Oreo Buttercream Frosting

My grandmother's 81st birthday was this weekend, and my mom wanted it to be potluck style.  I was assigned to bring the birthday cake, which is awesome, because if I'm bringing anything to a potluck type party I want to bring desserts or an appetizer, I'm not usually too stoked on bringing a main course if I don't have to.  Grandma requested a chocolate cake, and the rest was left to my imagination.  I used a Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake box mix, but instead of using oil, I used butter, and instead of water, I used milk, and added a packet of chocolate instant pudding mix. These substitutions help the box cakes taste more homemade.  I wanted to do something different with the frosting than chocolate or vanilla, and I remembered the MOST AMAZING cupcake I had in Los Angeles, at a cupcakery called Crumbs, a few years back and it had a cookies and cream frosting.  I wanted to see if I could do something similar, so off to Google my fingers ran, until  I found the recipe that I was able to slightly modify to make the best frosting I've had in my whole life.  The original can be found here. 

This is the recipe I used (nearly identical to the link)

• 1 cup softened butter
• 3.5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup finely crushed/packed Oreo pieces (I ground them up in the food processor, about a sleeve and a half of the regular Oreos )

·         Cream the butter for a few minutes until it is light (I had to stop the mixer a couple of times to clear the whisk beater)

·         Sift in the powdered sugar (I just dumped it in, couldn’t find the sifter, didn’t seem to make a difference)

·         Beat until entirely combined with the butter

·         Add vanilla and milk, beat for 3 minutes

·         Add crushed Oreos and mix well to combine

**add more milk to gain a thinner consistency, more sugar and/or Oreos to thicken

It was a complete hit... however, if I were to make it again I'd want to double the recipe. This was just enough to cover the cake, and I didn't have enough ingredients to make more to pipe on decorations to have a more finished look.

Jumping for June

House sitting: Had the oddest house sitting gig of my life this month... no strange pets to feed/take care of, no delicate plants to water, no teenagers/college students to babysit... pretty much all I had to do was spend one night, bring in the mail and newspaper, and call it a day AND I got to watch regular cable tv (I chose to watch the NBA Finals and cheer on my Spurs! Who did not win, but played well. I consider it a complete score... and I got paid really well. BEST OF ALL WORLDS.
Fake Birthday Party: In order to throw my grandmother off the scent of her big surprise 80th birthday party this month, the local members of the family took her out to dinner at The Swiss, a steak house in Santa Maria...and it worked, because the look on her face when she walked into her surprise party was truly priceless.



surprise!!!!

Surprise Birthday Party: For the surprise party family came in from all over California to celebrate the day with my grandmother, we had dinner at a local Chinese Restaurant, and it was great to visit with family that I haven't seen in a long time, there were lots of laughs and tons of food to share.

Twinsies!

