Auntie Yvette is hard core!

Paddle board action.

Lake Tahoe Family Vacation

Yesterday was our first full day in Tahoe. My day consisted of a bike
ride south down HW89, and an afternoon reading on the beach. Dinner
was Joe's Special and a Caesar salad from Molly's garden. Yummy!

Today we've returned to the beach, paddleboard in tow. It's warm here,
so the lake is calling!

New Card - USA

New Card - Japan

New Card - Taiwan

New Card - China

Check out the beautiful stamps!

So Many New Cards!!!

New Card - Russia

Truckee, CA

I spent today in Truckee, for a California Fire Chiefs AFSS section
meeting. Weather was unbelievable!!! Sunny with a perfect breeze. Snow
still at elevation. Shoot, Boreal still looks skiable!

Mrs. Grossman's Paper (Sticker) Company Tour!

Hi all! I fulfilled a crazy childhood dream and took a tour of Mrs. Grossman's Paper Company. Mrs. Grossman's is responsible for stickers. In fact, she basically created stickers. So the vast majority of my childhood spent collecting, swapping, and organizing my stickers is thanks to this lady.

Last weekend I stopped off in Sausalito on my way home from The City, and came across this fabulous little paper store, off the beaten path (but only by one block).  The company is the Pinestreet Papery, and it carries every Mrs. Grossman's sticker ever made. When Mrs. Grossman's discontinues a sticker pattern, Pinestreet Papery buys up the remaining stock. Needless to say, it's an awesome site to see. So, while I was snooping my way through the stickers, it dawned on me that as a kid, I always knew that Mrs. Grossman's was local. So upon returning home, I checked out their website. Turns out, they offer tours! Located in Petaluma off of South McDowell, they're only about a mile off the freeway. They have a picnic area (sans food), so it might be a fun stopover for some family members on the way to Mendo! P.S. Between 101 and Mrs. Grossman's is Mr. Pickles Sandwich Shop. The best deli sandwich I've ever had is made regularly by this phenomenal chain deli. Check them out!

For a very reasonable price ($3 for adults), tours are offered during the weekdays. You begin by watching a short video introducing you to Mrs. Grossman and the company, and then take a tour of the production floor. It's really neat to see all of the machines operating! In addition to stickers for collecting, scrapbooking, etc., Mrs. Grossman's Paper Company factory is also home to Paragon Papers, also owned by a Grossman family member. This company prints beautiful labels for regional wineries and high-end foods. As we were walking through, I spotted huge rolls of labels for wineries all over the area, including a Coppola winery label.

While pictures weren't allowed on the production floor, I did snap a couple of pictures upstairs. When the tour of the floor wrapped up, we went upstairs where little sticker baggies were handed out, and art projects commenced. The kids in the room seemed to love it, and I had fun with it too! I then wandered into the Mrs. Grossman's store, which had most (if not all) of the current stickers available. The prices were really rock-bottom, and it looks like they're having a lower-than-wholesale sale on June 26, for anyone crazy enough to battle scrapbookers for a sticker!

New Card - The Netherlands

New Card - USA

Sacramento Zoo - 5/30/10

My mom and I visited the Sacramento Zoo for the first time yesterday. Located in Land Park, it is right next to Sac City College and a number of other family-oriented amusements. The park itself is smaller than the SF Zoo, but was a perfect size for a five-hour stroll, which was about all the walking we had in us. Highlights of the park included the opportunity to pet a dwarf hedgehog named Ebony, the leopards, the snoozing lions, and the giraffes. Oh, those giraffes. There were three giraffes outside the barn while we were there; they have a barn similar to the one at the SF Zoo. They posed and played with passersby, and we spent about half an hour snapping them. All in all, a great place for a fun afternoon!

Shark Fest - Alcatraz

My Auntie Lynne flew up this weekend to swim from Alcatraz back to SF; early Sunday (6/6/10) morning we drove into the foggy city for the race. As she rode the ferry to The Rock, I parked and ran down from Ft. Mason to the break at Aquatic Park. As the swimmers ferried out, many kayakers headed out to guide the swimmers. The fire boats (So. Marin Fire, Tiburon Fire, SF Fireboat, etc.) came out, followed by additional Fire Rescue personnel and PD/Sheriff. After a short wait, they all started to come in. When the crowd inquired, one of the kayakers explained that the Coast Guard deemed the conditions unsafe due to the fog. The alternative race, a time trial, was scheduled for a half hour later. I moved the car and scurried down to watch the race. As one of nearly 1,000 swimmers, it was impossible to spot Lynne, but in the end, I found I should have been looking for the mama in the front of the pack! Lynne took first place in her age bracket in the wetsuit category. Go Lynnie!

~ 6am, before the lights were turned off.

Fireboat, Fire Rescue, and many dedicated kayakers!

I realize that's my finger in the picture, but check out the pooch along for the ride! This kayaker was talking to the group hanging out on the jetty; the dog would look at us eagerly and then snuggle back down. The guy said she rides with him frequently.

The view from the path from Ft. Mason down to the mouth of Aquatic Park. A group of us onlookers hung out at the end of the break; groups of crabbers were out there in the early morning as well. One persistent sea lion kept swimming between the crab pots, stealing first from those on the inner side, then hitting the ones on the Bay side. He had a full tummy by 9am! He also hung out and entertained everyone; groups of tourists with kids LOVED him.

Sharkfest 2010! Balclutha in the background.

New Card - Portugal