First Movie Out Since Jay! - Saturday, March 15th, 2008

After almost 3 months we decided that we could finally leave Jay at home with Grandma (while he was sleeping) and catch some relaxation time.

Could we have picked a lousier movie than Juno? Not that the movie was bad, quite the opposite, but it's all about babies! The ads before the movie were even targeted towards the parent crowd and were all about diapers and kids. We had to rush home afterward to see our little bao bai.

Baby Shower - Saturday, November 3rd, 2007

Jay is on his way! Theresa's sisters and Maryanne flew in for the weekend to help us celebrate, and friends and family stopped by all day to celebrate with us as well as eat all the baked goods and snacks we had prepared. We received tons of lovely presents, including lots of book to read to Jay.

Pumpkin Carving - Monday, October 29th, 2007

Another year, another pair of jack-o-lanterns! This year, Ray decided to go for a pirate ship. Yarr! Theresa went with a cat, spider and jack-o-lantern (within a jack-o-lantern) in a window.

Mike and Natalie Tie the Knot - Saturday, October 6th, 2007

Mike and Natalie got married at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. They had a very nice reception with lobster and steak. Unfortunately, Theresa could not eat much of either since she's allergic to shellfish and was not supposed to eat rare meat. Fortunately, Ray was hungry and was able to help her out.

Ray Gets Older - Saturday, September 8th, 2007

The big TWO-SIX for Ray. Theresa treated Ray to a nice picnic in Cuesta Park. Then the Boys and Katie came down and we were off to Palace BBQ Buffet to eat ridiculous amounts of meat. Due to old age, Ray was unable to eat half of what everyone else could, but still left stuffed to the brim like everyone else.

Despite our fullness, we of course had to have some of Theresa's home-made goodies. She baked cupcakes and one of Ray's favorites: Boston Cream Cake.

We played Scategories into the night to start off another year.

Weekend Trip to Yosemite - Friday, July 27th, 2007

We arrived at Yosemite around 6 pm and got to work on setting up camp, while the Boys and Katie were off on a hike. We had the mandatory hot dogs and smores for dinner.

The next morning, the Boys and Katie set off to hike Half Dome. We stayed behind on the ground to hike some easier trails. The weekend was blistering hot at 99 degrees farenheit, so we took a dip in one of the streams near Mirror Meadow. We got back to the camp site and relaxed, cooked some pasta, and went to bed very early.

Sunday we woke up and had a nice slow morning, eating Cheetos, PB&J and fruit. We took a short hike to see some of the great Sequoias. Then we went to play in a river while Theresa relaxed on the rocks. Ray got swept up in a strong current near some sharp rocks and almost died, but Dennis pulled him out of the river and saved him.

A New Addition to Our Family - Thursday, July 19th, 2007

No! Not a baby (yet). As a belated birthday present for Theresa, Ray bought her the super-sized version of Stewart, whom we affectionately named Grandpa Stewart. Grandpa Stewart is 5 feet 6 inches long and weighs over 30 pounds!

AdSense Birthday Party - Friday, July 6th, 2007

We helped the Dublin AdSense team celebrate their 3rd birthday at Croke Park. The party was in a nice bar and lounge that is usually reserved for the Gaelic Football team. The theme of the night was nationalities, so Theresa dressed in blue with white stripes and stood next to Arlene, who wore red to represent the red stripes. Ray half-assedly wore a white shirt to represent the white stripes. We found some people to play Doko with for a bit and spent the rest of the night saying 'good-bye' to the Dublin AdSensers.

Farewell Party at Searsons - Thursday, July 5th, 2007

Ray had one last night out with the Checkout folks for some Jamie and Gingers, Guinesses and Baby Guinesses.

West Ireland Day 3 - Monday, July 2, 2007

We had another nice Irish fry breakfast. Then we headed out from Galway south towards the Burren. Our first stop was the Burren House, a nice little shop, but we didn't buy anything.

