A weekend for "The Birds"

Mike and I usually find ourselves with Memorial Day upon us, and not a plan to be seen!  We are big into Labor day, and other 3 dayers, but for some reason, Memorial day just appears, and we end up at home, hanging out in good ole San Jo.  Nothing really wrong with that, but we always bemoan our lack of foresight, and vow to plan something fun the following year.  This year we finally made good on our word, and took a really fun trip with a group of friends who we rarely get to hang with.

The view from the living room - WOW!

We went on VRBO, and found a really fun cabin in Bodega Bay for the 10 of us (plus 2 kiddos!)  We got there on Friday night, and stayed until Monday morning.  We had each meal assigned a cooking team and a bar tending team!  Some of the meals included: baked potato bar, taco bar, bloody mary bar, brauts and ribs - you get the picture.  There was a lot of eating happening.

We mostly stayed in, played games - including the Michael Jackson dance video game for the Wii.  Now that was a fun game.  I could have danced all night.  I loved it!  It was even more fun after the margarita bar!  It was pretty low key and just the kind of weekend I love.  Taiko was also able to come with us, which was great since we hate leaving him behind.  He is a member of the family, after all!

We did venture out one day, just the girls.  We went out to lunch, and the "famous" Tippy Hedron was there - she starred in Alfred Hitchcock's, "The Birds."  Now, famous is in quotes here because I thought it was a joke.  She had a booth set up - like the ones you see at craft fairs, and she was charging for autographs, pictures with and without her, etc.  It was all kind of sad.  This entire town billed itself as the home of the film, "The Birds"...  Maybe it's a generational thing, but I was searching for my impressed face - couldn't find it...

On the way home, we stopped in Tamales Bay for some oysters - this place was bomb!  Such a great culinary end to a weekend filled with good food, great friends and lots of "yes"ing!

The boys doing their MJ dance - it was a King's Cup round!

Yum-O!

I love how Mike takes his food prep so seriously - creating the perfect bite here...

So Far in the Year of Yes...

Clearly my year hasn't included updating this blog much!  Yikes!  Truth be told, its switch in focus (from getting married to married life) is a bit difficult to follow and document.  I mean, who wants to read a blog of mush about how fabulous married life is?

But, I can update on my year of yes.  If you recall, it was my NY resolution to say yes to more fulfilling and rewarding things and NO to working all of the time.  The work of a teacher is never ending, seriously, so if all I did was say yes to work, I would be working 24/7.  And, ultimately, I would not be a very effective teacher if all I did was worry about teaching!

Earlier this year, Mike and I booked a trip to Kauai on a whim, and we just returned from the blissful excursion on Wednesday.  It was short, but sweet.  Mike is a CPA and so, ended his tax season on Friday (even though tax day really wasn't until Monday the 18th this year).  We left on Sunday morning, and had to return Wednesday, because he started a new quarter of his Masters in Tax class at SJSU.  But, something is better than nothing, right?

Opaeka'a Falls

The view on the other side...

We arrived around 10:30, and so had the entire day in front of us!  We went to our hotel to drop our stuff, and then we were off!  We hadn't really done a ton of research on what to do, or where to go, simply because we didn't have the time before. But when you go to Hawaii, you really don't need to have much of a plan!  Mike is really big on trying the 'local' fare, and always wants to sample authentic cuisine.  So our first goal was to have some yummy Hawaiian food.  We went to a place not far from our hotel, and had some grilled mahi mahi, BBQ and of course, mac salad and rice.  Yum-O.  Then, we drove back towards the airport to look around and visit Opaeka'a Falls, which we had seen a sign for on our way in.  It was a small overlook on one side, and on the other side, a view of a canyon and all the lush and incredible greenery.  Saying yes never looked so good!

The sunset on the first night! (post-whale)

That night, we decided to grab a cocktail, and read out on the beach.  We are currently reading The Art of Racing in the Rain, and it is a tear jerker for sure.  We brought the book out and as we were approaching our seats, a whale breached the surface.  And by breached, in this case, I mean that there was probably only 2 feet of this huge whale still in the water!  The rest of him was fully out of the water, and our jaws were fully on the ground.  It was not too far from shore, and I felt like I was watching the Discovery Channel!  It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. We quickly grabbed our seats, and enjoyed two more sightings, though none were as big as that initial showing.  Off in the distance we continued to see spouts, and we felt so lucky to have seen such an amazing sight!  Who needs a whaling cruise when you can walk out on the beach and have a front row seat!  We were trying to get pictures of it, but at a certain point, I remembered the wise words of one of my besties who recently blogged about photographing v. enjoying the experience.  I stopped trying to capture it, and focused on really seeing it for the first time around.

The view on our way!

