A few months ago, Scott and I bought tickets to see The Police in San Diego. We meant to buy inexpensive lawn seats (well, inexpensive is an understatement for a Police concert, but we wanted the cheap seats), but what ended up happening was we called Ticketmaster at the exact time they went on sale and ended up with Orchestra seats, I think we were in the 10th row, in the pit! How could you say no to those tickets? I have to say though, they cost quite a bit more than the lawn seats...
So Memorial Day was the concert. We ventured down to San Diego early so we could meet up with Carla and Mike for an early dinner at Cozymels (a yummy Mexican place in La Jolla). Our plan was meet for dinner at 5:45, eat, and continue on our way to Chula Vista for the 7:30pm show. Elvis Costello was the opener, and we figured he would play for an hour, putting The Police on stage around 9pm. We left La Jolla at 6:50pm, hopped on the freeway, and about 10 min. later we arrived at our off ramp in Chula Vista. The only problem was the freeway was STOPPED with cars trying to exit for the show. A good 30 minutes later we were finally off the freeway. Now, Cricket (formerly Coors) Amphitheatre is about 2 miles off the freeway. It took us over an hour to travel those 2 miles. It was solid jam packed with Police fans, with no real police to be seen anywhere directing traffic or amphitheater employees guiding parking. It was complete chaos!! By this time, it was 8:45 and we were stuck in the driveway to the venue, we were near a parking lot, but not in it yet. Then we heard the crowd cheer in the amphitheater and heard Sting singing Message in a Bottle! We inched our way forward and eventually made it to the VIP lot. It cost $25 to park there, I gave the teenage attendant $30, she had no change so we sped by her, found a spot, ran to the entrance (stopping at will call since Scott accidentally threw out our tickets*), into the venue, stopped to buy 2 $12 beers, and ran to our 10th row seats. Phew! Only missed the first song!
Once inside, the concert rocked, and we couldn't ask for better seats. It isn't very often that I actually don't have to stand on my tip toes at a show, and this was one of those times. I could see Sting close and clear...nothing and no one in my way. Here's some video of the show (it's probably totally illegal to post this, so don't report me!)
Roxanne
Every Little Thing
They played for about 1 1/2 hours, and the best song of the night was definitely So Lonely, they really rocked out on that one! I have video of it, but Scott was dancing while holding the camera, so it is not very watchable. After the show, it took us almost an hour to return to the freeway. Ugh, never going to a show in Chula Vista again! The next day, I talked to Carla, who lives in San Diego. She said it was in the papers and on the news that the parking/traffic situation was so horrible. I looked it up online, and found hundreds of complaints on the SD Tribune website. Apparently, there were people who only caught The Police encore because it took them so long to park (even though they arrived at the venue well before the show started). I guess Scott and I are lucky we only missed Elvis Costello and 1 Police song...
*A funny thing happened last night after I wrote this. I pulled out a bag full of wedding stuff, and there were our Police tickets! Seriously, we tore our house apart looking for them, and Scott was sure we must have thrown them out. You have to understand though, our bedroom is chocked full of wedding regalia...
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Welcome Baby Micah!
My friends Brian and Nichole just received their bundle of joy! They adopted this beautiful baby boy. It's been quite a saga, but it looks like the adoption process is finally complete. Last week they flew to Texas (where the teen birth mother lives) and were present for the birth. Now they have to wait with the baby for 10 days in Texas while the state signs everything off, then they fly back to California with the baby. We have a baby shower planned for Nichole and baby Micah upon their return. Congrats Brian and Nichole!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Its a HOT one!
What do you do when it is 85 degrees in your house and you have no air conditioning? Go to the beach! Apparently, everyone in Orange County had the same idea. 