We stopped at a few more places along the coast before we reached the destination we had been waiting for: THE CLIFFS OF MOHER! The cliffs were very impressive and the Irish fog was kind enough to lift itself for us so that we could have a clear view of them. They were every bit as inconceivable as the Cliffs of Insanity.

After the cliffs we headed to Lehinch for a nice lunch of lamb stew and hamburger. Then we walked along the beach for a nice post lunch stroll, then had a quick stop at the Burren perfumery to learn more about the Burren. Our last stop was the Ailwee caves where we took the tour, then we headed back to Dublin. All in all, a great weekend exploring Ireland!

West Ireland Day 2 - Sunday, July 1, 2007

Breakfast was in a nice sunny room with big windows. The sky was actually blue in several parts, and the sun was shining. Our meal started with tiny glasses of OJ, hot tea, then the 'fry': a sunny side up egg, 2 strips of ham, 2 sausages, and a cooked small tomato. There was also white toast and brown bread, with butter and jam on the side. Theresa also finished off her meal with a small bowl of muesli.

Our first stop was just next to the B&B at a gorgeous viewpoint. We stopped again in town to get some cash, gas, and directions. From there we headed north toward Letterfrack and Connemara National Park, Ray driving happily on the left side of the narrow twisty road, in a manual car. Connemara National Park was very nice, and we took a guided hike through the bog.

After Connemara Park we drove to Kylemore Abbey, and then headed back down to Galway through the valley next to Lough Innagh. We found another quaint B&B in Galway to settle down in for the night, and stopped for a bite to eat at a very touristy looking place, but they had more lamb stew for Theresa, and a burger for Ray.

West Ireland Day 1 - Saturday, June 30, 2007

We left Dublin at 8:30am, heading out to Galway. Theresa drove all the way, with Ray helping out with directions, which was particularly useful during the detours.

After a short stop in Galway for fish n chips (which was actually chicken, baked cod, and chips, and baked beans) we took R336 west from Galway, going along the coast. There were lots of really nice, fluffy sheep along the way. We got a little lost, and switched drivers at some point. We ran into an "Irish traffic jam" with a farmer, his 3 cows, and his dog. Soon after, we hit another "traffic jam" but it was just one lone sheep.

We took a stop in Roundstone for a snack: hot chocolate, orange juice, and chocolate cake. Theresa also bought a popsicle (lime ice, lemon sherbet which tasted too creamy for sherbet, and chocolate coating) and an Ordinance Survey road map of Ireland. Our next stop was at a small beach, where Theresa touched the Atlantic (or Gorteen Bay). Our final stop of the day was in Clifden, which was gorgeous. We drove out west along Sky Road and found a really nice B&B, with views of the water, cows, and sheep! The B&B itself was really new - it looked like we might have been the first people ever to sleep in that room. The bed was comfortably soft, the pillows plush, and the towels fluffy. We took a nap before heading back into town for dinner. Just as we got there, it started pouring down rain, so we didn't explore too far before stopping in at Cullen's Bistro and Coffee Shop. It was an excellent pick! Ray ordered Beef in Guiness stew, and Theresa had the traditional Irish lamb stew (even though it made Ray sad). Both stews were fantastic. Big, steamy bowls of hot, meaty, hearty stew - just what we needed after a tiring day of driving, and coming in from the cold, wet, windy weather outside. We also got brown scones which Theresa loved! Way better than the normal brown bread. It tasted like cake!

Berlin Day 2 - Sunday, June 10, 2007

We woke up around 10 am and headed out to meet Frances and Arun. They were running a bit late though, so we had to find food for ourselves. Knowing that we would be having curry-wurst and donne kebab later that day, we gave up and just had some donuts and munchkins from a Dunkin' Donuts! Frances and Arun met us at the Gedenk Church and we headed off, taking the 100 bus to the German Parliament. The Parliament is goregous, with a magnificent new dome placed atop a very old building. Visitors are allowed to go up through the dome throughout the day to get a 360 degree view of Berlin. The building is also located next to the river Spree and the various government buildings have some wild architecture. After the parliament, we went back to the Brandenburg Gate, visited the Holocaust memorial, and saw the remnants of the Berlin Wall.

