sung + ryan.

Yesterday, Sung and Ryan tied the knot in a beautiful, windy ceremony overlooking the pacific ocean.

Yes, here at this location: The Cliff House

(photo credit: www.staysf.com)


It was dreamy and breathtaking and lovely and classy. It was the perfect wedding to celebrate the happy couple. I met Sung through my small group at church. And even though our lives are on separate tracks, we nevertheless have found things in common to keep our friendship moving forward. Sung is probably one of the most genuine people I know. She is approachable and engaging. And, Ryan, well, he pretty much does the same thing as TV's Dr. House (minus the drug addiction & tv make-believe), which makes him awesome.

Side story: Micah and I were running a little late. After getting on a bus and realizing it wasn't going to take us where we wanted to go, we got on another bus. Unfortunate for us, the bus dropped us 12 blocks from the Cliff House. So, here we are, running down the sidewalk (mental picture: I'm in heels), hoping not to miss and/or interrupt the grand entrance of the bride. Thankfully, when we got there, they had decided to do a mini-cocktail time before getting the ceremony in full swing!

Without further ado, here's the photo recap:



Sung looked BEAUTIFUL!







After the ceremony, we partied it up inside with a fabulous meal and hoppin' music! They definitely set a high bar for June 20th.


The morning after, Micah and I were invited to continue the wedding festivities at a Dim Sum brunch. Yum!



Congratulations Sung and Ryan! I wish you all the best for your future together. Happy honeymooning on your Alaskan cruise!

my new friend.

Dear ibook G4,
We've had a good four and a half years together. You were there when I graduated from college. You stood beside me when I moved to San Francisco. You listened as I abundantly poured out words onto your screen. You watched me grow and provided me with endless hours of rockin' tunes, internet highlights, and typing possibilities. We have had our ups and downs. But I, for one, have enjoyed this long and windy road we traveled. About 9 months ago, you started nudging and encouraging. You told me, "I'm not the only fish in the sea, look at all your options." You, not so discreetly, told me you have aged (by completing shutting down, unexpectedly and without reason). You have fought the fight and now it's time for you to have a little more R & R in your life. Don't worry, you're not retiring quite yet, I know you've still got some spunk! You're just moving from a full-time position to a part-time. I know you'll train the next guy just fine and we'll be one big, happy family!


Yours truly,
Cg



Bloggers...(and ibook G4), let me introduce you to my new friend/full-time employee/grad school companion.







New friend, say hello to everyone!

my life has been taken over by...

wedding favors.

super delicious raspberry buttermilk cake.

I've dreamed of this cake all weekend since I made it Thursday night after getting home from work. After an evening full of hearing DV, there's nothing quite as soothing as baking a cake. AND, given just a quick stop by the organic store, I was well on my way to dessert bliss.

The line up:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick (56 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup & 1 and 1/2 tbsp sugar, divided
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 large egg
1/2 cup well shaken buttermilk**
1 cup raspberries (about 5 ounces)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

2) Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about two minutes). Then beat in vanilla and zest, if using. Add egg and beat well.

3) At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined. Spoon batter (it will seem pretty thick) into cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter raspberries evenly over top and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

4) Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes (if you can contain yourself). You can either keep cake in pan or take it out to cool on a rack then invert onto a plate.

**Supposedly you can make your own buttermilk at home (although I have not tried). You add one teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk and let it sit until it clabbers (anyone know what that means?), about 10 minutes. Then, Voila, buttermilk!

ONE month.

ONE month from today this man will become my husband.


Remember when he grew out a beard? When he looked like a lumberjack? When I could point out crumbs from a meal he had eaten 2 hours before? When it felt like a thousand spears stabbing me when we kissed? Well, even if YOU don't, I do.



ok, well, actually now he looks like this (sorry ladies, he's taken). So much cuter than zac efron.





BUT, after all is said and done, I would still love him if he looked like this (micah, let's not test that theory though).

