Facebook has Australia pictures

don't worry, I'll blog too.

Just wanted to share :)

Good night.

Overwhelmed

even going on vacation was stressful.

And when I get stressed, what do I do? I sleep.

Not so productive to getting unstressed.

I promise, someday I'll blog again...someday...

In the meantime, I'm going to bed.

This one's for you Robert

Two years ago today

I married the cutest, sweetest, hardest working guy in the whole world.


To celebrate, we drove up to Yountville and ate at Bottega--Michael Chiarello's incredible Italian restaurant. After lunching on marscapone/chive risotto with duck confit and braised short-ribs, Patrick surprised me by driving to a nearby park, pulling out a blanket and books and letting me lounge in the sun while he composed the following list: (too long and too cheesy for a blog, but I had to share/save)

What I've learned about my sweetie in two years:
-She is the most beautiful thing on the planet
-She has the cutest laugh
-She loves to smile
-She loves people--all types of people
-She is extremely personable and able to talk with anyone
-She's fearless
-She has great fashion sense
-It's impossible for her to not look SOOO cute
-She loves the Food Network
-She loves great food
-She's a hard worker
-She could do anything she sets her mind to
-She would do anything for me
-She is alwasy thinking about me
-She knows what I like
-She loves her head to be rubbed/scratched
-She loves trashy tv and magazines
-She can plow through a book in no time
-She hates football
-She hates politics
-She has gorgeous hair
-She has soft/wonderful skin
-She loves adventure
-She hates broken promises
-She has expensive taste
-She's a beach rat
-She hates strange showers
-She ahs the most beautiful, dainty hands in the world
-She has the cutest shoulders
-Her eyes are warm and loving
-I couldnt live withou her
-I wouldn't be happy without her
-She is quick to forgive
-She has a temper
-She's extremely intelligent
-She's willing to try new things
-She loves diamonds
-Almonds are her friend
-She loves hot fudge sundays and coconut cream pie
-She is thoughtful
-She is loving and willing to take care of me if I need it
-She's funny
-She has a mischevious side
-She's sneaky
-She's great about putting up with my gas
-She transforms after 10pm
-She's assertive
-She's confident
-She's nosy
-She is always in my bizness
-She wants to do what's right
-She is my best friend
-She is the best cuddler
-She loves naps
-She loves the white blob
-She loves for me to sing to her even though it sounds terrible
-She loves to dance
-She loves trashy food
-She doesn't know how to spit
-I'll never beat her at Buzz Quiz tv
-I would do anything for her
-I couldnt have been more lucky

OK, maybe he exaggerated a few of them, but i LOVED it. Talk about lucky!!
Here's to another year, even better than the last two!

Crete

Part two of our vacation was Crete. We took the ferry from Athens to Crete--which was more like a miniature cruise ship, btw, SO HUGE! We thought that we'd be able to see more islands that way, but in hindsight, I think I'd have rather taken a plane because it's a shorter trip and we didn't really see anything from the boat. We did get a small taste for what a cruise might be like, and I have to say, I liked it! Maybe someday I'll get to go on a cruise...sigh...

We arrived at the Port in Heraklion around 11pm and when we got off the boat we were a bit shocked by how crazy and unorganized everything was. There were people all over the place--we felt like we were in a zoo! We finally found a cab that would take us to the car rental place (btw, all Taxis in Greece are brand new mercedes. Must be a good gig!) but when we got there we discovered we had to have international driver's licenses to rent cars there. WHAT? Who ever heard of that?? Lucky for us, the guys at Budget didn't say anything about international DL's for THEIR rentals so we quickly signed a few papers and grabbed the keys before they could realize what had happened.

After spending tons of money on Europe maps for the Garmin, we couldn't get the thing to recognize our hotel on the nav. Crap. So we're driving through Crete with no idea what the signs say at 12 at night praying we're on the right path. Daddy was more nervous out than I've ever seen him

Thankfully we got there with no problems (minus when Robert almost drove us straight into the side of a mountain)

Pulling into our hotel, we got giddy. MAN this place was nice! (Shoulda taken more pics)Plus they upgraded all our rooms to private infinity pools. Yes please!
We had lots of optimistic plans for when we were in Crete--all sorts of sightseeing and day trips.

But when you wake up to this
All your sightseeing plans go out the window.

