I've been tagged?

Yep. That is right. Michelle over at Curls, Spunk, and Monkey Chunk has tagged me. I think she is tired of seeing that same old running picture of me. I know I am. This is what I have to do.



1. go to the pictures folder on your computer.
2. open the sixth folder.
3. pull up the sixth picture.
4. post it.

I took this photo last spring while visiting Boston. I was on the Freedom Trail and this was the stop at the graveyard where Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, the victims of the Boston Massacre, and many others I am sure I am forgetting are buried. That was all very interesting and educational but what was really thrilling to me was the art on the headstone. I absolutely loved these skulls with the angel wings. The winged skulls symbolized the flight of the soul from mortal man. I wonder why it has gone out of vogue on headstones? I think I will have it on mine.

I tag Britt my lovely cousin.

Big Sur Half Marathon

Mark & I ran in the Big Sur half marathon this past weekend. It was the most beautiful race I have ever done. This one is definitely going on the calender for next year! I hope you will join me.

Must Dos .... San Fran

1. Take the BART into the city.

2. Try and walk as much as possible.

3. Jump on the trolley.

4. Have sourdough bread.

5. See Chinatown.

6. Eat at Tadich.

7. See the Golden Gate Bridge.

8. Go for a hike in Muir Woods.

9. Eat at Scoma.

10. Bring your umbrella.

Life is Good

(That little speck standing up on the water is Mark! Just to the left of the sun.)

MARK

If Laird Hamilton

And Brad Womack from the Bachelor

could have a baby, then you would get

So I had to choose ......

Between this ...

and this ......

I choose this .....

Youth prevails!!!!!

Freegan Tip #1

Eat your leftover lefse!!!

I Heart Jumping

Cliffs

Trees

Rocks

Bridges

Platforms

Deep Ends

Beds

Boats

Diving Boards

Stages

Fences

Roofs

Cliffs

AHHHHHHH!!

words to LIVE by

This past weekend I went to the wedding of a good friend. This was a wedding attended by some really great people. It was an incredible weekend filled with extreme joy, it was a wedding after all. Did I mention that we drove thus giving me plenty of time to reflect on the weekends events. And here (not in my own words) is what came of it.



Wear sunscreen.


If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.


Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.


Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.


Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.


Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.


Floss.


Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.


Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.


Stretch.


Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.


Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.


Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken onyour 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.


Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of whatother people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.


Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.


Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.


Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.


Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.


Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should holdon. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.


Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.


Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.


Respect your elders.


Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might runout.


Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.


Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.


But trust me on the sunscreen.


Mary Schmich

New Banner

The cutie on my banner is my niece Annika. I haven't been able to see her much this summer. So I thought I would remind her that her Aunty is still goofy and fun. Annika and her family are coming out to visit in October. Can't wait to see them!!!

A Fine Friday

For this week's "vino venerdi" I tried a Pinot Noir. I have been wanting to try more Pinot Noirs because the region I am living in is known for PNs. If you have ever seen "Sideways" you know exactly what I am talking about.
For the meal I prepared a grilled tuna and peppers with caper vinaigrette. It was a great recipe!! The sauce was absolutely delicious. And the recipe could not have been easier, the entire thing took me about 10 minutes. It was a perfect Friday night meal. But now, you maybe asking yourself "a red wine with fish?" I thought the same thing...that these people are crazy telling me that the tuna will go perfectly with a PN. They were right...it was a great combo.
The PN of the evening was from the Rancho Sisquoc Winery. The grapes came from the Flood Family vineyards of Santa Barbara County. It had a very distinct cherry flavor. Mark kept commenting on the tame tannins. I think he likes a little more tannin and oak. However, he did manage to finish off a couple of glasses. I definitely enjoyed this wine and look forward to trying more wines from this winery.

Time Does Fly

A year ago Mark and I were enjoying ourselves in the BWCA. If you have never been, YOU ARE MISSING OUT! Drop everything and plan a trip. You will not regret it. Planning is super easy just visit bwca.com. Have a great time and be sure to let me know how much fun you had.

Vino Venerdi a la Domenica

Vino Venerdi had to wait til Sunday, but like a good wine it became better with age. This week I did not necessarily pair it with any particular predetermined food, but the wine did go perfectly with the meal and not to mention was indeed enhanced by the food. The wine chosen (by my wonderful husband ) for this evening's tasting was Simi a Chardonnay from Sonoma County.

