(Block) Party On

We pulled off the first annual Gates St. Block Party last Sunday. It was a beautiful way to spend 10/10/10. Highlights included a fire engine and police car for the kids, batting cage, face painting, food and wine, pies pies pies, grass fed hamburgers, Filipino food, everything you can imagine. The kids took over the streets with bikes, baseball, skateboards, chalk, and general merriment. Makes you think the key to world peace is to be neighborly. Brett organized the whole thing. Here's to next year...11/11/11?

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Mountain Man

Pictures and video from a backpacking trip with our housemate, Perry, and two of his friends from Santa Cruz, Gee and Lael. This was an area just south of Yosemite in the Sierras. Big props to Deena who took care of the home and rearranged her work schedule so I could go.

This helicopter flew in to rescue someone with a concussion.
Sierra Snow Quiet Meadow

It's Better Wet

Perry, Amy and Amy's brother gave Sarek a water table for his birthday. Nola likes it too. Eventually this will be played with in the back yard.

TGIF...at Chili's

We acted on a sudden craving for Americana tonight and drove outside the city for our first dinner at a restaurant as a family. We picked family-friendly Chili's, where the wait people are in high school or college and people think it's cute when your kids peep over into their booths. Sarek had his first chocolate milk. Which turned into his second chocolate milk, which turned into...as it usually does with Sarek. Nola had chicken crispers and broccoli. I had a margarita after a long week of call. I'm still in my scrubs in the video. Perry got a very Perry-like drink...virgin pina colada before he hit the marina to work on his sailboat. He plans to take it into the Bay for this weekend's fireworks. I'm embarrassed that I had as much fun as I did tonight!

Fencing Lessons

We started building a fence this weekend to keep the kids from falling off the terrace in the back yard. Deena got me Perry and Zeke all working away on the fence like a modern day Tom Sawyer. (Actually, she did a bunch of sanding and painting herself.)

Zeke had a good time learning about the perils of construction projects on old houses, it's always something, and using a hammer drill to bore through concrete. Big thanks to Perry for being the bestest most helpful housemate ever.

Brett had the only injury to report to OSHA. I ripped my middle finger open on a thorny rose bush. I'd show you, but that would be rude.

Lettuce Be #4

Perry picked some radishes from the garden and shared them with
Sarek. Too spicy for him, but he is starting to try more veggies.

The Anne-Marie

Perry took Brett and Sarek to see his new sailboat, The Anne-Marie, which is docked at Treasure Island. Sarek loved it. For some reason, he thinks the boat is "silly." We hope to take him out for his first sail after we get him a life vest.

Lettuce Be #3

Into the earth.

For the Birds

Perry and Sarek fill up the bird feeder.

Lettuce Be #2

Sarek's Garden is growing!

Lettuce Be

S-Rock gets a gardening lesson from Perry.

The Infantes' Visit

The sweet spot in our Thanksgiving this year was a visit from my dear friend, Kim, and her family. We managed to launch a mini van sort of reunion with Perry, another friend from high school. Highlights included the usual Saturday farmer's market run, a father-son 10k in Golden Gate Park, and a Saturday night rendevous with my new birthday CrockPot (chosen over an IPhone!) Sebastian and Sarek are 4 months apart; Nola and Lucas are the same # months apart, just in the opposite direction. After years of wandering our paths around the globe, Kim and I finally live within driving distance of each other, with Kim raising her kids in our hometown.

Roundtable

Perry In Da House

One of Deena's bestest and oldest friends moved in this month. Perry has been a pleasure to have around and a big help too.