A Tour of Pixar Studios

One of our friends works at Pixar Studios and invited us to their monthly 'Beer Bash' on Friday.

We've been trying to go for months and it finally worked out.

The last Friday of the month, Pixar hosts dinner and drinks for their employees, friends, and family.

So, pretty much that's reason #1 why Pixar is the coolest place to work.

Reason #2 has got to be that the grounds are freaking amazing.

I was blown away!

This is where we checked in...

Yes, life size Buddy and Buzz Lightyear...made out of Legos.

Buddy was about 6 feet tall.

This is their main atrium.

Beautiful.

Since Monster's University is the current movie they just released, the place was decked out with everything MU related.

Also in the atrium is their cafe, employee kitchen (free cereal and pb&j all day long - I would never need to buy breakfast or lunch again), and their rec area with ping pong/air hockey/fuse ball, etc)

We went on a tour of the rest of the studio, and it kept getting cooler and cooler.

We saw their three movie theaters with velvet upholstered chairs (one had couches instead).

Most of the parts of the upper level I wasn't able to take pictures of, but we were able to see tons of stuff that goes on behind the scenes of making antimated movies.

Lots of drawing boards and sketches.

It takes anywhere from 30,000 - 100,000 drawing boards to make one of their movies!

Crazy.

I was so glad I was able to take a picture of this, though.

So sad our Jack Jack wasn't there, but I plan on bringing him back for a photo shoot.

Perfect for his 1st birthday, which is Incredibles/Jack Jack themed :)

They have multiple bars throughout the studio.

We went in one, and I felt like I was in a lounge in San Francisco.

Reason #3 why this place is awesome.

The campus also has a swimming pool, basketball court, soccer field...and probably more that I didn't see.

They encourage their employees to use their lunch to do these activities...or join the crouching club...or whatever is your hobby.

Reason #4 why I want to work there.  

Now...to watch Monster's University!

Bloglovin & 25 Randoms About Me

I'm finally getting around to this....

I use Blogger Dashboard, so I haven't felt any sense of urgency to sign up for Bloglovin.

But, for my 21 followers, it's almost July 1st, so here you go :)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
(Although now that it looks like you can still follow me even if I don't set up an account).

And, to give this post some substance....
I was cleaning up my facebook page recently and found this.
I wrote it in January of 2009.
But, they're all still true and I got a good laugh reading through these, so I thought I'd share.

So, here are 25 Random Facts about Me:

1. I have never broken a bone (which is shocking considering that I am a klutz)

2. I have a lazy eye and had to wear a patch over my left eye from the ages of 3-7

3. Laundry is my favorite chore (Dishes are a close second)

4. I have a shot glass collection from places all over the world

5. Every single birthday party of mine from ages 1-12 was heart-themed

6. In September of 2006, I traveled to 10 countries (including 14 cities) all throughout Europe (and yes, I do have a shot glass from each place I visited)

7. Growing up I had a strange obsession with toothbrushes

8. I can walk on my hands…for a good length of time

9. I am a hypochondriac (I won’t mention the number of times I’ve thought I’ve had cancer)

10. One of my greatest fears is being trapped in a fire

11. I call my dad Jimmy (Most people call him Brian)

12. I am tone deaf (But wish I could sing)

13. I won’t forget your birthday if you tell it to me once

14. I never had braces

15. I have a scar on my right arm due to “modular fasciitis”

16. My favorite section of the newspaper is the weather page

17. I blush easily…but it’s only because I have rosacea (I’ve been diagnosed)

18. I can’t wink (Don’t ask me to try – it’s embarrassing)

19. When I was little I thought my name was Baboo

20. I am addicted to coffee and get a headache if I don’t have a cup by noon

21. My arm span is almost 6 feet long

22. I’m allergic to bee stings and penicillin

23. I’ve never had a pet dog (and would be okay if I never did)

24. My closet is extremely organized (And when I was younger I might have had lists of all my outfits organized by season...you know, so I wouldn't repeat wearing outfits too close together)

25. I get riled up when people try to call me Becky, so I wouldn't recommend trying :)

So, there you are.
A little randomness for your Wednesday!