Southern CA (and Northern too, I think), is in the depths of a heat wave. Temps shot up on Friday, and are lingering above normal all weekend and into next week. It was 80 degrees out when I arrived at work at 7:30am Friday! So Saturday Scott and I decided to head to the beach. We went with our friend Chris, who works with someone who lives on the beach. We used the beach house as a base for food and drinks while we spent the day laying in the sun and swimming in the ocean (not even cold!). In the evening, Scott cooked tri-tip and pulled pork sandwiches for everyone while we sat around a fire. Today I am heading out to Claremont to visit my grandparents. It should be a good 10 degrees warmer out there than on the coast...but atleast they have air conditioning!
Southern CA (and Northern too, I think), is in the depths of a heat wave. Temps shot up on Friday, and are lingering above normal all weekend and into next week. It was 80 degrees out when I arrived at work at 7:30am Friday! So Saturday Scott and I decided to head to the beach. We went with our friend Chris, who works with someone who lives on the beach. We used the beach house as a base for food and drinks while we spent the day laying in the sun and swimming in the ocean (not even cold!). In the evening, Scott cooked tri-tip and pulled pork sandwiches for everyone while we sat around a fire. Today I am heading out to Claremont to visit my grandparents. It should be a good 10 degrees warmer out there than on the coast...but atleast they have air conditioning!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
All Done!
2 years of schooling for my speech assistant license, and I'm all done! I had my last final today, and next Wednesday I go to a "pinning ceremony" for my speech program. The speech language pathology assistant (SLPA) program is small, there are 25 of us. I guess we get a pin to show we finished. The school can't actually give us our license, that comes from the state. If I wanted to, I could walk in the community college graduation next Thursday, because I have officially completed my AS degree (actually, I only had to show my transcripts from Scripps and they gave me the degree), but I am opting not to partake in the graduation ceremony. I feel like I have put my friends and families through enough of those...the worst one was Pepperdine with Devon when we got our masters, it was 95 degrees outside and we had to sit there for over an hour in our heavy black robes...gross!
Now that school and speech clinicals are over, I have more time to sub (and make some $$), wedding plan, and get ready to move...
Now that school and speech clinicals are over, I have more time to sub (and make some $$), wedding plan, and get ready to move...
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Happy Mother's Day! / Pinwheel Recipe
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms that read my blog: mom, nana, Courtney, Linda, and Nichole (soon to be mama!). Scott and I are cooking for his mom tonight...here's our menu:
Pepperoni and Romano Pinwheels
Grilled Flank Steak, Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette
Crispy Polenta Fries, Herb Salt
Roasted Carrots
Homemade Dark Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream
Nana's Butter Rich Cookies, Browned Butter Frosting
The pinwheel appetizers are my new favorite! I ripped the recipe out of either Bon Appetit or Gourmet a few years ago and have never made it. So far I've made it twice this weekend (Friday night snack for Laker's game at Chris's house, and tonight for Mother's Day). They are great little one-bite snacks. Just remember to be sure to roll them tight or you won't get the "pinwheel" look when you're done. Here's the recipe:
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese (I used Romano instead)
3/4 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 TBSP Dijon
2 oz. sliced pepperoni
1 egg, beaten
Mix first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl (I used fresh herbs instead of dried). Cut puff pastry crosswise in half to form 2 rectangles. Spread 1 TBSP Dijon on each half, leaving 1 in. plain border at 1 long edge. Place the pepperoni in a single layer atop mustard. Top pepperoni with cheese mixture. Brush plain border with egg. Starting at side opposite plain border, roll up pastry, sealing at egg-coated edge. Chill rolls until firm, atleast 30 min, up to a day. Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and lightly spray with oil. Cut each roll into about 30 1/4in. rounds. Transfer pinwheels to prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!
