Monday, March 31, 2008
Greetings from Vegas
I'm in Vegas for most of this week for CTIA Wireless, an industry tradeshow. This is a view from my room at the Wynn hotel. My room overlooks the Wynn golf course (the waterfall) and the pool, which isn't in this picture.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The Napa Valley Trail Half Marathon
So, today was the half marathon that I signed up to run with Grace and Ann. I've supposedly been training for this run. I say supposedly because I wasn't nearly as disciplined as when I was training for the San Diego Rock-n-Roll marathon. I've been really behind on my training plan, and the longest distance I managed to run before this race was 6 miles. Let me tell you that running any race with little to no training is a bad idea. So, I decided that I should probably run/walk this one. Grace and Ann really didn't seem to mind either. =)
Unlike some of the other runs I've done before, this one was really low key. No corrals, timing chips or fancy finish line. It was also a well organized and supported event. We finished in about 3 hours and 30 minutes, which isn't bad considering we walked a good percentage of the course. The course was very scenic and peaceful with a few stream crossings. It was a bit tough in parts where there was pretty steep downhill and the ground was muddy. You could see where a few folks has slipped from the imprint on left on the ground. There were also some pretty steep uphill sections as well. I don't think I would've been able to run up those hills even if I had trained for this race. Even though it was a chilly start and slightly damp and muddy out, it was a fun event.
Before the race Grace asked me if I preferred trail races to regular races (e.g. pavement). I told her I'd have to let her know after this race because I've never really run a trail event before. While I thought trail running would be easier on my joints, the downhill sections really weren't that forgiving for my knees. Plus with the rocks and tree roots, it's pretty easy to turn an ankle or slip and fall. From a better-for-your-joints perspective, I think it's probably a wash. I think I prefer regular races because there's a different energy. There's always random people along the race route cheering you on. And that's pretty cool! I know there've been many times when I thought I couldn't do it, but then you'd hear someone in the randomly shout, "Good job! Keep it up!" And all of sudden, you get a burst of energy.
Aside from the run, the weekend was great! Not only did the boys meet us at the end of the race, they also prepared a delicious lunch for us girls back at our rental house! =) After relaxing for a bit, we went shopping at the Napa Outlets and then had dinner in downtown Napa. On Sunday, the boys slept in and the girls made breakfast for everyone. Kinda cute, huh? After packing up and locking up the house, we went wine tasting for a few hours before heading off to Oracle Arena. Greg, John and I met up with Dardy to catch the Warriors v. Mavericks game. All-in-all, it was a relaxing and fun-filled weekend!
Unlike some of the other runs I've done before, this one was really low key. No corrals, timing chips or fancy finish line. It was also a well organized and supported event. We finished in about 3 hours and 30 minutes, which isn't bad considering we walked a good percentage of the course. The course was very scenic and peaceful with a few stream crossings. It was a bit tough in parts where there was pretty steep downhill and the ground was muddy. You could see where a few folks has slipped from the imprint on left on the ground. There were also some pretty steep uphill sections as well. I don't think I would've been able to run up those hills even if I had trained for this race. Even though it was a chilly start and slightly damp and muddy out, it was a fun event.
Before the race Grace asked me if I preferred trail races to regular races (e.g. pavement). I told her I'd have to let her know after this race because I've never really run a trail event before. While I thought trail running would be easier on my joints, the downhill sections really weren't that forgiving for my knees. Plus with the rocks and tree roots, it's pretty easy to turn an ankle or slip and fall. From a better-for-your-joints perspective, I think it's probably a wash. I think I prefer regular races because there's a different energy. There's always random people along the race route cheering you on. And that's pretty cool! I know there've been many times when I thought I couldn't do it, but then you'd hear someone in the randomly shout, "Good job! Keep it up!" And all of sudden, you get a burst of energy.
Aside from the run, the weekend was great! Not only did the boys meet us at the end of the race, they also prepared a delicious lunch for us girls back at our rental house! =) After relaxing for a bit, we went shopping at the Napa Outlets and then had dinner in downtown Napa. On Sunday, the boys slept in and the girls made breakfast for everyone. Kinda cute, huh? After packing up and locking up the house, we went wine tasting for a few hours before heading off to Oracle Arena. Greg, John and I met up with Dardy to catch the Warriors v. Mavericks game. All-in-all, it was a relaxing and fun-filled weekend!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Spring Fever
This past weekend was probably the most active weekend we've had in a long time. The weather was fantastic, and we took full advantage of it. It felt really good to be outside, moving rather than being sedentary on the couch.
On Saturday, we went for a road ride from our house in Santa Clara to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. We had lunch at Max's Cafe and met up with our friends volunteering a doggie adoption event at a posh doggie boutique, Bowlicious. We rode ~30 miles, round trip. It may sound far, but that's a typical distance and route I used to ride on a regular basis (when I was more active). I honestly can't remember the last time I was on my bike. And I could *definitely* tell it had been a long time. When we started the ride, my seat felt too high. I know it hadn't been adjusted and my legs haven't gotten any shorter. My legs felt like lead on our return ride, and my bottom was sore from sitting on my bike saddle. After the ride, my legs, arms, shoulders and abs were sore. It's really sad if you think about how hard it is to get into shape, but how easy it is to get out of shape.