By this time the four of us were all craving ice cream, so we set off in search of a restaurant that could satisfy our needs. We weren't disappointed! We then stopped in the Tiergarden for a long afternoon session of Doppel-Kopf.

After Arun thoroughly destroyed us in one round of Doko, we headed to "the most beautiful square in the world" according to Frances. We stopped in a chocolate shop that featured some very unique chocolate sculptures, and then stopped for an afternoon drink (and more Doko!). We finished our visit to the square with some cake from Frances' favorite cake shop.

We finished our day with a trip the Turkish quarter for donne kebab and curry wurst. We just missed a jazz street festival, but got the general gist of the whole thing.

Thanks to Frances and Arun for an amazing trip to Berlin!!!

Berlin Day 1 - Saturday, June 9, 2007

We left the flat at 10:30 on Saturday morning and wound up at our shuttle stop 20 minutes early, so we were able to catch the 11:07 Air Coach to the airport. We got through security in record time, so we stopped to shop a bit and then grabbed a bite to eat. Theresa had potatoes and peas, and Ray had a cajun chicken panini with a bowl of tomato soup, with potato chips on the side. Theresa had leftover potatoes and stored them in the potato chip bag, it worked quite well.

Our flight took us through Heathrow, where we had our first pleasant experience at that airport, getting through the lines quickly. Unfortunately, the flight to Berlin was dreadful with a smoker sitting quite near us and the worst turbulence we'd ever experienced. It got all better as soon as we landed and were greeted at the airport by Arun and Frances! They took us to our hotel and then out to Thai for dinner. The Thai place was amazing, with the most intricate flower-shaped vegetables we'd ever seen. We're trying to stay optimistic and say that they shape the vegetables individually for each plate, but if they do, they need to re-evaluate proper use of their time! Afterwards, Frances and Arun took us on a gorgeous walk around Berlin at night, along the river Spree.

More Fun with Jane & Greg - Sunday, May 27, 2007

We slept in until nearly noon, and found that Jane and Greg were still asleep! We didn't get out until around 1 pm and we headed to a cafe for some lunch. The cafe was a little brisk with a cafeteria-like line for getting food and very small tables. Theresa got Irish soda bread with a cream of vegetable soup, and it was good. We shared a 'Big Breakfast' consisting of beans, an egg, mushrooms, and several different types of sausage and bacon. It was a little underwhelming. Luckily, Ray also got a donut.

Afterwards, the four of us headed to the shops. Greg had enjoyed hurling so much the day before, he wanted to find a hurling jersey. We found one, but Greg couldn't bring himself to buy it since it would basically make him look like a walking billboard with all the sponsors on it. Then we headed to a pub to actually watch a hurling match. Jane astutely noted that it was the fastest-paced game she had ever seen (it is the fastest ball-and-stick game in the world!). Ray treated Greg and Jane to pints of Guinees.

We then headed off to the cinema to see Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End. The movie was very confusing, and to make matters worse, we sat next to a group of rowdy Irish children that wouldn't shut up. I later found out that it's pretty typical for Irish parents to unleash their kids into the wild for the weekends so that they can wreak havoc. Generally, no one does anything about it, but Ray's co-worker experienced the exact same thing at another cinema, and someone threw a kid against the wall and poured coca-cola on him. That's pretty cool!

After the movie, we headed home and stopped by Lido's for some fish and chips to go. We ate back at the flat while watching the Padres game via mlb.tv. Jane and Ray also slipped out to call home and let the parents know the good news about the engagement. The parents were very happy.

