Driving in Davis

Here's a shot I took a bit precariously while driving through Davis the other day. This street has the most beautiful trees lining either side and I wanted to capture it.  The trees in the area are bare now since we've had a bunch of winter wind storms come through, so I often see large hawks sitting in the trees watching for prey.  It's still surprising to me how warm and sunny it is here.  Leaving for Seattle yesterday it was 66 degrees outside! We're just not used to being warm and seeing Christmas decorations at the same time.

Now that the holidays are here, I'll be away from California for 3 weeks. I'm so excited to have quality time at home with friends and family. Happy Holidays everyone!!   

Releasing Control

(Vacaville Hills as seen from swimming pool parking lot)

Control. A word that is important to most of us, especially project manager types like myself.  The need to plan, organize, and prepare for things that may happen in our lives so that nothing takes us by surprise. A protection against pain, fear, the unknown. A word that I sometimes struggle with, especially this week. 


Another word: Anemia. Definition: "A condition marked by a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in pallor and weariness." Something that I've recently discovered I've probably been struggling with most of my life.  Nothing that scary or abnormal, in fact it is the most common blood disorder and found especially in women.  But it's been something I've been working to improve since I moved to California.  I just found out this week that not even taking 4 iron pills a day with Vitamin C has done anything to elevate my iron levels.  This has been extremely disheartening and frustrating for me. I'm tired of being tired! Again, that control thing.  


I realize that in the scale of things this is a pretty minor problem. Overall I am lucky to be healthy and happy. But I think that maybe we all have something, whether it be big or small, that nags at us, that we cannot control.  So I share a short Bible quote today which has helped lift my spirits, and maybe will lift yours as well:


"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6

Our Daily Bread

Here are the two loaves of bread I baked yesterday afternoon.  Nothing beats the smell of homemade bread! I made the "White Bread Loaf" from Brother Juniper's Bread Book which my grandma (the expert bread maker) recently gave me.  

Here's the recipe - allow for lots of time (I started baking at 2 yesterday and our bread wasn't ready to eat until 8pm!)

1) Proof 2 tbsp active dry yeast in 4 tbsp lukewarm water.

2) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until mixture can be formed into a ball: yeast, 4 1/2 c. high-gluten flour, 4 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp. sea salt, 3 c. water.

3) Knead the dough on floured surface for 10-12 min. or until dough is tacky but not sticky.

4) Put dough in clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.

5) Punch dough down, form into ball, return to bowl and allow to rise again for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

6) Divide dough into 2 parts. Flatten each piece with heels of hands, fold it over back on itself, and roll into a cylindrical shape. Squeeze the dough to release air bubbles and roll into a smooth shape. Place dough seam side down into greased bread pans.

7) Cover again with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour.

8) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (rotating half way through).

9) Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20-45 minutes.

10) Serve with butter and ENJOY!

I Will Sail My Vessel

(Photo taken from guesthouse of neighbor's garden with orange trees)

On my way home from dropping Todd off at work this morning, I heard an old favorite on the radio. A song that my mom, brother, and I used to belt out on road trips in the Midwest.  It's called "The River" by Garth Brooks. Here are the lyrics to the inspirational song, which reminds me to "choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides":

You know a dream is like a river

Ever changin' as it flows

And a dreamer's just a vessel

That must follow where it goes

Trying to learn from what's behind you

And never knowing what's in store

Makes each day a constant battle

Just to stay between the shores...

And, I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Like a bird upon the wind

These waters are my sky

I'll never reach my destination

If I never try

So I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Too many times we stand aside

And let the waters slip away

'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow

Has now become today

So don't you sit upon the shoreline

And say you're satisfied

Choose to chance the rapids

And dare to dance the tide...

Yes, I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Like a bird upon the wind

These waters are my sky

I'll never reach my destination

If I never try

So I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

There's bound to be rough waters

And I know I'll take some falls

But with the good Lord as my captain

I can make it through them all...

Yes, I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Like a bird upon the wind

These waters are my sky

I'll never reach my destination

If I never try

So I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

Yes, I will sail my vessel

'Til the river runs dry

'Til the river runs dry

"Winter Wonderland"

Here's a snapshot of the fields near the Sacramento airport covered with a fine layer of fog. Enough fog that our pilot had to try the landing 2 times the other morning.  Since we've been back in California from Thanksgiving break, the days have started out with heavy fog that burns off into bright blue skies by late morning.  I think this is considered their "winter weather." I'll take it! 

