Happy Birthday Stefan!!

Birthday wishes goin' out to our pal Stefan! We hope this birthday finds you with a drink in your hand while taking a dip in the tub. We will be thinking of you! We miss you buddy! Cheers!

Adventures in Travel

I made it to the President's Circle.

I love to see my name in lights, even if it is just in the Hertz parking lot.

(Note: poor picture quality due to a last minute snap with camera phone)

I was in Scottsdale this week and I have found that during my travels, people continue to surprise me everyday....particularly in airports. A couple of things that continue to slay me while going through security:

• "Really, I have to take off my shoes??"
  
• "Oh, I guess I have change in my pockets"
• "What do you mean, I have to throw away my water?"

But the sighting of the day had to be the guy who made a valiant effort to try and remove the very bottom small gray bin used in security to place your laptops, shoes, 3 oz. liquids, etc. (you know the one), that was actually bolted to a cart with wheels. It was obviously the last bin, but this guy proceeded to load up his stuff in it (I actually couldn't believe I had to walk the same path as this guy after he removed his shoes to expose his hobbit-like feet), lifted the entire thing off the ground, shook it violently and then looked at me for some sort of confirmation, that it was indeed going to come off of the cart. Priceless.

Also, for you traveling Moms out there: I try to be sensitive the the art of traveling with small children, but please DO NOT let your toddler run wild in Starbucks and put his grubby little mitts all over the last orange juice in the case while you stand in line and hope he listens to you. Seriously? Aren't Moms today familiar with 'the claw' or 'the look'?? One look from my Mom back in the day and I would immediately stop what I was doing. To this day I can't take more than one piece of candy at the bank without envisioning the death grip of 'the claw' followed by the words, "one each!"

But seriously, the meetings were good, the sushi was tasty, the golf was great, and the weather was fantastic, but nothing really beats coming home. See you at baggage claim.....

EVOLVE Cars Promotional Video

Greetings from Toronto

So I spent the beginning of the week in Ontario for some client meetings. I was prepared for some dreadful cold weather but was treated to sun and temperatures around 24 degrees Celsius (that's 75 degrees Fahrenheit for you Americans). So all in all not a bad trip.....my meetings went well too......the main reason for my trip took me on a bit of a road trip to the wonderful metropolis of London, Ontario, of course, which is about a 2 hour drive west of Toronto. Oh Canada.

How I Lost My Virginity.....

I am typically such a United Airlines whore, as they are a member of the Star Alliance and I like to collect the miles, and get the perks of being a frequent flyer, etc. I decided to change it up and try Virgin America. It was like taking a different road on my commute to the office. (If I had a commute to the office.)

I have to say, overall it was a really pleasant experience. First of all, the Virgin America terminal is in the International Terminal at SFO, and I find the International Terminal just so civilized. (Despite the near miss with an intoxicated lunatic at the bar that almost had to be escorted out by security. It reminded me of my days in the ER, but I digress....)

When checking in, the agent actually came from around the counter to share my flight information with me, like I had just purchased some new shoes from Nordstrom or something.

Nice touch.

Other things to note:

• Every seat has its own TV screen


• Cupholders built into the tray, so you don't have to use the entire tray to hold a drink


• The cabin was lit with purple mood lighting


• Fine Corinthian leather seats


• Every seat has an outlet


• The 'inflight team' had very nice wool, full zip sweaters


• Full size organic trail mix bar for a snack and it even had nuts in it

The crew had a fantastic sense of humor, and decided to call people up to board based on the color they were wearing (I think it was a slow day, but I still appreciated it). The pilot even came out to the terminal and spoke to everyone before we boarded. It is always good to see the guy flying the plane isn't 15 years old (like those kids over at Sky West...again, another story.)And then the best part was we were given an Earth Day gift: a reusable shopping bag with some biodegradable cleaning wipes from Method.

I will see how things go on the return flight, but all in all, a pretty cool flying experience. For now, I will be working like a dog in San Diego at a conference, while Peter wines and dines with the Mayor of London.

Moving Day

Brett and EP ready to jump in the truck

Well, the time has come for our friends Brett and Elizabeth to embark on a new adventure as residents of Petaluma. It is only about 30 miles north of Sausalito, but we will certainly miss having them just down the road. We helped them load up the truck (thanks to P's mad packing skills) and were able to see their new pad complete with dishwasher and laundry room! (I think it was like Christmas morning for EP!) I know we will still see our friends that have made Sausalito home, but the town will never quite be the same.  We miss you guys already....

The loading begins....

A couple pics of the houseboat 

Gathering up the last of the hats and bags....

....and of course the cords and wires

P. happy with his aforementioned mad packing skills

One last pic in the houseboat (note the matching tees)

P. down for the count, but never too tired to pose for the camera

Adjusting to the new digs

View from the outside

We found a VW for sale in a nearby neighborhood.

We think you will do just fine in your new town Brett!  

Happy Birthday Erika!

E and T in Playa Del Carmen

Birthday greetings going out to my soul sista Erika!  Here's wishing you a fantastic day filled with good times, good cocktails, and good friends!  Can't wait to see you again soon!  Cheers!  

Hey chicas....

T., Snyder, Brown, The Peanut, Erika, and Hazzard

Belated Birthday Greetings....

Brett seen here helping Peter blow out his candles on his birthday Krispy Kremes last year.

....going out to our pal Brett!  Sorry we missed it, but let me assure you, we certainly celebrated in your honor while we were down in Mexico!  We will have to make up for lost time with some tasty cocktails, good food,  and perhaps we can serve you up a nice beating in a game of Phase 10?  Looking forward to celebrating, and to taking away your championship tiara!  Cheers!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Keeley.....

Mr. and Mrs. Keeley

Oh man! What a fantastic time we had in the Mayan Riviera! The weather, the beach, sailing, golfing, the food, the margaritas, the mariachis, the most amazing spa ever (¡Gracias Señor Marcos!), did I mention the margaritas?? My sister looked amazing, and the wedding was unbelievable! I have truly never seen her more beautiful or more happy. P. and I have had some pretty shaky experiences in Mexico, and believe it or not, this time around, we didn't even want to come home!  

Woohoo!

P. getting in on the action.

Greetings from Mexico

Happy Birthday Anneke!!!!

Champagne wishes and caviar dreams. Have a wonderful and delightful day. We will make sure to have a drink in your honour once our plane touches down in Mexico.

Mountain biking in the Headlands

Trackday at Willow Springs, California