COUCH GATE 2011!

So when I met Rob he had recently moved from San Diego to Valdosta....Depressing huh? Well, anyways he talked a lot about the pub he used to frequent there and an annual event called Couch Gate. Between deployments and being pregnant I never got the chance to experience this crazy event until this year. This was our second trip to SD so I already knew the pub people, I had fallin' in love with the Mexican place next door to the pub and even had a sitter out there that I LOVED! Once we got all the details of CouchGate we made plans to be there. It is basically what it sounds like, tailgating with a couch!  We loaded up the Jeep on Thursday morning with snacks for the kids, juice, Red Bull, Jack and beer! We headed to meet up with everyone at the pub and then all went to Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers game did not start until 5pm, but we started around 1pm! We parked the Jeep opened up all the windows and the back and turned on a movie for the kids! The best thing about SD has to be the weather, it was the perfect tempt in the Jeep and such a nice breeze blowing. While all the kids watched movies, we ate, took fun pics, had lots of jello and of course did some drinking. Unlike most people I stuck to beer because I didn't want to feel like death the next day! The kids were so good, Tre' liked the fact that he got to play his games with out us bothering him and we were able to hang out with friends with the kids there!!! The kids even hung out for a bit, may have to get them shirts next year! We left the parking lot around 5ish and headed to the hotel to get the kids ready for the sitter and to get dressed to go out to the pub. We had a great time overall that night and I laughed all night. The best part was the California burrito from Sombrero's. I usually eat these for 2-3 of my meals while in SD! Overall, it was a great time, with fun people and I look forward to next year!

We Are no LONGER HOMELESS

So we found a home!!!!!!!! After hotel living for almost a month we were advised to look on Craigslist... yeah I had my doubts about this but decided that it wouldn't hurt. At this point we were staying in our 11th or 12th hotel and I was a pro at living out of a suitcase but also tired of it...I saw a place in Pleasant Hill which was an ideal location for a number of reasons. At this point the two schools that we had in mind for Preston were in Concord and Pleasant Hill. Both of these schools are over a toll bridge. If we were to live somewhere besides Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill or Concord, we would have to pay a toll everyday of $5 to get to his school and I would either have to find something to occupy my time ever day he is in school or go home and pay another $5 to come back and get him. Also Whole Foods, a nice mall, Babies R Us and Target were near the trio of locations I listed. Rob decided that a commute of 30 minutes a day and a one way toll bridge for him was okay if it meant I wouldn't have to commute, pay a toll or drive really far for basic shopping.  So back to Craigslist. I literally found this place minutes after Lisa posted it. We called the number set up a viewing and LOVED it, even though it was 3 stories, talk about the stairs. Within 2 days we signed a lease and had a place to live!! And it get better, the townhouse is walking distance from Preston's school. those that know me, know that I don't walk anywhere and the thought of exercise bores me into a deep wine/jack induced slumber . But it will honestly take more work to load the kids in the car and drive than it would to walk. So we are all moved in furniture delivered and I am unpacking as fast as I can. I will attempt to find my camera cords tomorrow and back track and upload pics. Until then NIGHT!!!

playing catch up....again

Well, we have been without internet for, well too long so now I must play catch up. I will start with Tre' coming! Usually during the summer Tre' comes for 7-8 weeks, since we moved we decided to wait until we got to Cali. no point of making him ride cross country and we really wouldn't have had room for another person yet along more stuff! So anywho, we picked Mr. Tre' up from the Oakland airport. Before I move on here is my take on Oakland....It is kinda HOOD. Driving over the bridge from our area to there makes you not want to go there, but that's a different story. Well, we picked up Tre' and headed out to dinner. Tre' is 12, will be 13 in November so the whole thought process of a pre-teen is always....fun. We went to Outback, which was close to the hotel and Tre' fav. During dinner he brought up the topic of SEX!!!! Yup SEX! Apparently teachers now teach the basics and then tell the child to go home an ask their parents any questions they have about the topic. Tre' did just that! He told me the instructions and proceeded with his questions. Oh the questions he asked. "Is sex pleasurable?" and "What did you do during sex?"......WTF!!!! How do I answer this and to top it off Rob had gone to the bathroom at this point.  I redirected the convo and made Rob answer. This was just night one with Tre'.  Some of the things he says makes me laugh so hard and I swear some of the stuff he doesn't even realize is funny. Preston and Gracie, who don't like anybody were beyond excited to see Tre' and started playing with him as soon as he got here. Preston has also mastered saying Tre' it is the cutest thing ever! The first night I wrote Tre' down on a piece of paper and Preston said three!!!! Once he realized Tre's name he didn't stop saying it! I wonder if they realize that Tre' is their big bro....age difference and all!

