After Hours at the Tech

We have a total of 5 friends in the South Bay, so we jump at the opportunity for random activities!

One of those friends happens to be moving away soon, which makes us really sad. Gordon, who started off as Seth's manager, has become one of our favorite people to hang with lately!

Gordon invited us out last night to "After Hours" at the Tech museum, which also happened to be Dio de Los Muertos night. They had choreographed dances with special masks performing, it was so fun!

Discounted tickets, disco lights, a dj, cheap food, adult beverages, a photo booth, oh and an awesome museum -- it really is a winning combination.

We all know how much I love dressing up! [Sarcasm]

I had a lot of fun pictures...and then I was smart enough to take my phone to the Apple store yesterday to get it "fixed" but they cleared out everything. Consequently, I only have a few snapshots that I uploaded before the master Iphone cleanse. I'm still a little bitter about it, especially when I had 1,800 photos stored on there. Maybe that's why it was acting up?

If you live in the San Jose area, or any major metropolitan area for that matter (I bet they have after hour events too!), I highly recommend going. It was like being in a club with a bunch of nerds.......ok that sounded a lot more fun in my head, but you get what I mean.

These photos speak for themselves.

We had a stinkin' blast. I felt like a kid again, running around aimlessly looking at all the cool stuff! Tech museums are pretty entertaining, they lack the artifacts and history that I'm super into, but they make up for that with modern gadgets and technologies. 

After hours events like this falls on the first thursday of every month and we are definitely going back!

Wordless Wednesday: Tarantula

I don't need to say much, the pictures speak for themselves.

All I have to say is: We went hiking during tarantula mating season, and I thought I was going to die. And then we saw one, and I almost peed my pants. My sweet husband let us turn around after that, because Lord knows I'd have a full-blown panic attack after more than one large black tarantula.

NEVER again.

NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER.

So-Cal Roadtrip!

This past weekend was such a happy one, and such an unplanned one! Last week we had no intentions of going to Disneyland, but we couldn't resist the invitation from our family to go to Disneyland and stay with Kristina in San Diego.

I say family because Seth and Alex are like brothers, they grew up together and have been real BFF's forever. Kristina is Alex's sister, and thus Seth's sister and now technically my sister in law? That would be weird if I called her sister because then Seth would be like my brother...

ok moving on.

Seth got out of class early on Friday so we began our journey down the interstate with a little drive through Subway.  We got into L.A around 4:30...hit traffic until we got to Fullerton at 8:30..which means we went about 50 miles in 4 hours. It was horrendous, but I guess you can't expect much less in L.A.  We stopped for dinner with our good friend Sean in Fullerton, we had the best fish and chips on the continent at The Old Ship restaurant in Fullerton, I highly recommend it if your from the area!

Alex's flight didn't get into San Diego until 10:30, so we took our time heading down the coast to Kristina's house and got there right when we needed to leave to get Alex! We picked him up and headed for a couple drinks in PB (Pacific Beach), if you're from the area you never call it Pacific Beach just "PB"!

We went back to Kristinas, met her roommates ADORABLE pet bunny that just roams the house all day Benny, and tried to get some sleep before getting up early for a full day at Disneyland!

We got to the park at 8:15..it was rainy but not too bad. Our first stop was cars land! We were all set with our bride and groom ears, too! The new Cars Land is amazing, they did such a great job. We decided to go single rider on the main ride because the line was already 75 minutes long at 8:30! It is totally worth the wait. Also, it is totally worth milking the fact that you are newlyweds at Disneyland, we got a bunch of free stuff!

Also, we went to Town Hall to get our "Just Married" pins, and to get a handicap pass for Seth. He hurt his foot a few weeks ago and has trouble walking and standing on it for a long time, the pass is also an amazing way to get to the front of the line! It was actually really good for Seth to have the pass because there were benches in some of the lines so he (and the rest of us) could sit down during the super long waits! We always try and go in the "off" season, but I don't think that exists anymore at Disneyland...it was super busy.

We explored the new Mad Hatter part of California adventure and were excited for the dance party that was going to take place later. We also, had some fun waiting in the long lines...

don't they look super excited?

The highlight of my day was getting to see a host of one of my favorite morning shows.  I tried to take a picture and be sneaky about it, but it wasn't really happening. Here you see Alex, and the guy behind him (his profile) is on my favorite morning show "Right This Minute".  I first noticed him and thought he was from CSI or Criminal Minds..but when I saw his daughter wearing a shirt that had the show's logo I figured it out!



This was in line for Toy Story's Midway Mania, it always always always has a long line so we crossed back and forth with Nick Calderone from Right This Minute for over an hour! Then I got my butt kicked in the gaming ride.  It was still a blast.



By the end of the day are feet were hurting, backs were tired, but we were still wanting to get our money's worth out of our ticket. We went to the dance party at the Mad Hatter, and though it was appropriate to switch hats, people got a major kick out of that!



I slept most of the hour and half ride back to San Diego that night, we had such a long day but it was so worth it! Sunday morning I woke up hurting more than I imagined, having spent over 13 hours in the park I guess I wasn't really surprised either.

Alex and I walked to get coffee along the beach. Kristina lives in this amazing little place called Mission Beach, it is one road of beach houses and beachfront shops and restaurants! It is the epitome of California living, I hope we get to visit her again. 

We headed back north and stopped in Fullerton again to see our same friends! This time with Sean's wife Carolyn who was working on Friday night. We went to this AMAZING place called Pieology, it is like Chipotle but for pizza.  Basically, they need to franchise that ish and bring it to northern California. It was so dang yummy.

