So a brief note here, will add pictures later and more in-depth analysis.
We went up to Temecula on Saturday with Ashley's mom and dad and we hit up A LOT of different wineries and had a great time, I'm just going to list them here briefly then provide the analysis of each of the ones we went to further later on.
We started at Hart Family Winery, then headed close next door to Callaway Winery.
Then proceeded up the road to Stuart Cellars, across the street to Mt. Palomar, we hit up one of our past favorites in Wiens. Proceeded across the way to Masia De Yabar, down the road to Leonesse Cellars and then ended up with Dinner and a last tasting at South Coast winery.
Dinner was topped off by the Jazz losing game 3 in the Playoffs on a heart-breaking D-Will missed jumper and missed tip back in by Millsapp.
Came home that night after dinner and watched The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock and it may now be one of my absolute favorite movies, great show really, I highly recommend it.
Sunday morning we headed to Beaumont's for a Mother's Day brunch and had a wonderful breakfast, but it unfortunately took us over 2 hours as we sat and waited at our table for over an hour after ordering our food.
Stay tuned for more in depth reviews of the wineries and the weekend!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Napa Valley Valentines Day!
Ok so I know it may not be the most original since we went last year also, but we did Napa again for Valentines this year! We had such a good time last year that we wanted to do it again this year, and Ashley's sister and her boyfriend were able to come with us this trip for their first time in Napa so it made the trip great!
I'm going to have to consult Ashley for the list of Wineries we hit, (I want to say 4 the first day and maybe 5 the second day) but here are some highlights from the trip.
We started the trip at Frog's Leap Winery which is absolutely amazing as it is completely sustainable and I am influenced by my good friend Riley that sustainability is a good thing! Anyhow, they have a barn and a little hoop set up that if you make the shot you win a little prize (A Frogs Leap poster) after watching a half dozen misses or so, I calmly stepped up and hit my first shot since Christmas. Good times there!
Me, Ashley, her sister Tina, and her sisters boyfriend Julian. Posing inside one of the barns at Frogs Leap.
I'm going to have to consult Ashley for the list of Wineries we hit, (I want to say 4 the first day and maybe 5 the second day) but here are some highlights from the trip.
We started the trip at Frog's Leap Winery which is absolutely amazing as it is completely sustainable and I am influenced by my good friend Riley that sustainability is a good thing! Anyhow, they have a barn and a little hoop set up that if you make the shot you win a little prize (A Frogs Leap poster) after watching a half dozen misses or so, I calmly stepped up and hit my first shot since Christmas. Good times there!
Me, Ashley, her sister Tina, and her sisters boyfriend Julian. Posing inside one of the barns at Frogs Leap.
Not as much a fan of the wine so much as a fan of their establishment at Sterling Winery, you take a tram ride up to the estate itself, then the views from there are amazing. We hit there last year, but just went again primarily for the view, a really pretty place in Napa.
We hit Duckhorn Winery the second day there, first thing in the morning and it was the absolute best winery we were at the whole time. Generous pours, the absolute best wine, and a pretty place too, so glad we stopped there and even though it was a little more pricey than we're accustomed too we got a couple bottles from there and they are DIVINE!
Outside of the Duckhorn winery amidst all of the Mustard Plants outside of the winery.
A little bright here, I believe this was at Peju, one of our final wineries of the trip, but a great stop nonetheless.
Just a beautiful place in the world, absolutely love staying up there it is a great time always!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Discover Card is Awesome
**Disclaimer**
This post is by no means endorsed by Discover Card and I am not affiliated with them despite the fact they saved me a cool grand. So thank you to them, appreciate you Discover!
It was just another Monday in my everyday life, get to work, get some projects done. Sign on to www.Mint.com (another absolutely great site by the way) to check up on my budget and just see how everything was going for my monthly budgets. Mint.com by the way is a Credit Card and Banking/ everything financial compiling site, so I can see all the balances on all CC's, Bank accounts, Retirement etc. So I log on here and realize that everything loads, EXCEPT for my Discover card, meaning something is wrong with the online login. Minutes later I get a call on my cell from random 800 number, but I answer, and sure enough it is Discover Customer Service wanting to verify some purchases for Fraud protection. Yadda yadda list a couple of places I went to eat the weekend before. Then... And 10 $100 gift cards for EBay? ... Wait what? Yeah 10 $100 gift cards from EBay. Whoa whoa whoa, ok no I definitely did not purchase that. They trace it back, looks like I made a few online purchases recently which any of them could be the place that the person hacked in order to get my CC number. Nonetheless, this was a little discerning, but they canceled my card immediately, sent me a new one and did not charge me for the fraudulent charges. They talked to me about how to use the 'Encryption' card services on DiscoverCard.com and how to help avoid this in the future. Awesome.
