April
About a year ago, our friends Tim and Ginger packed up and moved to Chicago. It was sad to have them leave but it also gave us an opportunity to have a fun place to visit. We paid them a visit for a quick weekend get-a-way. It had been a few years since either Andrea or I visited Chicago. So Tim and Ginger showed us around the windy city. A trip to Chicago really isn't complete unless you've gone to 1. Wrigley Field and 2. had a deep dish pizza. Check and check. We caught the Cubs vs. Cardinals daygame, sitting in the infamous bleacher section at Wrigley. After the game, we strolled around Chicago and ate a deep dish pizza at My Pi. Folks, it doesn't get much better than that.
The next day, we explored some of the finer and more sophisticated spots of Chicago. We had lunch at the Billy Goat Tavern and ate their famous Cheezborgers. We also immersed ourselves in art and culture at the Art Institute.
We really enjoyed our time in this beautiful city. We'll be back.
In March, we added a new member into the Circle of Trust. Andrea and I enjoy playing video games but frankly we really suck at most of the games. The more complex and button there are, the more we suck. So we finally got rid of the Xbox (sold everything on Craigslist) and got ourselves a Nintendo Wii! Since the Wii was released, it has been a smash hit and stores have been hardly able to keep them on the shelves. After a few days of searching, we finally scored one! Happy-Happy, Joy-Joy!
We've had a few Wii parties in March. Its really funny to see how people react to this video game. Our friends Patty and Walter, who claimed not to be into video games, really seemed to hate bowling on the Wii :)
That night, I was "in the Zone". I bowled a 246! I'm thinking about quitting my day job and going pro.
Most of you know that I am a huge baseball fan, especially when it comes to the San Francisco Giants. In the years B.A. (before Andrea), I used to go to Spring Training in Scottsdale, AZ, every year to catch the first glimpse of the new baseball season. When I first met Andrea, her love for baseball wasn't as pure and beautiful as mine. But much like turning her from a vegetarian into a meat lover (she wants to get this t-shirt), I was able to get her to climb on board the American Pastime. Our first real date was at a Giants game. Our engagement pictures were taken mostly at the Phone Booth (aka AT&T Park, formerly Pac Bell Park). Our wedding weekend group event was a Sunday daygame. So we were both thrilled this year, that we were able to re-institute the yearly Spring Training trip to Scottsdale.
Our friends Stef and Eric live in Scottsdale. I've known Eric since the early days of college. I was actually there at the Summer of Stef in Seattle, when Eric finally made his move on her. I like to think that I (and Ken Maranta) actually brought them together :) They were happy to host us for the weekend. We went to see the Giants vs. Cubs game where Barry Bond looked real good striking out.
Before going to the game, we stopped over for a cold one at the Rusty Spur Saloon, which claims to be the oldest bar in Scottsdale. The Rusty Spur sold beer koozies that was in the shape of a cowboy boot... how fantastic is that? Of course, I proudly drank all my beers at the game with my new koozie. I've gotten countless number of envious compliments so far.
February
We held our first Annual Decathlon (of games). 4 couples (Ed & Laura, Leslie & Todd, Brandon & Shannon, Andrea & I) played 10 games for medals and bragging rights. The first game we played was called Mr. Mouth. Leslie and Todd took gold, Andrea & I took silver and Ed & Laura took bronze.
As the night wore on, the Decathlon got a little more serious as no one wanted to come in last place.
10 games and 7 hours of adult beverages later, we finally had the winner. Todd and Leslie won the gold medal, Andrea and I took silver and Ed and Laura finished with the bronze. Sorry Brandon and Shannon. Better luck next year... LOSERS!
January 2007
January 2007
We went to Poipu, Kauai, for a family vacation. This was our niece Kaia's first trip to the Hawaiian islands. January in Hawaii is slightly warmer than Minnesota! As you can see from the picture on the right, Andrea and I caught our fish (Andrea caught an Ahi Tuna and I, an Amber Jack), while the "fishermen" of the Minnesota lakes were clearly left empty handed.
We had a nice dinner at the Beach House Restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious fancy meal with the best sunset on the island.
What's a Hawaiian vacation without a few Lava Flows and hula dancers?
We took a day to drive around Kauai to check out all the sights. We stopped over at the Wailua Falls as well as the Kilauea Lighthouse. The lighthouse is located at the northern most point of Kauai. We were fortunate to have been there during the whale migration period. Even Kaia got to see a few whales breaching in and out of the ocean.
December 2006
Andrea broke her ring finger at our first dodgeball charity league game. She had 2 pins "wedging" her chipped bone into place. So nasty!!!
The holidays were pretty low key... just spent time with the family and friends. This year, Kodi's girlfriend, Stella, spent time with us as Peter and Chantel were traveling.