Finally, we visited with their pet pig Rodeo.  Well, it's not really theirs, but the family that they live in the back house of owns him and he is the funniest little pet I have ever seen. His huge belly dangles barely 1 inch over the ground as he walks. Definitely the most interesting pet I have ever encountered. 




It was a long drive home, but Seth and I always manage to entertain ourselves nonetheless. Our drive included driving gangster style, jamming out to rock and rap oldies, reading from our new favorite devotional courtesy of Cindy, and in the end, debating about the theological correctness of my current favorite worship song.  Road trips are the best with this guy, I look forward to so many more in this life.

How was your weekend?!

Disney...we're coming for you!

Ever since we started dating, Seth and I have been going to Disneyland for New Years with a big group of our friends.

Year 1: we were babies!!

Every year its a slightly different dynamic, but each year has been a total blast.

We get up at the butt crack of dawn, aka 2:30 and drive the 7 hour drive to Anaheim and are at the park ALL day. 

But this year, since Seth and I decided to take our honeymoon a couple months after we got married, we won't be able to go to Disney and there has been a mouse eared shape hole in my heart since we decided.

Year 2: still babies!

Not that I'm not excited to go to NYC for New Years and then go on a cruise to the Bahama's...I mean...who could honestly complain about that?! But our friends are already counting down the days and are talking about their plans for this years trip and I get a little sad hearing about it.

Our two good friends Alex and Kristina eat, sleep, and breathe Disney, and they happened to be like brother and sister to Seth which means they are now mine too! Yesterday, we were invited to go down to So-Cal, stay with Kristina for the night in San Diego and go to Disneyland!!

Year 3: looking more like we do now!

Oh man, we do not have the finances right now to go. But we vowed to not eat out for 2 months and to save every penny so we can go.  Also, we are obviously hoping I get that job tomorrow because that will help a lot!

Anywho, Friday afternoon we are planning on hittin' the road, I'll be packing (hopefully) most of our food so we don't have to eat park food or eat out all of the time. And, I heard AAA has discounted tickets and parking passes? Anything we can do to save a buck! That being said, do you guys have any suggestions on saving money at Disneyland? 

We're crossing our fingers that this is just the break we need to relax, have tons of fun, and spend time with our friends!

And let's be real, I really just want to wear our newlywed Mickey and Minnie ears all day. :)

Farewell, Summer.

Word on the street is that summer's over.

Oh really? You should come and live in Gilroy with us, summer's still alive and well down in Garlic land.

Our poor landlord might shriek when he see's the electric bill, sorry dude, the AC stays on all night if you want either of us to sleep!

All of that being said, this summer was one of my favorite summers of all.

I got to fly to the PNW (Pacific Northwest) to surprise Ash at her graduation. 

Mel and I schemed and pulled off a fantastic surprise, it was truly one of my favorite weekends with these girls. 

I flew to Milwaukee to watch my cousin get married!

I was blessed with three amazing showers. 

I celebrated my 22nd birthday.

We celebrated four years of dating.

And finally...

you totally saw this one coming.

We got to celebrate the best day ever. 

ever ever ever ever.

Goodbye, summer.

You sure treated me well.

Why I Love NOT Camping.

life motto.

Three years ago I hastily agreed to go camping with Seth and his buddies.  This was mostly because we were so attached at the hip that I couldn't manage my birthday weekend without him, but also because I wanted to prove that I could survive a weekend of camping.

I was promised bathrooms, a campsite, and a really easy experience. 

What we got?

If you take the worst camping circumstances you can possibly dream of, and times it by 10, it might come close to describing the awfulness of this traumatic life story you are about to hear.

Might.

Let's put all the pieces together:

1. We got lost on the drive up and 3.5 hours turned into 8 hours of driving.

2. The truck we drove was stiff with no suspension and the ride was bumpier than a 6.0 earthquake.

3. We arrived in the dark, and there were no open camp sites to be found.

4. We had to sleep the first night OUTSIDE, uncovered. (hello, nightmare)

5. When we woke up we discovered that there were still no camp sites, so these crazy kids decide..."lets RAFT out to an ISLAND. I bet there's no one camping there."

6. There was no dirt on the island, just rocks, oh and there weren't any trees either -- which also means no bathrooms or privacy or shade. Hello sunburn.

7. Did I mention I'm terribly phobic of water? Minor detail. These crazies spent the whole weekend cliff jumping while I photographed, I love how Erik looks like he's kicking Seth in this one.

8. It was in the upper 90's all weekend and without shade and a short water supply...

unhappy camper.

9. Did I mention it was my birthday?

I had every right to show my sass

 

10. Half of our food was ruined by explosion of dry ice, this in particular was meant for my birthday breakfast.

11. Our dear friend CJ tore her MCL cliff diving on the first day of our trip.

I do believe this is the jump that tore the knee! 

12. Oh, and when we were trying to leave we discovered the HOLE in the RAFT. What came next was some speedy gum chewing to patch the hole, just to barely make it to shore half sunken with all of our stuff. I was under all of the stuff in the half sunken raft in water that I am terrified to be close to.

One upside: it was super beautiful at night

We like to look back on this weekend and laugh.

I still get patted on the back for being such a trooper, but I was really dying on the inside. 

And that is why I will not go camping ever again for a really really really long time.

I hope this made you laugh, I had fun reliving the experience knowing that my camping experience could only get better from here.

Do you have any camping horror stories?