Acknowledgement is always the first step to recovery.

Hi, my name is CG and I have a celebrity crush on Zac Efron.


I know, I know, it's embarassing. I mean, I'm 25 years old, not 12! Anyway, my fiance has now become my enabler, because he took me to go see Zac's (yes, we're on a first name basis) latest movie last night.



(photo credit: www.newfulllengthmovies.com)


I know, I know, it's absolutely ridiculous that we spent $22 (+ embezzled snacks) for the two of us to see 17 Again. We both knew going into it that it was lacking in plot and was most likely going to be two hours of horrifyingly, mushy-gushy teen drama. But, I went anyway, willingly; excited even.

And...I admit I liked it. It met all poor expectations, but at the same time it succeeded in having funny moments (no, really, parts were actually funny). I couldn't help but wish just a little bit that I were back in high school watching this movie on a lame friday night with heather and mary kay.

I'm not proud of my celebrity crush, but like I said earlier, acknowledgement is the first step to recovery. Right?

the stats.

Bay to Breakers: 12K Race (approximately 7.5 miles)

CG's Bib Number: 13383

CG's Finish time: 1 hour, 37 minutes, and 1 second

CG's Rankings: 10773rd (overall)
4258th (female)
1375th (female, age 20-29)

Micah's Bib Number: 13382

Micah's Finish time: 1 hour, 37 minutes, and 1 second (yes, we did hold hands as we crossed the finish line)

Micah's Rankings: 10774th (overall)
6591th (male)
1470th (male, age 20-29)

farewell weekend.

Ok, so it wasn't THE farewell weekend, but it sure felt that way with all the san franciscan activities that I was able to jam into a little more than 48 hours. Before you begin reading this post, be forewarned that it is LONG.

The festivities started at District Wine Bar to celebrate friends Sung and Ryan that are getting married in just 2 weeks!


(photo credit: wwww.sfgloss.com)

Micah and I have rarely visited the SOMA neighborhood, but District was rather hip. It has a rustic, urban vibe. I swirled, squished, and sipped my Cantina Torre Quarto, which the menu dutifully told me had aromas of ripe cherries and a hint of mushrooms and minerals on the finish. Although I don't normally enjoy mushrooms in my wine, I was feeling adventurous and it didn't disappoint!



Saturday, Micah and I continued with the wine theme and drove up to Napa for a picnic with friends (who doesn't love having rich friends with great connections?).



This was no average picnic. It was like a scene straight out of a movie. The setting was William Hill Estate Winery and we sat here at this table:



enjoying this great view:



drinking lots of great wine:





Then we frolicked in the vineyard.



on our path down to the lake to watch Ruby fetch sticks



I obviously was mesmerized by her capabilites





And, I leave you with this photograph that I stole right before we left. Our day was spent in absolute relaxation. The only thing that could have made it more perfect is if it had been 10 degrees cooler. Go ahead, it's ok, you can be jealous!




After arriving back to the city, Micah indugled my glutonous ice cream fantasy. And of course, there's no other place to go (when you have a car that can take you) except Mitchell's. I got chocolate peanut butter ice cream (chocolate ice cream with peanut butter chunks and peanut butter cups) in a waffle cone!


(photo credit: cafelala.blogspot.com)



Saturday night I broke my usual 11pm curfew and went to a friend's birthday party, which started at 10:30 PM even though I had to get up at 5:30 AM for Bay to Breakers! The party was at Slide, bar/dance club.


(photo credit: sf weekly blog)

And Slide is rightly named, since there is a slide entrance into the night club (as in: walk in the door, slide down, arrive at bar).



Sunday was Bay to Breakers. A few fun facts about the race:
1) Second largest race in the world; it has roughly 80,000 participants.
2) The race tradition began in 1912 to boost city moral after the devastating 1906 earthquake & fire.
3) It is one wild and crazy event.