Why I Love Living in Northern CA

Seriously, living in Nor Cal is the best.

All you, Nor Cal'ers, don't you agree?!

And you others...I know you're jealous.

I love, love, love where I live.

We're in the Bay Area, and I think it's the best.

To San Francisco: 45 minutes

To Napa/Wine Country: 1 hour 

(photo credit for Napa pic: Melissa Larson)

To Santa Cruz Beach: 1 hour, 15 min.

To Carmel: 1 hour, 30 min.

To Lake Tahoe/snow: 3 hours

To Yosemite: 3 hours

I mean, awesome.

I love that we have access to so many fun places!

And, I think the weather is great.

I've been thinking about it a lot this week since it's been in the low 70's...

It's March, people. 

We get seasons...but they're mild.

Don't have to deal with living in the snow and all the annoyances that come with...if we want snow, just drive 2-3 hours for a little weekend get-a-way.

We do get Fall...not like the East Coast, but our leaves change and it feels like Fall.

Spring is gorgeous...green hills, mustard everywhere.

And summer has it's hot days and we hit triple digits at times, but for the most part it's in the mid 80's to low 90's. And no humidity. Thank you!

I've lived here my whole life...born and raised.

Even went to college in CA.

I have no plans of leaving anytime soon.

Although, life could have other plans for me.

When we first started dating, Jason wanted out of CA.

He LOVES Texas. (He lived there for 9 months while in the Air Force).

I do not love Texas (sorry, Texans).

About 6 months into our relationship, I went to Texas (Austin) for the first time.

It was June.

I walked out of the airport and started gasping for air.

Couldn't breathe.

Hello humidity.

Call me a wimp, but I prefer to only be wet after I take a shower...not ALL day long!

Before we got married, I made it clear to Jason that Texas was not in 'my' plan...

Jason was up to moving other places, too...

A lot because CA is so dang expensive...

But great things come at high prices, right? :)

But recently, Jason has really come to a place where he is happy being where we are.

I think having a kid has contributed to that, since both our families are within 20 minutes of us.

We're both open to the reality of God having plans for us elsewhere, but for now, we love where we live!

California lovin'!

10 Things About My Week

1. Jack started with a new daycare lady this week (my mom watches him 3 of the days, but we needed to find care for the other two). We loved the gal who watched him before, but she is moving. The new lady, who goes affectionately by Moo, is British. And, she is pretty awesome. And not just because of her accent. But, I am a little bit obsessed with her accent. It's so cool. She sent me about 7 pictures of him the first day and the caption was always along the lines of 'Hi Mum'. Love! I'm secretly hoping that Jack will talk with a British accent after being in her care. I know, highly unlikely. Anyway, I adore her. And she keeps a little journal each time Jack is there to record about the day. How amazing is her hand-writing?!

2. Moo couldn't watch Jack on Wednesday, which is when we needed her to start. So, I took the day off and got to play stay-at-home-mom with Jack. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

3. On my day off, I went to Ross. Jason works at their corporate office and 3 times a year they give associates a 40% discount. Honestly, I really don't like Ross because I'm not into that whole 'treasure hunt' experience. I just want to find what I need and get out. But, I do go 3 times a year because of this: 

For $78 I bought:

Two shirts and a dress (Calvin Klein...normally $100, I got for $18) for me, pj's for Jack, 3 Dr. Seuss books, a teething toy, a shower caddy, a plastic water tumbler cup (with a straw, of course), a Superman mug, 2 picture frames, a tube of sunscreen (yes, very random), and my favorite: this awesome truck for Jack's room (which is vintage vehicle themed).

 

4. Jack is starting to sit up much better on his own, which I am really excited about.

5. What I am not excited about is the crawling position he started to get himself into this week. Please, don't go mobile on me. I like a baby who stays in one place.