More Birthday Parties: The last weekend in June was filled with birthday parties for little ones. One of my best friends (that I've known since 7th grade) had a party for her two year old twins, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. There weren't any major toddler meltdowns. The weather was semi-cooperative (was a little hotter than I would have liked, but no rain, so that's nice), and it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves. All in all, a successful party. The following day I went to a birthday party for a 5 year old that used to live with one of my really good friends (he's her former roommate's son) that made a request that I attend his party. There was pizza and face painting (although I didn't stick around long enough to get mine done) and lots of little ones running around. I think the highlight of the day for me was watching the kids play with light sabers made out of pool noodles. I wish I had taken a picture of them because it was so creative, and the kids could smack each other around with them without getting hurt.
Long Lost Friends: I am REALLY regretting that I didn't take pictures when I got to visit with one of my really good friends from college this weekend. I haven't seen her in years and years, and we're only really able to keep up with each other via facebook... and I had my phone with me the whole time, no excuses! But we had a great visit at Avila beach, saw some dolphins and seals frolicking in the ocean, and splashed around in the surf with her daughter. I'm hoping that I'll get to see her again sometime next year when I travel to the east coast for a friend's wedding, even if we just get to grab coffee (although I think where I'll be and where she lives is at least a 4 hour drive if not longer, so we'll just have to play it by ear).
Movie Nights: This month I went to the movies much more frequently than I normally would, I saw Star Trek: Into Darkness, This is the End, and Monsters University.  I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, even though there were many moments where just myself and the group of people I had seen the movie with were the only ones laughing. For Star Trek and This is the End, I can blame it on the adult beverages, for Monsters University? It was mostly because so many parts of the movie struck so close to home and I was there with a good chunk of my family. This is the End was a movie I didn't really have high hopes (no pun intended... I don't do that) for but it pleasantly surprised me and even scared me in a couple spots... who would have thought an apocalypse movie with that particular cast could have some scenes that would make a grown woman scream... then snort with laughter a mere seconds later. Good job guys.  Star Trek had a lot more emotion than I would have expected from an action movie, there may or may have not been a moment when I wanted to yell at the screen "For all that is good in the world, Kirk stop crying already, I'm uncomfortable with your man tears!"... again it really could have been the wine... and I'm hoping it was a whisper and not a whisper shout.  Monsters was everything a Pixar movie can be, it had enough humor for the adults to get a kick out of it... maybe more than enough because there were moments when my cousin (he's 11) would tap me on the arm and say "Lauren, you KNOW only our family is laughing at this... right?" Which would usually make me laugh harder... because it's not my fault the rest of the theater doesn't get the jokes.
Hazard Canyon With Mom: On Saturday the 15th my mom and I decided we would go for a hike/walk in the Montana de Oro State park, specifically at Hazard Canyon, neither one of us had been there in years (for me it was pre-driver's license, British Knights wearing days) and I wanted to give my camera a good workout. The weather was the right temperature, but it was a fairly overcast day. The ocean and coastline were gorgeous and just what I remembered. You can see some of my favorite photos here. 
Glasses: Woot! Finally got in to the eye doctor and found out that prescription I've had for years is not correct for my vision and that I need new glasses...which is good, because the glasses I've had went MIA about a month ago, and will most likely only reappear when I'm wearing my new frames. They're so stinking cute I can't stand it, and while I won't receive them before the end of the month, they've been sized and ordered and I think can be included in this post.

We're half way through the year folks. Next month is birthday month and I can't wait to share the shenanigans that usually surround July. Stay tuned.

May is Magical

• Fiddler on the Roof: This spring the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts's Santa Maria theatre is under renovations and they are performing at other venues. The first weekend of the month my mom and I saw their production of Fiddler on the Roof.  The show was awesome, amazing, inspiring, and so much more. It was funny, emotion packed, and the musical numbers were flawless. I've seen their production of the play before years ago, and I can't even compare them. I felt like I had been catapulted into another place and time, I was part of the show. It is always a sign of a good show when they can evoke all of your emotions in a 3 hour window.... and get you to stand on your feet and applaud until it sounds like the roof is going to cave in.
• Birthday Celebrations: This is the year my best high school friends and I turn 32, and the celebrations have started out pretty fantastically. Even though we didn't go out and party like we may have done 5 years ago, we had an amazing time talking, eating pizza, drinking wine (or other cocktails) and playing board games (apples to apples, trivial pursuit, things, etc.), not to mention getting into heated debates over what it means to be an adult and standing by the choices you make.  My aunt also had a birthday this month and the family celebrated at the Olive Garden and had dessert at my grandparents house.  The food is what you could typically expect at this particular eatery, but I have to say my strawberry margarita was flawless. 
• Wedding Shoot: This month one of my best friends hired me as her second shooter (assistant photographer) for a wedding.  This is the first time I've ever handled my camera in a professional manner, and I have to say that even though it was hard work I loved it. I still have a long way to go before I'd do anything on my own (if ever), but it was such an enjoyable experience that I can't wait to do it again.