Here's Micah and I at about 6:30 AM, before heading down to the race start line.



Here's our "after face." We definitely were tired after running 7.5 miles, but at the same time it was energizing to have accomplished running our first race!



And, to top it all off, I got this t-shirt.

Latin Bridal

Gather round everyone, it's story time.

So, while I was hard at work today, I took a quick glance at locations that sell a particular shoe that I will hopefully be wearing for my wedding.

I was in luck. There just happened to be a shop a mere (albeit long) 5 blocks away. And this shop just happened to be named Latin Bridal. Some of you may not know (note sarcastic tone), but I am not Latina. However, I assumed that even though I was not, I could still as easily walk down to the store, talk a little Spanish if the need arose, and try on the shoes before I purchased them.

I hopped on the 49 bus, rode for 4 blocks, and was dropped off at 22nd, just across the street from Latin Bridal.

I entered a shop of flowery, puffy, organza filled dresses and I knew I was in the right place. There were bridal gowns, quinceanera dresses, fake flower bouquets, and sparkly tiaras in abundance. I walked up to the counter and the sales lady greeted me in English. Now, in almost all circumstances, I don't respond to someone in Spanish who speaks to me first in English (this would 1) be strange in the case the person knew no Spanish and 2) could be interpreted as condescending). So, I proceeded to explain my shoe searching perdicament in English. The sales lady got out a catalogue to look for the shoe, and lo and behold it was there. She then proceeded to the big wall of shoe boxes to see if they had a pair in stock.

Alas, they did not have the shoes. BUT, they had another pair from the same company that I could try on so I would know what size to get. Here's the point in the story where my luck drasically changed. The sales lady that was helping me passed me on to another sales lady, so that the first could help another customer. Sales lady 2 talked as though I was such an inconvenience to her, although she didn't know I understood her because she didn't know I spoke Spanish. How rude!

Sales lady 2 got a pair down for me, but they were strappy shoes and not ones with a closed heel, so how was I supposed to gage the size? Oh, well, I tried them on anyway. I'm usually a size 7 (may a 7.5), but this shoe was a 6.5. I could squeeze my foot into it, but it was STRAPPY, how could I know how it was going to feel with a heel? Her nails-against-chalkboard replies that I should definitely get the 6.5 were oddly not reassuring.

I then asked the oh-so frustrating questions of how long it would take to order and if they had color swatches from the company to choose from. I don't know if I offended sales lady 2 in some way, but her attitude was short and not in the least amiable. I don't know if her lack of customer service is a daily occurance or if I had just gotten lucky (again, note the sarcasim).

As I turned to leave, I overheard (not that she was being quiet) sales lady 2 tell sales lady 1 "how strange" (in Spanish).

Oh, no you didn't!

Again, I did assume that even though I wasn't Latina I could still go to Latin Bride, but come on!

I turned around and replied, "si, es raro su comportamiento conmigo. y sabes que, ya perdio esta venda porque nunca se sabe cuando alguien habla espanol. Pero, ademas de esto, no debe tratar a una persona como usted me trato a mi. buen dia"

Translation: "yeah, your behavior towards me is strange. and you know what, you already lost this sale because you never know when someone speaks spanish. But, more than that, you shouldn't treat a person like you treated me. good day."

Sales ladies: blank, suprised stares. Me: walking out of Latin Bridal, feeling proud and justified.

Headlines don't sell papes. Newsies sell papes.

Have I talked about this little guy lately?



I think not, but he is one handsome little man, complete with a comehither stare that has all the ladies flocking.

I have yet to meet 'lil Joseph in person, but the day is rapidly approaching!!

JJ, you are TOO cute, I can't wait to give you a big hug and kiss!--Love, "auntie" cg

the ants come marching...

