Your Bio

I am Katie...get it? I am married to Les - my favorite person. I have four furry children: Huggy, Butterscotch, Stella and new baby, Felis. 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:)

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Friends & Family

Galleries

Halloween 2009 :

Halloween 2009

Updated: Oct 29, 2009 8:06pm PST

Karaoke @ Bamboo 7 :

Karaoke @ Bamboo 7

Updated: Oct 29, 2009 8:05pm PST

Random Pics : Dog and Cat (the kids), Family, Friends, and other random moments captured forever

Random Pics

Dog and Cat (the kids), Family, Friends, and other random moments cap ...

Updated: Oct 29, 2009 8:04pm PST

Cat Antics :

Cat Antics

Updated: Oct 29, 2009 7:42pm PST

Tony and Kathleen's Visit 09/20/09 :

Tony and Kathleen's Visit 09/20/09

Updated: Oct 29, 2009 7:42pm PST

RIP Rumor Has It 09/12/09 :

RIP Rumor Has It 09/12/09

Updated: Oct 29, 2009 7:41pm PST

Kitchen Install - June 2009 :

Kitchen Install - June 2009

Updated: Oct 24, 2009 6:42pm PST

Les' 35th Birthday - Bocce Bash :

Les' 35th Birthday - Bocce Bash

Updated: Sep 24, 2009 6:08pm PST

RIP Butterscotch "Buddy" Carter June 1988 - August 2009 : Buddy lived to be 21 years old and experienced a full life. He started out as an energetic hunter on our ranch as a kitten. He lived outside most of the time and came in during the winter - the only time he wanted to be in there. He had a brother, Scrounge, and the two of them would disappear for days, only to come back skinny and starving and they'd gorge on cat food until the next cat adventure began. To this day, I have no idea where they went or what they did while they were there (they were both fixed, so no baby-making for them!), but whatever it was, it must have been damn fun because they put us through the anguish of wondering if we'd ever see them again all the time! As we both grew up together, we learned a lot from each other. I learned independence from him as he never wanted to be held down or cooped up, but he learned to compromise when I needed snuggles - he gave them freely. I learned patience by watching him raise Stella - she would take him down and he'd let her because he knew she had to find her big cat voice. He learned that a well-cooked steak was much better than any cat food on the market. I learned to sacrifice personal comfort so he could get a good night's sleep - trapping me in one position all night so his old bones could have the warmth of mine. He learned how to get anything he wanted by being cute and pawing in the air for it, so in, turn, I learned that you could get anything you want as long as you're cute about it:) Thanks Butterman - this one has taken me a long way in life! He moved with me during nearly all of my life stages, except for the far-away journeys in AK and San Diego - Mom loved him in my place in those times. When I met Les, they immediately bonded. While Les would lay in the couch coding, Buddy would walk onto his chest, turn around a few times, and lay on him to do quality control. And that's when he started his formal retirement. Since becoming a city cat, there were no more bluejays to jump in the air for, no more mice to bring to the front door, no more squirrels to disembowel, and no more trails of lizard carnage. He no longer had to prove his worth - he knew he was the man and could retire in peace. But he did enjoy a random sneak-out into the backyard every now and then, but would quickly run back in the house as soon as he knew he was out where the things could get him. His perch was on the front windowsill and from there he could enjoy the sights and sounds and sun of the outside. During his retirement, he survived Stella and Felis' kitten stages and was a proud papa to them. He taught them how to fight, play, love, and beg for the treasured wet food. He and Huggy tolerated each other, but I have picture proof that they loved each other. I came home early one day and found them both sharing Huggy's bed. The gig was up! He's been holding on for the past three years without complaint, but his body finally gave out this weekend. He broke his leg and it just wouldn't have been humane to put him through the risk of surgery or the pain of recovery. Les and I were able to hold, pet, and love him for a while and let him know he is loved and will be missed by all that every met him. They came and got him from us and will have him privately cremated. I'm going to dedicate the next home project - backyard garden - to him and spread his ashes outside where he would want to be...someplace where the wild things are - I think he'd love that very much. Buddy, wherever you are now, please know that you are loved beyond bounds and I missed terribly. Even though you lived very quietly until the end, there is a void in this house that is so incredibly loud. You are everywhere and I think we'll always feel you here. I love you, old man. Be well and wait for me at the Rainbow Bridge, okay? Goodbye, sweet boy.

RIP Butterscotch "Buddy" Carter June 1988 - August 2009

Buddy lived to be 21 years old and experienced a full life. He starte ...

Updated: Aug 03, 2009 10:42am PST

Dominican Republic 07/09 :

Dominican Republic 07/09

Updated: Jul 25, 2009 9:57pm PST

Kitchen Demo - May 2009 :

Kitchen Demo - May 2009

Updated: Jun 22, 2009 10:07am PST

Pooltime! :

Pooltime!

Updated: Jun 22, 2009 10:06am PST

Felis The Thumbmaster :

Felis The Thumbmaster

Updated: Jun 21, 2009 7:59pm PST

Home Progress: March - June 2009 :

Home Progress: March - June 2009

Updated: Jun 21, 2009 12:27pm PST

Front Yard Projects: March - June 2009 :

Front Yard Projects: March - June 2009

Updated: Jun 21, 2009 12:13pm PST

OC Road Trip :

OC Road Trip

Updated: Mar 17, 2009 5:05pm PST

Our New House - Realtor Photos : After a 4 year journey, we have arrived! We put the offer in on this house on January 25, and had the keys by February 27. That's how we roll...no funny business, we just get it done. Here are the stats: 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms Hardwood floors 1321 square feet Pool Corner Lot Really nice neighborhood This was everything we were looking for - we seriously hit each of our wishlist items with this house! Projects planned: Paint Crown Moulding Baseboards Kitchen Remodel Garage Remodel Landscaping

Our New House - Realtor Photos

After a 4 year journey, we have arrived! We put the offer in on this ...

Updated: Mar 03, 2009 7:23am PST

Blowfish 011709 :

Blowfish 011709

Updated: Jan 18, 2009 3:44pm PST

Sickly Christmas 2008 :

Sickly Christmas 2008

Updated: Jan 02, 2009 11:26am PST

New Year's Eve 12.31.08 :

New Year's Eve 12.31.08

Updated: Jan 02, 2009 11:09am PST

Anniversary #6, 12.13.08 :

Anniversary #6, 12.13.08

Updated: Jan 02, 2009 10:52am PST

Cats of Ages :

Cats of Ages

Updated: Dec 09, 2008 2:26pm PST

Handley's Goat Farm 12/08 :

Handley's Goat Farm 12/08

Updated: Dec 07, 2008 6:04pm PST

Birthday #33...Yes, #33 :

Birthday #33...Yes, #33

Updated: Dec 07, 2008 6:01pm PST

Girl's Night In 12/08 :

Girl's Night In 12/08

Updated: Dec 07, 2008 5:53pm PST

Thanksgiving 2008 :

Thanksgiving 2008

Updated: Dec 07, 2008 4:58pm PST

Indiana Trip 2008 :

Indiana Trip 2008

Updated: Nov 24, 2008 8:53pm PST

Haunted White House Halloween Party 2008 :

Haunted White House Halloween Party 2008

Updated: Nov 24, 2008 3:18pm PST

Costa Mesa Trip - Work Peeps 07.25.08 : It's been several years since the Nor Cal and So Cal teams have gotten together, so we flew down to Costa Mesa for an All Hands Meeting and Sales Motivation training day. Was a ton of fun and spent time at our regional manager's house for food, drink, and karaoke. Was a fun time and great to see all the peeps I talk to on the phone, but never get to see. I'm glad that everyone's doing so well:)

Costa Mesa Trip - Work Peeps 07.25.08

It's been several years since the Nor Cal and So Cal teams have gotten ...

Updated: Nov 11, 2008 8:36am PST

Andy and Trish Get Married 11/1/08 : Andy is the guy that Les has known the longest in his life - gradeschool in England. Whenever they would lose touch, they would somehow find out that they lived within an hour of each other...including when both of them moved to America! Trish is smart as a whip and gives Andy a run for his money because he's also of the large brain variety. They were married in the Castro Theatre in San Francisco and the reception was held at Cafe du Nord. Trish made a beautiful bride, Andy a handsome groom, and I truly believe that these two were destined to be with one another. Les was the best man and performed a fantastic speech for them at the reception. Good luck Trish and Andy! Marriage is a wonderful thing:)

Andy and Trish Get Married 11/1/08

Andy is the guy that Les has known the longest in his life - gradescho ...

Updated: Nov 07, 2008 9:54am PST

Pichetti Picnic 09/27/08 : Les and I took advantage of a beautiful day and headed over to Pichetti to pick up our wine club selection and have a nice picnic on the grass. The pea foul were all over the place and we watched them while laying on a blanket, each reading a magazine or two.

