Your Bio

I am Katie...get it? I am married to Les - my favorite person. I have three furry children: Huggy, Butterscotch, and Stella. I am hopelessly addicted to exercise - it brings me pain and joy...mostly at the same time. I have a wonderful life and really no room to complain about anything at all...so I won't:)

My Mom lives in Placerville with her horses and my niece, Raquel. My Dad lives in Indiana with his wife Char, their dogs and the snowy winters. My in-laws live in England and they are truly fantastic people.

If you like Smugmug and want to get your own, I can save you $5! Just click this link:http://www.smugmug.com/?referrer=ZpGWVigshdhdU and enroll. It's the easiest thing you'll ever do, Smugmug is awesome:)

Friends & Family

Galleries

Lake Don Pedro Boat Party - 10 year anniversary 06.26.08 : Fun times at the lake again. Sky was hazy with smoke due to the 1000 wildfires burning in CA right now, but it wasn't a bother. The sun was out and skin got tan. Minds were evacuated and friends were made. The music never stopped...ever...and it was a nice break from the reality of cell phones, laptops, blackberrys, and all the other chains of responsibility:) Thursday - arrival and completely insane evening of debauchery. Friday - party theme was 80's electric raver boogaloo. Hence the flourescent colors, track suits, and midriff tops. Saturday - party theme was red carpet alter ego. Sunday - packed it up and came home.

Lake Don Pedro Boat Party - 10 year anniversary 06.26.08

Fun times at the lake again. Sky was hazy with smoke due to the 1000 ...

Updated: Jul 12, 2008 8:11am PDT

A week of TomTom : My buddy, Janine, went camping in the far north this past week and let Les and me kitten-sit for her little baby, TomTom. It was so much fun to have a kitten in the house again! Buddy really didn't care at all, but Stella had a tough time giving up her top spot as main cat for a few days. He ran this house with an iron paw and is a bitey little creature. But when he settles down, he's absolutely the most loving cat. This weekend, we took all the kids, including TomTom, to the mobile vet clinic VIP Pet Services for their annual shots. As usual, not a peep out of Buddy, Huggy, or Stella. TomTom, on the other hand, screamed bloody murder and wanted nothing to do with that! We have some photos in this gallery where he's biting the vet tech after it was all done. It was funny. He was lively and entertaining and when we had to give him back, I was sad. I can't wait to have seventeen kittens to play with when we buy our house! The last two pictures are of Stella finally back to normal and able to relax a day after the gray terrorist left!

A week of TomTom

My buddy, Janine, went camping in the far north this past week and let ...

Updated: Jul 07, 2008 5:13pm PDT

Cofresi's California Adventure 06.08 : My brother, his wife, and their five children hopped on the Amtrak from Indian and make the 2.5 day trek to California. They were here for two weeks and it was a whirlwhind of a visit with something diffrerent to do every single day. They spent their first week in Sacramento and Placerville with my Mom and sister. The second week, they came to San Jose and stayed with Les and me. While they were here they did a lot of stuff: San Francisco tour Golden Gate Bridge Chinatown Cliff House Beach Six Flags Great America Gold Bug Park and Mine Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Aptos Beach Capitola Beach Happy Hollow Park and Zoo The Mystery Spot Sweet Cabernet Horse Ranch Family Reunion and BBQ I hope they come out here again...only this time to take a plane trip so they have more time to spend with us.

Cofresi's California Adventure 06.08

My brother, his wife, and their five children hopped on the Amtrak fro ...

Updated: Jun 20, 2008 12:25pm PDT

D'Anna's California Adventure 06.08 : My cousin, D'Anna, flew out here from Indiana for one week. We spent a lot of time doing neat tourist things, but even more time shopping! She was even nice enough to give me and Nay haircuts - she's a fantastic stylist! Here's what we did: Aptos Beach Winchester Mystery House Bay Cruise around Alcatraz and under the Golden Gate Bridge Fisherman's Wharf Ghirardelli Square for super delicious ice cream! Several shopping trips Virgin Megasore Citizen Cupcake Next time she's out here, we're going to take a road trip to LA and cruise by Beverly Hills Rodeo Drive...among other LA things:)

D'Anna's California Adventure 06.08

My cousin, D'Anna, flew out here from Indiana for one week. We spent ...

Updated: Jun 20, 2008 9:38am PDT

Yosemite 05.23.08 : Les' folks surprised us with a fabulous Christmas present last year. They bought us a weekend stay at Rocky Point Cabin in Foresta, CA. This is located inside Yosemite National Park. Yosemite is one of my very favorite places in the world to escape city life and rude people and the most majestic and amazingly beautiful places to explore nature. This is our second stay at the cabin; the first was when Les' parents came out from England for a visit. We had the best time then, and this time around was also great. For the most of the weekend, we were rained in, but it didn't matter at all. This cabin is so incredibly home-like, you forget you're renting and it feels like your own sanctuary away from the rest of the world. Foresta is actually located inside of Yosemite and is only a seven-mile drive into the Valley Floor. We took that drive on Saturday while it was raining and we drove past lower and upper Yosemite falls and took some pictures. On Sunday, we drove to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and hiked out to Wapama Falls. While soaked to the bones, we sat on a ledge and ate lunch from our backpack. The one thing I forgot to do was charge the camera battery, so these photos were taken with a disposable that we picked up at the store and actually had to have them developed! It's been a long time since I've had to do that. Anyway, we had a very relaxing, extended weekend and are so grateful for his parents thinking of us in this way.

