Mother's Day 2010

Fun Mother's Day. Nick and I planned to make brunch for my mom, so we met in Fallbrook and spent the day with her. It was a pretty day, spent out by the pool with Bloody Marys & mimosas, fresh fruit, 2 types of bacon, and I made a german oven pancake, topped with lemon juice and powdered sugar. Yum! Our friend from Germany, Keno was visiting for 3 weeks with his girlfriend so they joined us, as well as Brent, whose family was in Tahoe for the weekend. I feel so lucky to have my mom as my best friend, and all time spent with her is a treat!

{GERMAN OVEN PANCAKE}

-Serves 4-

6 eggs

1 Cup milk

1/4 Cup butter, melted

1 Cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

Melted butter

Sifted powdered sugar

1. In a blender, combine eggs, milk and melted butter. Cover and blend on low speed until mixed.

2. Add flour and salt; cover and blend on medium speed until smooth.

3. Pour into well greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

(It will get puffy and brown on the edges first, but don't take it out until the middle also forms big puffy bubbles that kind of split open a bit)

4. Drizzle with a little bit of melted butter. Cut into squares, squeeze fresh lemon juice on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar, to taste. Serve immediately.

Tip From Abroad: Please Do Not Pull The Bird's Feathers

I love funny or strange or interesting signs. Someone sent these Strange Signs From Abroad and some of them are hilarious! Here are some that I have come across...

{New York City, NY}

These signs were in front of trees everywhere!

Looks like a sign aimed for toddlers, not dogs.

{San Clemente, CA}

This sign has been up for more than 6 months. Maybe

if they fixed the spelling it would actually come true!

{San Francisco, CA}

I bet I was smiling in the Inner Richmond that day!

If that sign won't get you into their store, what will?

{San Francisco, CA}

This guy was on Market St. every single weekend chanting

"no sex before marriage. Sex is a sacred union between

and husband and a wife..." And plenty of other things.

{San Francisco, CA}

Poor lady. Maybe she needs the wheelchair?

{Cabo San Lucas, Mexico}

They were soo close.

Shutterbug

I recently entered five photos to the second annual Spring Photo Festival 2010 photo contest. The theme was "My San Clemente" and you can see all the entered photos here. My photos are #104, 105, 106, 107, & 108. They show up a little small on the site so here is a better look at my view of San Clemente. For two weeks they have put up posters around town at various restaurants so people can see all the submitted photos and vote for their favorite. Each poster has 10 photos on it, and I searched the restaurants for my photos like I was little kid on an Easter egg hunt. I finally found mine at Selma's Chicago Pizzeria, Beachfire Bar & Grill, & Carbonara's Trattoria, & Avila's el Ranchito. Friday night is an event with some of the photos displayed, the People's Choice and Judges awards will be announced!

Go to the site and vote for your favorite (doesn't have to be mine) for the People's Choice Award! If you want to take a look at all the posters, the other restaurants are Antoine's Cafe, Baskin-Robbins, Cafe 207, Cafe Calypso, Cafe Mimosa, Captain Mauri's, Del Agave, Duke's, Gordon James Grill, Hapa J's, Irons in the Fire, OC Tavern.

Stormy

I love rain, and always have. The smell of the wet pavement, the fresh crispness to the air, the dark dramatic sky. I love to bundle up and be amidst the storm, or stay inside while I watch the rain, listen to sound of the water, and curl up with a book or movie. Last week's storm was wonderful, made me miss the weather in San Francisco!

Dolphins, Drowned iPod, & Cheeseburgers in Paradise

Brent's dad, Rudy, turned 65 in February, and his mom, Colleen, turned 60 in March. Colleen is a travel agent and the family has taken trips all over the world. Every few months she travels to some amazing place, in the past year alone it was South America, Fiji, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and a cruise to places I have barely even heard of! But to celebrate their birthdays, they chartered a private 60 foot yacht in La Paz, Mexico from March 31- April 4. It was just the 6 of us: Rudy & Colleen, Elicia & Johnny (Brent's sister and brother-in-law) Brent & I, and Jimmy & Estrella (the skipper and his wife, the cook).

The first day, we flew into Cabo San Lucas, and stayed at a breathtaking resort- The Sheraton Hacienda del Mar. I have never been anywhere that even comes close to this place, Maui was even somewhat bland in comparison. Huge beautiful rooms with ocean views, a gigantic pool running the length of the resort with disappearing edges, cabanas/bars right next to the pools, big selection of restaurants, white sand and turquoise waters. Wow! The next morning a driver took us to La Paz- about 2 hours away.

{All taken from various places at the resort}

Once we got to the harbor in La Paz, we got directly on the boat and started the trip. Our days went like this:

Woke up soon after the sunrise to a beautiful morning and ate a delicious breakfast outside. Then with our full bellies we would take off in search of sea life. Unfortunately the whales have not been around much this season down in that part of Mexico (something to do with El Nino). But we saw a ton of dolphins, big pods of them would swim and play in the wave

s created by the boat.