Pichetti Picnic 09/27/08

Les and I took advantage of a beautiful day and headed over to Pichett ...

Updated: Oct 04, 2008 3:46pm PST

Les' 34th Bday 09/20/08 : At Les' request, there was no surprise birthday adventure this year. He wanted a beach bonfire bbq instead, so we made ribs and a ton of gourmet Jell-o shots and we headed to the Santa Cruz to spend time with our friends. The fun at the beach was squashed in a couple of hours by a park ranger that told us alcohol was prohibited on the beach, so we packed back up and went to the Red Room a couple miles away. It actually turned out to be a better idea because there was no wind in the bar:)

Les' 34th Bday 09/20/08

At Les' request, there was no surprise birthday adventure this year. ...

Updated: Oct 04, 2008 3:45pm PST

September Birthday Peeps 09/06/08 : Nay, Jess, Paul, and Sean G celebrated their birthdays at Jack's Bar in downtown San Jose. Nay turned 30 this year! It was a very special night and Les and Richard were the DJs that brought the house down. Great night:)

September Birthday Peeps 09/06/08

Nay, Jess, Paul, and Sean G celebrated their birthdays at Jack's Bar i ...

Updated: Sep 13, 2008 7:32pm PST

Half Dome Hike - Made it to the Top! 08.29.08 : This was an adventure of all adventures. Not easy - gut-wrenching hard work - but completely worth every painful hour we spent on this trail. Jessica and I headed out to Yosemite on Friday with plans to sleep in the Tahoe and wake up early to start hiking. But fate smiled upon us and as we pulled into the last place to make a pit-stop, we happened upon a hostel that had one room left...so we took it. Yay air conditioning and a comfortable bed! We ate a dinner of PB&J, apple, cheetos, and Synergy drink, and a chocolate chip cookie for dessert. After hours of talking while driving and winding down, we fell right asleep. We woke up at 3 AM to pitch black and lovely soundlessness. We washed our faces, brushed our teeth, and ate another PB&J and had some water. We headed out the door and were in the Tahoe by 3:50 and on our way into Yosemite National Park for our epic excursion. Because we arrived so early, there was nobody to battle for a parking spot, so we were able to take a space right in the Happy Isles lot closest to the trailhead for Mist Trail. We put on our packs, donned our headlamps, and marched on into the darkness to start our hike. I'm not going to lie, it was a bit frightening being out there without even the slightest hint of moonlight. Whenever I heard the crunch of leaves or the snap of a branch, I would shutter slightly, but nothing was going to scare me away from completing this mission! When we got to the trailhead, we met a hill and that hill didn't stop for five hours. Up, up, up, and more up. Thankfully (or not, haven't figured it out yet), most of the "up" was on steps, so we knew what to expect and didn't really have to think about where our feet needed to go. But thank Allah for hour headlamps because we were able to get such an early start that ensured we wouldn't die of heat exhaustion on the mountain. The first 2.5 hours were really tough - mainly because of all of the steps and constant climb. We passed Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall, and then it started to level out - this was the halfway point. As the sun began to rise, it started to warm and wake things up. The rays were shining onto the backside of Half Dome. We could see it within our reach, but we weren't even close. We still had 2.5 more hours to hike before we reached the cables. More steps, more switchbacks, more sweat, more digging deep. This was such a hard hike! We met up with a family from the Bay Area and made the last two miles of the trek with them, which was good because their sons were comic relief and kept my mind off the pain. We finally made it to the base of Half Dome and started the most difficult part of this journey. The last set of the steepest steps and short switchbacks, then there is a quick downhill on sheer rock, then you get to the infamous cables. The cables are, by far, the most terrifying part of the Half Dome experience. You have to be strong because, along with using your legs to grip onto slippery granite, you are pulling all of your body weight up at the same time. Luckily, there are wood planks every six or seven feet so you can give your legs a rest while still holding onto the cables for dear life! There is a section of the cables that seems like you're straight up and down and as soon as you get past that part, you're on the top of Half Dome baby! Yes, we made it to the top and it was the most gratifying feeling to accomplish something that a very small portion of the population will ever think about trying. We hung out and took some pictures for about 45 minutes. Just long enough to rest, snack, and drink. We started back down because it was really warming up and we knew that there would soon be traffic on the cables. It's a lot easier getting down the rock face, then going up. Trust this. It's more difficult to navigate past people on their way up, but I felt like I had more control going down...even on the steepest parts. Basking in all the glory of our awesomeness for conquering a mountain of 8500 ft elevation, we headed down the same way we came back. We found our groove and the sun was hot, but it was okay because we still had water. We knew what was in store for us until we missed a trail connection and ended up adding 2 more miles onto our return trip! We ran out of water because of this little mishap. Be advised that John Muir trail is not the way to go, people, stay on Mist Trail. It's much nicer scenery and although it's got a bunch of steps and may be steeper, you won't want feel like you've died at the end! Here are our stats: 12 hrs total hike 5 hrs there and 6 hrs back (1 hour messing around along the way) Approx 17 total miles hiked 4800 feet elevation gain We rock on the rocks! When we got back to the Tahoe, we took off our shoes, took a bunch of ibuprofin, and drank a boatload of Gatorade. We stopped in Groveland at the pizzeria next to Main St. Market and had what is to be considered the best pizza EVER! Mostly because we were starved for real food - one cannot survive on water and eGel alone. We did so much research and made really good decisions for this trip. I don't think we would have done anything differently, here's what worked for us: * Ate and drank water constantly the day before * Had a really good night's sleep * Woke up early and headed out 2 hours before sunrise * Prepared our packs properly (2 qt Camelback with water, sunblock, bug spray, maps, chapstick, baby wipes, bandana, gatorade bottle, water bottle with filter, gum) * GU or eGel every 45 minutes and drink all along the way even if you're not thirsty * PB&J and turkey sammies are a must - eat one at the first 2 mile marker, the last 2 mile marker, and one as soon as you hit the flats near Little Yosemite Village * Stop at Merced River to soak your feet, splash your face, or swim on the way back. It's such a primal feeling to grip cool liquid after being beaten into submission by the rocky trails all day. It will feel like you've never felt water before...ever...and are experiencing it for the first time. Today (two days later), my hips and calve muscles are rebelling against me. I hope to be back to normal in another day or two. Yay!

Half Dome Hike - Made it to the Top! 08.29.08

This was an adventure of all adventures. Not easy - gut-wrenching har ...

Updated: Sep 01, 2008 10:33pm PST

Hawaiian Day at BlackArrow 08.22.08 : Les' work always has fun theme days and today they were Hawaiian. Les won the prize for most obnoxious outfit and really went all out for this event. He even decorated his cube with a beach setting that included a palm tree:)

Hawaiian Day at BlackArrow 08.22.08

Les' work always has fun theme days and today they were Hawaiian. Les ...

Updated: Aug 23, 2008 9:59pm PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

NYE with the Persians : This was the first NY at the Faram's new home, so it was extra special to be invited to be part of their family celebration. Marz and Rosie are two of our very best friends and we are so proud of what they have accomplished in such a short time together. They are home owners! When the clock struck midnight we all toasted in the new year and I planted a large kiss on my amazing husband. We went home soon after and didn't have to worry about a NY day hangover...it was perfect:)

NYE with the Persians

This was the first NY at the Faram's new home, so it was extra special ...

Updated: Jan 24, 2008 1:27pm PST

Christmas at Cabernet : Christmastime at Cabernet is always magical in the sense that it's a cold winter and there's always the chance of snow...which is what I really look forward to. Living in San Jose's year-round warm climate where it can be 80 degrees in December gets a little old after a while. Mom, Raquel, Les, and I shared a wonderful time together and played board games until the wee hours of the morning. All of the animals took turns laying in front of the wood stove and we were all quite content with ourselves.

Christmas at Cabernet

Christmastime at Cabernet is always magical in the sense that it's a c ...

Updated: Dec 27, 2007 7:10pm PST

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 PST

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 PST

Employee Appreciation Party 12.20.07 : 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 12.20.07

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

Updated: Dec 21, 2007 12:57pm PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

Karma is back! :

Karma is back!

Updated: Nov 08, 2007 7:21pm PST

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 PST

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival 10/13/07 : We have many traditions and the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin festival is one of them. Every year, we look forward to sampling all of the pumpkin goodness, seeing the largest pumpkins in the Bay Area, and voting on the next year's event logo. It's always a chill time for us and as we walk, we hold hands and are thankful that we have each other to do special things like this with:)

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival 10/13/07

We have many traditions and the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin festival is one ...

Updated: Oct 22, 2007 1:24pm PST

Campbell Oktoberfest 10/20/07 : We took Nay and Rich to their first Oktoberfest...well...as traditional as it can get in the California suburbs! This is one of our annual traditions and as we walked through the festival with beer in hand, had a great time spending the day with good friends:)

Campbell Oktoberfest 10/20/07

We took Nay and Rich to their first Oktoberfest...well...as traditiona ...