Be Irish for a Day - Saturday, May 26, 2007

We woke up early and met up with Shane and some other folks and headed off in a van for the Irish countryside so that we could "Be Irish for a Day"! The trip was superb. We first stopped at Trim castle for some quick site-seeing (apparently, scenes from Braveheart were filmed here). Then we headed to Causy farm, where we were greeted by the incredibly friendly farm family. Our first activity was making Irish Soda Bread. Then we learned all about hurling and even got to play a few 1:1 matches against each other. We also learned to make rope out of straw and had a jump-rope competition. The highlight of the day was trying to herd sheep. Afterwards, we sat down to a hearty Irish lunch, eating our soda bread with cheese, meats and salads, followed by the most delicious scones we'd ever had.

We moved on to learning how to play Irish drums, and how to do an Irish jig. And finally we had a tractor ride to the bogs to see where they dig up turf for fuel. We were also treated to the true Irish experience when it started pouring rain.

After we returned from the event, we treated Jane and Greg to Pearl. We shared the foie gras appetizer (again!), still searching for a foie gras that could compare to the one we had in Venice. Ray had the fillet (yes, yes, again), and it's still the best steak he's had. Theresa had the black sole.

Jane & Greg Visit - Friday, May 25, 2007

After a month of planning, Greg surprised Jane with a visit to Dublin. A quick afternoon of jet-lagged napping, and they went for a hike in Howth.

After their return, they revealed that Greg had proposed! Very happy, the four of us went to eat at Ely's Wine Bar (again). We shared the foie gras appetizer (again); it wasn't as good as last time. Ray finally tried bangers and mash, and Theresa had monk fish.

Paris Day 3 - Monday, May 7, 2007

We slept in again on Monday, with two weeks straight of traveling starting to take its toll. After checking out of the Westin, we headed back to Rue Mouffetard to eat. We had a huge crepe with ham, cheese and egg, and followed it up with ice cream from an adorable shop where they shaped your two scoops to look like a flower. Pleasantly full, we headed to the Louvre. It was surprisingly un-crowded, and we made it from the Metro station to La Jaconde (Mona Lisa) within 20 minutes. We stared at the masterpiece for about 5 minutes, and resisted the American temptation to photograph her. Then we walked through the Louvre and came across more masterpieces, including the Venus de Milo. At around 4 pm, fatigue began to set in, so we headed back to the Westin to relax in the Bar Tuileries. Theresa had a 'feezy' which was basically an icy mixture of several fruit juices, and Ray had a glass of kir. We headed off to the airport early, and after some delays with the flight due to weather, were on our way back to Dublin. We arrived at our flat a little past midnight.

Paris Day 2 - Sunday, May 6, 2007

We were so tired from so much traveling that we just slept in on this lazy Sunday. Theresa tried to get baked goodies but the two shops she tried first were both closed. She finally ended up with 2 pain chocolat, plus almond and apple pastries from Paul's on Champs Elysee (and really nice napkins). We ate the pastries and then headed out. We walked through the Jardin des Tuileries to the Louvre. Then we walked down to the Seine and along it until we reached the Isle de la Cite. Here we visited the Notre Dame. There was actually a Sunday service going on so we got to see the priest speaking and the choir singing.

After Notre Dame, we continued exploring and wound up on Isle St. Luis, where we found a cute street full of boulangeries, fromageries and Berthillon glace shops. We stopped by a few shops, getting ice cream, then a baguette with some ham, goat cheese, munster and a bottle of wine (Ray did all the ordering in French, including asking the shop-keeper to open the bottle!). We went down to the tip of the island to have a picnic lunch. Unfortunately, Theresa's favorite spot was already occupied by nude sun-bathers, but luckily there was a quiet, shaded bench a little further down the way.

We had a perfect picnic lunch, accompanied by many little duckies waddling by in the Seine, including babies and teenager ducks that just hung out on the island bank. We had much more food than we knew what to do with, and food coma struck almost immediately, so we walked along to a park and found a nice bench to rest on.

Afterwards we strolled through the Quartier Latin to see all the food shops, and ended up at a Brasserie to refresh ourselves with an afternoon tea and a limonade, accompanied by an assiettes des frites! Then we headed off to Rue Mouffetard to see some more food shops. We had a lovely stroll down the cobble-stoned street and saw lots of yummy creperies and other restaurants, including the adorably punny 'Mouffe Tarte' which an old French lady told us was not very good. We ended up at a fountain for a rest, then picked up some fruit and headed back to the hotel for some more rest.