Yosemite 05.23.08

Les' folks surprised us with a fabulous Christmas present last year. ...

Updated: May 31, 2008 8:17pm PDT

Blowfish 04.26.08 : Richard was spinning tonight and we came out to show our love. It was an interesting night...Blowfish crowd is so predictable. Overdone hoes and the douchebags they cling to were out in full force. Skanks that think it's the thing to do to rub and grind all over anything that moves and such. Very classy.

Blowfish 04.26.08

Richard was spinning tonight and we came out to show our love. It was ...

Updated: Apr 27, 2008 11:17am PDT

St. Joseph's Hill - Los Gatos Hike : This hike never disappoints in the difficulty factor and is always a great workout. Les, Huggy, and me headed out for this hike and sat at the top admiring the bay area views for a little while. When we got back, I think we ate a huge lunch!

St. Joseph's Hill - Los Gatos Hike

This hike never disappoints in the difficulty factor and is always a g ...

Updated: Apr 13, 2008 4:07pm PDT

Indian Dinner Party 03.29.08 : Chubby Squirrel Events put on another dinner party tonight, but we were lacking a few people due to illnesses. Les and I wanted to wow our friends with our newly-acquired Indian cooking skills we learned at Draeger's Market last month. Les made Saag Panir and Rogan Josh. I made Chicken Dopiaza, Raita, and Mint Chutney. What is missing, you ask? BASMATI RICE IS MISSING because Nayomi came over just as I was heading to the store to pick it up and demanded that we do four VodkaRita shots and by the time we were through....rice was not going to be made! What can I say? We are adults, we work hard all week and like to let loose on the weekends. We have the right because this is America - Land of the Free! Mormons, and all other religious fanatics, please give it a rest. There is no heaven and there is no hell...when we die, we simply become food for worms and contribute to the cycle of life. So, live a little, and don't judge me and my love for yummy, alcoholic drinks! /end rant> Everything turned out great. Delicious food, quality time with friends, and a kind and soulful existence is what really defines a full life. I am completely content and fortunate to live this way. Rock on Carter's!

Indian Dinner Party 03.29.08

Chubby Squirrel Events put on another dinner party tonight, but we wer ...

Updated: Mar 30, 2008 3:00pm PDT

Raquel's Surprise Birthday Party - She's FIFTEEN! : Raquel's Mom decided it was time to give Raquel a surprise birthday party at the ranch. With large efforts on everyone's part the guests all arrived before the birthday girl. The food turned out fabulous. And I believe Raquel was genuinely surprised. Here are a few of the pictures that captured the moment. Enjoy!

Raquel's Surprise Birthday Party - She's FIFTEEN!

Raquel's Mom decided it was time to give Raquel a surprise birthday pa ...

Updated: Mar 24, 2008 7:18pm PDT

Easter at Cabernet 3.2008 : We set out on our annual trek to Sweet Cabernet to spend Easter with Mom and Raquel. Keith was also there to share in the holiday as was my sister, Christina, and her three other children, Sierra, Junior, and Gigi. We all had a great time. I took the kids on a Tahoe-Coaster ride around the property and showed them where to find the wild turkeys. Chris spent a lot of quality time with all of her kids coloring Easter eggs and doing the egg hunt on Sunday. It's been really nice having her around the past couple of weekends.

Easter at Cabernet 3.2008

We set out on our annual trek to Sweet Cabernet to spend Easter with M ...

Updated: Mar 24, 2008 12:24pm PDT

Dinner With The Carter's : We absolutely adore our friends and love entertaining at the Casa de Carter. Especially now that we have a new dining room set. These are photos of random nights with people we love and food that was absolutely out of this world. I really try not to make anything that tastes bad...and I think I'm succeeding;)

Dinner With The Carter's

We absolutely adore our friends and love entertaining at the Casa de C ...

Updated: Mar 21, 2008 12:08pm PDT

Night Out In SF : Some friends were up from LA to spin at Anu and we went out to show some support. Lo and behold, two blasts from the past, Jason and Irene Edwards showed up and we had a fantastic time catching up with the last four years of our lives. On the way home, I took a wrong turn and we headed over the wrong side of the Bay Bridge, so I turned off at Treasure Island and we stopped where you can see the grand skyline of San Francisco and took some photos. I love the city at night and from far away....up front and in the daytime it smells of urine and is crawling with pretentious prats with too much money.

Night Out In SF

Some friends were up from LA to spin at Anu and we went out to show so ...