Updated: Oct 22, 2007 12:31pm PST

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 PST

Indiana Trip 2007 : I was on my own for this trip because Les had too much work to do and couldn't break from it. So, I flew out for a few days to spend time with the redneck side of my family...you know who you are! Dad and I took a long motorcycle ride out to the James Dean muscle car festival and walked around admiring all the love that goes into these cars by their owners. Pristine doesn't begin to describe some of them. When we got hungry, we at an Indiana specialty - deep-fried pork tenderloin sandwich. This never gets old...they are THAT good. I had a nice visit with Oma and Opa and Char. When I was driving to the airport to go home, I realized that I miss them all more than I think I do. I wish there weren't so many miles in between us. But I will cherish whatever time we do have together and love them to pieces.

Indiana Trip 2007

I was on my own for this trip because Les had too much work to do and ...

Updated: Sep 30, 2007 6:35pm PST

Blowfish 8/31/07 :

Blowfish 8/31/07

Updated: Sep 01, 2007 10:08pm PST

Night Out with Work Peeps 01.25.07 : 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 01.25.07

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

Updated: Aug 19, 2007 12:16pm PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

Snowboard Day - No WORK! 4-2007 :

Snowboard Day - No WORK! 4-2007

Updated: Apr 02, 2007 9:18pm PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

Huggy gets a b-a-t-h :

Huggy gets a b-a-t-h

Updated: Feb 13, 2007 10:51pm PST

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 PST

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 PST

Mom's Extended Birthday 11/2006 : Time is never on our side when Mom's birthday rolls around, so to make up for it, we usually turn it into a weekend affair. This year, we went to Calistoga for mud bath and spa treatment, then had an amazing lunch in town. The next day, we went to the coast and walked our trusted canines, Andy and Huggy along the trail above the ocean and talked about everything under the sun. We came across a park that had trees with thousands of butterflies nested inside of it. As you can imagine, it was quite the site to see. Mom enjoys the simple things, but I wish we had enough money to whisk her off to Paris...a place she's always longed to go. Perhaps for her 60th in 2009:)

Mom's Extended Birthday 11/2006

Time is never on our side when Mom's birthday rolls around, so to make ...

Updated: Nov 19, 2006 10:26pm PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 PST

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 ...

Updated: Aug 18, 2006 10:26am PST

Super FHT : The launch of the very first Super FHT was a hit and the boys done good:D On the decks were: Tomatsu, Mike Slim and the 34 Doomed Donkeys. Lots of amazingly excellent music, much dancing and good times were had by all.

Super FHT

The launch of the very first Super FHT was a hit and the boys done goo ...

Updated: Aug 18, 2006 10:06am PST

4th of July Fireworks at Shoreline 2006 : Les, Marz, Rosie and I packed up some blankets and headed to Shoreline Ampitheatre for our annual trek to see the fireworks show. The San Francisco Orchestra played movie theme songs beautifully and some even had accompanying movie clips. The one that grabbed me was E.T. I love that movie and hearing the song while watching E.T., Elliott and friends raise up over the police barrier to the full moon backdrop chokes me up everytime. We drank wine and ate garlic fries and had a fantastic time enjoying the outside on the lawn of the ampitheatre. Good times;)

4th of July Fireworks at Shoreline 2006

Les, Marz, Rosie and I packed up some blankets and headed to Shoreline ...

Updated: Jul 26, 2006 12:06am PST

My Co-workers 06.21.06 : We had a two-day training seminar on a proposal writing software the bank bought and I was one of the trainers. It was the first time in a long time that we've all been in the same place at the same time. So, I thought it was a perfect time for some pics of everone.

My Co-workers 06.21.06

We had a two-day training seminar on a proposal writing software the b ...

Updated: Jun 30, 2006 9:58pm PST

NASCAR @ Infineon Raceway 6/25/06 : Yeeeeeeehaaaawwww dude! Paul scored us tickets for the NASCAR Cup series on Sunday. It was hot past the boiling point, but well worth it to hang out with the rednecks with mullets! It's a cultural experience for sure:)

NASCAR @ Infineon Raceway 6/25/06

Yeeeeeeehaaaawwww dude! Paul scored us tickets for the NASCAR Cup seri ...

Updated: Jun 28, 2006 7:19am PST

Pets go to the Vet : Today was the day that all of our furry children get their annual shots. Oh what a fun day this is!! Huggy never minds anything like this - she's mommy's girl - and takes everything in stride. Butterscotch cried in the car the whole way to the clinic. Stella tried to bury her head as far into Les' armpit as possible to avoid the attrocities that were to befall her. Everyone is healthy and good to go for one more year:)

Pets go to the Vet

Today was the day that all of our furry children get their annual shot ...

Updated: Jun 27, 2006 8:05pm PST

FHT 6/22/06 : Today was a very hot day, the hottest in a while. Methinks it left the party peoples at home because it was a slow night for FHT.

FHT 6/22/06

Today was a very hot day, the hottest in a while. Methinks it left th ...

Updated: Jun 27, 2006 7:53pm PST

FHT 6/08/06 : Oh tonight was the best FHT so far. Not only did Don and ToraLee come down for a visit from Sac, we managed to meet the bar tab requirement and Les and Marz finally got paid for a gig! There were so many people there tonight and everyone was having a great time. Hembree had a little bit of liquid courage and managed to get TLee on the dance floor too! We finished the night off with a stop at The Hookah Lounge. Marz piqued my interest by saying that the melon hookah is not to be missed, so we tried it. I give it a 1/5...the taste was too foreign to me and it looked like something you would find in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'll stick with apple-cinnamon or mango tobacco from now on:)

FHT 6/08/06

Oh tonight was the best FHT so far. Not only did Don and ToraLee come ...

Updated: Jun 18, 2006 8:49am PST

Stiletech Cup Soccer : This was the 2nd Annual Stiletech Cup soccer game that was created by friends from both Northern and Southern California. From what I can gather, this is a fierce rivalry to capture the title of best team. And, of course, Nor Cal won:) Just goes to show, fancy and matching So Cal jerseys might look good, but the hodgpe podge diversity of Nor Cal has more heart:D Marz invited Les to play so we drove up to the city to meet everybody for the game. Les and Marz worked it on the field and Les even managed to get some decent air with one of his bicycle kicks:)

Stiletech Cup Soccer

This was the 2nd Annual Stiletech Cup soccer game that was created by ...

Updated: Jun 18, 2006 8:47am PST

A Day in the City 4/2004 : I took the day off work and took the in-laws to San Francisco. We did Fisherman's Wharf, Coit Tower, Lombard Street and over the Golden Gate.

A Day in the City 4/2004

I took the day off work and took the in-laws to San Francisco. We did ...

Updated: Jun 15, 2006 10:29am PST

FHT 6/01/06 : This week's FHT was the most fun yet. Scott Chan and Jeremy Fuller graced us with their presence and threw down some really sweet tunes. Jeremy brought along a reggae version of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire. It was a very cool track...but I think we were the only ones that liked it:D Scott brought his girlfriend , Cindy, and we had a nice chat. Good luck on the job search hon:) Jeremy's friends came out all the way from freakin' Galt for crying out loud! This was also Richard's birthday and we did dinner afterwards to celebrate with food:) Happy Birthday buddy, you're still a rock star.

FHT 6/01/06

This week's FHT was the most fun yet. Scott Chan and Jeremy Fuller gr ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2006 1:45am PST

St. Joseph's Hill, Los Gatos, CA 5/29/06 : Les and I took the doggie on a big hike out near Lexington Reservoir today. We started near Los Gatos High School and hiked a few miles up to the top of St. Joseph's Hill. It was a lot of climbing, just like I like it. By foot or by bike, I have to have hills...I'm sick like that. It is such a fantastic view and when we got to the top we had some snacks and water and took a few minutes to rest. Then we descended upon the valley floor again and went home for naptime!

St. Joseph's Hill, Los Gatos, CA 5/29/06

Les and I took the doggie on a big hike out near Lexington Reservoir t ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2006 12:38am PST

Day in Monterey 5/06 : Les and I took a much needed couples-only day with each other and drove down to Monterey. It's one of our very favorite places to be. His folks fell in love with with it when they came over from the UK and it's so easy to understand why. We walked from the wharf, down Cannery Row and all the way out to Pacific Grove. Lots of walking and a little bit of window shopping. I bought a straw hat and Les bought some shoes. We tasted wine at a new tasting room and came out with some seriously respectable bottles of the good vino. Good day:)

Day in Monterey 5/06

Les and I took a much needed couples-only day with each other and drov ...

Updated: Jun 03, 2006 12:18am PST

FHT 5/25/06 : This week's Fine House Thursdays gig had Alvin Chan and Jamie Lin on the decks. We were groovin' to sweet tunage and had an absolute blast.

FHT 5/25/06

This week's Fine House Thursdays gig had Alvin Chan and Jamie Lin on t ...