• The Departed: One of my favorite bands came to San Luis Obispo this year, they haven't been in California in two years, so this was exciting for me.  One of my friends that I haven't seen much since high school came with me and we had a blast. We started the evening with dinner and pre-show cocktails at the Creekside Brewery then made our way to SLO Brew just in time to see the main act The Departed come on stage.  They played all my favorite songs and more, this is truly an act if you get a chance to see live you should. Their albums are great, but they're even better live. Cody Canada, Seth James, and Jeremy Plato (and the other members of the band) play from the soul and it's evident in their concerts. 

• Memorial Weekend: This year Memorial Weekend held a lot of activities. First of all I am doggie sitting Miss Jersey Girl again, it was a sort of unexpected gig, but we get along great and it's nice to have a pup to watch movies with at night (and to get caught up on True Blood Season 5 just in time for Season 6 to start next month). My friend The Elitist came to visit with her boyfriend and daughter, and shenanigans ensued. We started the visit with a trip to the Klondike Pizza joint in Santa Maria were the little one was excited to throw peanuts on the ground, we forgot to inform her that she should shell them first, oh well, lessons learned. The next day we went to the Annual Strawberry Festival in the Village of Arroyo Grande with my mom where we got to eat Strawberry Kabobs (strawberries and brownies that were skewered and drizzled with white and milk chocolate) and then back to my parents' house for a Memorial Weekend family BBQ. After the BBQ we headed off to the hotel that my friends are staying in (if you're on the Central Coast of California, you should really consider staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Pismo Beach, it's centrally located, near the beach, and everything that you would expect from a Hilton) for a little relaxation in the hot tub. Finally on Monday we all headed off for Solvang to finish out the weekend.

March Without the Maddness

• Chaperoning an FBLA Trip: This month my aunt needed an additional driver for the Section Conference for a local high school's Future Business Leaders of America Chapter.  This year we took 20+ students to Santa Clarita to compete in several business related events...and after the competitions were completed the students (and chaperone's) headed over to Magic Mountain for a few hours of roller coaster fun, followed by an awards ceremony. This year while the kids were taking tests, making speeches, and watching events I made my way over to the Westfield Mall in Valencia and got my shop on. I bought some super cute jeans, a gorgeous teal flutter sleeved shirt, and some new make up... all the stuff to make a girl feel pretty again. I loved the shirt so much that I wore it out of the store, and it was such a hit that strangers would stop me and tell me how awesome it was. By the time my bank account was gasping for air and begging me to stop, it was time to pick up the kids and make our way over to the Mountain. I was a little nervous about getting back on my favorite rides (because of the vertigo I've been experiencing) but thankfully none of the rides we went on triggered any dizziness or motion sickness.

Miss Jersey Girl

• House-sitting for Mom and Friends:
• Jersey Girl: This month I babysat a new (to me) doggie. Her name is Jersey and she's an adorable rat terrier. I've known her for years, but I've never watched her before, I swear this was one of the easiest doggysitting gigs ever. She puts herself to bed when she's tired (pictured to the right), she likes to cuddle, she's super entertaining, and just generally good company. We'll be hanging out again next month, and I expect it to be a lot of fun.
• Jesse Dog: I also took care of Mr. Dog this month for a week, while my parents took a joint birthday trip to MAUI. I mean I love my dog and having a whole house and laundry available at any time... but still I'm a little jealous that I didn't get to go to the islands.
• Long Lost Friends and Lunch Dates: On the 9th I had lunch with a good friend of mine from HS, we typically meet up every six months or so and catch up on each other's lives over good food. This time we had sushi and lots of relationship stories to chat about. She said something that really stuck with me, and I'll paraphrase the quote for you (I hope I got it right, because it's what I took away from the chat) "Someone must be looking out for you, you keep finding yourself in all these relationships that are just not quite right and you get ripped out of them just before you get trapped. Yes, you get hurt because you cared and they all mattered to you, but you always get out before they can leave permanent damage. Something awesome must be out there waiting for you." It's not saying anything bad about any of the exes, just that they weren't Mr. Right. There was always something in each of the relationships that if things had gotten any more serious it would have left us both miserable and hating each other.... with some of them it was cheating, some was drugs or alcohol abuse, some had anger management issues, and none were quite ready to stop being boys and act like men. 
• Oz the Great and Powerful: My mom, brother's girlfriend, and I had a mini girls' day and went to see the new Oz movie and then did a little shopping after. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the movie, I had heard mixed reviews on it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised, it was long, but it was entertaining and the make up and special effects were amazing. James Franco was a bit of a creep, but I think that was intended? I hope it was anyway. Shopping was less impressive, but I think it's just because my budget didn't allow me to purchase anything, and the shoes that I was thinking about splurging on didn't quite fit.
• Photo Dates with the Bestie: If you follow that link you can see some of my  favorite pics from the day my BFF and I went out to take my new Nikon out for a spin. The weather was beautiful, my only complaint was that there wasn't a cloud to be seen to add some texture to the skies and that it wasn't later in the growing season for the vineyard pictures. That being said, it was a fantastic day out and about on the Central Coast, and I feel like I really got some great shots.

