small enough that each person was able to navigate the course twice, so I got plenty of practice. I needed it, too, as it took me a while to hone my technique (I ended up applying some of the same rifle-shooting principles from the military) and finally HIT some targets. It was a lot of fun.
That night brought singing around a campfire and roasting S'mores (I left after the singing, as I didn't feel like getting too close to a fire and smelling like smoke afterward, especially since I'd already showered), but Allan stayed to roast and enjoy his first-ever S'more (did you catch the photo of him eating it, mouth covered in marshmallow goo?) Later that night we played another game, called Loaded Questions, which elicited some pretty hilarious answers.
The next day (Saturday) I was SORE! The uphill hike, the body-slamming from the slip 'n' slide, and 2 hours of heavy-paintball-helmet wearing had taken its toll. I was sore in places I couldn't even understand WHY they were sore! My stomach, for instance-- I chalk that up to too much laughter from the day before ;-)
I did go on the "official" paintball run (yesterday's was just practice) in the morning with everyone, but decided to rest in the cabin instead of participating in the geocaching treasure hunt, where everyone used GPS and a series of clues to unearth the treasure: cookies!
One last delicious meal at lunchtime and that was it-- the camping trip was over. We packed our stuff and headed home by 2pm. Since it was 4th of July, I had intended to go to the SB Courthouse and listen to the Symphony play patriotic songs. Alas, I was too beat, and actually napped for 3 hours. I forced myself to do laundry, since we needed to wash the bedding we used in the cabin, so we could sleep tonight. It was just about all I was able to do, though, and Allan and I simply lounged around the apartment, resting and watching a movie. We did step outside to watch the fireworks originating from a nearby park. One of the coolest fireworks? Smiley faces! :) (:
All in all, a fun weekend. It took me all week to recover-- I was so sore (and playing Wii on Wednesday night didn't help) that I didn't go swimming at all until last night. That helped loosen up some of the still-tight muscles, so I'm finally starting to feel normal again :-) Well, physically, anyway! ;-P
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