Updated: Jun 02, 2006 11:31pm PST

Late Mother's Day 2006 : Mom and I had a late Mother's Day celebration day trip today. We took Andy and Huggy up to Pt. Reyes National Seashore for a long beach walk on an unusually drizzly, overcast and chilly day. I mean....come on California...enough with the rain already! The dogs were all tuckered out and Mom and I had a great time together. We had lunch at a place called Rosie's Cowboy Cafe and drove home the long way on Lucas Valley Road....and saw George Lucas' compound. It was massive....I'm fairly certain that if I were also a gazillionairre, that I would have a compound as well.....with lots of cats running around;)

Late Mother's Day 2006

Mom and I had a late Mother's Day celebration day trip today. We took ...

Updated: May 21, 2006 11:01am PST

Lodi Sunrise Century : This morning the plan was to wake up at 4:30am and drive out to Lodi for a 100 mile bike tour. However, not getting to sleep until after midnight changed those plans and I woke up at 6am instead. I made it to Lodi in time to be able to do the 100K (62 miles) ride though....which was fine with me! The course was nice, easy, mostly flat and fast. We were surrounded by Lodi zinfandel vines the entire time and it was a nice 4 hours and 11 minutes worth of reflection. I met a horse along the way and of course I had to stop and say hello to him:)

Lodi Sunrise Century

This morning the plan was to wake up at 4:30am and drive out to Lodi f ...

Updated: May 21, 2006 10:56am PST

FHT Relaunch @ SoFA Lounge 5/18/2006 : FHT has been relaunched in the form of a happy hour at SoFA Lounge in San Jose. It was a good turnout for its first night. It's always nice to see our friends in one place with drinks in hand and smiles on faces. Our FHT veteran DJs, Joe DiFalco and ST3, played very righteous house music that served as the backdrop of an incredibly fun evening. FHT History - "Free House Thursdays" was originally founded by my hubby Les "best mucker ever" Carter and our very cool Italian friend Joe "eyes closed in pictures" DiFalco in 2002. It had a Thursday residency at Brittania Arms in Cupertino and was quite an undertaking to set up each week. Does anyone remember all that artic camoflauge, parachute and the disco ball?! FHT is all grown up now and has been revived by Les and our Persian friend Marz "most people call me Charlie" Faram:) SoFA Lounge is located in downtown San Jose - South First Street Area...get it? FHT is a weekly happening happy hour house event and you should click here and here for more information on the upcoming gigs:) LONG LIVE FHT!

FHT Relaunch @ SoFA Lounge 5/18/2006

FHT has been relaunched in the form of a happy hour at SoFA Lounge in ...

Updated: May 19, 2006 9:47am PST

Easter Dinner @ Cabernet 2006 : Dinner was a completely reasonable feast this year. We had turkey and ham, but instead of the usual starchy and heavy suspects, we opted for roasted cauliflower and broccoli. Mom made some biscuits and Keith made a very light dessert of roasted pears with a yummy sauce. Bonnie and Jim joined us and it was nice to spend time with them before they go up to Mt. Lassen for the summer. We can't wait until they come back to the ranch next year, they are wonderful people. Raquel was in charge of the photography for the evening and we were entertained by napkin rings:)

Easter Dinner @ Cabernet 2006

Dinner was a completely reasonable feast this year. We had turkey and ...

Updated: May 17, 2006 11:55am PST

Alvin's Birthday Party 4/08/2006 : Last night was Alvin's 27th birthday party and all the usual suspects were there. Alvin, Les and Marz were spinning tunes all night and the party went on until well after 2am. Much drinking, dancing and story-telling went on, 'twas a great night:) I made cupcakes:)

Alvin's Birthday Party 4/08/2006

Last night was Alvin's 27th birthday party and all the usual suspects ...

Updated: Apr 09, 2006 12:53pm PST

Don & Toralee's Wedding 4/01/06 : Our very good mucker, Don Reid got married to the love of his life, Toralee on Saturday, April 1st. It was the first time we'd seen them in years and we were so happy to be able to share their day with them. Rock on Mr. and Mrs. Spidy;)

Don & Toralee's Wedding 4/01/06

Our very good mucker, Don Reid got married to the love of his life, To ...

Updated: Apr 03, 2006 9:14pm PST

Hobo-Ghetto Ride 4/02/06 : After the wedding, sangria, springing forward for the time change and not being able to sleep all night from the sheer excitement of this ride, I dragged myself up and ate some room service breakfast to start the day off right. I had no idea what this day had in store, only that Sheri had come up with this truly brilliant idea to ride the American River trail. Floods, hobos, the ghetto and the rain did not stop us this day. It was, by far, the best adventure we've been on yet! 67 MILES of adventure I tell ya! If you want to read all about this adventure, click here:)

Hobo-Ghetto Ride 4/02/06

After the wedding, sangria, springing forward for the time change and ...

Updated: Apr 03, 2006 9:12pm PST

A1 Grand Prix at Laguna Seca 3/2006 : We took a trip down to Laguna Seca raceway on a very cold and rainy day to see the A1- Grand Prix racers from around the world. There were no really satisfying crashes, but damn those cars were loud and fast! Some of the video clips may have caught the tail end of a couple of off-roading, but nothing major. We were entertained with lots of beer and wine and got to sit in the Mazda suite with Infineon thanks to our boy, Paul:)

A1 Grand Prix at Laguna Seca 3/2006

We took a trip down to Laguna Seca raceway on a very cold and rainy da ...

Updated: Mar 19, 2006 8:58pm PST

Sierra at Tahoo 3/2006 : We spent the night before at Mom's house and were delighted to wake up with snow falling outside the bedroom window....Les rolled over to me and said "it's going to be a soft powder day:)" We were having so much fun boarding in the powder I didn't have a chance to pull out the camera that often. You'll get the idea though, snow...wonderful snow. That's what it's all about:)

Sierra at Tahoo 3/2006

Stanford Treeathlon 2/2006 : 500 Meter Pool Swim - 10:26 T1 - 3:06 20K Bike - 45:59 T2 - 2:34 5K Run - 32:10 Total time - 1:35:27-ish What an amazingly excellent day! My goal for this race was just to improve on last year's time of 1:47:00 and I did that for sure:) The swim was in an olympic sized pool and you do four laps around the perimeter to make up 500 meters. I lost the pack on the second lap. I'm just not a strong swimmer, if I could commit myself to more pool time, I'm sure that would change. But for now, I just don't have the time. Besides, I aged-up this year which means I'm in a super-dee-duper competitive age group which consists of 30-34 year old women...they are animals! I was pretty much on my own for the last two laps and was one of the last to leave the pool. T-1 was all about trying to get warm and getting into my bike shoes. It took a bit longer than usual to get myself sorted out for some reason. Probably because I was....damn cold! :O Getting out of the pool and into the transition area was tough, the water was warm (80 degrees!) and it was damn cold outside....so the leg muscles tend to contract and say "I don't wanna do what you want to do on that bike, are you crazy?" But you have to force them to listen to you because you are, in fact, the master and they must obey! The bike course is fairly hilly in the beginning with a respectable climb up front and some little annoying and energy-zapping rollers along the way. Halfway through the ride, you get to a downhill and flat section where I really made up some time. I got myself in aero and mashed a little bit (yes...when I want to go fast on a flat section I mash okay?). I think I averaged 20mph on that home stretch. In other words, I killed the course like I knew I would. Last year I managed to get TWO flat tires. So it was awesome that didn't happen again. I passed two women in my age group and that's always a good thing:D Into transition area again after the most excellent bike ride and I slipped off the bike shoes and into the running shoes. Out of the helmet and into the hat. I honestly don't know what took me so long here, I'm usually never longer than 45-60 seconds...oh well. Off you go KT! In my dream the other night led me to believe that I was going to get a podium spot for this race. In fact, I was supposed to come in second place in my age group. F*$&*ing lying-ass subconscious! I was nowhere near second place at any point during this race! As a matter of fact, the two women I passed on the bike ended up passing me on the run. Damn them all to hell! I did manage to keep running the entire time and that was really my only goal for the run portion. Last year I had to walk quite a bit because I had cramps in my legs. This year, my legs felt great and full of life:smile: Oh, and the volunteers are all liars. Every single one of them said "you're almost there!" for three straight miles! It's actually somewhere around 88% okay that I don't place in races because this is pure fun for me. Nothing in my life depends on whether I win a triathlon. But there is the competitive gene in me that wants it. It wants other things more....like a college education...and that's where my time priorities are at the moment:) Thanks for reading, have yourselves a great season;)

Stanford Treeathlon 2/2006

500 Meter Pool Swim - 10:26 T1 - 3:06 20K Bike - 45:59 T2 - 2:34 5 ...

Updated: Feb 26, 2006 9:30pm PST

The Pinnacles at Hollister : Les, Paul, Michael, Matt and Sarah took a trip yesterday for a day of hiking at The Pinnacles National Monument, the remains of an ancient volcano. It's filled with unique rock formations and miles of trails that provide incredible views of the Salinas Valley. It's also where the California Condors have been reintroduced to the wild to see if they will nest on their own. Gauging by how tired Les was when he got home last night, it was quite a trek through those trails. But he had a great time with his friends. He also managed to capture some amazing photos.