Yesterday at swim practice I challenged my "ole buddy" Rick (3 time Olympic champion.. cough cough) to race me in the 50 free. My coach gave me a 10 second lead and I was able to actually finish before he did!! I fist pumped in victory and wished someone had taken a photo of us near the wall... who would've known I had a significant head start?? ;-)  After practice he pointed at me and said, "Emily, Thursday, we race again." And like a giddy school girl I blushed and retorted, "You're going DOWN Rick!" (I believe in the power of talkin big). That totally made my day/week/month.

Up in the Air to Portland

Well my months of preparation for my friend's bachelorette party have come to a close. This past weekend a group of us girls celebrated her upcoming marriage in Portland, OR, along with crowds of Occupy Portland protesters. It was a cold, wet weekend in the city, but we cozied up inside having delicious meals at Nostrana and Clyde Common, and hitting up some fun bars and clubs. This is a pic from our hotel's restaurant, where I had a hamburger while waiting for the other ladies to arrive on Friday.  

Back down in California, I've been having fun times on the phone with Hertz trying to figure out why they keep charging us for scratches and fuel fill-ups that we shouldn't be charged for. Oh the joys of renting a car every week. I picked up our car for this week in the evening, totally forgetting to do the "car walk around check" only to later find a HUGE gash in the right back bumper, awesome.

It's amazing how many little things Todd and I are learning from traveling each week. I definitely feel like George Clooney's character from "Up in the Air": learning which fuel tank works fastest and actually prints receipts, which security line is fastest and doesn't include nudey scan, and can prep my bags (including taking off shoes and belt) for the security belt in less than 30 seconds.

I'm also learning what makes my man happy, especially if he's had a bad day: beer, a home cooked dinner, and maybe a surprise gallon of Ben & Jerry's "Americone Dream" in the freezer. You should check it out - it's delish!

Tea and Yosemite

Today I woke up feeling like I'm fighting a head cold, so i decided to skip swimming and come to Steady Eddy's instead for lunch and green tea.  It's much warmer than I thought it would be, so I'm sitting outside right now on their front porch drinking from my large green pot of Chinese green tea (refer to large green pot in picture :-) ). 

I cannot believe it's been THREE months since I left my job to become a "travel wife"! Time really flies by.  Sometimes I have moments of wondering if I should be contributing more to the world than just: eating, swimming, napping, planning meal, sleeping, repeat. But mainly I'm just really enjoying the sunshine and sharing my evenings with Todd everyday.  

This past weekend Todd and I stayed in California and drove four hours to Yosemite National Park.  We stayed at the Tenaya Lodge just outside the south entrance to the park. Entering the park was beyond awe inspiring.  I had heard so many people say how beautiful it is, but had no idea until I was there in person. One of Todd's colleagues from Spain even said that Yosemite is worth the whole trip to come to America.  

You drive into the Yosemite Valley which is surrounded by the glacier cut mountains.  The words that come to mind are: immense, majestic, grand.  The initial view through of the valley with all of its mountains is called the Tunnel View, a must see.  We spent one day hiking around the various sites: Lower Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, and then horseback riding through the Sierra National Forest.  The second day it had snowed 5 inches, so we hiked up the closed road to the Mariposa Grove of Sequoia Trees. Gorgeous.  So impossible to believe that the sequoia trees can range from 1,000 to 3,000 years old!! I really recommend anyone to take the trip to see Yosemite. You won't be disappointed!

Take Time to Stop and Smell... the Nut Trees?

Life hasn't been too eventful the past couple of days.  We had a huge windstorm yesterday which kept me on my toes when driving. I even saw REAL tumbleweeds roll across the highway! Todd apparently got "tumbleweeded" when he was out on his daily walk. 


Farmers in the area have been burning piles of wood from their nut tree orchards, so the air has a scent of burning peanut butter which is kind of delicious.  


I'll be cooking my first crock pot meal here in California today. It's called "Chicken Breton" - a simple mix of chicken, veggies, and tomatoes. Should hopefully fill our small guesthouse with yummy smells! 

Good Morning California!

Here's a shot I captured while driving with Todd to work yesterday morning. We were passing large fields covered in a thick morning mist with the rosy sun rising in the distance. Simply breathtaking.