On Sunday, we met up with some of our friends at the park to play grass volleyball. It's the first time this year that we've gone out to play grass volleyball. Quite a few people came out to enjoy the warm afternoon and hang out. It was a lot of fun! We're looking forward to more active weekends, especially since Spring is here and the weather is getting better.
On Saturday, we went for a road ride from our house in Santa Clara to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. We had lunch at Max's Cafe and met up with our friends volunteering a doggie adoption event at a posh doggie boutique, Bowlicious. We rode ~30 miles, round trip. It may sound far, but that's a typical distance and route I used to ride on a regular basis (when I was more active). I honestly can't remember the last time I was on my bike. And I could *definitely* tell it had been a long time. When we started the ride, my seat felt too high. I know it hadn't been adjusted and my legs haven't gotten any shorter. My legs felt like lead on our return ride, and my bottom was sore from sitting on my bike saddle. After the ride, my legs, arms, shoulders and abs were sore. It's really sad if you think about how hard it is to get into shape, but how easy it is to get out of shape.
On Sunday, we met up with some of our friends at the park to play grass volleyball. It's the first time this year that we've gone out to play grass volleyball. Quite a few people came out to enjoy the warm afternoon and hang out. It was a lot of fun! We're looking forward to more active weekends, especially since Spring is here and the weather is getting better.
Friday, March 21, 2008
WooHoo, We're Homeless!
Okay, technically, we're not homeless. We just sold our Sunnyvale townhouse! For those of you who don't know, the Sunnyvale townhouse was my (Cheryl's) old place. We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly it sold, especially given the current state of the credit and real estate markets. It was on the market for less than a week *and* we got our asking price plus a bit more. It was all very exciting!
Our realtor, Royce Cablayan, was phenomenal! He was great to work with, very patient with all our questions and provided helpful suggestions on the improvements we should and shouldn't make to the place. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a place.
A couple of people have asked me if I'm sad about selling my place. Honestly, I'm not. I don't have any emotional attachments to it. It's probably because I haven't been living there for a while now. If I was still living in the place when we sold it, then I'd probably feel a bit sad. But I said my goodbyes about 5 months ago when I moved into Greg's townhouse in Santa Clara. I still have to correct myself when I talk about our home. Even though Greg's done so much to make sure that it feels like my home too and I consider our current residence my home, I often refer to it as Greg's place instead of our place or my place. It probably bothers me more than Greg that I do that. Hopefully, now that we've sold the Sunnyvale place, it'll be easier.
Other people have asked what we're going to do with the proceeds from the sale. Well, I've spent some of it on a new laptop (no, it's not a MacBook) that will hopefully arrive sometime next week. And we're going to use another chunk of it to upgrade our kitchen with new cabinets, counter, sink, lighting and appliances. (Which reminds me, has anyone recently purchased a dishwasher or range? If so, I'd appreciate any recommendations or thoughts you have on these appliances.) The rest of it has to go into a VERY safe short-term financial intsrument because it's our down payment for a single family home. We want to give Tachi a backyard to run around in. We haven't started looking and will probably wait until the government raises the conforming loan limit before we start to look. In the meantime, we can look forward to our remodeled kitchen.
Our realtor, Royce Cablayan, was phenomenal! He was great to work with, very patient with all our questions and provided helpful suggestions on the improvements we should and shouldn't make to the place. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a place.
A couple of people have asked me if I'm sad about selling my place. Honestly, I'm not. I don't have any emotional attachments to it. It's probably because I haven't been living there for a while now. If I was still living in the place when we sold it, then I'd probably feel a bit sad. But I said my goodbyes about 5 months ago when I moved into Greg's townhouse in Santa Clara. I still have to correct myself when I talk about our home. Even though Greg's done so much to make sure that it feels like my home too and I consider our current residence my home, I often refer to it as Greg's place instead of our place or my place. It probably bothers me more than Greg that I do that. Hopefully, now that we've sold the Sunnyvale place, it'll be easier.
Other people have asked what we're going to do with the proceeds from the sale. Well, I've spent some of it on a new laptop (no, it's not a MacBook) that will hopefully arrive sometime next week. And we're going to use another chunk of it to upgrade our kitchen with new cabinets, counter, sink, lighting and appliances. (Which reminds me, has anyone recently purchased a dishwasher or range? If so, I'd appreciate any recommendations or thoughts you have on these appliances.) The rest of it has to go into a VERY safe short-term financial intsrument because it's our down payment for a single family home. We want to give Tachi a backyard to run around in. We haven't started looking and will probably wait until the government raises the conforming loan limit before we start to look. In the meantime, we can look forward to our remodeled kitchen.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Red Egg and Ginger Party
This past weekend, I (Greg was at a bachelor party) went to red egg and ginger party for my friend's new baby girl. I had a great time seeing my friend, her husband and their adorable baby girl. It was really nice to catch up with her extended family and our mutual friends too. Her daughter slept through most of the event, which is amazing considering the noise and all the little kids peeking into her stroller or poking at her to get her to wake up.
Speaking of little kids, I was amazed at how many kids were there. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was a either an infant, toddler or kid who was about 7 or younger. Where did all these kids come from?! I guess we're getting to that stage of life...
Speaking of little kids, I was amazed at how many kids were there. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was a either an infant, toddler or kid who was about 7 or younger. Where did all these kids come from?! I guess we're getting to that stage of life...
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