Adios Muchachos!

We are off to Playa del Carmen for the weekend! I will be sure to have a Corona for you Pedro! Miss you! :)

Off to Work

I have to head to Denver for a day of meetings and then the Lucas girls are off to Cancun, Mexico for a little pre-wedding expedition for Peen. I will have to catch all of my Denver pals next time!

DJ Pete Marvelous In The House

I stumbled upon these Kodak moments while thumbing through some pics on our other camera. I am guessing these gems were taken after a night of debauchery when I was out of town as evidenced by Peter's partner in crime seen below.

The Dog Days of Summer

Okay kids....grab your innertubes and the sunscreen. The last days of summer are here!

And The Winner Is.....

Well, apparently that still remains to be determined. Phase 2 of the Sausalito Chili Peace Summit took place this evening. We had a good crowd, including a couple of unbiased outsiders, and a professional chef. All of the entries were strong contenders; a white bean/chicken chili, Emeril's chili w/ a hint of cinnamon and chocolate, and Carol's Kick-Ass chili (yep...that's you Mom!). The accoutrements were top notch as well, and the side of cornbread pulled it all together. We are getting closer to making some final decisions, as time is not on our side. Only 3 weeks remain until the competition! We will keep you posted!

Giants vs. Brewers

We headed out to the Giants game which was at the beautiful AT&T Park in San Francisco. We took the ferry into the city and then walked over to the stadium. I love going to baseball games...sitting outside, eating junk food, and drinking beer. It is easy to forget that people actually come to watch a game of baseball!

Fresh Strawberries

I made it to the local Farmer's Market in Sausalito which makes an appearance every Friday evening during the summer. Such a reasonable time to peruse the local fruits and veggies, as opposed to getting elbowed by the crazy local crop die hards at 8 am on a Saturday morning. I picked up some strawberries that really do taste as good as they look.

Too Much Aquavit for Bill Murray??

Murray Refuses Breath Test in Sweden
Updated: 1:48 AM EST August 22, 2007
The Associated Press

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Bill Murray could face a drunken driving charge after cruising through downtown Stockholm in a golf cart and refusing to take a breath test, citing U.S. law.

Police officers spotted the 56-year-old actor-comedian early Sunday in the slow-moving vehicle and noticed he smelled of alcohol when they pulled him over, said Detective-Inspector Christer Holmlund of the Stockholm police.

"He refused to blow in the (breath test) instrument, citing American legislation," Holmlund told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "So we applied the old method - a blood test. It will take 14 days before the results are in."

Murray, who had been at a golf tournament in Sweden, signed a document admitting that he was driving under the influence, and agreed to let a police officer plead guilty for him if the case goes to court, Holmlund said.

"Then he was let go. My guess is he went back to America," Holmlund said.

He said Murray would only be charged if tests show his blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit, which is quite low in Sweden.

A very high alcohol level could lead to a prison sentence, but Holmlund said fines were more likely.

"There were no obvious signs, like when someone is really tipsy," he said.

Holmlund said it wasn't clear where Murray picked up the vehicle, or to whom it belonged.

"It was a golf cart. How it ended up in this predicament I don't know," he said, adding that Murray wasn't facing any theft charges.

It isn't illegal to drive a golf cart in city traffic in Sweden, but Holmlund said it is very unusual.

"I have done this since '68 and I've never experienced anything like this," he said.

Back to School

Ah, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, shiny new lunchboxes, and the sound of velcro pulling apart the first time you open your brand new Trapper Keeper.....that's right kids, it's time to go back to school. Josh, Justin, and Megan are all off to kindergarten, and Davis is in 2nd grade! It sounds like the Moms had a harder time than the kids. Wow! Where does the time go?

Its a Dirty Job, but....

Lazy Sunday

Ah, Sundays....sleeping in, reading the paper, drinking a cup of tea. You can't beat it. I thought I would dig up this old favorite from our friends at SNL. And I would have to agree, Mr. Pibb and Red Vines are crazy delicious!

Clam Chowder

So, P. and I went for some clam chowder at one of our favorite local haunts that we cannot get enough of: Fish. If you have come for a visit, it is most likely that we have taken you here for a bite to eat. We were having a discussion about how he thinks that oyster crackers actually destroy the chowder. I happen to disagree. I think it is a great complement and adds texture. Because he seemed to be threatened by my distinguished tastes, he even went so far as to call me an 'inlander'! I am so sure! I think the most important thing to note about the history of oyster crackers is the following:

"If there has been a constant in the history of chowder, at least for the last two hundred years, it is the common cracker. A perfect companion for chowder."

If you would like to read more about oyster crackers, clam chowder or any other favorite snack go to The Food Timeline . To see the excerpt below in a more reasonably sized print, click here.