I'm just now getting my new Discover Card, which I'm going to make sure I'm MUCH safer with and watch where and how I use it. I was always one of those believers that Identity Theft couldn't happen to me, I make sure I use safe approved sites, and I'm pretty computer savvy thinking I was invincible I guess. I got hit by a Mild Mild form of ID theft, which thanks to Discover Card was completely avoided.
So, good lookin out by Discover, much appreciated and to everyone out there your card number can be hacked from anywhere. (The only online purchases I had made in the past 2 weeks was www.Southwest.com which I would think would be pretty secure. But anything is possible!)
Be careful out there friends, and thank you Discover Card!
This post is by no means endorsed by Discover Card and I am not affiliated with them despite the fact they saved me a cool grand. So thank you to them, appreciate you Discover!
It was just another Monday in my everyday life, get to work, get some projects done. Sign on to www.Mint.com (another absolutely great site by the way) to check up on my budget and just see how everything was going for my monthly budgets. Mint.com by the way is a Credit Card and Banking/ everything financial compiling site, so I can see all the balances on all CC's, Bank accounts, Retirement etc. So I log on here and realize that everything loads, EXCEPT for my Discover card, meaning something is wrong with the online login. Minutes later I get a call on my cell from random 800 number, but I answer, and sure enough it is Discover Customer Service wanting to verify some purchases for Fraud protection. Yadda yadda list a couple of places I went to eat the weekend before. Then... And 10 $100 gift cards for EBay? ... Wait what? Yeah 10 $100 gift cards from EBay. Whoa whoa whoa, ok no I definitely did not purchase that. They trace it back, looks like I made a few online purchases recently which any of them could be the place that the person hacked in order to get my CC number. Nonetheless, this was a little discerning, but they canceled my card immediately, sent me a new one and did not charge me for the fraudulent charges. They talked to me about how to use the 'Encryption' card services on DiscoverCard.com and how to help avoid this in the future. Awesome.
I'm just now getting my new Discover Card, which I'm going to make sure I'm MUCH safer with and watch where and how I use it. I was always one of those believers that Identity Theft couldn't happen to me, I make sure I use safe approved sites, and I'm pretty computer savvy thinking I was invincible I guess. I got hit by a Mild Mild form of ID theft, which thanks to Discover Card was completely avoided.
So, good lookin out by Discover, much appreciated and to everyone out there your card number can be hacked from anywhere. (The only online purchases I had made in the past 2 weeks was www.Southwest.com which I would think would be pretty secure. But anything is possible!)
Be careful out there friends, and thank you Discover Card!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Torrey Pines / Poinsettia Bowl
For me this year, the holiday's started on the evening of December 22nd upon Riley's arrival into San Diego.
We hit the ground running upon Riley's arrival and really made quite the time of it in the 30ish hours he was in town.
Arrival late on the 22nd, to some home cooked Pasta and Meatballs, not my best creation by far, but it got the job done for my wearied traveler buddy.
Ran presents out to my Cousin Jen and then headed back into PB where we hit the bars for maybe an hour, but then decided that we had a big day ahead of us and didn't want to be getting home too late. (Hilarious side-story, we later were reading about the up-coming match-up of Cal vs. Utah in the Poinsettia bowl, in which Cal's coach was "Tightening up" standards for the team and changing his Curfew time from 4am to 2am before the game to get his team some rest.) Anyhow, we were home around midnight and crashed soon there after. Hit the ground running in the morning with a little breakfast, then hiked Torrey Pines and took in some beautiful coast lines and sunshine. Followed by picking up our tickets to the football game at Qualcomm (Field Level, Section F8, Row 23, Seats 1 & 2 - Phenomenal seats) Followed by some Frisbee Golf at Balboa Park which was a great time except for there being about a million people there.
The La Jolla shores looking down from Torrey Pines.
Looking South from Torrey Pines over the La Jolla shores taking in some of the amazing coastline.
Another shot looking South over the La Jolla shores with a little bird pirched in the brush here.
Me and Riley at the Poinsettia Bowl game, Utah vs Cal
Holding up the number 9 for number of Consecutive Bowl wins for the University of Utah!
We hit the ground running upon Riley's arrival and really made quite the time of it in the 30ish hours he was in town.
Arrival late on the 22nd, to some home cooked Pasta and Meatballs, not my best creation by far, but it got the job done for my wearied traveler buddy.
Ran presents out to my Cousin Jen and then headed back into PB where we hit the bars for maybe an hour, but then decided that we had a big day ahead of us and didn't want to be getting home too late. (Hilarious side-story, we later were reading about the up-coming match-up of Cal vs. Utah in the Poinsettia bowl, in which Cal's coach was "Tightening up" standards for the team and changing his Curfew time from 4am to 2am before the game to get his team some rest.) Anyhow, we were home around midnight and crashed soon there after. Hit the ground running in the morning with a little breakfast, then hiked Torrey Pines and took in some beautiful coast lines and sunshine. Followed by picking up our tickets to the football game at Qualcomm (Field Level, Section F8, Row 23, Seats 1 & 2 - Phenomenal seats) Followed by some Frisbee Golf at Balboa Park which was a great time except for there being about a million people there.