It was definitely good. I would not say it was the best Chardonnay I ever had but it was a lovely wine for a Sunday night. This is a subtle wine with a bit of an acidic lingering. There are some definite toasted oak notes as well, but not overwhelming so. No butter found in this Chardonnay. I am still on the look out for a nice buttery Chardonnay, so leave me a note if you have a favorite. This wine was good, but was even better when paired with our meal, Lime Ricky Chicken. The chicken enhanced the oak and smoothed out the flavor.

Wine Fest 2008

In honor of Michelle Wine-O-Wednesdays I thought I would post about my weekend at the Red, White, and Blues Wine Festival in Santa Barbara, CA. It was a huge festival with over 400 California wineries. Needless to say, I wasn't able to taste from every winery, but I tried my best! I tried to only taste the wines that were the specialities of that paticular winery. I also tried to stay away from wines that are from the nearby Santa Ynez valley. I was a little disappointed with some of the vendors when I asked them "what is your speciality?" and their reply was "wine." I was hoping for a little more insight than that.


Of all the wines I tasted, I do have a favorite from the afternoon. A 2006 Pinot Noir from Peter's Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast crafted Kokomo Wines. I am not a huge Pinor Noir fan but this wine was fantastic! The wine gives a bold flavor of ripe strawberries and spices. It also has a wonderful smoky vanilla aroma. It is way more than I would regularly spend on a bottle, but it would be great for a special occasion.


I may try to follow Michelle's lead, but with a teeny, tiny twist. I may try "Vino Venerdi." Vino Venerdi will be dedicated to trying new wine and preparing new dinner dishes to pair with the wine. Thanks for the great idea Michelle!

It's Official

I am a card carrying member of the SCUBA community. Mark and I had our final certification dives last weekend. We saw a ton of aquatic life including a color changing octopus and a Volkswagen sized Gaint Black Sea Bass. I can't wait for our next trip.

Julsrud Family Visit

My family came to visit this past week. It was great! We did so much stuff that I think we all need another week off to recover. We did everything from wine tasting in the Santa Ynez valley to hiking on Santa Cruz (one of the Channel Islands). Everything we did was incredibly fun, but truly the best part of all was just being with family. I can't wait for the next time they all come out.

Culinary Exploration

One of the best parts about moving to a new region of the country is culinary exploration. And who better to tryout previously unexplored foods than family. My family is staying with me this week and both my brother and mother are excellent cooks, who are undaunted and adventurous in the kitchen. So why not ... Jon wanted crab, we can make crab! It was one of the most fun meals both in preparation and consumption that I have had in a while (minus my anniversary dinner at San Ysidro Ranch).


Jovial Crabs

1 cup Kosher Salt
2 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 cup distilled vinegar
live Dungeness or Rock Crab

Don't cook alone! Get family and friends gathered. Add salt, seasoning, and vinegar to approximately 10 qt. of water. Laugh and have a great time with family/friends while waiting for pot to boil. Add crab to boiling pot. Take approximately 10 minutes to enjoy your company or until crab turn a lovely shade of pink. Let crab cool enough to handle. Enjoy!


Rasmussen Butter

Melt butter add fresh lemon juice and enjoy with crab.

The 731 Happiest Days of My Life

Open Water

Goldfish Bowl

I went on my first dive this weekend. It was awesome! I was introduced to a whole new underwater world. It had just been lying there in wait under 30 feet of water. It was a totally great experience and I can't wait for my next dive...but I must admit that I was really nervous. I had a momentary panic attack on my second dive. Fortunately, I had a great dive instructor, Michael from Anacapa Dive Center, that got me through it. I am actually a little relieved that I had a moment of panic. It gave me a bit of confidence. I am really looking forward to the next dive when I can relax a little more and just enjoy what is going on all around me.


The dives were at Anacapa Island. The Raptor took us to three different locations: Windfield Scott, Goldfish Bowl, and one other one I can't recall the name of. We saw a Bat Ray, an Angel Shark, and a Spanish Shawl nudibranch on our first dive. The Spanish Shawl was my favorite. It is this incredibly vibrant little slug looking thing with a purplish/bluish body and orange gummy bear like spikes coming out of it. I have never seen anything like it before.


The dives were all in Kelp forests. I never thought kelp was anything special but swimming amongst it underwater really changed my mind. The kelp was gorgeous. The little bulb bits seemed to emit their own light. It was something magical and other worldly. It was very dream-like "floating" through the kelp. It was like nothing I had ever experienced, the way the light filters through the water and between the kelp. It was crazy to be swimming through the kelp looking up at schools of fish. I really can't wait to go again.