Updated: Mar 21, 2008 12:01pm PDT

The View From My Sunroof (and other pictures of my super-cool new Jetta!) : It had been eight years since I last bought a new car and, believe me, I loooooooooovvvvveeeed my little Suzuki, but some assmunch crashed into me and totaled the poor thing. It's in Suzuki heaven waiting for me over the Commuter Bridge and we'll frolick once more in the afterlife...but not yet. AND! Because I kicked so much ass at work last year, I earned myself a sweet bonus that afforded me to splurge on a new car last month- a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta. OMG, this car is fast and powerful and suits me to a T, I tell ya it's fabulous! We spend a lot of time driving around this Bay Area together with the sunroof open even when there is no sun. Just because I can;) I am such an obediant consumer. Hey - someone has to keep us out of a recession, might as well be me and my spending habits.

The View From My Sunroof (and other pictures of my super-cool new Jetta!)

It had been eight years since I last bought a new car and, believe me, ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2008 10:11pm PDT

Shamrock'n 5K with Raquel 3.15.08 : Raquel and I ran in the Fleet Feet Shamrock'n 5K race on Saturday in Sacramento. It was a cold morning, to be sure, but after we got running, we warmed up quickly! I was so proud of Raquel that she kept up with me even though there were times when she wanted to stop. What a trooper! This was her first officially timed race and she came in at 35:12 which was a very respectable time considering we had to wait about five minutes to get past the slow people in the beginning of the race and find our groove. Christina and Mom were there to cheer us on and we had a divine breakfast at Mimi's Cafe which included mimosas and very rich French-style cuisine that hit the spot after working so hard. Christina had the waiters sing a very lively "Happy Birthday" song for Raquel and she turned about seven stages of red! It was classic and most definitely not something she'll easily forget. I still can't believe my neice is FIFTEEN years old!

Shamrock'n 5K with Raquel 3.15.08

Raquel and I ran in the Fleet Feet Shamrock'n 5K race on Saturday in S ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2008 10:01pm PDT

Monkeys on the Loose! : These monkeys escaped from a life of adorning the very delicious MonkeyTini drink for a life of hangin' around in Les' bonsai ficus! They're much happier here than being draped over a martini glass.

Monkeys on the Loose!

These monkeys escaped from a life of adorning the very delicious Monke ...

Updated: Mar 20, 2008 9:46pm PDT

March Martini Madness 03.08.08 : The Carters know how to throw a party and this create-your-own martini event was no exception. We have such an incredible circle of friends that all came out (minus a few!) and had a great time sampling the unique and tasty martinis. We handed out prizes for the best martinis, but everyone was a winner anyway:) This was such a success, we're going to do it again in a few months with a island cocktail theme. Keep your eyes peeled for the next Evite! Harry Who? took the professional photos that start on page three. Considering how dim the lights were in the house, he pulled off some really great shots. My camera photos are mixed in here, too, but you can tell the difference because mine are the crappy ones! If you like Harry's work, he's available for events like weddings and parties, but also takes beautiful portraits and special occasion photos. He can be reached at www.harrywhophotography.com Here are the winners of prizes: Best Overall - MarzTini - Marz Faram Best Presentation - Sexy LaTini - Yvette Rubio and Cindy Most Creative Use of Ingredients - TootsieTini - Andy Owen & Trish Bailey Best Name - Thai Me Up & Thai Me Down - Mandy Glenwright Highest Octane - Poison AppleTini - Melinda Sanders Honorable Mention - BFGTini (Bitter Friendly Green) - Paul Dittmer Other delicious martini creations of the night: MonkeyTini Blueberry BlissTini Brit-Tini Spears SoulTini Cherry PopperTini Express TrainTini

March Martini Madness 03.08.08

The Carters know how to throw a party and this create-your-own martini ...

Updated: Mar 13, 2008 9:20pm PDT

Velvet Shop 03.07.08 : By the time Friday comes around, I'm usually too drained from the week to go out. But after I got off work, went to the gym with Nay, and ate some dinner, I got my second wind. Nay and I started out the night with a trip to Marble Slab for some ice cream, then we drove to SF and then we headed out to Velvet Shop. Velvet Shop is a South Bay institution and is a house gig that has been going strong for over 12 years. That's ancient for a gig around here. They've moved to a bar called B412 in Palo Alto - it used to be Fanny & Alexander's. They have a fabulous outside patio and it was a perfectly clear night to be outside under the stars and enjoy house music. MJ and Manny asked Les to spin and he threw down some really yummy beats and had everyone dancing and grooving like he always does. I had a great time being proud of my superstar DJ hubby and catching up with my tribe of friends.

Velvet Shop 03.07.08

By the time Friday comes around, I'm usually too drained from the week ...

Updated: Mar 13, 2008 7:01pm PDT

NYE with the Persians :

NYE with the Persians

Updated: Jan 24, 2008 1:27pm PDT

Christmas at Cabernet :

Christmas at Cabernet

Updated: Dec 27, 2007 7:10pm PDT

Happy Holiday Home : Tonight, the family and I piled into the car and headed down to Vasona Park to see the festival of lights in Los Gatos. Lo and behold, the line of traffic to get into the park wrapped all the way from Winchester to Lark to University to Blossom Hill and back around. Because sitting in traffic and breathing noxious fumes is not fun, we decided to just take a drive around the neighborhood and wound through the streets looking for Christmas lights that would be a sufficient alternative to the ones in Los Gatos. And after a few turns and some oh-ing and ah-ing we come across a fantastic, glorious, and totally and completely awesome flashing beacons! Oh. My. God. There was a sign in the front yard that said "Tune into 92.1", so we did and found that the lights were synchronized to techno versions of christmas songs! It was so cool and our socks were appropriately knocked off! We stayed for a few tracks and were mesmerized and all of us had the cheesiest smiles on our faces.