So basically, the whole time all we did was lie around drinking frozen pinapple daquiri'sWe did go scuba diving a few times though, which was awesome. Especially the night dive. Loved that!

With our Dive Masters Juan and Kostos

Getting to the beach from the hotel was a bit of an adventure. We had to take a glass elevator from the reception area down to the beach. I'm sure there's some deep metaphor in that somewhere...
And, thanks to the recession, we were able to get the lounge chairs right at the waterfront without waking up at 6am (anyone who's been to Hawaii knows that is a major success)
As you all know, vacation is about ULTIMATE relaxation, AKA reading about the glory days of wrestling while wearing a bath robe and laying in bed all afternoon.

My favorite pic of the trip. He is so dang cute!

In case you still don't get how great this place was, here's proof that EVERYONE loved it.

*The last post will be on our day trip to Santorini. Expect it in about 2 months

Not sure if you can tell...

but I dyed my hair last night.

And by "I", I mean my friend who is an apprentice at Renaissance Salon. Anyone looking for a cheap ($30) but professional color/cut in SF should let me know. Trish is great!

What do you think? I think...it's great! Not too dark, so just a little different than usual.



It's been so long since I last colored my hair (highlights before Mere's wedding to be exact). I hope I don't get too addicted because this could get expensive!!

The (1st of a few) Posts You've All Been Waiting For....

I figured if I put it off long enough, the demand would be so great I'd have hundreds of people commenting on it and I would be the talk of the town. But, I agree with Noelle. Enough is Enough.

So here goes nothin. And I'll warn you, it's a long one. So cuddle up for a good read :)

First off, let me state that this was NOT your average vacation. I fully admit that it was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE and THE BEST VACATION OF MY LIFE. With that said, jealousy will ensue.

Delta had a special when you transferred your AMEX points to Delta points, you got a 20% bonus. Which means we used the same amount of points and got 1 first class ticket which Lex, Patrick and I shared. Lex: SFO->Atlanta, Sarah: Atlanta->Athens, Patrick: Athens->Atlanta, Lex: Atlanta->SFO
Apparently I was the only one who enjoyed it enough to take pics. Also, I was the only one who had a crazy drunk man sitting next to me chatting me up and rubbing my arm to find my "veins". CREEPY.

After arriving at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens and jumping up and down when we walked into our SUITEthe first order of busines was to explore the Plaka and get a Gyro.
Tip#1: Let me say, this was not your average U.S. Gyro. First off, they are not lamb (HALLELUJAH) they are beef, pork or chicken, 2nd the Pita bread itself is SOO much more delicious. And most importantly, THEY PUT FRENCH FRIES IN YOUR SANDWICH. Can I just tell you how great that is? Because it truly is great.
It was really hard for us to stay awake until my parents and "the boys" (aka Robert and Tom, Robert's mission companion/BFF) showed up at the hotel and we might have taken an itsy bitsy nap even though it's totally against the rules of anti-jetlag.

Once they got there we went to Milo's Restaurant, which is supposed to be one of the best in Athens. Top Rated. I did my research.

Tip #2: Fancy, ridiculously overpriced restaurants in Greece are not worth it and aren't very good. Fancy, expensive Greek restaurants in SF, however, absolutely are (Kokkari!). Homestyle and street food are way better. But it was fun to catch up and we all enjoyed ourselvesOur first full day in Athens we met up with Dennis--son of "the best taxi driver in all of Greece" or so their website says. Basically, Dennis was a suave, Jeff Sheets look-alike limousine driver who took us all around Delphi and Athens. I'm not a huge fan of 80 person tour groups, especially on 6 hour RT drives to see ruins so after lots of research on TripAdvisor, I decided to go with Dennis (who was actually cheaper for the 7 of us than using a tour group). I, personally, loved him (And the boys will tell you he loved me, but whatev). And I really liked having an advocate while we navigated a country whose language is completeley indecipherable to Westerners. Looking back, it would have been nice to have a tour guide at each of the sites and I probably should have booked one for a better learning opportunity, but it was also pretty nice to just wander at our own pace and have some fun.
Delphi was spectacular. I've said this several times since we've been back but it's just SO INCREDIBLE to have seen these structures that we've learned about our whole lives. That we've read about, read books that reference and that began civilization as we know it. Just blew my mind.
Not to mention, I got to touch "the center of the universe" which was pretty cool.