It's been another busy week of travel.  It's surprising to me that I haven't gotten bored yet being a travel wife with no job. You'd think I'd be sitting on my bumpkin watching soap operas and eating bonbons every day, but the days fly by with driving Todd to and from work, grocery shopping, cooking a homemade meal each day, and then going to my swim practice at noon.  I calculated that I spend an hour driving every day, and that doesn't include Mondays or Thursdays which take five hours for us to commute to California or back to Seattle.  Then our weekends seems to be packed with errands, keeping up our home, seeing family and friends, and then getting ready to do the travel all over again on Monday morning.  Phew! (I know, get out your small violins). It's by no means a bad situation, just a lot more tiring and busy than I had anticipated.

However, I feel very grateful to spend each day with my husband, having a meal together each night and catching up on our days in person - something I really missed while being apart last year.  I also am very much falling in love with California.  The blue skies and open countryside have really done good for my soul.  Flying down the highway at 75 miles an hour with my country music cranked up on the stereo is total happiness.    

P.S. Unfortunately no pictures were captured of my last recipe - the chicken balsamico was consumed way too quickly! :)

Slow Cooker: Happy Cook!

Jumping back into the grey cold Seattle climate called for a nice crock pot meal this weekend. Thanks to my friend Carey, I now own a copy of "Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever" and each recipe really DOES look like the best ever. Here's the first recipe I am making, pictures and reviews to come soon since it's still cooking, but the house smells amaaaazing.


Chicken Balsamico with Yukon Gold Potatoes


6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
8 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
8 chicken thighs, skin removed
salt and pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
8 cloves garlic, quartered
1 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. chicken broth


1) Put the potatoes into slow cooker. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp and remove to paper towels to drain, leaving drippings in pan.
2) Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper and add to bacon drippings in skillet.
3) Brown the chicken on all sides (12-15 min). Add rosemary and garlic and saute for 1-2 min. Pour in vinegar and scrape bottom of pan to deglaze, then pour all contents into slow cooker.
4) Add the broth. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle bacon on top before serving.


Bon Appetit!

Scarecrows Galore!

So it's "autumn" here in Winters (down to a chilly 85 degrees :-)) and the whole town is decorated for Halloween. Every store has its own scarecrow out front. Here is the scarecrow in front of the Yarn Shop.  And here is the one in front of the steakhouse:

It's the revenge of the cow killing the butcher - scary! 

Todd's parents are in town to visit this week, so they're getting to experience the charm of Winters. We've enjoyed a lunch at Steady Eddy's, the local panini / coffee shop. Tonight we'll be making fish tacos per my mother in law's request.  

This past weekend Todd and I enjoyed a wonderful meal with my parents which included a pear/spinach salad, mashed potatoes, slow cooked pork with butternut squash, and cupcakes from Confetti Cupcakes in Issaquah for dessert. Yum! I'll post the slow cooked pork recipe on my blog once my mom sends it to me (hint hint, wink wink). 

Aside from eating my way through the days, I just finished reading "Half Broke Horses" a fun novel about a very adventurous woman, and am now reading "The Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver...good so far!

Here's a cute autumn quote I'll leave you with: "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." ~ Emily Bronte

Coffee & Cream Cake

Todd and I flew back home to Seattle last night, and going from the sunshine back to the cold and grey inspired me to bake today! It sounded like something warm and comforting to do. Plus I owe our neighbors some thank you's for helping us out while we've been traveling.  
This is a pic of the coffee & cream cake I just made from the "Simply Classic" Junior League of Seattle cookbook. And here's the recipe:


1) Generously butter a bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a medium bowl, sift together 2 c. flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and 1/4 tsp. salt.
3) In an electric mixer, beat 3/4 c. butter until creamy, then gradually add 1 c. sugar.  
4) Continue beating while slowly adding 2 eggs.
5) Mix in 2 tsp. vanilla.
6) Alternate adding in flour mixture and 1 c. sour cream to mixer. Beat well.
7) In another bowl, mix together 2 tbsp. instant espresso powder & 1 tbsp. hot water. Add 1/3 of the cake batter and mix together to make an "espresso mixture."
8) Spoon half of the plain mixture into the bundt pan, then add the espresso mixture, then finish with adding the rest of the plain mixture.
9) Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until tester comes out clean. Place on cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes. Invert pan to remove cake and cool completely.
10) Add glaze: combination of 3 tbsp. brewed coffee, 2 tsp. instant espresso, 3/4 c. powdered sugar.