Happy Holiday Home

Tonight, the family and I piled into the car and headed down to Vasona ...

Updated: Dec 23, 2007 11:03pm PDT

Nutcracker Ballet - San Jose 12/2007 : We decided - let me rephrase that - I decided to get us tickets to the ballet. The routine of hitting up bars for house gigs has worn me down and I needed more culture in my life. We got all dressed up and acted like civilized human beings for one evening. We had dinner at the SP2 Bistro and Wine Bar - favorite restaurant ever! Then, we walked, in a roundabout way, to the San Jose Ballet for their rendition of the Nutcracker. While one doesn't expect San Jose to be a mecca of decorum, one does expect people NOT TO WEAR JEANS to the damn ballet. I couldn't get over how many people were wearing jeans and raggedy old sweaters. I was proud of my hubby for putting on the suit and tie and that team estrogen - Mom, Raquel, and me - got to be girls in pretty dresses. The San Jose Ballet dancers are somewhat awkward in the way that the men interact with the women on stage. The men didn't really know how to catch the women and hold on gracefully from one move to another. It all seemed very forced and not really in time with the musical score - which was the best part. All-in-all, though, it was a good experience and nice to do something different for a change. However, it didn't live up to my very first Nutcracker Ballet when I was younger. Now I get to go to sleep with visions of sugarplum fairies dancing in my head

Nutcracker Ballet - San Jose 12/2007

We decided - let me rephrase that - I decided to get us tickets to th ...

Updated: Dec 22, 2007 11:44pm PDT

Employee Appreciation Party 12/2007 : Every year, my department holds a holiday party that also serves as an employee appreciation party - because it's the only time we don't have to do lunch together as a dutch treat! Our fearless leaders were absent, due to them catching the sick bug going around, and they were missed terribly. We had lunch at our favorite place - San Pedro Square Bistro and Wine Bar and, as always, the food was delicious and service was excellent. After lunch, we had a gift exchange and I think everyone had a great time. There were several gifts stolen (Rich was the ultimate thief!) and all-in-all was a fun thing to do. I love working with these people - I couldn't ask for a better team to be part of:)

Employee Appreciation Party 12/2007

Every year, my department holds a holiday party that also serves as an ...

Updated: Dec 21, 2007 12:57pm PDT

To be a kid again... : Harry, Nay, and Rich came over tonight for dinner and to watch the Hatton v. Mayweather fight on PPV last night. After a BUNCH of Jamaican Smile cocktails, the silliness ensued and the Carter's living room became a funhouse. Les and Rich were breakdancing and Nay and I were being gymnasts. This is how we roll....like children:D

To be a kid again...

Harry, Nay, and Rich came over tonight for dinner and to watch the Hat ...

Updated: Dec 15, 2007 11:44pm PDT

KT 21st Birthday : Okay, so I'm really 32 today, but you know a girl has to lie about her age. Les woke me up very early this morning and made a proper English breakfast that was incredibly delicious. After we were fortified, we went back to sleep for another two hours. We celebrated my birthday surrounded by friends and family and friends that are actually family. We had dinner at San Pedro Square Bistro and Wine Bar, then headed out to Motif since it's Karma's night. It was a fantastic birthday and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

KT 21st Birthday

Okay, so I'm really 32 today, but you know a girl has to lie about her ...

Updated: Dec 09, 2007 8:48pm PDT

Thanksgiving 2007 : Sick, Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving, and Other Stuff I put up a good fight, but Les' germs took me down. I've been all hopped-up on cold meds every two-three hours and I have been very high for the past three days. Today is better and I'm off the meds. I'm only taking Ibuprofin, but drinking lots of green tea, water, and juice. The Applied Materials Turkey Trot was a lot of fun this year. Les was still feeling worse-for-wear, so he stayed home on Thursday morning, but Mom, Raquel and I headed into downtown San Jose for it. After we checked in, we stretched and hung out until the start. Mom and I walked and Raquel RAN! I was so proud of her for moving her ass. I've never seen her run before, it was nice to see she's got some speed in those legs:D Now, she wants to do more races and I'm going to help her get there. Thanksgiving was fantastic - aside from the fact that I"m sick - and Raquel helped me a lot this year. We had the usual fare: perfectly roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams with crispy marshmallow top, green bean casserole, and crescent rolls. The star of the meal, though, was Mom's pumpkin pie. OMG. It was so good. We have so much to be thankful for. We work hard for what we have and live in a country that allows us to be whatever we want to be. We are surrounded by family and friends that love us unconditionally. We have our health...well....we HAD our health! I hope I'm a lot better tomorrow because I need to either get to the gym or do Bikram. I need to move my body; it's not used to laying on the couch all day and night while we go through the entire DVD collection. Cheers and Namaste:) xxoo KT

Thanksgiving 2007

Sick, Turkey Trot, Thanksgiving, and Other Stuff I put up a good figh ...

