Scenes From This Weekend [1/20/15]

The best part about a 3-day weekend is that it finishes off with a 4-day work week. Now, this can go one of two ways. It can be FANTASTIC because you are one step closer to Friday. OR it can be TERRIBLE because you have to squeeze ALL-the-things into 4 days. I’ll see how today goes and report back.

Saturday:

I woke up super early on Saturday (yet again) and walked the LG trail (yet again).

I know I’m weird, but I’m loving this weekly tradition/routine with myself.

When I got back to the apartment, BethyV and I did the unthinkable. We undressed Fir-Ell, wrapped him up, said our goodbyes, and tossed him in the dumpster.

He was a good Christmas tree. Rest in Peace, Fir-Ell Williams. We will miss you.

After our tearful goodbyes, we walked over to the grocery store to pick up some snacks for our wine tasting outing later in the day. We also got some supplies to make stuffed bellpeppers.

Am I the only one who is amazed at the structural art at the grocery store? Man, someone’s got some pretty impressive stacking skills.

After much deliberation over what salami and cheese to pair together, we all convened at our apartment around noon. To prep, we guzzled water, stretched a bit, and played some pump-up music. You know….all that normal grown-up stuff you do when you’re going to spend an afternoon wine tasting.

We started the day off at Burrell School Winery, which was surprisingly not as crowded as I thought it would be for being a Passport Day. We broke out the snacks (even before we tasted the first Chard) because, obviously, as an adult, we make responsible decisions by eating first.

After the snacks and tasting, we moved on to Regale Winery, which was right next door. I had always seen it from the patio of Burrell School, but had never been inside.

The view was absolutely stunning and the wine was deeee-licious. We spent a good chunk of time there just soaking in the views. And grapes.

We also broke out Snacks Part 2. Because we are so classy.

Our last stop was at Wrights Station. Our stop here reminded me why I bought the passport in the first place. Sure, I get to taste ALL the wines. But, I also get to discover parts of the South Bay that I never even knew existed! This winery was tucked away on a side street off Summit Road. I have driven up and down this road numerous times, but I never would have known it was there.

Absolutely stunning views. And, again, delicious wines.

Since we planned responsibly, we weren’t exhausted by the time we got home. So, Emily and I recharged for a bit (both our bodies and our cell phones) and then decided to go out to San Pedro Square in the evening.

We started off at the marketplace and then walked over to The Wagon Wheel. I wish I had taken a picture of my stamp. I always feel proud of the stamps I collect during a night out. It’s like a reminder that I can be cool sometimes. (I’m clearly a cool kid when I take pictures of my arm on my iPhone and then wave it around and scream “LOOK HOW FUN I AM”…)

Sunday:

Reality hits when you wake up on Sunday morning and you’re not feeling so hot or so cool or so fun. At all. But, don’t worry, Whole Foods makes it look like you’re still having quite the party.

Ginger, Beets, Carrot, Apple, Lemon

Who needs coffee when you’ve got an After Party?

But we definitely needed a little more sustenance so we drove over to Bagel Guys Bakery, our new favorite bagel place, and got some breakfast sandwiches.

After that, I was on the road to see my little monkey who I haven’t seen in AGES. It only took about an hour to get there and, when I parked, he was eagerly waiting at the door for me.

He was either waiting for me or the presents I brought. Veer loves surprises.

After about a thousand kisses and hugs and squeezes, we bundled up so we could walk over to the park for some swings and slides time.

Best friends. Reunited. Once again.

The last time I was here, he was a bigger fan of the slides and a little hesitant about the swings. Things change so quickly when you’re a 3-year old.

Veer also went on his first mini hike. We cheered and applauded when he got to the top of the hill and he was SO excited that he got to do something that his papa did.

When the sun started to go down, we all walked back home and Veer had dinner and dessert before he passed out from exhaustion.

He went to bed around 6PM. His Bua went to bed around 7:30PM. Twinsies.

Monday:

Bhaiya and I made a trip to Starbucks and Jamba Juice. We love our green and orange straws.

We got back home and Bhaiya had to leave for work. So, Veer, Bhabhi, and I played a little Twister. It’s pretty crazy to me that I get to play all these games and have all these conversations with Veer now. He’s growing up SO FAST.

I got tired before he did. Obviously. So, he transitioned to painting.

I love that he wants to paint the sun blue and the stars green and the trees red. I almost intervened and said, “No way bro. Suns are yellow,” but who am I to squash a 3-year old’s creativity?

We played some more games and ran around and around and around the house (Veer loves running. And I love playing with him. ~~And racking up steps on my Fitbit~~). And, by around 6:30, the munchkin was ready for bed. He read us a book about pigeons and bathtubs.