The Pinnacles at Hollister

Les, Paul, Michael, Matt and Sarah took a trip yesterday for a day of ...

Updated: Feb 12, 2006 8:30pm PST

Training Days - Buckets-o-FUN! : Triathlon is a sport which consists of three events performed immediately after each other. Swim...Bike...Run your little heart out and pray your legs don't fall off before you cross the finish line! I love it:-)

Training Days - Buckets-o-FUN!

Triathlon is a sport which consists of three events performed immediat ...

Updated: Feb 11, 2006 9:27pm PST

Les' Electronic Domain : This is our server cabinet. Les has a lot of whirring and whizzing things in this office and here are only a few pics of them:)

Les' Electronic Domain

This is our server cabinet. Les has a lot of whirring and whizzing th ...

Updated: Feb 07, 2006 2:46pm PST

Sierra 2/2006 : Les and I headed up to Mom's on Saturday with the hopes of snowboarding on Sunday. I managed to wrench my back at the gym on Friday and by the time Saturday rolled around, was not up for falling down on the hard ground for seven hours. Les went without me and had a good time. There weren't any recent storms so conditions were icy and that always puts a level of caution in your head you wouldn't normally have. It's fun to fall on powder, but ice just hurts!

Sierra 2/2006

Les and I headed up to Mom's on Saturday with the hopes of snowboardin ...

Updated: Feb 07, 2006 9:25am PST

Tahoe Trip 01/2006 : We loaded up our friends and gear into the Tahoe and set upon it's inaugural trip to the snow. For the most part the 4WD did us proud....until we took it onto a road that was not maintained and we got ourselves stuck in some extremely deep, thick and soft snow. We got pulled out by some very nice mountain men, got ourselves onto the main road and checked into our hotel in South Lake Tahoe. We spent some time at Harvey's Casino for drinks and watched Misha throw her hard-earned money away at the craps and blackjack tables. She taught Les a thing or two and he got a taste of losing a tiny bit of money as well. Paul lost some money, but not as much as he thought he did...so he was quite happy about that. I, however, do not give my money away like that...so I didn't lose anything! We headed out to Kirkwood the next day for some well-deserved snowboarding and skiing. There was a lot of fresh powder to be had as we were there on Sunday and there were no crowds.....less people to run into! It was a gorgeous day for boarding. It was a bit windy so half of the lifts were closed, but it was okay because we were out there having a blast. Les even dabbled on the terrain park and cleared a shelf! So. Much. Fun! It was definitly super awesome fun times bro!

Tahoe Trip 01/2006

We loaded up our friends and gear into the Tahoe and set upon it's ina ...

Updated: Jan 23, 2006 11:37am PST

England 2006 : We spent a week in England for the New Year to celebrate Les' Mum's 50th birthday. Our first night, we stayed in London's Kensington District. We walked over the place and took The Tube to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Soho, Leicester Square and Piccadilly. The next morning Mom and I went for a run in Hyde Park which was absolutely pleasant. The next day we went to Manchester to surprise his Mum for dinner at Yang Sing. She was crying and happy and glad to see her whole family there with her to share her day. We drank lots of wine and had delicious food picked out for us by our waiter, Brian. We headed out to Liverpool the next day (no photos, sorry). They are revamping their city to be the European Capital of Culture for 2008. They have their work cut out for them, but it's all under way and going to be wonderful when finished. Liverpool rests on the Mersey River and there is some damn cold wind that comes off of it! We visted the Tate Museum on one of the newly remodeled dockhouses. We also went to the City Centre for dinner and to see the Beatles Memorabilia. Then it was off to Wales for a castle trip. We drove through Llandudno by Conwy Castle and then to Caernarfon Castle in Caernarfon. It's very surreal to be inside these castle walls, so much happened within them it's hard not to let your imagination go wild. The last day for tourist attractions took us to Haydock Park for the races. Mom and I bet on some hourses and actually won some money, it was a lot of fun. The horses were running well and they are extremely fit. Not only was it a longer race track, but they put hedges in as well to make it more extreme. Crazy Brits. It was a non-stop on-the-go kind of trip and by the end of the week, I was completely shattered. I loved seeing the country again and want to go back when the dollar isn't so weak against the GBP. When we landed in SF, I was so happy to see the sun again I swear I felt it filtering through my skin immediately upon being outside! Click to see Mom's photos

England 2006

We spent a week in England for the New Year to celebrate Les' Mum's 50 ...

Updated: Jan 10, 2006 11:33am PST

More Carter Cuties : Naptime, playtime - anytime is cutietime!

More Carter Cuties

Naptime, playtime - anytime is cutietime!

Updated: Jan 09, 2006 9:29am PST

Family Christmas : We had a full house (for us anyway!) for Christmas. Les made a delicious meal of roast beast, parsnips, potatoes and bacon-wrapped sausages. I made the obligatory green bean casserole and a spinach salad. Mom, Raquel and Keith spent the night with us and we ate yummy food, drank yummy champange and exchanged thoughful gifts. It was a very nice holiday

Family Christmas

We had a full house (for us anyway!) for Christmas. Les made a delici ...

Updated: Dec 26, 2005 1:33pm PST

Keith's Birthday : Mom planned a dinner at Left Bank on Santana Row for Keith's birthday. It's always nice to get together with Keith since we don't see him that often anymore. Dessert was a pecan pie with vanilla gelato. Nice and sweet way to end the night.

Keith's Birthday

Mom planned a dinner at Left Bank on Santana Row for Keith's birthday. ...

Updated: Dec 18, 2005 9:09am PST

Les @ Blue Monkey Lounge for Karma : Les was out spinnin' his records tonight with friends in tow. I had dinner and drinks with Misha beforehand. We went over to Blue Monkey and continued our drinking...er..I mean...chatting while we waited for Les to arrive with my super-awesome Mom. Who else's Mom would show up to these things? Marz, Shawn, Paul, Misha, Mom and Myself were in force to support the hubby as he was gracing us with some sexy tunes. Great set babe!

Les @ Blue Monkey Lounge for Karma

Les was out spinnin' his records tonight with friends in tow. I had d ...

Updated: Dec 18, 2005 12:02am PST

Furry Kid Pics : Some shots of our children captured over the last month or so. I love them so much, they are all so cute...especially the hubby-child napping with the other kids:D

Furry Kid Pics

Some shots of our children captured over the last month or so. I lo ...

Updated: Dec 17, 2005 11:58pm PST

KT 30th Surprise Birthday Dinner : Sneaky hubby and even sneakier friends gathered at Gordon Biersch to surprise me for my 30th (!)birthday dinner. I was so happy to see all of my closest friends and family in one place to share this special day with me. I was even more surprised by all of the gifts and cards...which was not necessary, but totally okay by me...I love presents!! Thanks everyone, you're the best:) After dinner we went up to Blue Monkey Lounge for some drinks and then on to the Hookah Lounge. We smoked some very yummy passionfruit tobacco from the Hookahs. Marz bought me my very own hookah too! It even comes with it's own carry case so I can bring it to all the fun places and be the life of the party!

KT 30th Surprise Birthday Dinner

Sneaky hubby and even sneakier friends gathered at Gordon Biersch to s ...

Updated: Dec 06, 2005 5:48pm PST

Stella Carter : A kitten came to live with us....while Les was in Toronto:D She's the sweetest girl and when Les laid eyes on her, he melted....so she is now the newest member of the Carter family:) YAY for kittens!

Stella Carter

A kitten came to live with us....while Les was in Toronto:D She's the ...

Updated: Dec 04, 2005 6:06pm PST

Mom's first clipless experience : Mom bought a new bike. A Fuji Bordeaux road bike. It's a very nice bike. She was not too sure about the clipless pedals and kept on saying "this wasn't a good idea"....but after a few stops and starts, she got the hang of it. We rode 12 miles and I had the best time just being with Mom on her new journey to find herself and be happy within:)

Mom's first clipless experience

Mom bought a new bike. A Fuji Bordeaux road bike. It's a very nice b ...

Updated: Dec 04, 2005 6:03pm PST

Marz Surprise Birthday Party : Marz's sister Sherry threw him a birthday party at his mom's house in Turlock. Sherry went completely over the top with a free bar, a party bus from the bay area and homemade Persian food. It was a fun night, Les was spinning with Alvin and DJ Hannibal. When most of the people left for the night, we went outside and sat around the open fireplaces while they taught the white people how to say bad words in Farsi!

Marz Surprise Birthday Party

Marz's sister Sherry threw him a birthday party at his mom's house in ...