Updated: Nov 24, 2007 7:17pm PDT

Karma is back! :

Karma is back!

Updated: Nov 08, 2007 7:21pm PDT

Halloween 2007 - High School Zombie : Our friend Melinda throws an amazing Halloween party every year. It is, by far, the best party of the year and we always get excited to go when the invitation arrives. This year's theme was high school zombie and everybody's costumes were fabulous. Les was a clever person and went as Shaun from Shaun of the Dead - a zombie killer. This meant, when we got home, there was no massive amount of make-up for him to wash off. I, on the other hand, spent a lot of time in the shower last night! It was such a fun night. Looking forward to next year.

Halloween 2007 - High School Zombie

Our friend Melinda throws an amazing Halloween party every year. It i ...

Updated: Nov 04, 2007 2:02pm PDT

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival 10/13/07 :

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival 10/13/07

Updated: Oct 22, 2007 1:24pm PDT

Campbell Oktoberfest 10/20/07 :

Campbell Oktoberfest 10/20/07

Updated: Oct 22, 2007 12:31pm PDT

Les' Birthday Adventure 2007 : The mucker's annual surprise birthday adventure came around this past Saturday. We have a group of sneaky sneakerson friends and they kept the secret for a couple of months. This year, we went to Moaning Caverns in Vallecito, CA. It's old California Gold Country and was a nice, scenic drive. None of us had ever been to the caverns before and they have installed a screaming fast zip line to their list of adventure activities. We each had a turn at the adrenaline rush of the 1500 foot zip cable and it went by very fast. We paused for lunch in the town of Murphys. Fortuitous as it was, we came across a festival there, and ate yummy food and had some bevvies while we waited to get started on part two of our adventure. After our bellies were full and we were fortified and strong, we rappelled 165 feet into the cavern filled with stalactite and stalagmite. The consensus was that the rappel was the most exciting part of the day. It was such a surreal experience and something that we'll do again. After we rode the 2.5 hours home, and all passengers had a nice nap, we finally pulled into the driveway of the Carter's house. Food and drink was waiting there for us - thanks Mom - you are the best! - and we carried on enjoying our friendships and partying the way that tired people party. Then, the vodka came out...and then the beer shots were invented...and then dessert was served...and then it was time to call it a day. Fun Fun Fun! This concludes the celebration of the hubby's 33rd year on this planet. Happy birthday babe! And I can't lie again until next year. Damn.

Les' Birthday Adventure 2007

The mucker's annual surprise birthday adventure came around this past ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2007 7:28pm PDT

Indiana Trip 2007 :

Indiana Trip 2007

Updated: Sep 30, 2007 6:35pm PDT

Blowfish 8/31/07 :

Blowfish 8/31/07

Updated: Sep 01, 2007 10:08pm PDT

Night Out with Work Peeps : We had visitors from out of state spend time with us this week...amongst them our fearless leader, Lynnell. We had dinner downtown SJ at Loft and then headed to Blue Monkey for drinks. Good times:)

Night Out with Work Peeps

We had visitors from out of state spend time with us this week...among ...

Updated: Aug 19, 2007 12:16pm PDT

BBQ at the Carter's 2007 : A BBQ at the Carter's is always - ALWAYS - a fantastic time. Those that make the A-list are definitely in for a treat when they partake in our festivities. It starts out mellow with normal BBQ stuff - eating, relaxing, music, etc. But as the night wears on, the shot glasses come out and pure mayhem takes place. This time, we all piled into the living room with all of the spare blankets and sleeping bags and had a family-style drunken movie night. We attempted to watch 300, but Mr. Carter was much more entertaining. He missed his calling by becoming an engineer; he should have been a commander in the Spartan army. Sparta! Sparta! Sparta! Raaaaaaaaaaaa rraaarrrrr rrooooaaaarrrrr!

BBQ at the Carter's 2007

A BBQ at the Carter's is always - ALWAYS - a fantastic time. Those th ...

Updated: Aug 10, 2007 8:23am PDT

Blue Monkey 7/2007 : Our favorite bar, the one with the best sound system in San Jose, the one that Les has been going to religiously every week for three years, is shutting it's doors. Something to do about permits and money and other lame stuff that - I'm sure - could have been sorted out by a more business savvy and politically connected owner. Lots of people were out, mostly looking for hip hop. Many were disappointed that Les wasn't throwing down more of that ridiculous non-melodic ghetto trash, but he was true to his craft and kept the house tunage flowing. Monkey - you'll be missed. Thanks for all the outrageous nights and the best bar memories.

Blue Monkey 7/2007

Our favorite bar, the one with the best sound system in San Jose, the ...