• The Tempest: After the photo date I had plans with some of of my other friends to see Shakespeare's The Tempest at PCPA that evening. I wasn't very familiar with the play, but after a quick glance at online Spark's Notes I had a general idea of what to expect. Let me tell you, my expectations were FAR EXCEEDED. The play was amazing, it was in the smaller Severson Theatre and had such an intimate feel. The audience really did end up playing a larger role than normal in the production....and I wouldn't have wanted it to be any different. It was funny, it was serious, and it was breath taking. If the show wasn't winding down for it's last couple of performances I'd go again and again and again. 
• Beauty and the Beast at the PAC: On March 20th my aunt and I went to see Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the Broadway version at the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. We arrived a little early and were able to attend a pre-show lecture that was about the origins of the fairytale and fun facts about the production itself. I had no idea that the story was rooted in Roman mythology, and that ancient Roman bitches be crazy (well, I knew that part I guess). Once the lecture was over we were able to be seated for the performance, and from start to finish it was AMAZING. I don't know how the characters like Gaston and LeFou could perform and not bust up laughing mid-line. The sets were gorgeous and costumes were breathtaking, and the songs sounded exactly like what you would expect from a Disney production. There was not a single moment when I was bored or wanted to sneak a peak at the time. I even caught myself mouthing along with the words to the songs, I saved us both the embarrassment of me belting out all the songs like I do when I watch the flick at home.

• Birthday Shenanigans: This year a friend of mine turned 30-something and we celebrated with a family dinner at Rooster Creek Tavern which quickly turned in to roast of everyone at the table, I'm pretty sure no one walked away from the table safe. After dinner the "kids" all met up a few doors down at the Gather Wine Bar in the Village of Arroyo Grande for a post-dinner wine-down and live music. My personal pick for the evening was the Graves 2007 Mourvedre, which was simply divine. Seriously, I was in love.... others at the table tried the flights of white wines, flights of pinot noir and glasses of their other wine options. I don't think anyone was disappointed with their selections. The group splintered again after Gather and just the Zombie Nights girls headed over to Applebee's for a little late night karaoke and dessert. Let me tell you... I owned the freaking bar with my rendition of Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" and I closed the night out with a duet of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" because I'm badass (and yes I was 100% sober)... also because I was 100% sober and aware of what was going on around me there are no pictures/videos of this event because....no. We finished our evening in the 5 cities with a midnight (1am) walk on the Pismo Pier and marveled at the beauty of the night...and yes I was still sober.

• Little Sister Turns 21 and Easter with the Family:  This year my baby sister reached that milestone year of 21... and since she hasn't yet developed at taste for alcohol we all enjoyed margaritas, champagne, and other beverages on her behalf... she was a good sport and tried a sip of everything, but wasn't too keen on anything... which I guess in the long run is a good thing. Let's keep her this way, that way I'll always have a DD when I want to go out, right? We also got the news that my (biological) dad and his AMAZING girlfriend are engaged there isn't a date set yet, as the engagement is relatively new. Holidays are always a little bittersweet around the family, it was our first without my great aunt who died late last year, and another reminder that my brother is no longer with us. His 25th birthday would have been April 1st, and his memory was close to the surface for all of us. I'd like to think he was with us in spirit though, I mean who can turn down a margarita (or in my case four)?