Updated: Dec 02, 2005 2:21pm PST

Uvas Canyon : Les and I took Huggy on a really big adventure hike today. We went to Uvas Canyon....a place in the South Bay that I had no idea even existed until today. I ride my bike out in that direction all the time, I can't believe I missed it. Thor of the Thor things (Les) can be seen HERE displaying his power and control over large sticks. We hiked 5 miles and there were some hellacious hills and we got nice and sweaty. We found the end of a trail and hung out with each other for a while. There were lots of switchbacks and waterfalls and at one point Huggy plopped herself right in the middle of the stream because she was hot....she hates water so this cracked me up. It was all great fun and I can't wait to do research in exactly what else I've been missing out on in that neck of the woods.

Uvas Canyon

Les and I took Huggy on a really big adventure hike today. We went to ...

Updated: Nov 07, 2005 8:00am PST

Cats are just the coolest : Butterscotch and Stella being lazy:)

Cats are just the coolest

Butterscotch and Stella being lazy:)

Updated: Oct 15, 2005 9:11pm PST

My Kitchen : Okay, it's finally clean clean clean! And a little more organized than before. I keep my fruit and veggies (that don't require refrigeration) in a big platter on the jutty part of my countertop - above the dishwaher. The cabinets in this area house my dishes, bowls, cups and mugs. I have a two part sink and a high faucet that I love. It's handle comes out and it also has a spray feature as well as the regular stream. The corner cubby area where my microwave resides is where I do all of my prep work and is usually where my recipes, cookbook or laptop are while I'm cooking. There is a cutting board hidden above the top drawer. I don't really like this wooden cutting board, but using the counter space for other cutting boards is not efficient at all. My oven and stovetop are electric. When we finally buy our own house, this will be changed to gas. The oven is not reliable under 325 degrees. The hotter the better around here. That's why I end up roasting a lot of veggies. My fridge is covered with magnets that my husband and I collect when we visit new places. These magnets range from Whistler, BC to the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot to Dallas, TX. It's a fun habit we got into together. All-in-all, I like my kitchen. Mostly because it's white and roomy. I dream of granite countertops, double ovens and a kitchen island...but until home prices in the Bay Area subside dramatically...this is all I have:) If you want to take pictures of your kitchen, you can tag them here: kitchen photos

My Kitchen

Okay, it's finally clean clean clean! And a little more organized tha ...

Updated: Oct 09, 2005 8:48pm PST

Home Improvement : Last weekend Les and I decided to do some work around the house before the winter starts to set in. Okay, granted we live in mild CA and our winters aren't aweful....but motivation recedes the colder it gets outside. Les trimmed half of the trees in the backyard. By the time he was finished, he had a 10 foot high x 10 foot wide pile of branches, leaves and other random things that fall from trees when you cut them. I scraped, sanded, primed and painted the master bathroom. The paint was peeling badly due to the humidity from the shower. There is no place for the moisture to go unless you keep the window open while showering...sometimes not an option on a cold morning. Sorry that the pics aren't better, the battery was dying and I had to make due with whatever photos it felt like saving.

Home Improvement

Last weekend Les and I decided to do some work around the house before ...

Updated: Oct 09, 2005 7:23pm PST

Butterscotch : He's a 17 year old man, has a little bit of Alzheimer's at times, and is still The Godfather of this family.

Butterscotch

He's a 17 year old man, has a little bit of Alzheimer's at times, and ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2005 7:43pm PST

Half Moon Bay 9/2005 : Les, Huggy and I drove up to Half Moon Bay today. It was windy, cold, and the tide was in. Not your typical day at the beach, but a good day nonetheless. Any day with the hubby is a good day:) Huggy loves the beach even though she's a big chicken about going near the water. It's fun for her to run around in the sand and smell the new world opened up to her.

Half Moon Bay 9/2005

Les, Huggy and I drove up to Half Moon Bay today. It was windy, cold, ...

Updated: Sep 29, 2005 10:25pm PST

Baby Chloe Josephine : My baby cousin Cory is a daddy now. She was born on Wednesday, September 8, 2005. He's a very proud papa and my Auntie Doris is absolutely tickled pink about this new addition to the family.

Baby Chloe Josephine

My baby cousin Cory is a daddy now. She was born on Wednesday, Septem ...

Updated: Sep 29, 2005 1:16pm PST

Pacific Grove Oly Triathlon : This was my attempt to finish out my tri season. I failed miserably at this race. The outcome was big fat DID NOT FINISH. Somewhere at the middle of the bike leg, I competely "lost it". All of "it". The "it" that I'm refering to is my mojo.

Pacific Grove Oly Triathlon

This was my attempt to finish out my tri season. I failed miserably a ...

Updated: Sep 11, 2005 3:26pm PST

Moser Family Reunion : This labor day weekend brought the entire family together....and I mean EVERYbody! Dad and Char hosted this in Delphi, and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. I do have to say that this family knows how to eat! There was so much yummy food there, it was hard not to graze all day long.

Moser Family Reunion

This labor day weekend brought the entire family together....and I mea ...

Updated: Sep 06, 2005 9:58pm PST

Carter Menagerie :

Carter Menagerie

Updated: Aug 28, 2005 9:32pm PST

Indy Racing League at Infineon Raceway 8-28-05 : Our friend Paul hooked us up with tent and grandstand tickets for the Infineon Raceway on Sunday. The Indy cars were racing today. Yes, I know they go very fast and the camera barely catches them, but hey...it's my photo gallery...I can put them up here if I want:P Danica Patrick is making history being the only woman racing the Indy Racing League. Unfortunately, she wiped out early on in the race when rookie Ryan Briscoe tried to overtake her on a curve and caused her to crash alongside Helio Castroneves who was on her other side.

Indy Racing League at Infineon Raceway 8-28-05

Our friend Paul hooked us up with tent and grandstand tickets for the ...

Updated: Aug 28, 2005 9:23pm PST

Pt. Reyes Lighthouse 8/05 : Today the hubby and doggie and I took a road trip to Pt. Reyes Lighthouse. It is a beautiful drive and although it took forever because there is no friendly way to get to Golden Gate Bridge from San Jose, I'm glad that we did it to cross a CA tourist trip off our list:D By the time we got there the steps to the lighthouse were closed and we could only see it from afar. I clocked the wind at somewhere around 1500 miles an hour! I've been in the area before to do the Pt. Reyes Trail Run put on by Redwood Trails, but seeing these things at 6am and running past them is much different than being able to stop and enjoy the beauty on a day trip:)

Pt. Reyes Lighthouse 8/05

Today the hubby and doggie and I took a road trip to Pt. Reyes Lightho ...

Updated: Aug 21, 2005 10:35pm PST

Napa Valley Fun/Training Ride : I met Eric on the Triathlete.com forum. I immediately wanted to get to know him because a) he's awesome, and b) he lives in Wine Country and there are plenty of nice bike rides there. Our route covered 46 miles in 3 hours 40 minutes. Along the way were climbs, grapes, descents, headwinds, false flats (where it looks like the road is flat, but you're actually going uphill), grapes, hills, cows, tailwinds, beautiful restaurants, wineries, sidewinds, and more grapes. The weather was good for such a long ride, overcast and cool. Almost at the end of our ride we came across this little boy selling lemonade and his friend who were both enamered by our carbon bikes, aero bars, and bike computers. These kids knew all about bikes, Lance and the Tour, and were so excited to talk about cycling. Quite refreshing from the young video game dromes that you usually encounter. Coach Pete told us to run for 15 minutes afterwards, so we did that too! It was a great day.

Napa Valley Fun/Training Ride

I met Eric on the Triathlete.com forum. I immediately wanted to get ...

Updated: Aug 14, 2005 3:55pm PST

Sean's 1st annual 30th bday:) : Our beloved Sean turns 31 this month and he invited us to his bday celebration. He made tri tip and hangar steak marinated in homemade teriyaki sauce, beer can chicken, and bowtie pasta salad. We thanked him for being born as well as being a great cook:)

Sean's 1st annual 30th bday:)

Our beloved Sean turns 31 this month and he invited us to his bday cel ...

Updated: Aug 14, 2005 3:42pm PST

Keith W. Clanton : Keith deserves his own gallery because he is so special:) not special ed...just special...in the good way!

Keith W. Clanton

Keith deserves his own gallery because he is so special:) not special ...

Updated: Aug 04, 2005 7:59pm PST

San Diego 6/2005 : Mom, Raquel and I spent an extended weekend in Carlsbad and San Diego. We had plenty of time on the beach and also went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. We spent the last night at La Pensione in downtown SD, it seems to be one of those places that gets better each time you visit:)

San Diego 6/2005

Mom, Raquel and I spent an extended weekend in Carlsbad and San Diego. ...