6. I bought a sling for Jack. I always thought they were for hippies. But the kid gets super fussy the last hour or two before he goes to bed. And he is huge. I'm too weak to hold him for that long. So, we're slinging it up. I bought the K'Tan. My friend has it and loves it. Plus, the reviews on it were great. It will arrive sometime next week.

7. A family from our church hooked us up with 4 huge boxes of clothes for Jack (12 month - 4T size). Pretty sure we are set for the next few years. And these people had pretty sweet style, too.

8. I am fighting my 3rd cold in 3 months...I never get sick. What is up?

9. We had a staff development day for work yesterday. They had a guest speaker come in the morning to talk about Culturally Relevant Learning. He talked about culturally relevant ways of getting our students' attention. My big take away: I say 'Holla' - you say 'Back.' Holla-...-Back. Trying it out on Monday. We'll see how it goes...

10. We're jumping on the bandwagon. Jason and I watched the first 2 episodes of Downton Abbey last night. I had tried to watch the first episode while on maternity leave after Jack was born. I got about 15 minutes into it and had to turn it off. Just couldn't get into it. I had just finished watching all the seasons of Parenthood, so I think I was comparing the two shows...and they are just so different. But, this time around I really liked Downton Abbey...can see why people are so obsessed with it. 

My week in a list. There you are!

SF Tourist

I love San Francisco. I would not want to live there, but I love going into the city. On Father's Day weekend, my parents, sister, and I went to the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building. It was so fun! The weather was gorgeous, and it was great to walk around, sample yummy food, and enjoy the hustle and bustle. Jason was at a Dodger's game (boo) that day with his dad, so I've been wanting to go back with him for quite a while. Our weekends have been so busy though with bridal showers, bachelorette parties, weddings, family gatherings, or grad school for Jason, so we haven't had a free Saturday in forever. This past Saturday was one of the first free Saturdays we've had in months...and the last we'll have for weeks, so we wanted to make the best of it. Plus, Jason is in between terms for grad school, so he didn't have any homework to do this weekend. Yay!

A few weeks ago we marked October 22nd as our fun day. We planned to go into the city and just explore. I, of course, had a few things on the agenda: Farmer's Market, Coffee Bean, Gott's for lunch, Land's End Trail...Well, we got all of that in, plus more. The weather was on our side...October is definitely the city's summer. Such a pretty day.
We sampled lots of yummy goodies at the Farmer's Market and enjoyed great burgers and sweet potato fries at Gott's for lunch.

Jason works for Ross Corporate, and they just opened a store at Fisherman's Wharf, so we did a little store visit there.
We then played SF tourist and started driving...drove through North Beach, then down Union Street (so cute), down to Crissy Field, then through the Presidio to the Land's End Trail.

Jason proposed on the Land's End Trail, but it was crummy weather that day, so we were excited to walk the trail on a clear day with a perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

And, a day in the city wouldn't be complete without a stop at Coffee Bean and a stroll through Pac Heights. We had such a fun day exploring and enjoying the beautiful San Francisco weather!

Blue Angels Fail

On Sunday, I headed out to San Francisco with my parents and sister Elyse (Jason had grad school homework to do) to see the Blue Angels. I had never seen the Blue Angels, and my mom had talked up the show, so I was excited for the festivities.

Two years ago, my dad attempted to take his boat out on the bay to watch the Blue Angels. However, the water was so choppy that our boat felt like a roller coaster ride. It was a failed attempt to see the Blue Angels from the water, and we ended up having to turn around just a few minutes after getting on the water.

This time I was more hopeful. The weather was beautiful as we headed into the city, so we were excited for a good show. We were able to find a parking spot about a mile away from the Aquatic Center. The walk down was so fun because of the Columbus Day parade going on in North Beach.


We made it down to the Aquatic Center, right at 3pm for the start of the Blue Angels. First though, my sister and I did a quick stop at Buena Vista to get some Irish coffees. Yummy.

We got all settled in with the crowd, excited for the show to start. The Blue Angels did their first fly by...and then the announcer comes on and says that the show will be delayed about 5-10 minutes while they decide whether to proceed or not due to the weather.