• 100+ posts and lots and lots of views: This month I hit a couple milestones on the blog and they're super exciting for me, I made my 100th post and reached 4,300+ views. It means so much to me that you continue to read my posts and come back for more. I've already posted more this year, than in the past two years I have been blogging combined, and I don't see myself slowing down any time soon. I love sharing my experiences, photos, recipes, and life lessons, so as long as you keep reading, I'll keep writing.

A December to Remember

This post is a little harder to write than I had imagined it would be. I started outlining it the first weekend of the month because I didn't want to leave anything out. December truly was an epic month and probably one I'll hold on to for a long time... December was nearly perfect for me and I don't want to let the events of January 1st spoil the memories. Looking back is a little heart wrenching, so forgive me if it's disjointed or awkward.

• Britni's Jewelry Show early in the month my super talented friend held her second annual jewelry show in her adorable home in Atascadero, California. Her work is gorgeous and has a vintage quality that you don't see in many places anymore.  I would recommend her wearable art to anyone... wedding party gifts? totally appropriate, looking for something for your mom, sister, grandma, girlfriend, best friends? she's your girl. Check out her page if you get a chance, and visit her at art in the park in the summer months in Shell Beach, you truly will not be disappointed.
• Last Minute Road Trip, the second weekend in the month my buddy Karla Beatriz photographer extraordinaire made a spur of the moment trip to Orange County to visit The Elitist to do a photo shoot, spend some quality girl time together, and to celebrate (early) her daughter's 3rd birthday. 
• Photo shoot: so it went pretty well considering our model (Elitist) was recovering from a nasty bug and wasn't feeling at the top of her game and we made her get in the cold ocean/swimming pool/and basically dance around in her underwear all day... the unexpected moment was when Karla wanted to practice some different shots and had me crash the shoot. While I'm not comfortable posting the pics she took of me here on my blog, let me tell you I've never seen a photo of myself where I have felt so incredibly beautiful. A month later I still pull up the photos and get lost in them. I promise I'm not that vain, I've just never seen myself like that.
• Camera oops: I was really stoked to have my mom's cannon rebel to shoot landscape/ocean activity pictures with on this trip... except I used the wrong exposure and 90% of my favorite pictures that I took at the beach that weekend were so over exposed that they were just a solid white screen. I guess it worked out okay though, it taught me how to use it before I went to Yosemite later in the month.



Happy Birthday Month Kiddo!

• Aurora's Birthday: this year we introduced "Birthday Month" to the kiddo. Karla and I weren't going to be able to make it back down for the official birthday party at the end of the month, so we took her out for an ice cream sundae at the most ridiculously loud place we could imagine... a perfect place for a 3 year old right? I think it freaked her out a little, but if you're in the mood for a sweet frozen treat with a Carney Barker Farrell's is the place to go. This was her first of 3 (at least) birthday parties, she seemed a little confused by the notion of celebrating on a non-official day, but once the sticker was on her shirt and the ice cream came out, she was down to party.
• Christmas Party with the Field's
• 

  

  At the Field's Christmas Party 2012,
  I was the clear White Elephant Exchange winner.

