Where we were . . .

was Santa Cruz, California, a short drive from our home but about 25 degrees cooler. We had planned this trip a couple of months ago because Tuesday was our wedding anniversary. We have been married 8 years now and decided a quick getaway was just what we needed.

I'm sorry to say, I did not take a single photo. We brought the camera but decided to just enjoy every moment instead of scouting for photo opportunities, so all these pics belong to the talented people who took them - if you're one of them and don't want me to use your photo, let me know and I will take it down. All of them are linked to their original accounts.

On Monday, the first thing we did upon leaving our house and our kids, was buy some shirts for my oldest - isn't that the sign of parenthood? You stop looking for stuff for yourself and it's all for the kids. Anyway, my oldest loves collared shirts so we got a couple of really cute ones for $4.99 each at the mall, then popped in to see X-Men: First Class. It was ok, but the best thing about it was the eye candy.


After checking in, we had an early dinner at Kianti's

my original pasta dish had meat sauce that was way too spicy for me so the server graciously offered a garlicky cream sauce instead which was super yummy. Both my husband and I were happy with our meal. We decided to call it an early night and then he got me hooked on Master Chef.

The next day we had one of the best breakfasts EVER at a place nearby called Zachary's.

I loved that everything was locally produced, fair-trade, organic, etc. and the prices were totally reasonable. See, restaurant owners, it CAN be done! I am totally going to try to recreate their home fries with my homegrown potatoes. After breakfast we walked around downtown for a bit:

There are so many cute stores as well as some severely overpriced boutiques. I saw some cute sequined lace-trimmed tank tops for $5 at one shop and didn't pick up any but then made my husband take me back on Wednesday. Yeah, I know, he's really patient. Anyway, we saw Bridesmaids, it was so funny, I loved it.

What happens in this scene at the bridal salon is just hilarious, I couldn't catch my breath I was laughing so hard! Afterward, we headed over to the wharf and stopped by Marini's for some chocolate fudge. YUM! I nearly emptied the sample dish, it was so good.

We had some awesome seafood dinner down by the wharf, then went back to the hotel for some more Master Chef and to gorge on the fudge.

On Wednesday morning, we had ourselves some Starbucks (we're such capitalists!) and then went back to the little shop with the cute tank tops. I got two, one in a marigold shade and one in - of course - turquoise, some NYX gloss, cheapie eyeshadows and nail polish.

At a cooking store we found an entire collection of dinosaur cookie cutters and of course, got them all for our pancake- and cookie-loving boys.

Back home, we ran to Toys 'R Us because our Spidey Sense was telling us we needed to get things for the boys and we found some serious loot - three huge Godzilla figures, I am telling you the boys were jumping up and down in glee when they saw them. My awesome mother-in-law then gave the three men some haircuts before she left.

That was our first half of the week: relaxing, laughing, sleeping in, strolling around, and just generally enjoying each other's company. But we missed our squirrelly monkeys!!! Now I am home, and I am content.

11 things about me

I figure that with it being 2011 and all, I can tell you 11 things about me you might not (yet) know, and maybe you'll be inclined to share some tidbits too!

1 - I am a complete peasant. What I mean is I like what I like, regardless of how grand it is. Sure I enjoy a $300 bottle of wine (usually thanks to our friends who have their own cellar) but I can enjoy a $4 just as much. Same with chocolate. I love Belgian and Swiss goodies, but my favorite type is plain Hershey's.

2 - I am a snob, which you'd think contradicts #1, but let me explain. If I stay in a $300 hotel room, it better be a damn good hotel room (it not always is.) If I go to Masa's to have a tasting menu for nearly $400, by the first ever American winner of the original Iron Chef, it better be one of the best fucking meals of my life (it was.) I am not easily impressed. If I choose to spend $$$, it better be fucking worth it.

3 - I used to be a romance novel reviewer. I got into a major romance novel kick and decided I needed to share my opinions with the world, so I did. Eventually I went off the genre and now am a voracious reader of a variety of fiction and non-fiction.

4 - I swear a lot. Mostly online, because I have two boys, ages 4 1/2 and almost 6, so I really need to watch it. The occasional swear word pops out, usually while driving, "mommy, what does 'useless motherfucker from hell' mean?", but I try to be good.

5 - I used to be what I call Latin Goth during my 20s and early 30s. My wardrobe was half burgundy, half black, with some gold thrown in. My bridesmaids wore burgundy dresses and carried ivory flowers, while I wore ivory and gold and carried dark burgundy flowers. I did think of wearing a burgundy gown but I fell in love with my dress and couldn't think of wearing anything else. Now I'm 39 and still love black and burgundy, but in smaller doses.

6 - I was born and raised in Peru, we moved here when I was 13, and lived in Mountain View for 18 years. Then I moved in with my boyfriend, we got married, and moved to the South Bay. My parents stayed in Mountain View until July 2010, when my darling dad died suddenly, and now I cannot drive through the city without immense feelings of grief. I used to think someday we might move there if we can afford it, but now I could never do that. I don't think I'd survive it.

7 - I am a gamer. Yep, I am one of those geeks who play MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) - or rather, just one MMORPG, World of Warcraft. My husband got me addicted and I try to play a couple of times a week. I don't play as often as he does because I actually sleep at night, but I do enjoy it, and the boys love to make my characters jump, which sucks when I'm casting a spell because jumping interrupts spellcasting, but, you know, they have fun, too ;D

8 - I am biologically unable to have any more kids. People are always asking when we're going to try for the girl. None of my dear online friends, of course, because we have more sense than that, but really, WTF!? Mostly because I'm almost forty and I can hear the unsaid part of the question "when are you going to try for the girl (before you're too old)?" -- After suffering from horrific periods since the age of 11, and just accepting that's what nature had dealt me, I ended up finding out I had fibroids, and not surprisingly, severe anemia. So severe that when my GYN and I agreed on the hysterectomy, we couldn't schedule it because my blood count was so low. Anyway, a year and a half ago I had the surgery and have been happier than ever - we had decided on 2 children from the beginning and I actually had already had my tubes tied after #2.

9 - I can write backwards. Years and years ago, I must have been 6 or 7, I remember hearing about someone who could write backwards - not Leonardo. Well, the person could have been named Leonardo, but it wasn't THE Leonardo. At least I don't think so. ANYWAY, I remember hearing about this and thinking "well, why couldn't you write backwards?" and I grabbed some paper and a pencil and started doing it. I showed my parents and then left because it was boring and they were like, um, okay, kid.

10 - I used to be allergic to chocolate. Then I got pregnant with my first child. Ever since, I can eat chocolate and not break out in a rash. I also used to be able to drink milk. After I had my second son, no more milk! If I drink a glass of cow's milk my belly swells up and things are nast-eee for the next day or so and that's all I'm going to say about that. Both my sons were born allergic to the proteins in cow's milk. They can have yogurt and cheese, and little bit of cow's milk to drink, but now we drink rice milk.

11 - I used to make and sell jewelry. I was darn good at it, too, and did it for a few years. It was very nice play money. Then I went off it. I got bored and to this day I just don't feel the urge to grab my tools and beads and make something. I learn to sew a couple of years ago and that was that. I sold most of my bead stash, gave the rest to my mom, and now she and my sis make stuff. Now I'm into fabric, my veggie garden, and mostly, finding new ways to make my home cozier and prettier.

So those are my Eleven for 20 Eleven - if you're STILL reading, I thank you from the bottom of my motherfucking heart because that probably took some time out of your day. I promise my future posts won't be this wordy :D