The next day, we had scheduled a Zip Lining adventure in the North Shore.  Mike and I discovered our love of zipping on our honeymoon in the DR.  We have been two times since, and are kind of addicted.  It offers such a unique view of any site, and in Kauai and the DR, we were able to get off the beach and into the thick of the island and see some amazing stuff!  This zip experience was different from the others we have enjoyed in that you actually had to run to start and launch yourself, and  run up a ramp to stop yourself as well.  It took a while to get used to, but we got the hang of it!  The last zip was the best - it was 1,200 feet, and a tandem, so we got to race!  Mike came out of nowhere and beat me in the last 50 feet or so - such crap :)  Before we ended our tour, we got to have a picnic lunch at a swim hole with fresh water that was a nice refresher after a few hours in the hot and humid sun!  It was an all around amazing experience.    And, strangely, our entire zipping group was from the Bay, and one of the two tour guides a graduate of Chico State.

Looks strangely familiar - like our 'chariot' in the Dominican Republic

All suited up!

The first zip!  Check out those launch ramps.

Weeeeeeee!!!!!

Backwards launch.  

The suspension bridge - very cool! (except for the lady who was deathly afraid of heights, and who was also, inexplicably, on our tour...)

I'm a pro.

Did I mention that the zip place was also a working cattle farm?

Swimming hole!

After zipping, we headed out to the Kilauea Lighthouse, on a recommendation from our guides.  It is the northernmost point of the state, and is also a bird refuge for many birds who migrate to and from Alaska several times a month.  Since it is a sanctuary, the birds can safely nest on the ground.  Then, on another recommendation, we went to Kilauea Video and Ice Cream.  SO GOOD.  If you go to Kauai, you MUST go to this ice cream shop (and rent a VHS tape too, if you are so inclined.)  It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.  I got coconut strawberry ice cream, and Mike got the Hawaiian banana split flavor.  Both were extremely creamy, delicious and refreshing!

Our day at the beach :)

The next day we spent at the beach, and then headed to a luau!  This was one experience that I really was craving, as I had never been to one, and it would be such a great cultural treat.  We knew we wanted to go, it was just a matter of which one.  We were walking back from the store, and wouldn't you know, there was a huge tour bus, completely filled with an advertisement/photograph of a luau.  It was a sign. We booked it as soon as we got back to the hotel!  We had such a great time, and for me, it was easily the highlight of the trip.  The Kalamaku Luau was on a plantation, and they had a rum tasting room, dancers to usher us in, a lei greeting (although I had already gotten a special lei for myself - so I was doubly lei'd...) and various vendors to visit while we waited for the show.  They also had a train ride with historical background information about the plantation, but we didn't get there early enough!

We started out in the rum tasting room (of course).  They poured a dark and light rum, and advised only to let it touch your lips to really appreciate the taste.  (and also, they would be making a mai tai at the end, so the more rum you had left, the better your mai tai...).  Then we made our way inside, and got lei'd and had our photo taken with some of the dancers.  I didn't mind the complete touristness of this, because I was SO excited to be there.  The dining room was huge, and our table was really close to the stage.  We were sitting with six other people (most of whom were from the Bay).  While we were waiting, we visited the bar frequently, and also shopped around the different vendors.  We bought some Hawaiian spices - and will be BBQing tonight so come on over!  I got a beautiful flower for my hair, just to complete the Hawaiian tourist experience.

The show was amazing - it had a complete storyline, and beautiful dancing.  One of the guys looked like this actor from General Hospital (which I don't watch but did when my mom used to.  He was seriously a dead ringer, except for the actual actor I was thinking of would be about 60 by now, and this guy definitely was not).  There was a fire thrower and great music - I think that I am going to exercise to luau music from now on.  Talk about tunes that get you going!  I would also like to learn how to make my hips move independent from the rest of my body...

Wednesday, our last day, our flight got delayed by three hours, and so we got to enjoy a bit more of the island!  We visited Wailua Falls, which were so beautiful.  The natural beauty of Kauai is out of this world.  Mike and I frequently commented how it felt like somewhere that wasn't America - you just don't see this much natural landscape many places.  It was so great.  Then we headed down to Poi'Pu, and drove around for a bit there.  We were very thankful for our delayed flight!



Now, we are back on the mainland, and focusing on our next trip in the year of yes - a 3 week European  excursion!  I am on spring break this week, and trying to focus on 'yessing' on a smaller scale as well.  I am not checking my work email (for the most part), not working, exercising, and hanging out with the best dog out there, Taiko.

Tax Widow

As I write this, I am in the midst of a glorious Winter break.  In my high school years, this was called "Ski Skate Week" - because we lived in the snow, and could use the week to ski and skate.  I think people in the Bay still call it that, but I don't - because we don't live in the snow!  It has to have a new name.  I just call it vacation now:)

However, my vacation would be doubly more pleasurable if my wonderful husband wasn't in the midst of the complete opposite of vacation: busy season.  Every year for the last five years, my wonderful Mike has been shoulder deep in taxes, from mid-January to mid-April.  For the last five years, I have had two week-long vacations right in the middle of that time that we are unable to enjoy together because of the demands of his job!  It is around this time (after about 3-4 weeks of this nonsense) that I start to resent taxes, the IRS, PP&Co, and anything else that explains my husband's absence from our house for more than 12 hours a day.

Don't get me wrong, I am beyond thankful that we are both gainfully employed.  However, living solo a quarter of the year is no fun!  He is sorely missed.