*After tasting them, I think they would be great with sun-dried tomatoes instead of pepperoni (for you vegetarians)
Pepperoni and Romano Pinwheels
Grilled Flank Steak, Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette
Crispy Polenta Fries, Herb Salt
Roasted Carrots
Homemade Dark Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream
Nana's Butter Rich Cookies, Browned Butter Frosting
The pinwheel appetizers are my new favorite! I ripped the recipe out of either Bon Appetit or Gourmet a few years ago and have never made it. So far I've made it twice this weekend (Friday night snack for Laker's game at Chris's house, and tonight for Mother's Day). They are great little one-bite snacks. Just remember to be sure to roll them tight or you won't get the "pinwheel" look when you're done. Here's the recipe:
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese (I used Romano instead)
3/4 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 TBSP Dijon
2 oz. sliced pepperoni
1 egg, beaten
Mix first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl (I used fresh herbs instead of dried). Cut puff pastry crosswise in half to form 2 rectangles. Spread 1 TBSP Dijon on each half, leaving 1 in. plain border at 1 long edge. Place the pepperoni in a single layer atop mustard. Top pepperoni with cheese mixture. Brush plain border with egg. Starting at side opposite plain border, roll up pastry, sealing at egg-coated edge. Chill rolls until firm, atleast 30 min, up to a day. Preheat oven to 400. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and lightly spray with oil. Cut each roll into about 30 1/4in. rounds. Transfer pinwheels to prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!
*After tasting them, I think they would be great with sun-dried tomatoes instead of pepperoni (for you vegetarians)
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Have you ever grilled on a speeding yacht?
I have! Scott's catering company (Phusion) got a job last week through our friend Chris. Chris works for Play-n-Trade, a video game franchise company (he sells store franchises). The company owns a 62ft. yacht in Newport Harbor, and they hired Scott to cater a short cruise Thursday evening to impress new franchise owners. I was invited to come along and be the server/sous chef. Phusion is run by Scott and his partner Kevin.
Here's the menu for the evening:
Alaskan halibut ceviche with spicy Spanish gazpacho
Deconstructed guacamole, white corn tortilla chip, micro-cilantro
White Mexican shrimp, charred pineapple, teriyaki glaze
Baby vegetable skewers with smoked paprika oil
Local Blue Lake green bean and baby heirloom tomato salad with a champagne vinegar-fines herb vinegarette
Prime NY steak and Australian lobster surf-n-turf skewer
Strawberry Shortcake skewer
Me, Scott and Kevin pre-cruise.
When everyone arrived on board, I served the gazpacho ceviche and deconstructed guacamole (basically a tortilla chip layered with sliced avocados, diced tomatoes/onions, and micro-cilantro). The boat was still in the harbor and I didn't spill a thing.
We were waiting for the AC power to come on so the grill would work (to make the rest of the meal), but that was not going to happen, so someone ran off to buy a grill from the marina. The grill was missing bolts, so we placed it on top on the built in non-functional grill. Once again, not a problem. Scott started grilling shrimp and vegetables, and the group decided to head out to Emerald Bay. Emerald Bay is a good boat ride from Newport Harbor, and the swells were quite large last Thursday. This is when the cooking portion of the evening transformed into a horrible episode of Hell's Kitchen. I had to hold the grill with a towel to keep it from sliding into the middle of the boat. Poor Kevin was in the galley chopping herbs while we flew over swells. At one point, Scott was knocked off his feet by a rogue wave, and the salt, pepper, and a tub of BBQ sauce followed him down! 
We look calm and happy here, but this is right before Scott dropped the sauce. See how I am holding the grill in place...fun fun!
We stopped cooking, planning on continuing once we anchored in Emerald Bay. Once there, the swells did not subside, and I could not go down to the galley without getting queasy. Basically, I had to sit on deck, gripping the pepper mill, to feel OK. I am amazed at the cooking Scott and Kevin did while we bobbed on the waves. They served the shrimp, lobster/steak, green bean salad and veggie skewers all at sea. Finally, the captains decided it would be best if we return to the harbor to escape the waves (duh...we should have gone back waaay earlier!). In the calm harbor waters, I could once again maintain my sous chef duties and skewered dessert. These strawberry shortcake skewers were a HIT. We skewered a cube of pound cake and 1/2 strawberry (the strawberries were macerated in vanilla simple syrup). Scott quickly torched them, and drizzled it with strawberry basil sauce. They were served with a bowl of whipped cream for dipping. Yummy! The strawberries were our favorite...Harry's Berries from Santa Monica's farmer's market.