Updated: Aug 04, 2005 7:59pm PST

Santa Cruz Triathlon 7/2005 : Santa Cruz Olympic Distance Triathlon (relay) - Aptos, CA 1500 meter ocean swim - beach start 40 K bike - rolling course 10 K run - two challenging loops Les did the swim, I did the bike, and Janet did the run portion of the race....that's called a relay:) Les did not have so much fun today, he only agreed to swim because our initial swimmer quit on us so that I didn't have to. He knew I wanted to have a really strong bike ride today and wasn't really prepared mentally for the swim. The tri gods were not kind to him today. I was so proud of him for trying the 1500 Meter course...that's nearly a mile of ocean waves and currents beating the hell out of you! Because the pressure was off I really enjoyed the 40K bike course and was able to stay at a fairly high cadence even climbing the rolling hills. I felt like I could just keep on going and was kinda sad to see it end. Janet tore up the 10K run course and tackled the finish line strong. I think she might have caught the race bug because she wants to do another one:)

Santa Cruz Triathlon 7/2005

Santa Cruz Olympic Distance Triathlon (relay) - Aptos, CA 1500 meter ...

Updated: Aug 02, 2005 11:03pm PST

More KT growing up :

More KT growing up

Updated: Aug 02, 2005 10:55pm PST

Oma and Opa :

Oma and Opa

Updated: Aug 02, 2005 10:43pm PST

San Jose Grand Prix 7/29-31 2005 :

San Jose Grand Prix 7/29-31 2005

Updated: Aug 02, 2005 10:35pm PST

Les and KT : Stolen moments:)

Les and KT

Stolen moments:)

Updated: Jul 22, 2005 10:21pm PST

Damond's "30th" Birthday : We had dinner at Nola in Palo Alto to celebrate Damond's birthday. Hurricanes were flowing and good times had by all, especially Damond because he fell out of his chair at one point!

Damond's "30th" Birthday

We had dinner at Nola in Palo Alto to celebrate Damond's birthday. H ...

Updated: Jul 11, 2005 8:34am PST

Lactate Threshold and VO2 Max Testing : VO2 max is maximum oxygen capacity (aerobic capacity). It's the size of an athlete's engine, so to speak. Lactate Threshold influences how much of that engine can be used continuously - athletes need to be able to work as close to V02 max without accumulating large amounts of lactic acid in the blood. Sheri and I both had our blood lactate and maximum oxygen consumption tested to see where we could improve in our training. We found out that I am a genetically superior human being and I don't produce that much lactate:P Sheri's "engine" is very economical with it's use of oxygen and does what it's supposed to do and they even said she could run a half marathon with me....and she WILL!

Lactate Threshold and VO2 Max Testing

VO2 max is maximum oxygen capacity (aerobic capacity). It's the size o ...

Updated: Jul 07, 2005 12:53pm PST

our Tahoe for Tahoe:D : Saturday morning, after eating breakfast at Hobbee's, Les starts driving the opposite direction of home.....we ended up at a Chevy dealership to buy a big ass SUV! We love this beast....now we're one of *those* people haha:D

our Tahoe for Tahoe:D

Saturday morning, after eating breakfast at Hobbee's, Les starts drivi ...

Updated: Jul 06, 2005 9:57pm PST

Reno 7/2005 : Les and I went to Sheri's 16 story condo on the Truckee River downtown. Amazing view and wonderful company.....I love it when Sheri feeds me! There was a bbq wing cook-off downtown and of course we chowed on some wings. We spent the rest of the day flowin' down the river on innertubes and walked through downtown for drinks at Tonic. On Monday, we stayed for the 4th of July parade downtown. My favorite were the Arabian Horses in costume.

Reno 7/2005

Les and I went to Sheri's 16 story condo on the Truckee River downtown ...

Updated: Jul 05, 2005 10:12am PST

July 4th 2005 at Shoreline : This evening we went to Shoreline Amphitheatre for the SF Symphany Orchestra and fireworks show. They were accompanied by a Frenchman named Gil Apap and he got down with a bluegrass band with his violin. It was awesome and had the entire crowd loving it. We laid on the lawn on a blanket with some hot chocolate and garlic fries...not at the same time!

July 4th 2005 at Shoreline

This evening we went to Shoreline Amphitheatre for the SF Symphany Orc ...

Updated: Jul 05, 2005 10:10am PST

Road Trip Kitty : Stella is a travellin' kitten. We took her all the way to Reno. She likes to sit on whomever is driving. It's the cutest thing ever! She gets up sometimes to crawl on the back seats and play with her toys, but always comes back to the lap.

Road Trip Kitty

Stella is a travellin' kitten. We took her all the way to Reno. She ...

Updated: Jul 05, 2005 10:01am PST

Toronto 6/2005 : Les spent nearly two weeks in Toronto and took a trip to Niagara Falls as well. He was amazed by the architechture in Toronto. The buildings are HUGE! Some pics are also of CN Tower.

Toronto 6/2005

Les spent nearly two weeks in Toronto and took a trip to Niagara Fall ...

Updated: Jul 01, 2005 9:02am PST

Huggy : My beautiful little girl:)

Huggy

My beautiful little girl:)

Updated: Jun 30, 2005 11:35pm PST

Helicopter Tour of San Francisco : We even went UNDER the Golden Gate Bridge...50 feet above the water...think stomach in throat for 20 seconds!

Helicopter Tour of San Francisco

We even went UNDER the Golden Gate Bridge...50 feet above the water... ...

Updated: Jun 21, 2005 10:05pm PST

Raquel :

Raquel

Updated: Jun 19, 2005 10:35am PST

Mandy's 30th! : Started at Citizen Cupcake (YUM!) in the City, and ended up at Maroc on the Haight. We ended up running into just about everyone we know on this night!

Mandy's 30th!

Started at Citizen Cupcake (YUM!) in the City, and ended up at Maroc o ...

Updated: Jun 19, 2005 10:33am PST

Monterey 4/2004 : Les' parents over from the UK, this was their first taste of California and the instantly fell in love with it. We went whale watching and walked around Cannery Row and the wharf.

Monterey 4/2004

Les' parents over from the UK, this was their first taste of Californi ...

Updated: Jun 16, 2005 4:20pm PST

Santa Cruz 5-03 :

Santa Cruz 5-03

Updated: Jun 16, 2005 4:00pm PST

Blowfish : I really like it when Les used to spin here. Nice place and really good times with friends.

Blowfish

I really like it when Les used to spin here. Nice place and really go ...

Updated: Jun 16, 2005 3:57pm PST

Les' 29th bday : We started at Mezzanine, then went to 1015, and ended up at The End Up. We didn't make it home until 1pm the next day:)

Les' 29th bday

We started at Mezzanine, then went to 1015, and ended up at The End U ...

Updated: Jun 16, 2005 3:24pm PST

Les' 30th Birthday Weekend : With help from friends, I threw a surprise party for Les' 30th bday. His brother and Emma even flew over for the weekend from England. We spent the next day in San Francisco doing the normal tourist-y stuff.

Les' 30th Birthday Weekend

With help from friends, I threw a surprise party for Les' 30th bday. ...

Updated: Jun 16, 2005 3:07pm PST

Muddy Buddy 6/2005!! : Quite possibly the most fun and disgusting thing I've ever done that involves a mountain bike and the husband!

Muddy Buddy 6/2005!!

Quite possibly the most fun and disgusting thing I've ever done that i ...

Updated: Jun 14, 2005 3:11pm PST

Picchetti Picnic : Lynn organized a wonderful day for our monthly friends-get-together at Piccetti Winery in Cupertino. Mom, Keith, the hubby and me headed out there after our Muddy Buddy race. Friends, peacocks, and good wine...who could ask for anything more?

Picchetti Picnic

Lynn organized a wonderful day for our monthly friends-get-together at ...

Updated: Jun 12, 2005 8:20pm PST

Thunder Hill Stables : This is the boarding facility in Hayward that Mom and Keith used to own, Oliver getting transported to Cabernet, more horses, and Sammy getting a massage.

Thunder Hill Stables

This is the boarding facility in Hayward that Mom and Keith used to ow ...

Updated: Jun 10, 2005 9:26am PST

Tri for Real 9/04 : 700 yard lake swim 20 mile flat bike 4 mile trail run Pleasanton, CA - Shadow Cliffs Regional Park *Really is a fun race. No pressure, just smiles:)

Tri for Real 9/04

700 yard lake swim 20 mile flat bike 4 mile trail run Pleasanton, C ...

Updated: Jun 10, 2005 1:06am PST

Day and Night in Monterey 1/2003 : We spent the day on Cannery Row and Monterey Bay Aquarium. Nighttime came and we went to the Britannia Arms for a gig...one of the first!

Day and Night in Monterey 1/2003

We spent the day on Cannery Row and Monterey Bay Aquarium. Nighttime ...

Updated: Jun 10, 2005 1:04am PST

Mighty SF :

Mighty SF

Updated: Jun 10, 2005 12:44am PST

Butter SF : Cheeky dive bar in the City. Good night with the girls and hubby spinning most excellent music.