Enjoy!

Cooking Adventures Continue

Another Real Simple meal was made the other night: Pan Roasted Cod with Fennel and Spinach Cous Cous. Again, another surprisingly easy and delicious meal! (picture to come soon)  Here are the steps:


1) Cook 1 bulb fennel sliced, 1 red onion sliced, salt and pepper in skillet for 8-10 minutes. Add 1/4 c. dry white wine. 
2) Add 1 1/2 lb cod seasoned with coriander to skillet and roast in 400 degree oven for 8 to 12 minutes until opaque all the way through.
3) Meanwhile cook cous cous and then fold in 2 cups of chopped spinach and serve as a side dish.
Bon Appetit!


Tonight I'll be trying another new dish. We're having our first house guest, a co-worker of Todd's, coming over to our place for dinner.  


Other than cooking and swimming, things are still going pretty well here in California.  Todd and I have taken up playing chess each night after dinner, and I finally won for the first time last night! (Although I suspect he might have been going easy on me).  


Also, my thoughts and prayers go out to my ex co-workers, who are dealing with layoffs this week. I know it must be very stressful and I wish them all the best.

Wine Not?

This past weekend was the first my husband and I stayed in Winters instead of traveling home to Seattle. Friday was my birthday, and so Todd and I went to our favorite local restaurant, Ficelle, for tapas and wine to celebrate. The place was packed with people, and everyone seemed to know each other since it's such a small town. We kicked back with some vino, stuffed chile peppers, and hamburger sliders and did some excellent people watching. 

Saturday we ventured over to Napa Valley for wine tasting. We took Highway 128 which goes from Winters through the hills near Lake Berryessa to wine country.  I think the drive there and back was probably our favorite part of the day. The sunshine on the rolling hills and intoxicating smell of eucalyptus floating in our windows made for a really fun drive!  We did enjoy the wineries we visited, even if it was just to wander the beautiful grounds: Opus, Coppola, The Franciscan, and Peju.  

Some advice I'd give when traveling in wine country: 

- Don't expect to see every winery (there are SO many!), instead pick 2 or 3 and really kick back and enjoy them. Take your time with the tastings, and stroll through the beautiful gardens.

- Make sure you have a safe driver or hire a limo/wine bus to take you around. 

- If you're traveling to Napa in the fall, make your hotel reservations WAY in advance. This is harvest season and literally every hotel room was booked this past weekend.

- Take a little package of bread, cheese, etc to the wineries with you. That way you can buy a bottle of wine and sit out on the patios and enjoy a picnic.

Cheers!

Winters Update

Here is a snapshot of some tomatoes my swim coach gave me last week from her garden. She had a big tub of them that she handed out after practice, including small cherry tomatoes that tasted like candy! 

Two nights ago I made another new dish for Todd: cooked linguine tossed with tuna fish and sauteed garlic, oil, and red pepper. I also added in some more cherry tomatoes - delish! I need to remember to start taking pictures of the meals I make...

Yesterday I had a little California adventure while Todd was at work, I drove 2 hours to San Jose for lunch with my brother.  This week's weather has been really weird, so it mainly rained the whole time, but it was still fun to see more of California.  My brother gave me a couple of awesome country CD's (Keith Urban and Dierks Bentley) for my birthday gift, which made for excellent listening on the drive home.

Now Todd and I are considering how to spend my upcoming birthday weekend, our first that we're staying in Winters and not traveling home to Seattle.  We were planning on going to Lake Tahoe, but the weather looks like it's going to be colder than we had hoped for hiking. So I think we might do some drives near Winters, maybe even venture over to wine country! I'll keep you readers updated on where we end up going and fun things I'd recommend to do. :)

The Ice Cream Man

Here's a covert picture I took of the Winter's "ice cream truck" - a cowboy who walks around town each day pushing his cart of ice creamed goods and ringing a hand bell. Ack, this small town charm is too much for me!

You may have noticed I haven't been blogging very much yet about my cooking adventures. I've been busy trying to stock the kitchen with things that are missing, such as tongs, a cookie sheet, a bread knife, that sort of thing. Monday I made a basic pasta with meat sauce. Then last night I tried a recipe from Real Simple magazine: I baked sliced beets and oranges until caramelized, then tossed with arugula, and served with pork chops that I cooked on the skillet seasoned with oregano and thyme. Pretty tasty! 