We then went to a beach or cove for a few hours. We ate lunch and afterward went kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, fishing, or explored the beaches. The fishing was crazy, almost every line Johnny and I cast came back with a fish! Mostly Cabrilla, which are in the photos below, but Johnny also caught a skipjack and a trumpet fish.

We swam with sealions, they swam right up to us, two of them were playing with a feather...it was really cute. The snorkeling was incredible, we saw starfish, an eel, 3 lobsters, a trumpet fish, a wide variety of other fish I have never seen, and lots of different coral and plants.

While they hiked I wandered the beach and found red crabs about the size of my hand that jumped from rock to rock, a giant blue and green crab in the shallow water, and thousands of tiny crabs that when they moved, they made the ground look like it was moving! Exploring the beaches I felt like I was in 2 completely different areas. From one direction you see the beach with bright crystal-clear turquoise water and white sand, and then turn around and see full on desert with cactus everywhere.

In the evenings we would dock in a cove to protect the boat from the wind at night. Our nights involved margaritas, music (including multiple playings of Rudy's favorite, Jimmy Buffet), dinner, games...

The food was one of the highlights of the trip. Estrella was a fabulous cook and I stuffed myself silly at every meal. With every meal we would all rave about how good everything looked, then silence - as we all demolished the food. Breakfast consisted of some type of egg dish, an abundance of fresh fruit, toast, orange juice, coffee and tea. Lunches: day 1-huge ham sandwiches with all the fixings; day 2-Mexican food with chicken quesadillas, homemade guacamole and salsa, chips, beans; day 3-cheeseburgers with jalepenos...sounds ordinary but I am not exaggerating when I say it was one of the best cheeseburgers I have ever had! Dinner: day 1-grilled Cabrilla, fish found locally and also the type we caught a ton of while we fished. Day 2-chile rellenos stuffed with cheese and smoked tuna (my favorite meal of the trip); Day 3-Steak with mushrooms and pasta.

The only downsides to the trip were: Johnny and I both got seasick one day, the beds were rock hard so I woke up constantly in horrible pain, the traveling killed my back, and Brent dropped his iPod in the ocean (oopsie!). But overall, it was an incredible trip and I am so thankful that I was invited. The weather was beautiful, it was relaxing and the area was breathtaking. It was such a fun group, everyone meshes so well and they have always made me feel so welcome as part of the family. I will never forget this incredible trip!!

*I have video from the trip, once I finish putting it together I will post it!

Crazy World

My favorite shocking stories lately...

The 19 pound baby born in Indonesia... he is on the left, and the baby on the right is the average

size of an Indonesian newborn.

TLC, the channel that labels itself as the "discovery network," is adding a new show to their

incredible range of shows. It is called"My Monkey Baby" and it premieres tomorrow night. Meet the Johnsons and their beloved "child" Jessica. Only problem is, she is a monkey!! This is the best new concept they can come up with?

Just when I thought TLC sunk to an all-time low with their show Toddlers and Tiaras- a complete train wreck that I cannot tear my eyes from. Yes, I will admit I do watch this show, because it is such a compete train wreck I cannot tear my eyes from. Seeing 5 year olds completely check their youth at the pageant door, with spray tans, fake nails, fake teeth (referred to as "flippers"), hair pieces, etc. is so bizarre. They look older than me when they are done up, Terrible (although I could not stop

laughing the first time I saw the preview). By the way, TLC labels itself as the "discovery network".

From awhile ago, but still keep thinking about it: the costume changes of Lada Gaga at the VMAs. Maybe I should just wrap myself in a bird's nest or cover myself head to toe in red lace and I can be famous too?

Moms & meeting the Fockers

A little delayed, but...Mother's Day was great this year. I'm glad I could spend it with my mom and aunt Lori, especially after being in San Francisco the past few Mother's Day. Tyler was staying with us for a few weeks to help with the house remodel, and it was great having him along. My mom and Doug drove up, and the Williams, My mom, Doug and I had brunch at Sarduccis in San Juan Capistrano at the train depot. Unlimited juice, mimosas, coffee, fresh fruit and pastries, and an entree of our choice. I had the cheese blintzes, with whipped cream and fresh berries - delicious! After brunch, we strolled around downtown San Juan, visiting the shops and galleries and a great antique shop. We also visited the petting zoo and laughed at the funny animals.

It started out as a gloomy day but slowly the sun peeked out and it was a gorgeous. My mom, Doug and I went to Brent's parents' house in San Clemente, the first parental meet and greet. We (the parents, Brent's sister and husband, and Brent & I) sat outside and admired their gorgeous view of the San Clemente coastline, enjoyed some homemade guacamole, nice conversation, and everyone got along and meshed very well. Our version of "Meet the Fockers" was a success... although my mom wanted to know which set of parents was "the Fockers" :)

Whac-A-Mole: Part 2

I appreciate all the good thoughts sent my way on Tuesday. I wanted to give you all an update, so here goes:

Unfortunately, the injection did not work. The doctor told me that if the injection was successful, I would have significant pain relief within 5-10 minutes after it was done. Not only did I not have any relief, but my pain was so much worse than when I first came in. If you are wondering how the injection could make the pain worse, Brent described the new pain as "someone punching me in a really bad bruise" and it will just take awhile for the pain to return to what it was. Basically the needles just caused additional trauma to an already inflamed and painful area.