In other, happier, news, Mike and I are putting the finishing touches on a vacation we will be able to spend together, and one that we have been saving for and dreaming of for a few years now.  In June, we will take off to Europe for a 3-week trip to five different countries!  We will be visiting Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece and Israel!  For the first part of the tour we will be going on a cruise, which will take us From Rome to Naples, to Athens, to Hypha, to Ashdod, to Cosadasi, to Rhodes, to Chania and back.  Then, we will meet up with my mom and sister in Rome, and travel around Tuscany, (including back to my beloved Siena - I get butterflies even writing that!), and then fly over to Spain for a few days, then home.

This trip is beyond special for many reasons.  The first is that Mike has never been to Europe before, and I am so excited to share that experience with him, including showing him my old stomping grounds in Italy.  I can't wait to be eating gelato in the middle of the piazza at sunset.  La vita e' bella here in San Jose, but la vita e bellissima en Italia!  I can't wait.  Seriously.  My sister, also, has never been to any of these countries, and I am really excited to be there with her.  I haven't been back to Europe since college, and remember it as one of the highlights of my life so far (among other amazing experiences such as marrying Mike - it was that good!)

We have also been planning on and trying to go on this trip for a few years, but something always seems to come up - finances, events, weddings, etc.  All worth the postponement, but we are thrilled that the trip is finally on the dockets.

I am mailing out my passport today - one of the final documents to undergo the name change, and the travel agent is working on the airfare.  Yahoo!

Other fun happenings in the Fujii household are that we recently celebrated our first Valentine's Day as a married couple.  Very fun!  We are not huge Valentine people, and usually think of some low key thing to do to avoid the ridiculous crowds.  This year, we went out to Dim Sum for lunch on Sunday and the Monday night, I made dinner for us at home, and we drank champagne and enjoyed Mike coming home from work early!  We also agreed not to do any big gifts, but on a whim, I stopped by the Smoke Shop and picked up 2 "sticks" - or cigars - for Mike.  Recommendations from the store owner, because I sure as hell don't know anything about cigars, let alone enough to pick them out for Mike!  This is not one of my favorite hobbies of Mike's, but it brings him pleasure and relaxation, and so I enjoy that aspect.  He got me a gift certificate to a book shop - not one of my favorite hobbies either.  I thought that captured what a perfect match we have ;)

For the next couple of weeks, it will be pretty quiet around here.  But then we are off to Kauai.  So I really can't complain.

Things have been going well in the world of yes - my NY resolution.  I am struggling a bit to find a balance between my "yessing" and being an effective teacher - but I guess that is real life.  Trying to give to the things that are most important to you, and still be effective at everything.  It's a continual struggle for me, but I think I am getting better every year.  I figure by the time I am ready to retire, or die, I might have gotten close to figuring it out.

The name change has turned a corner recently, and is becoming easier.  I am moving away from the no man's land I occupied for some time, and have moved to looking at my old name, Stephanie Griesmer, with a kind of interest - cocked head, furrowed brow, pursed lips.  It's hard to put into words the feeling, but it seems to fit me less and less.  As Emily predicted, the more times I hear it, the more I sign it, it becomes more and more a part of me.  And that is good.

Caaaaaaaalifornia! (Way better than "Ooooooooklahoma"...)

Do you know how beautiful California is?  Do you really know?  I thought I knew - thought that having been all over this state I really understood what a cool place it was.  Well folks, I was wrong.

Mike and I decided that, since we have been together for so long and because we were showered with SO many gifts this year from the wedding festivities, we would simply enjoy each others company for Christmas.  And what a gift that was!

It was also a gift to hang out in a new place, and explore what a beautiful and amazing state we live in.  Seriously, there are some beautiful places here.  We decided to go to Monterey, after having found a really good deal on a hotel there over the New Years weekend.  It was a beautiful place, right by the old fisherman's wharf, and greeted us with warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies upon check in!  I was sold right away! (It was a really good cookie, too.  Thinking about it now makes me want another one!)  We had been to Monterey before, actually for our first Christmas together. But, it is always cool to come back to a place so many years later, and now we're married!

We spent the days just walking around, down to the wharf, down to Cannery Row, visiting the Aquarium (which is pretty cool).  The last time we were there, the Aquarium was being remodeled and so a lot of it was shut down.  It has a lot of cool new exhibits that we enjoyed.  We stopped for lunch at this little place on the beach.  The great thing about Monterey is that all of the restaurants have someone outside offering you little cups of their clam chowder, which was invariably first place in some kind of local competition.  They must have a LOT of competitions because almost every restaurant somehow had a first place chowder...  Since it is my year of "yes", I made sure I said yes to midday cocktails!

One of the days we also decided to take a drive up the coast to Carmel and Big Sur.  I had never been there, and definitely wanted to see it.  Man oh man.  California is beautiful.  It is amazing how you can, in one moment, be right on the ocean, and then the next minute in the middle of a forest.  It rained a bit while we were there, but that didn't stop us from taking a little New Year's day hike!  We stopped on the way and enjoyed the ocean a bit, and took the opportunity to play around with our new camera.  We also just like to be photographed being silly.

All in all, it was a successful and refreshing start to the new year.  It will be a great one, full of adventure, fun and love in our new married bliss.