After our tour of Delphi and the Delphi Archeological Museum (where you are NOT allowed to take pictures with statues in fear of angering the Gods) Dennis took us to the best meal we had our entire trip. I wish I had known then that it would be the best meal of the trip because I would have paid closer attention. Greek Salad

Mezza (Appetizer) Plate

Tip#3 Whoever invented Tzatziki was having direct conversations with God when they did because that stuff is INCREDIBLE. We ate it with everything--bread, meat, rice, pita, by the spoon, whatever.

*If you don't know what Tzatziki is, I'll forgive you. Greek Yogurt, Dill, Cucumber and Garlic

On our second full day in Athens, we took a tour of the city. Parliament Building (by night, obv.)

Which reminds me, I haven't talked at all about the weather. If you ask me, it was borderline perfect. Just barely too hot, but there was also a great breeze so I was happy. Too hot for Mom so that's why you don't see her in the pics. We sure missed her though!Hydrating before the hike to the top

After watching the weekly changing of the guard parade directly across from our incredible hotel (led by the neighborhood dogs) Ridiculous uniforms, no?

we drove up to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon. Let me tell you, Delphi was cool, but this stole the show for me. I could not get enough! One of the most famous archeological sites in the history of the world, and there I am. Just hanging out at Athena's Temple like it's no big deal. Not to mention how it's right in the middle of a thriving metropolitan city.
We also got to climb Mars Hill which is where the Apostle Paul delivered his famous sermon. It was pure marble (so a bit slippery). We read Acts 17 aloud from Tom's iPhone and were joined by fellow tourists while reading which was pretty cool.
After our tour, Dennis took us to a very authentic Greek restaurant for lunch--where he says he goes when he wants some "momma cooking" and doesn't have time to go home. It was fun to try some truly authentic dishes and of course, have watermelon for dessert (everywhere we went there was tons and it was soo delicious).

Our tour of Athens ended at the Ferry terminal as we boarded our "superfast ferry" to Crete. I'll also stop this post there and try to break things up a little for all those of you who hate reading and only like pictures.

Love love. Off to shop and see Harry Potter! Opa!

TJ's Egg White "salad" with Chives

Kinda glad it only had two servings.

I've been eyeing it for months thinking it sounded good, and on Monday I went for it.

Maybe it would be better with crackers? Not sure I'll ever find out. Egg salad needs yolks and mayo in my book.

*Greece post coming someday. You know how I am. Check out the FB pics for now. Robert and Lex tagged me in a few. Lets just say it was the best vacation of my life. No exaggerations.

MJ

We're taking the Taxi into Athens from the Airport and our driver goes--Michael Jackson, he's Kaput, huh?

Assuming he meant his career is becoming a dud we laughed and agreed and moved on to the next subject.

After checking into the hotel and turning on the TV, we realized OH NO Michael Jackson really did go Kaput. Tragic day for all of us.

In other news, Greece is fabulous. 10 plates of Tzatziki later, we're headed to Crete tomorrow afternoon. I'm craving the ocean more than I ever expected to. Can't wait to leap into the Aegean!!

Not another Shopping Post!

Don't worry, it really isn't another shopping post.

Technically, it's not really a food post either, it's a camping post. But food was the reason we camped.

So basically my life only revolves around food and shopping. Are you surprised?

Three weeks ago, we met up with the SLC Besties (minus Laura who bailed last minute in order to find a job. psh.) on the NorCal coast for a little Abalone diving.

In case you didn't know, Patrick and I are chickens. So we didn't dive. But we DID camp (one whole night) and I got totally sunburnt.

AND...I ATE RAW(still living!!!!) ABALONE. See? Here's proof. I'm totally tough. (so so nasty)
My new best friend Eric wins for best photo of the weekend. Agree? (And yes, that's an Old Milwaukee next to him. I did not partake but was told it was DEESSGUSTING)

We had an incredible time (minus getting pulled over for having 10 people in the back of a pick-up and slicing up my fingers while cleaning the $500 beasts)

For those of you who are wondering what Abalone is, Klarissa claims it's a sea slug. But if you've ever been to a fancy restaurant and seen it on the menu for upwards of $100 an entree (I have) you know it's no ordinary sea slug.