Butter SF

Cheeky dive bar in the City. Good night with the girls and hubby spin ...

Updated: Jun 10, 2005 12:26am PST

Mixer Cabinet : Les bought power tools! He replaced the coffin his mixer was in with this sweet cabinet and Storables shelving units.

Mixer Cabinet

Les bought power tools! He replaced the coffin his mixer was in with ...

Updated: Jun 10, 2005 12:19am PST

Siperian Off-Site with GoKarts! : of course Les won a trophy!

Siperian Off-Site with GoKarts!

of course Les won a trophy!

Updated: Jun 10, 2005 12:19am PST

Our House : Okay, we're renting...but it's still home.

Our House

Okay, we're renting...but it's still home.

Updated: Jun 09, 2005 11:24pm PST

UK Christmas 2003 : This was my first trip to England and the first time meeting Les' family. They are wonderful and I can say that I've driven on the other side of the road now...legally:) Christmas Day opening gifts, Grandmum's house, and Conwy Castle in Wales. While I was out running one morning, I came across this totally mental and homeless dog...I tried to get the family to keep him, but he couldn't stay...I hear he went to a good home though.

UK Christmas 2003

This was my first trip to England and the first time meeting Les' fami ...

Updated: Jun 09, 2005 11:17pm PST

Napa 9-2004 : Weekend trip to Napa for Les' birthday. We did dinner on the Wine Train, visited Old Faithful Geyser and the Petrified Forest, and Les flew in a glider! It was an awesome time together.

Napa 9-2004

Weekend trip to Napa for Les' birthday. We did dinner on the Wine Trai ...

Updated: Jun 09, 2005 11:06pm PST

Wildflower 5/2005 : The most cruel thing I've ever done to my body as of yet.....first Olympic distance triathlon on a very brutal course.....who's idea was this anyway?! 1.5k swim ~ 0:34:26 40k bike ~ 1:50:42 10k run ~ 1:25:34 Overall ~ 3:57:30

Wildflower 5/2005

The most cruel thing I've ever done to my body as of yet.....first Oly ...

Updated: Jun 09, 2005 10:47pm PST

Trip to Dad's 5/28/05 : I haven't seem my dad in three years and that side of the family hasn't even met my husband yet! We felt it was time..so hopped on a plane to Indiana and met the Germans:)

Trip to Dad's 5/28/05

I haven't seem my dad in three years and that side of the family hasn' ...

Updated: Jun 01, 2005 1:48pm PST

Furry Friends from Now and Then : Pro, Max, Whirlie, and Little Diego among others that have blessed us with thier presence.

Furry Friends from Now and Then

Pro, Max, Whirlie, and Little Diego among others that have blessed us ...

Updated: May 31, 2005 2:20pm PST

Sunday BBQ at Shawn's : Gorgeous day today, Shawn had a bbq, the pool beckoned, and we all played:)

Sunday BBQ at Shawn's

Gorgeous day today, Shawn had a bbq, the pool beckoned, and we all pla ...

Updated: May 22, 2005 10:58pm PST

Mother's Day Weekend 2005 : We went to a rained-out art festival in El Dorado Hills...three exhibits were left when we got there! It was still a nice day together with the family though:)

Mother's Day Weekend 2005

We went to a rained-out art festival in El Dorado Hills...three exhibi ...

Updated: May 15, 2005 2:02pm PST

Treasure Island 11/04 : 500 meter ocean (cove) swim 12 mile bike 3.1 mile run Treasure Island, CA *Strong currents in the cove, very technical bike course, and gorgeous coastal run. This race chilled me to the bone, it was soooo freakin' cold!

Treasure Island 11/04

500 meter ocean (cove) swim 12 mile bike 3.1 mile run Treasure Isla ...

Updated: May 11, 2005 8:16pm PST

Tio Diego : Diego was my very first love. He was my stallion and my best friend growing up. He lived to be 23 years old and I still think about him everyday:)

Tio Diego

Diego was my very first love. He was my stallion and my best friend g ...

Updated: May 10, 2005 10:41pm PST

Alaska 1996 :

Alaska 1996

Updated: May 10, 2005 10:40pm PST

Indiana 2000 and 2002 :

Indiana 2000 and 2002

Updated: May 10, 2005 10:38pm PST

My beautiful Mom : There aren't many chances to get pics of her...you have to sneak them by her. Here are some of those times:)

My beautiful Mom

There aren't many chances to get pics of her...you have to sneak them ...

Updated: May 10, 2005 10:26pm PST

Sweet Cabernet : Mom and Keith's new place in Placerville. Tucked in between two wineries, it's very serene.

Sweet Cabernet

Mom and Keith's new place in Placerville. Tucked in between two winer ...

Updated: May 09, 2005 1:32pm PST

Ben and the Evil Cherub : Ahhhh...the memories of the old barn....good times, good times:) This was the night Talimoth came into our lives, Father Ben was born, and the Evil Little Cherub fell asleep on the couch:)

Ben and the Evil Cherub

Ahhhh...the memories of the old barn....good times, good times:) This ...

Updated: May 08, 2005 11:19pm PST

Elena Rose Carter :

Elena Rose Carter

Updated: May 08, 2005 11:17pm PST

Tri for Fun #2 7/04 : 400 yard lake swim 12 mile flat bike 3 mile trail run Pleasanton, CA - Shadow Cliffs Regional Park *First tri ever, quite an experience and I was hooked at the finish line!

Tri for Fun #2 7/04

400 yard lake swim 12 mile flat bike 3 mile trail run Pleasanton, C ...

Updated: May 06, 2005 1:23am PST

Sedona Arizona 6/2002 : On the heels of a client call, I spent the weekend with a friend from high school, Tommy Shultz. We spent some time in Phoenix doing Sake bombs on Friday, then drove to Sedona with his girlfriend Tiffany. Red Rock is definitely cool.

Sedona Arizona 6/2002

On the heels of a client call, I spent the weekend with a friend from ...

Updated: May 06, 2005 12:37am PST

Yosemite 5/2005 : Les' parents came over from England and took us to Yosemite for the weekend. We went up to El Capitan then hiked the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. Gorgeous.

Yosemite 5/2005

Les' parents came over from England and took us to Yosemite for the we ...

Updated: Apr 26, 2005 2:58pm PST

UK Invasion at Sweet Cab : Les' folks from England spent some time at Sweet Cab. Les' mom overcame her fear of horses and had a blast riding Jade while his Dad tried to figure out how to pack Little Diego into their suitcase!

UK Invasion at Sweet Cab

Les' folks from England spent some time at Sweet Cab. Les' mom overca ...

Updated: Apr 25, 2005 9:48pm PST

Timo 5/2003 :

Timo 5/2003

Updated: Apr 18, 2005 3:37pm PST

Rotation 5/2003 :

Rotation 5/2003

Updated: Apr 18, 2005 3:36pm PST

Molly McGees 6/2003 :

Molly McGees 6/2003

Updated: Apr 18, 2005 3:34pm PST

Thank you Easter Bunny : Spent the weekend at Cabernet with Mom and Keith. Easter bunny came in the morning and brought everyone nice treats. Even the dogs and cats got goodies this year!

Thank you Easter Bunny

Spent the weekend at Cabernet with Mom and Keith. Easter bunny came i ...

Updated: Mar 29, 2005 9:48pm PST

Thanksgiving at Cabernet 2004 : We tried new things this year, some not to be tried again! Was great to be with family for the holidays anyway:)

Thanksgiving at Cabernet 2004

We tried new things this year, some not to be tried again! Was great ...

Updated: Mar 12, 2005 10:00pm PST

Stanford Treeathlon 2/27/05 : 500 meter pool swim 12 mile *hilly (not relatively flat!)* bike 3.1 mile run Palo Alto, CA - Stanford Univeristy Campus *This was the first annual tri at Stanford and was a blast. Looking forward to it next year. Great start to the new season.

Stanford Treeathlon 2/27/05

500 meter pool swim 12 mile *hilly (not relatively flat!)* bike 3.1 ...

Updated: Feb 27, 2005 5:48pm PST

Half Moon Bay 11/2004 : Les, Huggy, and I went to the beach to play. There are some really nice sunset shots in here.

Half Moon Bay 11/2004

Les, Huggy, and I went to the beach to play. There are some really ni ...

Updated: Feb 08, 2005 10:57pm PST

Nights Out : Some of these are Les' gigs, some are just us out having fun.

Nights Out

Some of these are Les' gigs, some are just us out having fun.

Updated: Feb 08, 2005 1:16pm PST

Happy...Lights :

Happy...Lights

Updated: Feb 02, 2005 4:04pm PST

Whistler, BC :

Whistler, BC

Updated: Jan 31, 2005 12:21am PST

What a cute likkle boy! :

What a cute likkle boy!

Updated: Jan 30, 2005 11:57pm PST