Getting ready for Halloween

In honor of Rita (our cat), Eric and I decided to carve a pumpkin with a cat design for this Halloween. Eric traced the outline, and I carved the design. Here is the final result. Rita loved it! Happy Halloween!

Eric tracing the pumpkin

Our cat pumpkin

Rita was very curious about the "cat" pumpkin.

Stanford Football

Eric was on call this weekend for neurosurgery. (He is on call a lot). However, he decided that we could attempt to make it to the Stanford football game against Arizona State University without him getting paged to the hospital. We tailgated before the game with some other residents. It was great weather and good fun. Then, we headed to the game. The Stanford football stadium was very nice, but it was only half-full. People were handing out tickets for free because they weren't going to the game. (This is the only thing that is cheaper in CA- football tickets.) Eric and I agreed that even in the worst season of Arkansas football it would never look like this. Also, the dynamic of the game was very different. There was this "dancing tree" for the school mascot. Stanford technically does not have a mascot. They are the cardinals, but they are not the bird...rather a color. The tree represents "El Palo Alto" for the city where Stanford University resides. Overall, it was an interesting experience. Eric and I hope to go back for the Stanford vs. Notre Dame game.

Eric got a nice picture of me eating.

The Stanford Band- not really a "marching" band- I'm not sure what type of band they are.

Stanford football

Machu Picchu

Eric has a vacation week coming up in November. We were going to go to Las Vegas for an extended weekend because I don't have much time off. However, he wanted to do something for the whole week. (I don't blame him.) So...we started thinking of all of the places we want to go together. We mentioned Asia, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, etc. Then, Eric mentioned Machu Picchu. After he told me it would be a four-day hike to the Inca Ruins and mountain sickness occurs in about 2% of people, I decided that this may be an adventure he should experience alone. Actually, Matthew Ragland and him are going to hike it together. I can't wait to post some of his pictures on the blog so that we can all see one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. I'm sure that Peru and Machu Picchu are going to be beautiful. Stay tuned for more in November!

Here is a picture I found of Machu Picchu on the internet. Wow!

Ashley & Ben in The Bay

Ashley and Ben came to visit me and Eric this past week. I picked them up in San Francisco on Friday after work. This was my first time to drive in San Francisco, and I was a little nervous. However, I picked them up near Fisherman's Wharf and drove to Union Square so they could get their luggage. We went out for a night on the town in Palo Alto on Friday. They enjoyed University Ave with all of its restaurants and bars. We ate Thai food and enjoyed the night life.

Pondering wine at the European wine bar in Palo Alto

On Saturday, Ashley, Ben, and I ventured to wine country- Napa Valley and Sonoma. I missed my exit near Oakland, and the Prius navigation ended up sending me across the Bay Bridge and back over again. It was a quick site-seeing tour for them. Ashley especially enjoyed the double-decker bridge, which the city just reconstructed portions of it for earthquakes. After that, we reached our first destination, the Robert Mondavi Winery. The winery was beautiful! We had an hour educational tour of how the wine-making process works. At the end, we learned all about wine tasting. Ben especially enjoyed this since he drank all of the wines that we could not finish. It was a great wine tasting and tour.

Vineyards at the Robert Mondavi Winery

Wine Tasting

Ben trying to be Robert Mondavi in his cork jacket

Next, we traveled south to the Cuvaison Winery. It is very contemporary and very California with its solar-powered winery. We tasted about 12 wines there and enjoyed the amazing view from our table. I also joined their wine club. That evening we had dinner in downtown Sonoma. Ashley found a store that specialized in gourmet cheeses; she was so happy.

A beautiful afternoon in Napa

On Sunday, we toured the Stanford campus and saw views from Hoover Tower. We went to a farmer's market on California Street and sampled all of the organic fruits and vegetables. After the healthy farmer's market, we went to In-N-Out Burger for a California treat! Ashley and Ben ordered their burgers "animal style." Yum! We visited Google's headquarters afterwards. (By the way, I pass by Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto regularly. It is crazy living in Silicon Valley!)

Stanford Memorial Church

Stanford's Palm Drive with Ashley's classy pose

Gotta love Google

We Eric got off work we headed to San Francisco for some site-seeing. We went to the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, and China Town. Then, we headed home for dinner and drinks in Palo Alto.

At the Golden Gate Bridge

At Vista Point- a great view of The Bay

Ashley, Ben, and I went to Sausalito on Monday. This was my first time to go so it was an adventure for me, too. It is a beautiful town just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It has amazing views of San Francisco across the Bay. We shopped and had lunch at a waterfront restaurant. It was once again a lovely day in CA! We headed to Muir Woods after lunch to visit the famous Redwood Forest. These trees are the largest trees in the world and a great site to see. I drove Ashley and Ben back to San Francisco because I had to go to work that night. They had a great time.

Lunch on the Pacific Ocean in Sausalito

Ashley and Ben- Californian "tree huggers"

It was hard to say "bye" since we had so much fun. It reminded me how much I miss my friends and family back home. However, Eric and I are enjoying all of the exciting things to do here. We hope some of are other friends come to visit us in CA!

Now and Zen

Eric finally had a day off this weekend after working 20 days straight. Yeah! We spent most of the weekend in San Francisco. On Saturday, we met up with the San Francisco Chapter of the Arkansas Alumni group for the Razorback watch party at a pub near Golden Gate Park. Even though the game didn't go well, we had a good time meeting alumni from the U of A. Later that night we met up with some of Eric's co-residents for a night on the town in Palo Alto.

On Sunday, we decided to go to the Now and Zen Concert in Golden Gate Park. It was a free concert with Colbie Caillat, Dashboard Confessional, Howie Day, and Train (who is from SF). Kristy joined us for the concert. Her fiance is also a resident and was working a 24-hour shift that day. The weather was great- warm and sunny- which is not typical for SF. It was a interesting crowd at the concert- very different from AR. Eric and I really enjoyed the weekend. Now, we are looking forward to Ashley and Ben coming to visit. :)

Enjoying the concert

Me & Kristy listening to the music

Kristy eating an "It's It"- a San Francisco ice cream treat

Eric and his "It's It"

Now and Zen Fest

More CA visitors

Here are some pictures of Eric and his parents when they helped move us here. We hope to have many more visitors!

Eric's parents at the Golden Gate Bridge

Eric and his father

View from Hoover Tower at Stanford University

Stanford Memorial Church

Eric and his mother

Eric's parents at the redwoods

Eric's parents at Pier 39

Wedding in Northern CA

Eric and I attended April Robertson and Scott Stafford's wedding in early August. We know both of them from Arkansas. They live in Vacaville, CA, which is about 2.5 hours north of us. We didn't know anyone there because it was all of their friends from CA, but we had a great time.

Eric with his new Californian sunglasses!

I really enjoyed the rock candy, but it turned my teeth blue!

The bride and the girl with blue teeth (me)

Going back to my cheerleader days...

The Wrights