After Ray had a nice nap, we headed out once more for the Quartier Latin, but were stopped from getting on the Metro by rows and rows of police cars. It turns out that we had come out just in time to witness the celebration of the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as the new French president, and half the city was partying at the nearby Place de Concorde. We decided to skip out on the celebration and walked further down Rue Rivoli to the next Metro station.

The Quartier Latin was rather quiet for a Sunday night (we're told that many of the residents were disappointed with the election results) but we didn't let that stop us from eating. We started at the Maison de Gyro (which we later discovered was the name of almost every gyro joint) and had a delicious 'Extra Pita' platter, which was just a gyro with fries on top. Ray was impressed when the shop keeper spoke to him in French, English, Chinese and Korean, trying to guess which language Ray spoke. Then we switched over to sweets and had a crepe with nutella, bananas and coconut. We moved on to another gyro, which we ate under the lights of the Notre Dame. Then we headed back to the Quartier Latin to finish with some Haagen Daas ice cream. It was already midnight by this point, and with food coma setting in, we headed back to the hotel to pass out.

Paris Day 1 - Saturday, May 5, 2007

Saturday we woke up real early, around 5:30am, walked to the Aircoach stop next to Trinity College and the Tourist Information Office. It was a short ride to the airport, and a rather painless travel experience from DUB to CDG. For such a short flight (about an hour), the service was realy nice: moist towelettes, drinks, yogurt, Irish bread with butter and orange marmalade. After landing, we taxied for ever. Then we walked down the stairs off the plane and got straight onto a bus to take us to the actual terminal. The bus ride was even longer! This is a huge airport!

Instead of standing in line to buy RER train tickets into Paris proper, we bought a Toblerone so that we could get enough change to buy our tickets from the machines: 16.20 euro in coins is a lot! The RER took us to Chatelet, which was close enough to our hotel that we walked, through a very touristy area selling all kinds of souvenir junk, to the Westin on Castiglione & Rivoli. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we relaxed and ate a light lunch at the hotel bar, Bar Tuilerie: croque madame (ham & cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top), "club sandwich" (tasted more like an egg salad sandwich, with turkey, proscuitto, lettuce, tomato, eggs), salad, and frites. With our drinks (Evian and a red Bichon wine) came beer snacks: potato chips, trail mix, wasabi peas. Theresa really likes this bar because it has soothing red decor and couches, but the tables are really short.

Our room was small but cozy. Mirrors on the wall and dressers made it look bigger. Interesting architecture and nice wallpaper. The bed was very comfy, and Ray fell asleep immediately (before Theresa got a chance to take photos). Once we were refreshed, we took a stroll down rue Rivoli and Champs Elysee, walked toward Hotel des Invalides, then turned toward Le Tour Eiffel. Then after some hurried walking, we finally found our dinner boat, Le Capitaine Fricasse. It had a somewhat rushed and commercial feel to it, but otherwise it was a lovely boat ride down the Seine with some fine dining. We started with a 5-piece appetiser, the highlight of which was the pate de fois gras. We both ordered the filet; Ray's medim rare was exceptionally rare, and both were quite chewy. But the mushroom sauce and gratin served on the sie were tasty, and the mache salad made Theresa happy. Mid dinner we ran upstairs to the viewing platform to take photos and video of the cityscape from the Seine perspective. Then we came down for dessert: cake w/chocolate mousse, a raspberry dessert, and banana crepe w/chocolate sauce. Then out came the birthday cakes with song, in both English and French!

After the cruise, we walked around the Tour Eiffel a bit, since it was nicely lit after dark. We were pretty tired by then, so we went to the nearest Metro station instead of walking back to the hotel. We weren't sure what kind of tickets to get, so Theresa had to ask the ticket agent. Ray was very impressed with Theresa's French.