  • Baking Nightmares: Since the party was potluck style, I chose to bring baked goods as my contribution. It's a standard for me, I enjoy baking, and normally it's something I'm good at. Normally. I don't know what was going on, but I was off my game on the brownies. BOXED BROWNIES for crying out loud. Anyway I made them according to instructions, popped them into the preheated oven and baked for the appropriate amount of time, I stuck them with a skewer to make sure they were cooked all the way through, and while they were still slightly doughy, they were cooked enough to pull them out.  Somehow, despite the fact that I greased/cocoa'd the pan, they stuck...bad... and half of the batch was burned and the other half not cooked all the way. I haven't failed that royally baking since... well the last time I baked brownies. Aren't they supposed to be the easiest thing to make? Can't elementary school students successfully make brownies? Anyway they got tossed and I baked a lemon bundt cake with chocolate frosting and it was a hit... or at least passed inspection. Have I lost my game from taking such a long break from the Kitchen Aid? Guess I better get my ass back in the kitchen on a more frequent basis.
• Cards Against Humanity: This might be the most fun/inappropriate party game I've ever played. It is a lot like "Apples to Apples" except it has more of an "R/NC-17" rating. I suggest playing with your more open minded friends, or read a few of the cards before bringing it out a family dinner. My best advice is that while it's fun and hysterical with the right group, you really need to know your audience.
• babies babies everywhere: this was a family-friendly party and I felt like the pied piper of babydom. All the little ones were so happy, I'm not sure any of them (all under 5 and if my memory is correct there was close to a half dozen of them there) had any kind of fussing or melt downs. I got spit up on a bit, but it's a hazard you face when holding those cute little people. Don't worry, I haven't caught baby fever, not even close, but I do like kids.
• white elephant exchange: Like with a lot of Christmas or Holiday parties there was a white elephant exchange, gifts ranged from Copenhagen dip, cheap beer, orange cones, a Topsy Turvy tomato grower thing, door mats and other ridiculous items. Needless to say hilarity ensued and we were all a little disappointed when the game was over.
• blind wine tasting: the last activity at the party (these weren't listed in chronological order) was a blind wine tasting, everyone brought a bottle of wine, we covered the labels with brown paper bags and sampled each. Some were awesome, some were the opposite, I'm not sure what wine was the winner, but with 12 bottles to taste from we were all in good spirits.
• And the Food! Seeing as how it was a potluck there were lots of foodstuffs to choose from and I'm only mentioning a couple of the side dishes/appetizers. The stand outs if you will. If I left you out, feel free to add them in the comments, and if you'd like to link a recipe that would be awesome too. The main dish was turkey, one deep fried the other smoked, both received rave reviews.
• stuffed mushrooms: okay, so I don't have the recipe for these here, but let me tell you that I have NEVER EVER EVER been a fan of mushrooms, I'll sometimes eat them on pizza and I cook with cream of mushroom soup, but to pick up a stuffed mushroom and eat it... let alone love it enough to go back for seconds or thirds? completely unheard of. I've been pestering my friend who made them to post the recipe, but as of right now it resides in her mom's kitchen and not on the Internets.
• Mini Spinach Dip Bowls my god... these are amazing... I could eat them all night and not feel guilty at all because they're that delicious, probably not all that healthy considering the ingredients, but they have veggies in them right?
• Cheesy Potatoes that will change your life... I really don't need to say much more than that. They.will.change.your.life. again, not the healthiest of side dishes, but it's a Christmas party, you're supposed to eat your weight in carbs.
• Chocolate Covered Bacon: okay, so I don't have the recipe for this one either, but seems pretty simple, cook the bacon to your desired level of crispness and dip in melted chocolate. Total carny food and I love it. Toss in some funnel cake and a giant lemonade and you can go ahead and roll me out of the party.
• Girls' Nights and Birthday Parties



Daryl Dixon:
My Favorite Walking Dead Character

• So our weekly Zombie Nights have reached the mid-season finale of "The Walking Dead" and now need to find meaning in our lives until the show comes back in February. We're thinking of adding other Zombie flicks until then... or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia marathons, or maybe even hitting the gym occasionally... maybe.
• We also celebrated one of the girls' brother's 30th birthday party one week. I had my first taste of Salvadorian food and I fell in love. Seriously, it was SO good. Maybe I really do need to hit the gym, seems like a large portion of this month's post is devoted to my love of food.  There were games to be played and lots of laughs to be had at the party, as it should be. Cranium and Taboo are always fun to pull out of the game closet, and unlike Cards Against Humanity, there isn't really an "appropriateness factor" that you have to consider.
• Surviving the Apocalypse: The Mayan Apocalypse came and went without much fanfare, I woke up, survived and didn't spot a zombie all day... which is a good thing, because in a story to follow, I'm pretty sure the zombies will have me beat in about the first 5 minutes of the outbreak. I thought I'd be tougher, I'm not.
• Cousin Date: My 11 year old cousin and I spent the Saturday before Christmas together, we went to the movies and saw Monsters Inc in 3D, overdosed on junk food at both the movies and Carl's Jr. after, then went and spent the rest of the afternoon with our grandparents and relatives that were visiting for the upcoming holidays. We hadn't done it in a long time, so it was a lot of fun (and just a tad exhausting... I'm not used to being around kids all day long, he's awesome, but it's just more proof that I'm no where near ready to begin the part of my life where I want kids... I may have mentioned that once before in this post).



