Thanksgiving 2010

In a twist of events, we had more than 5 feet of snow during Thanksgiving 2010, in years past we have been able to enjoy meals on the deck, listen to my brother play the guitar while in the sun and get things done ... like use the chain saws.  This year however the snow blower got a work out, clearing more than 4 feet of snow off the deck when we arrived.  Thursday we enjoyed a game of Thanksgiving Pinochle before dining on turkey and my personal favorite, stuffing.  On Friday Eric and my mom's cousins came up to enjoy the Bradley Lodge with us, we put up the Christmas Tree and we played lots of Wii (bowling, Wii Fit, ...).  Saturday we woke up to snow, played a full round of dominoes and it continued to snow throughout the day and the deck ended up with 15+ inches of fresh powder.  We also ventured outside, using our snow shoes to take a little adventure around the property and fired up the snow blower again just minutes before our snow plow service came to do the rest.

A 3 AM Wake Up Call

After 15 months it was time to head back out on the road for a business trip.  This time, just a quick trip to Fresno for a live shot at Specialized Parts Planet with Great Day on KMPH (Fox, Fresno). I started out with a workout at 24 Hour Fitness in Roseville, then headed to Turlock for a meal at Panera before checking into my hotel, looking at my e-mail and of course asking where I should eat via Facebook and Twitter.  Three people recommended I head to Dog House Grill.  I knew it would be a good place when there was no parking spots left, but I finally found a place and went inside.  After one look at the menu I recognized a similarity to a San Luis Obispo favorite, Firestone Grill, that suspicion was later confirmed by the same three friends and as I enjoyed my tri-tip sandwich and fries.

Monday I was awakened by my cell phone alarm and a wake up call at 3 am and made it to Specialized Parts Planet by 4 am to meet with the client and make sure everything was ready for our live shots with KMPH.  Luckily the rain held off and our six shots throughout the morning went off flawlessly. About 100 viewers e-mailed in their parts requests and we found them on air or replied to their request via e-mail, we demonstrated how to replace a side mirror and take off a hood and of course gave a tour of the entire facility from the lobby to the back warehouse to the racks of cars out back.


*Specialized Parts Planet is a client of AugustineIdeas, this was NOT a paid post

An Expensive Water Bottle

We live in a nation of discounts, deals, specials, coupons, Groupon and more.  We shop at discount and big box stores. We look online to see if there is a better price.  But what about making a difference?  Are we willing to spend a little bit to help someone?  Are we willing to make a difference? Are we willing to change a life?

I got my World Vision Gift Catalog a few weeks ago, I wasn't going to buy anything, money has been tight this year, but then I looked.  I realized that despite money being tight by my standards, I have more than most.  I have water to drink, food to eat, a job to go to, a bed to sleep in.  So I decided to buy the most expensive water bottle and coffee mug of my life.  At $70 each, I know I could have gotten a cheaper one almost anywhere, but no where else can my purchase go to make such a difference.

So what gifts will you give this holiday season? Will your gifts make a difference or will they just end up in the hallway closet? Yes you can give gifts to your family and friends, but you can also make a difference for millions around the world.  Consider buying a water bottle, a goat, a chicken or so much more.  Consider a gift that will allow a village to have clean drinking water, a family to have food to eat, a child to have bed to sleep on. Consider clicking here and making a purchase that will change a life and make an impact on the world.

Happy Birthday ... To Me!

My birthday weekend started out great, Facebook Places came to my Blackberry Storm on Thursday night, then my boss purchased pizza for the office and announced that we would be getting massages next Friday, then it was off to the Bradley Lodge.  Although some people don't think you should be staining the lodge and shampooing the carpet on your birthday I didn't mind at all.  Saturday my parents had some friends up to the lodge for lunch and dinner, then we celebrated my birthday in style with some great wine, salmon and for dessert a cake (and cupcakes) topped with Reese's Pieces from Sam's Club, accompanied by two gifts.  First up Weird California, which features almost everything weird in California, including San Luis Obispo's famous "Bubble Gum Alley." If you know how I choose hotels for business trips, then you will appreciated gift number two, a flip waffle maker ... it's amazing and now I might have to cook breakfast more often, just because it's fun. As we headed home we stopped by Indian Rock Vineyards in Murphys, not only did they have some great wine, but also a pond stocked with huge trout, that made for a beautiful picnic backdrop.

A Day With Family

After a quick trip to the gym with a friend for some cardio and conversation I met my parents at my house and we headed to Loomis for brunch at the High Hand Conservatory.  I didn't really know what to expect, but I was immediately impressed.  The nursery was beautiful and the conservatory reminded me of a cross between the butterfly exhibit of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and the dinning room and patio of Tower Cafe.  The food and the service were great as well, I had a shrimp and crab omelet, while the rest of the family had artisan sandwiches and a squash soup.  After our meal we headed through the gardens and into the expansive art gallery before heading to the Auburn area to check out the region's wine country. Although we only made it to one winery (we tried for more, but signage was lacking and a few appeared to be closed for private events) it was still fun and I think we chose the right one to go to.  Vina Castella in Auburn had fabulous grounds, the vineyards were changing colors (thank you fall  - I think - at about 80 degrees it felt like spring or summer) and the tasting room was in a cave lined with wine barrels.  The wine was pretty good and we ended up taking home a bottle of Abuelita (little grandma), not only because we thought it tasted pretty good, but because we had two grandmas with us (my grandma and my mom).

After our adventures through Auburn we decided to drive through Newcastle and over to Lincoln to check out the Thunder Valley Casino Resort. Although I only live a few miles away, I had never actually set foot in the casino until today.  I lost $1 of my money and $1 of my mom's money (yep, I'm a high roller), I guess I should have cashed out when I was at $3.25 after my first pull on the slot machine.

To wrap up the day everyone came to my house where I cooked hamburgers for the group and then we played pinochle to wrap up the evening.  It was great to see everyone, have them come up to my neck of the woods and then be able to host them all at Fort Bradley for a few hours.