California living

Well, I guess I am officially calling CA home for the next two years. This house hunting process is a pain in the ASS to the fullest 100% plus some. We have looked at great houses in awful areas, we have looked at great houses in great areas way, I mean way out of budget. Currently we are trying to find a place to rent, we don't want to buy, because we will only be here for 2 years and I honestly have no desire to settle down in North Cali. Our budget is between $2,000 to $2,500 a month, of course $2,500 is the very top of our budget and we really don't even want to spend that much. Well, I see why the bay area is such an expensive place to live. We found an amazing 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with great upgrades and amenities a whole 1,100 square feet for $2,295.....yup that's what your money gets you here. It's kind of depressing, but we gotta live. I'm sure we could find a place with an old basic kitchen with no upgrades, no amenities, just a basic place to live, but that's just  just not our style. We have become used to certain things and if I am going to be in a new town with no friends and not really knowing anyone, I want to at least be in a home that I am completely comfortable in and that makes me happy to come home to everyday. Since getting out here I am so thankful for my parents exposing me to so much, so many different cultures of people and just being able to travel and see the world. If it wasn't for that, being out here would be a huge cultural shock. I am a southern girl so the lack of grits and Cracker Barrels is a big adjustment. The weather is also very different. The hottest it has been is 80 degrees. In the morning it is in the low 60's, slowly creeps up to the high 70's low 80's and at night it is low 60's again. Layers are a must, it's so odd for it to be so cool this time of year for me. All the pools are heated because, it  just doesn't get that hot! My nose is also trying to adjust to the dust in the air. I am popping Alegra and Claritin like crazy. Another thing I do like is the cheap wine. Wine I paid $17 a bottle for in Valdosta is $10 out here. Drinks are way more expensive when you go out to eat, but living in Valdosta will spoil you when it comes to expenses.  Fingers crossed on this house hunting mission!  

Finally HERE!

Bakersfield, California to Fairfield, California 287 miles about 5 hours. Whooaaaaa!!!!!! We did it and we are all in one piece not ready to kill each other! I can officially say that I drove cross country with my two mini-me's in tow. Today wasn't that bad, I didn't want to do it, but I knew I was so close to being done, that I had to finish. When my parents first found out that I would be driving my Jeep they kinda flipped out and were really worried. I guess I am still 12 in their eyes. My dad even offered to drive my Jeep out there and when I said no he told me that along the way if I couldn't do it anymore he would fly into the nearest airport and finish the drive for me. I decided to call him today as a joke and tell him that I couldn't finish the last 5 hours....He of course was ready to fly out and relieve me. I told him I was joking, but he insisted that he would do it, if I needed him. we made it to the base and checked in and went to our hotel. The next few days or 8 days we will spend house hunting and school hunting.....easy to type but hard to do!

Taking a Break

Well today officially marks day 10, but we will not be driving today. We are both exhausted and Preston isn't feeling super great. Between all the weather changes and the time change we all need a break. We ate dinner last night at a local Greek restaurant and it was amazing! They also had a nice beer selection which was a plus. Today Preston woke up ready to get on the road. He asked for his shoes and shirt and shorts and told us he was ready to walk. He also got mad at his sister because she did not want to keep her shoes on and he felt that slowed down the process of leaving. We decided that we would walk around the mall a bit and grab lunch out there as well. We went to Red Robin and although the food was good, I was a bit annoyed when we got there. They were slammed and the wait was almost 30 minutes, but it ended up taking a bit longer because of a new rule. Children, strollers, highchairs, baby carriers are not allowed to be in the bar area. Too many customers feel that it takes away from the bar atmosphere. This was crazy to me, we have taken our kids to the most upscale places to eat and this has never been something we have had to deal with, but this is the same state that wanted to have kids and babies banned from flights, so I shouldn't be surprised. After lunch we did a lot of walking and a little bit of shopping. We went to Build-A-Bear in attempts to make Preston forget about Doggie and get gracie her own little buddy so she would leave Preston's alone. Preston got a yellow Angry Bird stuffed animal and Gracie got a hot pink Gorilla. When we got back to the hotel that night Preston still asked for Doggie.....guess he didn't forget. After the mall it was almost time for dinner, so we decided to head over to the Greek place we liked so much last night. Like always Rob ended up talking to a guy sitting near us about the food and saying how great it was, it turned out to be the owner! He was a super nice guy and came to our table and talked to us for a while. He even discounted our bill by about 50%, super nice thing to do. Once we left there, we headed by CVS to grab some sinus meds and headed back to the hotel. We had a couple of drinks and watched a movie and called it a night. The final day of cross country driving is tomorrow!!!!!