Moving In

I've been busy settling us into our new place this past week. Our internet still hasn't been set up, so that is why my blog posts have been a bit delayed and why I've been a cranky pants this week. It's amazing how disconnected from life I feel without my internet!

The guesthouse came furnished, but I still had to pick up some basics like an ironing board and pillows.  And the kitchen only has one tiny pot and one skillet, so my cooking was not much to write about last week. We had chicken tacos one night, and then chicken quesadillas the next ... pretty exciting, I know! I brought a cookbook from home, but then realized that every recipe calls for a food processor and like 10 ingredients. So I'm going to focus on simpler recipes that require fewer ingredients and less kitchen appliances. I picked up the October copy of "Real Simple" which has a ton of recipes such as this so I will keep you readers posted as I give those meals a try! 

Here is a picture of the hot air balloons that we see each morning getting ready to take flight. Turns out they take off only a couple blocks from our new place! 

An Ode to Costco

Oh California Costco,

Where have you been my whole life?

Your rows of alcohol laden shelves,

Bring a twinkle to my eye.

Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal,

Your customer, I will be forever loyal.

Tanqueray, Bombay, Malibu,

Oh California Costco, I love you!

Fin.

Shopping, Swimming, Sandwiches

I discovered a new perk of being a travel wife today, which is being able hit the stores right after I drop Todd off at work in the morning (I'm sure he'll LOVE reading this). Today I arrived at Target just as they released their Missoni collection. I highly recommend you readers check it out! They have fashionable women's clothing, fun shoes, and adorable kids clothes in the famous colorful zig zag Missoni patterns. There's just something about Target that makes me happy. I think it's the smell - the pungent mix of plastic goods and popcorn. Mmm.. I can smell it now.


Aside from my shopping excursion, my masters swim class has been keeping me active. My coach, Karen, is awesome. I think she's done more to improve my strokes in the past 3 weeks than I ever had in the 4 years of high school swimming. Karen has a clear passion for teaching, which makes being her student really fun and interesting.


Someone else who really has a passion for their job also provides me with a daily laugh on my way home from swimming. There's a Subway at the corner by my pool, and everyday some dude is dressed as a Subway sandwich dancing on the corner to get business. I seriously need to find a way to take his pic while I'm driving because he is HILARIOUS. Not only are his dance moves pretty amazing, but he's doing them in a fully garbed sandwich costume in 90+ weather! ...You know that new SJP movie "I Don't Know How She Does It?" - well that's what I think of sandwich guy. I just really don't know how he does it. :)

Going Tapas

After a month of living out of our suitcases in a small hotel room, Todd and I have found a place to rent! We found a guesthouse in Winters, the small cowboy town mentioned in an earlier blog, and are so excited! (Kudos to Craigslist.) We celebrated by going to a local tapas restaurant called Ficelle just down the street, which features delicious small plates like the one shown here, along with a lengthy wine list and tasty homemade sangria.  Definitely a place we'll be bringing visitors.  


Some things I'm looking forward to: not having to pack a small bag of clothes each week, selecting which small liquids will be allowed on the plane, deciding where to lock up the laptop in our hotel room every time we leave, killing time between checking out of the hotel and picking up Todd from work, and planning where to get each meal every day.  Some things I'll miss: sitting by the hotel pool, free Starbucks coffee, and the free Wall Street Journal (a.k.a. my morning routine). But I am eager to start my experiments in cooking and blog about them... so stay tuned!

Say Cheese!

Here's a simple appetizer that Todd and I have enjoyed making a lot lately and you might too! - the caprese salad.  We've found some delicious heirloom tomatoes at our local grocery store. Simply slice these up with chunks of mozzarella cheese and basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, shake on some sea salt and pepper, et voila!   Easy for the beginner cook (me) and yet something nice to serve for friends and family.

Mastering the Waters

Here is the Vacaville pool where I have started swimming in the Masters program each day at noon.  The beautiful hills of Vacaville sit just beyond the pool, and I often see red tailed hawks flying right overhead while swimming backstroke. My coach, Karen, is awesome. She has been a leading researcher in biology at UC Davis and is a fabulous teacher. In one day's time she's helped me improve my butterfly, which I never thought possible! I've also met some pretty cool people in my class. Yesterday Karen told me that the guy in the lane next to mine was an NCAA swim champion from Tennessee. Not only did he start his practice 5 minutes after me, but finished 20 minutes BEFORE me! Wow, quite impressive.  