As I was getting ready this morning, I noticed a small, black ant crawling on my bed. My first thought was, "Wow, I don't think I've EVER seen an ant in San Francisco." My reaction was: kill it and throw it away in the trash. I continued getting ready.
...
Approximately 4 minutes later, I see another ant. My thought, "How strange." My reaction: kill it and throw it away in the trash. I continued getting ready.
...
About 1 minute later, I saw 3 more ants spastically running around on my bed. My thought, "What is going on?" My reaction: catch all three, kill them, and throw them in the trash.

After throwing their smooshed bodies in the trash, I turned around and saw about 8 ants crawling on my bed! No thought, except for "FREAKING OUT, THE ANTS HAVE INVADED MY ROOM!" I rush around picking them up, while simultaneously squishing them. Gross!

The entire time I was getting ready, I continued seeing little, black ants. I searched and searched for a source from where they were coming, but found none.
...
I then arrive to work, but alas found no solace because the ants had followed me there too. I know, I know, it's TOO bizarre. Where are they coming from? I searched my bag to see if they were in there, but I found nothing. Either I'm going insane and imagining the ants, or the ants have decided I am their new queen and are coming out of the woodworks to find me. Neither of these options are good.

I meant to write this earlier, but I didn't.

The countdown continues...

45 days...did you hear that blog? 45 DAYS!

I got a card from one of Micah's great aunt's and it was too cute. It was addressed just to me and made me feel quite special. It was like an official "welcome to the family." I mean here's a sweet old lady I've never met (she wasn't even at the GINORMOUS family reunion I so throughly enjoyed), but she took time out of her day to buy a card, write me a little note, seal it, slap on a stamp, and send it on its way. TOO sweet!

On another exciting note, Micah and I got our first wedding present! It came in the mail, wrapped and boxed so carefully.

And, since I've been lacking on photos, here's one I took a couple weeks ago when Micah and I went out for Irish coffee at Buena Vista Cafe. Yummy!


Can I hear a "that's a perfect place to end a bachelorette part"?

isn't it ironic?

Tonight after work I went to Tortilla Heights, a yuppy Mexican restaurant. To say it was crowded would be an understatement. It was packed. It was packed with wealthy whities in their mid to late twenties partying it up with tecate beer, margaritas, and tequila. What were they celebrating? Well, cinco de mayo of course. I guess I can't really judge, because obviously I too was there. I'm white, not necessarily wealthy, but I've got my bills covered. I also was drinking a margarita.

But, isn't it ironic that we "celebrate" a holiday that isn't even really celebrated in Mexico? Here's a HUGE stereotype, but it is the people like those in Tortilla Heights that belittle, look down on, or worse simply ignore people from Mexico (and other Latin American countries) all year round. But then May 5th rolls around and the first thought is to "celebrate" Mexico by throwing back a six pack of Dos Equis. Por ejemplo, the manly crew that was chillaxing next to me at the restaurant admittly joked the holiday was simply another excuse to get drunk. They joked as time after time the latino busboy carried away their dirty drinking glasses and dishes only so they could be replaced by more.

Maybe I'm reading too much into my brief experience. Maybe cinco de mayo is an excuse to drink just like st. patrick's day or oktoberfest and maybe that's not wrong. But, maybe, just maybe, there's a reason I felt embarassed and insensitive for participating in the Tortilla Heights' cinco de mayo festivities. And, maybe next year, I should evaluate more critically what I do.

at the moment.

At the moment, I am eating honey nut cheerios and DESPERATELY awaiting the UPS guy to deliver a pretty, white dress. Please, oh, please come before I have to leave!


Update: It's FINALLY arrived safe and sound, with 11 minutes to spare before I leave for work!

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday

No, I'm not sending out a distress signal for help, I'm just THAT excited that it is May!

"In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These baskets are small and usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The basket giver would ring the bell and run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the fleeing giver. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged."
--[wikipedia, May_Day]

Why isn't this tradition more popular? How fun would it be to get a basket & then chase after the person who gave it to you to give them a kiss!