opening presents is exhausting

• Christmas: Christmas in my families is spilt over two days, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning belongs to my mom's side of the family, while my dad's side of the family lays claim to Christmas Day/Night. This year was no exception. It was great seeing family members that I don't get to hang out with often, it was weird to experience the holiday without the family we had lost this year, and it was the first time I had shared a major holiday with a significant other (even if it was just a couple of hours at the end of the day). Everyone seemed to enjoy their presents and time together... even Mr. Dog even had fun unwrapping his gifts. 



The Granddaughters

• Vacation: I took the last part of the year off for a vacation with the boyfriend. We went to Fresno to visit some of this friends and to take a day trip to Yosemite National Park. We had an amazing time, and I'm so glad that we had that last long weekend together. Even when he was driving me crazy on our 8 mile hike across town it was perfect. We spent a lot of quality time together, had laughs with his friends, saw awesome movies (some on tv, one at the theater), and of course the trip to the snow.
• Yosemite:  I hadn't been to the park in 16 years, and never in the winter time.  It was beyond gorgeous. You can check out the link and see a few of my favorite pictures of the snow and beautiful winter landscapes.  It was probably the best trip I've even taken with someone I've been dating.  We laughed, we fell waste deep into the snow, threw snowballs at each other
• Other Shenanigans
• Our first night in Fresno we saw the movie Django Unchained (the D is silent). It's a Quentin Tarantino flick, and all that entails. It was exciting, funny, violent, and moving.  I'd see it again. It was about a bounty hunter in the South a few years before the Civil War. I don't want to give anything away but in my opinion Jamie Fox and Leonardo DiCaprio deserve an award for their performances.
• After the movie we went to a dive bar called Red Wave for their weekly "Taco Thursday" for tacos and beer with a friend. When that bar closed we went to a more country themed bar to continue the night, then somehow ended up at a house party after that bar closed. Anyway fast forward a couple hours (I wasn't feeling well and I fell asleep on the couch) I get woken up and am told that its time for us to leave by my boyfriend... here leads to a big adventure on our trip.
• The 8 Mile: So around 4 am we leave the house on the North side of town. There's no cab in sight and we set off on foot to his apartment, not exactly sure how long the journey will be.  It took 3 hours and the sun came up on our jaunt. I have never felt more like a hobbit in my life. I was convinced that I had hip displaysia, a sprained ankle, the black lung...when in real life I just learned exactly how out of shape I am and that I'm never going to survive the zombies. We finally got home and immediately went to bed and slept for most of the day. 



Yosemite Coyote
 

• Once we finally woke up it was time to run errands and meet up with some different friends for dinner at my favorite pizza place in Clovis called BC's. They're food is so delicious, they have a wide selection of beers on tap, and both times I've been there I've had a great time.  I'd recommend it to anyone in the area. You will not be disappointed.
• New Year's Eve: was spent with some friends of the boyfriend's family. We played bunco and watched ball drop. There were lots of laughs and it was really funny to see how competitive every one got over a simple game of dice. I didn't walk away a winner that night, but I really enjoyed the evening.  Even though I didn't really know most of the people I spent the holiday with, every one made me feel like I was part of the family and it was great.
• Over 2000+ views :-)  thank you readers! Together we have reached over 2000 views before then end of the year, there's even more now, but I'm not 100% sure what the count was at the end of the month.  I really appreciate all the support and readership.  I plan on blogging thoughout the year as I had in 2012. I look forward to sharing my new adventures with you.