Luckily for us, we did not have to pay $100 a person to eat this delicacy. But we did have to work dang hard to clean it, slice it, pound it, and fry it.

Was it worth it? Umm yeah! I was so excited to finally try this thing I've been hearing about my whole life. To be completely honest, I think I'd prefer it if it was prepared for me at a resaurant (aka in slightly more sanitary conditions) but I'd do it again for sure.

Oh yes, and we went on a hike through Fern Gully.


Don't worry, Patrick's just faking it.


Thanks DeMaso clan for the invite!!

Brad or the Abalone?

Changed my life in 4 days

Yes, I made a decision

You all know about my bathing suit drama. Yes, it's true. I ordered over 30 suits and couldn't decide for 2 months which one to keep. But when you're going to Greece, it's an important decision!

Thought you all should see the final "keepers". Thank you Daddy, I love my birthday present!! (BTW everything's from the Bloomingdale's "Private" sale. I'll just tell you now, don't go. It's DANGEROUS)
DVF Cover-up. Doubles as a top, no?
Juicy suit. I know EVERYONE has this one already, but it's honestly quite flattering to my mid-section aka my worst feature.

And, of course, you can't go to Greece without a huge straw hat!!

1 week and counting. Not that I'm excited or anything...

Idiot

I seriously have a problem. I buy food- good, quality, (expensive) food and then forget all about it and it goes to waste.

Namely vegetables and meat.

So, to combat this problem, I decided we'd just buy things the day we wanted to make them, to stop with the waste. (Also, because I can't figure out how to freeze meat and then defrost it and still have it taste ok)

But then pork tenderloin was on SUPER SALE at Safeway so I was like ohh, I'll just pick some up and for sure cook it in the next day or two...

I just remembered it's still in the fridge. Would have been cheaper to just buy it full price when I actually wanted to cook it, I think.

2 for 1 Movie Tickets??

I know, right! Sounds way too good to be true. But I saw the ad in a magazine this morning and just verified it online.

Here's the scoop- If you are a Visa Signature Card Holder, there's a promotion going on right now where if you purchase movie tickets on Fandango.com/visasignature they'll deduct up to $13.50 from your order of 2 or more tickets once a month through 9/30/2010 (or while supplies last, of course).

How awesome is that??!! We're definitely seeing UP 3D this week!

Ultimate Sorenson Weekend

With a title like that you know a few things:

1. We had a great time
2. Scott looks the same in EVERY picture (no one has their photo smile down as well as Scott)
3. Lots of eating was involved
4. Someone must be moving far away and we're trying to pack as much bestie time in before June 18th (hint, it's not us)

I kept thinking if I didn't post this, they couldn't leave, but unfortunately, I don't think it works like that...

A few weeks ago we came to the terrible realization that our time with Scott and Michelle was quickly coming to an end. What better way to say goodbye than to dedicate an entire weekend to hanging out with them, right?

Dinner Friday at Pizzeria Delfina. True Italian Pizza--and while absolutely delicious, I think I like NY Style best (Gasp! Saraceno clan, please don't disown me). While documenting the evening we came to the discovery that Scott has a special gift--he can put on his "photo smile" and look identical in every picture he takes.





Saturday afternoon we left for Santa Cruz and were shocked to find that it was 100+ degrees and TOTALLY trashy (sorry Burgons but it's true). In any case, you can't go wrong with chocolate dip cones and deep fried twinkies so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.





We decided to take the scenic path home and further extend our time together. Along the way, we found the cutest "You Pick 'Em" strawberry farm. Maybe if we hadn't already been so tired or so...throw in many other excuses here... we would have actually picked some ourselves, but alas we bought some strawberry truffles and pre-picked berries and called it a day. The best part about the farm was the "honesty cash register" where you paid for what you purchased. Talk about trustworthy! I really hope no one takes advantage. We didn't! I promise!

We also did a quick drive-by at the Half Moon Bay Ritz. Gorgeous Views. I wouldn't mind staying there sometime...ha!

Needless to say, June 18th is coming WAY too fast. I guess I didn't expect to have found such great friends so fast and then have them leave even faster. Good luck in Boston. I hope you hate it, quit Harvard and move back to SF :) (I'm only kinda kidding)