Updated: Jul 22, 2007 8:18am PDT

Table Tennis Rally 7/14/07 : Les and Marz on the ping pong tables of the Faram's new condo complex gameroom. I was at the pool outside, of course;)

Table Tennis Rally 7/14/07

Les and Marz on the ping pong tables of the Faram's new condo complex ...

Updated: Jul 21, 2007 6:13pm PDT

Lake Don Pedro House Boat Party 6/28/07 : We spent a party weekend on a couple of houseboats. The music NEVER stopped, 24 hours a day for four straight days in a row. It was a mad party and can't wait to go again next year.

Lake Don Pedro House Boat Party 6/28/07

We spent a party weekend on a couple of houseboats. The music NEVER s ...

Updated: Jul 21, 2007 5:56pm PDT

Car Accident 7/13/07 : Some idiot with no insurance rear-ended me last week. He caused more damage than these photos can show. The frame is totally f*ck and would cost much more than my car is worth to fix. Thankfully, he was able to come up with some cash and paid me blue book value for it. I bought another car this weekend - 2002 Ford Focus and it's gonna get me from A-B. We're buying a new car next year, so this is just a temporary setback:)

Car Accident 7/13/07

Some idiot with no insurance rear-ended me last week. He caused more ...

Updated: Jul 21, 2007 4:27pm PDT

Friday Night 7/20/07 : Last night, we hung out with the Faram's. I defintely needed a stiff drink after the week I had at work. It took me TWO double greyhounds to get loosened up enough to smile:) After hanging out at V Bar on Santana Row and spending $50 for a round of drinks, we headed home for some hubby and wifey time.

Friday Night 7/20/07

Last night, we hung out with the Faram's. I defintely needed a stiff ...

Updated: Jul 21, 2007 2:44pm PDT

Pacific Grove with Mel & Steve (Melaneve) : Mel and Steve met up at our house so we could spend some time together with the doggies. They brought us some Starbucks for brekkies and then we headed south for a beach...any beach. After a quick stopover at Toys 'R Us for a super-cool plane and a Wolverine kite, we jumped in the Tahoe and started our day trip. We were going to go to Seaside, south of Santa Cruz, but missed the exit, so we headed even farther south toward Monterey. We had lunch at The Whole Enchilada - which was fantastic. After the yummy Mexican food, we chose to go to Pacific Grove. We headed down the coastal walkway for ages and found a place to launch Les's rubber-band powered plane and Steve's kite. Mel threw the frisbee for her loopy dog, Paco. Huggy actually wanted to play with a couple other dogs that came to the park, which was completely out of character, because she doesn't think she's a dog. After Pac Grove, we headed home and went to the movies. This day was perfect:)

Pacific Grove with Mel & Steve (Melaneve)

Mel and Steve met up at our house so we could spend some time together ...

Updated: May 27, 2007 9:33pm PDT

Blowfish 052607 : Les threw down some really great tunes at Blowfish Sushi on Santana Row on Friday. Our friends Melanie and Steve showed us, as did Carlo, our friend who has six degrees of separation from most people from San Jose. It's freaky how he knows who we know but in an indirect yet connected way. Les had a lot of fun and a smile on his face all night. Yay for sake shots and manga mojitos!

Blowfish 052607

Les threw down some really great tunes at Blowfish Sushi on Santana Ro ...

Updated: May 27, 2007 9:22pm PDT

Garin Regional Park 5/06/07 : Our penny-pinching had caused us to go slightly insane because we're not able to do much of anything that costs money, so we decided to get out of the house. We haven't been to Garin since Mom sold the Hill and it was nice to see it again. The vast expanse of the park made this hike one that we had to work hard for. In the usual Carter style, we went off-trail and added a GIANT climb onto our day. Once we got to the top, we laid out a blanket, ate our lunch, and took a tiny little nap:)

Garin Regional Park 5/06/07

Our penny-pinching had caused us to go slightly insane because we're n ...

Updated: May 27, 2007 10:18am PDT

Earth Day 2007 : Because I'm getting older, I'm realizing that there is more to this world aside from my immediate wants and needs. The Earth is in trouble and crying out for our help. I've always reduced, reused, and recycled, but there is so much more that needs to be done. Now, I'm doing my part and bringing everyone along with me. We volunteered at Henry Coe State Park and were assigned to groups. Les, Keith, Raquel and I did the Manzanita Trail to China Hole section. It was a four-mile hike and we cleared and fixed the trails. We stopped for a snack of mini Clif bars (Banana Nut Bread - a new flavor I've never tried before - and it was delish) at China Hole, a watering hole. Boy scouts were there dismantling the park one large rock at a time and throwing it in the water to see who made the biggest splash. Boys. Mom was assigned to the lower trail and was with a team of really nice people. She is so efficient, she finished her trail before everyone else and then started working on the front entrance. She de-weeded the irises and cleaned up the road and it is beautiful. Just past 1p.m., we headed out of the park light-headed and starving from lack of food (forgot about the six Ps: Pre-planning prevents piss-poor performance). We stopped in Morgan Hill at Scrambl'z Diner for a much-needed refueling. This restaurant adopted three chickens that were dumped at the gas station next door. The chickens run around outside scratching and pecking at the ground. It's very entertaining. Great Earth Day!