I planned on taking pictures of all the dishes for my blog, but my sea-queasiness prevented me from moving for a good portion of the evening! Next time, Phusion will specify that they only cook in the harbor....you have to live and learn!
This is the only food picture I took...the Alaskan Halibut ceviche with spicy Spanish gazpacho. We piled diced avocados and a slice of halibut marinated in lime juice. Then we poured gazpacho over it and garnished it with sweet pepper and Thai pepper slices. It was topped with a crostini to help scoop out the goodies. I don't know why I say "we" when I describe this dish...I had no part it creating it, that was all Scott and Kevin. I only put the avocados and gazpacho in the cups =)
Seals!
Here's the menu for the evening:
Alaskan halibut ceviche with spicy Spanish gazpacho
Deconstructed guacamole, white corn tortilla chip, micro-cilantro
White Mexican shrimp, charred pineapple, teriyaki glaze
Baby vegetable skewers with smoked paprika oil
Local Blue Lake green bean and baby heirloom tomato salad with a champagne vinegar-fines herb vinegarette
Prime NY steak and Australian lobster surf-n-turf skewer
Strawberry Shortcake skewer
Me, Scott and Kevin pre-cruise.When everyone arrived on board, I served the gazpacho ceviche and deconstructed guacamole (basically a tortilla chip layered with sliced avocados, diced tomatoes/onions, and micro-cilantro). The boat was still in the harbor and I didn't spill a thing.
We were waiting for the AC power to come on so the grill would work (to make the rest of the meal), but that was not going to happen, so someone ran off to buy a grill from the marina. The grill was missing bolts, so we placed it on top on the built in non-functional grill. Once again, not a problem. Scott started grilling shrimp and vegetables, and the group decided to head out to Emerald Bay. Emerald Bay is a good boat ride from Newport Harbor, and the swells were quite large last Thursday. This is when the cooking portion of the evening transformed into a horrible episode of Hell's Kitchen. I had to hold the grill with a towel to keep it from sliding into the middle of the boat. Poor Kevin was in the galley chopping herbs while we flew over swells. At one point, Scott was knocked off his feet by a rogue wave, and the salt, pepper, and a tub of BBQ sauce followed him down! 
We look calm and happy here, but this is right before Scott dropped the sauce. See how I am holding the grill in place...fun fun!We stopped cooking, planning on continuing once we anchored in Emerald Bay. Once there, the swells did not subside, and I could not go down to the galley without getting queasy. Basically, I had to sit on deck, gripping the pepper mill, to feel OK. I am amazed at the cooking Scott and Kevin did while we bobbed on the waves. They served the shrimp, lobster/steak, green bean salad and veggie skewers all at sea. Finally, the captains decided it would be best if we return to the harbor to escape the waves (duh...we should have gone back waaay earlier!). In the calm harbor waters, I could once again maintain my sous chef duties and skewered dessert. These strawberry shortcake skewers were a HIT. We skewered a cube of pound cake and 1/2 strawberry (the strawberries were macerated in vanilla simple syrup). Scott quickly torched them, and drizzled it with strawberry basil sauce. They were served with a bowl of whipped cream for dipping. Yummy! The strawberries were our favorite...Harry's Berries from Santa Monica's farmer's market.
I planned on taking pictures of all the dishes for my blog, but my sea-queasiness prevented me from moving for a good portion of the evening! Next time, Phusion will specify that they only cook in the harbor....you have to live and learn!
This is the only food picture I took...the Alaskan Halibut ceviche with spicy Spanish gazpacho. We piled diced avocados and a slice of halibut marinated in lime juice. Then we poured gazpacho over it and garnished it with sweet pepper and Thai pepper slices. It was topped with a crostini to help scoop out the goodies. I don't know why I say "we" when I describe this dish...I had no part it creating it, that was all Scott and Kevin. I only put the avocados and gazpacho in the cups =)
Seals!
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