The La Jolla shores looking down from Torrey Pines.
Looking South from Torrey Pines over the La Jolla shores taking in some of the amazing coastline.
Another shot looking South over the La Jolla shores with a little bird pirched in the brush here.
Me and Riley at the Poinsettia Bowl game, Utah vs Cal
Holding up the number 9 for number of Consecutive Bowl wins for the University of Utah!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Again, why I love San Diego..
I always have San Diego set on the weather and to compare it to Minneapolis, where my friend Jeremy lives, University Park, Pennsylvania, where my sister is, and home. And it's always just nice and refreshing to see 55 when most everyone else is in single digits. Brrrrrrr!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
CNN/YouTube Live Debate on Climate Change
CNN and YouTube are teaming up to present another live YouTube debate like they did for the Elections. This time around they will be focusing on the topic of climate change in honor of the COP15 conference, the United Nations Climate Change Conference going from Dec 7 to Dec 18 this month.
YouTube has created a channel page for the COP15 conference where you can submit your own questions for the chance to have them aired during the debate on December 15. According to the site, during the debate "leaders and activists at COP15 will come together to answer your top-ranked questions."
http://www.youtube.com/Cop15
Possible topics range from the "economics of climate change" to "personal responsibility." You can submit video questions and vote for your favorites between now and December 14.
YouTube has created a channel page for the COP15 conference where you can submit your own questions for the chance to have them aired during the debate on December 15. According to the site, during the debate "leaders and activists at COP15 will come together to answer your top-ranked questions."
http://www.youtube.com/Cop15
Possible topics range from the "economics of climate change" to "personal responsibility." You can submit video questions and vote for your favorites between now and December 14.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
El Paso Texas Trip
Ok so it's been far too long since I've written on here, most likely due to my crazy schedule lately! In just the past 30 days I've been to Kansas City, Baton Rouge/New Orleans, Minneapolis, Austin, and El Paso. And now I'm FINALLY home! Needless to say I've tallied up some frequent flier miles, and had some great times! Even including El Paso, which was primarily work related, but still made a good time out of it.
So since I haven't received photo's from Thanksgiving in Austin Texas yet, I'm going to start with my experience in El Paso Texas.
Initially as a Training trip, it turned more into a internet troubleshooting and maintenance trip, with some training inter mixed in. I flew out of Austin Texas, toward El Paso Monday November 30th, short little flight, on Southwest. They give us the standard, we will be making our initial decent into El Paso yadda yadda. Little bit later we're heading down, and I'm looking out the window seeing snow! Snow, in El Paso Texas, thinking wow, this can't happen to often. So we start descending for landing, wheels tap the ground, and then we lift back off! So we start to make a loop around for another take at the landing, come down some more then go back up! Captain comes over the PA system and says I apologize, couldn't see the runway that time, we're going to take another loop around. Finally, third time around, we land safely and softly. Everyone starts giving a standing ovation after we finally stuck the landing. It was pretty crazy. Needless to say, I feel like Southwest pilots, or at least the ones doing the Austin to El Paso route, most likely aren't too familiar with snow, so it was pretty frightening. Loved the hotel and the people in El Paso, really had a great time, got some things straightened up for them, and left them with a working internet, which seemed to make them pretty happy. All-in-all it was a pretty good trip, short, and lots of work, and the inital entry was crazy, but had fun!
So since I haven't received photo's from Thanksgiving in Austin Texas yet, I'm going to start with my experience in El Paso Texas.Initially as a Training trip, it turned more into a internet troubleshooting and maintenance trip, with some training inter mixed in. I flew out of Austin Texas, toward El Paso Monday November 30th, short little flight, on Southwest. They give us the standard, we will be making our initial decent into El Paso yadda yadda. Little bit later we're heading down, and I'm looking out the window seeing snow! Snow, in El Paso Texas, thinking wow, this can't happen to often. So we start descending for landing, wheels tap the ground, and then we lift back off! So we start to make a loop around for another take at the landing, come down some more then go back up! Captain comes over the PA system and says I apologize, couldn't see the runway that time, we're going to take another loop around. Finally, third time around, we land safely and softly. Everyone starts giving a standing ovation after we finally stuck the landing. It was pretty crazy. Needless to say, I feel like Southwest pilots, or at least the ones doing the Austin to El Paso route, most likely aren't too familiar with snow, so it was pretty frightening. Loved the hotel and the people in El Paso, really had a great time, got some things straightened up for them, and left them with a working internet, which seemed to make them pretty happy. All-in-all it was a pretty good trip, short, and lots of work, and the inital entry was crazy, but had fun!
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