Earth Day 2007

Because I'm getting older, I'm realizing that there is more to this wo ...

Updated: Apr 22, 2007 1:34pm PDT

KT Growing Up : Yep, that's me! From brand new to high school and everything in between.

KT Growing Up

Yep, that's me! From brand new to high school and everything in betwe ...

Updated: Apr 22, 2007 1:03pm PDT

Los Gatos Night Out : We love Los Gatos because it always means some laid-back drinks at Carey Nation's and ending up with Kamikazes at Black Watch. We love Marz and Rose because they are just like us...awesome peeps:)

Los Gatos Night Out

We love Los Gatos because it always means some laid-back drinks at Car ...

Updated: Apr 17, 2007 10:56pm PDT

Snowboard Day - No WORK! 4-2007 :

Snowboard Day - No WORK! 4-2007

Updated: Apr 02, 2007 9:18pm PDT

St Paddy's Weekend 3/07 : The newlywed Faramarzi-Rad's had the usual suspects over for St. Pat's celebrations on Saturday. It's always nice for us all to get together for drinks, hookah and nice chats. Sunday, we went to Los Gatos for crepes at Sweetpea's Cafe. Super yummy. We walked around downtown for a while and had a pint at Cary Nation's, then took a stroll through some very expensive open houses on the way home. It just boggles my mind how much money people have in this area. Where do they get it from and how can they live in such decadence while Les and I are busting our rumps to save a freakin' penny? It's just not right! Lottery playing will commence this week. For sure;)

St Paddy's Weekend 3/07

The newlywed Faramarzi-Rad's had the usual suspects over for St. Pat's ...

Updated: Mar 18, 2007 6:26pm PDT

Raquel's 14th Birthday Weekend : My baby niece is freaking FOURTEEN years old now. Yes, that's 14. It seems like just yesterday she was running around in her diaper and making baby noises throughout the house. I was 16 when she was born and had the most fun when she was growing up. She was a very entertaining child with her very dramatic recital of No Doubt's son, "Spiderwebs". Mom and Raquel came down to San Jose on Friday and we had dinner at Loft. It's usually touted as my very favorite restaurant, but this night, there was a party of drunk loudmouths screaming at the top of their lungs and causing our table high blood pressure. Food was yummy as usual though. On Saturday we went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and rode all of the rides that were open (five) multiple times. I love rides, but old age must be getting the better of me because I had to stop at four rides because my belly was in my throat. Then I didn't feel so bad because Les felt the same way soon after I did. Raquel could have gone on forever, but we were all getting hungry. We hooked up with Mom, who was walking Huggy through the park, and had some sandwiches before heading home. Sunday was a day of excess that started at Hobee's for breakfast with Les, Mom, Raquel and me. Then the ladies went to the salon to get our manicures and pedicures. Next, we went to Valley Fair Mall and shopped until they closed. Raquel scored lots of shirts, shoes and pants and was very happy with all of her new digs. Lastly, we had dinner at the Elephant Bar with Keith. Such a delicious end to a hungry day! Happy extended birthday my sweet baby girl!

Raquel's 14th Birthday Weekend

My baby niece is freaking FOURTEEN years old now. Yes, that's 14. It ...

Updated: Mar 18, 2007 4:28pm PDT

Rose and Marz get married 2-3-07 : Our very best friends, Rosalin Nikzat and Charles Faramarzi-Rad were married yesterday in a beautifully intimate gathering of close family and friends. The newlyweds are truly meant for each other and we are so happy to have been able to share this day with them. The reception that followed was excellent and many vodka shots were had by all.

Rose and Marz get married 2-3-07

Our very best friends, Rosalin Nikzat and Charles Faramarzi-Rad were m ...

Updated: Mar 09, 2007 6:03pm PDT

Les and Gabe - Red Fox Tavern, Arcata, CA 2/24/07 :

Les and Gabe - Red Fox Tavern, Arcata, CA 2/24/07

Updated: Feb 25, 2007 9:01pm PDT

Amgen Tour of California - Stage 3 : Amgen is a biotech company that specialized in cancer research. They are the sponsors of the Tour of California. This is a 700 mile road race that started in San Francisco and will end in Long Beach. San Jose hosted the finish line for stage 3 - they started very early this morning in Stockton and rode in around 3:30 p.m. It's not very often that world-class cyclist like Levi Leipheimer come into town so Huggy and I perched ourselves in the middle of stage 3. Jens Voigt (GER) came across the finish line first and of all the pictures I took, I think his came out the best. San Jose's finest were on patrol on their own bikes as well as their horses. It was a fun day.

Amgen Tour of California - Stage 3

Amgen is a biotech company that specialized in cancer research. They ...

Updated: Feb 21, 2007 9:03pm PDT

Huggy gets a b-a-t-h :

Huggy gets a b-a-t-h

Updated: Feb 13, 2007 10:51pm PDT

A Day in Monterey 01/21/07 : The "big freeze 2007" in San Jose for the past two weeks kept us indoors...this weekend was perfect and sunny so we packed up the doggie and headed to Monterey. We walked on the wharf and into downtown and back. This is one of Les's parent's favorite places to visit. It's always beautiful and a good day trip.