Yes, that fog off in the distance was the concern. Blue skies above us...but fog on the other side of the Bay. We sat and waited, hoping the show would continue.

But, alas, it was canceled. We were so sad. Two and a half hours to get into the city...and no show. This was about as much of the Blue Angels as we saw..

My mom, who hates the city, was especially disappointed. Instead, we headed to the Ferry Building and walked around for a bit. Hoping next year is a better success!

"The Loop"

If you know my family, you know that we are all very close. I can't recall a time when I ever fought with my parents. My sisters and I had small squabbles when we were younger, but we were always great friends. To this day, I consider my sisters as two of my very best friends.

When my sisters and I each graduated from college, we all moved back home for a period of time. But, then we of course each eventually moved out. My two sisters have always lived within a few miles of my parent's house. But I...I moved almost 20 miles away! Not only was it required to take the freeway to my place from my parents, but you had to go on TWO different freeways, which is practically forbidden in my mother's book! In the year and a half that I lived there, my mom came over three times: once to move me in, once to move me out, and one time to pick me up on the way to my grandmas! The line was that I had moved outside of 'the loop!' Even Jason was living in the loop for over half our relationship since he move in with my sister almost a year before we got married.

My parent's house - where I grew up

Well, I can now say that I am officially back in 'the loop.' Here is how the loop works: from our place to my sister Mel's it is 2.3 miles (about a 5 minute drive). From my sister Mel's house to my parents it is 1.2 miles (about a 3 minute drive). From my parents to my sister Elyse's place it is 2.9 miles (about a 7-8 minute drive). Then to complete the loop (which is almost a perfect circle), from Elyse's back to our place it is 2.5 miles (about 5 minutes). My mom officially has her three daughters all within 5 miles or less and no freeways are needed to get to any of us! We are all in three different zip codes, but they are all adjoining zip codes, so it works. She sure is one happy mother!

One Mirrored Car...

If you've ridden in my car (or even just seen my car) sometime in the past year and a half, you most likely experienced this...

Yes, the missing passenger side view mirror. In September of 2009 (yes, over 20 months ago), my side view mirror hit the trash can while I was pulling out of my garage. I was shocked when the whole mirror was left hanging by wires, especially considering that I was only going like 2 mph (if that). I went that day and got a few quotes on the cost to replace it and couldn't believe that it was going to cost me close to $300! My mirror was perfectly undamaged, but I would have to buy a whole new mirror in order for them to reconnect it to my car. I refused. Once I found out that it was legal to drive with only one side view mirror, I decided to delay the process of replacing my mirror.

Six months later, in April of 2010, the worker who was remodeling my parent's bathroom decided to make it his mission to find me a new mirror. He found a matching one at a junk yard and removed it from the car himself. He brought it to me in perfect condition, and it was much cheaper than the $300 the mechanic was trying to charge me. Well, I was hesitant to put it on my car because I was afraid that I was going to knock it off again (the garbage cans in my garage made it a very tight squeeze into my parking spot). So, I decided to delay putting on the new mirror...and it sat in my trunk for another six months.

In November of 2010, I moved back in with my parents for a few months to save money for the wedding. This would have been the perfect time to put my new side mirror on since I wasn't dealing with the garage issue anymore. But, I guess I was so used to driving with only one side mirror that the whole thing just was bugging me that much anymore. I had perfected parallel parking without a side mirror. Plus, I was so busy with wedding planning, that my car's side view mirror simply wasn't a priority.

Another 7 months went and finally Jason had it. He refused to ride in a car with only one side mirror. I admit, it did look very tacky! Considering that I even had the replacement mirror, it was even more ridiculous that I was still driving around with only one mirror. So, last weekend, Jason and my dad put my new mirror on my car! It did involve a little bit of 'jimmy rigging' since the wires didn't match up perfectly, but in the end, it all worked out. And now, 20 months later, my '98 Camry is looking back to normal!