Originally I was going to be given a sedative during the procedure. I would still be awake but it was to calm me down and make it a little easier. I decided last minute that I did not want it, I was not as nervous as I thought I would be and I just did not know how the sedative would make me feel afterward. I'm glad I went without it because I was able to watch the x-ray screen, seeing the needles in my back and watch as he injected the contrast (a dye to make sure the needle was in the right location) and then the anesthetic. It was fascinating to watch. The insertion of the needles (6 total) and the injection of each substance were all very painful, but I have experienced worse things.

At this point, it only feels slightly better than Tuesday, but still worse than before the injection. It hurts to walk, and sitting and lying down are both extremely uncomfortable, and the pain meds and ice provide only slight relief. I am really bummed that it was not successful, I was really hoping I could at least find out the source of the pain. Brent was telling one of his patients yesterday about my injection, and she has had many different back injections, including the one I had. It was also unsuccessful for her, and she described the pain as someone having hit her in the back with a bowling ball. I think this is actually a very accurate description.

I am not sure what the next step is, I am still waiting to speak to my doctor. Thanks again to everyone for the good thoughts and love. Turns it this is just a VERY mean, unyielding little mole.

Whac-A-Mole: Part 1

Discussing my recent medical problems with my cousin Tyler, he compared my medical history to the classic arcade game Whac-A-Mole. A pretty accurate comparison I think, in that it often seems once one problem is taken care of, a new "mole" pops up in need of being whacked on the head and forced back in its hole.

1 year ago on June 7, 2008 I underwent my 4th knee surgery. And about 2 1/2 months ago I developed extreme lower back pain. With a very sudden and random onset, I was concerned it was related to using my crutches for so long-about 10 months at that point. So I stopped using the crutches but it made no difference with my back.

The back pain is like no pain I have ever experienced. A deep pain across my entire lower back, nothing makes it feel better and has slowly and progressively worsened. I saw my orthopedist who ordered an MRI. The MRI was an hour and a half long, lying flat on back on a hard metal table covered only in a sheet, unable to move the entire time. After it was over I could barely walk out of there. Sitting vs. lying down vs. standing does not seem to make a difference, but staying in the same positing for too long increases my pain. I am in pain from the minute I wake up to the minute I finally fall asleep, but my nights are restless due to constantly waking up in pain. I have seen a physiatrist and a pain doctor and no one can figure out exactly what is causing the pain or where it is coming from. The MRI was negative and my symptoms manifest in an unclear manner. I have gone to physical therapy, but even the smallest exercises produce high levels of pain during and after. I have tried acupuncture, with no success. I have tried a multitude of drugs, including various pain meds, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, and medications for nerve problems - all with no results.

After trying all these without any positive outcomes, my pain doctor agreed to an injection. Because no one is sure where the pain is stemming from, this is a diagnostic injection. Scheduled for 12:30 this afternoon, a general anesthetic will be injected under fluoroscopy (guided by the use of xray) into the nerves connected to the joints. The anesthetic will have a numbing effect for 4 hours and if I have pain relief it is likely that the pain is coming from the joints. So depending on the outcome of the procedure they will treat it accordingly.

P.S. This back issue is the reason why I have not written on my blog in so long...just trying to deal with it has taken everything out of me. But hopefully this tenacious little mole will get whacked once and for all. Is this a weird analogy? Whatever I like it...thanks Ty :)

9-Year Anniversary

May 16th 2000 I was lying in a hospital bed in Children's Hospital, San Diego. Not my first time in that hospital and definitely not the last, but this day was special. Since my diagnosis of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia on January 13th, 2000, I had been awaiting this very day. After the diagnosis, the next 4 months and 3 days were spent in and out of the hospital receiving blood transfusions to keep my white blood count at a non-lethal level until a bone marrow match was found. I briefly went back to school as I waited day after day as my family and friends were tested for matches, and multiple bone marrow drives, blood drives, and fundraisers were held around the community. Finally, a match was found for a cord blood transplant. 5 days of total body irradiation 3 times per day to completely rid my body of its own white blood cells later, I was transfused with one small IV bag of fluid, hoping it would save my life.

I don't remember anything about that day. But today, May 16th 2009, it is 9 years later and here I am, able to celebrate another year. Cheers to another year! It's kind of like my quasi- birthday :)

Every year I do a little something to celebrate. This year I went to Purple Feet wine bar in Dana Point with Andrea, Martin, Brent and my cousin Tyler who is living with us for about a month. We got a bottle of the "Luscious Lips" Syrah from Temecula Valley. It was my first time there, it was a very cool place-mellow atmosphere, friendly staff, and the food and wine was all great.