A Day in Monterey 01/21/07

The "big freeze 2007" in San Jose for the past two weeks kept us indoo ...

Updated: Jan 28, 2007 6:59pm PDT

Rose's Bachelorette Party : The girls needed to send Rose off in style and make sure the boys didn't outdo us with their own bachelor night with Marz. We started on Santana Row, went to Cardiff, then Katie McBlooms and capped off the night with breakfast at the Mini Gourmet. We were H.a.m.m.e.r.e.d. Rose, I hope you had a blast...ya little scrapper!

Rose's Bachelorette Party

The girls needed to send Rose off in style and make sure the boys didn ...

Updated: Jan 28, 2007 6:45pm PDT

Mom's Extended Birthday 11/2006 :

Mom's Extended Birthday 11/2006

Updated: Nov 19, 2006 10:26pm PDT

Woodmania @ Placerville : Les and I headed up to Placerville to take advantage of the 'free wood' offer for the winter. As everything else in ranch life...nothing is ever free. So, we chainsawed, hacked, logged and split as much wood as a woodchuck could because we were woodchucks chucking wood:) Two days straight of backbreaking labor does a body good! Two large trees that Uncle Charlie fell in May became a nice addition to the stacked woodpile at Mom's and our house in San Jose. We look forward to really nice fires all winter from our hard work.

Woodmania @ Placerville

Les and I headed up to Placerville to take advantage of the 'free wood ...

Updated: Oct 14, 2006 6:52pm PDT

Mendocino Weekend : I was jones'n for a camping trip so we loaded up the Tahoe with all of our gear and the doggie and headed up to the North Coast. Neither of us had ever been that far north, so were really looking forward to it. We made our way up the winding Pacific Coast Highway - Hwy 1 and although it was a beautiful drive, the twists and turns are a bit sickly after a while. We set up camp at the Manchester Beach KOA by the light of our trusty LCD lantern and hit the sack. I woke up early and started making breakfast on our trusty Q...the best portable bbq invention ever! Even though we're camping, we're still going to eat well. Eat well we did:) Throughout the weekend, we took day trips into Mendocino and even farther up north into the redwoods. We stopped at the Mendocino Botanical Gardens, an outdoor market where I picked up a string of rainbow trout christmas lights and Les got an ATM pin pad machine (he loves any electronics), and then we took a hike at Jughandle State Reserve with Huggy. It was a fantastic weekend, nice to get away from laptops, cell phones and the Blackberry for a few days for sure.

Mendocino Weekend

I was jones'n for a camping trip so we loaded up the Tahoe with all of ...

Updated: Sep 21, 2006 10:19am PDT

River Rafting - Sept 2006 : So, this year's birthday surprise for Les involved a whitewater rafting trip on the American River - South Fork. The sneaky folks that took part in the surprise were DonReid, ToraLee, Melanie, Steve and Marz. This was So. Much. Fun! The planning started a couple of months ago and aside from the occasional "he knows something" scare, it went off without a hitch. All the way up until the night before, he didn't know what was going on. Marz came to our house, we had dinner and then headed up to Placerville to stay at Mom's. It wasn't until the next morning when we met up at the Mother Lode River center and that he finally figured out what the surprise was! We spent two days on the river working together as a team to be the number one battle boat against the other rafts. There were three other rafts on the river with us and they were all afraid. Our battle cry was adopted from the middle east...use your imagination:) We camped for one night and spent great time together with beer, hookah and yummy, melty, delicious s'mores. Good times for sure! More photos on the way, they have to be developed - old school style:) If you're interested in doing this for yourself, our trip was booked through All Outdoors Rafting and they were wonderful. They cooked our meals (proper meals!) and made sure we had a fantastic time. We'll definitely go again next year.

River Rafting - Sept 2006

So, this year's birthday surprise for Les involved a whitewater raftin ...

Updated: Sep 21, 2006 9:35am PDT

Pool Party at Shawn's : Camera died right after the pic of Les and I was taken. But I stole my butt picture from the SmugMug belonging to Marz

Pool Party at Shawn's

Camera died right after the pic of Les and I was taken. But I stole m ...

Updated: Aug 29, 2006 9:36pm PDT

BBQ at the Carter's 2006 : The last bbq that was held at the Carter's was a bit of a messy little party due to many shots and other things. The day started with Marz having his head shaved by our favorite mucker. It ended with everyone sharing the hookah....Marz carved out a freaking lemon for the tobacco bowl!! Ingenius. We did get a little crazy by breaking out the Absinthe and while our esophagi were on fire and being burned to a crisp, we were all still smiles. All the usual suspects showed up and a couple of surprises with my triathlete friends Mel and Craig. Harry Who also showed up for a while as well as our favorite Sac peeps, DonReid and TLee. It was a great time, I think everyone got enough to eat, we'll do it again next year:)

BBQ at the Carter's 2006

The last bbq that was held at the Carter's was a bit of a messy little ...