Game Night Revisited

In order to try and redeem ourselves and knock Brett off of his high horse we played a little game of Phase 10. Sadly, we were unable to dethrone the king, and he remains the current champion. Also to note, EP actually came in second place....she changed up her seat, and I think it may have changed her luck. However, I can't decide which is easier to tolerate....when she is winning or when she is losing....but either way, I do love the enthusiasm. (insert bitter undertones here of someone who was stuck on Phase 7 forever!! Yes, it was me! Frick!)

Home Sweet Home

After being on the road all week, nothing says welcome home like a phat Fearless Frank Chicago style, some grilled corn on the cob and a tasty beverage. Thanks P! It's good to be home!

The Biggest Little City in the World

I have been in Reno the past 2 days for business which has included my very first game of golf ever, a phat steak, and not nearly enough sleep. Things I have learned: do not step into someone's backswing, do not hit the ball angry, and indeed, most business is conducted on a golf course. It looks like I am going to have to step up my lessons.....

Marin has 'Evolved'

So while the Frog spent her Saturday selling all of her useless crap (that had been cluttering our storage unit for close to 18 months now) and Sunday in the city spending all of her new-found cash on shoes, I was working. Volvo Marin, our local dealer, was holding a customer appreciation and brand awareness event. It was the perfect opportunity to introduce Evolve Cars (which has been my pet-project for the past 8 months) to the average Volvo consumer, who clearly has no idea that Volvos can also go fast or that there were companies out there that could help them make that happen. Indeed, to my surprise, everyone I spoke with was very excited about the opportunity to customize their Volvo and add some excitement to it. On display to showcase Evolve's expertise, we had my personal Evolved S60R, as well as our 500hp C30 showcar that we built for the SEMA show last year. If customer feedback is to believed then it all bodes well for the future of Evolve. Stay tuned for stories of champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

Sausalito Chili Peace Summit

In preparation for Sausalito's 29th Annual Chili Cook-Off on September 23rd, we had a meeting of the minds to determine how we are going to bring home the trophy. EP doctored up a phat batch of a potential entry with some accoutrements that were fantastic! (Yes, Peter, you were correct in your spelling of accoutrement! Damn!) Some of the brainstorming can be seen above, and note the authenticity complete with actual chili stains courtesy of Brett. Clearly there is still plenty of work to be done. Next Chili Summit meeting TBD.

Storage Unit Sale

Everything must go! Free up your space and free your mind!! We had a little 4 hour nap after our night of tearing it up in the city and decided to clean house and see if other people wanted to buy our stuff. We practically had to beat them off with sticks due to the free beer with $10 purchase. I would say it was a success, and it was quite an experience getting to meet the garage sale enthusiasts of Sausalito. Not to mention that EP made the best Bloody Marys ever!

Summer Love

Friday night we had the opportunity to party like rock stars, complete with name list, scantily clad women and red velvet ropes at Ruby Skye in San Francisco, courtesy of Pete Marvelous. We got all dolled up and headed into the city for some killer tunes by Miguel Migs and his band Petal Pusher VIP style. We had a great time, and although I didn't get my 2 am pancakes at Lori's Diner, Peter did make his famous scrambled eggs when we got home....the best ever!

Injury Update

I heard from Erika the other day and the word is that her foot is healing nicely from her graceful stumble back in June. Apparently she can walk on it now and she was able to get her swollen pigs into a pair of flip flops! I understand her physical therapist couldn't be more proud! I am guessing this pic doesn't really do it justice?

Traffic Jam

The streets were jammed in the city today.....I love this town!

Game Night!!

It's game night and we decided to change it up and play a childhood favorite from our friends at Parker Brothers: Monopoly!! It was a pretty intense, and money hungry game, with EP taking the fall first, followed by Peter and then Brett really stepped up the game by loading up Boardwalk and Park Place, and I just couldn't pay the rent! Currently Brett is the reigning champion but there will certainly be a rematch!

Return to the Farmer's Market

I think the last time EP and I went to the Farmer's Market I bought a Christmas tree, so we were long overdue for some rummaging through the fruits and veggies of the Bay Area's finest growers. A collection of flowers, some butter churned by hand, and some gorgeous beets (according to EP....she could not go on about them enough), followed by stop at Hog Island Oyster Company for some deelish oysters and a side of champagne, made for a fantastic Saturday afternoon. Until next time.....

Happy Birthday Annie!

Birthday greetings going out to one of my favorite people! I hope you have a wonderful day of shopping, eating, and playing with the dogs. Give Conrad a hug from me and Peter and I will be sure to have a big glass of wine in your honor! I miss you Banann!

OAK to LAX

I had to take a quick trip to Los Angeles and I could not find a reasonable ticket without flying through the dreaded Oakland International Airport. Note the above pic of the sign to baggage claim; this was where the line started to get through security. It actually went past baggage claim and back outside practically back to where I parked! Long lines, running late, crazy
security rules, and travel-challenged people are always a good test of your patience. For more ridiculous travel rules that should be checked along with your baggage, click here.