Oui Oui for Crepes!

Like I mentioned earlier, I'm attempting to cook more while being a "travel wife." One of my new favorite dishes to make Todd is crepes. I recently got this recipe from Parade magazine. It's a simple recipe and the fun part is filling it with different yummy ingredients. The first time I filled the crepes with ripe peaches, today I made both turkey & cheese for savory crepes and strawberries & blueberries for sweet crepes. Here's a pic of my sweet crepe.

Crepe Recipe:

1. Combine 2 cups milk, 1 cup flour, 3 eggs, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla (for sweet crepes), 1/4 cup melted butter. 

2. Grease crepe pan each time with a pad of butter... mmm

3. Pour in small amount of crepe batter and swirl to just coat the bottom of the pan.

4. Cook first side for 2 minutes. Then flip (I use 2 butter knives to do this) and cook on the other side for 1 minute.

5. Lay crepe on a plate, place your yummy ingredients in the middle, and roll.

6. Bon Appetit!

Pena Adobe Park

This is definitely a park that we'll be bringing visitors to. Todd and I discovered it one night after dinner when the sun was setting. Beautiful rolling hills with lots of winding trails for walking, jogging, or biking. The hills are pretty steep, but the vistas are worth the climb. I think it's a great way for people to see the Vacaville countryside. Here's one shot I got that evening. 

The Pear Apple

Todd's coworker brought him these pear apples from his garden yesterday. They are delicious! They're an exact blend of what a pear and what an apple taste like. Very juicy too so you have to have plenty of napkins around when you eat one. This is yet another lovely thing about California, everyone seems to have fruit trees in their backyard.

Winters

Winters is a cute cowboy town just north of Vacaville.  My husband, Todd, and I would love to find a place to rent there. Last week we stopped by after work for dinner at the Bucktown Steakhouse and to wander the streets reminiscent of the wild west.


Other awesome sights from the past week: a real cowboy tending his crops, a meadow full of small yellow butterflies, several fields of sunflowers all coming to the end of their bloom, and as shown here, palm trees, a personal favorite.

Sensing Change

My first week here in Vacaville has been a completely new experience for the senses.


First of all, it's averaging about 95 degrees a day, so as soon as you step outside you feel like you're in an oven. A big delicious oven. It's the perfect excuse to slather myself in sun lotion and sit by the pool, I call it my "dose of vitamin D." I usually carry extra layers of clothes, but a tank top and shorts is really all one can tolerate here. One thing that I'm learning from the locals is to park in the shaded areas of the parking lot. I wondered why I got front row parking at Target while everyone elses' cars were clustered around the trees, until I came back to leather seats where I could literally hear my skin sizzle... yikes! 


I've experienced some pretty neat sights in my first couple of days. While driving my husband to work this morning, we crested a hill and straight ahead were eight big beautiful hot air balloons taking off. Wish I had my camera with me, it was really awe inspiring! I think I just added "ride a hot air balloon" to my California bucket list. Then I drove in a big circle around Vacaville to get a feel for the area and nearly ran over a wild turkey crossing the road. Is there a joke there? I think so...Finally, every street and parking lot has gorgeous trees with thick pink flowers on them. Even the medians on the highways have them. I need to find out what they are called.


That's all for now!

Intro

The reason I've left my familiar, rainy Seattle surroundings to become a "travel wife" is to be with my husband who commutes weekly to California for his work. While doing the Monday - Thursday commute with him, I thought it'd be nice to start a travel blog.



Here are some goals for this blog: 
1) To share my travels and experiences in Northern California
2) To keep connected with friends and family back home
3) Since I quit my job in project management, I know I need some structure to my days so that I don't drive myself or my husband crazy! As anyone who knows a good project manager can testify: PM + nothing to organize or plan = is not a pretty sight.
4) I would also like to improve my writing skills

Two things I'd really like to pursue while taking some time off from work are exercising more and learning to cook. Before, working left me weary and full of excuses NOT to exercise, let alone plan a meal. So now, excuses aside, I'd love to do both! And I feel grateful to have the opportunity to do so.  Other things I'm interested in are learning to crochet or knit, wine tasting, and photography, which I plan to include in my future blogs.


So join me as I explore new territory, and feel free to comment too! I'd love to hear thoughts or feedback on my postings.